Happy Fourth Of July

From Jay Leno

As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark. 'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?''

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it.

The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig. So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like OJ. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way..... Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as country There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

Annie, Get Yer Gun

Or should I say, MOMMA get yer gun...

Last night, while we tried to sleep, some one with a talent for nefarious activity stealthily siphoned the gas out of our van.

Two nights ago, they siphoned the gas from Pop's Bronco.

All told, between the two vehicles, the thieves got themselves a bounty of about 32 or 33 gallons. Let's see.. that would be about... $130 in gas.

Time to make some tactical changes here at Command Central. The first being our van will be repositioned at night, so that the fuel side is directly in the light. The second is going to be sporadic armed patrols. The third is going to be keeping the little dog who moved in, as she is the only dog here that BARKS when she hears things. Now if I can just get her to be death from the knees down, we would be golden.

What to do if we manage to catch the B*stards? One of us can cover them with the shotgun, and the other can hog tie them to wait for the police. I hear tell it is pretty uncomfortable t be trussed up like a Thanksgiving Turkey, laying in the dirt....

While actually shooting the B*stards may not be an option, awareness might just save us a tank of fuel.

Watch your tanks ladies and gents. In this time of ever increasing prices, it seems that gas theft is on the rise. Lock your car up in a garage if you have one, or set the alarms. Locking gas caps might be a temporary solution, but they too can be defeated. (Why not just poke a hole in the gas tank to take what you want?) Lights, loud barking dogs, driveway alarms, and sporadic patrols with the shotgun, a large powerful flashlight, and the cell phone are in order if someone is in your area tampering with tanks.

Above all else, Be Safe. You might have to be content- this time- with chasing the B*stards off into the night. This time... might be a bit different next time...

Fast Food, No Draw

This could have been a fatal mistake.

Dear Husband's job has a company policy that welcomes and encourages open carry by customers. But- not employees. Employees are not allowed to carry in the store on the clock, off the clock, or have a firearm locked in their vehicle.

Two nights a week, Dear Husband works the closing shift.

Two nights a week, Dear Husband stops at a fast food joint to get a large drink for the short ride home.

Two nights ago, a man cut him off as he was pulling into the fast food joint. Dear Husband made a face at him, and muttered under his breath as he is wont to do in these situations. Apparently the driver of the other truck saw the face, and had just had enough of his day. He proceeded to put his truck in park, look around, climb out of his truck, and head towards Dear Husband. Pointing a gun at him.

Fortunately, there were two MP's in the fast food joint, and they came rushing out to help in any way they could. They headed off what could have been a very ugly situation.

This is what scares ME:
- The driver of the other truck willfully cut people off, and reacted in an extreme manner.
- The other driver LOOKED AROUND before he got out of his truck, and while he was walking towards Dear Husband.
- The other driver looked around, and was STILL heading for a confrontation with a Gun In His Hand.

Wanting to keep his job, Dear Husband left his pistol at home. We had a long talk about a couple of things when he got home. One being, the gun goes with him. Period. The second was whether or not I should take a position in that store. It dawned on us- if both of us work there, neither one of us can carry there. I think I will figure out another way to bring in some extra income. I rather like having one of us at least be able to carry in the store.

Heck who am I kidding? I rather like having my husband come home in one piece, with out any extra holes in him.

It seems that the pressures of the world today were too much for that person to bear any longer. Is that an excuse for his behavior? No- it is not. But it will serve as a strong reminder to pay closer attention to the goings on around us. To be more observant of erratic behavior. To listen to our gut instinct when it yells in our ear.

Gone are the happy go lucky days, I fear. Best to be prepared.

One of my favorite quotes on a forum I enjoy reading says something along these lines:
"Call me paranoid when I am dead. Call me prepared while I am alive."

The Age Of Innocence?

Or is it willful ignorance? Just plain stupidity?

I am not sure, but it IS out there. On Discovery Channel the other night, there was a re-run of a re-run, of a pretty informative show. You know the one- where two young gents with shady pasts (now reformed) teach people about home invasion/ robbery safety, and how to utilize home security. They also set the family up with brand spanking new home security systems, that have all the bells and whistles.

In past episodes, they have featured people who had a slim grasp on reality, and taught them a tough lesson. However, that last episode I saw... well, it takes the cake.

It featured a Dad who was, well, a bit of a collector of various "manly trinkets" like expensive watches (like $30,000 worth of WATCHES), a blond Mother who, I am sorry to say, fit the ding-song soccer Mommy role all too well, and three little blond haired daughters. Ding-dong soccer Mommy made me feel ill. Not because I generally have a strong AVERSION to that mentality- no. This time, Ding-dong made me ill because of her blatant disregard for her children's safety. Oh, they wore their seat belts in the required Ding-dong soccer Mommy mini van, and a few other safety precautions were taken. No- my disgust was this woman's willful ignorance to the safety of her home, and her children. She freely admitted not locking doors. She freely admitted not paying attention to who was around their home. She freely admitted she did not pay attention. Period.

Lady, people like you are prime targets. PRIME. Why would you be a prime target? Let me tell you Honey, just because YOU live in an enchanted Fairy Tale land in your brain, the Bad Guys live in real time. They are not going to avoid someone like you- or your daughters- because you do not think that anything bad can POSSIBLY happen. Or that you think that all you have to do is speed dial 911 and a policeman is going to instantly materialize Right In Front Of You, Ready To Protect And Serve, and Do Battle To Save Your Virtue....

Honey, you are not paying attention to a DAMN thing out there. As easy as the gent popped into your back yard and burgled your home is a good example of how easy it is to have something happen when you are driving around in your Ding-dong soccer Mommy mini van at the Mall.

The Bad Guys are looking for people just like you. Good chance there is cash in your purse, or a few credit cards. Hey I bet your ID is easy to get to as well. Heaven Forbid a pedophile sidle up. You would probably hire him to babysit one of those little blond daughters of yours, and THEN what?

I hope and pray that you learned something from the security guys. I hope and pray that if you did not, that your young daughters stay safe, despite your refusal to leave Fantasy Land.

Lock your doors there Honey. Watch the World around you. Take steps to protect your children. Above all else, PAY ATTENTION! Know what? It's Even FREE. And it might just save your life, or that of your children.

Packin' HEAT

Literally- this weekend Heat was packed in more ways than one.

Dear Husband and I happily hosted a meet and greet for GCO members. The heat was on in many ways- between temp's in the upper 90's (and MUCH more in the sun,) and all the pistols that came to visit, it was smokin' hot!

We all ate too much. Everyone brought dishes to share, jokes to tell, and skills to teach. Dear Husband had set up a bit of a range across the road to plink away at, and plink they did too once the sun dropped a little bit.

Future meet and greet's are in the works! Anyone interested in joining GCO, or attending any functions, stop in at GPDO as well!

Now, its time to cool off.....

The Case Of, "Lust Over A Ruger"

Dear Husband and I are having a wee bit of a battle. Nothing major, and it's all based in fun actually.

See, Dear Husband made a tiny mistake. Just a tiny one. He taught me about his Ruger SR9, and I Like It. I Like It LOTS. He has another Ruger, a P95, which is also a nice gun, but not to my liking as much. Harder to fit my hand around the grip, and it just does not quite feel comfortable in my hand.

Since the acquisition of the P95, Dear Husband has decided that he likes the SR9 better, too. Well now. Where does that leave us?

Shopping is where it leaves us! Since Dear Husband is bigger than I am, he can have whatever gun he desires. (That's a joke, by the way...) We keep trying to plan a trip- together- to our favorite local gun shop, but it is rather a challenge with the boys. Hard to pay attention with two whirlwinds in tow...

Ah well.... Shopping is a good thing. I keep hoping he will find one he likes, and will graciously allow me to lay claim to the SR9 again.... Only time will tell!

What Would You Do If...

While shopping in your local SuperCenter, some teenager grabbed and fondled your tush? What would you do if this same teenager then BIT your tush? As in sink his teeth into your butt, and B-I-T-E?



Bizarre as this may sound, it was an actual happening in a store in North Georgia. A 15 year old boy grabbed and bit at least 10 women, according to the police report. Truth, as they say, is stranger than fiction.



I admit, my first reaction upon reading this would not have been to draw my gun. Nope. My first knee jerk reaction would be to grab the little bugger and put an unholy smack down on him, all the while loudly requesting a manager and police. That reaction is apparently something the 10 women did not have.



I have to wonder really, WHY these women did not react in defense of themselves. This is an invasion of your personal space. This is uninvited physical contact. This could lead to the teen in later years following you out to your car, or slinking around in the parking lot, and abducting and raping you- or worse. If he is a large teen, and I have seen some beefy 15 year olds, that step may not be that far off. Who is to say that Chomper there gets away with this enough, that he won't follow you out anyway?



My initial reaction to reading this was shock- first that the women did not smack dear Chomper, and second that he had not had his teeth shoved down his throat. The more I think about this, the creepier it seems. This boy had to be paying attention. He had to be observing the women, and picking out who was distracted, who was alone, who looked least likely to cause a fuss. In essence, he had to be following them. And the ladies did not notice. No "warning bells" went off in their brains. Or if they did, they were ignored.



The article I read did not detail if any defensive actions were taken by the bitten, aside from reporting it to store management.



Ladies, please, Pay Attention Out There! Just because we are in a well lit, populated shopping location, does not mean we can drop our guard! If someone is following you, take a look around, and find some options. Maybe head to the front of the store, to seek out management. Head for an employee, and ask for assistance. Explain what is going on, and why you need help. Head for a group of shoppers, and stick with them. Take a look at the person following you, so that you can recognize them again. Note what they are wearing, what color they are, roughly how tall.



But Pay Attention!! A good offense is the best defense, and you can never be too safe when it comes to personal protection.



Is this a case where a firearm was needed? No, probably not. But What If...? What if Chomper really liked your tush, and decided on This Day, Right Then, that he was going to follow you on out to your car and see what he could get away with there? What If Chomper moved from inappropriate physical contact to flat out rape? What would you do then? (THEN you could shoot him. I would.)



Look around, and pay attention. It is a simple act. Listen to your gut instinct. If your gut says something is wrong, get out of there or to safety. Above all else though, Pay Attention!