Barry Gates was a guy larger than life. If you needed a shirt, he'd pull his off and give it to you. If you had a problem, he'd listen...and on some occasions, and deciding if he knew you well enough to offer a suggestion, he'd give you a pearl of wisdom.
The world lost Barry this week. And that incident also almost claimed his almost ex-wife and a particular suiter, who's learned an important lesson about dating married/but seperated women.
(On a personal note, I learned that lesson at the end of a shotgun some 20 years ago).
Barry and his soon-to-be ex-wife had both done okay with the seperation (so we thought) and I almost thought they'd gotten thru this rough patch and were on the way to becoming friends who had once been married.
That picture was shattered in the morning air of Oct. 27th.
Noone but his wife truly knows what triggered the events that morning, but the aftermath of the raw emotions left Barry with few choices. He ultimately made one, and I, as well as his many, many friends, feel cheated with the one he chose.
I pray for his wife in this time. She, too, has to be a sea of emotions and questions, and I hope she gets it all sorted out and can arrive on the other side without any lasting emotional marks or scars.
And Barry, ride on, man. Ride on. You'll be very missed on this side, friend.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Every once in awhile, somebody hits one outta the park
Tom, you're to be commended with that honor this week.
Evolving or devolving
What a fantastic summing up of where I , and many more, see the country's generations going.
Evolving or devolving
What a fantastic summing up of where I , and many more, see the country's generations going.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
HR 45 ...a precursor to the future of Gun Ownership in America
I've started reading quite a bit about HR 45, and the conditions that it's proponents will impose on those who wish to retain their firearms.
Some of those conditions are :
* H.R. 45 would require a federal license for all handguns and semiautomatics, including those you currently possess.
* It would require handgun and semi-auto owners to be thumbprinted at the police station and to sign a certificate that, effectively, the firearm will not be kept in a place where it would be available for the defense of the gun owner’s family.
The first thing that grabs my attention is the blatant attempt to trample the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The second thing that is infringed is the obvious attempt to undermine the 2nd Amendment, despite clarification of Parker Vs. DC, and a more recent ruling --clarification by the court in Heller vs. DC.
Other portions of HR 45:
* the applicant must also make available ALL of his psychiatric records, pass an exam, and pay a fee.
*In addition, the bill would make it unlawful in virtually all cases to keep any loaded firearm for self-defense. A variety of “crimes by omission” (such as failure to report certain things to the government) would be created.
*Criminal penalties of up to ten years and virtually unlimited regulatory and inspection authority would be established.
*Combined with the Ammunition Accountability effort to outlaw ammunition in numerous states, this two-pronged attack would soon make gun ownership a thing of the past.
So, if you're smart enough to figure this out, you've already connected the dots and figured out that they already know that a single effort to collect these firearms will be ill-advised , to say the least. Probable repercussions could amass 200 "Ruby's Ridge" incidents in the first day, (That's certainly where it would escalate on my property) so they've figured out that they'll have to regulate and tax it away, and pick off those in noncompliance, one at a time . It's a very targeted way of being able to point out that any resistance isn't meeting the "letter of the new laws" instead of triggering so much carnage with a single grab, which would ultimately culminate in a bloodbath.
The good news is that many who voted for this Chicago thug are now recoiling in horror , having seen his true intent. My neighbor to the east is a true blue Democrat liberal. But even he embraces his shotguns and pistols as a constitutionally insured right. The difference is going to be all of the supporters of the 2nd Amendment, regardless of party affiliation, banding together to end this insanity.
The alternative , sadly (and Congress should be listening with both ears and an amplifier)is an outright assault on Congressional efforts that will infringe upon that right. And as one sign at the 9/12 assembly indicated... "We left our guns at home...this time".
Read more
Update: Thanks to the huge interest in this posting. I'm getting 300 hits a day on this story alone. I've cleared the counter three times so far.
Some of those conditions are :
* H.R. 45 would require a federal license for all handguns and semiautomatics, including those you currently possess.
* It would require handgun and semi-auto owners to be thumbprinted at the police station and to sign a certificate that, effectively, the firearm will not be kept in a place where it would be available for the defense of the gun owner’s family.
The first thing that grabs my attention is the blatant attempt to trample the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The second thing that is infringed is the obvious attempt to undermine the 2nd Amendment, despite clarification of Parker Vs. DC, and a more recent ruling --clarification by the court in Heller vs. DC.
Other portions of HR 45:
* the applicant must also make available ALL of his psychiatric records, pass an exam, and pay a fee.
*In addition, the bill would make it unlawful in virtually all cases to keep any loaded firearm for self-defense. A variety of “crimes by omission” (such as failure to report certain things to the government) would be created.
*Criminal penalties of up to ten years and virtually unlimited regulatory and inspection authority would be established.
*Combined with the Ammunition Accountability effort to outlaw ammunition in numerous states, this two-pronged attack would soon make gun ownership a thing of the past.
So, if you're smart enough to figure this out, you've already connected the dots and figured out that they already know that a single effort to collect these firearms will be ill-advised , to say the least. Probable repercussions could amass 200 "Ruby's Ridge" incidents in the first day, (That's certainly where it would escalate on my property) so they've figured out that they'll have to regulate and tax it away, and pick off those in noncompliance, one at a time . It's a very targeted way of being able to point out that any resistance isn't meeting the "letter of the new laws" instead of triggering so much carnage with a single grab, which would ultimately culminate in a bloodbath.
The good news is that many who voted for this Chicago thug are now recoiling in horror , having seen his true intent. My neighbor to the east is a true blue Democrat liberal. But even he embraces his shotguns and pistols as a constitutionally insured right. The difference is going to be all of the supporters of the 2nd Amendment, regardless of party affiliation, banding together to end this insanity.
The alternative , sadly (and Congress should be listening with both ears and an amplifier)is an outright assault on Congressional efforts that will infringe upon that right. And as one sign at the 9/12 assembly indicated... "We left our guns at home...this time".
Read more
Update: Thanks to the huge interest in this posting. I'm getting 300 hits a day on this story alone. I've cleared the counter three times so far.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Hold that Fork
Reasons why America may not be done yet:
(as researched and posted by John, over at Powerline.
Despite the recession, by about 50 to 40 percent Americans continue to prefer smaller government with fewer services to larger government with more services (June ABC/Washington Post and CBS/New York Times polls). ...
A 58 to 35 percent majority say keep the budget deficit down even if it takes longer for the economy to recover (NBC/WSJ June). A 53 to 33 percent majority oppose more government regulation of the finance sector (Rasmussen October).
As Europeanizing policies receive more attention they become less popular. June's 50 to 45 percent approval of Democratic health care proposals morphs to a similar margin of disapproval in October (Rasmussen). And satisfaction with one's own health care arrangements rises from 29 percent in 2008 and 35 percent in May 2009 to 48 percent in August (Rasmussen again).
European elites support gun control and curbs on carbon emissions almost unanimously. Americans don't -- and are moving in the other direction. Support for a handgun ban has fallen from 60 percent in 1960 and 43 percent in the early 1990s to 29 percent in May 2009 (Gallup). By a 48 to 34 percent margin Americans believe global warming is caused by long-term planetary trends rather than human activity (Rasmussen April); in 2008 it was almost exactly the other way around. ...
Gallup reports that 39 percent of Americans this year say their views have grown more conservative, while only 18 percent say they have become more liberal.
Thanks for the research, John. I believe you are definitely onto something.
Given the devil they knew, compared to the devil who promised everything...Americans fell for it once. But as with Carter The First, they realize the error of their ways, and the recoil is decided and telling.
(as researched and posted by John, over at Powerline.
Despite the recession, by about 50 to 40 percent Americans continue to prefer smaller government with fewer services to larger government with more services (June ABC/Washington Post and CBS/New York Times polls). ...
A 58 to 35 percent majority say keep the budget deficit down even if it takes longer for the economy to recover (NBC/WSJ June). A 53 to 33 percent majority oppose more government regulation of the finance sector (Rasmussen October).
As Europeanizing policies receive more attention they become less popular. June's 50 to 45 percent approval of Democratic health care proposals morphs to a similar margin of disapproval in October (Rasmussen). And satisfaction with one's own health care arrangements rises from 29 percent in 2008 and 35 percent in May 2009 to 48 percent in August (Rasmussen again).
European elites support gun control and curbs on carbon emissions almost unanimously. Americans don't -- and are moving in the other direction. Support for a handgun ban has fallen from 60 percent in 1960 and 43 percent in the early 1990s to 29 percent in May 2009 (Gallup). By a 48 to 34 percent margin Americans believe global warming is caused by long-term planetary trends rather than human activity (Rasmussen April); in 2008 it was almost exactly the other way around. ...
Gallup reports that 39 percent of Americans this year say their views have grown more conservative, while only 18 percent say they have become more liberal.
Thanks for the research, John. I believe you are definitely onto something.
Given the devil they knew, compared to the devil who promised everything...Americans fell for it once. But as with Carter The First, they realize the error of their ways, and the recoil is decided and telling.
Spc. Stephan Mace is buried at Arlington Cemetery
Specialist Stephan Mace will be buried today in Arlington National Cemetery.
Mace and seven other soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack on their remote outpost in Afghanistan. They were all members of the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Mace had a dream of joining the Army. He told his mother that he would continue his service after his Army stint by joining the Department of Homeland Security or the CIA.
"It was great to the see the kids and the families stand there and when the motorcade crossed the crest of the hill [into town] it was just silence.... It was holy," said Purcellville Mayor Robert Lazaro. "I think we wanted to say to the Mace family, 'Thank you. We respect what your son has done for us.' "
He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart posthumously.
Mace and seven other soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack on their remote outpost in Afghanistan. They were all members of the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Mace had a dream of joining the Army. He told his mother that he would continue his service after his Army stint by joining the Department of Homeland Security or the CIA.
"It was great to the see the kids and the families stand there and when the motorcade crossed the crest of the hill [into town] it was just silence.... It was holy," said Purcellville Mayor Robert Lazaro. "I think we wanted to say to the Mace family, 'Thank you. We respect what your son has done for us.' "
He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart posthumously.
Friday, October 16, 2009
AlGore Rhythm..
Wow. Seems that Al Gore should market his inate ability to lower temperatures 20 degrees with the mere announcement that he'll be visiting a location.
He plans to come to Va to sell Mr. Deeds ..and it drops 30 degrees below our average temp for this time of year.
VV covered it first.... I'm just agreeing.
He plans to come to Va to sell Mr. Deeds ..and it drops 30 degrees below our average temp for this time of year.
VV covered it first.... I'm just agreeing.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
What went wrong with Democrats?
I'm old enough to remember Tip O'neil. The man could roast you on the floor of the Congress, and not ten minutes later, he'd invite you to imbibe with him. He didn't dislike his counterparts....he disagreed with them on ideology.
And at the heart of it all, he loved his country. He wanted what he believed to be the best for it. We disagreed on policy, but never on principle.
I tripped across Zell Miller's speech to the RNC from 2004. I was reminded that he was from the old guard....Democrats who genuinely loved their country...and never apologized for it. Watch this and tell me that today's Democrats haven't become all-out socialists and whiners....by comparison to the last generation of true Statesmen like Miller, who served his country as a Marine, and then came home to serve again as the people's representative.
Listen carefully to every word. Look past the lame partisan argument (which is the first proof of exactly what he's referencing)and listen to his pride and confidence in the missions we've accomplished. He's not apologetic for these efforts. He's proud of our intervention in matters that needed to be addressed. This is the stuff that made us great, and the defenders of the downtrodden and oppressed.
Zell Miller, American Defender and Democrat.
And at the heart of it all, he loved his country. He wanted what he believed to be the best for it. We disagreed on policy, but never on principle.
I tripped across Zell Miller's speech to the RNC from 2004. I was reminded that he was from the old guard....Democrats who genuinely loved their country...and never apologized for it. Watch this and tell me that today's Democrats haven't become all-out socialists and whiners....by comparison to the last generation of true Statesmen like Miller, who served his country as a Marine, and then came home to serve again as the people's representative.
Listen carefully to every word. Look past the lame partisan argument (which is the first proof of exactly what he's referencing)and listen to his pride and confidence in the missions we've accomplished. He's not apologetic for these efforts. He's proud of our intervention in matters that needed to be addressed. This is the stuff that made us great, and the defenders of the downtrodden and oppressed.
Zell Miller, American Defender and Democrat.
Friday, October 9, 2009
A DECADE????!!!!!
Today is my 10th Wedding Anniversary. There was a woman who'd put up with me for a decade after all.
Judy is a saint. She's the love of my life. We exchanged cards this morning, and they were just about identical.
She takes my involvement in the political world in stride. She allows me to be...me.
Thank you for a fast and fun ten years, Judy.
I'm ready to do this five or ten more times...mmmkay??
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Breakfast with a Champion!
Bob McDonnell was impressive this morning. His vision for the transportation initiatives is well defined - despite what his opposition says. Read some of the 12 points here.
Basically, Deeds admitted (practically verbatim) that his first action as Governor would be to put together a plan.
Just as he admitted to having to raise taxes after he also promised not to -- Deeds was like a doe in the headlights in his performance and seemed to be spooked by the fact that McDonnell was even in the room...albeit that this debate did not pit them in head-on exchanges, as Fairfax did...
Deeds made an awful lot of noise about creating jobs...when every business owner in the room (this was a Chamber of Commerce event)already knew that another democrat is forcing Cap and Trade down their throats ...and that the end result of that legislation, should it pass... would rip jobs from the Commonwealth in massive numbers as small entrepenuers who are just hanging on will have to close their doors ...since they can't ask the already strained customers for more money in rates and materials.
Seems like just one more democrat who's so far out of touch with the very people who carry the state's largest freight. And that's enough reason to get him and Kaine as far away from the driver's seat as is possible.
Update: I've been bombarded with excellent McDonnell commercials. The one where the women tell us exactly how friendly he is to working women (having appointed 50% of his deputies as women) is especially enjoyed. I also like the one where the women in his life tell how he has influenced their rise to their accomplishments.
Deeds, on the other hand has gone negative, made up imagined scenarios and reached into thin air for solutions. In his course, he's thrown Obama, Kaine and Warner under the bus...and appears to want to go back in time to Baliles' policies instead of grasping the 21st century solutions that McDonnel is pointing out.
Basically, Deeds admitted (practically verbatim) that his first action as Governor would be to put together a plan.
Just as he admitted to having to raise taxes after he also promised not to -- Deeds was like a doe in the headlights in his performance and seemed to be spooked by the fact that McDonnell was even in the room...albeit that this debate did not pit them in head-on exchanges, as Fairfax did...
Deeds made an awful lot of noise about creating jobs...when every business owner in the room (this was a Chamber of Commerce event)already knew that another democrat is forcing Cap and Trade down their throats ...and that the end result of that legislation, should it pass... would rip jobs from the Commonwealth in massive numbers as small entrepenuers who are just hanging on will have to close their doors ...since they can't ask the already strained customers for more money in rates and materials.
Seems like just one more democrat who's so far out of touch with the very people who carry the state's largest freight. And that's enough reason to get him and Kaine as far away from the driver's seat as is possible.
Update: I've been bombarded with excellent McDonnell commercials. The one where the women tell us exactly how friendly he is to working women (having appointed 50% of his deputies as women) is especially enjoyed. I also like the one where the women in his life tell how he has influenced their rise to their accomplishments.
Deeds, on the other hand has gone negative, made up imagined scenarios and reached into thin air for solutions. In his course, he's thrown Obama, Kaine and Warner under the bus...and appears to want to go back in time to Baliles' policies instead of grasping the 21st century solutions that McDonnel is pointing out.
Please volunteer at the phone banks
Just an hour or two. There are pre-arranged and volunteered phone lines waiting to be utilized. Do NOT think this thing is in the bag.
There are three kinds of volunteers, folks.
There are the volunteers that work, push, and demand that things happen.
There are volunteers who wait to see WHAT happens.
And there are volunteers who sleep thru it all, wake up and wonder "what happened"?
Don't be either of the last two. You are the key to this win. Give, if even modestly, of your time and beliefs and fill these phone banks. The more voters we reach, the bigger the win!!
Loudoun is prime fighting ground, and will be the reason one or the other claims the office of Governor. You will have been instrumental in that win. It's "bragging rights".
Leesburg Victory Office
312-C East Market Street
Leesburg, VA 20176
Field Director: Nate Parsons
(804) 525-8198
nparsons@rpv.org
Ashburn Victory Office
44330 Premier Plaza, Suite 100
Ashburn, VA 20147
Field Director: Kyle Kunkler
(804) 814-0731
kkunkler@rpv.org
Office Hours for Both Locations:
Monday- Friday, 9:00AM-9:00PM
Saturday, 10AM-5PM
Sunday, 3:00PM-6:00PM
There are three kinds of volunteers, folks.
There are the volunteers that work, push, and demand that things happen.
There are volunteers who wait to see WHAT happens.
And there are volunteers who sleep thru it all, wake up and wonder "what happened"?
Don't be either of the last two. You are the key to this win. Give, if even modestly, of your time and beliefs and fill these phone banks. The more voters we reach, the bigger the win!!
Loudoun is prime fighting ground, and will be the reason one or the other claims the office of Governor. You will have been instrumental in that win. It's "bragging rights".
Leesburg Victory Office
312-C East Market Street
Leesburg, VA 20176
Field Director: Nate Parsons
(804) 525-8198
nparsons@rpv.org
Ashburn Victory Office
44330 Premier Plaza, Suite 100
Ashburn, VA 20147
Field Director: Kyle Kunkler
(804) 814-0731
kkunkler@rpv.org
Office Hours for Both Locations:
Monday- Friday, 9:00AM-9:00PM
Saturday, 10AM-5PM
Sunday, 3:00PM-6:00PM
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