Jarheads near and far, past and present we thank you for your service, dedication, and selfless faithfullness now and forever!
One Marine Corps Brat born and raised on Camp Pendleton.
Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
OOOH RAH! Happy Birthday United States Marine Corps!
November 10, 2011Just a little fun…
November 2, 2011Back in the day when training new E.M.T.’s they were often driving white knuckled and, to be blunt, terrified. Well, I developed a technique that would distract them… So to speak, from their fears. Most often resulting in them busting out laughing, lowering their stress level, and getting us to the scene intact.
Last evening my phone rang, and it was an old aquantince. One that has to deal with the same problems today that I addressed back then. So, my faithful readers. Put the fine crystal away, and sing along! Your voice certainly can’t be any worse than mine is, and was! 🙂
Jack o’ Diamonds, Jack o’ Diamonds and I know you of old
You’ve robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold
It’s a whiskey, you villain, you’ve been my downfall
You’ve kicked me, you’ve cuffed me, but I love you for all
You’ve robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold
It’s a whiskey, you villain, you’ve been my downfall
You’ve kicked me, you’ve cuffed me, but I love you for all
It’s a whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If I don’t get rye whiskey, well, I think I will die
I’ll eat when I’m hungry, I’ll drink when I’m dry
If the hard times don’t kill me, I’ll lay down and die
I’ll tune up my fiddle and I ‘ll rosin my bow
I’ll make myself welcome, wherever I go
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die
Beefsteak when I’m hungry red liquor when I’m dry
Greenbacks when I’m hard up and religion when I die
They say I drink whiskey, my money’s my own
All them that don’t like me, can leave me alone
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die
Sometimes I drink whiskey, sometimes I drink rum
Sometimes I drink brandy, at other times none
But if I get boozey, my whiskey’s my own
And them that don’t like me, can leave me alone
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die
If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck
I’d dive to the bottom to get one sweet suck
But the ocean ain’t whiskey and I ain’t a duck
So we’ll round up the cattle and then we’ll get drunk
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If the whiskey don’t kill me, I’ll live till I die
My foot’s in my stirrup, my bridle’s in my hand
I’m leaving sweet Lillie, the fairest in the land
Her parents don’t like me, they say I’m too poor
They say I’m unworthy to enter her door
It’s a whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If I don’t get rye whiskey, well, I think I will die
Sweet milk when I’m hungry, rye whiskey when I’m dry
If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die
I’ll buy my own whiskey, I’ll make my own stew
If I get drunk, madam, it’s nothing to you
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die
I’ll drink my own whiskey, I’ll drink my own wine
Some ten thousand bottles I’ve killed in my time
I’ve no wife to quarrel, no babies to bawl
The best way of living is no wife at all
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry
If a tree don’t fall on me, I’ll live till I die
Way up on Clinch Mountain I wander alone
I’m as drunk as the devil, oh, let me alone
You may boast of your knowledge an’ brag of your sense
‘Twill all be forgotten a hundred years hence
Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, you’re no friend to me
You killed my poor daddy, God damn you, try me
Then there was….
Well, I don't care if it rains or freezes, Long as I have my plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car Through all trials and tribulations, We will travel every nation, With my plastic Jesus I'll go far. {Refrain} Plastic Jesus, plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car Through all trials and tribulations, We will travel every nation, With my plastic Jesus I'll go far. I don't care if it rains or freezes As long as I've got my Plastic Jesus Glued to the dashboard of my car, You can buy Him phosphorescent Glows in the dark, He's Pink and Pleasant, Take Him with you when you're travelling far {Refrain} I don't care if it's dark or scary Long as I have magnetic Mary Ridin' on the dashboard of my car I feel I'm protected amply I've got the whole damn Holy Family Riding on the dashboard of my car {Refrain} You can buy a Sweet Madonna Dressed in rhinestones sitting on a Pedestal of abalone shell Goin' ninety, I'm not wary 'Cause I've got my Virgin Mary Guaranteeing I won't go to Hell {Refrain} I don't care if it bumps or jostles Long as I got the Twelve Apostles Bolted to the dashboard of my car Don't I have a pious mess Such a crowd of holiness Strung across the dashboard of my car {Refrain} No, I don't care if it rains or freezes Long as I have my plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car But I think he'll have to go His magnet ruins my radio And if we have a wreck he'll leave a scar {Refrain} Riding through the thoroughfare With his nose up in the air A wreck may be ahead, but he don't mind Trouble coming, he don't see He just keeps his eyes on me And any other thing that lies behind Plastic Jesus, Plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car Though the sun shines on his back Makes him peel, chip, and crack A little patching keeps him up to par When pedestrians try to cross I let them know who's boss I never blow my horn or give them warning I ride all over town Trying to run them down And it's seldom that they live to see the morning Plastic Jesus, Plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car His halo fits just right And I use it as a sight And they'll scatter or they'll splatter near and far When I'm in a traffic jam He don't care if I say Damn I can let all sorts of curses roll Plastic Jesus doesn't hear For he has a plastic ear The man who invented plastic saved my soul Plastic Jesus, Plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car Once his robe was snowy white Now it isn't quite so bright Stained by the smoke of my cigar God made Christ a Holy Jew God made Him a Christian too Paradoxes populate my car Joseph beams with a feigned elan From the shaggy dash of my furlined van Famous cuckold in the master plan Naughty Mary, smug and smiling Jesus dainty and beguiling Knee-deep in the piling of my van His message clear by night or day My phosphorescent plastic Gay Simpering from the dashboard of my van When I'm goin' fornicatin I got my ceramic Satan Sinnin' on the dashboard of my Winnebago Motor Home The women know I'm on the level Thanks to the wild-eyed stoneware devil Ridin' on the dashboard of my Winnebago Motor Home Sneerin' from the dashboard of my Winnebago Motor Home Leering from the dashboard of my van If I weave around at night And the police think I'm tight They'll never find my bottle, though they ask Plastic Jesus shelters me For His head comes off, you see He's hollow, and I use Him for a flaskPlastic Jesus, plastic Jesus Riding on the dashboard of my car Ride with me and have a dram Of the blood of the Lamb Plastic Jesus is a holy bar SOURCE Enjoy John!
Questions and such; As the World (Election 2012) turns
November 2, 2011All too often we seem to get caught up in things that are nothing but distractions. It’s like being on a deer or elk hunt, and focusing the cross hairs on the antlers. Sure, those are what will get you into the book and hang on the wall. Perhaps even on the cover of a magazine. But they don’t get to the heart of the matter, pun intended.
Let’s go over a few such things, in no particular order of importance.
Illegal immigration is a deal breaker for many Americans. Put a clamp on it, or you don’t get the vote from a pretty large number of Americans, including one heck of a lot of Americans of Mexican extraction. Hold your nose and vote appears to be what we are once again headed for on that one…
Taxes… Americans pay one heck of a lot in taxes. Add all the state and local taxes, often camouflaged as user fees and we are well above many other nations. An awful lot of that can be laid directly at the feet of the various unions. But certainly not all. Various special interests groups also play a big role. Examples might be moralists that seek to force their beliefs upon us all under the guise of public health or expense. Think “sin” taxes. Then there are those that take environmentalism to an absurd extreme. These things all have a monetary cost, and guess where the money comes from?
Constitutional Rights, including The Bill of Rights. Often, these are treated like statistics. As in being twisted to fit whatever this or that person or groups agenda is. Free speech and Second Amendment rights seem to fall into that category most often. However let’s not forget what the Supreme Court has done these past few years concerning private property rights or search and seizure just to name two. The “Patriot Act” seems to have been crafted to fit that famous quotation having to do with trading security for liberty.
The economy as always, or at least every time I turn around is always way up there and right now is probably at the very top of the list for many. As it should be… It is also tied by the neck to just about every other issue. Here’s the thing though. Government cannot “create” jobs. What it can do though is create a climate that either stifles job growth and hinders that, or encourages job creation. How to go about that has been the great debate for many years and, I suspect will continue to do so for many years after I am long gone.
The “Drug War” continues on unabated. Again, this issue is intertwined with many others, and no. I do not advocate the use of drugs, other than as needed for the medical issues of the individual. The fact that drugs being contraband though creates an enormous market with corresponding profits. Profits that allow the purchase of very powerful weaponry that is in turn used to secure and bolster the business of those engaged in such enterprises. End the drug war, and you put a knife to the throat of the profits of murdering thugs and terrorists around the world. No, it will not stop them from their nefarious ways completely, but will go a long way toward that end.
Special Interests legislation. A real black eye for America to be sure. Whether it is one sided sexist laws that destroy our families or pure cronyism in the name of social or monetary profits these things need to be done away with.
Military and Veteran’s issues. These are things that simply are far to wide ranging to list. We must have a strong and powerful military. We have more than a few enemies around the world, and the group of home grown “Hate America First” types certainly don’t help matters. The way that we treat our Veterans can be summed up in a single word. That word being “shameful.”
The United States of America, still a work in progress, and still, the best place on this earth in which to be alive.
The epic failure obama’s continuing war on America: Border Patrol agent Jesus “Chito” Diaz
November 1, 2011Yet another of our people that are sworn to protect and defend us gets hammered by our own government while doing their assigned duties. This is disgraceful to say the least. Republicans were no better on these sorts of issues either. Remember Ramos and Campean?
Related articles:
Jailed Border Agent Jesus Diaz Denied Bond; Family Speaks Out
Union Official Accused of “Sabotage” in Border Agent Case
Feds Prosecuted U.S. Border Agent for Mexico
Full Story Here:
Critics Furious As Border Agent Diaz Gets Two Years in Prison
Stolen from Texas Fred
Yet another reason for many at DOJ to face not only dismissal, but prosecution and imprisonment!
Rep Walsh Calls for Attorney General Holder to Resign
October 28, 2011Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) sent a scathing rebuke to Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday and called on him to resign his post at the Justice Department.
Noting that Holder needed to “take responsibility” for implicating the United States as an accessory to violent crimes committed by the Mexican drug cartels, Walsh blasted the Attorney General for the role he played in the “subsequent cover-up” of the failed Fast and Furious operation.
As detailed by Gun Owners of America on many occasions, Operation Fast and Furious is the gun-running scheme where the Justice Department has approved — and in some cases, helped fund — the purchase and smuggling of firearms into Mexico.
The apparent purpose of this gun running scandal was to use the increased violence south of the border as a pretext for more gun control in this country. Sadly, two U.S. federal agents — and hundreds of Mexican citizens — have died as a result of these illegal sales which the FBI approved under the direction of the Obama Administration.
Rep. Walsh takes Holder to task for “knowingly [forcing] licensed firearms dealers to sell guns to violent criminals” and for claiming that he was “not aware” this happening. As Walsh notes, Holder “received no less than seven memos” detailing the creation and progress of Fast and Furious.
“The American people deserve to know the truth regarding Attorney General Eric Holder’s knowledge and role in the Fast and Furious operation,” Walsh said in a statement. “This program was deliberately designed to attack law-abiding American gun-owners and gun-dealers. Why else would an anti-gun Administration force licensed firearms dealers to sell guns to violent criminals?”
Rep. Walsh told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that Holder “needs to be held accountable.”
Proposition 103: What is the Cost to Colorado Taxpayers?
October 22, 2011IP-7-2011 (October 2011)
Author: Barry Poulson and John D. Merrifield
PDF of full Issue Paper
Scribd version of full Issue Paper
Introduction:
Proposition 103 is an initiative that will increase Colorado tax rates and require the state to spend the money on government schools. Prop 103 increases the personal income tax, the corporate income tax, and the statewide sales and use tax for the years 2012 through 2016.
The Fiscal Impact Statement prepared by Colorado’s Legislative Council Staff estimates the cost of the tax increase at $2.9 billion. However, the cost for Colorado taxpayers will be significantly greater than staff estimates. Legislative Council uses static analysis, measuring only the direct impact of the higher taxes on state revenue. They ignore the negative impact the tax increase will have on economic growth and jobs in Colorado.
So, even with built in automatic tax increases Colorado Schools (Unions) need even more money. Now why couldn’t I have guessed that?
Nevertheless, I’m sure that the people of Colorado will vote in favor of this measure. Because after all is said and done the people there are stuck on stupid.
Gads…
October 18, 2011This only cost the people of America and Mexico how many lives..?
Note: The amendment’s sponsor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called the vote “just the first step towards ensuring that such a foolish operation can never be repeated by our own law enforcement.”
Senate Votes to End ‘Fast and Furious‘ Gun Program
By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-bc-us–senate-fastandfurious,0,1479153.story
The Senate voted Tuesday to effectively block the Justice Department from undertaking gun-smuggling probes like the flawed “Operation Fast and Furious” aimed at breaking up networks running guns to Mexican drug cartels but that lost track of hundreds of the weapons, some of which were used to commit crimes in Mexico and the United States.
The 99-0 vote would block the government from transferring guns to drug cartels unless federal agents “continuously monitor or control” the weapons. The amendment’s sponsor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called the vote “just the first step towards ensuring that such a foolish operation can never be repeated by our own law enforcement.”
The Justice Department has already stopped the program.
The vote came as the Senate debated a $128 billion spending measure that would fund Justice Department operations and those of several other Cabinet agencies for the 2012 budget year already under way.
Operation Fast and Furious was a gun-smuggling investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives aimed at tracking small-time illicit gun buyers up the chain to major traffickers in an effort to take down arms networks. In the process, ATF agents lost track of many of the weapons.
Fast and Furious came to light after two assault rifles purchased by a now-indicted small-time buyer under scrutiny in the operation turned up at a shootout in Arizona where Customs and Border Protection agent Brian Terry was killed.
The operation has caused something of a firestorm in Washington and is the focus of an investigation by House Republicans, who have questioned whether Attorney General Eric Holder has been candid about all he knows about the botched operation.
Holder already has called a halt to the practice of allowing guns to “walk” in an effort to track them to arms traffickers, saying in a recent letter to lawmakers that “those tactics should never again be adopted in any investigation.”
The operation was designed to respond to criticism that the agency had focused on small-time gun arrests while major traffickers had eluded prosecution.
As recently as 11 months ago, the Justice Department’s inspector general criticized ATF for focusing “largely on inspections of gun dealers and investigations of straw purchasers, rather than on higher-level traffickers, smugglers and the ultimate recipients of the trafficked guns.”
The IG said some ATF managers discourage agents from conducting complex conspiracy investigations that target high-level traffickers.
This is far from over folks. Necks need to be stretched over this fiasco. Talk about political correctness on steroids..?
The Great Society
October 17, 2011There are always social experiments going on. That said, most are flops. Social engineering just doesn’t work. At least when it is based in the political correctness of the day. One of the biggest failures in more recent times would be Lyndon Johnson‘s destructive socialist program known as “The Great Society.” This creation and expansion of the welfare state has caused, for the most part, the exact opposite of what it was meant to eliminate.
The epic failure obama’s attempt to wreck havoc upon America via obamacare, operation fast and furious, and pure Chicago style cronyism are extensions of that failed experiment. An exercise in repeating the same operation and expecting a different outcome are hallmarks of socialism and communistic thinking.
This macroeconomic success owed nothing to policymakers’ fine tuning, because neither the administration nor Congress made such delicate adjustments of fiscal policy as conditions changed. In truth, the U.S. government was institutionally incapable of fine tuning fiscal policy, however much it appealed to Keynesian economists drawing diagrams on blackboards.
Now we have obama’s foot soldiers staging occupations here, there, and everywhere blaming America and our way of life for their own failures. They remind me of children saying “not me” when confronted about something that has gone wrong. Rather than rolling up their sleeves and doing something that is actually productive themselves they stage protests that ultimately result in more government, more rules, and less personal freedom.
The United States of America. Land of the free. That includes the freedom to fail. Home of the brave. Courage, to take on the task of personal wealth creation without having government getting involved in that task so long as we do not infringe on the freedoms and liberty of others while doing that.
MONTE VISTA MARKSMANSHIP CLASS OFFERED
October 17, 2011MONTE VISTA, Colo. – Hunters looking to brush up on their marksmanship skills heading into the upcoming rifle seasons can get some pointers at a two-day class in Monte Vista on Thursday, Oct. 20 and Friday, Oct. 21. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife marksmanship class will include information on ballistics, effect of wind, adjustments for terrain and a range training session.
“This class is perfect for the intermediate hunter,” explained Rick Basagoitia, Area Wildlife Manager and course instructor. “We want people who have experience hunting but might be looking for that next level of training to get them familiar with the dynamics of marksmanship.”
There is a $20 registration fee and the class is limited to ten participants. To register for the class or to get more information, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Monte Vista at 719-587-6900.
The Thursday, Oct. 20 session will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and be held at the Monte Vista office of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 0722 South Road 1 East. The second session will be held at an area shooting range from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 21. Participants will need to bring their rifle and 40 rounds of ammunition for the range session. The range session will include custom ballistics charting for participants’ rifles. As well participants will learn practice techniques and various shooting positions.
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
Rep. Rehberg’s Legislation Protects Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights
October 17, 2011The House this week adopted legislation protecting the Second Amendment rights of veterans.
Sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), the legislation requires that before a veteran can lose his or her gun rights, they must receive due process in a court of law. Rehberg offered the measure as an amendment to H.R. 2349, which passed the House on a voice vote.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) told GOA he plans to introduce a Senate version of the bill right away. GOA is working to get as many cosponsors to this legislation as possible. In the last Congress, Sen. Burr’s bill passed out of committee only to be derailed by Harry Reid and anti-gun Senate Democrats.
Veterans Disarmament Act
It might seem like a no-brainer. In America, no one—be they in the military or a civilian—should be stripped of their constitutional liberties without having their day in court, right? But it can happen, and it does happen.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can deem a veteran as a “mental defective” for the sole reason of having a third party appointed over their financial affairs. Veterans with mental health issues such as temporary memory loss or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) commonly turn over control of their finances to a spouse or family member.
Because persons found to be “mental defectives” are prohibited from owning firearms, the names of these veterans are turned over to the FBI’s NICS system.
No crime needs to have been committed. No finding that the person is even remotely dangerous. No trial by a jury of one’s peers. A veteran can be stripped of his or her gun rights simply by the capricious action of government bureaucrats.
Ok, some may protest, but this must happen rarely. It must be an aberration, a mistake. Wrong.
Since 1999, over 150,000 honorably discharged veterans have lost their gun rights in precisely this manner. And though it’s theoretically possible to get off the list, that rarely—if ever—happens.
Gun owners who are not veterans can also be affected by the current law because the definition of “mental defective” used by the VA applies to anyone. It affects veterams particularly hard because of the ease of information sharing between one federal agency (VA) and another (FBI).
But under ObamaCare, medical records for all Americans will be made increasingly available to Washington bureaucrats. What safeguards are in place to ensure that those records will not likewise be abused? None.
That’s why it is vitally important that all gun owners contact their two Senators and insist that they support Sen. Burr’s Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act.
This bill ensures that a veteran cannot lose his or her gun rights without a finding in a court of law that the person is a danger to self or others.
This would mean no more “psychiatric gun bans” for vets, and it will serve notice to the federal government that the same thing will not be allowed to happen to the rest of the population.
GOA is working to get as many cosponsors as possible. Due process under the law is something even anti-gunners should support (they won’t, of course), and we are pushing to get a veto-proof majority behind this legislation.
ACTION: Please contact your Senators and urge them to cosponsor the Second Amendment Veterans Protection Act.
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