INTERESTING TEXAS FACTS

Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles
Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles
El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.

World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Texas on July 4, 1883. (I know the Spanish had them informally)

The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full time coach for Rice University in Houston.

Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North American.

Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson, Texas.

The worst natural disaster in U. S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

The first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was "Houston."

King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island.

Tropical storm Claudette brought a U. S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin, Texas in July 1979.

Texas is the ONLY state to enter the U. S. by TREATY, instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas flag to fly at the same height as the U. S. flag.

A live oak tree near Fulton, Texas is estimated to be 1500 years old.

Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

Texas has had six capitals: Washington, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U. S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (7' taller).

The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.

The State animal is the armadillo. Armadillos always have four babies; they have one egg which splits into four and they either have four males or four females.

The first domed stadium in the U. S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

Cowboy Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in
Fairlie, Texas (cowboy style) :
1. Just One God.
2. Honor yer Ma & Pa
3. No telling tales or gossipin'
4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin'
5. Put nothin' before God
6. No foolin' around with another fella's gal.
7. No killin'
8. Watch yer mouth
9. Don't take what ain't yers
10. Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

(I guess the last ten things just aren't nuanced enough for our Liberal friends to understand, and comply with)

If San Francisco can ignore Federal laws

Does that mean that Mayor Gavin Newsom wouldn't have a problem with gun owners just ignoring his un-Constitutional gun laws? You remember, where they decided that only cops and criminals needed to be armed?

Speaking of armed, I only shot 12 rounds through the 30.06 and I can feel the soreness already. We got to the range and talked to some of the members there. They have organized target shoots on a regular basis, including black powder revolvers, rendezvous occasionally and civil war encampments. The muzzleloader is more fun, except for the annoying tendency for the rear site to , , , move on it's own. As I said before, we'll be getting a BP revolver, and an extra cylinder.
A couple of good things there are that they're not considered "killing machines" under Brady, so are unregistered, and not being a legal "killing machine" are about $500 cheaper than cartridge weapons- because, ya know- NO Ones' EVER been killed by a cap and ball gun.
I want the Remington style because when you take it apart (to change cylinders) you have the gun abd the cykinder. With the Colt model, when you take it apart you have the handle and action, the cylinder, the barrel assembly and a wedge pin to loose. Besides, the Remington is more affordable right now.

Ok, I was wrong yesterday


Criptkeeper got home a little after 10AM instead of the 9 she said. She had gotten into an argument with her friends mom (or her friend- kinda confusing here sometimes).
She got sorted out, Karen hadda go into San Antonio for replacement applique flowers that were falling off the dress.

We were out the door at about 11 heading to La Coste and the range to sight in the 30.06. I know the scope is off big-time because the front sight is about 3/16" to the right of the vertical hair.
We got there and all the shooting tables were taken, with people standing in line. I guess they were practicing for the upcoming silhouette competition.

We headed back to Hondo Creek and a couple hours of doing our part to destroy the Ozone layer. Karen is feeling more comfortable with her pistol, and is trying different styles, she thinks it's more comfortable to use one hand. It may be more comfortable with one hand, but she's a better shot with two hands (low to the right, but a better grouping).

The muzzleloader does grow on you, the more familiar I get, the better I like it. If you're not using the same amount of Pyrodex (blackpowder substitute) the recoil is much different. I was finetuning the sights, and at 25' am now getting groupings that I can cover with my (slightly spread) hand. I'm looking at a black powder revolver so I can get off more than 10 shots in half an hour. That birthday present will have to wait until we find out how much we owe for Danica's ride to the emergency room.

Anyway, Karen forgot that we had to pick up the corsage both times we went through Castroville, so we had to roll things up to go BACK again (about 15 miles each way) before they closed. Criptkeeper got to her prom, and we tried a new (different) restaurant in D'hanis.
Bill and Rosas' is a typical west Texas eatery. Homestyle cooking with HUGE servings at reasonable prices. I had a Chicken Fried Steak(16 oz.) that was literally as big as some of the dinner plates we have at the house, with Mashed taters and white pepper gravy for $14.99.
Danica had the Chicken Snitzel ($8.99 for half a serving) and Karen had the Mesquite grilled 10oz. Ribeye for $11.99. This is definitely a place to eat if you're hungry and about 30 mi. west of San Antonio.

The Criptkeeper is supposed to be babysitting at the farm at 9:30- IF she can get up. Man, I feel sorry for the kid. I wouldn't be suprized if it's her last day babysitting. We'll try to Sneak in to the range and squat a firing lane when we drop her off.

Link updates for the week

I just made a comment over at A Capitain of a crew of one on his post about gun control. After reading his blog for a week, he's on my blogroll.

I'm adding another time waster to my list if you're interested in Tennis ball bouncing.

No Mr. Bush- it's NOT Harry Reid's fault that your amnesty bill failed

You could try blaming the approximately 88% of LEGAL residents in the United States that don't want lawbreakers rewarded. Conversely, you could just TRY to act like the evil conservative that the Legacy Media is always tarring you as and start enforcing the laws already on the books.

The anti-American pro lawbreaker immigration reform rallies have started a groundswell of unrest in the LEGAL population that outnumbers the Mexican flag worshiping lawbreakers that have been shoving in our faces for the last 20 years just recently.

I heard that our (Tx) Senators will veto any amnesty bill, and the Congress at least seems to get the message that we don't want lawbreakers rewarded.

I'm still leaning -HARD- to voting independent only come November.
I wish some big names would just look at anykind of independents. Vote independent this time and send a message that we're tired of pandering to the PC crowd.

Lets see how well I can "see" the future

We had plans to go shooting today and sight in the 30.06.
The 17 yr-old (codename Criptkeeper) is going to the Jr Prom tonight, but her dress needs some repair (they got it on sale). Mom is supposed to fix it for her and well 'be on our way'- EXEPT that the Criptkeeper won't be home from her sleepover untill they both roll out of bed around the crack of noon.
Mom'll be waiting for her to decide to walk home for her fitting somewhere around 1 or 2 PM.
They'll spend the rest of the day getting her ready.

I guess I'll go pick up my check and head to San Antonio to deposit it, and maybe see if anything (we can afford) strikes my fancy at the gunshop.

This article in the BEEB reminded me of a conversation I had the other day

She's a Lib, and a research professor in San Antonio. So you'd figure she'd be able to answer with facts instead of the echo chamber soundbites. She was getting on about the reason we're (the US, she's from Brazil) were in Iraq, and how the rich are getting richer, etc...

W getting rich from the war, she didn't like it when I mentioned Clinton getting a pile of money, too. "Yeah, but not as much, so it's not so bad"- or something like that. She wanted to know why we're invading Iraq with no ties to Al Queda- and not Africa with those atrocities. I told her
"After Kosovo, and Iraq, when the U.N. watched and got their friends rich from the 'oil-for-food' thing- we decided to let them try to be a world power like they want to play at, so we're waiting for them to do something there." That took the wind out of her sails and we went back to the (mine) girls babysitting job for this week-end.

Basically The link says that N.Korea says it's up to the US to get the nuke talks back on track. They must think this it the Clinton Administration, because they want nukes and money.

I just noticed

Jan isn't wearing her slutty thong today.
Not that tat's a BAD thing, or anything like that...

Can you believe this chit going through the Senate?

Both sides want to reward illegals for breaking our laws.

In general, the measure backed by Democrats would grant most of the 11 million immigrants legalized status and the opportunity to apply for citizenship after meeting several conditions. They include payment of a fine and any back taxes, passing a background check and learning English.

By contrast, the Republican approach requires illegal immigrants who have been in the United States between two years and five years to return to their home country briefly, then re-enter as temporary workers. They could then begin a process of seeking citizenship.

Did it occure to ANY of you Big business money recipients that IF those illegals would have ANY kind of love of this country that they'd have ALREADY been trying do do something LEGALLY?
It's not that costly in time or money to become a legal resident. Not in our case anyway. But thenm my wife and step-kids actually WANT to become citzens.
They didn't come over for the gravy train while cheering our defeats in the Mid-East.

I have a suggestion for everyone who's Senator, OR Rep. votes for ANYKIND of amnesty come November.

Vote for the independant. Send a message that WE are the people!

Vote them out! It's still OUR country.

Does anyone reading this watch "Lost"?

Karen's watching it in the other room. Loudly.

So loudly that I can't ignore it.

Just WTF is with that program? Nobody understands what's going on, There is NO real storyline (that anyone can explain) except that somehow all these people have some "thing" connecting them to that island.
There is no coherence, just disjointed flashbacks, and a tribe-against-tribe thing for suspense. As if having to type in an activation code every 90 minutes wasn't exiting enough.

Karen and I were sitting on our Texas loveseat last night

(for all you Yankees, that's the tailgate of a pick-up truck)

We were just enjoying the nice weather and each others company.
Yes, we actually LIKE each other- alot.
We stayed out untill about 10:30 and she saw a moon dog, the first one she'd seen.

She was telling me about a bumper sticker she saw on the way up to Conroe, which said

Eve was framed

She thought it was funny, and wanted your opinion on where she got it from and/or who else besides some kind of FemiNazi would have one on her/his/it's vehicle?

Anyone want to weigh-in?

You'd amost get the impression that I'm a gun nut, or something

By reading my last few posts, and Xenophobic, too.

I'm not, it just happens that I tend to kinda get tunnel vision and overdo what strikes my fancy at the time.
The anti-illegal thing has kinda had my attention forced on it, although we haven't had much of the in your face protests locally. It's just the fact that they brok out laws coming over here, keeping wages in the cellar, and in addition to sucking out tax money dry with their our social welfare programs, are dropping our education standards to new levels every year.

I'm also working alot of overtime, and am pretty burnt out when I get home, so I just don't feel like posting.

Hey, did ya hear that they're rioting in France again? That country must be a slackers dream, it's virtually impossible to fire anyone.

I thought I'd lost this post, thanks to Blogger

but here it is, about a week late.

A users report on the Taurus .22 revolver.

We couldn’t get into any ranges- so
ended up using the dry creekbed of Hondo Creek.
I finally got ahold of the treasurer for the Alamo Muzzleloaders Gun Club, and am being mailed an application. The requirements are membership in the NRA or a national
muzzleloaders assoc. (for insurance) a $25 initiation fee and $50 per annum.
Sweet, and it’s close to home.
If there is ever a San Antonio blogmeet we can run through several hundred rounds in relative privacy.

At the gentle urging of Mr. C, here are my impressions of the Taurus .22 Mod 94 revolver. I need to state that I haven’t fired a pistol since I left the Navy in ’89, and then we had the Marines cast-off, worn out weapons. Our M1911’s were so used up that you could hear the barrel rattle when you shook them.

The Taurus seems to be a nice, well made weapon with what looks like and feels like well machined parts (nice and tight). This is a double action pistol on the inexpensive side.
The hammer engages the sear with a nice solid snap(click?), and the trigger has a nice smooth pull (in single action). It seems to hold a pattern pretty well- we shot between 25 & 30’
and it was very windy. I’d like to try it out at a real range where we can do something besides shoot offhand. The weight was nicely balanced, and the wife had no problems holding it. I felt the semi-birdhead (?) handle was a little on the small side for my hands, but it’s the wife’s gun.
I like the fact that the rear site has both elevation and windage adjustments. It has an unobtrusive hammer lock/safety.
It is a great pistol to learn on. We didn’t try the double action, as we wanted to get the feel of the pistol first.
Had we used the double action, I’m sure Mr. C would have let us enter as two pistols, since the action is so much different.

Signal 94 has a post about the immigrants we want

Not ALL immigrants are bad. No-one has been saying that. The unAmerican anti-American illegal immigrants are the ones that we don't want here.

Targets we did today

I wouldda blown away a gopher with my .50, if he'd have stayed in one spot for about 30 minutes.
The balls were(was?) my first target, but I had to change targets after ripping it down with one well placed shot to the top corner. We shot the targets at about 25', Karen was just getting the feel of her .22-so no pics unless you want to see it.
The gopher was where I was fine-tuning it.(the white in the silhouette is two connected holes.)


.22 Springfield Auto
I did 15 shots as fast as I could pull the trigger @ 100'.
It was the first time it was fired in over 20 years. It needed oil, or I'm used to a better weapon (AR-15s).

It shoots to the right a little.

We didn't get to shoot where we wanted today

The Alamo Muzzlelloaders was having an event, so I didn't want to bring out the modern weapons. I saw a private range coming back from Dilly, so we went to see it. They just opened it, and have about 5 bricklined pistol lanes, a 100Mtr and 250Mtr rifle range. They also have classes for concealed weapons, and train SAPD and military on tactical situations. It looked good, but we didn't have $300 to spend for a 1 year family membership.
Not with what happened yesterday.
So we went back to our dry creekbed, and used the other bank where we could use roots to fix our targets.



Any way, my impression of my first ever .50 Cal. muzzelloader pistol shoot.

I chose the Trapper model because I liked how it fit my hand, the Kentucky pistol and the Plainsman were too small and rounded to feel comfortable to me.
The hammer spring is VERY heavy (Karen needs two hands to cock it) and the trigger is very light. This gun comes with double triggers, the back one sets the front to a (an RCH) hair trigger.
I used the trigger without setting it, it felt more , , , 'modern'.
I used a 20 grain load of pyrex, just because I wasn't sure how it would fire. I guess the mass of the gun absorbed quite a bit of the recoil, and it wasn't much different than a .38 maybe.
The barrel got warm very fast, I'm not sure how much the sun had to do with that, though- the .22 was really hot even before we shot it.

It was simple to load, once I learned how much to fill the measuring cup/funnel.


Pour the powder down, place the lubed patch under the ball and set with my thumb.



I just used the ramrod to seat the ball, didn't use a bulled starter.


Set the hammer to half-cock and place the cap.


You are now ready to fire.


I don't think it would take 20-30 seconds if you had your chit together- maybe less. They want you to wait about 60 seconds between shooting and loading for safety (let any embers die out).

It IS a little front heavy, but anyone who's in decent shape should be able to work with it.
When I fired it, it didn't sound much louder than the .22 Karen was shooting next to me (no we didn't wear hearing protection) and like I said, hardly any recoil. I might try going up to 25 grains next time, but We'll just be shooting at 25-30 feet, so I don't think it'll make that much difference.

SHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh, be werry, werry quiet.


We're going to hunt Gophers today.
We're going to try out the arsenal of the Republic of Trainwreck, so we'll try our own version of Mr. C's e-mail match.

We'll be using the pistols at about 25', and the rifles at whatever feels comfortable.
We'll probably start at 100' and work out as we site them in.

I'm finally able to post these pics

I got done with the pistol this morning


Then went to Sportsmans Warehouse to get the muzzle loader stuff I need



And something for the newer guns



Then I got a call relayed from mom about the 15 year-old and something about a broken hand at the color guard competion at 'Southwest'. (Mom's on her way back from Conroe)


Where is Southwest?
I don't know, she want's to know if she should call an ambulance?
Find out where Southwest is (I know it's in San ANtonio).

-Later-
They won't answer the phone, I've left messages.
Ok, They didn't answer my calls either.

-Later-
They called again, they can't get through to the house. They want my permission to call an ambulance.
Find out where they are, I'll go get her.
(She's driving back) Cr@p, I'm on the wrong road.
Ok, get on the right road, I'll look it up.
*There is NO listing for Southwest H.S. in the San antonio ISD website.
**The Medina Valley ISD site (her school) has no contact numbers for her color guard instructor and I KNOW an e-mail won't work.

I finally get a call from the EMTs they're taking her to Santa Rosa Childrens hospital "just take 35 west and get off on Houston, look for the signs."

-Later-
There is NO way to get to Houston St. heading n on I-35, I passed the Santa Rosa Medical center three times, could have gotten off on Durango- if I'd have known the childrens hospitaal AND emergency room was inside of the big building.

I followed 35 untill I was out past the medical concentration near 1604 and headed to I-10 and Houston St. I passed the Convention center (they were changiing traffic for an event tonight), and the Alamo with that traffic nightmare. I finally found a (small) sign pointing to the childrens wing. I used about half a tank of gas- on top of the $70 I spent earlier, and Karens fill-ups.

I got to the emergency room with the Creame of Mexico filling every available seat, and found the blonde teen, she was getting a cast for a sprained thumb.

I took her back to 'Southwest' where she got to find out they came in last, and to collect a friend for her ride home.

Gawd, what an expensive and nerve-wracking afternoon. Karen brought back the wrong 30.06, too.

I'm sitting here with Fox and Friends on in the background

I just muted it because they have some illegal immigrants' rights spokesflack on.
They asked him a question about why they (illegals) want to shove this in our face; he just started talking over the host, and talking.
And talking.

Supposedly on May 1st there's going to be a massive shut-down of America because all the illegals in the country are not going anywhere public. They won't go to school, work, the mall, fast food joints or anywhere they'd usually not do anything American. They're just going to hold massive demonstrations to try to force us to ignore our laws.

Ok, no matter what you hear about how Xenaphbic, homophobic, intolerant, closed minded, etc, , , ad nausium Americans are from the Legacy media- We are pretty tolerant of others. We generally have a live and let live philosophy, but when you start shoving your point of view down our thoats, we start kicking.

Those illegals are going to start something that they won't like, and they'll have brought it on themselves. We'll tolerate them here, not bothering to learn english.
We'll tolerate them putting their illegal kids in school and dropping our academic standards.
We'll tolerate them using our emergency rooms for a G.P. office.
We'll tolerate them on food stamps, unemployment and welfare.

We're going to get sick and tired of them, their appologists AND elected officials who are forcing us to do something about it.
Ther will be a backlash about this if they keep pushing, and I hope it's something that lasts.

A Q&A about illegals

Over at Right Wing News.

He's got a a 13 question FAQ about illegals.
Here they are with bullet answers- you'll have to go to his site for the entire, well worded answers.

Lets get started!
1) How many illegal aliens are there in the United States?
A) we don't really know -they are ILLEGAL. But the guess is between 8- 22 million.

2) How do the American people feel about illegal immigration?
A) They don't like it.

3) So, if the American people oppose illegal immigration, why does Congress seem so reluctant to do anything about it?
A) Money and votes. You don't think they'd actually give either a pass just for the good of the country, do you?

4) What about Pete Wilson, the former governor of California? Didn't he try to crack down on illegal immigration and wasn't there a backlash against Republicans because of it?
A) Only in the MSM.

5) Well, what about an Amnesty for illegals? Didn't we have one of those before?
A) Reagan 1986, and we're still feeling the effects today.

6) If illegals weren't allowed to become citizens, what would be the problem with allowing illegal aliens who are already here to stay as guest workers?
A) What about the LEGAL ones? Also if you reward bad behaviour, you get more of the same.

7) Isn't it practically impossible to deport all the illegal aliens?
A) If you get rid of the incentives, they'll leave on their own.

8) But, aren't these illegal aliens doing jobs Americans won't do?
A) No. They're doing jobs Americans and LEGAL immigrants don't get paid enough for.

9) If these illegal aliens were to leave the United States, wouldn't there be a major impact on the American economy?
A) No. we'd adjust.

10) What about other costs to society? On the whole, are illegals a net benefit or net liability to the American economy?
A) It depends on who you ask.

11) Is there a crime problem related to illegal immigrants?
A) Definatly.

12) Do illegal immigrants put a strain on our health care system?
A) Yes.

13) Some people say that it's impossible to secure our border? Are they right?
A) The way it's being handled in D.C- yes. They won't let the Border Patrol do their job.

Go read his FAQs and the entire answers.
I'll be adding him to my blogroll.
I'm also adding Signal 94 so I can let y'all check out a conservative blogger from 'upstate NY'.

WTF is it with Bush kissing @ss on illegal Mexicans aliens?

He's down in Mexico now, telling congress to hurry with the illegal amnesty ummm...guest worker program.

With Mexican President Vicente Fox at his side, President Bush gave Congress a long-distance push Thursday to open the United States to immigrant workers who have been sneaking across the borders to fill low-paying jobs.

"We don't want people sneaking into our country that are going to do jobs that Americans won't do," Bush said at the end of a private meeting with Fox, where the issue was on top of the agenda. "We want them coming in in an orderly way, which will take pressure off both our borders."

Sorry George, I'm getting tired of that old hyperbole- the reason AMERICANS and LEGAL IMMIGRANTS don't do the work, is that they can't work for the depressed wages your illegals work for. They don't all do stoop labor for a dollar a day, they're all over construction sites keeping wages at the mid 1980' level- no wonder there are a lot more ILLEGALS working them than anyone else.

Unlike you people in D.C. Americans really are smart enough to see what (an estimated) 11 million illegal immigrants are doing to the civilized fabric of our country. We are able to understand the contributions of LEGAL immigrants. We're also able to see how the Balkanization of America is a bad thing.
What made the previous immigrants (and the current legal ones) different -George- is the fact that they wanted to JOIN the American society. Your mujado's- on the other hand, are here for whatever they can get through fair means or foul.

We don't need more laws- ENFORCE the ones on the books!

My wife is a LEGAL immigrant, I know the routine, and how EASY it is if you have your ducks in a row for the INS -or whatever it's called now. Don't give me that B.S. about how "costly" and time consuming it is, You're Mexicans, you have family (of some kind) here do the K-1 or K-2 visa, you'll have the permanent green card within 3 years- IF you can pass the background check.

Regarding the Amnesty of Illegals

being obscured by D.C. doublespeak and political BS:





Now, why should we bend over for them?

Remember them cheering 9-11?

Remember the chants of "Osama" at the US team vs Mexico in soccer?

How many Mexicans are in Iraq right now?

Any guesses on the percentages of english speakers at the illegal cattle drives this weekend?

WHY does D.C. insist on kissing @ss on Mexico?

Photo stolen from Rob.

Games to play on a construction site

If you're playing these games you've got WAY to much free time

Find the Live Wire

Powersaw Chicken

Chutes and Ladders and 100ft Drops

Drill Bit Tattoos

Catch the Sledgehammer

Hide and Seek, with Crowbars!

Eggroll Eating Contest

Land in the Sawdust

Support Beam King of the Hill

Cement Angles

Smear the Queer with the Welding Torch

Nailgun Russian Roulette

OK, I've got nothing right now.

If you ever think about a Blackpowder gun kit

Here are some things to think about.

• A Dremel tool with a wood burr is Very helpful at trimming prerouted holes to the correct size.
• It's easy to take off too much before re-trying the fit
  
• work from the bottom of the cutout up, and save the final cosmetic trimming untill you're sure it problem wasn't caused by something you just removed.
• The instruction pamphlet is just a rough guidline- you have to figgure out which side of the 'too-small' holes to enlarge
• You will need a drill and drill bits
• Patience is a definate plus, so is good light
• f the brass trigger guard is too long, the Dremel sandpaper tube will trim it to fit
• Toothpaste makes an acceptable jewlers rouge for your Dremel buffer if you mar the brass
• The hammer spring is VERY heavy, the trigger is really light, watch your shirt when test fitting these two to see if they fit right, and work

If you have any kind of modleing skill, or woodworking abiity- these kit guns should be no problem. I got the trigger assy. to fit and the trigger assy. to actually work after doing some additional trimming for mechanical movement All I really have to do now is brown the metal, do the final fit-up of all the parts and finish trim the wood srame and stain it.

The big problem I see when I finallt fire it, is that it's going to be like firing a small shotgun with one hand. So much for Mr. C's e-mail target match it'll take all day to load and fire one target set.

So, not only did the U.S. senate punt on the ILLEGAL immigration bill

They decided to invite even more of them in.

Guys, that's supposed to be the UNITED STATES Senate, not the Nuevo Mexico Senate.
Reagan made the mistake in the 80's on his amnesty program, which is part of the problem now- "They did it once, lets go and wait until they do it again"!

They keep talking about how immigrants came in and made America what it was, and all the Illegals want to do is "participate, too." The difference -and it's a huge difference- is that the previous immigrants came to become Americans and assimilate, NOT to infiltrate to try to take back northern Mexico. The previous LEGAL immigrants worked however they could, and worked at becoming American citizens, not to suck up taxpayer funded goodies and not learn a damned thing about the country they're "helping" by keeping wages low.

You don't need more laws, ENFORCE the ones we have now, and hold Bush's buddies feet to the fire about hiring illegals to hold down the bottom line.

We went shopping this morning

We dropped the 15 yr old (codename Danica) off at her babysitting job, and headed to San Antonio.

We wanted to look at birthday presents for me!
We hit Academy, and they quit selling black powder for lack of sales, the only thing we bought at Wally-world was meat.
Finally we hit Sportsman's Warehouse to get a feel for the old (repro) guns. I was suprised at how comfortable they were -and steady. I know that it's because of the barrel mass, and I wouldn't want to carry it very far by hand. The ones we looked at were all well balanced and had a light, smooth trigger.

We looked at the black powder revolvers, and found that they were lighter than expected, too. Since I'm just starting out, we decided to go with this instead.



I found the Kentucky pistol light, but didn't like the handle. I'm an old carpenter and don't like to have to hold tightly to a handle, wether it's a framing hammer or a rounded pistol grip.

That's about all that's going on at Casa Trainwreck.

So I saw this headline on the Beeb headline feed

And said "cool, maybe Bush'll get the nads to actually STOP people from crossing illegally.
I was wrong, as a matter of fact I can't see Israel asking our advice on ANYTHING having to do with securing borders.
We can't even arrest illegal openly advertising their presence at demonstrations.
They 'crippled' our country by walking out enmasse the other day- did you notice?
All the usual suspects were there the communists and their caring subsidiaries- MALDEF, the ACLU, La RAZA (the race), LULAC (League of United American Citizens Cunyaus), all kinds of Mexican flags; and I'd hazard a guess that there wasn't alot of english spoken (or understood).

But then again, they contribute soo much to this country, from keeping wages low- to increasing the taxpayers borden for all the social services they "deserve".

I just knew I was

I could "see" it

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I was going to pass on the "Don't get drunk in bars" crackdown here in Tx

But after reading about towns making money on speed traps, I decided to rant.
In case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted in a while. Things aren't going right at the job. Things change without the superintendant (me) being told, the wrong materials orderd and my problem child refuses to listen to me understand what I'm trying to get him to do. I swear, there must be something in the water in Devine- I haven't had one worker from there that was worth a chit.
Anyway, I've been working long hours and basicaly spinning my wheels. I get home tired and don't feel like thinking. I know most of these posts don't have much deep thought showing through, but there is motivation, anyway.

This TABC Barbra Striesand about arresting patrons in bars for Public intoxication just kinda got inder my collar.
Undercover Agents in a bar, giving field sobriety tests there, in public. Seems to be asking for some kind of harrasment, or humiliation lawsuit. I guess It's more lucrative to just stick a net in a stock pen to get your fish than to actually go out fishing to STOP DWI's and staking out convinience stores to catch underage drinkers.

Their excuse is that they're acting "pre-emptively" (which is a bad word if you're a Republican President) to stop "bad" things from happening to people EVEN IF THEY HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER because, you know- it's to protect the innocent, like the children, and themselves.

According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Web site, Texas had 1,264 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2004, the most in the nation. But how many were illegals?

"We're trying to reduce that and save lives," Beck said.

B.J. Hassell, manager of victims services with MADD Texas State, which serves a 29-county area in Central Texas, said her organization supports the crackdown.

"Can you imagine if TABC had not stopped those people from leaving the bar, how many more drunk drivers we might have had on the road?" Hassell said. (I lost the WOAI link-and they don't have archive search.)

Ok lady- were ALL of those arrested going to get into a car without a D.D.?
The TABC went into MOTEL bars last week (it was on WOAI radio) and arrested MOTEL GUESTS for being over the Tx prohibitionlike .08%BAC. Yes, you heard right, in a MOTEL. WTF? Is this the newest out of town revenue maker, like the speed trap that my post started with? They're in a MOTEL, if they flew into the DFW Metroplex they probably weren't going to drive home.
Just to be truthfull, I'd rather know I was behind a drunk than some idiot on a cell phone because, at least drunks are somewhat predictable. I'm sure no-one in the MADD organization has endangered anyone with a cell phone in their ear and weaving between two lanes while making erratic 20MPH speed changes when someone passes their inattentive @ss.

What is it about wimmin

and the fact that they just CAN'T squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom?
No matter how much they're asked and asked and asked and told to squeeze it from the bottom.