It’s probably a good thing…

Posted on by January 3, 2025

The Brits can’t own guns. Especially with the reports finally coming out about the Pakis and others…

Just a few short months ago, members of the U.K.’s Labour Party were in America, campaigning for Kamala Harris. That sure felt like election interference to us, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it’s ‘totally normal’ for the Brits to meddle in our elections.

What’s not normal is all the horrific news coming out surrounding ‘grooming gangs’ in the U.K. — and how the government aided, abetted, and covered up for these gangs. The gangs were comprised of Pakistani men (and other nationalities), and their victims were often white British girls. Some as young as 12 or 13 years old. And it’s not fair to call them ‘grooming gangs’ — they raped, abused, and threatened their victims.

While authorities looked the other way as often as they could. Because they didn’t want to be seen as ‘racist.’

Now the Labour Party is blocking an investigation into the massive scandal, to protect the bad actors. Including Keir Starmer himself.

Full article, HERE from Twitchy. And HERE from the BBC.

If something like that had been going on here, there would have bodies on the floor a LONG time ago.

As a father of two daughters, I cannot imagine the families of these girls NOT taking some kind of action, but I know the ‘culture’ over there and the fear of appearing to be racists/islamophobia has become a driver in the U.K. in the last 20 years.

Still, this is just beyond the pale, and I can only say a prayer for the girls and their families, and am glad that the major perps are at least getting long prison sentences…

Gah!!!

Book promo…

Posted on by January 3, 2025

H.Y. Gregor has the third in her Vechnoye Saga series out- Chernobog’s Wrath

Click on the cover for the Amazon link!

The blurb-

An ancient grudge. A god that must be killed.

Tugarin Zmei is dead, but the battle has just begun, and Chernobog’s wrath endangers the human world.

In pursuit of Chernobog’s followers, Niki Baird, Ryan Fortner, and their allies venture into the Otherworld—a treacherous realm of mythical creatures and mysterious curses. Each discovery spurs more questions, but one truth comes to light: Chernobog seeks Koschei’s Needle, a powerful artifact an undying sorcerer hid in Niki’s world.

Destroying the Needle is the only way stop the black god’s advance, but finding it will test them all. As Niki hones her ancestral magic and swordsmanship, one question looms larger than any other: how do you kill a god?

Fred Hughes has the second novel out in his Heroes of Britannia series- Hero’s Shadow

The blurb-

Empress Regent Hiroko gave Admiral Julie Adams a simple order. Go to the Zenkarr system and solve the Teddy Bear problem. But like all things in life, simple orders don’t always mean simple solutions. Even before entering the home system of the devious race, Julie was forced to fight a pitched battle against the Zenkarr fleet.

The new War Leader doesn’t have enough firepower to defeat the Zenkarr Fleet… but neither can she pull her forces back to Earth, as Emperor Hazard’s commitments to other alien races in the region make that impossible.

To extract the empire from the situation while still defending its allies will force Julie to think outside the box, and she’ll need to use all her guile—and surprisingly, her diplomacy—to solve the problem. But most of all, Julie Adams will need to step out of her dead friend’s shadow and become a hero in her own right.

Last but not least, Pam Uphoff has a new Chronicles of the Fall out- The Black Cube
The blurb-

Hieronymus was just going to take a ride with a friend and wasn’t expecting his friend’s sisters to be a kidnapped . . . and he certainly wasn’t expecting the opportunity to be a hero.

As information about the abilities of unchipped Portal Clones spread, their usefulness for cross-dimensional crimes of the ordinary sort should have been anticipated . . . although how to stop them is difficult, if not impossible. But as a spunky thirteen-year-old works to escape, Hieronymus has a plan . . .

I can highly recommend all three, you’ll enjoy them!!!

Is it just me???

Posted on by January 1, 2025

Or are the ‘announcers’ at both the college bowl level and NFL becoming more biased to openly cheering for one team rather than being non-partisan as announcers?

In watching the Peach Bowl yesterday, it was not obvious if you just listened to it that Texas was even IN the game, much less leading by 14 points. And at the end of the 4th quarter, one announcer said words to the effect that Arizona was ‘one stop from advancing’. When Texas scored, there was dead air for 20-30 seconds like they were stunned Texas tied the game, and won it in the second overtime.

In the NFL, I’ve noticed that Chris Collinsworth ‘likes’ to get in digs against certain teams. I’ve gotten to the point that I purposely turn the volume down and just ‘watch’ the game anymore (if I watch a game at all). And other are just as bad, or worse…

In other news, I hope everyone enjoyed their hangovers from NYE…LOL

Being a born and raised Southerner, I had the ‘traditional’ New Years Day meal. All believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year; the black-eyed peas symbolize coins, the greens represent money, and ham signifies good fortune in life. Of course you can’t have those without cornbread which signifies abundance of food…

What is your New Years traditional food?

Hic… Enjoy the day…

Posted on by December 31, 2024

May 2025 be better for all of us!

Now go forth and screw up those checks…LOL

 

I’m not sure…

Posted on by December 30, 2024

About this one…

Information warfare experts are increasingly in demand across the U.S. Navy, and in a move made this month, they’ll now be eligible for sea command.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro amended service regulations to create more command opportunities for information warfare officers. He released a message about the change this month.

Vice Adm. Mike Vernazza, the commander of Naval Information Forces, told DefenseScoop the change represented a “pivotal evolution in how the Navy views and employs IW capabilities across all domains of naval warfare” and meant that personnel steeped in information warfare are eligible for “command for sea.”

Full article, HERE from Navy Times.

I wonder what/how much training they will get before they ‘get’ command. I know aviators can command at sea, but they don’t get a carrier until they’ve been through a version of SWO school, commanded something smaller in the amphibious class ship, and even those are tours with a fully qualified XO who knows ships/ship handling.

I cannot imagine one of the dedicated IW types ‘taking command’ in an emergency, as none of their ‘specialty’ involves actual ship driving or aviation.

But I ‘can’ imagine some of them ‘thinking’ they can… Much like lawyers and doctors that think they are expert pilots because of ‘who’ they are. And manage to kill themselves and others on a pretty regular basis when their alligator ego overrules their peanut skills.

I will be interested to see if/how much pushback there is to this from the actual line officers who ARE in the command pipeline…

 

A little humor…

Posted on by December 29, 2024

To start the week…

The pastor asked if anyone in the congregation would like to express praise for answered prayers. Suzie Smith stood and walked to the podium.

She said, “I have a praise. Two months ago, my husband, Phil, had a terrible bicycle wreck and his scrotum was completely crushed. The pain was excruciating and the doctors didn’t know if they could help him.”

You could hear a muffled gasp from the men in the congregation as they imagine the pain that poor Phil must have experienced.

“Phil was unable to hold me or the children,” she went on, “and every move caused him terrible pain.” We prayed as the doctors performed a delicate operation, and it turned out they were able to piece together the crushed remnants of Phil’s scrotum, and wrap wire around it to hold it in place.”

Again, the men in the congregation cringed and squirmed uncomfortably as they imagined the horrible surgery performed on Phil. “Now,” she announced in a quivering voice, “thank the Lord, Phil is out of the hospital and the doctors say that with time, his scrotum should recover completely.”

All the men sighed with unified relief. The pastor rose and tentatively asked if anyone else had something to say.

A man stood up and walked slowly to the podium. He said, “I’m Phil.”

The entire congregation held its breath.

“I just want to tell my wife the word is sternum.”

+++++++++++

Oldie…

WHY MEN PREFER GUNS OVER WOMEN

#10 – You can trade an old 44 for two new 22s.

#9 – You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you’re on the road.

#8 – If you admire a friend’s gun, tell him so, he will probably let you try it out a few times.

#7 – Your primary gun doesn’t mind if you keep another gun for a backup.

#6 – Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.

#5 – A gun doesn’t take up a lot of closet space.

#4 – Guns function normally every day of the month.

#3 – A gun doesn’t ask , “Do these new grips make me look fat?”

#2 – A gun doesn’t mind if you go to sleep after you use it.

And the Number One reason
Why Men Prefer Guns over women…..

#1 – You can buy a silencer for a gun.

WTH???

Posted on by December 28, 2024

Mexico is currently testing a cell phone app that will allow illegal aliens to warn relatives and a local Mexican consulate that they are about to be detained.

“In case you find yourself in a situation where detention is imminent, you push the alert button, and that sends a signal to the nearest consulate,” said Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs.

Mexico estimates there are about 4.8 million Mexican citizens in the U.S. illegally, according to the Associated Press. That’s probably not far off from the actual number. In recent years, Mexicans have made up a smaller and smaller percentage of illegal aliens in the U.S., to the point that they now make up much less than half the number of illegals living here.

The massive increase in Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and citizens of other failed states in Central and South America now make up the bulk of illegal residents.

Full article, HERE from PJ Media.

Good! Let them warn their ‘families’… Maybe they will self-deport!

I am getting so tired of this mess, and I can’t wait for next month and the new administration to start cleaning out the illegal aliens that are criminals, then working on the other illegal aliens. I watched a new house being built a few streets over, and I’d bet money NONE of the workers were legal residents other than the boss, who apparently spent most of his day ‘correcting’ the carpenters.

 

2024 in the rear view…

Posted on by December 27, 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back…

This year was a series of ups and downs for me, personally. Obviously, I didn’t get a single new book out, as writing has been an ‘issue’ for me due to some physical issues. I did get a couple of short stories out, but that was about it. But Cedar, Ian, and I continue to do the YouTube chats on Tues/Thurs and haven’t been kicked off yet! And we’re sneaking up on 600 subscribers that are willing to waste an hour listening to us yakking about stuff.

I lost quite a few friends this year also. When you’re over 70, this becomes more the norm than the exception, but it still hurts, and forces one to confront your own mortality. This is not something you really want to do, but you don’t get an option. My ‘goal’ is to continue to do the best I can, taking care of myself as well as I can, and look toward 2025 with optimism, and get at least one new novel out.

Sadly, we didn’t get a single hunt in, so no meat for the freezer, but I happily cheered on friends who were able to get out in the field and got meat (or birds)!

The family is doing as well as they can under the circumstances (living in California), and are making ends meet, so that is a good thing.

As a result of the election, 2025 will bring a ‘significant’ change, IMHO, to the way we are governed, and I believe that will be for the good. And hopefully, we will see prices get back down toward affordable, since it looks like Social Security and my pension are only going up 2.5%… sigh…

Last but certainly not least, I am thankful for the group we have here now, and the friends who’ve reached out to me this past year and made things easier for me to cope with all that is going on. THANK YOU!

It’s always nice to know you can reach out and somebody will pitch in to do what needs to be done, even if it’s nothing more than listening to a phone call. The main thing ALL of us need to remember is that we are not alone, there are friends out there!!!

 

 

The day AFTER Christmas…

Posted on by December 26, 2024

And yes,  the postman ran yesterday…

Feel for the parents out hunting more batteries for the kid’s toys…

The Day After Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house,
Every creature was hurtin’ even the mouse.

The toys were all broken, their batteries dead;
Santa passed out, with some ice on his head.

Wrapping and ribbons just covered the floor,
While upstairs the family continued to snore.

And I in my T-shirt, new Reeboks and jeans,
I went into the kitchen and started to clean.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the curtains, and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a little white truck, with an oversized mirror.

The driver was smiling, so lively and grand;
The patch on his jacket said “U.S. POSTMAN.”

With a handful of bills, he grinned like a fox.
Then quickly he stuffed them into our mailbox.

Bill after bill, after bill, they still came.
Whistling and shouting he called them by name:

“Now Dillard’s, now Broadway’s, now Penny’s and Sears
Here’s Robinson’s, Levitz’s and Target’s and Mervyn’s.

To the tip or your limit, every store, every mall,
Now chargeaway–chargeaway–chargeaway all!”

He whooped and he whistled as he finished his work.
He filled up the box, and then turned with a jerk.

He sprang to his truck and he drove down the road,
Driving much faster with just half a load.

Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,
“ENJOY WHAT YOU BOUGHT…….
YOU’LL BE PAYING ALL YEAR!”

Is the NFL…

Posted on by December 25, 2024

Purposely driving older viewers and fans away?

This year all the Thursday night games have been on some subscription service.

Yesterday, Christmas day, there were two games, neither of which was on TV other than very limited market. Oh, you could get them, IF you streamed them on Netflix or NFL+

But the problem for me, and I’m sure for other older folks, is that we don’t have the spare $$$ to subscribe, nor the desire to…

Granted they need the $ to pay all those huge contracts, but how many older fans are they willing to sacrifice to get them, and how much loss in viewership are they willing to accept?

I’ve watched this trend for a few years, as more and more ‘things’ go behind paywalls, channels disappear from cable packages, and access becomes ‘subscription’ only as print media disappears from the mainstream. Older folks tend to pull back from the pay sites, getting more and more information from the internet, and less from the media. Additionally, they tend to ‘drop’ things like sports and hobbies they once enjoyed.

Personally, I think this is a bad thing, as those folks become more isolated and withdrawn, which is not good for either their mental or physical health. Older folks tend to get out less as they lose friends and lose mobility. For many, sports is the ‘escape’ for their home life. I have friends my age who are still able to travel and can afford to go to events, so they drive over to Dallas to see football and baseball games a couple of times a year for each sport, but they are the ‘lucky’ ones.

If there is a bright spot, at least college sports haven’t gone that way (yet). And honestly, those games seem to be more ‘entertaining’ today than most professional sports.

What say you?