One of them days

Except that it's Tuesday.

The job wasn't *that* bad except for the rain and thunder rolling around.
We need it, it hasn't rained in San Antonio in almost six months- but it kinda sucks playing with secondary wire that's tied into the grid in a thunderstorm.
It was getting bad enough that I was ready to call it quits and get my helper out of the bucket when it

Just

Stopped.

So we got to finish that schools' portable classrooms.
...And we ran out of the right size connectors we need, so we're using oversize kerneys* now, just to get thing working.

I finally got home (it's raining and people want to drive even f*cking slower) when I was met with a plant massacre of the potted pepper plant kind.
The green (and red and yellow) pepper plants that the dogs took
No. notice. of. whatsoever.
were strewn all over the porch (because they were so happy Thing 2 was back from England) because of the freaky weather.

I was going to make Sweet and Sour chicken tonight, but ran out of the S&S sauce, so I had to make some more wiht balsamic vinegar and sugar. It was tangy.

I tried taking pics of the gun display cases, but either the BRAND NEW EVERREADY
batteries I just bought are bad, or the $125+ Nikon is on it's last legs- because I get two pics before it says *batteries expired*.

Then I decided to watch some old west shootouts wiht Robt. Duval and Kevin Costner in AMCs Open Range...BUT,,,
I started watching a 90 minute movie well into it, and was still watching it two hours latter due to all the commercials.
No wonder hardly anyone with half a brain doesn't watch TV that much any more.
I'm going to cancel two TVs on my DirectTV account because the two bedrooms TVs are never on.
...and I can hook them up to the two working co-ax lines if need be, so they have cable to watch the *Gem Channel* if needed.

*No, I don't mean just a little bigger, it's like 1/0 split bolts for a #4 wire oversized.


AND I realized that I forgot to tell the wife that I was going to put a $20 into my nephews birthday card, so now I have to send *another* belated B-day card.

In remembering our birthday week-end

I was trying to find the Forerunners to Airplane nose art- in the form of Continental frigate's figureheads, but they're harder to find than an original Vargas nose art.
Instead, we'll have Continental flags and their evolution.


This was the first official Continental flag flown aboard naval vessels, also known as the Washington flag.

The first official Naval flag followed


Then the more common navel jack


The Grand Union flag was first unveils Jan, 1776 by General Washington in Cambridge, Mass.


And finally the Betsy Ross flag that we have adopted to our changing status as we grew into what we are now.


And as usual, a musical taste of subject:

Haul away Joe


An original version of "Yankee Doodle"

WARNING

Extremely disturbing picture below.







I mean it!





If you have the slightest sense of compassion, stop now.




OK, you asked for it:














UPDATE:
Becky, I was meaning to ask~
Why did you knit that sweater after one of the "Killer Klowns from Outerspace?

Don't you just hate it

When you're surfing the web and someone else is watching a made for the theater movie?
She has to have the volume up so she can hear the dialogue, and the sudden noise dramatic accents shake the walls.

Including the obnoxiously loud commercials.

Ahhhh, so it wasn't 'The DoKtoor*"

Those faceless people seen around England weren't products of the Beeb sucking their faces off to feed the *Wire*.




*and Yes- that's how they pronounce it.

also- "Dahhleckts" are spelled Daleks

Happy Birthday, America!

I just want to say:
Thank God I'm a citizen of the best country that's existed in the last 50 years.
We're the last super power that hasn't yet given in to the nanny state-ism or full fledged socialism that our allies are suffering from.

Lets buck-up and keep it strong.

Independence day week-end

We know it's a three day week-end because we have a marathon of the "twilight Zone" on the SciFi channel.



UPDATE
Elizabeth Montgomery was much more of a babe as a Russian soldier than she was aa Samantha.

I also compleetely F8cked-up a prototype display case for my muzzle loader.
I finished the display case/ range box for the Colt navy and it doesn't look bad. Pics when the camera gets back from England.

Hi.

Could some of you people out there do me a favor?

Please- it's not much.

Just-


GET THE F*CK OUT OF THE FAST LANE WHILE JACKING YOUR JAW ON THE TELEPHONE!!!!


We still don't know if we're workinf Fri. It depends on how much we get done this week.

Good thing I have no social life, huh?

More WWII artistic appreciation

Miss Boop is grown up on this plane








A Guam based B-29



And naturally the sounds of the war

This one has the tune of an old navy song I'd heard at the EM club from oooold salts who had been at Gitmo pre Castro*




Zig me baby with a gentile zag





* It went something like this
"We're scratching and sweating and waiting for orders
We're panting and paintng and waiting for orders
-(one more verse)
And we all pray for the day....we get the hell out of Guantonimo Bay


Guantonimo Bay- callit Gitmo for short, it's not much of a harbor and much less of a port,
Here you pay twenty cents for a bottle of beer- they call it patooie -it tastes mighty queer
There's an indian on the label to show- the indian sign makes you Go-Go-Go!
-(then we go into the ladies)

Joe Horn

Of Pasadena, Tx.
If you're not in Texas you may not have heard about his case, which was a very questionable use of the castle doctrine.

His story goes that on Nov. 16 2007 he saw two people breaking into his neighbors house and called 911.
Which was good.
In the course of the call, he told the dispatcher that he was going to confront the two because they were leaving in spite of the operators calls to stay put.

The results were two dead criminals.
With long arrest records- who happened to be illegals and members of a robbery ring in Houston.


Joe had his day in court today.

-- Did I mention they were shot in the back?

And the Grand Jury found Joe innocent of all charges.


I'm of mixed mind about this. Because the saying "he deserved killing" can be applied to some.
And since the two came onto his property, he was in fear of his life because he didn't know what to expect.
His adrenalin must have been pumping like a geyser, and he may have been in over his head when one started coming at him.
So I can see the not guilty verdict there.

BUT, they were shot in the back.
Right thinking people don't shoot someone in the back.
In Texas, the only people who shot someone in the back were dry-gulchers and cowards.
Ramos and Copmpean are in prison now for shooting a drug dealer almost in his @ss.

I know the Grand Jury heard more than we did out here, and made their decisions based on facts presented to them- so justice was served. There are two less criminals bothering the Houston community. Which is all well and good, but I still feel a vague unease about Joe just walking free after shooting two people in the back.

I mean...right's right and wrong is wrong.

Thanks Congress

I just got back from Wally-word and dropped $120 on mostly staples...because I couldn't afford more than the basics.

Hillary(D)
Barry(D)
John McCain (RINO)
John Cornyn (R)

I want to thank you for getting me to cook a little healthier, because with your B.S. Ethanol boondoggle to ADM, it's now cost efficient to substitute Virgin Olive oil for CORN OIL.

I don't suppose that with the loss of millions of bushels of corn and other foodstuffs, that you'd rethink shovelling my tax money to your Big Ag lobbyists, would you?
Even a 45LB bag of Old Roy dog food is getting on $20.


Gawd, I wish we had some Conservatives runnin this time.

BILLY MAYS!

I don't know if he's hard of hearing, orf it's just his schtik.

I also don't know who would buy anything from him.
But then angain, there's a reason that there are plenty of con men out there isn't there?

All the cr@p he's shilling can be bought at Wally-world at less cost.
...OR you could make your own cheaper than he wants.




In the work worl, I'm really getting tired of smelling like creosote.

In a word

I've seen this meme going around quite a few blogs, so I'll give credit to El Capitain- since it was his blog that I fist saw it.



1. Where is your cell phone? Charging

2. Your significant other? Working

3. Your hair? Grey

4. Your mother? Retired

5. Your father? Dead

6. Your favourite time of day? Quitting

7. Your dream last night? Lacking

8. Your favourite drink? Beer

9. Your dream goal? Comfort

10. The room you’re in? Living

11. Your ex? none

12. Your fear? Poverty

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Employed

14. What you are not? Slender

15. Your Favourite meal? Dinner

16. One of your wish list items? Henry

17. The last thing you did? Cook

18. Where you grew up? Navy

19. What are you wearing? Jeans

20. Your TV is? Off

21. Your pets? Dogs

22. Your computer? H/P

23. Your life? Boring

24. Your mood? Tired

25. Missing someone? Wifey

26. Your car? Dirty

27. Something you’re not wearing? Shirt

28. Favourite store? Gunshop

29. Your summer? Blazing

30. Your favourite colour? Blue

31. When is the last time you laughed? Today

32. When is the last time you cried? Dunno

33. Your health? Good

34. Your children? teens

35. Your future? Unseen

36. Your beliefs? Strong

37. Young or old? Old

38. Your image? Shopworn

39. Your appearance? Large

40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? Yes

When I was in the Navy

I was a Seabee (oh wow, check-out the cool tee-shirt), a Construction Electrician who was mostly on the line crew.

hen I got out, I thought I was done setting forests of brand new creosote poles.
I was until we got a contract to upgrade most of a San Antonio school districts power supplies- including their temporary classrooms.
We've been at it all week, and with them not being used to setting so many poles )we average about two a month)- we're stress testing our equipment.
And finding it lacking.
So far, our best day has been five poles set before something broke.
Our helpers are electricians, apprentices and helpers. I've been showing them the ropes and the easy(er)way to do things and they're learning. The ones that want to learn are...

I was helping one get the sling around a pole while he had it pried up on the trailer when it slipped.
SAFETY NOTE: Do not get your hand between a 1700lb pole and a prybar in case it slips and your hand gets caught between two poles.
He got it pretty quick and there wasn't really any damage done- except the creosote forced into the back of my hand and wrist. It's been burning all. day. long. and worse when the south Texas sun was hitting it.

Hopefully everything that's going to break has already done so, so we can finish the boxcar load of poles we have at the shop.

Something to remember

There is some kind of bru-haha going on in the shooting world VS the gun-grabbers that I missed somewhere. I'm not sure as to *why* or *how* it happened that the two shooting disciplines(hunters and target shooters?) (long-guns against pistoleros?)are fighting against each other.
And it has to do- somehow with people who want to take away your right to own fire arms.

To paraphrase a poem:
First they came for the .22 pistol,
-but I didn't hunt paper.
Then they decided that a snubby was too inaccurate
-but I was a marksman.
Then they outlawed the Magnum, because it was too powerful for defensive use
-I only use rifle cartridges.
They decided that an autoloader put too many rounds in the air to fast-
-Bolt action and a scope, what's the problem?
They decide that the EBR ban needed to be renewed
-It's only plastic guns.
Then they looked at registrations
- never been in trouble, not my problem
Because of population growth, they took public game land off the table
-I have a lease
Then they decided that all hunter need a registered safety course
-I took it and filled the form
They then came to my house to confiscate my rifle because it was too powerful for my game.
-I started to claim my second Amendment rights, but they laughed and told me that I lost them when I didn't protest the first .22 ban.

Real(t)y????

If you've been looking at realty sites lately, you REALLY need to do a spyware scan.
I just got done blocking and deleting almost 30 tracking cookies from about five Lockhart, TX realtor sites.
I'd imagine that you'll get as many or more anywhere you go looking at land or homes.
I didn't get that many tracking cookies from car dealers.

Karen was looking at places that the 19 yr-old might look at over there, since her experiment in sharing work, housekeeping and unpaid nannyism (the friend's sister is an unwed mother)is working to her disadvantage.
Hey, you live and you learn.
At least she didn't get hurt (except maybe her feelings) this time.

A warbird weekend returns

Sorry about the hiatus, but,,,

Anyway, I guess the theme for this week is BOEING, since it's B-17's and a B-29 from Guam.











I know I did 'Bocks car' before, but it didn't look like this, so I'm thinking it's a replacement, or one from an airshow.

And your musical meander down melody lane compliments of

Albert Ammons and his 'Boogie-woogie Dream'



Ok, to make up last week, too~~
Swanee River Boogie

A Tim Russert update

He's still dead.
Hasn't moved yet.

You members of the journalistic community can raise your corporate logo flags from half mast any time you want.

Ok, so I'm not a racist, then?

If I don't vote for the black Messiah?

That's what his message was to black conservatives wondering wether to put race above convictions.

Oh, that's right- I'm white.
If I don't vote for St. Barry, I'm a racist. Because even if I can't stand his Socialist leanings- the only rerason I'm not voting for him is because of African father.

Relax

De-stress youself.

Be sure your sound is on.

Ok,,,,why?

So it was a mafunctioning rifle.
Is that why the 'authorities' confiscated it?

OR, was she not 'authorized' to use it?

Just out of USAF curiosity

I was working at Randolph AFB Monday and Tuesday this week.
We didn't get on base till late- 9:30 or so.
Tuesday I was on base and working by about 7:30.

Ok, I've been out of the Navy for a while (about 20 yrs) and it didn't dawn on me until I looked at my phone about 9:30 that I didn't hear morning colors.
If I were on a Navy base, they make sure you can hear the speakers wherever you are.

I'm just wondering does the Air Force do the morning and evening Colors, or are all of you issued your own personalized MP3 player in bootcamp that plays your own special song at 8AM and sundown?

Just to let you know

Tim Russert is till dead.

As the Legacy media wallows in it's orgy of selfcentered mourning, I wonder-
when was Tim anything other than a glorified reporter?

I just got this in my e-mail

It's basically another "show Big Oil who's boss" mail.
Except this time, whoever wrote it doesn't remember history very well. And NO, I don't think it was St. Barry himself.

Gas rationing in the 70's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even have been good for us!
No, we didn't have rationing. We had price controlls and windfall prifits taxes on the oil producers that CREATED spot shortages and long lines. The only good thing it did for us was to kick the Big Three into modern QC and fuel economy.

Are you aware that the Saudis are boycotting American products?
Which ones?

Shouldn't we return the favor? Can't we take control of our own destiny and let these giant oil importers know who REALLY generates their profits, their livings? How about leaving American Dollars in America and reduce the import/export deficit?

An appealing remedy might be to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up your car you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just purchase gas from companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.
Except if we don't buy it, someone else will- and probably pay more.


The author then goes on to list the 'good' stations and the 'bad' stations that we're supposed to either buy or not buy from.

I just want to make one fact clear

Before I send you to these two stories.

Adolph Hitler was the most rabid anti-smoker in modern history.

First we have Howard Weyers and his policy of firing smokers (in 2005).

Now we have healthNAZIs taking another look at that policy.



Oh, yeah. I'm off today because the A/C is sick.
At best it'll only cost around $200 for a recharge (if I get paid my 8 mo-old comp time), and I don't even want to think what a new compressor will cost at worse.


UPDATE-3:30PM
They just called and canceled for the day.
Wanted to make it another day, I told them that I don't get paid for not working so I'll find someone who CAN make it today.
Now I have another company coming out between 5 and 7PM.

Now that's refreshing

A lot more refreshing than the two gallons of water that I sweated out today laying conduit.

Ok, one more?
How about ZZ Top like you've never heard them before?


Well, unless you were at the 2007 Houston Livestock show and rodeo.

How to boil an egg

Recipe 1:
Run cold water into the saucepan until the water is 1 inch above the egg.
Place the saucepan on a stove and cook over medium heat until the water begins to boil.
Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or 10 to 15 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
Remove the egg with a spoon or ladle and let it cool slowly, or run cold water over it to cool it more quickly.

Recipe 2:
Cover with at least one inch of cold water over tops of shells.
Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.
As soon as the water comes to a full boil, remove from heat and let stand.
-Large soft-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 1 to 4 minutes, depending on your tastes.
-Large hard-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 15 to 17 minutes.
When cooked to desired level, drain off hot water.
Immediately cover with cold water and add a few ice cubes.

Recipe 3:
Place eggs in a saucepan with enough COLD tap water to cover completely by 1 inch.
Bring to a ROLLING boil over HIGH heat. Once the water is brought to a rolling boil, PROMPTLY reduce heat to a lower medium boil and cook an additional 10 minutes for a “hard boiled” egg.
For a “soft boiled” egg reduce the time by a few minutes.
Remove from heat and IMMEDIATELY place eggs under ice cold water or in a bowl of ICED water to chill promptly to help yolks stay bright yellow.

For something as simple as boiling an egg we have the first three recipes that I got from Yahoo search. People have been eating eggs since Grock grunted to Org: "Look at those soft rocks with a runny center- try one!"
Org: "No, I might get Salmonella."
Grock:"I'll crown you with my Brontosaurus-thigh club!"
Org:"OK. *Gaia- I'm gonna hafta find a new running buddy*."
Org cracks one open and slurps it down. "Yuk! It's slimy- almost as bad as that nasty-assed okra you made me eat least week. But it won't be too bad when they invent a skillet to cook it with."

Ooops...back to reality.
Three examples of a simple way to boil an egg- it's NOT rocket science.
But they are ALL in 'consensus' about global warming climate change?
Which is a lot more complicated than chicken ova and hot water?

Why do I think someone is blowing smoke up my skirt?

Going shopping

Anybody want anything?


Why do I always have to type my sign-in infor every time I want to post using the desktop computer with WINVISTA loaded onto it?

In speaking of the most ethical party thaf has ever graced the floors of Congress

You may have heard about St. Barry and the questionable vetting wizards.

The same people who St. Obama was vilifying not two years ago (but that's history, and we all know how well Barry remembers that). Which happened to be everyone involved in the ARM mortgage mess. One of which happened to be Jim Johnson (ex-chief of Fannie Mae [the Fed mortgage regulator])-who by the luck of the draw ended up working to vet the Obamanators VP picks.
Except, he wasn't *really* working for the most articulate black presidential candidate in this race, because he was volunteering....or something.

That's just a background for this example of Frank Dodd's (D-Conn AND chair of the Senate Banking Committee) complete B.S. dissembling about special privileges commonplace in the offices of power.

OR you might (if you really believed this Bravo Sierra) end up realizing just how absolutely out of touch with *real* America most Congresscritters are.

Anyway, here's Frank explaining his loan rates (and his credit history is only mentioned 2/3 of the way through the article).



WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd, a leader of Congress' efforts to help homeowners ensnared in the subprime mortgage meltdown, reportedly got special treatment on his own mortgages from the CEO of Countrywide Financial Corp., a company whose practices he has called ``abusive.''

At least one other lawmaker, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., also benefited from the VIP treatment after placing a personal call to Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo seeking a mortgage.

Both senators say they weren't aware they were getting special deals.
~snip~

It could be especially damaging for Dodd, D-Conn., one of four Democrats who pursued his party's 2008 presidential nomination, given his high-profile role in crafting a broad housing rescue. It comes as Dodd is engaged in intense behind-the-scenes negotiations with lawmakers and the Bush administration to complete that measure.

``As a United States senator, I would never ask or expect to be treated differently than anyone else refinancing their home,'' Dodd said in a statement. [bullchit! you think you're a king.]

Lawmakers' participation in the VIP program is coming to light just days after similar revelations prompted Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, to ax one of his vice presidential vetters, Jim Johnson, who also apparently benefited.

~snip~
Conrad, the Budget Committee chairman, said it was Johnson who referred him to Mozilo [CEO of Countrywide] in 2002 when the North Dakotan was seeking a loan to buy a vacation home in Bethany Beach, Del.

`I called (Mozilo). I said, 'I'm buying this property. Would you be interested in the mortgage?', and he said, 'Yeah. Call these people and we'll take a look,''' Conrad said.

``I deal with the heads of companies every day, and I didn't find it at all unusual. I did not think for one moment - and no one ever suggested to me - that I was getting preferential treatment,'' Conrad said. [Of course, you are so used to getting the royal treatment that you don't even see it anymore]

~snip~
`When my wife and I refinanced our loans in 2003, we did not seek or expect any favorable treatment. Just like millions of other Americans, we shopped around and received competitive rates,'' Dodd said. [No, your people made calls to pressure loan officers.]

Conrad obtained a $1.16 million loan from Countrywide in 2002 to buy his vacation home, then refinanced twice through the company. Portfolio reported that an internal e-mail from Mozilo instructed an employee to give Conrad a 1-percent discount off his interest rate on his 2004 refinance of $1.07 million, a savings of about $10,000 a year in interest payments.

~snip~
`If they did me a favor, they did it without my knowledge and without my requesting it,'' Conrad said. ``It's an appearance issue, but in terms of substance, I have not done one single thing wrong here.'' [I didn't request but I'd be surprised if I didn't get a good rate.]
~snip~

Countrywide also made an exception in lending Conrad $96,000 in 2004 to buy an 8-unit apartment building from his brothers. The company had a policy of only providing loans for buildings of four units or fewer.

``They said they frequently made exceptions, especially for good customers, and I was a very good customer,'' Conrad said.

An internal e-mail from Mozilo, however, said the exception was ``due to the fact that the borrower is a senator,'' according to the Portfolio report. [Finally the money quote!]

The rest of the article is just as enlightening about out political processes.

In case you live under a rock,

And have absolutely NO access to the news.

Tim Russert died today at work.

Now join every electronic media in America in their collective mourning- not that you'll be able to avoid it unless you unplug and tune out.

Even that moronic 'Access Hollywood' is having a retrospective.