Banning Semiautomatic Weapons

Since the vast majority of firearms in this nation have never, and will never be used in any type of crime, maybe the solutions aren't as closely related to "gun control" measures as one might think. It's time to think outside the box, and rise above kneejerk reactionary tactics such as blaming and banning inanimate objects.

Some are in favor of an outright ban on semiautomatic weapons, and I wish they would take a hard and serious look at what an outright ban on semiautomatic weapons in the US would look like. It might help to research percentages of firearms surrendered in those other countries, and compare those numbers with similar actions here. That will still leave you with huge numbers of weapons owned by people who, until the ban, were as law-abiding as anyone in this group, but they just so happen to hold the Second Amendment near and dear. Now visualize the scene at the millions and millions of door-to-door confiscation actions. THAT would be more gun violence than we have ever seen before. And bad people with banned guns will have a much larger victim pool to play with.

If you are truly in favor of banning semiautomatic weapons, I challenge you to commit to serving as a doorknocker on a confiscation squad.

Drone Flight Over Bald Peter Mountain Oregon

My Father at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir

I watched a documentary on the Battle of Chosin Reservoir (Korea) last night, and found a clip of who I think might be my Dad. Just before that point in the documentary, I remembered I should have been watching more carefully just in case. And then a minute later, BAM. That shot was on the death march out of the Chosin, under heavy threat of Chinese attack. The guy in the clip looks older than my Dad was (22), but he also extremely fatigued, cold, and hungry, and I can’t get over the resemblance.

The Climate Change Pendulum Swings Back and Forth Again

"Climate change itself is already in the process of definitively rebutting climate alarmists who think human use of fossil fuels is causing ultimately catastrophic global warming. That is because natural climate cycles have already turned from warming to cooling, global temperatures have already been declining for more than 10 years, and global temperatures will continue to decline for another two decades or more."

Read more here.

Put an "Add to Google Calendar" Link in an Email Message

Have you ever thought it would be nice to include an "Add to Google Calendar" link in the body of an email message you are sending out to announce an event? Here is one way to make it easy for your email recipients to add YOUR event to THEIR Google Calendar.

Oregon Lookout Towers

Acker Rock (August to November)
Bald Butte (June to October)
Bald Knob (May to October)
Bolan Mountain (July to September)
Clear Lake Cabin (November to May)
Drake Peak (June to October)
Fairview Peak (temporarily closed)
Fall Mountain (May through October)
Fivemile Butte (year round)
Gold Butte (June to October)
Green Ridge (May to June, September to November)
Hager Mountain (November to May)
Indian Ridge (July to October)
Lake Of The Woods (May to October)
Pickett Butte (October to July)
Snow Camp (June to September)
Timber Butte (May to November)
Warner Mountain (November to May)

I'm Not A Plant Person

Do you think I'm watering this plant too much or too little?

Resistbot

I'm sure you have seen all kinds of posts on social media begging you to write, call, and fax your Senators about the issues that matter most to you. I discovered a tech tool that makes it easy to reach out to your Senators. It’s called “Resistbot,” and it’s by far the easiest way to send your thoughts, ideas, and opinions to your your members of Congress. Here’s how it works:

Text “resist” to 50409.

You will receive a couple of messages:

"Hi, I’m ResistBot and I’m going to help you write your officials. First, what name would you like to use to sign your letters?"

(reply with your name)

"Nice to meet you, (your first name)! What’s your zipcode? I’ll use it to identify your congresspeople."

From there, the app indicates your Senators, and prepares your personal message to them, and sends them a fax - automatically.

Fact-Checking The Fact-Checkers

"… when someone attempted to fact check the fact checker, the response was the equivalent of “it's secret.”

It is impossible to understate how antithetical this is to the fact checking world, in which absolute openness and transparency are necessary prerequisites for trust. How can fact checking organizations like Snopes expect the public to place trust in them if when they themselves are called into question, their response is that they can’t respond."


Read more here.

Good, Cheap, or Fast? Pick Two

This Is Me

No One Tell Him

GET OUT NOW

"I’m proud of the fact… we are probably the first administration in modern history that hasn't had a major scandal in the White House."

~ Barack Obama

Uhhh… no. Go. Just GO

Statism: The Most Dangerous Religion

"Humanity wasn't meant to be a domesticated species owned by a ruling class."

Self-Importance Defined

"Hollywood is, simply put, the base of the entire modern American culture. It is the foundation of the country, so to speak, the glue that’s holding it together."

~ Spokesperson for a group of Hollywood celebrities threatening a “massive, all-round Hollywood strike” unless Donald Trump resigns.

Letter to Hollywood

Dear Hollywood celebrities and actors:

You only have one job to do: to entertain me. That’s it.
 
You make your living pretending to be someone else, playing dress-up like a 6 year old in a make-believe world in front of a camera. Your entire livelihood depends on my patronage.

I’ll crank the organ grinder; you dance.

I don’t really care where you stand on issues. You see, you aren’t real. I turn off my TV or shut down my computer, and you cease to exist in my world. Once I am done with you, I can put you back in your little box until I want you to entertain me again. You need to realize that the only words of yours that matter are scripted and rehearsed, and understood to be for pretend.

In my world, you exist solely for my entertainment. And when you use your purchased influence to peddle whatever silly ideas you and your cronies have dreamed up inside your bubble, that makes me want to just keep you in the box, locked away perpetually.

So, shut your word hole and dance, monkey!

Housewives of ISIS

Crossing Hell's Ferry

Are You A Liberal Suddenly Interested In Owning a Gun?

"What most of us in the right side of the country understand is that responsible adults need to be able to defend themselves. That means owning guns and learning how to use them. (To be fair, many on the left have also come to this same conclusion already, but they have to keep that opinion to themselves so the rest of you don’t yell at them)."

Read more here.

I Think I Am a Calendar Synaesthete

This is FASCINATING.

Calendar Synesthetes see very clear images of calendars in their mind's eye when they think about months that have passed or are in the future.

Read more here, and then here.

Top Secret Clearance for Trump Kids?

I read that Donald Trump has asked that three of his children be given top secret security clearance. Of course, that is ridiculous, even if they promise to keep the top secret info safe on a server under their desk.

Donald Trump's LGBT Position

This is interesting, considering Hillary Clinton's numerous statements against gay marriage, and Trump's in favor of it. It's almost as if there might be some kind of deliberate media spin going on.

I wonder if that was also happening with other aspects of the election, too. Actually, I DON'T wonder about that…

Everybody Was Doing It

"Everybody was doing it so I thought I was supposed to."

When In Doubt…

"When in doubt, use full throttle. It may not improve the situation, but it will end the suspense."

Sounds like a pretty good motto to me.

My Boring Commute 7-7-16

Ultimate Glock Meltdown!

AltaVista ADV Ridgid Bag Unpacking Video

A Practical Guide to Becoming a True Pun Master

1. Accept that no pun is actually good, but that the true nature of a good pun is to be so terrible that it becomes good.

2. Say every pun that occurs to you. I’m so serious about this, sometimes the most well received puns will be ones you considered not saying.

3. ALWAYS laugh at your own puns, even if nobody else is (especially if nobody else is).

4. Know that you are hilarious. Puns are a limitless resource and you have taken it as your duty to bring this gift to humanity. you are a hero.

I AM Tolerant!

Bernie Sanders Tweets with the Best of Them

Remembering Gomer

9 Things That Make Good Employees Quit (+ 9 More)

A friend shared a great article on social media recently:

9 Things That Make Good Employees Quit

Here are 9 more:

10. They drive wedges between their subordinates, compartmentalizing information and hindering teamwork and communication among them.

11. They ignore the experience and expertise of their employees, and instead treat them like they know little or nothing about the work they actually are quite good at.

12. They place roadblocks in front of employees who strive to innovate and develop solutions.

13. They micromanage and nitpick the enthusiasm right out of their employees.

14. They overcommit themselves to the point of being largely unavailable to their employees.

15. They ignore progress reports from their employees, and then accuse those employees of not getting enough work done.

16. They take advantage of upper management's tendency to protect mid-management at all cost.

17. They don't listen to ideas offered by their own employees, and then later enthusiastically adopt those same ideas when someone outside the team brings them up.

18. They don't accept perspectives and opinions developed over years by their employees, but instead force them to work within constraints dictated by arbitrary research conducted outside the context of the local work environment.

I won't keep going…

Law of Attraction Explained

This is How The Law of Attraction Works! #BobProctor
Posted by Bob Proctor on Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Let Me Create ONE Thing

For Those About to Wok

Back in Black

This Is What Happens

Cyberspace Independence

"Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather."

That was 20 years ago. Indeed, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Rick Roll 1946

Seen Elsewhere

If your reaction to not getting paid enough at your job is to ask the government to force them to pay you more, you're a loser.

Spring Is Just Around The Corner!

REALLY "Feel the Bern!"

The Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy research organization, found that Bernie Sanders’ plan would lead to 10.56% lower after-tax income for all taxpayers, and a 17.91% lower after-tax income for the wealthiest Americans. When accounting for reduced GDP, taxpayers would see their after-tax incomes fall by 12.84% on average.

Supporters of Bernie Sanders might win a few converts if they put their money where their mouths are and voluntarily contribute extra taxes to support Sander’s proposed “freebie” offerings, just to show the rest of us how painless it will be.

Who wants to go first? Write a check out to the US Treasury for that 10.56% and post a pic here!

Obama's 3-Gun Executive Order

#1 - We know this story is NOT real.

#2 - The way things have been going the last few years, it doesn't seem too far away, does it?

#3 - What do you think of the theory that this FAKE STORY was created and published by a government agency and/or contractor as a way to gauge the public's reaction by monitoring social media shares and comments?

#4 - See #1 above, and strive to make sure it never becomes REAL.

The Gun Control Song

I don't care who you are, this is funny.

Just Say It Like It Is

Twenty years ago, a confessed terrorist held an event in his Chicago home to introduce a bright new politician who was running for the Senate. 8 years ago, I suggested that electing a man to the Presidency who was friends with terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn and an America hating preacher like Jeremiah Wright was a dangerous idea.

Since then, terrorism has blossomed around the world in places like Iraq, Syria, Libya and yes, in Paris and San Bernardino. 24 hours ago, that man sat in the Oval office and tried to suggest that two Islamic terrorists who attacked dozens of Americans with bombs and semi automatic rifles might have had a grudge related to work.

This morning, we wake to reports that in less than 72 hours we’ve learned the San Bernardino Jihadi’s built bombs identical to that in an Al Qaeda terrorism magazine; That they were in contact with suspected terrorists already under FBI surveillance.

The man in the oval office suggested that new gun laws might have saved lives…even though the shooting that killed 14 and wounded 21 happened in one of the states with the toughest gun laws in America. He will call it “workplace violence”, or a “minor setback” or “a bump in the road” but he won’t call it what we all know it is: Islamic Terrorism…By Americans, against Americans, on American soil.

- Lars Larson

Sniper's Response to Michael Moore

Green Beret sniper Bryan Sikes took some time to pen a letter to Moore that absolutely destroyed him in an incredibly hilarious and fabulous way.


Mr. Moore:

Good afternoon there sweetheart, I hope this finds you alive and well. You can thank our men and women of the armed forces for that, by the way, and that also includes us cowardly snipers. It seems you’ve found time between licking the jelly off your fingers and releasing your grasp of a bear claw to tweet some junk about snipers being cowards.

My buddies and I got a good laugh over the tweet, so I thank you. For a guy worth $50 million dollars, you sure have quite a bit to bitch and cry about. I guess like a moth to flame, you too gravitate towards things that are popular and in the moment — in this case it’s snipers. Too bad for you that your attempt at being relevant via your 70+ year old family experience has failed. It has only made you look dumber than a bag of hammers. Next time you should try something more original than going after snipers for one reason or another…that was so last month.

It’s typical of “men” like you to criticize the intestinal fortitude, focus, discipline and patriotism of a sniper. It must stem from an inferiority complex or something. But hey, it’s okay cupcake. We snipers are thick skinned and the efforts of world class turds such as yourself to portray us in a negative light only makes us laugh. If you and I were in the same room, I’d throw you a smile and gently pat you on the head knowing you’re nothing more than a mouth breathing, Crisco sweating waste of space not even worthy of being in the presence of a sniper. It’s almost funny how people like you preach things like ‘acceptance’ and ‘not passing judgement’ or ‘labeling people’, but then are the first to do so when a person is in some way dissimilar from you.

So tenderfoot, I leave you with this final thought: what if you found yourself in some sort of hostage situation where you were held at knife-point by some crazed person and they were dead set on making an example of you by bleeding you out on Hollywood Blvd in front of the world, and the only way out was with the precision aimed fire of a sniper? Would you want that coward to take the shot? Because knowing how you feel about snipers such as myself and your hatred of firearms, I’d probably drop the mag, roll the bolt and go get a Jack & Coke before helping you out.

Very Respectfully,

Sikes

Ten Interesting Facts About Myself

• I have visited 48 states. All I have left is Alaska and Hawaii.
• I am an ENTP
• I have a rare disorder of an undisclosed nature, I suffer from moderate hearing loss, 24/7 tinnitus, and a long-term shoulder issue.
• I am one of The Few and The Proud.
• I have learned more about who I really am in the last 4 years than all my years before.
• I was once a very good marksman.
• I love what I do for a living, and would do it for free if I could afford to.
• I once gave a very famous rock star a fat lip and a black eye (he deserved it).
• I have driven coast-to-coast 3 times: twice in lifted Jeep CJ-7s, and once in a Datsun 260Z.
• I have plenty of regrets, but I love where my life experience has brought me so far.

My First Love and First Kiss

When I was 4 or 5 years old, a cute little girl next door named Alison stole my heart. We quickly became “boyfriend and girlfriend” and we played “wedding” a lot. Of course, when the “preacher” announced that the husband could kiss his wife, well… Alison and I are still friends.

I had a few girlfriends growing up, and even a short-lived marriage right when I joined the Marine Corps. One day in the barracks I saw a new WM (Woman Marine) that all the other guys were talking about, and I just knew I would never stand a chance with her. I didn’t even dare try to talk with her. One day I went to the barracks laundry room to wash my uniforms, and found a load someone left in the washer. It was a female’s clothing, but I didn’t let that bother me. I just transferred the load to the dryer without ogling the panties (too much), and went on about my business. And then she walked in. Before I could explain that I had moved her clothes into the dryer, and did NOT fondle her gear, she smiled, said she had seen me through the door, and thanked me. And then she hung around and chatted while our laundry finished up. That simple and unassuming few minutes together gave me the courage to ask her out to dinner… and she said yes! Thus followed a magical few months that I will always remember as my first real love… until she graduated Marine Corps Combat Engineer School (at the top of her class!), and she moved back to her hometown… and promptly broke my heart.

My Earliest Memory

Once upon a time, my earliest memory (believe it or not) was of being breastfed. The problem with that memory was that my mother never breastfed me. My stepmother (whom I called “Mom”) finally figured out that what probably happened was that my aunt had probably done it, and I must have thought it was weird, so that’s why it stuck in my memory. Nowadays, I only remember remembering it. Strange how memory works… and sometimes doesn’t work.

When I was 5 or 6 my older sister Diane and I snuck down by the creek near our house, and I watched while she smoked grapevine. She threatened me with physical harm (ok, I may be misremembering that part) against telling Mom and Dad. Guess what I did the moment we got home? Yep. And I lived through it. But I only remember remembering that now.

When I was 14, I witnessed my Dad saving a woman’s life. We were driving his semi truck down a highway in Oklahoma City when he hit the brakes hard. That woke me up out of my bored stupor enough to jump across to his seat and look out the window as he ran across the road and back a hundred feet or so, to where a guy was pointing a handgun at a lady in a car parked at the curb. This all happened within a few seconds - my dad snuck up behind the guy, grabbed his gun, and planted a punch right into his face. The guy fell to the ground, knocked out cold. My dad yelled at the woman to drive away, and she peeled out and took off. My dad tucked the gun under his belt, rolled the guy over against the curb, and trotted back to the truck. He handed the revolver to me, told me to unload it, which I did… as he shifted the truck into gear and drove away… just like the badass Marine he was.

Speaking of violence, I once had a rather significant unwelcome event force me into a desperate but very necessary act. It has really worked to twist me up inside. I have gone for the last 20 years shifting back and forth between remembering it like it had just happened, to thinking it actually didn’t happen, even though it really did. Now that the non-disclosure agreement has expired, maybe I should finally go see a counselor about it.

At this point, my earliest memory that I can honestly recall with clarity is from when I was 13 years old. My dad and I were driving around town, and I was thinking about that breastfeeding memory. No, this isn’t about to get icky - it happened to be shortly after my Mom figured it all out, I found myself thinking about memory, and worrying that my brain would get clogged up with meaningless memories, rather than ones I could hold onto and value. At that moment, a man in a white van turned left in front of us, and waved at my dad. My dad waved back. And now that’s my earliest memory.

I Don't Care Who You Are - This Is FUNNY

“FIRST DEMOCRAT DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2015” —- A Bad Lip Reading of the First Debate
Posted by Conservative 50 - Living The American Dream on Thursday, October 29, 2015

Five Problems with Social Media

Dang - right off the bat, I’ve got a problem with this “30-Day Writing Challenge” thing. Actually, my problem isn’t with the Challenge itself; it’s with how the topic for this first day’s piece is written, which is my point: there are no problems with social media. The technology is progressing in some very interesting and important ways. There ARE some problems with how people use (and abuse) social media, though.

I am the first to admit a mild addiction to some social media tools; Facebook is at the top of that list. My excuse relates to my interest (personal and professional) in how people use technology to learn and improve their lives. I figure that, although I spend too much time on social media, at least I am absorbing knowledge that has contributed to my success as an educational technologist. Like many other people, I waste a lot of time randomly browsing mindless posts, memes, nonsense “news” pieces, biased stories, and other general nonsense, when I could and should be doing something outdoors. And when I am outdoors, sometimes out in the middle of a wonderful motorcycle or mountain bike ride or hike, what do I often do? Yep, I reach for social media, in case one of my “friends” out there might appreciate a selfie of Paul in a cool place. Ugh.

Another problem with social media involves data mining of our thoughts, ideas, comments, preferences, etc. in ways that often surprise people. Ever wonder why an ad for a product you just commented on suddenly appears on the side of your Facebook feed? You don’t really wonder how that happened, right? Does it bother you? I have grown (groan?) accustomed to it.

When people blindly accept the default privacy settings as they sign up for a social media tool ("I'm excited to get started - I'll do that later") they open themselves up to issues they may not foresee. We also need to pay attention to how privacy settings and terms of service agreements change over time, and make sure we are comfortable with where a given tool is headed in regard to how it handles and manages the data it extracts and extrapolates from your interaction.

I wish more people realized that Twitter isn’t just “I just farted!” updates. Sure, there is a lot of that noise out there, but Twitter has proven to be a gold mine for me when I use it as a news and information collating filter. I won’t get into the nuts and bolts of that right here and now, but it’s not too difficult to figure out.

Lastly, a problem… actually, more of a gripe about a certain social media tool I like a lot: Can someone please tell my why the otherwise awesome app that is @Instagram STILL doesn’t implement one of the most basic aspects of social media - SHARING content between users? Why do we need an external app to do this? Can’t those three little dots at the bottom right of each post include a “Repost” feature? ‪#‎instagram‬ ‪#‎ugh‬

Anthropogenic Climate Change?

I wonder how the level of greenhouse gas emissions by cars, trucks, factories (all of the sources traditionally blamed for global climate change) compares to the level emitted by all of the wildfires across the West. And then there is the idea that the wildfires wouldn't be nearly as bad if our National Forests were better managed. Now THAT would be some evidence of anthropogenic climate change.

Motorcycle Tour of Iceland

Check THIS out!

Hypocrisy?

This Will Bend Your Brain

How to Schedule Gmail Messages

I am hesitant to use 3rd-party apps in my Gmail until & unless someone I know has recommended it. Luckily, I keep this page bookmarked for just such an occasion. Let me know what you think of it!

What Happens When You Ignore Your Mom's Texts

Hamburger Meat

THIS says it better than I could ever describe the “picking and pecking and pushing and prodding and poking” that drove me ABSOLUTELY BANANAS in my marriage.

Game-Changer

This is a real game-changer. And by "game," I mean the race-baiting antics and comments of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Eric Holder, and yes, Barack Obama, among many others.

Build a New Model

Ok, we have built a new model of effective and efficient face-to-face, online, and hybrid education. What's our next step toward greater adoption, Mr. Fuller?

Michael Brown Fact & Fiction

Wait, where is the element of institutionalized racism the mass media and protestors have been claiming?

Transparent? Yes, We See Right Through You

Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber was caught bragging about deceiving the American people, who he thinks are stupid.

"… if you had a law which said that healthy people are going to pay in, you made explicit healthy people pay in and sick people get money, [Obamacare] would not have passed. Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical to get for the thing to pass."

UPDATE 11/13/14

Nancy Pelosi doesn't know who Jonathan Gruber is, and has reassured us he didn't help write the Obamacare bill.

I feel better already.

UPDATE 11/14/14

Another video clip has surfaced.

And this one where Gruber confirms Obama was in on the deliberate planning of the deception:

UPDATE 11/15/14

What I see in the video below smells to me like the far-left liberal Marxist tactics exposed in the book "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness."

UPDATE 11/18/14

Former Obama Adviser: Gruber Was 'the Man' on ObamaCare Creation

The Never-Ending TV Company Issue

I don't initiate a support chat in order to receive a sales pitch for a product that isn't marketed toward my best interests. I can't believe in this day and age, we still cannot get TV content a la cart, but instead have to pay for dozens and dozens of channels we will never use, just to get the few we want. Well, at least with the major players we can't. I hate online support chat, but when I do have to enter that realm, I let them have it.

Is Capitalism Environmentally Unsustainable?

Human activity is remaking the face of the Earth: transforming and polluting the landscape, warming the atmosphere and oceans, and causing species to go extinct. The orthodox view among ecologists is that human liberty—more specifically economic activity and free markets—is to blame.

Continue reading here.

Who Are the Racists: Conservatives or Liberals?

The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority

Why ADV/DS Motorcylists Don't Wave At Street Bikers

10. They know you probably don't know what a DS or ADV bike is, anyway.

9. They are too busy thinking of that remote mountain lake they are headed to.

8. They don't want to make you feel jealous for being a pavement slave.

7. They are uncomfortable sitting on that 2X4.

6. They use their helmet visor to assist with a head nod.

5. They feel it's unsafe to wave while popping a wheelie off of the sidewalk.

4. They are too busy anticipating the turnoff onto the gravel road up ahead. The gravel road you just rode past without even noticing. Because you can't ride on gravel.

3. They don't wave to people who can't ride on gravel.

2. They got told once by a certain motorcycle gang member they don't wave at "dirt bike m-fers." You might belong to a motorcycle gang.

1. They are too busy riding their own ride, on any road, trail, or goat track they want to ride on.

No WMDs in Iraq? Really?

Let's see how the media spins and/or ignores this.

One Definition of Creativity

One definition of creativity is the putting together of two previously unrelated things and creating something new.

What I Am Reading

"As I got older my ambition began to boil and my fight with the education system intensified. I wasn't the only one who suffered. I would look around the classroom - in the dismal stillness of a teacher's droned lecture, or worse, as the scratch of pencils made the only sound - to see dozens of kids in slow atrophy. Of course, there were those who didn't mind it, or were too young to question the system, as well as those who seemed to actually thrive in the structure - watching them made me feel all the more dysfunctional. What was it they had that I lacked? However, I wasn't alone in my struggles, and over the years saw many brilliant and creative young minds bounded by walls, rules, conformity, and endless boredom. Artists, musicians, athletes, farmers, and free spirits of every kind of been hammered into submission by and archaic, outdated system. Even today it kills me to watch kids drag through school during the years when they should be out in the world, experiencing and learning. What does education do? As Thoreau famously answered: "'It makes a straight cut ditch out of a free, meandering brook.'"


Can you relate to this? I sure can.

US Government Spending in Real Life

Why I Am So MESSED UP

I have finally figured out why I am so terribly MESSED UP - I read almost all of these books as a kid.

15 Classic Children’s Books That Have Been Banned In America

The Bushbama Twins

I'm adding this to my "Obama Has More In Common Than Contrast With Bush" list.

You Might Be Cool, But…

You might be cool because you wear Sperry Top-Siders, but you're probably not I-relaced-my-Sperry-Top-Siders-with-paracord cool. @sperrytopsider #paracord #shoelacesareforpantywaists

A Million Geocaches In the US!

Not too long ago, we "celebrated" a million geocaches worldwide, and I remember thinking geocaching had grown too mainstream.

Now we have a million caches in the US.

A Comparison Of Army and Marine Recruit Training

I came across some footage that compared Army and Marine Corps recruit training, and decided to chop it up for some back-and-forth comparison fun. Enjoy!

Volcano Eruption in Papua New Guinea

You're going to want to turn your speakers way up to be able to hear the volcano blast in this amazing video.

You're welcome.

Obama Ended the Iraq War!

The Pale Blue Dot

What did I get from this awesome message?

I heard "LOVE CONQUERS ALL."

3 Inspiring Quotes from 3 Inspiring Leaders

I have had numerous reasons and opportunity to be contemplating the idea of leadership over the last few months. What better way to pay it forward than to share a little inspiration that was shared with me?

1. Gunnery Sergeant Merritt, USMC Drill Instructor:

"Someone's gotta transform these useless maggots into Marines. Who better than me?"

2. Captain Pete Graves (RIP), former Marine, Federal Bureau of Prisons FCI Sheridan:

"We didn't hire you to enjoy a soft, easy job. We hired you to earn a living by keeping society safe from convicted felons."

3. Mitch Priestly, CEO New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Beaverton, OR:

"You aren't just professional trainers. You are success facilitators. The people you train will directly benefit from your knowledge, skills, and ability to give them what they need for job success."

American Politics Summed Up In One Joke

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the senator.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”

And with that, St . Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning…Today you voted.”

One of the Quandaries of Our Time

By John F. Di Leo

One of the quandaries of our time is this: why is it that relatively few muslims are jihadist - taking up arms, attacking Christians and Jews, bombing churches, making war on the west, etc. - but virtually none of the billion other muslims on earth ever denounce those who do?

Many assume - or try to convince themselves - that it's because the vast majority completely opposes islamofascist jihadism (even though it's pretty clearly called for in their book), but they stay quiet out of fear. All over the world, the billion moderates are afraid of retaliation from the allegedly miniscule minority of jihadists.

My problem with this is the math. A few dozen jihadists in the USA can't possibly terrorize a million USA muslims into acquiescence on this matter. There must be a different reason.

Here's my theory, though of course I can't be sure... but I'll put it out there and ask what you think...

I think it may be most accurate to compare the way they think of their jihadists with the way we Christians view our religious orders - our priests, ministers, monks, friars, and nuns.

A Christian may not choose to become a priest or nun - you or I may not have any interest in taking the vows and joining that lifestyle himself - but he supports and endorses it fully, and he's GLAD that there are others who are willing to devote their whole lives to the religious life. Other people's kids become priests so that his kids don't have to.

He donates to his church or to his favorite religious order (the Salesian orphanages, the Benedictine monasteries, his local parish), in order to help support those people who are better Christians than he is himself. He's proud of them.

Similarly, a muslim may not choose to make bombs, hijack planes, or lead a paramilitary group in the Afghan desert. It's not his thing. He'd rather act moderate, pretend he's not into such things, have a house in the suburbs and a store or business of his own... and just donate regularly to his local mosque or "Islamic Cultural Center", happy that some of his donation will help support those others who are "better muslims" than he is.

No, this isn't to say that this describes ALL non-terrorist muslims. Obviously there must be some who genuinely are decent, kind people and who disapprove of the "religion-inspired violence" as called for in the quran.

But it's the only explanation I can see for why there are so few in that family of denominations who speak out against it.

Now, that's just a theory. Just my theory. There's no way for me to know if it's right or wrong. And there's no way to tell by taking a survey, because taquiyya would require them to lie and say it's wrong even if it's true.

But I think it's a more logical explanation than the one that says 90% or more of muslims all over the world are afraid of the 10% or less with whom they disagree.

And if I'm right, then there is only one solution: convert them to Christianity, because islam is irredeemable, unreformable, despite the parts of it that are in fact good. The jihadist strain dooms it as a net evil force in the world (along with its core of misogyny, endorsement of slavery, and its extreme violence in its approach to meting out justice)... Christianity admittedly needed reforms by the Renaissance, but I think if I'm right about the heart of islam's universal support for jihadism, it is simply not reformable.

Hope I'm wrong. What do you think?

Orignal Post Here

Nothing To See Here. Move Along…