Contrasts…

An Iver Johnson ad,  date unknown, but probably early 1900’s

Iver Johnson AD

A Colt ad from 1919, when you could order a pistol through the mail…

colt pistol ad 1919

Today???
From Yahoo on the Connecticut firearms bill-

The bill also clarifies the status of .22-caliber rimfire rifles, defining them as assault weapons when fitted with a detachable magazine and more than one of several features including a folding or telescoping stock, bayonet mount or flash suppressor. With passage of Monday’s revisions, the firearm so constructed will no longer be available for sale in Connecticut, but consumers who purchased it since April 4 will be allowed to register and keep it.

Read it and weep HERE.

Note that just like New York, they had to go back and ‘clarify’ portions of the bill…

Why are we in this handbasket, and WHEREINHELL are we going???

Sigh…

Military told NOT to read/download leak data…

Here’s the web page…

AirForceNotice1

Now before everybody goes ballistic, this is actually correct for a COUPLE of reasons.

One, NIPR is a totally unclassified system, e.g NO classified of any kind allowed.  If you’ve looked at the Guardian article, the documents have a TS classification.  If Airman Shmukatelli were to go look at that page and pull up that document to look at it, he is effectively (even though the document is public on an unclassified server) committing a security violation.

Second,  if Airman Shmukatelli were to go look at that page and pull up that document to look at it and SAVE it to his drive, he is effectively (even though the document is public on an unclassified server) committing a more severe security violation, and if he sent it via NIPR to anyone, that ramps up to yet again ANOTHER level of security violation.

It does not matter whether the document is public or not, it is the classification level on the document that is viable and valid since that document has never been declassified by higher authority.

Actually, they are doing their folks a favor by preventing them from committing, however unwittingly, a security violation they would “legally” have to be prosecuted for.  Same as with the Manning/Wikileaks stuff…

Video

I’d try it…

This one falls into the ZOMG category!!!

The amazing thing is that the South African Legends Golf and Safari Resort’s famous lineup of hole designers — which includes Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, and Vijay Singh, to name a few — is not how the course markets itself.

So what is this South African golfer’s paradise known for?

Oh not much, only the longest (and highest) par 3 in the world.

The tee is set 1,410 feet above the green on Hanglip Mountain. From the base of the mountain to the back of the green is 1,312 feet. In golf terms, that’s a 437-yard par-3, with a vertical drop of 470 yards.

Without getting all geeked out, as this insane shot relates to the laws of physics and how the ball will travel on quite an extreme arc, it plays about 260-270 yards due to the vertical drop.

Called the Extreme 19th, this hole is the centerpiece of the course (you don’t say?). But playing it is not part of a regulation round of golf there. Here’s the price breakdown:

Round of 18 including lunch: $70 per player
Extreme 19th per foursome: $1,060

That extreme price does come with a few perks. Players get a helicopter ride to the tee and back down after hitting, a souvenir cap and glove, and a DVD of their play on the hole.

The coolest part: Each player is given six balls with tracking devices, since losing sight of a ball hit from 1,410 feet up is pretty likely.

There’s a prize worth over $1 million for any player that makes a hole in one. The money has yet to be claimed. 

Oh HELL yes, throw me in that briar patch!!!  Ummm, I wonder if Peter still has friends in that area???

Bloggers being regulated…

It’s happening now in Singapore, but how long before it comes here???

From France 24 website-

The group had also organised an “Internet blackout” on Thursday, where over 130 bloggers in the city-state replaced their homepages with black screens featuring the words “#FreeMyInternet”.

Under the rules, websites with at least 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore every month that publish at least one local news article per week over a period of two months must obtain an annual licence.

Websites granted a licence will have to remove “prohibited content” such as articles that undermine “racial or religious harmony” within 24 hours of being notified by Singapore’s media regulator, the Media Development Authority (MDA).

Read the whole thing HERE.

Knowing Singapore and how strict their laws are, I can believe they will try this. Their level of success?  I’m not sure…  I “think” this is based on the Chinese ‘model’ of restrictions and some things going on in the Middle East. Singapore is the first ‘free’ country to try this; BUT, if the bloggers kow tow to the government, I can see this spreading.

Could it come here???  I don’t think so without some MAJOR controls on the Net, but with this administration, who ‘effing knows…

Is THIS the next requirement???

 

generic NSA statementWhat say you???

Interestingly, this DID NOT post on time… Strange…

And feel free to steal this if you so desire…

Straws…

Each new scandal brings straw to the camel’s back, and another agency into the public’s eye…

Holder refuses to prosecute Black Panthers in Philadelphia for voter intimidation…  DOJ investigates itself and finds no cause for alarm.  DOJ also says they will selectively enforce ‘certain’ laws.

NO RESOLUTION

Obamacare- Gotta pass it to see what’s in it, and now that we are finding out, it’s a HUGE problem.  Costs up in 2014 to between 30 and 160%, for less care…  Pelosi and Reid shoved this down our throats, with media complicity, IRS and HHS are the big winners…

NO RESOLUTION

Pre-election, Administration announces GWOT is over, Al Qaeda is done with killing of Bin Laden; drawdown in Afghanistan begins early, final date given to the world.

Arab Spring ignored, Libya ignored until NATO asks for help. USN goes in and gets the job done.

NO RESOLUTION

Knocked off the front page (finally) by Fast and Furious (BATFE).  Hearings, lies, ties to the NSC Holder lies about knowledge of situation (DOJ)

Aurora, Newtown shootings- Gun control debates push F&F off the front page. DOJ, Biden, States rush to pass laws that have no impact.

NO RESOLUTION

Benghazi, four dead and Hillary’s infamous quote, “What does it matter?”  Patraeus (CIA), Panetta (DOD), Clinton (DOS),Donilon (NSC), Gen Ham (AFRICOM) gone for ‘various’ reasons… Patraeus falls because of email trail (folks wonder how they ‘stumbled’ on to that at the time), Panetta leaves for a RINO (Hagel) so that Hagel will be the fall guy. Donilon gone due to the infamous ‘family’ issues…

Whistleblowers threatened/demoted, truth is still being searched for. Whom gave the order to the military to stand down? THAT is the question, because that doesn’t happen without specific direction and a paper (electronic) trail…

NO RESOLUTION

Sequestration hits knocks most of Benghazi coverage down, military takes brunt of the impact, dire warnings abound about impact to the public (DHS) (NPS) (FAA) told to ‘maximize’ impact on the public.  Congress has a hissy fit and funds FAA controllers, meanwhile DHS is ordering more ammo and $50m in uniforms. Carriers, ships tied to the pier, entire air wings grounded.  Thunderbirds and Blue Angels grounded.

22 days of furlough is scaled back to 11 days, primarily for DOD employees; other agencies move $$ to ‘limit’ hits.

Congress cannot get act together, PRESBUDG for 14 indicates sequestration will continue into FY-14.

Military scandals over rape, harassment, etc hit the media, military is painted as bad people (again).

NO RESOLUTION

Now Sebelius (HHS) now under the gun for ‘lobbying’ major insurance corporations to ‘fund’ the Obamacare guides, whom most think are nothing more than indoctrinators.  Promises health care for pre-existing conditions, but Sebelius refuses to allow 10 year old to get a lung transplant. Has to be ‘studied’…

Judge orders Sebelius to add the little girl, otherwise

NO RESOLUTION

Boston Bombing, first blamed (in the media immediately) on right wing extremists.  Proven to be radicalized muslims who were drawing support from Mass government.  As investigations expand it turns out they were not alone, and the FBI had actually looked at them, but never passed information to Boston PD, and there are questions as to whether DHS was ever notified either…

Indicates alphabet soup of intel organizations are not communicating with each other/local agencies (DHS, FBI, NSA, DOJ, NSC, CIA, DIA) and once again indicates illegals are a problem in the USA.

All this a congress is ‘debating’ a new immigration bill.

Drops out of media coverage almost immediately…

NO RESOLUTION

IRS refusing to grant/delaying C3/C4 status to Tea Party, Constitutional groups while approving pro LGBT and pro Obama organizations in weeks.  Defense of Marriage organization’s donor list given to opponents (LGBT group) by IRS.   “Rogue agents” in Cincinnati thrown under the bus by Lerner, who promptly takes the 5th. This one keeps growing as individuals come forward about audits, visits by BATFE, FBI; donors being audited.  Now emails indicate this was known in 2010 by DC HQ…

This one starts getting traction in the media and in hearings that are being held by various committees, but

NO RESOLUTION

AP taps, Rosen search, Verizon turnover of telephone records.  Regardless of how you look at this, bottom line was the administration went after the AP and Rosen for ‘leaks’ from the administration (I guess these were unapproved leaks).  Rosen’s paperwork had him as an indicted co-conspirator in ESPIONAGE, and was signed by Holder (although he claimed no memory of that).  And now that the media have finally awakened, somebody found out that Verizon had turned over ALL their phone records to the NSA! By who’s authority?  No one seems to know.  Again the administration denied, deflected, blamed low level staffers…

NO RESOLUTION

Now, this week we have the ‘spying scandal’ broken by The Guardian.  NSA program has insight into servers, collecting millions of phone records from Verizon and ???  Done in violation of FISA and US law and broken by ‘leaking’ a TS brief? That is amazing, as I know how closely that stuff is tracked, and that DID NOT get out without somebody taking extraordinary measures to slip that out the door (or had tacit approval/direction to do it).

Daddy Bear has a great post up on this HERE.

As a side note, anybody that thinks ANYTHING they put on the net or their phone data is private is living in a dream world.   The military developed the internet, do you really think they wouldn’t have a hook or two in place if they needed to use it???  And phone companies maintain records of calls for billing, security (e.g. phone threat) and other reasons.  SS7 gives all that information for EVERY call from EVERY phone in the world, link HERE. This is also the basis of the 911 system, and there are also Internet protocols that mirror those protocols at Layers 1 and 2 for the net.  Also,  cell phones give an additional piece of information and that is the cell tower they are connected to during the call; years ago this was added to the data available to police/rescue to be able to reduce search areas if the caller had no way to identify their actual location.

ALL of those specifics are stated in your contract you sign for the cell phone, house phone, internet… You read the fine print didn’t you?  Or did you???

NO RESOLUTION

Central themes here, DOJ/Holder seem to be in the middle of a LOT of these, the administration doesn’t know ANYTHING about ANYTHING (supposedly), and the continued contempt and arrogance of the President and those around him to routinely dismiss any ‘concerns’  as paranoia; while moving people in/out of jobs to give them cover (e.g. Rice to NSC so that she now has Executive Privilege protection) with NO thought for actual qualifications for the positions they hold.  Does anybody really believe this?  I sure as hell don’t…

This is Chicago politics writ large.  It’s about power, and the ability to do as one wishes which has been a ‘tradition’ in Chicago most of the last century… Capone, Daley’s machine, etc… A good short article on it is HERE.  It’s also about payback to those who supported the administration, and probably a bit of fear, in case those folks kept records.

The administration’s typical response has been to throw a few low level staffers over the wall to appease the masses, and maybe or two more if the masses start rumbling until the next item blows it off the front page…

When you give people power, it can be used one of two ways, for good or for evil/your own gratification.  When you put ONE person at the tip of the pyramid, they will make a choice.  Bush (in my opinion), did some things wrong, but for the good of the country and the people (Patriot act for one, was a negative in my opinion).

In this administration I believe the administration has decided the rules simply DO NOT apply to them, and there are NO checks on their grasping for power.  If anyone tries to question them, it’s either racist or (insert excuse of choice) it’s never the fact they are violating the Constitution, about half the Amendments etc. on a daily basis!!!

Career bureaucrats will also go one of two ways,  Darleen Druyun is a classic example of the power for personal gratification side…

She was central to the Boeing tanker scandal, HERE.  Among other things, she made Boeing give her daughter and fiancé jobs, and ‘negotiated’ a job for herself with Boeing in the middle of the deliberations.  She was also said to have told the Deputy Secretary of the Air Force that he was ‘summer help’, that she would be there long after he was gone.  She ruled by power and was known inside the Air Force as the “Dragon Lady”.  She killed more than one career for opposing her, and when they went back and investigated her career, found she’d been doing it for 20 years…

Having said that, “I” believe that most career bureaucrats will not make ‘decisions’ of the magnitude alluded to in the above examples without specific direction AND a paper trail to cover their butts.  To me, this all points back to the administration and their naked lust for power over America and an attempt to ‘mold’ America into a socialist state fitting the ‘world’ view.  Politics by the nature of it is a power game, and s/he who has the power makes the rules.

If legislation fails, this administration is going around Congress and SCOTUS by legislation of the failed legislation (remember Cap and Trade?  EPA has instituted it via regulation.  FAA tried to ‘enforce’ the “fairness doctrine” aimed at knocking conservatives off radio/TV/Internet; which thankfully failed due to congressional committee. 

PC police- Can’t disparage any religion but Christianity or Judaism without it being a hate crime… Any calling to task a non-Caucasian, that’s Racist…

Gun control- Remove guns, increase control, remove the ‘direct’ threat to their power.

Remove military leaders- Remove non-compliant leaders who do not ‘support’ administration goals to remove an ‘indirect’ threat to their power.

Collect intel on Americans- Phone, Internet, Video (all those ‘safety’ cameras being installed in cities) Use said data to cower those who question ‘authority’, e.g. IRS audits, BATFE investigations, FBI investigations

Obamacare- Again control, of health records, medical systems, more power to the IRS as ‘enforcers’. It’s not about increasing care, only about control.

Whom can we trust now?  Privacy and security are being overtaken by requirements creep for “security  of the country”…

Do you go totally off the net?  Is that even realistic???  No phone, no internet, no credit cards, no credit, no bills to anyone, no bank accounts?  Contrary to what you may read on the net, that is damn near impossible.

Me, I figure as a Veteran, Christian, gun owner and conservative blogger I’m already on at least a couple of lists…

I’m hunkering down, getting ammo when I can, and minimizing expenditures.  Also changing $$ into convertible assets that are not subject to the American economy.  I’m also writing/calling/emailing my congresscritters on a weekly basis, and reminding them that “WE THE PEOPLE” elected them to keep this country viable and protect our rights, not cave to the left and or the administration…

The way I look at it, we’ve got one more chance at the ballot box in 14, and after that?  Who knows…

What’s that last straw???

There’s descriptive, and then there is DESCRIPTIVE…

Perusing the web I ran across this commentary by John Ransom over at Town Hall…

Lost amidst the White House he-said-she-said of finger pointing, scandal, incompetence, venality, hubris, vanity, error, greed, gluttony, embarrassment, cover up, stupidity,  amateur bungling, brownnosing, grandstanding, photo-opting and hearings as the result of a few minor mistakes made by the Obama administration- an administration which rode roughshod over a several outdated laws, certain small parts of the Bill of Rights written by irrelevant white dudes; an administration that got people killed, violated civil rights, harassed government employees, ignored it’s basic responsibilities and common sense- are these small, little, niggling details: The folks in charge are freaking hypocrites; and because the are hypocrites they have nothing to offer the American people.

Read the whole thing HERE.

I think he gets it…  And the Auditors will be calling on Monday…

Calving glacier…

You always hear about the ‘glacier’ tours and it’s a favorite of the cruise ships that go up the inside passage in Alaska…

Don’t know that I’d have wanted to be on a ship watching this one…

Of course they had to get the obligatory cheap shot in at the end about ‘globull warming’…

And for some reason my embedding quit working, so you’ll have to select the link manually… Sorry!

The ‘rest’ of the story…

From the mil-email net…

There is an email floating around about the Air Force Academy graduation this year that says POTUS refused the invite. Not quite, but it IS correct that the T-Birds, like the Blues are grounded…

Here’s the email I got and below that is a video of the flyover by the Texas Air Force…

Actually, this is partially untrue (my daughter graduated last year when, much to our regret, it was POTUS’s turn to be the speaker.) They rotate through the four (incl USCG) academies on a scheduled basis, with the pres, VP, SecDef, and Sec’y of the academy’s service being the speaker. (except when someone must be substituted). So it was not a case of declining invitations, just normal rotation.

The sequester is being used as an excuse for the T-Birds not being there, just as the Blue Angels were not at Annapolis, and just as 14 (?) OPERATIONAL squadrons have been grounded. (Sure could have used that $50 million of IRS party money, couldn’t we?)

What is remarkable and great is that the vintage aircraft conducted the traditional flyover, thanks to private donations, corporate sponsors, and dedicated graduates and pilots. Also, last year, POTUS left immediately after the ceremony and before the T-Birds flyover, thus causing the graduates and parents to have to wait until after he and his entourage left the stadium and cleared the airspace, so the T-Birds could show up and they could finally toss their hats up in the air. Weather was moving in, and they barely got the show in . The year my daughter was there that Biden was the speaker, the teleprompter blew over during his speech, and he made some remark like “It’s a good thing the president isn’t here. He’d be at a loss for words.”

As another aside, after the graduates move off to greet parents and friends, the kids in attendance are allowed to run down and grab one of the hats to keep (my grandson was allowed to do so last year). Inside that hat, they will find that the graduate has placed $20.13 for them (class of 2013)

Best to all,

Bxxxxx (proud dad of 2nd Lt. Cxxxxx C. Bxxxxx, USAFA class of 2012)

Snerk…

Sometimes it gets a ‘tad’ out of hand on some of the mil forum discussions…

Fairness

Closely followed by this one in the thread…\

Lies

And this one is just plain funny…

What are we hunting again???

Tactical canoe

Y’all have a good weekend, I’m going to try to un-kink my back after 5 days in the POS student chairs… sigh…