Saturday, June 30, 2012

Glass Houses Throwing Stones

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

This clown thinks he can give career advice. Oh, and just in case the link ever expires, here is a screen shot:



Since it is public record, there is no law against publication.

Funny, this person wants to blast me for my career path... but lets look at some facts:
  • At the time of this screen caption, the subject was about forty years of age, give or take. Prior to turning 40, I had eclipsed an earned six-figure income, and will provide evidence to any legitimate inquiry. 
  • The last time I made less than $50,000 was 1998: which, incidentally, was the same year I graduated college. I turned 23 that year.
  • Yes, I got a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry. The average income in Chemistry is $47K. 
  • Yes, I work in sales. I love every minute of it.
  • Yes, I got my start at Enterprise. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Each of these facts has made my life better. By the way, in my last year in car rental, I'd made over $30K in just the first half of the year alone. (Thru June 30) 
  • At the time this was written, the subject was on his third job in six years. 
  • At the time this was written, I have only held two primary full time jobs in the last six years - the previous one had laid me (and dozens others) off. 
  • Full disclosure - during the past ten plus years, I have taught martial arts in my spare time, and some might consider this a "third" job. However, my family does not depend on that job financially in the least.  
  • Going into car rental as a springboard to sales was certainly not a "punt" in any sense of the word. It was a springboard. I bettered myself and my family's future. 

So I ask you, kind readers, whom do you think has the "low-end" job (his terminology, not mine)?



Dawn Ellen's Interview

My Facebook friend, and fellow blogger, "ricantotheright," did an interview with Dawn Ellen on Islam. I am posting it here in its entirety as copied from Facebook, with full permission from the original author.

Credit for entire interview goes to "Rican."

---

Rican: Dawn I have been following your page and post for a couple of years can you tell us a little about who you are, and why you became involved in exposing the way Islam treats its followers, non-followers and women?
Dawn Ellen: I am a single woman that appreciates her rights and loves her freedoms. I have always fought for my right to speak out and to be able to live my life the way I choose. I met a dear friend Pamela on Facebook in January of 2010, who saw my comments about Islam and sent me a message encouraging me to study the Qur’an, so I could debate Moslems with knowledge of what they believe. I had studied Islam for 2 years prior, but never studied the Qur’an itself. After reading the Qur’an/Hadiths I realized that I needed to alert every one of the truth of Islam and dispel the taqiyya [lying for the cause and promotion of Islam] that Moslems circulate in the Media.

Rican: Is Islam a religion of peace as American Imams and our president say?
Dawn Ellen: No, Islam is not a religion of peace. All you need to do is read their Qur'an and Hadiths. Also study the life of their prophet Muhammad who they consider to be the perfect example of a man. Once you study these things you come to the realization that Islam is about domination, not assimilation. It is a religion that does not tolerate other faiths or people. They have the appearance of tolerance, but their Book which they consider to be the words of “allah”, tells them that Non Moslems are the enemy and must be converted or killed.
Qur’an 9:29 “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last day, nor hold the forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and his messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission. And feel themselves subdued.”
Qur'an 2:191-193 "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Moslems] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]...and fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah."
Rican: How are you so proficient in the Koran?
Dawn Ellen: I chose to take the time to study the Qur'an and the Hadiths to understand what Islam truly is and also to be able to debate Moslems using their own Book. It has been 2 1/2 years since I took on the challenge of reading/studying the Qur'an and Hadiths.

Rican: Are there any personal negative experiences in your past that have influenced your opinion of Muslims?
Dawn Ellen: No. I did have a friend Shada who was very westernized, yet her husband was very devout. I was not close enough to her to know what went on behind closed doors. I have not seen her in 10 years. My “opinion” of Moslems is based on their Qur’an and the life of their “prophet”.
Rican: How do you see the spread of Islam affecting the western world?
Dawn Ellen: There are cases of Sharia Law being heard in courts in many states across America. Moslem women are suing companies to force them to submit to Sharia Law and be allowed to wear Hijabs and Burkas. Moslems are also demanding that their food laws [halal] and their Moslem “holidays” be recognized. Moslem taxi cab drivers will not allow Seeing Eye dogs in their cabs or people carrying pork products or liquor. Moslems also have forced the Airports to allow their women to go through without being x-rayed. And Moslems have pressured companies to sell halal foods. Moslems are slowly causing a *Dhimmitude society [*an Islamic Sharia law system of controlling non-moslem populations through economic, political and societal Jihad and the jiyza taxing of non-moslems] here in the U.S.
Rican: Can Muslims and non muslims live together?
Dawn Ellen: No. Islam demands that all people submit to Sharia law. Islam does not recognize Democracy. They believe that all laws must come through and by Allah, through the adherence of the Qur’an. Non Moslems must pay a Islamic Jiyza tax. Moslems appear to "live in peace" with Non Moslems/Kafir, but once a Caliphate System is imposed Non Moslems must submit to Islam.
Qur’an 5:51 “O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.”

Rican: What does Sharia law mean to Westerner?
Dawn Ellen: Sharia means total submission to Islam. Non-Moslems are not equal to Moslems under Sharia law. 61% of the Qur’an is about non-Moslems. The Quran speaks of the inferiority of non-Moslems, comparing them to vile animals and Allah's hatred of them and encourages violence against them. Non-Moslems are obligated to submit to Islamic rules…examples: Non Moslems cannot openly display wine or pork, or recite Bible scriptures. Non-Moslems are forbidden to build new churches. Under Sharia law non-Moslems can be punished or put to death if he or she says anything derogatory about Allah, Muhammad, or Islam.
Rican: What is the ultimate goal of Islam?
Dawn Ellen: The only goal of Islam is to convert the entire world for Islam whether it is willingly or by force.
"It is He who has sent forth His apostle with guidance and the true Faith [Islam] to make it triumphant over all religions, however much the idolaters [non-Muslims] may dislike it." (Surah 9:31-)
Rican:. What are the ways women are treated or considered in Islam? Dawn Ellen: Allah despised all females both Moslem and Non Moslem females.
Qur’an 4:34 “Allah has made men superior to women …..As for women whom you fear will rebel, admonish them first, and then send them to a separate bed, and then beat them. But if they are obedient after that, then do nothing further…”
Muhammad described women…. "Three things corrupt prayer: Women, dogs, and donkeys." "Woman is a vile beast." "I think that women were created for nothing but evil."
•Women are devils; dirty and filthy like their private parts…. Sahih Muslim 8.3240, 3242
•Women to be used as a sowing field…..Qur’an 2:223
•Women to be treated as diseased and are sex toys…..Qur’an 2:222
•Women are worse than dead person…..Sahih Muslim 4.2039
• “women, slaves and camels are the same, must seek Allah’s refuge from all these…” Sunaad Abu Dawud, 11. 2155
• “A black dog is satan; a black dog or a donkey or a woman cancels a prayer…” Sunaan Ibn Majah, 2. 952
•A passing woman, a dog, and a monkey annul a prayer.... Sahih Bukhari, 1.9.490, 493,498
•A menstruating woman and a dog cuts off a prayer...Sunaan Abu Dawud, 2.0703
•A house, a horse and a woman is an evil omen; a mat in a house is better than a barren woman…Sunaan Abu Dawud, 3.29.3911

Rican: What faith do you follow?
Dawn Ellen: I have been a Christian Pentecostal for 34 years.
Rican: Have you ever received threats about what you post on your page?
Dawn Ellen: Yes I have, some vague and some specific. I reported several to the FBI through a friend. I have taken precautions to protect myself. I never use my last name, my photos, and I do not publish my address or phone number anywhere.
Rican: What keeps you going after those threats?
Dawn Ellen: Actually death threats only make me stronger and more determined. I also feel empowered by the stories of women that have survived Honor Killings and women who stood up against Islam who have been imprisoned and executed. I have many Ex Moslem women friends that encourage me and give me the strength to continue. But most of all my faith gives me the energy and power to fight against the Cult of Islam.

Rican: What is your opinion of where the Middle East is headed in the next 3 to 5 years?
Dawn Ellen: The next 3-5 years is crucial to the future of the world. The stability of the Middle East is crumbling because the Caliphate System [the strictest form of Sharia Law] is preparing to be declared as law over all Moslems and will be imposed on Non Moslems. This will spread worldwide. Imams from around the world have been meeting together to discuss the strategy of how and when this will happen. Those Moslems that have been living “moderate” or “westernized” lives will be forced to make a decision and that is to follow Sharia law or be considered an Apostate [which means death]. This directly affects all people in the world. Once the followers of Islam submit to the Caliphate System, then the worldwide call to Jihad will be embraced by all Moslems. This is the death of the world as we know it, unless we sound the alarm.
Thanks Dawn for your courage and knowledge.

Government

Laws passed by the government only serve one of two purposes:
1. To regulate.
2. To tax.
By definition, government is incapable, therefore, of "creating jobs." Government can only make jobs harder, or take them away.

Education and Employment 2

From the Examiner:


-----




Last time, we met with "Bob," an IT professional who learned the need for having the right training listed on his resume. Bob learned first hand how important it is to have the right education to get past the screening process.

So lets assume you have the right education for the screening, and you can ace the interview, but you do not have the right knowledge for the job at hand. Everyone knows that at any job, there is a learning curve. In some positions, it is simply a matter of learning how this company wants a report done, or what processes they prefer. Other positions require you to learn something for them.

Or perhaps, you wish to gain knowledge or training that will be used daily in your employment. Specifically, you want to gain knowledge or learn skills that you do not currently have, that are needed for a job you have or want to perform. This is education for the job and it is critical in every position.

Enter Jeff.* Jeff is an accomplished nurse. Jeff has a master's degree in nursing, and has been employed as a nurse for over a dozen years. He has passed all necessary state board licensing requirements, and takes his continuing education very seriously.

Jeff was recently approached by a medical device company. They wanted a sales rep with direct industry experience. Jeff has extensive experience using this company's product, and he really believes in it. Jeff knows a lot of the people he will be selling to, and he has key contacts for other prospective clients. Jeff is the perfect candidate, and gets hired. But Jeff has one problem: he has never been in sales!

The new employer puts Jeff through their routine training program. Jeff learns how to enter reports in the computer system, write up a sales order, and follow up on delivery. About the only thing the company does not teach Jeff is how to sell the product.

Jeff's first few sales calls are miserable. He feels comfortable talking about the device he sells and what it will do, but he has great reluctance in actually selling the product. He feels he will come across as pushy.

So Jeff takes the initiative - he invests his own time and money into sales training materials. Books, CDs, videos, and all types of media. Jeff attends seminars and professional development meetings. Over his first year, he makes enough sales by simply being honest with his clients and having superior product knowledge.

Jeff nearly makes his quota. His boss is happy with his first year. But inside, Jeff is making a change. He is feeling more and more comfortable every day in the field. He starts seeing opportunities to ask open-ended questions to determine his client's needs and motivations. Jeff no longer feels as though he is being pushy when he is in fact guiding his client to the conclusion they want, but simply do not have the wherewithal to express their desires.

Jeff is becoming a master salesman. He negotiates deals without management influence these days. He has an outstanding customer retention ratio. His sales are almost never returned. His performance in his second year is at the top of his company.

Jeff learned how to do something his job required.

How about you? What knowledge do you need to land that dream job, or to do your current job more effectively? What steps are you taking to make that happen?


* not his real name.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Just for the record and all...


Heh heh heh








For all you "Republicans" out there that claim to be conservative, so you are going to vote for Romney.


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Why not Romney

Some people (and not many from what I can see) are saying we need to elect Romney so that he can repeal Obamacare. Yesterday, Romney even went on the record saying he intends to repeal Obamacare. Fact is, he has no such plans.

What he really wants to do is replace Obamacare.

He said so himself some time back. And several years ago, he proposed and signed into law what is known as Romneycare.

Mitt Romney does not think Obamacare must be removed because it is not what We the People want.
Mitt Romney thinks Obamacare simply needs to be reworked!!!



PS - same thing with Bob Corker. He needs to be replaced, to.


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Gary Johnson 2012

With the upholding of Obamacare by the Supreme Court, I've seen people say "this is why we need to vote for Romney."


HELLO!!!!!


Romney passed Romneycare in Massachusetts; which is by all accounts, a template after which Obamacare was molded. You think he would sign a repeal bill???

Also, do you really think for a moment that Romney would nominate a constitutional judge??? Nope. We will get liberal nominations, and judges who will look out for big business and big government.


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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Theistic atheism

OK, you atheists out there, let's hear your answers to this one.

We must start at a point where we can all agree, then work from there.
So let's agree that we exist.

Since we exist, we must then ask where we came from, and that goes beyond mom and dad.



Where did everything come from?

Atheists believe there is no god.
Therefore, a divine creation would be impossible.
Next up for possible explanation would be the Big Bang Theory.
(Why they call it a theory is beyond me as it cannot be proven, and therefore cannot possibly be a theory... but I digress)
So let's get this straight... your best explanation on how everything got here is that something (us, things around us) came from nothing. The nothing exploded somehow and became something.

Now this goes against science as we know it. the laws of physics clearly state that matter and energy cannot be created from nothing.

But an atheist puts that aside, and says it happened at least once.

Even though it will never happen again, and even though nobody saw it, and even though it cannot be duplicated.

That takes a lot of faith, if you ask me. 


Christians believe there is a God. 
We believe He created the Universe and all that is in it.
So let me get this straight:

We believe that everything was created by a master craftsman... and most every person over the age of 6 has seen a person make something.


Summary
We believe in things happening as God said they did, and that He made everything... just like we can witness time and again: somebody making something.

They believe that in a special instant, something came from nothing with no apparent reason.

To be fair, their side requires more faith, I believe. It is far less likely.


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When does the revolution start?

Today, the Supreme Court announced that they will uphold Obamacare. 

I've seen people say that Chief Justice John Roberts has been leaning liberal, with his votes on the AZ immigration ruling, and now on Obamacare. That is totally false. He has been voting REPUBLICAN - that is to say, in favor of BIG GOVERNMENT.


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Funny name

I need to go to the Flippin Drug Store!




My friend, Right Minded, likes to collect pics of historical markers.
I, on the other hand, like to collect funny pics of things on the side of the road.
Let's see ya outdo this, Right Minded!
:)

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Funny from Google:



So go and Google: "Where is Chuck Norris?"

Google says:
"Google won't search for Chuck Norris, because it knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you."


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Cheap guns

Here's a link to an article on budget-friendly guns.

They pick Del Ton as the manufacturer to spotlight.

Funny, as I have in my sights right now (pun intended) to build a Del Ton M16A2 clone.



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Saturday, June 23, 2012

More on this one...

A MLB pitcher has been suspended 8 games for using pine tar on his glove.

I blogged about him getting ejected a few days ago.


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Friday, June 22, 2012

Eric Holder... idiot

This song goes out to Eric Holder. He had a bad day.

Story from Say Uncle.
Another.


Seems you do actually reap what you sow.


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Cool story, bro...

Was at the range recently with my cousin (a fellow lifelong shooter). Guys next to us had some tannerite. I've known about tannerite for a while, just never seen it live and in person before. They asked if we minded if they shot it.


Ummmm.... I don't mind a bit!


Few moment later: BOOM!




Cue my inner "Butthead:" Hey, Beavis... that was cool!



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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Gun control under any other name

The DoD is looking at restricting guns from "at risk" troops. They say, "at risk" to commit suicide. Several points of failure in that argument:

A) If someone wants to off himself, he will find a way - gun or not.

B) Who is to say when a person is "at risk?"

C) Who is to say everyone won't be "at risk" at some point in time?


My response?
... shall not be infringed...

$h!the@d$!!!


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How long since this has happened?

A baseball player was ejected for using too much pine tar on his glove.

I cannot remember the last time I heard of this happening.


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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

This is something

SILie would say if she were honest.




But, SILie is a pathological liar, so she would never actually say it.


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Monday, June 18, 2012

Games 6/18/2012

Last week, I was unable to play as I was out of town on business. However, the team forfeited both games as only 5 men showed up. This set us at 9-9 on the year.






This week, we played the other team from our church. We beat this team twice in the first week, and they have had a tough season. We won the first game going away: 13-3. The second game provided some dramatics, though!

First, our regular pitcher had to leave as his son became ill mid-game. My buddy, John was called in to catch, I was moved to right field, and we shuffled an outfielder to the infield as the shortstop to pitcher. 

In the last inning, we were down two runs (we were "home" team). I came up to bat with runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs. We were down only 1 run by then. I hit the ball past the shortstop to tie the game. My good friend, John, lined a screamer to the outfield; which should have been the game-winner: but it was caught on a diving play by one of their better fielders. Still, the game was tied.

We put them away and scored quickly to win our final game. Final score: 9-8.
I was 3-6 with 2 RBI, no runs scored, and 2 put-outs. 

Final record: 11-9

BA: (27+3)/(38+6) = 30/44 = 0.681
RBI: 13
Runs scored: 9
Put outs as catcher: 5 (in only 15 games as catcher)


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Poorly behaved kids:



Must be from the "attachment parenting" philosophy!


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Funny songs

I was born and raised in Chattanooga. Lived there until age 22. One of the things I used to enjoy in Chattanooga was listening to US101 on Wednesday afternoons. They would play funny songs. Here's afew they would play:

Don't Bite Me, Snake

Fryin Bacon Nekkid


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Good eats

Several times, on trips to visit family in Chattanooga, my family has stopped at Emma's Family Restaurant in Manchester, TN. They are located right across the street from a Cracker Barrel. Both times we've visited, there have been a lot of diners in the restaurant, and a nearly full parking lot.

That bodes well for a "mean-n-3" place that is in walking distance from a Cracker Barrel.

This is no anomaly. The food is great and the service is at least as good as you'd get at Cracker Barrel. Prices are comparable, and there is something to be said for patronizing a local business when possible.


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Saturday, June 16, 2012

DUDE!

Yesterday, President Obama effectively granted amnesty to specific groups of illegal aliens.

Video here.

Damn.


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Friday, June 15, 2012

Poo-Free

No, it's not as good as you might think to be "poo-free." Seems some people think soap and cleanliness is not next to Godliness.

Seriously, though, there is a movement to go without daily shampoo treatment. The idea is that shampoo strips the hair of natural oils. Our bodies, according to their theory, produce more oils to replace the lost oils. This causes a cycle that is not healthy, according to this website.

Silie decided to do this... because it was one more weird thing she could do to get attention. See, the website I linked above suggests alternate cleaning materials. Silie claimed to use those, but in reality, never did.

She got to the point that she would wash her hair once per month at most, and even then would not use any cleansing substance, only water. What's worse - she looked like it.

But the very worst part of this is that she stopped washing my nephew's hair (her own son). He's 4 now, but hasn't had a dozen hair washes since age 2.


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Cell phones and airplanes

Ever been in a plane and heard them order you to turn off your cell phones and other portable electronic devices? They always say it is because there is a possibility that the signals sent from such a device could interfere with the plane's instrumentation or electronic systems.

True or false?

I say false. Here's why:

Mythbusters did research on this one. From the Discovery channel website, the myth was busted. Seems the shielding in a plane is far superior to what tiny batteries - even in 100+ phones at the same time - can produce in terms of volume of interference.

Now, Mythbusters certainly cannot claim to be the end-all-be-all in the scientific community, but they do a pretty thorough job of research, and they have to get it right before airing due to potential liability issues. They also bring up the first of the potential reasons (which are really alternate motives) I think cell use is banned in planes:

Cell tower usage.
The Discovery channel website states that if you are 10,000 feet in the air, and use a cell phone, the signal might bounce off of many towers, and clutter the towers. This seems plausible.

Salesmanship.
Airlines run on the tightest of margins. Being able to sell you a high-margin ancillary product can help the airline boost profits. They can't do that if your head is firmly rooted in a text message or your ears have buds playing the latest song.

Pretense of safety. 
The TSA doesn't work - but because they are there, many people have an illusion of additional safety. Same thing with the cell phone order in a plane. Giving the sheep an illusion of safety. Just like the phony safety talks at the beginning of the flight.

Safety talks.
Speaking of safety talks, those are probably mandated by the government, an insurance company policy, or some lawyer. If there is a crash, chances are, you won't survive. But if you do, and then get hurt because you didn't "follow directions," then the airline's liability is negated. Impossible to give you such a talk if you are engrossed in an electronic device.

What say you?


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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Fun for some

Some time back, a friend invited me to a Dagorhir practice. For those too lazy to click the link, it is basically an association that gets together and practices Dark-Age European style warfare with padded safety weapons.

My friend was aware that I practice martial arts. She said: "throw all martial arts out the window" when on the "battlefield." Her point was that I would enjoy the training, but that my prior training would be useless.

For the record, I have minimal training in Iaido, which includes little free sparring. Other than that, I have no training in weaponry other than firearms and defenses against things like knives and clubs.

That said, it was quite fun to engage in mock swordplay with safety weapons under a reasonable rule set. Of the participants, there was a single individual who could actually score blows on me from time to time. Most of the rest of them couldn't land a single strike, and made for easy sword cutting practice.

I was led to understand that the one individual who was the best regular there was one of the best in the region, and was often targeted early on in contest play. I can see why. Of the times we practiced, he was the last one standing along with me every time. I won the day - 4 wins to 1 - in our head-on clashes.

To be fair, most of the participants I saw were not in good shape, and got winded fairly quickly when the melee mock-combat ensued. Even if they had reasonable defenses, they became easy targets once winded. the one guy who was better than the rest was in good shape, and that was what really helped him the most.

They invited me to join their club, but my time is already stretched quite thin. Still, a fun thing to do if one is into that sort of thing.


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Don't be like that

I enjoy using this blog to shine light on weird stuff people do.

It used to be called "common courtesy." But it is not common any more, so I hesitate to use that term. Same thing with "common sense."

Recently, I was in the great state of Wisconsin, on a business trip. It was a national meeting, and there were representatives from over 40 states present. We were grouped together based on flight arrival times to carpool in the taxis from the airport to the hotel.

As I landed, I texted the other three members of my group, advising them that I'd landed, and telling them where I was waiting. I asked them to contact me when they gathered. I got a single reply from one person, saying he had just landed and would be over shortly.

Note: I have never personally met any of these people at this time. None of us would know what the others look like.

I get a text over 30 minutes later, from the same guy, saying they were in a taxi, headed to the hotel. I get my own taxi, a bit peeved that they didn't even call me.

At the hotel check-in, one lady in the group introduces herself to me. I realize she is one of the three who left me at the airport without so much as a text or phone call.

Coworker: "Hi, I am [name withheld]."

Usagi: "Oh, hi. I'm Usagi - the guy you left at the airport!"

Coworker: "We called out for you here and there, but couldn't find you."

Usagi: "Thank you so much for picking up the phone and letting me know... afterwards!"


Ummm... yeah. Don't bring that weak sauce.


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Ideal Body Weight

I really never paid much attention to things like ideal body weight when I was much larger.

However, I recently ran across this site. Based on the calculations (which I'll show in a minute), I am about 10 pounds or so overweight right now. That's good news, as I had been nearly 90 pounds overweight at one point.

The calculations for men read:
The first 5 feet is equal to 106 lbs., and each inch beyond this height is given an extra 6 lbs., according to Medline Plus.
...
Subtract 10 percent of the ideal body weight in small frames and add an additional 10 percent of the ideal body weight in large frames.


I am somewhere between 6'2 and 6'3", depending on the chart used, and whether it is morning or evening. Based on that:

First five feet of height is 106 pounds.
15 inches of height times 6 pounds each: 90 pounds.
106 + 90 = 196 pounds (base weight)

Add 10% if wrist circumference is 7.5 inches or greater (mine is 7.75 inches) = 19.6 pounds.
196 + 19.6 = 215 pounds.

Lately, I have been hovering between 223 - 228 pounds. That's an average of about 10 pounds over.


Good news here. How do the numbers play for you?


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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Don't go here

Claddaugh's in Middleton, WI has a "no guns allowed" sign, along with the universal circle-slash symbol with a gun in the middle.

Evidently, they only want criminals to eat there.


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Senate Endorsement

In 2006, one of Tennessee's US Senate seats was won by Bob Corker. At the time, I did not vote for Mr. Corker, as I called him a RINO.

Now, I have discontinued use of the term RINO, as it implies that Republicans are conservative and that is simply not the case.

In either event, I will not be voting for Mr. Corker in the primary. Instead, I have researched and decided to cast my vote for Zach Poskevich for US Senate in the Republican primary. Poskevich is a conservative constitutionalist, and has my vote.


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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

More success

This past Saturday, my jiu-jitsu student, Sarah, competed at NAGA in Memphis. She had competed and placed in March in both gi (traditional uniform) and no gi competition. This time, due to experience, she was forced to move up in skill level from Novice to Beginner.

Sarah placed 3rd in no gi!

Link to results.


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No kidding

Some time back, I had a man come to my martial arts classes. He wanted to attend for free. This is not entirely surprising, as it does happen from time to time. Later, he did "offer" to trade doing around the house chores in exchange, but that did not pan out.

Given he had a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ("BJJ")and had earned a belt other than white, and given he had formed a friendship with one of my students, it gave a unique opportunity for a hilarious conversation.

Granted, we have already established that this person does not want to pay for classes. 

My student, a mutual friend, and this person (called "Freeloader" below for the ease of understanding who is who) were discussing a BJJ seminar:



Student: "Wow! $100 is kinda steep. Is it worth it?"

Friend: "I've had a seminar with this instructor before. It is totally worth it for a different point of view, and the quality instruction he provides."

Freeloader: "I never pay for a seminar..."




No shit. You seem to want to never pay for anything!

Oh, BTW: his reason for never paying for a seminar? "Because the moves are the same as you get in regular instruction."

I have news for you: all the moves are the same, what makes a seminar worth it is that you get different setups and combinations, as well as a different point of view. 


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True. So True


Monday, June 11, 2012

Good beating

A father caught a man molesting his 4-year-old daughter, and beat the man to death.

So far, looks like no charges will be filed. Nor should they. The man who deserved to die got killed.


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Windage for dummies

A common question I get is how to figure windage when shooting at distance. I am certainly not going to claim to be an expert in that field. Nevertheless, the Army used to have a simple formula to calculate how much windage must be adjusted, so I will share it. Also, I've done some research on common 5.56 / .223 ammo, and will share some findings with you on that, too.

Formula:

Adjustment (in MOA) = R x V
                                           C

Where
R = Range in hundreds of yards.
V = Wind Velocity
C = Constant.


Note:
The M1, M14, and M1A rifles take windage adjustments in 1 MOA increments.
In other words, 1 click = 1 MOA.

The AR15 rifle has two common types - 1 MOA adjustments and 0.5 MOA adjustments.
If your elevation knob has a "6/3" setting, then your sights are adjusted in 0.5 MOA increments.
If your elevation knob has an "8/3" setting, then like the M1 and M1A, you have 1 MOA adjustments.


.30 Caliber
For the 150-grain .30-06 and .308 (or similar), The Constant, "C," is 10

Therefore, suppose we had a range of 300 yards, a wind of 10 mph. The formula would look like this:
(3 x 10)/10 = 3.
So we would adjust the sights by 3 MOA, which is 3 clicks.


5.56 / .223
For the AR15 rifle in the traditional chambering, there are two kinds of ammo that are more popular than others among commercial ammo. Let's face it, if you are hand loading rounds for long range shooting, you don't need my advice on windage. The two most common loads are M193 clones (55-grain at 3200 fps) and M855 clones (62 grain at 3100 fps).

For 55-grain M193 clones, the C = 7.
Given our example above (300 yards, 10 mph wind), the formula would look like this:
(3 x 10)/7 =  4.3 MOA.

Since we cannot have a partial click, one would round.
An "8/3" sight would be adjusted 4 clicks.
A "6/3" sight would be adjusted 9 clicks (4.5 MOA).


For 62-grain M855 clones, the C = 9
Given our example above (300 yards, 10 mph wind), the formula would look like this:
(3 x 10)/9 =  3.3 MOA
An "8/3" sight would be adjusted 3 clicks.
A "6/3" sight would be adjusted 7 clicks.


Verification
Please verify at actual ranges with the same ammo you plan to shoot.
These approximations will put you on a 20" target up to 500 yards.
In every instance I checked, these formulas worked to within 1 MOA. 
See this ballistic calculator and double check for yourself.


Measurements used:
.30-caliber ammunition -
.420 BC
1.1" Sight height
Muzzle velocity: 2800 fps

55-gr 5.56 ammo -
.243 BC
2.5" Sight height
Muzzle velocity: 3200 fps

62-gr 5.56 ammo -
.304 BC
2.5" sight height
Muzzle velocity: 3100 fps


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RFIDs can be hacked

And evidently Mythbusters can't say too much about it.


Hmmm.


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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Say What?

I saw Mayor Bloomberg on TV today say that illegal aliens do not use much free health care. He also stated illegals leave their children in their home country and do not use free schools much, either. 

Guess he has not been to a public school or a hospital recently. 


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Twist rate explained

Good job, Hickok!



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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Nanny state run amok

Holy crap, where is this country headed?

And why are we in this handbasket???


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Well said!

Now here is an excellent notice that a person turned in when resigning from a job.


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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Walker wins in recall election

Scott Walker in WI seems to have won the recall election.

Why was he recalled? Because he asked those in government jobs in WI to pay a part of their health insurance. About half of the contribution paid by most in the private sector. That's what these unions put up such a fuss about.

FWIW - what these folks will have to pay for their contribution, for a family of four (like mine) will be less than 1/3 of what I have to pay. These ungrateful jackwagons!


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Funny Range Time

If you've ever been to a public range - especially one with paid range safety officers - then you can relate to this story.

A couple of years ago, I was at just such a range, zeroing my AR-15 Carbine for an Appleseed shoot. Since most Appleseed shooting is done at 25 meters, I decided to zero at 25 yards - a very similar distance, and one that this range actually provided.

Part of the way through, a Range Safety Officer came up to me and asked if I was zeroing low (as is common at short range when one is later going to zero at a farther distance). I told him exactly what I was doing and why.

His response: "You won't be on paper at 100 yards."

WTF???

I had no intention of shooting at 100 yards. I would be shooting at a little over 27 yards (which is 25 meters). Not only that, but military doctrine on the M4 platform (of which my AR-15 is a clone) is to zero at 25 yards, as this provides a 300-yard zero (or pretty close) as well.

I thanked him and went on my way, and established a good zero soon thereafter.

As I was packing up to leave, this conversation happenend:

RSO: "Did you get it zeroed?"

Usagi: "Yes, sir! Thank you."

RSO: "At what distance?"

WTF does it matter? Who cares?

Usagi: "25 yards."

RSO: "You won't be on paper at 100 yards."

"Usagi: "I know. Thank you."

RSO: "Just wanted to make sure you knew."

Usagi: "I know. Thank you. Have a great afternoon."

-----

Now, beyond the idiocy, let's also analyze the little white lie I told him by "agreeing" that I would not be on paper at 100 yards.

To prove my point, here is a ballistic calculator, plug in the data, and see for yourself. I was using Silver bear 55 grain ammo. Link to some velocity tables.

Also, one could determine the facts by actually shooting at the real distance (which I have) and measuring how high the groups land (here's a hint: about 3 inches high).

Also, one could sight in per the RIBZ method at 100 yards, then click up to the 6/3 setting: 6 clicks, which is a 3 MOA adjustment. This means your bullet will strike approximately 3 inches high at 100 yards. The same 6/3 setting is used when shooting at 25 yards on an M4 variant (an M16 uses the 6/3, plus two clicks).

No matter which way you research it, the numbers come out the same: about 3 inches high at 100 yards.

It is clear this RSO did not know what he was talking about. Keep that in mind, and do your own research.


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Freedom

To have freedom, it is necessary to condone the freedom of others. This means they will be able to do and have things you don't like. As long as it doesn't harm you or others, then it is worth it.


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Best "Stand your ground" talk ever

Listen to Mas Ayoob talk about Stand Your Ground laws. He summarizes better than just about anybody could why we need these laws.


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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Website review

I was introduced some time back to a website called "Recovering Grace." The essence of this site is to "expose" the false teachings of Bill Gothard.

Some time back, Bill Gothard started an organization, the basis of which was to give people a stepwise approach to leading a Godly life. Naturally, Gothard acquired his share of critics.


Problems with Gothard:
Of the legitimate problems with the teachings of Bill Gothard are extreme legalism and the misuse of scripture. Gothard frequently quotes parts of verses or passages to make a point about an unrelated topic. He is also as legalistic as I've ever seen (Calvinists included!), and that was never the way that Christ taught.

Problems with Recovering Grace:
While much of the criticism toward Gothard is warranted, Recovering Grace takes it all to an extreme. So much so, that so many people wind up blaming Bill Gothard, a man most of them never met, for their problems in life. In the end, it comes across as whiny, and as though many are reaching to pin the blame on Gothard.

What I really think:
Gothard's legalism attracts the legalistic. By and large, the person who would be attracted to this sort of environment is a bit off... "eclectic" if you will. So the slightly to strongly weird are attracted, and then given a set of instructions that are more weird, and then they go overboard (they always do). What you get is a real mess. People acting outright strange.

Then you have the children of those strange individuals grow up and resent it. And they place blame. Instead of blaming their parents (which a lot of them do anyways), they blame Gothard.

A better idea would be to grow up, move on, and decide how to live your life.

Summary:
If anyone is reading this, and is wondering whether to attend an Institute in Basic Life Principles ("IBLP") event, let me be clear: you should attend. They are really educational, and can point a new Christian in the right direction on a lot of stuff. But, like everything else, don't go overboard. In all things, moderation.

If anyone is reading this and wondering if they should join Recovering Grace, let me be equally clear: you either give Gothard too much credit/blame, or you need to seek therapy. It is an amusing outlet, and was worth a few hours of my reading time, but that's about it.

Who is the more foolish?

Permit holder vs. cop. Only not like that. The permit holder tried to comply with "commands" but the cop was hoplophobic and fired before the permit holder could do much of anything.

Sad thing is the cop didn't even know for sure that the permit holder actually had a gun. He was going based off of what other people had told him.


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You don't see this every day:

Self-evisceration.

A man stabbed himself repeatedly, then threw his own skin and intestines at police.


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Monday, June 4, 2012

Games 6/4/2012

The losing streak continues. We lost the first game 15-13 and the second game 18-3. This team we beat in the second week, and should have tonight, but no such luck.

Last week, the opposing team was a no-show, so we won via forfeit. 

I was 2-2. No RBI, No runs scored. My buddy, John caught the second game and only made it to bat once, going 1-1. I caught a popup, and tagged another man out at the plate, but the ump was blind on the second play (this ump is the worst they have).

Stats:
BA: (2+22)/(2+36) = 24/38 = 0.631
Runs scored =9
RBI = 11

Team is 9-7


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Predestination is Wrong 2

First Monday of the month. 12-noon. It's time to tackle the cult of predestination again.

Note:
God most certainly predestinates events and certainly did predestine to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the World, so that the World, through Him, might be saved.

However, God most certainly does not predestinate whom shall be saved. 

The notion that God determines whom shall be saved is called "unconditional election," and is a false doctrine. Those who would teach it are, by definition, false prophets. To teach false doctrine is, by definition, heresy.

The main, root problem:
The root of the problem with Calvinistic thinking - specifically with the notion that God predetermines who goes to Heaven (and by default, whom goes to Hell) - is pride. These people feel a need to be better than other people in some way and have found no other way to be better. It is a warped way of thinking and it is founded in pride.

In this series, I shall disprove the notion of the predestination of whom shall be saved.

Last time we looked at verses in the Bible that some predestination cultists try to twist in failed efforts to prove predestination of certain people by God.

So let's tackle a concept that predestination cultists themselves absolutely hate to bring up. If God predestines whom will be saved, and if the Bible is true, then God (by default) predestines whom will not be saved. This is clear because the Bible states that not all will enter Heaven.

-----

Matthew 7:21-23 -
“Not everybody who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. On the Judgment Day, many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and expel demons in your name and do lots of miracles in your name?’ Then I’ll tell them, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you people who do wrong.’
 Jesus' own words indicate that not all will enter Heaven. There are many other passages, but I feel this one applies to Calvinists, Lutherans, and other predestination cultists who were saved, in their opinions, by God having "elected" them, instead of by placing their faith in God and asking is forgiveness of their sins.

-----

Here's the deal: if God predestines whom will be saved, then by default, He also predestines whom will not be saved. This is so unscriptural it's not even funny.

But don't take my word for it: Pastor Chuck Smith agrees.

But suppose you don't like Chuck Smith. OK, then let's just go to the Bible. Some verses to consider, which prove that God does not predestine some for Hell:
I Timothy 2:4
[God] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

II Peter 3:9
The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives.

Matthew 23:37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your people together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want that.

So it is clear that God does not want any to perish. 
How can this be if He predestines some for Hell?

This question cannot be explained by predestination cultists. 
The closest to an explanation you will see is a lame rationalization that predestination is God's Holy decision and that this rule of logic does not apply for this reason or that. None of it really ever makes sense, and none of it is Biblical. Just man-made mumbo-jumbo.



2/8 - Written 4/2012

Some guns to get

5 Military surplus rifles for every collector.

I have the Mosin and the M1.
Would like to have either the K31 or the Enfield.
No desire for the Mauser.
The person who put up the Youtube video states below it that you could substitute an SKS for the M1. I have an SKS and prefer it over some of the other rifles listed.



How about you?


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AR Barrels and Projectiles 101

Here is a link to a great article.

Though some of these are touched on in the article, I'll go a bit further on some frequently asked questions. Here are some of my general knowledge points about the AR15 platform, and what barrels go with what bullets:


LENGTH

16" Barrels
This is broadly true for 14.5" barrels with permanently attached 1.5" flash hiders as well as full 16" barrels (regardless of flash hider).
- The projectile will have a reduced velocity when compared to a longer barrel length, but the round can still be fired accurately out to 600+ meters.

20" Barrels
- Higher velocity than the carbine length barrels.
- Barrel construction being the same, these will be heavier than a carbine counterpart.
- Higher velocity means better performance at longer distance
- 24" barrels will produce even more velocity, but on the .223 / 5.56 round, the increase is marginal.


TWIST

1:9 Twist Barrels
16" - These barrels will fire projectiles up to 69 grains in weight without problems.
20" - Can fire up to 75 grain projectiles without problems.

1:7 Twist Barrels
- In any length, these can generally fire up to 90 grain projectiles... which is about as heavy as you can find for .223 / 5.56


1:8 Twist Barrels
- Most often used by specialists for superb accuracy.
- Can handle up to 85 (sometimes 90) grain projectiles without a problem.
- Usually found in 20" and 24" varieties - not as common in 18" or 16" models.


PROFILE

Thin profile barrels
- Also include medium profile in this group
- Can be accurate
- Do not tolerate heat very well: accuracy degrades more quickly than a thicker barrel.

Heavy Barrel
- Also include special fluted barrels in this category.
- Generally more accurate, due to less barrel whip
- Heavier than a slim profile or government profile

Government Profile
- Often dubbed "M4 Profile" or "A4 Profile"
- Part of the barrel is slimmer for weight reduction, part of the barrel is thicker for better heat resistance.
- This barrel sees the worst of both worlds - getting the barrel whip of a thin profile, but almost as heavy as a heavy barrel.
- Neither very accurate, nor especially heat resistant, nor lightweight.
- Only major advantage is cost: this profile is often cheapest.


GAS LENGTH

Carbine length
- 7"
- Harsher action
- More stress on bolt
- More felt recoil
- Only advantage is weight and length compared to rifle length gas system.

Mid Length
- Less stress, recoil, and not as harsh on bolt as carbine length.
- Still gives short handguard length compared to rifle.

Rifle Length
- 12"
- Softest recoil
- Most reliable
- Less stress on bolt
- Gives longer handguard length



COMPOSITION

Chrome-moly
- Generally the most accurate
- Generally the most sensitive to heat (shifted POI when barrel is warm)

Stainless Steel
- Much less sensitive to heat than chrome-moly
- Farm more accurate than chrome, but slightly less accurate than chrome-moly

Chrome plated
- Least accurate of the three
- Most heat resistant


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Sunday, June 3, 2012

Don't go here

Elite Airsoft

3608 Old Hickory Blvd.
Old Hickory, TN


These clowns have a sign posted, banning concealed carry. They evidently want to try to fight back against heavily armed bad guys using only their bb guns.


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Friday, June 1, 2012

Six Doughnuts

Did you ever wonder about nutrition facts for six doughnuts? I did.

Why? Because I once watched a man eat that many doughnuts in a 30-minute time span.

So I visited this link.



Let's do some math:

Calories (per doughnut): 200
That's 10% of Daily Value (based on a 2000-calorie suggestion)

For 6 Doughnuts: 1200 calories; 60% of DV.

Total fat: 12.0g; 18% of DV
For 6 doughnuts: 72.0g; 108% of DV

Saturated fat: 3.0g; 15% of DB
For 6 doughnuts: 18.0g; 90% of DV

Sugars: 10.0g (no DV given; but as a diabetic, I try to limit my intake here to 40 g per day or less)
For 6 doughnuts: 60.0g; 150% of what would be my personal max (6'3" male weighing about 225 pounds).


Summary:
If you eat 6 doughnuts in a single sitting, eat only carrots, celery, and lean protein for the rest of the day.

Better idea: show some restraint and only eat a single doughnut.



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Bleep this!

Recently, it was revealed what keywords the US government uses to spy on people in "attempts to determine who is a terrorist threat to the country."

Link to list and article.

Kinda reminds me of George Carlin's 7 dirty words.


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Run Away! (2)

So now you know that my used to be sister-in-law, "Silie" likes to run away. She did so for over 6 months in 2009. Well, she did the same in 2007 - it just wasn't quite as long.

She and my brother had a disagreement about something trivial: whether to stay at a hotel, or with family for 2 days while moving to the Nashville area.

Silie's parents were in town, and were leaving before the move (God forbid they be asked to help or anything), and Silie decided to go back with them.

The "idea" was that she would come back in a week.

That week stretched to two, then three, then four, then five.

Finally, six weeks later, she decided to come home.


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Jackwagon alert!

Chris Hayes is a jackwagon. He says he is uncomfortable calling fallen military "heroes."

Guess he's waiting for Thor or Superman?

What an idiot.


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