1, 2, 5 Round Clips…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
For all you Garand owners that want ‘options’ to the 8 round clips…

Creedmore has 1, 2, 5 clips HERE.  These are good quality, and work well for competition shooting or if you’re taking your M-1 in the woods and there is a five round limit…

Or if you live in NY… Just sayin… 

In Memorium…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Ed “Ras” Rasimus has passed…  He will be missed.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

Fly it like you stole it Ras… Godspeed!

Hangar One at NAS Moffett…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
For all those ‘old’ aviators out there, there ‘is’ a possibility that the iconic Hangar One at NAS Moffett Field ‘may’ be saved.  

Hangar One was originally built 79 years ago for the blimps back in WWII, and it is on the National Historic Register.  However, due to the age and asbestos construction, it was deemed a hazard.  We closed the ‘base’ in 1993 and moved the squadrons out to Hawaii and NAS Whidbey Island, but due to the EPA, nothing was done with the buildings. NASA Ames took over the facilities, and the hangar basically sat and deteriorated…  

A little bit of ‘history’, until the VAB was built at the Cape, Hangar One was the largest freestanding (no internal supports) building in the world.

Now they are finally stripping all the asbestos and taking the building back to parade rest…


From the Mercury News in San Jose.

Hangar One, once home to the Navy’s giant airships at Moffett Field, finally has a few willing benefactors: Google’s top three executives have offered to salvage the historic landmark.

Ambrose and supporters of Hangar One’s restoration are eager for a response because the Navy is in the process of removing the old, contaminated skin from the giant building. That work should be completed by next summer, said Lenny Siegel, chairman of the subcommittee.
Without a covering, the hangar’s frame and foundation will be exposed to the elements. That’s a problem because there are toxic materials in the soil underneath the hangar that could leach out because of rain exposure, Siegel said. Additionally, the Navy has set up some $12 million worth of scaffolding to remove the hangar’s skin. If supporters are able to put a new covering on the hangar right after that process ends, that scaffolding can be left in place. If not, it will have to be removed and then replaced later at a cost of some $1 million to $2 million more, Siegel said.


Full article and more pictures HERE. 

As one of the literally thousands of Sailors that went through there, I really hope it does get saved!

I can support this one!!!

Posted on by March 6, 2013
There is a new petition up at the White House petition website…

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Name a US Naval Vessel in Honor of US Navy Seal Chris Kyle. USS Chris Kyle. Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who wrote the best-selling book American Sniper about his service in Iraq, was shot and killed at a gun range in Texas.

In honor of his service. We should honor him by naming a US Naval Vessel After Him.

USS Chris Kyle.

As of this writing, the White House petition website has received just over 2,300 of the 100,000 signatures required to prompt an official response.

You can read the full article at the Examiner HERE. 

I actually did sign in for this one.

Some people just don’t get it…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
I’ll see you the cute little poodle cut and the little bells, let’s see you and the dog do THIS!


And this one comes from the mil-email trail… Contrary to Wounded Warriors, its seems that our REAL wounded warriors DO enjoy shooting and if nothing else ARE innovative!


Yes, he really IS using his shoe as an improvised shooting rest!

NRA testimony at Senate hearing…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Passing along for your information-

TESTIMONY OF WAYNE LAPIERRE
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
BEFORE THE U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
HEARING ON “WHAT SHOULD AMERICA DO ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE?”
216 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
JANUARY 30, 2013
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
It’s an honor to be here today on behalf of more than 4.5 million moms and dads and sons and daughters, in every state across our nation, who make up the National Rifle Association of America. Those 4.5 million active members are joined by tens of millions of NRA supporters.
And it’s on behalf of those millions of decent, hardworking, law-abiding citizens … to give voice to their concerns … that I’m here today.
The title of today’s hearing is “What should America do about gun violence?”
We believe the answer to that question is to be honest about what works – and what doesn’t work.
Teaching safe and responsible gun ownership works – and the NRA has a long and proud history of teaching it.
Our “Eddie Eagle” children’s safety program has taught over 25 million young children that if they see a gun, they should do four things: “Stop. Don’t touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult.” As a result of this and other private sector programs, fatal firearm accidents are at the lowest levels in more than 100 years.[1]
The NRA has over 80,000 certified instructors who teach our military personnel, law enforcement officers and hundreds of thousands of other American men and women how to safely use firearms. We do more – and spend more – than anyone else on teaching safe and responsible gun ownership.
We joined the nation in sorrow over the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut.  There is nothing more precious than our children. We have no more sacred duty than to protect our children and keep them safe.  That’s why we asked former Congressman and Undersecretary of Homeland Security, Asa Hutchison, to bring in every expert available to develop a model School Shield Program – one that can be individually tailored to make our schools as safe as possible. 
It’s time to throw an immediate blanket of security around our children.  About a third of our schools have armed security already – because it works.[2]And that number is growing. Right now, state officials, local authorities and school districts in all 50 states are considering their own plans to protect children in their schools.
In addition, we need to enforce the thousands of gun laws that are currently on the books. Prosecuting criminals who misuse firearms works. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a dramatic collapse in federal gun prosecutions in recent years. Overall in 2011, federal weapons prosecutions per capita were down 35 percent from their peak in the previous administration.[3] That means violent felons, gang members and the mentally ill who possess firearms are not being prosecuted. And that’s unacceptable.
And out of more than 76,000 firearms purchases denied by the federal instant check system, only 62 were referred for prosecution and only 44 were actually prosecuted.[4] Proposing more gun control laws – while failing to enforce the thousands we already have – is not a serious solution to reducing crime.
I think we can also agree that our mental health system is broken. We need to look at the full range of mental health issues, from early detection and treatment, to civil commitment laws, to privacy laws that needlessly prevent mental health records from being included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
While we’re ready to participate in a meaningful effort to solve these pressing problems, we must respectfully – but honestly and firmly – disagree with some members of this committee, many in the media, and all of the gun control groups on what will keep our kids and our streets safe.
Law-abiding gun owners will not accept blame for the acts of violent or deranged criminals. Nor do we believe the government should dictate what we can lawfully own and use to protect our families.
As I said earlier, we need to be honest about what works and what does not work. Proposals that would only serve to burden the law-abiding have failed in the past and will fail in the future.
Semi-automatic firearms have been around for over 100 years.  They are among the most popular guns made for hunting, target shooting and self-defense. Despite this fact, Congress banned the manufacture and sale of hundreds of semi-automatic firearms and magazines from 1994 to 2004. Independent studies, including a study from the Clinton Justice Department, proved that ban had no impact on lowering crime.[5]
And when it comes to the issue of background checks, let’s be honest – background checks will never be “universal” – because criminals will never submit to them.
But there are things that can be done and we ask you to join with us.  The NRA is made up of millions of Americans who support what works … the immediate protection for all – not just some – of our school children; swift, certain prosecution of criminals with guns; and fixing our broken mental health system.
We love our families and our country.  We believe in our freedom.  We’re the millions of Americans from all walks of life who take responsibility for our own safety and protection as a God-given, fundamental right. 
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I thank you for your time and consideration.
[1] Pre-1981 data from National Safety Council, Accident Facts (annual); 1981 forward from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available athttp://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal_injury_reports.html.
[2] Gary Fields et al., NRA Calls for Arms in School, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 22, 2012, available at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324461604578193364201364432.html.
[3] Calculated from U.S. Department of Justice data available through Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, http://tracfed.syr.edu.
[4] Ronald J. Frandsen, Enforcement of the Brady Act, 2010: Federal and State Investigations and Prosecutions of Firearm Applicants Denied by a NICS Check in 2010 , available at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/239272.pdf.
[5] Jeffrey A. Roth & Christopher S. Koper, “Impact Evaluation of the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act of 1994, (1997),available at http://www.sas.upenn.edu/jerrylee/research/aw_ban.htm.

If it’s Wednesday…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
It MUST be California… sigh…

When you see THIS in the elevator, it’s a ‘reminder’… 


Little kid was asking his mom if he pushed it would he cause an earthquake…LOL

In other news, saw one of those funky Range Rovers in hot pink with a license plate surround that said Happiness is polished nails across the top and Shopping for new clothes across the bottom.  And the back window was FULL of Neiman Marcus bags…

Glad I’m not married to the blonde driving that thing, I’d be broke in ONE day… 

More bad Puns…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
Since y’all ‘loved’ em so much last time around… 


I tried to catch some Fog. I mist. 

When chemists die, they barium.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

A soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop anytime.

How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Than it dawned on me.

This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.

I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I can’t put it down.

I did a theatrical performance about puns . It was a play on words.

They told me I had type A blood, but it was a Type O.

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

PMS jokes aren’t funny. Period.

Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.

Class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there’s no pop quiz.

Energizer Bunny arrested: Charged with battery.

I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

How do you make holy water? Boil the hell out of it!

Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because 
she couldn’t control her pupils?

When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.

What does a clock do when it’s hungry? It goes back four seconds.

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me!

Broken pencils are pointless.

What do you call a dinosaur with a extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool .

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.

All the toilets in New York ‘s police stations have been stolen. 
Police have nothing to go on.

I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.

Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.

Velcro – what a rip off!

Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.

Venison for dinner? Oh dear!

Earthquake in Washington obviously government’s fault.

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.

Be kind to your dentist. He has fillings, too.

Sorry, someone sent these to me so I sent same to you!


The Weather…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
From the mil-email trail… This about sums it up…

        It’s winter in Michigan

        And the gentle breezes blow, 
        70 miles per hour at 52 below! 
        Oh, how I love Michigan 

        When the snow’s up to your butt; 
        You take a breath of winter air 
        And your nose is frozen shut. 
        Yes, the weather here is wonderful, 
        You may think I’m a fool. 
        I could never leave Michigan 
        Cause I’m frozen to the stool.

Retirement…

Posted on by March 6, 2013



Attended a retirement of an old friend from the Navy on Friday…

For those who have never seen it, it is a very structured ceremony honoring the individual and they family (if present) for their service to the Navy and the country.

“Wreck” was one of those JOs that everybody thought would never make LT, much less make a career of the Navy; he did 10 years active and 20 in the reserves, had command, did well and retired as a Captain on 30…

It was old home week, folks coming out of the woodwork to honor Wreck and his family.  “Bubba” was the guest speaker, and regaled not only us but the family with stories from over the years (and some I don’t think Marcia had ever heard to judge from her response).  He was formally piped ashore with the requisite 8 sideboys, in this case with two admirals in the eight, and a couple of folks that had a ‘bit’ of trouble fitting into their uniforms since they’d been retired for a while.

Once the official ceremony was over, folks met at the reception in a much more ‘relaxed’ atmosphere and the stories really started flying…

Marcia was still ‘stunned’ that it was finally over, and she told me she just couldn’t believe after 28 years there wouldn’t be any more deployments, calls, road trips, and weekends/weeks with Wreck gone.   

And she told us to get him drunk for old times sake… 🙂  

Bubba had managed to get a bunch of photos from over the years and put them into a powerpoint that ran on the big screen in the background.  Quite a few of the pics brought up comments, memories, flights and missions, odd happenings, det ops, and more sea stories along with memories of folks no longer with us.  

We had the requisite toasts, and the last was to Absent Comrades.

On the screen was the following:

Navy Flyer’s Creed

I am a United States Navy flyer.
My countrymen built the best airplane in the world and entrusted it to me.
With my fellow pilots  air crew and deck crews my plane and I will do anything necessary to carry out our tremendous responsibilities.  I will always remember we are part of an unbeatable combat team the United States Navy.  When the going is fast and rough, I will not falter, I will be uncompromising in every blow I strike. 
I will be humble in victory. 
I am a United States Navy flyer.
I have dedicated myself to my country, with i’s many millions of all races, colors and creeds.
They and their way of life are worth my greatest protective effort.
I ask the help of God in making that effort great enough.

I think that was a pretty appropriate way to end the reception…