What do you see...

As I reach for my cereal bowl to prepare and eat my gruel, I find one of the eight piece set sitting awkwardly on top of 'my' favorite bowl from the four piece set. The other three have fallen in battle with gravity over the years and only one is still at its post. I re-arrange them and get my bowl. There are five bowls from the six piece set below the eight piece set. One of those didn't make it, I seem to remember shattered slivers that had to be carefully cleaned off the floor. I never liked the color or pattern of that last set. I have too much, and it makes for little appreciation of the bounty, all I want for me is 'my' bowl to start my day.

I don't really write anymore... hmm...

Reading books, raking leaves, playing games on facebook. No excuse.

The games on facebook are money makers, but they aren't really good games. The idea is that the player has no patience, and will pay real dollars for play tokens (what they are called depends on the game) to get advanced quickly. I am on day 177 on Empire & Allies, and get my daily reward for showing up. I am not very interested in their level of combat reality, so I ignore them and just stockpile and gain experience points for little stuff, it all adds up. They do try to encourage me to ask my friends to join me, give stuff to my allies, and do their lame little contests. Me. I just want to build an nice Empire, and get disturbed when my allies come by and cut my trees down in my parks and such, sigh.

Some of the things one can buy for their game cost some of those tokens you had to get for advancing a level (one token) or buying a bunch. So if you are a shopaholic they want you. I just ignore most of them until they go away. I stopped playing FarmVille, only CastleVille and Empire & Allies now. When I have developed and own all five islands on Empire & Allies I will go into retirement on that game too - another six or seven years if I live that long.

Need to sharpen my knives again...

My knives aren't very useful if they aren't sharp, and it was embarrassing to loan someone your pocket knife and it wouldn't cut butter. One could get called a 'girl' for something like that, which would cause some rolling around in the dirt until they gave... don't call me a 'girl'. How many knives have I? well, I haven't counted recently (I am only replacing belt utilities now) and otherwise my constant carry is like the one Matt Helm carried, a lock blade folder, and he carried it for work - he was a real killer, at least in paperback fiction. I liked him, took me awhile to find lock blade folders. They are everywhere now, I carry two, one deep in one pocket, one clipped at the top of another pocket. I am not interested in being Matt Helm, I am so much above listening to voices from Washington DC about whom to kill, and I have never purchased a knife to harm anyone. I have been accused of it, but never did I think this is why I must have that knife; I need it to cut Fred into little bite-sized pieces. I have many knives designed for fighting, but James Bowie lived in a different time than I and liked his whiskey and women much better than cutting. But a Man has to do what a Man has to do, and backing down wasn't part of that.

Thinking about that brings me to the same conclusion about my firearms, there isn't a gun I have ever purchased for shooting people or one particular person, wasn't even a consideration - I was issued all the firearms I ever wanted to carry to kill humans with, by my government - wasn't any desire nor fun in that, just necessary. I was much more effective computing firing data for long reaching artillery into the heart of enemy territory in far countries. The target description would help me decide which rounds would be most effective and get it out the tubes on targets as fast as possible, with deadly effect. I like to shoot my firearms, not for the noise, but for the effect on target, putting the holes upon one another, or all in the X ring, but I don't shoot to compete (I am too cheap to spend for the needed practice) but I shoot for my education and advancement in the Earl level of marksmanship. I would shoot in any challenge or competition and be happy with my shots, and work on improvement. Sounds very similar to why I jogged, even long distances - not because I would have a chance to win, but that I could measure myself as the distance and weather wore on me. I could hide in the starting pack and pretend I was a social person, hiding in plain sight.

I don't go to church for the theology either, what man has to say about God and our (or my) relationship or lack of it, just isn't important. I go to tithe, I go to sing and I go to pray, but if I don't sharpen my tools, if I don't select the course God wants me on - not the preacher or the teacher - well, I won't be ready to do His work. Someone will call me a 'girl' and I will just deserve the derogatory term and hang my head in shame. It was much more fun rolling around on the ground until he gave up, but I was younger then. No, I go for the Love, sharpen those tools.

I am so Thankful, today... actually always...

I am a very alone man. I seem to only dance with my wife, which I like to do and mostly I just sit in the back or a corner and watch the world go by me. Reading what one of my constant readers wrote to me about something he and I don't see eye to eye upon (why I don't know but I do like to receive email) -- anyway, I lost my focus on Thanksgiving and trying to write something happy about what I am happy for...

Now, I am thankful for a closer walk with God, that my loving wife hasn't changed and still depends upon me and wants me to do better, I am thankful my son and his family are growing and doing so much better than predicted, I am very thankful that my world and all that I see are so much better than what the current noisy (if not dominant) culture project upon me daily, that I have a waterproof roof over my head, that the power and utilities are working, and that I have more than enough and am willing to share. Those aren't unusual enough to blog about --- but Lord those are wonderful, really wonderful. Thank Thee, Lord, Amen.

But I wanted to write about three hugs. I don't understand hugs, am trying to get nicer about accepting them, and will never give them away as well as the receiver deserves. See, hugs aren't a real Man thing, or so I grew up believing. You do understand that I have been wrong before?

I was giving a lady an award for shooting Rifleman, just a patch to wear proudly, and said something about real Riflemen don't cry and suddenly she hugged me - WOW! panic Earl! where did that come from? But she was really happy and I was too close. That taught me to stay farther away from emotional women, but that it was okay to be part of a joyous celebration of achievement. Too many times it was easy to discount victory as 'so what'. Thanks, Heather, you don't remember it but I will never forget.

I went on my tour of the United States on the Trusty Triumph, and met many fine people, many of them relatives and had a great time and little adventures. Then I went to a blog meet in Indianapolis, with all those famous and more bloggers I didn't know very well. I couldn't talk to them all, and I am not very outgoing so I kind of watched, see above, and one blogger I read a lot, took time to come over and welcome me, just to see how tongue-tied I could be maybe. But I got a real hug from her, and it stuck longer than whatever we had said to each other, at least in my mind. But she has a big black dog, so she understands how to give hugs. Thanks!

I don't do parties well, my wanting to drink too much alcohol was left far behind in my youth - but it is nice to see old co-workers and see how they are doing and wishing them well in their future. So I sat and took pictures and talked and as one of the library ladies was getting ready to call it a night, she gave me a hug. I figured that had to be because I was a tired old retired guy that didn't have long left... or she just saw that I needed a hug... or that it was just part of her way, I will give it the last, she is a well adjusted person.

Yeah, I could get used to being an adopted Great Uncle, a big teddy bear of a old grump, a target of a fond demonstrations of affection. So for today, I will add those three hugs to my list of things I am REALLY thankful for... I am also thankful that I got to give my mother a few more of the hugs, I hadn't all those years I was too much a Man to need, that she could never have gotten enough of in her final years. I can't tell you if it is really better to give than receive - but share the love, folks, and those unexpected ones -- they are the best.

In the News, and I really wanted to write about...

Thanksgiving.

But someone is upset that the President of Russia, would actually say he would target defensive missile systems in Europe if they were put in. I am not upset, that is exactly what our military does on every planned strike on an enemy target. Why shouldn't the Russians be at least as smart as we are? If he can encourage the NATO thinkers to reality, there will never be a missile defense system installed at the cost none of the countries can afford, nor the extra targeting that the Russians would have to do to take them out if they go to war. Europe will break itself to pieces in progressive thinking, Russia will keep getting richer selling stuff to Europe and countries on the move that Western ones fear.

Russia plays chess, Americans play poker, and Europe just plays? Asia plays but looks out much farther and down the generations, and aren't afraid to die. I would wish that there were much more truth on our media, but it wouldn't allow sufficient commercial interruption to pay the big executives that are making money on ad space.

Many of the convincing arguments against firearms are based on lies told loudly enough often enough. If there were no guns there would be people dying from everything else. Remembering that falls in the home are the greatest killer in America. More children killed riding a bicycle than by firearms every year. Actually, thanks to the Fast and Furious Operations of the Justice Department and the BFATE the criminals are arming with Assault weapons and other dangerous firearms - so there is some truth out there. Just that the current administration doesn't want anyone but the former President blamed for it.

The reasoning behind why it is important to deploy the missile defense system in Europe is union jobs, we don't really care to save Europe again, and we always knew that Russia would target our defenses if they were going to attack. The same reason Congress fears American citizens with machine guns and fully automatic weapons - they really hate taking down houses that have more firepower than they do. Look how long it took the German Army to put down the Jewish Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII.

At the present rate of spending our Posterity to buy votes for today, the Chinese will own every elected official and all our debts that will give them leverage. We don't need to worry about our enemies taking us down or counting us out - we can handle terrorists, what we can't handle is our own foolishness. Do I lose any sleep over Russia, China or a thousand terrorists, NO, I lose sleep over stupid American elected officials, owing their souls and votes to lobbyists, political parties, or their bank accounts. I forgive them, they know not what they are about.

Tomorrow, as I will later today, I will give thanks to the Lord for all His goodness -- especially all the really wonderful people out there that don't want to run my life, tell me who to worship and how I will be better if I buy their product. Yes, forgive the sinners and give thanks to Our Maker.

Yes, they failed again... too big to fail, they did so...

SUPER COMMITTEE FAILS!

No, the Government is not GOD, it will fail, it will fall, it will not be everlasting.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Where did the intent to enrich politicians come in? Where did all those Agencies and agents come from, why? Like asking why I am fat, how did that happen? One hardly remembers the ease of stupidity and lovely bad things one can do to oneself. How would we expect the government to remember and correct itself.

Unfortunately, the two major political parties would have you believe that it is the other one that is the problem. Nope, the problem is the people of the United States of America. Not the citizens of the last SUPERPOWER on Earth, but the People of the United States of America. Love that phrase 'secure the blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Posterity.' Today it seems like the Federal Government has no intention of the blessings of Liberty on anyone, and by selling our debts and pretending the future will repay it all - they have sold the Posterity down the river (fine old phrase from slave trading days).

Between now, and the next Presidential election in 2012 - the talking heads, the Main Stream Media, be it FOX or the Leftist others will all try to distract you the people from that truth, They, whom must be obeyed, haven't the ability to correct themselves, don't have the answers and aren't going to die on their swords, the barricades nor in foreign adventures with little point.

Could it be fixed? Yes, even without public schooling (which seems to do less with more every year) children get fine educations in America, at home or in private schools. There are pretty good examples of better behavior and security and sense in many of the States in the United States, even Canada started to change course and get better. It could be fixed in less than a year, but the elected officials would have to have a year of closing agencies, repealing laws and the way Congress conducts business, Shrink the effects of the Federal Government. Or, we can just burn the house down, build a better foundation and rebuild the whole thing. We can start with ending the Federal Reserve, it is a private bank. Just rename it the Monopoly Money Machine and make the Treasury responsible for real dollars.

I say there is hope, because there is God. He isn't government and it all belongs to Him already. I know that the People can create anew or correct the present mess - they did it before and can do it again. What won't happen is that those that made the current mess being able to correct it, they still think of it as art, not garbage. Case in point, if you were to want to dig a fighting position, would you want the Commander in Chief, struggling with a pick to dig it or some Marine back from Afghanistan? I rest my case - politicians are the problem and should be only a temporary drain on the American culture and goodness. You wouldn't put the Devil in charge of sinners would you?

I am preparing for church, another joint service...

Sing praises to the Lord! Are you suffering enough for your beliefs - actually it isn't a belief as it is the Truth recognized and embraced. You do know I don't do hugs well? So sure of my own ability, strength and character that I hardly ever needed God, just didn't need to bother Him, I was okay.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. or better translation: AWE of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom --- when you realize that everything is created and founded upon God's Love. That will take awhile to sink in, go ahead I will wait. I wish you be so blest.

I know that blest isn't appreciated by the spell checker, they want blessed, but if you sing there is an extra syllable in blessed, and blest is the way I say it. Also, I have been wrong before, look how long it took me to make epitome (voiced e) and epitome (silent e) into the same word - spoken and read. It was all Greek to me.

Have to get dressed, or is it drest? Kind of like the storm swept in... which is becoming the storm sweeped it all away... Not.

Isn't it cool that I haven't centered my blog on government mess, and looked at God's best blest? Okay, I am flexible -- God's best blessed. You know who you are, give Thanks and share. Amen!

Gun Running and Heart Walks...

Finished doing whatever this afternoon and had enough time so grabbed my staff and raincoat and ball cap and I went walking my heart. The weather was on my side, cool but drier than the earlier showers had been. It was good to walk, when I jogged a few years back I often passed by an old man, with his rolling walker with the seat and his oxygen bottle. I was always glad to see him, and he always encouraged me by saying that he wished he could run like that. I didn't jog that fast but he would likely never run again. The things we appreciate so much once they are gone are many. I imagine he isn't with us any longer, except in my memory. As I walked I got a couple of dogs excited, they want me to go faster or stop and play. Two trucks honked at me, must be men that I know, but that I don't recognize the trucks of... yes, I know that women also drive trucks but few of them would honk, especially at me.

Gun running, now that could be an interesting idea. Heard the Mexican Drug Cartels need firearms, wonder where I could get some - from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosive - certainly. I do believe that most employees, especially in the military and law enforcement really honor their profession and professionalism. But their political leadership wants results, they want stuff they can wave at their bosses and supporters in the news - of victories, success, importance. If there is no crime it would have to be invented. If someone says that most of the guns going to Mexico came from easy purchase at Gun Shows and Gun Shoppes, well then it must be true. Go find them. Like saying Whiskey comes from Ireland... go prove it.

So when Governor Perry decides that he doesn't remember the third agency to abolish during the debate, I know the BAFTE was at the top of my list. Oops! how did that happen, mostly they are good people doing a thankless job, but then they did start the Ruby Ridge stupidity, yes, the FBI swooped in to make sure there were no survivors, but too many witnesses came to watch and they couldn't just burn them out. By the time they decided to use overwhelming force on the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas - with the able help of the same FBI fools from Idaho they burned lots of innocents, to save them from abuse. I still love the conspiracy theory of the undercover agent that worked with Timothy McVeigh on the Oklahoma City bombing - always talked about but never on tape, never caught and there weren't any BAFTE agents in the Federal Building that day. I don't think it really happened that way. The idea that a government agency would disregard the law, the safety or the catching of criminals to promote more investment in their agency - that is just too hard to believe, until Fast and Furious comes up, and it is the BAFTE agency again, with their superior crime fighting skills encouraging guns to go into Mexico in direct violation of their citizens' trust, tarnishing their honor as lawmen. But then I was discussing honor and Federal lawmen in the same sentence, and I should really get a check up, that fantasy world might be creeping into my reality again.

There are a lot of good folks out there...

Really, they are everywhere. Well, maybe not on television unless you are watching Leave it to Beaver, but more good folks than bad. But as one notices, bad folks seem to take power way too often - and I am sure President Obama is less blood thirsty than the recent ruler of Libya, but he is piling up dead bodies blasted by drones and military operations in pursuit of less than victory. I only say less than victory - since Congress didn't declare war, and no one has said what is a victory in our operations. I served for many years under that type of lack of leadership, so getting back home was always the victory on our (so low we are never asked) level. Oh, President Obama has fewer deaths than LBJ, Nixon - but Reagan and elder Bush proved that they could project power and leave pretty clean quickly. But my victory score was always the same - not body count, just getting back to home. And I don't think of President Obama as EVIL, I am sure he is ineffectual and misguided as to what is a good thing for government to do. He is not alone, there are thousands in the centers of power that are ineffectual and misguided and are either looking for more control and power or money (which seems to be power).

I have always held that there were two national leaders that I would shoot on sight, because they have destroyed their people and cultures - just so they can stay in their magnificence. Only two, since the only way their stupid "leadership" would end is with their death, and how many of their nations would die before that time all men (even the most powerful) must face? Most other nations have elections, revolutions and financial collapse and change the leadership - the best things the Junta in Argentina did was attack the British Empire in its final days... because they were defeated, the country changed leadership and some better has come out of it. They still have problems but the soil is good, the pampas broad and nice horses and cattle.

The human world, as I see it, is in trouble - because it thinks that government will be able to control all the changes (weather, water, air, space, technology, science, religion, morality, value of a dollar, health, wealth, power) but only adaptation will work, and governments and other institutions don't adapt well - too fat, too slow, too conservative, too afraid of its weaknesses (which it believes that only those insiders know about). I mentioned somewhere that not only the Euro is under stress, but the idea of nationality, it could all breakdown back to tribalism. Yeah, it could never happen, except the Soviet Union broke up, Yugoslavia broke up badly and nastily, even the United States had to help. If the governments shrunk to defense and justice, the people might be able to make the changes that would work to solve some of the problems. Remember the BP problem, that neither BP nor a slow moving government could handle - and offers of help were denied by law, and stupidity? So sad an example but true.

Democracy, everyone has a voice - unless the Union doesn't allow free thought, or the majority of voters are all vampires looking for fresh blood. But like I said earlier, there are a lot of good folks out there, making those adjustments in their lives, work, and service that will improve more than just themselves. Everyday, when given a problem/opportunity they make the right choice and take action ---- and NEVER make the NEWS, which is always spoken of with excitement to catch your attention... I was once under rocket attack, lovely 122mm Communism's best, and woke up to find lack of communication with higher - higher wasn't under attack but needed information to save us (only they thought they could), I took the mike, asked the questions face to face with those that knew - processed a quiet answer and said it calmly into the mike to still the insistent questions. And the firebase did what it had been trained for, organized to do, and properly responsed - adapting to those nasty rockets and their effect, without the Commander in Chief, the Department of Defense, the Congress, the lobbyists, the American and RVN commanders of the theater, of the news reporters (media never gets too close during the most interesting of my times in stress - wonder why?). Blackhawk Down, the President makes a decision, the ground commander makes a plan, and the enemy does also. The conflict was that no one coordinated their different plans - and the soldiers, ground and air, did the very best they could with what they had, provided by the brilliant minds in Washington, DC, the local headquarters and the enemy (which had so many of so little to worry about).

The government of the United States, which is really failing to represent and serve the wonderful larger population of the country - the good people, will fail. Trying to do too much, by threatening all those good people with terrible things if they don't take their shoes off at the TSA check points, read all the pages of the tax code to make sure the government gets its fair share of our production. Anyway you cut it, when all you have left to maintain your power and authority is force, you have become a ruler - probably not a Noble King or Queen, but certainly not a leader (someone must follow or you can't be a leader), nor facilitators (helping two sides get satisfactory transaction or commerce). Just a ruler, which when slapped hard against the palm hurts. No, the government has already picked its Epitaph: Too Big To Fail. Sigh, we started small, we can restart at that same level, small, lovely likely locals... lots of good people out there.

No need for me to write today... Tam does it better.

From Earl, the idea the Federal Government needs to make sure everyone can carry concealed in all the states -- bad idea. Every state needs to get Concealed Carry or go like Vermont, and then allow everyone with a permit from another state to carry in their state. ALL FIFTY without Federal Law intruding! That would be wonderful, magnificent and totally awesome. And the Federal Government would not be happy (YEAH!) because they had be gone around, which might need to happen much more.

From Tam (who know much more than I about all those things I love: reading, riding and shooting) for those that haven't any idea what the whole gun thing is, what the fears were or are and who cares. She posts Sea Change. I can't say it that well, my readers have to point out there really are Assault Weapons, they were banned after all, the government couldn't be wrong?

Gee, got to get me an Assault Rifle* ... do you have?

A crazy man was firing an Assault rifle, from only 800 yards, at the White House. Ah, he has been caught. And it turns out that it was an AK47 rifle, which isn't except to the non-shooting media moguls an "Assault Rifle", and Mall Ninjas, of course.

You know it isn't their fault - they are a product of their education and culture. My congressperson voted against HR 822, so I sent him an email and reminded him I cared enough to give him my advice last week. I also offered my future services in the advice department; on firearms, shooting and national security. For emailing the fine fellow I needed to give it an area that the computer would recognize. So I used the area that the Founding Fathers thought critical, the Second Amendment to the original Constitution, you know: Homeland Security.

November 19 is rapidly approaching, don't forget to buy a hundred rounds and a brick of .22 LR. Okay, I added the brick, but everyone (safe shooting militia) needs more ammunition. I am learning the reloading of my 30-06. Shrinking my firearms back (can't carry that many, too many calibers) and knowing that having one rifle that you shoot is better than the ten you don't. Most of us aren't trying to arm the community. Few of us need as many as we have, but it is great to live in a country that doesn't fear its citizens enough to disarm them and make them targets of criminal activity, England anyone? One would think that England would proudly claim its lack of criminal activity with firearms, safer than New York City is London, oops! New York is unarmed, too. Don't ask about Australia, they have had a great heritage of standing up with the Empire against terrible savages, but now seems President Obama wants to station US Marines there for some serious military need unanswered by the disarmed Aussies? I made that up, mostly.

Of note to me, from facebook, is a comment on stopping blogging - if it hurts to think and write, stop, most students do as soon as they graduate from high school, or college. If you have something to say, be polite and write as if someone is going to read. Although I am sure I have been misunderstood more than I intended, just type too fast.

The blue icy patch is for shooting Rifleman in WINTER conditions, yes, they are shooting in sub-freezing weather -- dress warmly, layers, and keep dry. And do enjoy improving your marksmanship, it is always good to improve your life, even in the smallest activities.

A reader says there is such a thing as an Assault Rifle.

*Assault weapon is a non-technical term referring to any of a broad category of firearms with certain features, including some semiautomatic rifles, some pistols, and some shotguns
AK 47 is the model base, and even the Soviets never called it an 'assault rifle'
First Known Use of ASSAULT RIFLE 1972 (might as well think proactive is a real word now)

What happened to MY WORLD?

I once listened to Rush Limbaugh, in Europe we could get his first hour of the daily three, and he was different and I was innocent about what his point was. His point was making as much money as possible from an under-served audience. Since most of the MainStream Media is Left leaning, he saw the Right was hungry for a program that talked about common sense and was upbeat. He didn't make money from caller connection fees, he made money from people buying his air space for selling their products - that was what he was doing. Now, he did need to be seen as holding a large profitable audience and he worked that well. Heavens, the Republicans adopted him as a standard bearer, they do seem to try and gather anything to increase their power against the Democrats.

Invasion of Haiti, under President Clinton, and a First Sergeant reports he had to jump into combat with only fifteen rounds of ammunition. Rush bit on that call, he was certain that some strange problem caused by the current administration was leaving our troops helpless in the face of the enemy. I, having jumped with the 82nd Airborne Division and having been armed and supplied by the same fine system on my way to Saudi Arabia, KNEW that you are given a box of fifty rounds for your pistol or revolver, and a basic load of rifle, machine gun or grenade, and if you want more and your supervisors allow the extra weight (remember this does get heavy), you could get more. What the First Sergeant didn't tell America was that he didn't make sure all his pistols in the arms room had three or four working magazines. The extra magazines are classified as parts, and you have to budget your money to buy the extra ones. His unit didn't do that, since they didn't really think they were ever going to war and need the extra magazines. That was when I woke up and decided that Rush didn't really have all the answers, and the few more times I listened I could see that he knew he didn't have the answers, but he did know how to keep the large audience entertained and his sponsors very happy.

Now there are other people that call themselves, reporters, commentators and pundits. Sure enough some of them believe they have the answers, hmm, I know ministers and pastors and priests that are sure they have the answers. I know of three political parties that are sure they have the answers. I remember teachers that were sure they had the answers. Maybe I just ran out of questions and am not searching for answers. In the days since the Penn State football freaky follies (found-out'ed) - there are people saying 'should have gone to the police' when they saw someone abusing a child. These are some of the same people that think abortion, homosexuals, assassination, and war against drugs, guns and different thinking are dangerous or the best thing we have ever offered. The Women's Movement went from getting the vote, although there were western states that already had women voting and serving in public office to making sure your daughters had proper sluts to dress like and envy and to becoming available for lesser gentlemen's distraction.

But then that isn't My World, is it? Nope, I only thought the Playboy Philosophy had merit when I was too young to see exploitation for what it was; liberate women! only until they can become sex objects and feel empowered. I don't hold with treating women as equals, if I really thought women were the same as men I would have missed the whole point of having two sexes to produce their following generations. If I thought men and women could do it all better alone, or only, or in gender teams... the point is dividing Humanity into parts is only a little useful for examination of reality, but Humanity only works as a complete complex living organism. I can't find my world on the media, related to me by the experts, I continue to go my way... eternally lost to those that can't see... but maybe they don't see the path I am following... they don't feel the beat of the drum... they need to have a cage around them, one that gives them an illusion of protection, please give us one more law to disobey and modify for the betterment of those that want to make themselves little gods.

Do not take today back into History...

J. Edgar is still wandering my mind, for a few reasons. Mainly that our present day people want to make Mister Hoover, more like us, flawed. Now I am not going to tell you that he wasn't flawed. If you listen to the wisdom of Earl, you would know that I think as you age you start to resemble the kind of insides you have as character - happier gets happier, and uglier gets uglier, and such.. so by my analysis of J. Edgar's later pictures, he was a toad. What would you expect from someone that spent most of their life in the swamps around Washington DC?

If you go to Asian countries, you often see men holding hands! Shock! and immediately know that they must be having sexual loving relationships... wrong. You transferred your culture on to a foreign one, and missed the reality. We do the same for various reasons when we look back in time to other ages. Benjamin Franklin was never really married to the mother of his children and you can take it all from there.

Now, I don't know anything about Director Hoover's sexual orientation, but since I do believe he was a very frightened man - he wouldn't engage in things that would make him likely to be a criminal or a lesser man in the eyes of the public. And no matter what one's orientation to sexual acts, one is in control, you can spend a life time without ever engaging in perversions or natural sexual exchanges with another human. Now, we have fools wandering the wasteland of television telling us how they couldn't help themselves, for drugs, drinks, smoking - assaulting children for fear of rejection from adults and all kinds of things - and we the audience are supposed to feel sympathy for their struggle...

Sorry, they are adults and doing wrong, I have no sympathy. I like football, if you told me any of the coaches and players were engaging in human sacrifice, serial murder, rape, and the people around them were in sure knowledge of it --- and WAITING FOR SOMEONE IN AUTHORITY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM --- I would say get your own boat, there won't be enough sandbag fillers to build up the dikes you are going to need for the coming floods.

I feel better now, that all that is off my mind. Sir William Johnson of New York colony, had a marital relationship with Mary Brant -- in the one culture she was in charge of her family, in the European culture he was. They weren't MARRIED, although they lived and raised their children as best they could for their times and place. You just can't take all your values and experiences back in time and re-create what you thought happened. My aunt is still appalled by people that have bedpans as porcelain center pieces on their tables to decorate with flowers.

It is Veteran's Day...

A Civilian Song

Yes, and I lived long enough to get to be one of those old gray haired or bald fatter fellows that couldn't possibly wear the uniform that he served in, sigh.

The Secret Hero

Once there was a man and a real wonder if was. For the man was just common folk, not too smart, not too handsome, or strong or especially skillful. Unknown to most people the man was a Hero, brave in the face of the most terrible dangers, but this was a secret.

Perhaps his mother knew she had raised a hero, aside from all the trouble he had caused her heart and grayed her hair. She saw him stand forth and strong against wrong in defense of the weak. But it was probably just her love coloring her memory. No one else could remember such actions from him, not ever, mothers only see from their heart.

His father was a strong man, a hard worker, skilled at his craft, well thought of by the community and family, a man that only feared God. Now he knew that his son wasn't a hero -- he had tried to raise him right, but his son had destroyed things of beauty and age in his clumsiness. One day he would make his father proud and the next he would shame him with empty boasts and actions. There was a wildness in the son that troubled the father, he was not doing well in school and found adventure in the darkness of night. This saddened the father that had wished so many good things for his children.

As with sons throughout the ages, the son marched off to the military and did his duty. He never had the opportunity to be a medalled hero and win honors and be written of in song and story, but he served well.

He found a true love, courted and married her and they started a family. They had a son. And the son grew and became a man and a wonder it was... For the man was just common folk, not too smart, not too handsome, or strong or especially skillful. Unknown to most people the man was a Hero, brave in the face of the most terrible dangers, but this was a secret.

Perhaps his mother knew she had raised a hero, aside from all the trouble he had caused her heart and grayed her hair. She saw him stand forth and strong against wrong in defense of the weak. But it was probably just her love coloring her memory. No one else could remember such actions from him, not ever, mothers only see from their heart.

His father was a strong man, a hard worker, skilled at his craft, well thought of by the community and family, a man that only feared God. Now he knew that his son wasn't a hero -- he had tried to raise him right, but his son had destroyed things of beauty and age in his clumsiness. One day he would make his father proud and the next he would shame him with empty boasts and actions. There was a wildness in the son that troubled the father, he was not doing well in school and found adventure in the darkness of night. This saddened the father that had wished so many good things for his children.

As with sons throughout the ages, the son marched off to the military and did his duty. He never had the opportunity to be a medalled hero and win honors and be written of in song and story, but he served well.

He found a true love, courted and married her and they started a family. They had a son. And the son grew and became a man and a wonder it was... For the man was just common folk, not too smart, not too handsome, or strong or especially skillful. Unknown to most people the man was a Hero, brave in the face of the most terrible dangers, but this was a secret.

Perhaps his mother knew she had raised a hero, aside from all the trouble he had caused her heart and grayed her hair. She saw him stand forth and strong against wrong in defense of the weak. But it was probably just her love coloring her memory. No one else could remember such actions from him, not ever, mothers only see from their heart.

His father was a strong man, a hard worker, skilled at his craft, well thought of by the community and family, a man that only feared God. Now he knew that his son wasn't a hero -- he had tried to raise him right, but his son had destroyed things of beauty and age in his clumsiness. One day he would make his father proud and the next he would shame him with empty boasts and actions. There was a wildness in the son that troubled the father, he was not doing well in school and found adventure in the darkness of night. This saddened the father that had wished so many good things for his children.

As with sons throughout the ages, the son marched off to the military and did his duty. He never had the opportunity to be a medalled hero and win honors and be written of in song and story, but he served well.

He found a true love, courted and married her and they started a family. They had a son. And the son grew and became a man and a wonder it was... For the man was just common folk, not too smart, not too handsome, or strong or especially skillful. Unknown to most people the man was a Hero, brave in the face of the most terrible dangers, but this was a secret.

Perhaps his mother knew she had raised a hero, aside from all the trouble he had caused her heart and grayed her hair. She saw him stand forth and strong against wrong in defense of the weak. But it was probably just her love coloring her memory. No one else could remember such actions from him, not ever, mothers only see from their heart.

His father was a strong man, a hard worker, skilled at his craft, well thought of by the community and family, a man that only feared God. Now he knew that his son wasn't a hero -- he had tried to raise him right, but his son had destroyed things of beauty and age in his clumsiness. One day he would make his father proud and the next he would shame him with empty boasts and actions. There was a wildness in the son that troubled the father, he was not doing well in school and found adventure in the darkness of night. This saddened the father that had wished so many good things for his children.

As with sons throughout the ages, the son marched off to the military and did his duty. He never had the opportunity to be a medalled hero and win honors and be written of in song and story, but he served well.

He found a true love, courted and married her and they started a family. They had a son. And the son grew and became a man and a wonder it was...

For this story goes on every day and for years the wonder is that all these heroes are raised everywhere and only waiting for the time they must stand up to evil, and while they wait they raise the next generation of heroes, they support the good in their community and spread love throughout the world, but remember.... this is a secret, and the government never needs to find out.


So, for my grandfather (WWI), my father and uncle (WWII, Korea), myself and my cousin (RVN, Gulf War I), my niece and son (current Wars on Terror). Lots of my family has served in uniform without going to war, my brother, his first wife, my brother-in-laws, all my cousins on my father's side. Happy Veterans Day! Knowing what we do best is all that we love.

The only real party in town today...

Only two military organizations really know how to throw a party, yeah, the Naval Aviators had Tailhook, but the French Foreign Legion and the United States Marine Corps have picked their day to celebrate and they do it right. Somehow through movies and television probably you think that broadchested scruffy bearded twenty year olds are Marines... but this picture called to me, cause this is more like the Marines I knew - just kids, carrying too much, given too big a mission and only protected by the sure knowledge that they were Marines. My favorite almost quote from the Marines "Come on, you think you are going to live forever?" Happy Birthday, Marines.

Racism, tribalism, us-themism and all divisions...

I thought I understood racism once, but acknowledge I am only a po'redneck and not smart enough to KNOW anything about it. I feel it is about stereotypes and expected perceptions of reality... once told that there were lots of women available for sex in the field training area I was kind of excited... then the only women I saw all day long were the ones dragging their kids along trying to sell sodas and dried squid wrapped around a peanut to American soldiers on the perimeter. They didn't look like anything I would want to make love to, but the Cokes were priced right and I could learn to like dried squid wrapped around a peanut. Darkness came and the commerce increased (sex, weed and local alcohol), since I was still a real clean living American boy - I didn't engage, I knew nothing about causal sexual gratification. I did know that when one of the women breast fed her baby that afternoon I was not turned on (no matter what they think in California - it is just the other end of needing to change a diaper). Sleep called to me after my guard shift. I just didn't get it.

My father wrote to me, an very unusual thing, and warned me about indulging in things I might mistake as love. It looked to me like he still thought of the Asians as an enemy or not as good as we (White Americans) were. It wasn't so, but then he wrote without trying to stomp on me and my individuality, and I read it as he were still a Father in charge of my choices (which, he always allowed me to make a fool of myself and would call it to my attention straight up, was not his intent). So I stopped sharing much of importance in my life with my parents, just the next mission, the next tour, the problems I found the thoughts I had, but I hid a lot. Before I went off to die in Vietnam I had a quiet talk with my mother in the car, and told her all she had missed and why, she cried and told Dad, and then I could go off and die. Didn't die, they missed me twice, but I was a small target in a target rich environment.

God was good to me, I got an assignment to the 82nd Airborne, promoted, Jump School and then married. Selected (involuntarily) to be a Drill Sergeant, a son and ever onward. Now my wife was a Korean, she is still a Korean although she has become a naturalized American Citizen, High School graduate in 1984, and school trained for several care giving jobs (she likes taking care of old, special needs and babies) -- still she is a Korean, with all her own language, culture and norms. Oh, she was saved and is a Southern Baptist also, a Korean Southern Baptist. I have given you all the boxes you can put her inside, stereotype her and such - she will still surprise you. She does me. I don't think of her as Korean, I have an endearment I call her (Yobo) and her name to introduce her by (KC for Americans; Hong, Kum Cha for Asians). My mother wanted to be her friend, and in Korea the husband's mother is the Evil Elder Female trying to constantly train young fool female into a proper wife - at least until the second son is born... boy, did my wife and mother have trouble overcoming their expectations to find the real person in each other.

Bring my son into the picture, and my wife wanted him to be a Korean boy (they do believe that blood will tell there) and I constantly assured her that he would be an American. We were both wrong, in the end - still being written down in History - he is Gideon and as unique as his father, which will always trouble his mother, my wife.

I did what I thought was correct in raising him, being a Man I thought he needed to try a lot of things, stub his toe a lot (he broke his arms skate boarding, but he fails enough to know he has to get better), know that not too much is going to be given him and if he really wants it he best work for it. But I should have done more because I didn't have any idea of how he would grow up in a world expecting him to be Korean. I should have picked up on his second grade teacher that thought he should do better in Math, because of another Korean boy that was just brilliant. Korean children are difficult to compete against, since you are always striving against the child with two concerned parents hovering over their production and grades. I think he just wanted to have friends and fun, since that is what I think he had most of... can't tell his story. He was a bit rebellious (which his father thinks is great, and his mother can't stand), he was tough (which both parents liked to a degree) but not a bully, since he was picked on a lot as a child.

But America, and probably the whole world worries over the stereotype and expectations and I didn't have enough sense to see that everyone else saw my son as an Asian, a Korean, and he didn't fit that mold well enough for the Americans, Asians and Koreans to be happy with him. He makes his way through the world with lots of fools around him trying to fit him into their expectation boxes, but probably ignores it until it gets to his wife and son. Then the gloves will come off.

Okay, my wife's church selected an English Language Pastor for that service, and it was the American with lots of schooling and four adopted Asian children. I didn't vote, not being a member of much except Humanity and sometimes I wonder about that. I did vote in the local election, and am still waiting for the final results. I don't like projections from exit polls, since they are normally in the cities. And there are a lot of people in small towns and farm country that vote but seem not to count. I am sure we need less government, better system of punishing those that harm us, and stop thinking of our GREATNESS and responsibility for making everyone else in the world wonderful as we are... they can figure it out on their own.

The news folks are concentrating on hanging Cain for his misdeeds, or alleged misdeeds. Penn State is looking for some coaches, it is also too big to fail and can expect a stimulus package, I laugh because I only applied to Drexel and the University of Miami (I didn't want to spend too much money on applications to schools) and I hadn't really thought about it, Penn State or the Pennsylvania Military Academy (which would have been a natural and kept me out of the life I ended up living). The Republicans are supposed to take the victory over Obamacare in Ohio as a win, the loss to the Unions as what is going to happen. I think, seriously, that the Union Contract for teachers should detail how the Union is expected to succeed in education of the students. If that were in the contract it would be great, but it never will be.

I do know, having read "Your Teacher Said What?!" by Joe Kernen and Blake Kernen, that Europe will continue to fold and fail, magnificently. That the more America looks across the pond at the greener grass there and try to emulate the European examples of social justice, the more we can expect violence in the streets - a direct result of too many regulations and trying to provide the world to the voters... and building a debt that can't be paid off. Like taking out that mortgage that you aren't working hard enough to cover in your personal life.

Don't live your life inside a box, especially one that someone else has put you inside of... he can't do that, he's a _____, she is not ready for that, she is ____,.

My brother doubts my math abililty because I wrote a "box of 45 APC was twenty dollars and 30-06 was about a dollar a round" and not being a shooter of those rounds thought they were the same - well, he isn't a shooter at all and thinks most of our elected representatives don't shoot for fun and that illustrated another box to me. The one we put our representatives into, because they are acting on business, agriculture, energy, war, international policy, money, finance and such -- they probably don't have a clue, have to grab the local EXPERT and find out that ONE Opinion. And real experts are stars on TOP SHOT, PhDs in Social Policy or Human Experiences - or just Earl, your friendly rapidly aging blogger. And I know nothing but that God is Good, and we have a long way to reach Heaven. Better get started.


Thought you, the reader, might not understand why I married my wife, you would be like the government (US Army) which worked very hard to discourage our marriage, because you know what kind of a woman would want to marry an American soldier. And this picture is the one thing about her I didn't tell you above, one of my co-workers exclaimed one day that the reason I married my wife was that she was a tough as I was,,, and that could have had a bit to do with it. I always thought it was because I loved her, but I am not an expert.

So do any of the political candidates shoot? Who cares?

A fine Sunday afternoon and my wife is on the kitchen crew at her church washing dishes. I told her that I was once paid eighty-five cents an hour for that job. She is wearing a black plastic garbage bag, like the real runners do on damp days until they heat up and they discard it. I didn't stay to eat, they are celebrating thirty-six years of the Church in Tacoma area and had a large (very fattening!) Thanksgiving type dinner. I was certain that they just didn't know when Thanksgiving was, but they were always celebrating the foundation of this church.

So I dashed home, changed out of the suit and tie, put my shooting gear in the Caravan (how do you get so much?) and drove off to Range 15 on base. Paid my $5.50 range fee, Civilian guests cost seven dollars. While getting my target I noted the price of the ammunition, for 45APC almost twenty dollars for box of fifty, 30-06 is almost a dollar a round. Buy in Bulk! Reload!(still on my procrastination plate).



Started on the twenty-five yard line, fired eight, adjusted sights. Moved the target to the fifty, repeat. Then it was out to 100 yards with the man beside me that was zeroing his aiming point sight on his SOCOM M1A. We laughed a little at the black clad Mall Ninjas on the pistol side of the range, one was running out in front of his buddy still clearing his rifle to get his target. The Range Safety got his attention before he went two steps. LOUD SPEAKERS and tone of voice. We were not just shooting lots of rounds, but placing them, adjusting sights and not in a real hurry.



A Zombie shooter was off to my right a couple of positions, I looked at his target to see how his AR was doing, forgetting completely that his holes were smaller than mine. When I remembered, found them on the face and wrist. But then he was using a scope. He had to cover the target up, seems someone (always the Commander) doesn't want human target on the range (the targets on the pistol range are human size but the target is a circled bull with rings). Remembering this is a military base, most of the shooters on the line are veterans from one war or another, or train for that.

Great afternoon, I only fired thirty-two rounds and talked to three younger men, still serving, got to show my father's WWII bayonet and talk about the firearms and the shooting fun, that my brother seems to never understand. I haven't forgotten how to shoot, but wondered about why I had four distinct groups of two rounds on the same session, will have to look at the video and work on my dry fire more - then next week - shoot again! Yea!

I missed a Skype.com call with my son in San Diego, was uploading the video, will catch them soon.

Seems I have been sold down the river...

Or at least my mortgage has been, and they think I have to do something because they got a little richer for the transaction. They are likely correct, but this is how I start looking for a new Credit Union to do business with, isn't it? Being an old cranky fellow, not wanting to learn a better way of doing things and all.

Did the Credit Union sell all the mortgages? Is the new holding company going to try and sell new mortgages to us? Betrayal everywhere. Guess I will go talk to someone on Monday, I do want to know why and who made all the money from such silliness and why I have to do something since they were the ones making money - if they paid me I would be happier.

Okay, go get breakfast and another cup of coffee and prepare to go shoot my rifles today. It may be the only thing I can handle on my own. Andy Rooney has passed on, I am certain to be next, no one likes bushy eyebrow-ed old vets.

A Very Good Look at a solution outside the box...

Ran across this (You're not voting your way out of this, people) in my blog reading, from Robb Allen.

Errant thoughts while on the heart walk...

The importance of the 2012 election cannot be understated. Unfortunately, it seems both major political parties and the Mainstream Media want America, land of the Free and home of the Brave, to continue to become the place of Dependent and Fearful. It can't fail, can it, the last Superpower?

The Occupy to Get Attention Deficit folks have to burn the place down, the media finds their supporters, the 99% fools. Ah, actually I am more impressed with the 53% folks.

Ah, well, I have hopes that the Political Parties will chose excellent candidates for all positions of service to their voters, you know Representatives of the People? Not Ruling Elites! But I have noticed that institutions and organizations take on a life, and survival is part of their characteristic strength and weakness. So the media, the political parties aren't just looking at making America better as much as their special project - their objective to make it pay them, protect them, produce more of them... Ruling Elite; politicians and media mogols.

Every once in a bit, look around and pay attention...

New interest while wandering the facebook I found this, Kenda Lenseigne video. Anyone that follows that activity may know about her but those that don't have no idea. I quickly compared what she does as she rides with the Asian bowmen shooting from their galloping horses, Mongol and Japanese mostly - although the original Persians were similar I would bet. I haven't heard the feminists nor the Main Stream Media lauding that she broke into and dominates in a mostly male venue -- and I won't, seems that firearms are frowned upon. But for those that love competition, horses, shooting and folks just having fun - most worthy.

I am reading "To Be a Runner" by Martin Dugard, who is he? Well, I guess he writes and he runs and I picked it up because I am no longer jogging, so I look over his shoulder as he takes me through his adventures in running. I was a jogger more than a competitive runner, my high school didn't have Cross Country or Wrestling - so I am lacking in having tasted those. I was struck by the way he trained his Cross Country teams and the similarity to the way I thought I was training my soldiers as a Drill Sergeant and later as a First Sergeant, which had all been grounded in my watching how I had been trained in school and the Army by some very fine teachers - and I wasn't an easy student until you got my respect and attention.

I was also thinking that those times I was teaching and grooming the next generation of soldiers and runners were happy times, very much like the times I was working the Appleseed shooting and Heritage weekends. There is a special, sixteen point, Known Distance Appleseed in CdA, Idaho on 12 and 13 November. You have to have already achieved your Rifleman patch - always pushing the limit of your knowledge and experience. I can't go to that one, too far away now, although in 2009 and 2010 I was there more than once. A very nice range, although the toilet facilities need some help. I will schedule shooting rifle on the post that Saturday, and see what beautiful holes I can make in my targets using all that I have gleaned from years of grazing on gunsmoke goodness.

Just as an aside before I walk into my day - you do know that Coeur d'Alene is Lion Heart? Henry's son and Saladin's most Christian opponent? Richard Coeur d'Alene. How was Richard said in French, the language of the Norman Conqueror's courts?