Four Rules…

Not trying to jump the shark here, but the four rules DO apply to everyone…

Not just ‘civilians’…

Per the media 2 dead, 9 wounded in NYC in the Empire shooting this morning; article HERE.  Now a couple of points for consideration…

Colt .45 used by Perp, so max 8/9 rounds (without extended mag), puts 2 in his ex-boss, when killed one round still in mag; one spare mag (full) found in briefcase (according to police report).  So by “MY” math that means he fired either six or seven shots…

So two into the boss, that leaves either four or five rounds to shoot others… Unless he was firing magic bullets, that does NOT add up to 11 dead/wounded…

It calls into question how many rounds were fired by police, and what they hit… 

  1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
  2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
  3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
  4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.

I’m thinking there were at least ‘some’ Rule 4 violations by police in this incident…

Now what coach???  Oh yeah, and that whole gun free zone worked again…

I LIKE this idea…

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce  their staff and workers. The remaining workers must find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well.

Wall Street and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of “tough decision”,  and the board of directors gives upper corporate  management  big bonuses..

Our government should NOT be immune from similar risks.

Therefore:

Reduce the House of Representatives from the current435 members to 218  members.


Reduce Senate members from100  to 50 (one per State). Then, reduce their remaining staff  by 25%.

Accomplish this over the next 8 years (two  steps/two elections) and of course this would require some  redistricting.

Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include:

$44,108,400 for elimination of  base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay/member/  yr.)

$437,100,000 for elimination of their staff.  (Estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each member of the House, and $3 Million in staff per each member of the Senate every  year)

$108,350,000 for the reduction in remaining staff  by 25%.

$7,500,000,000reduction in pork barrel earmarks each  year. (Those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at$15  Billion/yr).

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and  improve efficiencies.. It might even be in their best interests to  work together for the good of our country!

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (Telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few)

Note:
Congress does not  hesitate to head home for extended weekends, holidays and  recesses, when what the nation needs is a real fix for  economic problems. Also, we had 3 senators who were not doing their jobs for the 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all accepted full pay. Minnesota survived very well with only one senator for the first half of a year. These facts alone support a reduction in senators and congress.

Summary:

$44,108,400  reduction of congress members.

$282,100,000 elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$70,850,000  for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house  members.

$37,500,000  for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate  members.

$7,500,000,000  reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress  members.

$8,084,558,400  per year, estimated total savings. (That’s 8-BILLION just to start!)

Corporate   America does these types of cuts all the time.There’s even  a name for it — “Downsizing.”
——————————
Also, if Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits, taxpayers could save a bundle.

Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term.

Worth the Read!!!

Daddy Bear hits a home run with his response to Gen Dempsey HERE!

He said it much better than I, and didn’t even resort to any four letter words!!!

Go read it!

Now THIS is truly strange…

I’ve NEVER heard of anything like this before, except in coalition situations…  Never seen a foreign officer be given command of US troops here in America… Article HERE.

Australian General chosen as U.S. Army Pacific Deputy

By William Cole Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The appointment of two-star Maj. Gen. Richard Burr is called “unprecedented”

In one of the highest-ranking assignments of its kind, a two-star general with the Australian Defense Force has been named a deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, headquartered at Fort Shafter.


Army officials called the posting “unprecedented” for Army service component commands — of which Fort Shafter is one — and said it’s rare to have a foreign officer that high in command in the U.S. Army.



Australian Maj. Gen. Richard “Rick” Maxwell Burr will start in early November. Among his duties, Burr will serve as the main command post deputy commanding general for contingency operations, direct the development of annual training and exercise plans, and provide oversight of engagement within the South Asia and Oceania areas, the Army said.



Burr will report to and advise and assist Lt. Gen. Francis Wiercinski, commander of U.S. Army Pacific.



Army Secretary John McHugh, stopping in Hawaii after visiting Turkey, Mongolia and South Korea, told reporters Monday that Army leaders in Hawaii are “trying to ensure what has been the case in all these years — that is that the Army remains a vital force in the Pacific.” Bringing in Burr is part of the effort to maintain that importance, McHugh said.



McHugh said the Australians “have been one of, if not our most, critical partners” in places such as Af­ghani­stan.



“I don’t think it’s surprising, then, as we look to engage in this part of the region, where we’re looking for bilateral or trilateral and beyond relationships, that we’d bring in someone like Maj. Gen. Burr,” McHugh said.



Burr commanded Australian Special Forces Task Groups in Af­ghani­stan in 2002 and for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and in 2008 was commander of all Special Forces assigned to the International Security Assistance Force in Af­ghani­stan.



There are combined force command elements in South Korea with U.S. Army and Korean officers, foreign liaison officers within U.S. commands, and a one-star Canadian general with the Army’s III Corps in Texas, but Hawaii Army officials could not come up with any other foreign two-star officers in the Army.Maj. Gen. Roger F. Mathews also is a deputy commanding general at U.S. Army Pacific, which oversees Army forces in an area that covers half the globe.



Army officials were asked Monday how allies such as Japan and South Korea have viewed the Australian posting.



“Those are great allies and partners of the United States, and so there’s been curiosity and some questions in that regard,” said Mathews, the other deputy commander at U.S. Army Pacific.



ASKED whether there might be other, similar foreign officer appointments to the Army, McHugh said, “We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to work on a regional basis.”



He added, “When we talk about the United States’ interest in the Pacific region, our concern is peace and stability (and) economic opportunity, and we don’t view that as an America-only objective. We think it’s critical that we work with all the nations of this region to pursue what I hope are goals that everyone shares.”



McHugh said the Army conducted 160 engagements in the Pacific region last year.



But the Army’s future funding in the region is somewhat unclear with the Pentagon pursuing an Air-Sea Battle concept relying heavily on the Navy and Air Force to deal with high-tech anti-access weaponry — particularly that of China in the South China Sea.



“The critical problem right now is making sure that those who make the national military strategic decisions understand the availability of these Army forces,” McHugh said.



The Army now has an office where Air-Sea Battle is being formulated within the Pentagon, he said.



“As you look at this region — and I think people like (Adm. Samuel Locklear III, head of U.S. Pacific Command) would fully agree — you really can’t approach a meaningful, successful strategy in the Pacific without Army forces,” he said.



Twenty-two of 27 chiefs of defense in the region are part of their countries’ armies, officials have said.



“So the history shows the Army has long been a critical player here in the Pacific,” McHugh said. “I think the future will show that every bit as well.”

I think it will be interesting to see how this plays out… in MANY ways…  Your thoughts???



Gotta build one of these…

I’ve GOTTA build one of these for my place in Carolina… 🙂

That is just too funny… 🙂

 

If the ‘shoe’ fits!!!

Got this from one of my old high school classmates…

To all my senior friends (you know who you are… I think…)

I very quietly confided to a neighbor that I was having an affair.

She turned to me and asked, ‘Are you having it catered’?


And that, my friend, is the definition of ‘OLD’!


Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, ‘How old was your husband?’

98,’ she replied: ‘Two years older than me’


‘So you’re 96,’ the undertaker commented.


She responded, ‘Hardly worth going home, is it?’


Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:

‘And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?’ the reporter asked.


She simply replied, ‘No peer pressure.’


I’ve sure gotten old!

I’ve had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes I’m half blind, can’t hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that


make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can’t remember if I’m 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver’s license!


I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor’s permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour… But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher she had two final requests. First, she wanted to be cremated, and second, she wanted her ashes scattered over Wal-Mart.
‘Wal-Mart?’ the preacher exclaimed. ‘Why Wal-Mart?’

‘Then I’ll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week’


My memory’s not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory’s not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It’s scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, ‘For fast relief.’

THE SENILITY PRAYER :

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Send it to a bunch of your friends…  if you can remember who they are!

If you ain’t old yet, you’re headed in that direction…

And a female thought for the day:

I don’t want to brag or make anyone jealous or anything, but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

What If (again)…

Rather than the economy and the current BS going on, the election is decided by Iran, Israel, Egypt, China, and Mexico???

What am I talking about?

Well, we got into this over lunch today.  The consensus is that China, Iran and Mexico are all waiting until AFTER the elections to make their respective moves…  Egypt is moving NOW…

Iran wants to take out Israel (and they want a nuke capability NOW), Egypt is moving weapons, etc. to the border (in contravention of the peace treaty), China has ‘taken’ part of the Spratleys and vowed to push ‘foreigners’ beyond the second island chain; e.g. beyond Guam) and China and Japan are currently at a ‘near war’ footing over occupations of various islands.   And Mexico’s ‘new’ (this time around) administration is basically saying it’s going to go back to the old way of dealing with the cartels (e.g. take payoffs and let er rip)… 

Romney has already made his position clear, supports Israel, America’s closest ally, and understands they consider their backs to be against the wall.  AND  he’s indicated he will stand up to the Chinese also. Mexico? Who knows…

Obama doesn’t want to intervene (by releasing the bunker busters), fearing to alienate his muslim allies in the region and the new Egyptian power structure.  He agrees with  some of the retired Generals that  “we” can deal with an Iranian bomb.  And he’s already letting China do what they want in SEA.  We also know what he’s ‘tried’ through Holder with Fast and Furious.

This article HERE, by Arnaud De Borchgrave (UPI) has more in-depth discussion of the ‘Israel’ situation…  And Peter has a great post up HERE. Of note, Israel IS pushing Obama to take a stand and visit Israel, but that just ain’t happening…

Now when you move West,  in addition to the Spratleys occupation (with military AND civilians who now say they are the government), and the whole Senkaku situation blowing up yet again, HERE and HERE.

And what are we doing?  Nothing, the Fleet has been told to back off…

And Mexico? LL has a great post up HERE detailing what is going on and our response?  Nothing, unless you count the Dream Act and free welfare for illegals…

What happens if ANY of these situations blows up prior to the election?  Then THAT will become the lead item, and IF the USA (e.g. the current administration) don’t step up and stand up, we think Obama will lose in a landslide.  

If Obama gets re-elected, then we think that will be open season for Iran, Egypt, China and Mexico to pretty much do what they want…

Bottom line, this IS the most important election in my lifetime, and probably yours too!  Don’t trust the media to give you the straight story, take the time to research the issues and KNOW what the candidates stand for.  

Your vote DOES count, and you need to exercise your RIGHTS and vote!!!  

Humorous sayings…

Figured I’d put some humor up, maybe brighten up your Monday…

Or not… 🙂


Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, ‘Lillian, you should have remained a virgin…
– Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter)

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: – ‘No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.’
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement..
– Mark Twain

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible
– George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
– Victor Borge

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
– Mark Twain

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.
– Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
– Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
– Jimmy Durante

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
– Zsa Zsa Gabor

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
– Alex Levine

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
– Rodney Dangerfield

Money can’t buy you happiness …. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
– Spike Milligan

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP .
– Joe Namath

I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.
– Bob Hope

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..
– W. C. Fields

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
– Will Rogers

Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
– Winston Churchill

Maybe it’s true that life begins at fifty. But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out…
– Phyllis Diller

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he’s too old to go anywhere.
– Billy Crystal

And the cardiologist’s diet: – If it tastes good spit it out.

Old Irish Blessing-
May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more, and
may nothing but happiness come through your door.


h/t JP

Another Comedy Legend has passed…

For my older readers…

Phyllis Diller has gone to be reunited with Bob Hope, Milton Berle and all the other old time comedians…

Good article HERE!

She was funny as hell, always on purpose, and she made quite a few trips with Bob Hope to Vietnam and other places supporting our troops.

RIP Phyllis, and thanks for the ride!  You were literally one of a kind!

Range Time and Assumptions…

Well, it was back to the range again today to try one more time to help my friend and his dad zero the AR with the EOTech on it. 

This time the batteries were new, and they ‘said’ they had bore sighted it…

So… Just in case I put a target out at 50 yards, hoping ‘not’ to need it…

First three rounds at 100 yards, nothing… again…

Moved to the 50 yard, and it looked like they were shooting high, as I could see dirt fly ‘above’ the target.  Told him to aim for the bottom of the target backer, and low and behold, three rounds about 3 inches from the top of the target!!! 🙂

So, about 32 clicks down…

And three hits at least around the bull…  WTF???

No grouping at all???

Rechecked tightness on everything, try that again, still no grouping…

Lemme try that thing!  Three round group one inch low, one inch right.  Okay, two and two clicks, and try it again, and all three are in the red center…

I hand the rifle back, and no grouping again!  Now I ‘know’ the rifle is on, so whatinhellisgoingon???

Ask the son to shoot it, and his group is about 4 inches wide and high right by 4 inches… Huh???

Put his dad back on the gun, and still no group!  Lemme try that again; and they all group in the center!

Now I’m totally confused…

So we talk through sight alignment, and how to use red dots… Low and behold,  his dad had misread the manual, and they were trying to put the red dot on top of the front post! 

Told them just use the red dot, and IGNORE the front post completely, and all of a sudden the groups were in the center and 2-3 inches…

Assumptions WILL screw up your whole day… Sigh…

At least his dad is now happy…

Went over to the trap range to get my normal humiliation, and miracle of miracles, I went 20/25 and 21/25!  I was accused of practicing, but I literally have NO idea why I’m suddenly so much better, as I haven’t shot a shotgun since the last time I got humiliated…

I’m just gonna chalk this one up to experience, and call it a day…