Monday, June 27, 2016
Vampires move in daylight.....proof!
It's moving day at my oldest's house. The Adorable One, as I've suspected for some time, is a vampire. You can see the moving boxes in the background, I just hope they brought enough movers......
Sunday, June 26, 2016
The nights early impediments to sleep, just for the electrical geeks among you.
Normal ECG, Lead 2:
The pattern my little nodes in my left ventricle are choosing to go with tonight, perhaps in celebration of Mose Allison:
I'm not sure if I need a good alto or soprano in there.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Continental Divide
Recently I went for a drive just west of here on a secondary road that goes from near Anaconda over a pass in the Anaconda-Pintlar mountain range to the Big Hole river. The same area that I did a post about catching brookies for breakfast.
At the top of the pass a series of small springs in the mountainside form a series of beaver dams.
At this point the road above and these ponds is pointed north and south. At both ends of the series of beaver dams the ponds drain, forming small creeks. The one that flows north goes perhaps 15 miles becoming Warm Springs creek along the way.
It empties into the Clark Fork of the Columbia, then flows west and north.
Perhaps 300 miles later it joins the main stem of the Columbia.
Along the way it goes through a series of dams, mostly hydro-electric. The dams are the source of most electricity in this part of the country. If I were more poetic I'd say the water from those beaver dams are powering my laptop. Eventually the Columbia joins the Pacific at Astoria
Back to the beaver dams.....the water flowing south goes through a lovely valley, becoming larger along the way thanks to other springs and small creeks.
It joins the Big Hole river and flows generally east and south.
The Big Hole is joined by other rivers and creeks, the Beaverhead and others. These flow into the Jefferson, continuing it's journey east.
The Jefferson after many miles eventually joins the Missouri.
The Missouri at this point is crystal-clear most of the time, with some very large trout. The river wends it's way across the nation, going east and south. Along it's hundreds and hundreds of miles water is taken out for agri-business large farms, and receives water from many other rivers. Eventually it reaches St. Louis.
As you know the Missouri joins the Mississippi, and eventually the water, or at least a few drops of it, hears the music of New Orleans before it goes out into the Gulf, past the oil rigs.
All from here, east and west:
At the top of the pass a series of small springs in the mountainside form a series of beaver dams.
At this point the road above and these ponds is pointed north and south. At both ends of the series of beaver dams the ponds drain, forming small creeks. The one that flows north goes perhaps 15 miles becoming Warm Springs creek along the way.
It empties into the Clark Fork of the Columbia, then flows west and north.
Perhaps 300 miles later it joins the main stem of the Columbia.
Along the way it goes through a series of dams, mostly hydro-electric. The dams are the source of most electricity in this part of the country. If I were more poetic I'd say the water from those beaver dams are powering my laptop. Eventually the Columbia joins the Pacific at Astoria
Back to the beaver dams.....the water flowing south goes through a lovely valley, becoming larger along the way thanks to other springs and small creeks.
It joins the Big Hole river and flows generally east and south.
The Big Hole is joined by other rivers and creeks, the Beaverhead and others. These flow into the Jefferson, continuing it's journey east.
The Jefferson after many miles eventually joins the Missouri.
The Missouri at this point is crystal-clear most of the time, with some very large trout. The river wends it's way across the nation, going east and south. Along it's hundreds and hundreds of miles water is taken out for agri-business large farms, and receives water from many other rivers. Eventually it reaches St. Louis.
As you know the Missouri joins the Mississippi, and eventually the water, or at least a few drops of it, hears the music of New Orleans before it goes out into the Gulf, past the oil rigs.
All from here, east and west:
Friday, June 17, 2016
How it can actually be done....The Trump Muslim Doctrine
It's been more than a few months since CNN reported: "Trump told Yahoo News that he would consider requiring Muslim-Americans to register with a government database, or worse, mandating that they carry special identification cards that note their faith."
It can be done, actually. What I'm calling the Trump Mandate, if he becomes president of the US.
Since that time, he's also proposed banning any Muslim into the country. This too is possible. Within our capabilities.
First, let's set some assumptions I'm using. Statistics are not easily verified here, because thus far we haven't been using religion as a criteria to classify people and their data. Well, that will change. But, here goes:
Number of Muslims citizens of the United States: 3.1-3.8 million. The statistics vary as one counts ages starting earlier than others (1 year vs 18). They generally consist of 65-57% immigrants vs born here. Oh, and the time it took those immigrants to go from first applying to being accepted, after interview and investigation? Two years.
The number of Muslim students, other that are here on various visas: very difficult to verify, best guess around 100,000 K. Most paying full tuition, room and board. The estimated loss to Universities is around a billion. But no exceptions, remember.
The number of Muslims in the US Military, around 5,000. A sticky wicket for those now stationed abroad trying to come home, and even more for their families who have already been taken into custody.
Which is what we are going to do to every Muslim we can identify.
The concept behind the Trump Muslim Doctrine, as I understand it, is that if we eliminate the 'Muslim Problem' in the US, we'll eliminate domestic terrorism. The issue with the 'Muslim Problem' is they (Muslims, you know, the guy down the street, etc) really don't like us, and for some reason want to kill us all. Grudgingly, Mr. Trump acknowledges that not every Muslim is a terrorist, but it's impossible to tell the difference, so we gotta do what we gotta do. Lock every damn one of them up.
This is the assumption, and we're goin' with it, at least for the purposes of this little screed.
3.3 or so of those 4 million are United States Citizens, either by birth or naturalization. This is not an insurmountable problem; during the internment of the Japanese Americans during WW2, a majority were citizens. So there is some precedent. Yeah, we didn't do the same with the Germans, but hey! They were white, kind of looked like the rest of us,you know, etc......
It's also important to realize no Muslim is 'immune', in other words, like Caesar's wife, no one is above suspicion. Witness the the Army major who killed soldiers at Ft. Hood. Military Muslims can't be trusted any more than any other one. No status matters here, we will find hundreds, if not thousands, that are members of the polices, law enforcement, public safety and fire departments that are Muslims. This must be ignored, Mr. Trump would not want it considered that just because they are doctors or CIA operatives, they can be trusted. Hell, in fact there are now two high level TSA executives that are Muslim. They'll be the first in handcuffs, for sure.
Ok, so best guess scenario is we have around 4 million, give or take a few hundred thousand to deal with. Let's say 4.5 million. The size of what.....Denver and the surrounding area? NYC minus the Bronx and East end? The states of Montana, Idaho and most of Washington? Lotta people, and we've let them get scattered across the whole damn country.
So, it's the internet age, instant news, social media stuff, etc. People find out things quickly, eh? What we're proposing, the rounding up and incarceration of a ton of people requires planning. Because seriously, if we're doing this, and word gets out, those many Muslim cells we know must be operating, on your very block perhaps, won't wait to see what happens. They'll vanish into the woodwork.
In other words, we gotta round them up, and quickly. I'm talking black helicopters hovering in your neighborhood. Troops on the ground. There is only one way to do this, regrettable but necessary. The President and Congress must rescind or block the Posse Comitatus Act. At once.
Only our military has the organization and wherewithal to do the regrettable act of finding these people, whether single or families, and confining them. And it make no difference what their profession, be it military, government, religious or medical. All must be confined until it can be verified they pose no threat to our safety. The students in our universities would I imagine, willing pay a 'exit fee' to be back to their countries. Win win, right?
Now, to house these hordes, we must have areas, confines, camps to hold them safely away from us. We have some experience to draw on, the Japanese Internment Act, whereby US citizens were taken from their homes, confined to small guarded areas, and held for years. It was done before, we can do it again. And imagine the boom in the construction industry! The benefits of this stretch the imagination, eh? Land, otherwise thought of as arid and uninhabitable can be used, water, food, well we'll work that out as it goes, eh? It's all doable. The transportation probably could be done by rail, the Germans had some success with this method in the 30's.
It will take some time after this has happened to sort it all out; the FBI must investigate these millions, they have the most experience, we could set a standard such as....someone applying for Top Secret clearance, something like that. I imagine with the current staff the FBI could do that within a matter of decades. The Muslim children we could perhaps deal with as we did the Native American children in the late 1800's and early to mid 1900's....have schools for them, boarding schools, where their nasty ethnic habits could be erased and replaced with good American Values. Their parents, while the waiting period is happening might be employed in different tasks that our many corporations now ship overseas, manufacturing, things could be done here for the same wage we're paying the Thai 9 year old. We could bring manufacturing jobs home, just as Mr. Trump promises!! Man, win win.
My, what a happy scenario.
As to a philosophy that might satisfy the American Moral standard, a bar seeming to lower by the second, a precedent has in fact been set, years ago, and even written down. It was called the Wannasee Protocol, written in 1942. It's a document I can easily imagine Mr. Trump's signature upon.
So, his wishes could be done, were the American people wish it. It's doable, folks. In fact, there are apparently millions of you right this minute willing to go along with it.
Just havin' a little fun here, folks.
Right?
It can be done, actually. What I'm calling the Trump Mandate, if he becomes president of the US.
Since that time, he's also proposed banning any Muslim into the country. This too is possible. Within our capabilities.
First, let's set some assumptions I'm using. Statistics are not easily verified here, because thus far we haven't been using religion as a criteria to classify people and their data. Well, that will change. But, here goes:
Number of Muslims citizens of the United States: 3.1-3.8 million. The statistics vary as one counts ages starting earlier than others (1 year vs 18). They generally consist of 65-57% immigrants vs born here. Oh, and the time it took those immigrants to go from first applying to being accepted, after interview and investigation? Two years.
The number of Muslim students, other that are here on various visas: very difficult to verify, best guess around 100,000 K. Most paying full tuition, room and board. The estimated loss to Universities is around a billion. But no exceptions, remember.
The number of Muslims in the US Military, around 5,000. A sticky wicket for those now stationed abroad trying to come home, and even more for their families who have already been taken into custody.
Which is what we are going to do to every Muslim we can identify.
The concept behind the Trump Muslim Doctrine, as I understand it, is that if we eliminate the 'Muslim Problem' in the US, we'll eliminate domestic terrorism. The issue with the 'Muslim Problem' is they (Muslims, you know, the guy down the street, etc) really don't like us, and for some reason want to kill us all. Grudgingly, Mr. Trump acknowledges that not every Muslim is a terrorist, but it's impossible to tell the difference, so we gotta do what we gotta do. Lock every damn one of them up.
This is the assumption, and we're goin' with it, at least for the purposes of this little screed.
3.3 or so of those 4 million are United States Citizens, either by birth or naturalization. This is not an insurmountable problem; during the internment of the Japanese Americans during WW2, a majority were citizens. So there is some precedent. Yeah, we didn't do the same with the Germans, but hey! They were white, kind of looked like the rest of us,you know, etc......
It's also important to realize no Muslim is 'immune', in other words, like Caesar's wife, no one is above suspicion. Witness the the Army major who killed soldiers at Ft. Hood. Military Muslims can't be trusted any more than any other one. No status matters here, we will find hundreds, if not thousands, that are members of the polices, law enforcement, public safety and fire departments that are Muslims. This must be ignored, Mr. Trump would not want it considered that just because they are doctors or CIA operatives, they can be trusted. Hell, in fact there are now two high level TSA executives that are Muslim. They'll be the first in handcuffs, for sure.
Ok, so best guess scenario is we have around 4 million, give or take a few hundred thousand to deal with. Let's say 4.5 million. The size of what.....Denver and the surrounding area? NYC minus the Bronx and East end? The states of Montana, Idaho and most of Washington? Lotta people, and we've let them get scattered across the whole damn country.
So, it's the internet age, instant news, social media stuff, etc. People find out things quickly, eh? What we're proposing, the rounding up and incarceration of a ton of people requires planning. Because seriously, if we're doing this, and word gets out, those many Muslim cells we know must be operating, on your very block perhaps, won't wait to see what happens. They'll vanish into the woodwork.
In other words, we gotta round them up, and quickly. I'm talking black helicopters hovering in your neighborhood. Troops on the ground. There is only one way to do this, regrettable but necessary. The President and Congress must rescind or block the Posse Comitatus Act. At once.
Only our military has the organization and wherewithal to do the regrettable act of finding these people, whether single or families, and confining them. And it make no difference what their profession, be it military, government, religious or medical. All must be confined until it can be verified they pose no threat to our safety. The students in our universities would I imagine, willing pay a 'exit fee' to be back to their countries. Win win, right?
Now, to house these hordes, we must have areas, confines, camps to hold them safely away from us. We have some experience to draw on, the Japanese Internment Act, whereby US citizens were taken from their homes, confined to small guarded areas, and held for years. It was done before, we can do it again. And imagine the boom in the construction industry! The benefits of this stretch the imagination, eh? Land, otherwise thought of as arid and uninhabitable can be used, water, food, well we'll work that out as it goes, eh? It's all doable. The transportation probably could be done by rail, the Germans had some success with this method in the 30's.
It will take some time after this has happened to sort it all out; the FBI must investigate these millions, they have the most experience, we could set a standard such as....someone applying for Top Secret clearance, something like that. I imagine with the current staff the FBI could do that within a matter of decades. The Muslim children we could perhaps deal with as we did the Native American children in the late 1800's and early to mid 1900's....have schools for them, boarding schools, where their nasty ethnic habits could be erased and replaced with good American Values. Their parents, while the waiting period is happening might be employed in different tasks that our many corporations now ship overseas, manufacturing, things could be done here for the same wage we're paying the Thai 9 year old. We could bring manufacturing jobs home, just as Mr. Trump promises!! Man, win win.
My, what a happy scenario.
As to a philosophy that might satisfy the American Moral standard, a bar seeming to lower by the second, a precedent has in fact been set, years ago, and even written down. It was called the Wannasee Protocol, written in 1942. It's a document I can easily imagine Mr. Trump's signature upon.
So, his wishes could be done, were the American people wish it. It's doable, folks. In fact, there are apparently millions of you right this minute willing to go along with it.
Just havin' a little fun here, folks.
Right?
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Thoroughly Long Ago Thursday
Sent by my oldest recently from an old box of photo's. I think I remember the circumstances, but they are not going here. It has to do with a converted Minesweeper on a evening trip from Cavite to Manila.
1968
Sunday, June 12, 2016
A reprint, and an excuse for not reading the following rant
Brushes with fame
I was writing someone recently, and an occurrence that I hadn't thought about in years was brought up. So I thought I'd do a post about this kind of thing, and perhaps you've had similar ones. If so, I'd like to hear about it.
Ken Kesey
1970
I was going to school at Portland State University. A day or so after the infamous Kent State shootings PSU, like many other universities across the US, was shut down by protests. Barricades were made at the entrances from park benches, garbage cans and other things scavenged by the protesters. A day later marches occurred, I went on one to the city hall, but on the first day the school was closed I didn't want to deal with the protest. I was active in the local group of VVAW, and most of us felt the same way. We didn't trust ourselves to be non-violent.
So what did I do? I went fishing, of course. I got up early, went through downtown Portland, past PSU where I gave the protesters manning the barricades a mail-fist salute, and headed west. I thought I'd see if there was any spring cutthroat action on the Siletz River. Once I got there, I headed upriver, winding my Land Cruiser around the curves, and suddenly saw a house where none had been before. And a bunch of people, and weird looking equipment. It was a movie set! So I pulled over and parked in a dirt pull out area, got out and was watching the action.
I was standing there gawping, just another long haired, bearded guy, when this stocky, curly-haired, bald on top guy came up to me. I asked him what this was about, he told me that they were filming a movie. He said that it was titled "Never Give An Inch", though this was later changed to "Sometimes A Great Notion", like the book. Of course, it was Ken Kesey.
Then he said something that rather startled me: "Want to go smoke a joint with Paul Newman?" I must have looked like a deer in the headlights, but I replied that sure, don't mind if I do. We walked a short distance to a trailer, went in, and there was Paul Newman, sitting on a sofa. I was offered a can of Coors, sat and listened to them talk for a minute, then left when they had to get to work. The joint was never forthcoming, but hey, I got a can of beer.
Paul Newman was the more famous of the two, but what I'll always remember is meeting Ken Kesey.
Jean Saubert
Ms. Saubert was a great skiier, winning two Olympic medals in 1964, a bronze and silver. She was from Lakeview, Oregon, and skiied at Mt. Batchelor, near Bend, where I lived at the time. I learned to ski at Batchelor, and by the time I was a Junior in High School, I was a part-time instructor in Jack Meissner's Ski School, teaching on weekends. I was a good skiier, but at that time two female classmates were in a class of their own: Kiki Cutter, who went on to be on the Olympic team, and marry the team coach, Bob Beattie, and Karen Skjersaa, a wonderful downhiller. I knew two females who were much better than me, so I shoulda known better.....
I don't remember the exact date, except it was the winter of 1963, and a weekend. My brother-in-law and my sister and I had gone up for the day, I was not working that weekend. I met up with them in the chair line, and my brother-in-law was talking to a young woman, she looked a little older than me, but not much. Short hair and just a cute as could be, I joined them in the line. Stew introduced me, and I'm embarrassed to say that I had no idea who she was, this being the year before the Olympics. Stew and my sister Cora got on the lift, and this young lady and I sat in the chair behind them, going up the mountain.
I had on my instructor's parka, and she commented on it. I must have preened a bit, and agreed that yeah, I must be pretty darn good. Something like that, I don't remember exactly, but I still cringe to think how the conversation must have gone. Somehow, I suggested that we'd ski down together, I'd follow her and give her some pointers.
Sigh. What I do remember is that we got off at the top of the lift, and started down, me a bit behind her. It took about 100 yards before I realized I couldn't keep up with her. She was on the fall line, and something bad would happen if I tried to ski as fast as she was going. As she pulled away, I veered off, going over to another chair. I skied the rest of the day in fear that I'd run into her again.
On the drive back to Bend, I told Stew and Cora what I'd said to her, offering her lessons. They looked at me like I'd grown two heads, and Stew said something about hubris.
I was writing someone recently, and an occurrence that I hadn't thought about in years was brought up. So I thought I'd do a post about this kind of thing, and perhaps you've had similar ones. If so, I'd like to hear about it.
Ken Kesey
1970
I was going to school at Portland State University. A day or so after the infamous Kent State shootings PSU, like many other universities across the US, was shut down by protests. Barricades were made at the entrances from park benches, garbage cans and other things scavenged by the protesters. A day later marches occurred, I went on one to the city hall, but on the first day the school was closed I didn't want to deal with the protest. I was active in the local group of VVAW, and most of us felt the same way. We didn't trust ourselves to be non-violent.
So what did I do? I went fishing, of course. I got up early, went through downtown Portland, past PSU where I gave the protesters manning the barricades a mail-fist salute, and headed west. I thought I'd see if there was any spring cutthroat action on the Siletz River. Once I got there, I headed upriver, winding my Land Cruiser around the curves, and suddenly saw a house where none had been before. And a bunch of people, and weird looking equipment. It was a movie set! So I pulled over and parked in a dirt pull out area, got out and was watching the action.
I was standing there gawping, just another long haired, bearded guy, when this stocky, curly-haired, bald on top guy came up to me. I asked him what this was about, he told me that they were filming a movie. He said that it was titled "Never Give An Inch", though this was later changed to "Sometimes A Great Notion", like the book. Of course, it was Ken Kesey.
Then he said something that rather startled me: "Want to go smoke a joint with Paul Newman?" I must have looked like a deer in the headlights, but I replied that sure, don't mind if I do. We walked a short distance to a trailer, went in, and there was Paul Newman, sitting on a sofa. I was offered a can of Coors, sat and listened to them talk for a minute, then left when they had to get to work. The joint was never forthcoming, but hey, I got a can of beer.
Paul Newman was the more famous of the two, but what I'll always remember is meeting Ken Kesey.
Jean Saubert
Ms. Saubert was a great skiier, winning two Olympic medals in 1964, a bronze and silver. She was from Lakeview, Oregon, and skiied at Mt. Batchelor, near Bend, where I lived at the time. I learned to ski at Batchelor, and by the time I was a Junior in High School, I was a part-time instructor in Jack Meissner's Ski School, teaching on weekends. I was a good skiier, but at that time two female classmates were in a class of their own: Kiki Cutter, who went on to be on the Olympic team, and marry the team coach, Bob Beattie, and Karen Skjersaa, a wonderful downhiller. I knew two females who were much better than me, so I shoulda known better.....
I don't remember the exact date, except it was the winter of 1963, and a weekend. My brother-in-law and my sister and I had gone up for the day, I was not working that weekend. I met up with them in the chair line, and my brother-in-law was talking to a young woman, she looked a little older than me, but not much. Short hair and just a cute as could be, I joined them in the line. Stew introduced me, and I'm embarrassed to say that I had no idea who she was, this being the year before the Olympics. Stew and my sister Cora got on the lift, and this young lady and I sat in the chair behind them, going up the mountain.
I had on my instructor's parka, and she commented on it. I must have preened a bit, and agreed that yeah, I must be pretty darn good. Something like that, I don't remember exactly, but I still cringe to think how the conversation must have gone. Somehow, I suggested that we'd ski down together, I'd follow her and give her some pointers.
Sigh. What I do remember is that we got off at the top of the lift, and started down, me a bit behind her. It took about 100 yards before I realized I couldn't keep up with her. She was on the fall line, and something bad would happen if I tried to ski as fast as she was going. As she pulled away, I veered off, going over to another chair. I skied the rest of the day in fear that I'd run into her again.
On the drive back to Bend, I told Stew and Cora what I'd said to her, offering her lessons. They looked at me like I'd grown two heads, and Stew said something about hubris.
"It's just another Sunday night, and I ain't got nobody..."
The headlines, as I read them 4:35pm Montana time, all call it the 'worst'. As to size, in the world arena, we're still behind several countries, noticeably behind The Bataclan in Paris, and the one at the children's camp in the Scandinavian countries. We're not the 'biggest'. No doubt, we'll reach that goal with room to spare.
Lot's of issues are coming into the light: homophobia, the recently claimed oath to isis, therefore religion. Or he was just a plain loony, with the ability, like all of us, to head out to the nearest dealer, whether it WalMart, Fred Meyers, wherever, to pick up a AR15, some ammo, and head out to do our thing.There are few methods that claim to have a solution. None that we have tried have resulted in more than a few statistical points of fewer deaths. What does? Fewer guns. Many, many fewer guns.As evidence I offer every other third world country.
I have heard, ad nausea, the reasons that gun laws don't work. I suppose they are mass mailed by the NRA, who represent the gun manufactures, who have the most powerful lobby in the nation. I say this because most spout exactly the same reasons: only criminals will have guns, on and effing on. heard every damn one, don't bother with another.
One imaginations the celebrations at the various clubs the NRA frequent: the manufacturers who happen to make AR15's to be buying rounds for those comany who don't. When his shit happens salse of the gun used skyrockests.. Yes indeed. Is there a flicker of doubt in any of these men's minds tonight, as they reflect on how much their bonus will be due to 50 (so far) people dead at the whim of their manufactured weapon. Maybe they can calculate, if they did down far enough, get enough local LEO data, to figure out how much each round increased their bonus! See kids, math is useful!
If i sound like an, or at least my version of a Angry White Old Man, yeah....I am.
I am tired of the path, we as a nation have taken, I am tired of our lack of memory of what immigration has done for this country, and why we are what we are. I am angry about our inability to understand what the constant, from our birth onward, the racism as absorbent as the rays of the sun, have done to influence us. I am tired of us, using media like this, to convince us that the problems with our begonias and lilacs, and the argument we had (buffed up for our blog,) are a matter of importance. And I am especially tired for our seem willingness to be attracted and follow a demagogue like the despicable Mr. Trump.
Yeah, yeah, I know there is nothing of significance we can do. It's just shit like this, some moron mowing down half a hundred people, when it can be prevented, pisses me off.
Those are those out there who think this can't be prevented. The problem of guns can't be solved. Fine, then let's just officially declare the issue done. Let's send out a federal memo to all victims of things like this.
From: Joint Commission, Senate and House of Representatives
To: Most recent relatives of victims of mass shootings.
cc: NRA
Dear Sir/Madam
We would like to join you in condolence for the recent loss of your father, , Brother, etc in the regrettable mass shooting at at your local Bar/Church/Picnic/BBQ/Neighborhood Block Gathering.
It is regrettable, along with the many thousands of other shooting victims, that his would fall to your family. But, as you realize no doubt, it is just the price of freedom we pay, for our precious Second Amendment.
enclosed: kit for fourth of july celebration
As a person who has actually been in combat for this sorry excuse for a country, and it's sorry-ass people who want to be it's leaders, I'm ashamed for you for letting this go on, and abating it by not involving your sorry asses.
Signed,
Mike Mulligan
Lot's of issues are coming into the light: homophobia, the recently claimed oath to isis, therefore religion. Or he was just a plain loony, with the ability, like all of us, to head out to the nearest dealer, whether it WalMart, Fred Meyers, wherever, to pick up a AR15, some ammo, and head out to do our thing.There are few methods that claim to have a solution. None that we have tried have resulted in more than a few statistical points of fewer deaths. What does? Fewer guns. Many, many fewer guns.As evidence I offer every other third world country.
I have heard, ad nausea, the reasons that gun laws don't work. I suppose they are mass mailed by the NRA, who represent the gun manufactures, who have the most powerful lobby in the nation. I say this because most spout exactly the same reasons: only criminals will have guns, on and effing on. heard every damn one, don't bother with another.
One imaginations the celebrations at the various clubs the NRA frequent: the manufacturers who happen to make AR15's to be buying rounds for those comany who don't. When his shit happens salse of the gun used skyrockests.. Yes indeed. Is there a flicker of doubt in any of these men's minds tonight, as they reflect on how much their bonus will be due to 50 (so far) people dead at the whim of their manufactured weapon. Maybe they can calculate, if they did down far enough, get enough local LEO data, to figure out how much each round increased their bonus! See kids, math is useful!
If i sound like an, or at least my version of a Angry White Old Man, yeah....I am.
I am tired of the path, we as a nation have taken, I am tired of our lack of memory of what immigration has done for this country, and why we are what we are. I am angry about our inability to understand what the constant, from our birth onward, the racism as absorbent as the rays of the sun, have done to influence us. I am tired of us, using media like this, to convince us that the problems with our begonias and lilacs, and the argument we had (buffed up for our blog,) are a matter of importance. And I am especially tired for our seem willingness to be attracted and follow a demagogue like the despicable Mr. Trump.
Yeah, yeah, I know there is nothing of significance we can do. It's just shit like this, some moron mowing down half a hundred people, when it can be prevented, pisses me off.
Those are those out there who think this can't be prevented. The problem of guns can't be solved. Fine, then let's just officially declare the issue done. Let's send out a federal memo to all victims of things like this.
From: Joint Commission, Senate and House of Representatives
To: Most recent relatives of victims of mass shootings.
cc: NRA
Dear Sir/Madam
We would like to join you in condolence for the recent loss of your father, , Brother, etc in the regrettable mass shooting at at your local Bar/Church/Picnic/BBQ/Neighborhood Block Gathering.
It is regrettable, along with the many thousands of other shooting victims, that his would fall to your family. But, as you realize no doubt, it is just the price of freedom we pay, for our precious Second Amendment.
enclosed: kit for fourth of july celebration
As a person who has actually been in combat for this sorry excuse for a country, and it's sorry-ass people who want to be it's leaders, I'm ashamed for you for letting this go on, and abating it by not involving your sorry asses.
Signed,
Mike Mulligan
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
A Long Time Ago
Anne, (now Kate), sitting in her mom's lap. 1977 I think. At three years old, quite proud of being able to read a book to her mom.
I had thought about putting some caption, explanation, homily, whatever. Whatever few words can encapsulate a life? It's better left to your imagination, the life, love, happiness and grief. It's probably not much different than yours.
Cary and Anne, decades ago.
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