Ligonier, Pennsylvania... is a real town, virtually...

Blood pressure is good today, so I thought I would visit one of my links that AT&T worldnet is shutting down and there it was Ligonier, Penna. Where I grew up from seventh grade to off to Vietnam in 1970, when I rode my Harley-Davidson over the Ridge to get it down to Morgantown, West Virginia where my parents were moving the family.

Fine town to grow up in, I thought, and one that was good to leave and revisit years later. Ligonier

Frustrations on FarmVille...

I don't want interrupted when I am working, comes from computing artillery firing data and needing the correct answer in limited time. People depended on my product for years before the computers came along and no one needed to compute anymore, just push buttons in the proper sequence. I had that problem on typing into the computer at work, to get the materials done, the emails answered and having to stop to answer some fool question, or flight of fancy for one of my crew or a patron. I didn't do that well.

Now I am retired and don't have any production to fret over, so I start playing a game to support one of my sisters. the game has interest, is scored and I get my rewards. The most fascinating thing for me is the great differences in the players, the farms they build and their ideas of life expressed virtually. I think I am finished but will maintain my farm, just go to longer crop harvests. I don't think the game designers wanted my type of player, but I have noticed like Facebook itself, the game either catches you or it doesn't and you just fade away. The number of six plowed plots farms that withered to dustbowls is probably pretty high. Like not completing high school, lots of quitters in the virtual world.

The game designers really wanted players to pay for instant gratification, but allowed the free players to keep those paying helped. The more neighbors, even ones not building anything one had the larger your own farm could become. Which is why I think women win big time, or retired folks with lots of friends and time on their hands. There are too many things that require you to bother others with your farm, every time you do well, advance, find some collectible, get a reward -- you can help someone else that follows you on FaceBook to share the reward (pretty cool), which may mean that email to your account would allow you to grab a great gift quickly before someone else. I was always a bit too slow on the one of prizes, if there were a couple I could reap a gift or reward.

My frustration was when I would get a pop-up to share news, reward, gift or prize while I was trying to plow the fields, harvest or seed, take care of the stock or just wander my farm or help out the neighbors. I was on a mission and didn't need to stop my activities for the game - but the designers wanted me to stop, the designers wanted me to pay attention to the ads on the pages around my farm, and I liked it borderless as long as I was working (no ads and complete coverage of the farm). The other frustration is the need for friends to send you pieces of buildings you are building, but seemingly without a good message system, and the game designers want you to spend real money on virtual weathered boards? I don't think so, I am needing two weathered boards for my French Maison, and I don't have any FarmVille dollars left to buy two with, but if I go up two more levels and get one per level I can complete the building, which is a cool building.

It isn't as cool as the Shamrock Castle that I live in on my farm (no I haven't named the animals yet, but I do pet them for grins). Now that the real shooting season is beginning, more mad motorcycling weather coming and my wife bringing me pumpkin tea to sip this evening -- and finding other bloggers preparing to virtually retire from FarmVille farming (no virtual pension checks to worry over) maybe I am now just going to be a Gentleman Farmer. I did make level 37 Clever Farmer and can grow Asparagus, have 560,000 FV coins, and a nice laid back farm. Only a few more Blue Ribbons to win, but I have people to meet in the real world, books that tickle my mind - The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, MD (she wrote one about the Male mind, but one mind at a time is my limit). Got to go, duty calls and I want to enjoy the pumpkin tea with wife. Night!

Time enough to read the whole thing...

One of the prohibited books in the prison library was The Dangerous Book for Boys by Hal and Conn Iggulden. So of course I have to read it before the ATFE decides to ban it from all the libraries, haven't gotten around to The Turner Diaries either, but I can wait on that. The reason for deciding to get the book for boys is that Conn Iggulden wrote four books about Julius Caesar and the end of Roman Republic, and three (maybe four by now) about Genghis Khan, and them I have on my must read list and there I go, since roaring out like a LION is how March beats the Department of Transportation's requirement for taking studded tires off by 1 April, we begin to know who the fools are... bundle up the weather is weird and wild in the Great Northwest.

Preparing for Retirement...

Everyday gives me more wonder, last month I thought I had paid off all the credit cards, they told me the amount, I wrote the checks and we were almost done with each other. Then I started receiving bills for interest that they hadn't charged me but thought they should have. So I paid all of those off, closed one credit card which I thought was a loan shark operation, but probably wasn't -- they just like more money. Okay, we are back to zero, and I still have credit cards for using at airports, motels and car rentals. But pay them off as they are made, or prove you are a classy guy with the card and then pay in cash... isn't it great to have such petty problems? YES!

Time to go mail, pick up book at library and jog gently between the rain drops.

Real History of Presidential Leadership and War...

How does one serve? what is the price? how do we ignore that it is being paid? President Obama did visit the troops for four hours on the ground, nice leather jacket he was wearing for the photo op and speech. I linked to RN Clara Hart before and now to this story about a young beer drinking, motorcycle riding, cigar smoker (a Marine)... and his dad. President Obama did say something about not running from these conflicts and I wonder if he thinks all the Vietnam Vets are gone, or does he think we will fix that after the current efforts?

Sunday, Palm Sunday....

Going off to church shortly, choir and service and then back home to regular stuff. Arm has healed well but I am still so short of where I should be in the world with all that has been granted me. Take care and be good out there.

Start my day right...

Okay, this is early enough, silly stuff done except the maintenance medications and breakfast. I roam through Facebook, FarmVille (making minor adjustments), start the blog roll run... and stop at the Sandbox, RN CLARA HART has something to say, and someone is home... and the Nation isn't paying attention, and it shouldn't be just the same.

Virtually farming in a small church garden...

Winter excess, I have to work off forty pounds, and the Church garden has been neglected. So, I turn some soil. The produce from this garden goes to the local Food Bank, since the government programs don't feed all those that need. This isn't really about government lack, real farming nor me, just about turning soil.

Good Morning, Real Americans everywhere...

I continued to heal, hiding in my home from the fools on the hill (Capitol Hill), and I watched a little news and too much NCIS. So I wasted a day but was entertained.

I, like most of upset America, did not attack the Democratic Party Headquarters, write up articles of secession, nor send threats to folks. I am just going to make sure that no one sitting in Congress at this time gets two votes from my home. Senators, Congresspersons and President don't deserve a second chance to get it right. They blew it big time. If the Republicans were serious about being a political party they would have a working Health Care law waiting (to the smallest detail) to keep the great things about American Health Care - one can always go to Europe or Asia for their healthcare - and get rid of the stupidity of the Obama plan.

But they aren't serious and are sure "They are TOO BIG to ALLOW to FAIL" which was the cry of the younger Bush administration and the current Treasury and Fed Folks. But the little American citizen and voter - too small to worry about, really.

I do have an advantage over the rest of 'fed upon FOX' and 'educated by television' and the TEX'd and Twit's people - I was betrayed by the Vietnam War, and don't forget nor forgive - I know they are all corrupt and foolish... I don't expect good things nor miracles from them. Kind of like wanting to go and graduate from West Point most of my young life, and then being disappointed by almost (ALMOST!) every West Point produced officer I ever served with and under. So like God looking for a reason to save two cities, if I could just find ten good folks I won't nuke them til the glow, and even retired... I, like most of America, am too busy to look for ten good ones in the five hundred and thirty-five members....

More health care, more motorcycle riding!!!

As you can see, RETIREMENT works wonders on my life, the virtual one anyway. I went off to the doctor's, he removed five of the seven staples and we waited for the facts on fax about my biopsy... I did get to play with Penderson (a Boston Terrier) and a tennis ball. The report is that the ugly growth was skin cancer (and I don't do tanning saloons) and that the doctor had clean skin cut all around to within 0.2 cm, which worried him, but I told him that was a good knife. I am okay, but he wants to remove the last two staples next week and sometime in the future the remainder of his fears of cancer remaining in my skin... I think he should wait for evidence.

Well, since I was disturbed about getting old and falling apart and such, I rode the motorcycle in the sunshine, grinning like a fool, and went to find lovely ladies to wait upon my every whim -- okay, I got a hair cut, and made her leave the eyebrows alone. Then rode my motorcycle home smiling some more. House is dark and quiet, but I find my wife returned to sleep - she isn't feeling well. Will not disturb, later.

forgive them that trespass against me...

Woke in the middle of the night to find out what happened, I can stop watching news, stop listening to fools in Washington - and don't think it is the Party that matters, they are in both parties. I am more ready to watch Tiger Woods play golf - I would never have held him up as a role model for my life, I don't play golf - than I am to watch alleged criminal political conspiracies coming out of Washington, District of Columbia - you know where Congress has given everyone a fine life - their experience in local government, education and health care in the city stand as an example of great thought.

But I do know that I don't have to worry, I don't have to pay for their mistakes, I don't have to listen to their laws, I don't have to do anything except what my wife and mother advise me and desire, to make my friends smile and laugh more, and to love as much as God wants me to. Which gets me to the title of this blog, I am required to forgive those that trespass against me, something I remembered as I stewed futilely last night. The picture is perfect, if your History of the American Revolution and the surrender at Yorktown come to mind, along with how one becomes treated as a mushroom - kept in the dark and fed whatever.....

Okay, my Representative didn' t represent me...

I haven't read the legislation, I understand everyone is going to add and delete portions to the Health Care Bill back in the Senate and some final mess will be just so wonderful that one will have trouble finding the country that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. But I do know now, for sure (I might have been confused by the fine job the politicians did in Vietnam) that I cannot trust the politicians when they leave the state for Washington, DC. People are ending their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and this is the Congress that makes that possible, and you think they can fix Health Care? They haven't a clue.

If I were King of this country, I would have gotten the Surgeon General and army of doctors, nurses, and aides - built government hospitals and clinics and supplied Health Care. It would be cheaper, really.

I know I should be worried about the coming end...

but I am retired and out of the "put it back in civilization so it isn't so dangerous" business. I was just reading about the looting in Chile and one owner that fired over five hundred rounds as warning shots. I think there have been tribes that just cut off heads and stuck them on posts for the same effect. I think it is the retirement, I tried to find the time, but I am not wearing a watch anymore, I wanted to know how bad the government by secret cabal has gotten in DC, and then realized I have no internet news site to visit to find out. I have decided to surrender, not going to fight, protest, no one is going to notice when I and my wife disappear. So my end may be before AMERICA's end, but since the Government had nothing to do with starting America, I am sure that the Government will have nothing to do with ending it, it is the people that got it started and then went off about their business and lives, and it will be the people that will end it and go off about their lives. Go off about your lives, it works for me.

Dreams were good, strange but good...

My arm seems almost finished healing, I think I can allow the staples to stay as body ornamentation, there are seven of them and that is a LUCKY number, isn't it? I seem to have killed a lot of moss yesterday, removal is now mine, too. I have a cousin with new cancer, I wonder - but don't want to really know - how many of us know people with or being treated for cancer? More than we want, don't you think? Watching one of the political talk shows a person supporting Healthcare wanted everyone to know that forty thousand people died every year without healthcare. The others were very kind they didn't jump on her and ask if she knew how many people died with healthcare every year. The name is so encouraging, Health (a good thing) care (a wonderous thing that mothers do) so it must be totally awesome. Well, I hope everyone is healthy, and getting even more so (and that takes work and knowledge on your part) and I hope that we come to the realization that the government is not God, not Holy and not really healthier than we are. Honest.

PS I don't think the government really cares, either.

Just noticing...

The Governor of Michigan decides that meatless day on the 20th of March is cool, must not honor farming in that state, or do they have automobile-less days, too? The NRA is reported to want to have their convention where real Free People can't carry their firearms, sorry, from my cold dead hands. Who is putting fools in charge? or is that why they have decided that forcing folks to buy health care or be fined will be good for America. How does that work? The peaceful protest is to not sign up for healthcare, and take the fine and don't pay it. Then one still doesn't have healthcare, does one? At least they have published that taxes will go up under the program, or maybe I didn't hear the television reporter correctly. This is such a waste of my time, I guess I have joined the enemy, more words less wisdom. Bye!

Could we ask that the signers of the Healthcare bill produce copies for Historical Record? Like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America? Could we ask? Aren't they that proud?

Just (11:35 AM PDST) sent the above paragraph to Adam Smith, Congressman of MY DISTRICT, and his form for accepting my message had to have a telephone number - he doesn't care that I only answer for my wife - and I had to have a prefix for my name. I thought about that, "Mister" would work, "King" is what my wife likes to call me when I treat her like a Queen, "Stupid" is what many have thought about my foolishness often, well, "Rifleman" is what I put down, I earned it and it calls to me. Thank you for making me remember what I like most about being the real American me. RIFLEMAN, will do very nicely. Always, Earl

Just a quick note about why I woke at 3 AM...

I had been sleeping since about ten-thirty and needed to finish Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell, of Rifleman Sharpe fame. I left Rifleman Sharpe when he kept going back to India - although all of those stories are great for flying long distances. The current Saxon Tales are great. I have finished this book, I like it and recommend it especially to get the feel of the times, the long bow, and the battle. The author recommends Judith Barker's Agincourt as a History, which gives me something to go read in the future, not that I am studying war any more. I did like Cornwell's filling in of historical detail after the novel is finished, and expounding on the English yeomen and the longbow as their weapon. Required weapons among the commoners, imagine that,

It is Saint Patrick's Day....

So, as my mother would like I will have to celebrate, not that she was Irish at all. The oral tradition in my family is that the first Dungey left Ireland during one of the rebellions and moved to Kent and married an English woman. According to one Dungey from Kent, he says the first Dungey was Dutch, and came over with William's army when that happened. Well, I go with the family oral tradition, if one was Irish and trying to start a new life in England, hiding as a Dutchman in Kent would work. The timing is right for either. This is an important part of History of Ireland, England and Europe unstudied in American schools. One of the critical points of the period is the English Bill of Rights. Which would play into the American Revolution, although many don't understand how unless they studied the original context, which all Englishmen, including those in the colonies were to have. Anyway, totally unrelated, my wife (the fine Korean lady she is) took a green jacket to wear at work, they are having a potluck, and told me to wear green today and don't be too lazy. So, I am putting on a green sweatshirt and jogging and then yard work (light) when I return. The Sun is shining on Western Washington today.

Lookin' good...

How much do I do that is just for show? There are people around me that think if I hang clothes up to dry outside my home I am a terrible person. My grandmother was very proud of having her laundry up and hanging early in the week, before the neighbor ladies had theirs up. It was very important to her to be thought of as a hard working housewife. Now living on a fixed income, and electricity being expensive allowing the wind and warmth to dry the clothes seem like a great way to fight Global Warming and high energy usage - I should save some electricity to put out these messages.

I caught Oprah, doing make-overs of men - Oprah, that is so like a woman to want to improve the man, the home, the car, the life style, the opinion of the other women... I won't play, women have been trying to improve me for years, it just doesn't take. I am a total failure at all the measurements of a man by a woman. I kept wondering as I saw a really improved Oprah man, his wife was so happy, how was she going to keep the other women away from him, for she hadn't improved with him, now that he was hot -- where was he going to find that special someone? Well, I hope he already had her, but if he needed changed to make her happy - it wasn't going to last.

I am not against improving, although ABC News says the middle class no longer believes they will be able to improve their station in life. Isn't the idea of a station in life - so Victorian? Didn't they make movies about that, all just a fantasy world and a frustration maker. Of course, I am playing FarmVille, which has nothing to do with real agriculture, but does allow one to improve their station in the virtual world of the game. Like playing a war game, knowing that all the hundreds of deaths on the virtual battlefield won't really count in heaven the way they count in life. But high scores and VICTORY! are awesome and with so little blood, sweat nor tears. Do-overs abound.

So much time and what to do...

I want to spend the rest of my life doing better...

really. In some of the Bible studies I have attended I have had people tell me about sin and the Devil and Satan and such. I have always answered that acknowledging Satan is giving him power that you don't have to. Don't worry about sinning, go out and do good stuff for the Love you have, and keep working on doing Good. You don't have time for more than that, life is way too short.

Bouncing around the blog sphere I notice folks talking about the Brady bunch, the ones that have you believing that crossbows are fine to settle feuds with, or lances on horse or camel back - but not GUNs. It is in their name, they aren't against general violence, just GUN violence. I shouldn't have mentioned them but they are like the NRA a target easily identified by the opposition.

I am about to start my Appleseed Season, two Appleseed weekends in April, and a visit to the Boomershoot. I am going to go out and teach and coach and encourage citizens of America to take up arms, learn how to shoot better and honor the heritage of those citizens of New England of April 19, 1775. I will teach boys, girls, men, women, all races and capabilities. I have only so much time left to do this kind of good, I wonder if the young man helping the woman pass out anti-gun literature knows about Lexington and Concord, I am almost positive that he doesn't have any firearms training, to include safety. He does need my help. What kind of boy wears a Million Mom March tee-shirt? Thanks to the Brady Bunch for the photo which I think doesn't represent my position nor opposition - I do believe in free speech.

You have emailed your Congressperson about Healthcare - haven't you?

Okay, we are an old very Married couple...

Thirty-eight years and I could show you the Marriage Certificate, tell you about my wife's opinion of the very talkative and touching nurse from Friday, but I won't the best thing about today is the pictures arriving by email. We are very blest, and we hope y'all will be, too. God loves you.

Just puttering around today...

I have started my normal day, and took a picture of my repaired arm - my wife will re-apply the bandage covering needed. Thanks to contact on Facebook, I called my alternate adult female authority figure from my teenage youth (Mrs. Lois Johnson), talked to her and to one of her sons (Tim), that remembered me teaching him how to ride a bicycle and play chess. The things I did that I was better for, that I didn't remember. Good times and I got an offer of a room if I get by and can stop. Always nice to be thought well of.

Okay, I am ready...

Going off to the hospital in a couple minutes and thought about all the things I would rather be doing. But it is raining hard here, constant pouring and the road is almost a river with the run off. Should be mud slides by evening news. I took a picture of the growth for mostly no good reason, but knowing how to do something with one's off hand - you know the other one. I found taking a picture with my left hand strange - especially since they build the camera for a right handed world. They told me not to bring anything, don't eat after midnight and all that stuff. Much easier to use a pistol with the left hand.


Later... Okay, I am done, I do remember meeting Steve, but then nothing until the recovery room. There is a pad and tape covering on my right forearm, the surgeon said he joined remaining skin laterally, and sutured and stapled and don't play basketball until he sees me again next week. Okay. Yes, I can have pain medicine, yes, I had a spinach cheese omelet and four pancakes at IHOP to help speed the recovery. All nice people in the hospital, met several and heard their life story as they worried through the steps making sure I was properly proper and recorded. I keep thinking of clay tablets in Babylon. All the good thoughts and prayers were appreciated more than I will express, my wife even thinks highly of me - not that she hasn't ever been a little bit wrong before. On the porch of our home is a forty plus pound box of support stuff for the Castle Rock Appleseed, 17 & 18 April. Should I lift it? NO, slide it inside the house.

Electronic Communications Rocks, sometimes...

I loaded the little clip I took of my conversation with my mother over Skype.com, the connection wobbled as much as my camera - which I hadn't taken from video mode. But it was good to talk and see my mother. Much better than those years overseas writing a letter and getting one back two weeks later, when I had forgotten what I had written that she was commenting on. Those that know friends and family in uniform, do write them, email if possible, if you are close enough and telecom is there use it, but for sure contact them. About once a month my wife gets to try and play with her grandson so there are good things about electronic communications.

My of FaceBook friends, all grown up from when I knew some of them, Tanya reports that her mother remembers me and my wife and would like to see us. Mrs. Lois Johnson (when I knew her) was Mom in Charge of three boys and two girls and took me in and kicked me out and put up with much of my better and worst behavior when I was creating Earl as a teenager. She was also one of the first people I introduced my wife to when she came to America. My favorite story about her, was when I decided to clean off the enameled steel kitchen worktable, I cleaned exactly half of it and it gleamed bright white. I think my mother answered the telephone and told me Mrs. Johnson was calling for me. I think she only said "get back here and finish it." It was the tone of voice that I laughed about all the way down the road to her house on my way to finish it, every teenager should have such a great alternate home and family.

I am against cellphones, but see that they could be good to have for emergencies and such - constantly used to rescue fools on Mount Rainier - a very good thing. But I have been watching NCIS, between telephone records and locator GPS chips, they do more work for the government than I want done. And I am not doing anything, but then I don't think much of electronic tethers. FREEDOM! LIBERTY!

I have things to stew about today, I did read and agree with Tam's post, but then there is only so much one can do or should do in preparing for shooting - I keep remembering Wild Bill Hickock, and his killing a deputy because he was that good and practiced and quick. Rule Four -- the best of all the shooting practice is that you are so far ahead of anyone not practicing, nor in a combat zone environment. The biggest thing about shooting people is that it doesn't go as easily as shooting targets, and the moral reason for the shot in this country is glossed over until the reporter tries to find out how you feel... crass.

First sign of really being out of it arrives today...

My Social Security arrives electronically today. All I did was get old and apply in January and the swift movements of government happened. I have other things to worry about, the odd growth on my arm is getting cut off on Friday, I hope the infection goes with the growth, we are in rain pattern here - it is getting to Spring. I have my long handled shovel and garden boots in the Caravan for using to turn the soil in the garden at the church, if someone hasn't beaten me to it. Usually using a tiller, I am so behind the times, but I know if I don't use all those fine muscles, they won't be there when I have to rebuild the world after 2012. I have expanded my farm on Farmville to my maximum, need only one nail for the stable and have figured out how to turn off the computer until I get my life back in order. Medicines, devotions, breakfast and exercises and then prepare to face the world outside my door. Be good out there, I am on the way.

Just testing....

Got the concealed carry pistol in the concealed carry holster, and I practice drawing and firing. And again, adjust and draw and fire again, and again. Do it enough to bother one's untaught, untested and unused muscles. Make it smoother, repeat the correct way all the way, repeat. Talk yourself through it, think yourself through it before practicing it, close your eyes and do it again. did you hit the target in your mind. Did all the hands and pieces come together. Okay, open your eyes and repeat.

Chores, light but have to do and think...

I stayed long enough on the computer, went and gathered all the garbage and took it out to the trash container, slid my bare feet into the wooden shoes and trompt across the wet and cold grass that I still haven't cut in the backyard. Dutch wooden shoes are perfect for sliding on and wandering the moist earth. I understand they are made in Wisconsin, shipped to the Netherlands where tourists looking for beautiful tulip gardens and long-legged Dutch lasses with bright smiles go. That is when I got my pair, they are for the backyard wandering. No, I wasn't looking for the lasses, although when I did the Four Days in Nijmegen, I was aware that there were more lovely ladies than I had ever imagined cheering us in on the last day.

I went and played with my camera, to get a picture of my walking on the wet grass, but it came out way too well - and I couldn't subject the world to Earl looking like that, will have to get out and lose forty pounds and harden up, shave and find some more trendy footware. Sigh. Still since flowers from Holland (which is only a small county in the Netherlands) was part of this post I will leave you with a devotional picture, even daffodils in their glory bow down. It is cold and damp, but the Sun is just behind all those clouds.

A great joke by way of Blackfork....

Joke, good enough for the dinner table. Which I think would help America return to solid family values - if they leave the electronic tethers and noise behind, in another room at least.

Among all that worry me, not much...

Reading other gun blogs about one thing or another, I found some good advice about holster and drawing and practicing. All good information, and since I haven't been for a long time happy with most of my concealed carry holsters I went looking and found the recommended type. Bought it and put it on, now I am over weight - so I will want to drop lots of extra padding, but the rig and the pistol fit close to my body, are very comfortable and the way I am going out dressed, and right where I want to reach for my pistol, so take the magazine and bullets out and start practicing.

My personal belief is that I will never have to hurry taking a shot, never have to fast draw, and never have to shoot anything in the eye. I also don't believe that I will meet a Ninja assassin any time soon, there are advantages in being less than the Fire Bringer, who ever that was. So, if one of my favorite anti-gun carrying folks (and I do know some) would ask why I would carry a pistol, my answer has to be that I do it for an exercise in maturity and of my responsibility as a citizen, not feeling like lugging a light machine gun and ammunition everywhere in defense of the Free State without Chinese or Mongol hordes coming over the ramparts. I don't really worry about the hordes of anyone, but have noticed as I have been seriously reading the news and History of the 20th Century, people do wander around and kill others that they don't like, with axes, machetes, pistols, machine guns, gas, bombs and booby traps. Just seem to be a lot of ways to get rid of those that disagree, are inconvenient or perceived to be a threat. So, being almost ancient, toothless and feebler than yesterday, I will carry a pistol to protect all that I think worth saving and risking my own life for, most of my life has been about being between bad or downright evil and what is good.

As I drove off to the range the other day I thought how people hold their privacy and independence in their automobile. So one sees them picking their nose, putting on makeup, texting or talking while driving - because they really think no one looks into their automobile. And if the anti-gun folks were seriously afraid they would get some legislation passed to keep any transport of firearms out of the automobile - but they do think the inside of the automobile is a private area, I guess. To me, the crime is never in having a weapon, but in using the weapon to assault another human being.

For those that are sure removing the weapons will provide safety, I would recommend that you look at a warehouse of firearms after they close the doors and lock it up. Not one accidental discharge, no murders, no suicide ever committed by the thousands of firearms when people are removed. And where you have two or more people in contact, without any weapons, you will find suicide, murder, assault and fear. It has never been the firearm, or any other weapon, but the willingness of one person to be more important than those others.

A day to celebrate!!!!

Fellowship Hall after Communion Sunday with two, then three friends. Hal needs no introduction, although the Pastor thinks he is my brother, we do sing in the choir and our names are interchangeable - or so many think.

The celebration is that thirty-eight years ago, my girl friend got on board an aircraft for the first time in her life and flew off to find me. She only had to change planes in Japan and San Francisco, and the plane she got on there was supposed to have a bomb on it, but they didn't tell the passengers nor those waiting to pick their folks up. Almost two hours on the taxiway waiting for clearance to approach the terminal. Not bad for a farm girl with minimum English language skills.

I think I had best get to taking her out to dinner, the wedding anniversary is next Sunday, but that doesn't really mean as much in some fashion as the day she arrived.

Thank you, Jeffro, I am totally dangerous with the video camera, now.

P.S. I did go confirm the sight changes in the Micro Compact, and have the video to study, too. ;-)

Farming almost virtually...

My pistol will wait for confirmation firing one or more days - since I don't miss the important parts of a man size target standing still at twenty-five yards I am good enough for government work. I got very lucky or somebody made suggestions to other folks that I could use some more FarmVille neighbors, and two people of the gun showed up and one very nice church lady, and my farm was permitted to expand, which called for a bit of destruction and reconstruction, making the tilled soil places fit the tractor and other machines - nothing like real Farmer Frank has to worry over on his row size but I made the adjustments, not that I am much of a machine meister. I got that all mostly finished before breakfast gruel and then my wife said she was cleaning house today, and I could get the outside. Her garden awaited me, I was expanding it a little bit. too. She wants to get the garlic in before the next frost. works for me. The day is beautiful the birds are singing, and I even get buzzed by a pair of Stellar Jays (beautiful birds but loud) they always travel in pair.

I noticed as I busted sod (sod buster Earl today) that the neighbors were busy cleaning something up on the other side of the fence. I thought it was furniture or something. Finally as my wife called me in for lunch I saw what they had been working on, the hot tube with jets and whirls, They were soaking in it while my under used muscles told me that wasn't a bad idea - why can't we sit and soak. Cause we are burning daylight, of course. Once I finish spreading fertilizer and organic stuff, including compost from the pile out back. Raking it all down and smooth, my wife asks why I have a hill at one end (left over Olympic vibes?), so I pull the hill down towards the valley and get it leveler, she is a mound builder, first a trench, pull apart the garlic bulbs, plant the bulbs, mound over them - tell husband not to disturb. She also moved the onions and spreads bug killer powder everywhere.

The picture? No, it isn't that time of year yet, next month maybe, the picture is from 2004, the garden is bigger, but the Sunshine is about the same I didn't wear sunglasses today - need all my vitamin D I can absorb.

Movie Review....

Okay, I saw AVATAR, wonderful movie beautiful and entertaining and just enough truth to make you believe and enough fantasy to make you think there is a Happily Ever After.

And today, on my own DVD, I saw DISTRICT 9. Which is a cynical adult view of the same story - aliens and humans don't mix and the reason why. Awesome, ugly and rocks from end to end. It had to be made around South Africa to tell the tale so much faster, I will have to see it a few more times to get it right, oh, enough fantasy to think there will be a Happy Ever (after three years and a bit) - shouldn't have a sequel but someone silly might try and make one. Really like the movie, don't think I will let my wife see it, only happy blood and gore in our entertainment - I will call this my education in human relations with alien species - having seen Europeans conquer and rule America, and the Chinese soon to be in charge I will always feel sorry for the alien races that contact Earthlings. District 9, not really a horror flick, but a sad episode in History of a long line of such totally logical bad behavior.

Save the video for things of beauty, this ain't one...

Well, it is on YouTube, my video and faults, don't know that will get you there, but it only took forever to upload and this is the last of my self gratification, it loads so much faster into my computer at home. Always trying new things, now I know how to get a picture of me and the Trusty Triumph with Mount Rainier in the background. Thank you, Jeffro, for the good advice.

Well, another day that the video doesn't load...

The video was about three minutes and some seconds in length, of my shooting twenty rounds, one extraction problem and reloading two magazines and finishing. But it doesn't take three hours to load so I quit trying and go take a nap.



This above is the short, test run of the potential. You can see all the things I am doing wrong, it got better, but this does help me see what I am doing.

My wife wants me to take care of my arm and the groceries, maybe I can handle that. I did have some thoughts about law enforcement mistakes -- I noticed a while ago that when I put my address in Google it didn't get my home. About four or five houses different, and when my wife got me a GPS to find my way back home - it too stops at the wrong house. Are the police using the technical advantages of GPS, Google and FarmVille? I hope not, but with the United States Postal Service in trouble one day only your neighbors may really know who lives where (and the tax man of course).

I have been caught making a safety error...

I didn't turn off the red light when I returned from checking my target down range, and started shooting another string with the light blinking. Well, I needed to change the sights a bit on the Micro Compact, and took only that pistol to the range - and since there wasn't anyone there I played with my Canon camera and took video of the shooting, so I can find all my faults, not that small powerful pistols are real precision instruments, but I like to think I am still not shooting up to the pistol's potential. I did get about four good solid videos of my shooting fifty rounds, and one picture of the target. I couldn't load a video on Blogger - it just doesn't like me, but I could load a video on FaceBook - seems they will do anything to keep their social network networking. Little do they know how much of a loner I am. Anyway, the rear sight is where I can live with it until I get better with the pistol, the front sight is next on my list -- right after learning how to shoot better. I asked for a DVD from IPSA (or something like that) from my local library - amazing how much stuff I can ask from now I don't work in a library. The Census folks were testing at our local branch.

I went on home and changed into jogging togs, took off slowly and then tapered off, got a beagle attached to me, the drivers honking at it thought I should take care of the wandering nose - but it wasn't listening to me, had no collar, no tag and no way to stay with me, I was way too slow. Good jog, no data, my heart rate went to 208 which didn't happen, and the watch shut down along the way - still over an hour on the road. One has to go and try to become better or one just needs a rocking chair.

What's wrong in America education....

I once as very concerned about education, having started being bored with school about my sophomore year, having decided I wasn't going to get into West Point or Annapolis -- I was looking to drop out and get into the military and get on with my life. It didn't happen, I found Metallurgy and work and a beat up old Harley-Davidson flat head (as old as I was), I would like you to believe that I found a wonderful girl friend (which I did, but she grew from Betty to Elizabeth and I would be stuck being just Earl). I graduated high school with high test scores and modest grades, went to college but focused on all the wrong stuff and decided to go into the Army, doing what I thought was important.

Education doesn't stop when you get into the military, schools and training are almost constant. I read a lot of Jesse Jackson on education in the Stars and Stripes, he wrote well about education how it should be, and then sent his children to private schools. I didn't know that then, and it doesn't matter, what he was writing was true enough for me. Recently, President Obama, has decided to send lots of money to improving schools -- I do hope it goes to the right places, the correct folks get to run the schools well, that the students get a quality education and preparation for adulthood. Really I do, but I don't think it will happen.

In America, by law our children can't drink until they reach maturity - but the whole system seems to be keeping them children as long as possible. They start having sexual experiences younger than I ever did, but are not held responsible for the life they create - Sex education isn't really about becoming a parent, it is about how not to judge others and not to get STD, how to have SAFE SEX. There are fourteen year old girls that could become fine mothers and wives, there are fourteen year old boys that are ready to become fathers and providers. Age has little to do with it. They will all be better by having a good moral foundation, complete eighth grade education and solid family relations and values - and the opportunity to contribute to the community as they continue to grow up getting a high school and maybe college education. For sure they need to work outside their age groups with older people.

All I know about education is that there must be an objective to learn, a presentation and practical demonstration, practical experience and then evaluation of learning (for the students and the instructors). Like playing a sport, you start to play up to the level of your toughest opponent - only by having skilled opponents, if it is too easy you don't really engage all your ability in the competition. The same holds true for education, make it challenging, interesting and difficult but not impossible. Give the students little victories, and smaller defeats along the way, they don't need scars and hospitalization, but they do need to sweat and work all their capabilities. They never need to be taught the test, don't need the stomping foot for facts found on the test, they need to learn enough that if they have to invent a way to get the answer on the test they can. Real life is like that, they may have to invent their way to success. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs come to my mind immediately.

I got all wound up this morning from watching the TODAY show on ABC after morning gruel. They had General and Mrs Powell talking about education, and both said the same thing (differently) adults engaging children and students will make a big difference in the student's education and life. Their message - get out there and interact with our youth and help them grow up well. Of course there was a website to link to, so you could get on board with the efforts. Grad Nation is the current program of the government, I use the Revolutionary War Veterans Association and the National Rifle Association for programs that I can help young people along, and church just a bit, too.

But if you are like most, sitting at the new laptop just writing for the few, what effect does it have on the many? Education by television isn't a good thing - they shoot way too many people on television and do it so badly. The sex is bordering on stupid or silly, the Love is artificial and everyone should win at the local Casino for smiles and use pills to cure ills and aches. Not a very real reflection of life on Earth.

What is wrong with education in America? We think it belongs to the professionals, that more money will make it all better, we don't face the fact that education is a constant effort of a being to survive and if you live in the gang infested drug areas, you will learn the lessons there too well. If you live in a world where drugs are entertainment and nothing to fear - you can lose the battle for survival. That is why they call it dope...

I have confidence that education will be great for many of our youth, Home Schooling is still growing and out performing the public education system, private schools seem to do well, but most of all when concerned adults challenge youth to better performance the youth often exceed the expectations. Become a concerned adult and get to challenging our future... it doesn't have to be dark anywhere except in Hollywood Horrors.

All things come to him who waits...

I have to motorcycle off to drop off mail to my mother, and I checked the mail box before leaving. I was about to decide they didn't really certify me, but it is official now and the only thing I need to do is get out there and start being part of a team teaching the NRA way. Which is what some folks need, I am willing and waiting for the call. Got to go, I spent most of Sunday on this computer trying to upload a video clip from church, didn't happen, tried three times. Funny, Facebook took the same video and it is up on my page for the world to see, not that they are waiting. Later....