Thursday, November 24, 2011

In an email from Pops:



Microchip Implant Allows Islamic Terrorists to Speak to God.
The implant is specifically designed to be injected in the forehead.
When properly installed, it will allow the terrorist to speak to God.

It comes in various sizes: Generally from .223 to .50 cal.
The exact size of the implant will be selected by a well-trained and highly skilled technician, who will also make the injection. No anesthetic is required.
The implant may or may not be painless. Side effects, like headaches, nausea, aches and pains are extremely temporary.
Some bleeding or swelling may occur at the injection site. In most cases, you won't even notice it.
Please enjoy the security we provide for you.
Best regards,



"WE take great comfort in knowing that the last thing Osama bin Laden saw on this earth was an American".

Sunday, November 20, 2011

In Memory - November 2011

She was the adoptive mother of a close friend in High School. May she rest in peace.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Good Shoot - Chattanooga style

A frequent reader (and perhaps a member of the family - I'm not tellin'!) sent this article to me.
Basically, a man was leaving for work when he was accosted by two criminals. One of the criminals pulled a gun. The man was a HCP holder, and pulled his own gun. At least one of the criminals was shot - the article mentioned only one "suspect" as having been shot - no mention of the fate of the other "suspect."

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Embarrassing moment

Embarrassing to say the least. When I was new to sales and customer service, working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Dyersburg, TN, I made a really bad error. This happened in 1999.

I was reminded of this by recent conversation with the man who was my manager at the time - Rich. He was an excellent manager, and taught me a lot. However, at the time of this "incident," I simply had much to learn.

A customer had locked a set of keys in a rental car, forcing us to get an additional set of keys cut. Rich informs me that I need to tell the customer that there is a charge for that, as the keys were not free to Enterprise, either. I think the charge was something minimal - $25 or so.

I had trouble thinking of a good way to express this to the customer. Finally, I made up my mind (customer was on hold on the phone at the time):
"Sir, don't be surprised if there is a $25 charge on your credit card to cover the price of the keys."

Rich immediately chided me when I hung up the phone: "that's a terrible way to say that!" His half-smile indicating not only his displeasure with me, but also his incredulity at my lack of tact. 

He was RIGHT! That was a terrible way to say that. Not sure I could say it worse if I had to - even now, some 13 years later.

Looking back, all I can do is facepalm myself.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Once Saved Always Saved?

Summed up - some people believe that once the gift of Salvation has been accepted, that it cannot be undone. Others believe that the gift can be given back. Using that simple analogy, these things seem possible. But are they? If so, which one is true?

Of course, this is another of the "hot topics" in modern Christianity.

On one end, you have the concept that Salvation is perfect, and that God does not do things "halfway." On the other side of the coin, you have the concept that people can reject God (which is true), but also do so after having accepted Him.

This link has a lot of good arguments, pro and con. It even has links - pro and con. The author takes the point of view that salvation can be rejected - which is true. The question, though, is whether salvation can be rejected after it is first rejected.

The link, and the subsequent links, provide more scripture on the topic than I could ever hope to link here.

The basic idea gets down to this: what is salvation? It is the atonement of sin. Essentially - it is God forgiving you. God forgives you for sins - past present and future. If it were not true, then it would be necessary to be saved again and again as future sins were committed.

God's forgiveness is unlimited - if we ask it and accept it. There is not a sin that He will not forgive. On that topic, there is not a sin that is greater or worse than another. "For the wages of sin is death." The Bible never indicates one sin as being more deserving of death than another.

Now, unlike Calvinists, who believe falsely that God chose specific people to be saved ahead of time, I firmly believe we must accept the Gift through our own free will. Some say you can "give that gift back" - but it is not that kind of gift. It is not a tangible gift. It is a gift of eternal forgiveness. Still, the question remains: what if the person later rejects God?

Some feel that because the gift is eternal forgiveness, it cannot by definition be given back. God agrees to forgive every sin you might commit when you simply ask Him to. That includes future sin - even the sin of rejecting Him.

Scripture is not clear on whether one remains saved after first accepting Christ, then later rejecting Him. So no conclusion can be had on this topic. 

Therefore, I conclude, in the absence of scripture to the contrary, that God's plan of Salvation is perfect, and will forgive and atone for any sin - past, present, and future. 

That said, I am not about to reject God to test this hypothesis!   :)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Bill Clinton as President

A regular reader recently asked me to sum up thoughts on Bill Clinton as President. In short, I was not yet old enough to vote in 1992, and I voted for Dole in 1996. So you know which way I am going.

Clinton took office Jan. 20, 1993 and left office Jan 20, 2001. During that time, many people attribute much success to him. Fact is that most of the economic success came via balanced budgets and holding steady on taxes via bills passed by a Republican controlled House and Senate in the mid and late 1990's. Another source of the economic boom was consumer debt.

Failure #1: Terrorism
America was attacked on its own soil in 2001 by Islamic extremists. Emboldened by Clinton's lax policy on dealing with violent radicals, these terrorists felt that we as Americans were soft. After all, we had elected and re-elected a soft leader in Clinton.

Fact is, there were several terrorist attacks that went unanswered during the Clinton administration, and this is what gave the terrorists on 9/11/2001 the guts to attack us:
-World Trade Center in 1993.
- Fuel truck bomb in Saudi Arabia in 1996.
- US Embassy bombed in Kenya in 1998.
- Last, but not least was the attack on the USS Cole in 2000.

Failure #2 - NAFTA
Ever notice lately how bad our unemployment is? Can you imagine how much better the US Economy would be if we had about, say, 1,000,000 more manufacturing jobs? Well, thank NAFTA - the "free trade" bill signed into law by Clinton. It was feared in 1992 that such a bill would cripple the US Economy. Sadly, the predictions were true. Even current President Obama was critical of the move in 2008 when he was running against Bill Clinton's wife.

But, if you like sending all our jobs overseas, then you wouldn't understand this criticism.

Failure #3: Socialized Health Care
Nobody wants it now, and nobody wanted it in 1993. Difference was that in 1993, enough politicians were frightened enough to actually not vote for it.


Failure #4: Social Security and Medicare
It is no secret that Social Security and Medicare are out of control. But they weren't always. Back in 1993, the Omnibus Act passed, and removed spending caps. That's all we needed - prevent the government from having any spending limits on something... anything. Jeesh.

Failure #5: Brady Bill
Passed in 1993, this bill required a waiting period on handgun purchases. To date, it has not prevented a single crime. What it was is an attempt to control guns a bit more and take a step toward the removal of the 2nd Amendment. Thankfully, in 1998, an online background checking system became possible, and the asinine law had its sunset.

This law also made it difficult and sometimes impossible for US citizens to purchase surplus firearms from other countries, like the SKS. It was this precedent that is attributed to part of current President Obama's "rationale" for banning the US from taking delivery of our own M1's and M1 Carbines that we had lent South Korea. 

Failure #6: "Assault" weapons ban:
Enacted in 1994, as part of this silly law made illegal certain "deadly features" on common use rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Of note, the "deadly features" included magazines that hold over 10 rounds of ammunition, pistol grips, collapsible stocks, flash hiders, bayonet lugs, and muzzle devices that allow for attachment of grenade launchers.

One really silly provision was "semiautomatic versions of automatic weapons." Replicas, in other words.

Thankfully, this law also had a sunset clause, and expired in 2004. However, the damage had been done. Americans wanted freedom - not governmental restrictions. So a Republican majority in Congress was elected later that year.


Failure #7: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Tell me one thing this did. For gays, or for those who oppose gays in the military.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Would you look at this, part II

It seems Wal Mart now sells AR 15 style rifles and carbines. I've seen them myself, and here's a link to a blog article on the same news.

Prevailing price on a decent Bushmaster carbine seems to run $847 - $897, depending on location. This is far less than the typical gun store - which often sell the same for $1000 or more.

Of course, one could order an AR 15 of equal if not better quality for far less money.

And one could assemble an AR 15 of equal or better quality for even less money.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

So funny and shouldn't have been

So this week I visited several clients (as I do every week).

One client had the postcard my company sent out to introduce me recently. My photo was on the postcard. On my photo, the client had drawn glasses on me.

I snickered inside. It was funny.
Some might have been offended, but I guess I'm just too juvenile not to like it.

Artistically said

These songs were on my mind recently, for different reasons. None of them is my favorite - but all of them apply to something... somewhere.

Sound Beach
Lyrics

Ph@ri-C 2011
Lyrics

Age is no measure of wisdom
Lyrics

Forever "My Belle"
Lyrics

Funny Sign

This week I spotted a sign at a place that does oil changes. It read:

"Sign man too lazy - come inside for message."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Multiple great quotes

I really like the quotes from Clint Smith:
(in part)




"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That’s ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid about?"

"Don’t shoot fast, shoot good."

"You can say ‘stop’ or ‘alto’ or use any other word you think will work, but I’ve found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone’s head is pretty much the universal language."

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Fun afternoon

So part of my son's 7th birthday gifts from my wife and I was tickets to the Tennessee Titans game this afternoon. Mrs. Usagi does not enjoy watching professional football in person (too many TV timeouts), so it was just the boy and myself.

We left early in the afternoon to make the 3:05 start time. We both had fun, even though the Titans did not emerge victorious.

My overall record, watching the Titans in person, is 2-2. Twice I've watched the Titans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. I've also witnessed them lose to the Oakland Raiders, in addition to the loss today.

Scenario

In a forum I frequent, someone posed the following situation: his family was all aware that he prepared for possible SHTF situations. They all said that in the event something did happen, they would go to his house. He asked the best way to let them know that he would not be sharing his guns / ammo / food with them since they didn't prepare.

I suggest a different approach is needed. The question is faulty. I would not want to come across to family or friends as unsympathetic or mean - possibly damaging relationships in the process.

Furthermore, I suggest that most likely, someone that did not take an active role in preparing themselves or their family would not last long in a SHTF environment, and so the question would be moot.

Alternately, if the man's family did last long enough to get to his place and ask for his food - they have proven that they do have some real useful qualities. I'd want to keep people like that around.

Quote to end all quotes

Question: How do you confuse a recruiter?
Answer: You tell them something simple and straight-forward.


This from my brother. The Inspiration?

My brother is currently interviewing candidates for an open position. He recently told the HR person that he was going to pass on a specific candidate because that candidate had significant discrepancies on answers from the interview vs. what was actually on his resume. 

The candidate asked the HR lady on Friday about the status of his candidacy.

She (HR lady) actually asks my brother what the status is... and why my brother decided to pass on this candidate. AGAIN.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Upgrade

Recently found the folks over at Life, Liberty, Etc.

Decided to upgrade my shooting jacket:



There's a really good chance that a sticker just like that will find its way to my "M16A4" Clone rifle in the near future.

There's an equally good chance that when I wear the jacket at the range, and am shooting the rifle in question, I'll be wearing a ball cap that says "infidel."

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Great quote

Rule #1 in the music industry: "It's not fair!"

Was given this quote from Mr. Smith at Spirit Martial Arts last night.
Told Mr. Smith at Spirit Martial Arts that I'm stealing that one from him!  :)

Here's a story full of fail

Former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield had his home searched and 40 firearms seized.

Mayfield Fail:
Mayfield shows fail by having some methamphetamine in his possession.

Media Fail:
"We're told the guns were seized so officials could determine if the weapons belong to Mayfield .... and if so, if they are properly registered."
NC does not register firearms. They have a pistol-purchase permit, but that does not track the unit sold in any way - just verifies to the dealer that the citizen is eligible to purchase a pistol. 

Police Fail:
Acting on a warrant for stolen property, they can only make an arrest for drug charges.

Shennanigans? Surely not...

Recently, my candidate, Herman Cain, has been saddled with allegations of sexual impropriety. So far, no proof has come out... only allegations. And there seems to be a leak somewhere. And that leak might just lead back to those who would stand to lose the most in an election against Cain.

Remember, Rule #1 of politics - those who gain power are afraid most to lose that power.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

This one is for Right Minded

But the rest of you might enjoy it, too. Seems Right Minded is not the only person with an unnatural fascination with the destruction of pumpkins with firearms.    :)

Carry Permits In WI

Wisconsin now allows permitted carry of firearms - as of yesterday. Seems that was a popular decision - 80,000 applications were submitted on day 1!

It seems the state's Attorney General was the first to be issued a permit.

Also, a bit over 100 were processed on the first day. I hope the processing gets quicker for my friends in the dairyland state!

Gun Control = Racism... Again

Thanks to Say Uncle for the story.


On a similar note in an unrelated story, Al Sharpton thinks guns should be banned from the black community. (The article's words - not mine)

Presidential Politics - Nov. 2011

Looks like Herman Cain is not only in the lead, but is separating from the crowd.

You know it's the case when even liberal polls have him in a "dead heat" with their elect: Romney.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A Bit on Adult Behavior

So far, most of my behavior topics have related to children. Let me shift gears here, and talk about adult behavior problems.

The most common one I see is projection. Simply put, projection is when a person is guilty of something himself, but blames others of being guilty of it instead. Liberals often fall into this category.

Another common problem I see is when people seek to place blame. People like this find it easier to blame someone or something else, than to live up to the consequences of their own actions.

A third problem one often sees in our society, and one that is intermingled with the first two, is the act of being accusatory. Some people accuse others - particularly in an attempt to assign blame, or sometimes out of a case of projection.

Another huge problem is cases of bullying. Generally speaking, people who bully others do so to seek negative attention and to gain control. Frequently, bullies are also products of bullying. Here's a link on Adult Bully behavior.  Here's one on Child Bully behavior. There are some perceptible differences.


Now, of course, there are the run-of-the-mill problems out there like selfishness, greed, insecurity, and others. But the ones that really stand out more than the rest, to me, are the three listed above.

My new rifle

So, when I made the mistake of letting Mrs. Usagi try out my AR15 this past Memorial Day weekend, the end result was that I lost another rifle. She took possession of it, and customized it a little bit.

At that time, I decided to build one for myself. I am a fan of the M16A4, and figured this would be my chance. Here it is with an ACOG and with a carry handle:




The specs:
Bushmaster buttstock
Surplus Arms stripped lower.
Palmetto State Armory (PSA) lower parts kit.
Rock River Arms (RRA) National match trigger.
PSA upper, Bolt Carrier Group, and charging handle.
ER Shaw Stainless Steel heavy barrel - 1:8 twist
Trijicon TA31F Acog (used to be on Mrs. Usagi's rifle, but she liked the TA01 reticule better, so I bought her a TA01) - Both ACOG's have John 8:12 as the Bible verse.


What the rifle is capable of:
That was shot at 100 yards.
And yes, the quarter will cover the group entirely.

That group was shot using Privi-Partisan 75-grain match ammo. Interestingly, it has the same point-of-impact as 55-grain M193 ammo does out of the same rifle. M855 strikes one inch low. Neither the M193 nor the M855 will group as tight as this.

I would never have thought (on guns):

Better get one before the 2012 election - Palmetto State Armory has complete AR15 carbines available for $599. Of course, it needs to be shipped to your local FFL to comply with ATF rules and for background check purposes, but that's still quite a deal!

Funny things from hiring

One of the main searches on Google that will get you to my blog seems to be what I've written on Wonderlic tests.

I am putting together an unofficial list of companies from where the internet is used to search for these strategies on Wonderlic. Seems to be the thing to do. :)