Confiscation? Because we CAN...

This one came over the transom today, and I have to admit I was NOT aware this had even happened...

From the Cleveland Scene Mag...

Cops Confiscate Lakewood Lady’s Arsenal; Motive Pending

Posted by Kyle Swenson

Francesca Rices' home arsenal including handguns, shotguns, a sniper rifle — plus a Thompson sub-machine gun were confiscated WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE by the Lakewood Police LAST SEPTEMBER!!!

It appears they asked an obliging employee of the complex to open up the apartment without her consent. Once inside, they raided the gun rack, making off with 13 firearms worth around $15,000. The only problem: They had no apparent reason to.

When Rice kindly asked to have her toys returned, the cops acknowledged that the weapons were legally owned. But they refused to return them without a court order. And so Rice has filed suit in Lakewood Municipal Court.

So, basically a year later, and untold $$ later, this lady STILL does not have her weapons back...

And an oh by the way, the lady is a VETERAN!!!

You can read the entire story HERE...

My first question is who told the police what she had? Did the proverbial nosy neighbor make a complaint?  Did a cop on patrol see her taking gun cases in?  

And what happened to the 4th Amendment here?

The takeaway is make SURE your guns are secured, a safe, a lockable cabinet, etc.  Now if you're one of those 'loony tunes' that actually has guns accessible (one in each room), or something crazy like that, I'd make sure they are well concealed (in addition to being readily available).  

For any of you from Cleveland area, have you heard of this, or anything relating to this???  Makes me wonder if I want to actually bring any of my 'good' guns to the shoot this weekend... 

Is this one of the first 'shots' in the "Federal Families" new regulations, since they can't legislate gun bans?  Is this a defacto act under the new DHS homegrown terrorist action???

 And what if they want her to produce sales receipts for the guns?  How many of you have guns you have no receipts for? Family guns, private sales???  What do you do then?

Time to take a hard look at how we store our weapons, and maybe relook at house vs. apartment living...  Just sayin...

Aviators...

An old one, it came around again today, and it's worth posting... 


This was written before there were any female aviators on active duty, so it's not PC, but it DOES apply to aviators PERIOD...

Aviators

Once the wings go on, they never come off whether they can be seen or not.
It fuses to the soul through adversity, fear and adrenaline and no one who has ever worn them with pride, integrity and guts can ever sleep through the `call of the wild` that wafts through bedroom windows in the deep of the night.
When a good pilot leaves the `job' and retires, many are jealous, some are pleased and yet others, who may have already retired, wonder.
We wonder if he knows what he is leaving behind, because we already know.
We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.
We know in the world of flying, there is a fellowship which lasts long after the flight suits are hung up in the back of the closet.
We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life.
We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.
Because we fly, we envy no man on earth.
-Author Unknown

We may have hung up the flight suit, but it's funny how you really CAN spot aviators in a crowd; much like the bond among those that serve in the military regardless of country, there is an understanding and respect among aviators of all generations...

We are coming up on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I would ask that you remember it by flying your flags on your home, your car; hell, stick one on your office wall...

Lets cover the USA with flags like we did after 9/11, and show the world we have NOT forgotten...

Gun Blogger Challenge(s)...

Not one, but TWO blog challenges...


Ambulance Driver, doing a blog challenge for male cancer- HERE and HERE


AND...


Carteach0, doing a blog challenge to support the Wounded Warrior Project- HERE  


Folks, these are BOTH worthy causes, BOTH are donating good stuff from a number of prominent manufacturers, and both of these gents are taking a lot of personal, unpaid time to put these together.  


Jump into the challenges, or just donate, but PLEASE don't just sit on the sidelines on either of these...


Thanks for taking the time to read this, and go check em out... 

Blog Meet follow-up...

I got mine :-)  Thanks to Longhorn Jeff for the infamous "wheelbarrow full of money" us gun bloggers are supposedly getting from the NRA (yeah, right)...


Well, I 'was' going to write a big follow-up on the blog meet, but so many others already did that (and much better than mine, WITH links), I'm just going to link to them :-)  And congratulations to Tam for SIX years of blogging!!!


Midwest Chick, Brigid, Roberta X, Mr. B, and Peter.


One thing the rest of them missed was the waitress moving a table of patrons to "Give us more room", by telling the patrons they might want to move to a 'quieter' table... :-)


Obviously it was NOT that waitress first rodeo with the bloggers!


I'm not saying we were quite as 'loud' as these two, but this is worth watching...


http://www.dogwork.com/relp8/

Jenny & Shirley were elephants at the same circus when Jenny was just a little calf and Shirley was in her 20's. The two lived one winter together, but then were separated 22 years ago. It's very rare for elephants to display this kind of emotion in captivity, and it's probably the first time such an occasion has been documented on film. Just remarkable, absolutely worth the watch, and bring a Kleenex...

h/t to JP

Good Times Were Had...

Just got home from Indy, a real pleasure to finally put faces to blogs, and roughly 20 folks made it.  More later, butt draggin... 

The South, from a Different perspective...

This came from somebody that obviously DIDN'T grow up in the South, and sounds kinda like they weren't real impressed with our flora and fauna...

(Y'all  read this, heah?)

  

A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.

There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in the South.

  

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in the South, plus a couple no-one's seen before.

  

If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha.

Onced and Twiced are words.

  

It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!

  

Jawl-P? means, Did y'all go to the bathroom?

People actually grow,eat and like okra (pronounced "okry").

Fixinto is one word. It means: I'm going to do that.

  

There is no such thing as lunch. There is only dinner and then there's supper.

  

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar. It is referred to as the Wine of the South.

Backwards and forwards means: I know everything about you.

The word jeet is actually a question meaning, 'Did you eat?'

  

You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is, you work until you're done or it's too dark to see.

You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH em.

Ya'll is singular. All ya'll is plural.

All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect, or animal.

You carry jumper cables in your car - for your OWN car.

You own only five spices: salt, pepper, mustard, Tabasco and ketchup.

The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local high school sports, the motor sports, and gossip.

You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

You know what a hissy fit is..

Fried catfish is the other white meat.

We don't need no dang Driver's Ed.  If mama says we can drive, we can drive!!!

And you wonder why 'Hooked on Phonics' doesn't work so well in the South... :-)

Let the PANIC Begin...

Well, here it comes, the second 'disaster' in a week for the DC Metro region...

Panic buying- Check (try finding toilet paper or bottled water, or bread)

Media Hype- Check (including dragging out the 1930-something Hurricane that hit NY and Conn)...

Traffic hosed- Check (including the obligatory beater packed to the gills, weaving in and out of traffic)

Obigatory sob-story interview- Check ("Me and my NINE chirruns don't gots no power, no food, the gubbermint ain't doin nuthin; as her cell phone rings in her Gucci handbag)

Rampant rumormongering- Check

TEOTWAWKI- Two 'disasters' we can't take anymore...

They are gonna turn off power (Ocean City, MD)

They are gonna turn off water (Ocean City, MD)

The Washington Monument is gonna fall over/be blown over.

Washington is gonna flood... (not necessarily a BAD thing... Just sayin)

There gonna be BODIES in the streets (again)

The Republicans did this to hurt the Obamallama- I don't EVEN get this one...  All he's going do is blame it on Bush.

They're going to confiscate guns (DC)

I can't get FILL IN THE BLANK...

Sigh...

The "actual" forcast is for 60% chance of rain Sat starting about noon, 'possible' flooding of low lying areas, 70% chance of rain Sun, with winds to 28kts...

We truly ARE idiots...

Blog Challenge and other things...

First and foremost, Ambulance Driver has a blog challenge post up to benefit Male cancer organizations, go HERE and read the post and sign up. There are some good prizes that have been donated, and they are ALL worth it.  Please take the time to sign up and participate, it IS for a good cause (it's all about keeping our 'bits' working as advertised)... Just sayin...


And I'll play along on the book meme...

Via Mostly Cajun, and a WHOLE bunch of other folks, the NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels with the ones I have read in bold:

1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

3. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card- This SHOULD be required reading for everybody today! It is now on the required reading list for the Military!

4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert Well, I read the original and that was it... Lost interest...

5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin

6. 1984, by George Orwell

7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov

9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan

13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson

15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore

16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov - THIS was one of Isaac's best.

17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss

19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

22. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood

23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King

24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

25. The Stand, by Stephen King

26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

28. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut- Another HARD read...

29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman

30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein

32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey

34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein

35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller

36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne

38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys

39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells

40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny

41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings

42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson

44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven

45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin

46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien  This one was HARD to get through...

47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White

48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

49. Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke

50. Contact, by Carl Sagan

51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons

52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

54. World War Z, by Max Brooks

55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman

57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett - I will be.  I've actually read ALL his books...

58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson

59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold

60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett

61. The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind

63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist

67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks

68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard

69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb

70. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne

73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore

74. Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi- Read all three of his...

75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson

76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

77. The Kushiel’s Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey

78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin

79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson

82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde

83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks

84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart

85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson

86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher

87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe

88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn

89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan

90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock

91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley

93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge

94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov

95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson - And after I was done, my reaction was "Meh."

96. Lucifer’s Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis

98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville

99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony

100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis


I've read over half of them, after all those LOOOOOONG flights are good for something, along with a bunch of nights in hotels...


I also recommend getting an e-reader, as they DO save money, space, and are convenient as hell :-)


But some, like Gaiman, I just can't get into...  Others not on the list, Andre Norton, Spider Robinson, John Ringo, David Drake, and a bunch of others in the long past... 


Sadly, if you gave this list to a teen today, I'd have doubts that they would have read 10 of them...


And if you go over to Kevin's blog Smallest Minority, he's starting his own Top 100 list!    

I'm Awake... I'm Awake!!!

Well, it's pretty bad when we not only get California weather in DC, but we get the earthquakes too!!!

It was a little 5.9er felt like mostly S-waves, and probably lasted 15 seconds...


We were sitting in class (again, dammit), and about 60 miles from the epicenter when it let go.  My coffee cup started dancing, I picked it up, looked across the table at one of the other folks (TAD here from California) who was doing the same thing, and we both said Earthquake at the same time!


The instructor didn't know what to do, so we 'suggested' evacuating, since the building we were in was build in 1938...


We got outside and everyone was trying to figure out if  'something' big blew up (or got hit), or that was REALLY an earthquake...  I sent a quick text to my daughters to let them know no problems, and then watched as everybody tried to use their cells at the same time (and about 1 in 30 actually got through).


As typically happens, the system was overloaded in about a minute, and everybody was getting more and more frustrated.  About 15 minutes later, we go back to class, only to be booted out at 1500, since the powers that be weren't 'sure' the building was safe, AND as we found out, they kicked EVERYFRIGGINBODY loose at the same time... 


Roads were a @#&* mess, it took me 1 1/2 hours to go 16 miles home... sigh...  


And the phones didn't really come back up until about a hour after the quake happened...  Initial reports, no serious injuries, no deaths, we were shaken but not stirred.


AND I got @#^% homework now... sigh


Mudbug made this comment over a Troublesome Times and as far as I'm concerned, he wins the Interwebz today!


I always wondered what would happen if all of the Founding Fathers rolled over in their graves at once... interesting.

How Many Times...

Do we have to 'relearn' this???

"The budget should  be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled,  public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and  controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be  curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt.

People must again  learn to work, instead of  living on public assistance."

-  Cicero - 55 BC 

And a bit of humor to start the week...

Why Some Men Have a Dog And No Wife:                                  

1.   The later you are, the more excited your  dogs are to see you. 2.      Dogs don't notice if you call them by  another dog's name. 3.      Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on  the floor. 4.      A dog's parents never visit. 5.      Dogs agree that you have to raise your  voice to get your point across. 6.      Dogs find you amusing when you're  drunk. 7.      Dogs like to go hunting and fishing. 8.      A dog will not wake you up at night to  ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?” 9.      If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in  the paper and give them away. 10.  If a dog smells another dog on you, they  don't get mad. They just think it's interesting. And last but not least, If a dog leaves, it  won't take half of your stuff.

Random things...

So I was working on my To Do list today...

I dropped by my favorite gun store today to buy ammo, and we got to discussing 'pocket carry', and I think 3/4 of the customers were carrying snubbies...

And there were THREE of us carrying old Colts :-)  The rest, I think all but one were carrying S&W and one lady had a Taurus in her purse. The rest varied from LCR to P-3AT to one older gent with a Browning 1910!!!


So what is YOUR favorite pocket carry or carries as the case may be?


And leaving the gun store I saw a truck with the license plate RED N3K :-) And he had a bumper sticker on the back that said-


Paddle faster I hear BANJOS!!!  :-)


And on a more serious note, Ambulance Driver is posting a blog challenge for all of us to support Prostate Cancer and Testicular Cancer awareness in September.  There will be significant prizes for the winner (trust me on this). You can check out his lead up post HERE.  While "I" will not be wearing a kilt, I will be supporting the effort, and ask all of you to do the same when AD gets the details up.  


For those who don't read AD, he's a good ol' boy from Louisiana, career Paramedic, damn sarcastic, pretty decent shot, and one of the few I call a true friend (in other words, I WOULD put up bail $$)...


I hope each and everyone can take a break from the current insanity at least for a while, and enjoy time with family, at the range, flying, or what ever your 'passion' is... We ALL need a bit of downtime.  

Nothing much to say...

Looks like MORE cuts are coming for the Military...

At what point do we just turn off the lights, close the doors,  and stop being America so that MORE $$ can go to entitlements???


At what point does the Eagle become a Buzzard, picking over the carcass of this once great nation?

Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone...

So...


I'm wasting a couple of weeks attending 'certification' classes in stuff I've been doing for 20 + years, just so I can get a check in the box, since it's now been mandated...


So, Monday morning I go into the 'administration' office and ask what are the requirements to have the classes waived?  Previous qualifications, experience, recommendations???


I get the usual 'form' letter...


So I go back and dig out my original certification from the Navy, my last 8 years worth of job descriptions, etc.


There is a block for 'professional associations', 'continuing education', e.g. the usual BS...  


So today I go in to talk to them on a break, and guess what; I cannot be 'grandfathered' because I don't meet their 'minimum' requirements!!!


So naturally I ask what minimum requirements?


Well, no CE credits in the last 8 years, my certification is too 'old', and my job descriptions are not in the 'proper format' and don't list my duties by primary and secondary requirements.


Say WHAT???  


So I'm told with a straight face- Well, if I'd been a member of the 'organization' for the past 10 years and taken the CE credits, I'd be fine; as they would have accepted my previous designation. And if I had followed their 'recommended' format for job descriptions, it would all be fine.


Soooo... If I had VOLUNTARILY joined your 'organization' (e.g. paid you membership money for 10 years) AND paid your 'organization' (more money) for CE training it would be all good?


And managed to convince the people that I work for that my job descriptions HAD to be formatted in a specific way (that I had never seen and didn't know existed),  that would be okay?


So if I want to protest the lack of grandfathering?


Well, our 'organization' makes those determinations...


Soooo... Since I didn't VOLUNTARILY join an 'organization' that was not required, and use a format that was not required, and the 'organization' has determined that my previous qualification is too old, and there is no protest allowed, and you have managed to weasel your way into this being a mandatory qualification...


I have NO OPTION but to now attend your classes (so you get paid BIG$$)...


Yep, you've created the perfect self-licking ice cream cone...


And she wondered why I walked out of there a tad pissed.


And I've gotta take ANOTHER @#&* class next week!


The inmates and bean counters have TRULY taken over the asylum... 


Howinthehellhavewecometothis? What happened to actually being 'qualified' based on your initial training, ability to do the job, and follow the procedures you were required to use?


If you weren't doing the job, the result was your ass was fired!


Sigh... I'm getting WAY too old for this BS...

Unfrikkinbelievable part whatever!!!

One of however many I feel like driving my BP up with tonight...

Text:

Obama's Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack: "Well, obviously, it's putting people to work. Which is why we're going to have some interesting things in the course of the forum this morning. Later this morning, we're going have a press conference with Secretary Mavis and Secretary Chu to announce something that's never happened in this country -- something that we think is exciting in terms of job growth. I should point out, when you talk about the SNAP program or the food stamp program, you have to recognize that it's also an economic stimulus. Every dollar of SNAP benefits generates $1.84 in the economy in terms of economic activity. If people are able to buy a little more in the grocery store, someone has to stock it, package it, shelve it, process it, ship it. All of those are jobs. It's the most direct stimulus you can get in the economy during these tough times."

Video HERE 

Well, I guess he has the answer:  Put more people out of work so they can go on Food Stamp and we’ll have a remarkable economic recovery.  I’m in utter awe of his intellect!!!  NOT...


And by now everybody has heard of the $1M bus for the Prez...


Except that one is none, so you know damn well they bought TWO (oh wait a minute, there are actually TWO buses in the caravan), make that FOUR buses!!!  


And Marine One plus back-up are within a specific 'range' of the Prez at all times, and Air Force One plus at least one C-17 is sitting somewhere close, plus the advanced parties for each location (each team is 10 plus personnel), and, and, etc...


In other words, this little "poor man's bus tour" is probably costing we the people about $10M...   Bus video HERE


AND the Prez basically said the Republicans are 'treasonous' today, because they are 'holding the US hostage, by playing politics'...


Say WHAT???  Aren't the Democrats doing EXACTLY the same thing???


Sigh...


And now one to piss y'all off :-)  Link HERE

I don't understand, '5 years of supervised release' for Mexican nationals (illegals)

Will it be here?... live on US teat for another 5 years for probation after release?.... or Mexico after deportation? (yea, that's gonna work)

Luis Angel Cruz–Jimenez, 25, a Mexican national, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Cruz–Jimenez will also be required to serve three years of supervised release. He pled guilty on May 3.

Sentenced on July 8 on related drug charges were Mexican nationals

Julio Jimenez–Morales, 30, to 108 months in prison, and Jose Penaloza–Paramo, 30, to 240 months in prison. Both men will be required to serve five years of supervised release following their prison term. Jimenez–Morales was ordered to forfeit $10,000; Penaloza-Paramo, $39,000.

Collado–Rojas was sentenced on July 18 to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Vega–Corona will be required to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

And now that your BP is up about at level of mine, a great little three minute film that gives us hope...


HERE

Remember, tomorrow is hump day, so stay away from male dogs... :-) 

Simple Home Remedies...

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU NEED ONLY TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

By Popular Request...

First ya need a gun...

Oops, gun in too big to fit in any current airplane... Need new airplane...


Hello, Fairchild-Republic?  Yep, remember the P-47 Thunderbolt? Yeah, yeah, can you update that a bit?  Couple of jet engines would be good; yep, tanks and stuff like that...  Uh huh, A10 Thunderbolt works for us, kthxbi. 

NOW we're making progress just design the damn airplane AROUND the gun...

Make it Old School, butt ugly, powerful and with a Titanium Tub for the pilot, just in case...  After all it IS going to be low, slow and shooting at things that CAN shoot back...

And just in case the bad guys get lucky, make everything at least doubly redundant (Old School- Belt AND Suspenders)... and triply redundant on flight control systems two hydraulic and one manual...


Capt. Kim Campbell sustained this damage over Baghdad and flew for another hour before returning to base. Story HERE.  And here's one by Michael Yon.

Get the biggest damn bullet you can, 30mm 6500 grains depleted uranium penetrator and push it real fast... 


Just to put it in perspective, the .223 Rem (M16 rifle round) is fast. It shoots a 55 or so grain bullet at about 3300 feet/sec, give or take. It's the fastest of all those rounds shown (except one). When you move up to the .30 caliber rounds, the bullets jump up in weight to 160-200 grains. Speeds run from about 2600 to 3000 fps or so. 

The .338 Lapua is the king of the sniper rifles these days and shoots a 350 grain bullet at 2800 fps or so. They kill bad guys at over a mile with that one.

The .50 BMG is really big. Ask AEpilot Jim...

Everyone who picks one up thinks it's some sort of fake, unless they know big ammo. It's really huge with a bullet that weighs 750 grains and goes as fast the Lapua.

The bullet for the 30x173 Avenger has an aluminum jacket around a spent uranium core and weighs 6560 grains (yes, over 100 times as heavy as the M16 bullet, and flies through the air at 3500 fps (which is faster than the M16 as well).

The gun shoots at a rate of 4200 rounds per minute. Yes, four thousand. Pilots typically shoot either one- or two-second burst which set loose 70 to 150 rounds. The system is optimized for shooting at 4,000 feet. 

I personally have seen Hog destroy a Soviet T-72 tank with ONE 2 second burst...

How big IS the gun?  Well, here is a PR photo done with an old VW Beetle...

Seven barrels, 112 inches long, total gun length? 19 1/2 feet long... 


Oh yeah, stick a few hard points on the wings too will ya, we 'might' want to carry 'other' things...

And the Air Force Generals hated it, because it was ugly, and the gear wasn't fully retractable, and they kept trying to kill it...  


But the pilots loved it, the maintainers loved it, and they flew the hell out of them, and killed MANY things with them... And the pilots came home almost every time...


And they are STILL being used in combat, and are the ONLY true CAS asset the Air Force has...


h/t WSF

What's Wrong with this Picture???

Anybody see a 'slight' problem with this Logo from the new Dept of Innovation?

If this isn't a classic for the Administration, I don't know what is...

And a little 'humor' for your Friday afternoon...

I OWE MY MOTHER.... 

1.  My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE
     "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2.  My mother taught me RELIGION 
     "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3.  My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL
     "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4.  My mother taught me LOGIC
     "Because I said so, that's why."

5.  My mother taught me MORE LOGIC 
     "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6.  My mother taught me FORESIGHT
     "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7.  My mother taught me IRONY 
     "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8.  My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS
     "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9.  My mother taught me about CONTORTION-ISM
     "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA
      "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about  WEATHER
      "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY
      "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE
      "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
      "Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY
      "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION
      "Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING
     "You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE
      "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP
      "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20.  My mother taught me HUMOR
       "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT
      "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS 
      "You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS
     "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM 
      "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

And my favorite:
25.  My mother taught me about JUSTICE
     "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

But, there is one missing from this list ~~ My personal all time favorite! 

My mother taught me about CHOICE. 
"Do you want me to stop this car?"

I only said yes ONCE...

And couldn't sit down for two days... Sigh...


And lastly, a truly GOOD story concerning guns and Marines-  HERE