Another mass murder has hit the airwaves. This one at an elementary school in Connecticut. And, as usual, gun banners have decided to use this as yet another "case" for banning guns, or restricting them. There was even a Facebook posting I read where the poster stated "We need to form a congressional committee that will find out why guns make mentally ill people kill."
This is wrong for many reasons. First, it is a purely, understandably, I guess, an emotional reaction to a tragedy.
Second, the poster calls for yet another government solution to a problem.
Third, the writer blames the gun for the action as opposed to the person, though in a dichotomy, calls the person mentally ill. Which brings another point. The shooter may not actually have had a mental illness. We haven't the knowledge to make that judgement, though I would draw the same uninformed conclusion as the act is not one any rational human being would commit.
My overall point in all of this is that had the school not had a zero gun policy in place, a teacher or other staff member armed with his or her own gun could have fell this person most likely 15-or-so victims sooner than he did himself and the only role for government would have been to allow the staffer to defend the defenseless instead of treating the weapon as the evil doer. A subordinate point is that perhaps news agencies should be as selective in reporting these types of incidents as they are when reporting violence by groups or individuals they support politically, i.e, that of the union thugs in Michigan earlier this week.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
IT'S BEEN AWHILE...
My last post was really long ago. I was getting way too tired of elections, and, as it turned out, here in Wisconsin, we did very well. I pray for our country to turn around, however.
In the spirit of the season, Thanksgiving, personally, I have been truly blessed. We have a new addition to our family of a second Ethiopian granddaughter, the real joy of my life. I remain employed. by the grace of God, and, with His help, will remain to be. On a sad note, however, an old family friend was put out to pasture. Our 1998 Ford Taurus SE wagon was traded for a replacement. This car was actually like a family member. She took our daughters to and from colleges, took us to our beloved St. George Island, Florida thirteen times, including my older daughter's wedding and five year anniversary, as well as on countless other family excursions and hauling expeditions. The last trip being to a family vacation in , of all places, central Illinois. The car refused to give us cold air on a 98 degree return trip with a granddaughter in the car, so, it was time to allow her to retire. She will be remembered fondly.
We made another major purchase this week as well, replacing my commuter car, a 2007 Kia Rio5, in-kind, this one a 2013, signal red. Two cars in one week, another new first. If one looks a little deeper into our two purchases, one will notice a philosophy of moderation . Unlike the federal government, we purchased our cars with the intent of being able to pay for them, even though we incurred a little more debt, that being the second car. The first one has the same payment as the old one did. We even could have paid cash for the second one, but, we thought it better to hold onto a little more cash and spend a small amount on finance charges over time than lose the cash. I could never be elected in many places with a philosophy like this because there is no room for real expansion of a debt ceiling.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all.
In the spirit of the season, Thanksgiving, personally, I have been truly blessed. We have a new addition to our family of a second Ethiopian granddaughter, the real joy of my life. I remain employed. by the grace of God, and, with His help, will remain to be. On a sad note, however, an old family friend was put out to pasture. Our 1998 Ford Taurus SE wagon was traded for a replacement. This car was actually like a family member. She took our daughters to and from colleges, took us to our beloved St. George Island, Florida thirteen times, including my older daughter's wedding and five year anniversary, as well as on countless other family excursions and hauling expeditions. The last trip being to a family vacation in , of all places, central Illinois. The car refused to give us cold air on a 98 degree return trip with a granddaughter in the car, so, it was time to allow her to retire. She will be remembered fondly.
We made another major purchase this week as well, replacing my commuter car, a 2007 Kia Rio5, in-kind, this one a 2013, signal red. Two cars in one week, another new first. If one looks a little deeper into our two purchases, one will notice a philosophy of moderation . Unlike the federal government, we purchased our cars with the intent of being able to pay for them, even though we incurred a little more debt, that being the second car. The first one has the same payment as the old one did. We even could have paid cash for the second one, but, we thought it better to hold onto a little more cash and spend a small amount on finance charges over time than lose the cash. I could never be elected in many places with a philosophy like this because there is no room for real expansion of a debt ceiling.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all.
Monday, May 14, 2012
THE LIBERAL DOG WHISTLE
On Vicki McKenna's afternoon talk radio show on WIBA AM 1310 today, I learned about a liberal dog whistle. It works like a real one in that only certian ears are able to hear it.
The example given was in regard to, of course, the gubinatorial recall. It appears that, because Governor Walker is involved in a recall election not of his doing and his opponent was duly chosen by the very party loyalists demanding the recall, he is a racist. Why, because Mayor Barrett of Milwaukee is the mayor of the largest black population in Wisconsin. Yep, Governor Walker is a racist for simply running against Barrett, let alone actually pointing out the Mayor's record.
So, who hears this whistle? Why, the liberals in charge - of EVERYTHING! They are judge, jury and executioner in all things. They are the smart people. They are the elite class. Without them, we cannot possibly live our meager, meaningless day-to-day lives.
I wonder what would happen if these omnicient racist whisperers found out that blacks live everywhere in this state, not only in Milwaukee, and, that many actually do not walk in lockstep as massa liberals insist "they" all do.
The example given was in regard to, of course, the gubinatorial recall. It appears that, because Governor Walker is involved in a recall election not of his doing and his opponent was duly chosen by the very party loyalists demanding the recall, he is a racist. Why, because Mayor Barrett of Milwaukee is the mayor of the largest black population in Wisconsin. Yep, Governor Walker is a racist for simply running against Barrett, let alone actually pointing out the Mayor's record.
So, who hears this whistle? Why, the liberals in charge - of EVERYTHING! They are judge, jury and executioner in all things. They are the smart people. They are the elite class. Without them, we cannot possibly live our meager, meaningless day-to-day lives.
I wonder what would happen if these omnicient racist whisperers found out that blacks live everywhere in this state, not only in Milwaukee, and, that many actually do not walk in lockstep as massa liberals insist "they" all do.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
AN ACTUAL MEANINGLESS AMERICAN ELECTION
I never thought that, in the United States of America, I would participate in an absolutely meaningless election. Yet, that is exactly what happened yesterday, May 8, 2012 in this state of Wisconsin.
Some recent history is necessary here. In the 2010 Wisconsin gubinatorial election, there was a distinct difference in governance philosophies. On the one hand, let's call it the left, there is a tax and spend and steal philosophy that is still prevalent at the federal level. That is, spend money that we do not have, tax all exhorbitantly to the point where businesses fled the state and unemployment soared. Stealing occurred from itself by taking from funds moneies constitutionally intended for other specific purposes, thereby ignoring their own rules.
On the other hand, the right, was a unique concept of lowering taxes, eliminating imposed fees and, the unholies of the unholies, rescinding public unionized collective bargaining that was costing the state and other governmental bodies billions of dollars in unnecessary over paying.
The voters decided on the right hand. So, the losers, those preferring the left hand, decided that it was their responsibility to make sure that a do-over was to be forthcoming. So, after months of making complete horses asses of themselves by screaming and yelling at any and all events at which prominent conservatives appeared, occupying the state Capitol 24-hours a day for months with paid protestors and, ulimately, waiting an entire year to collect signautres on recall petitions, we came to yesterday.
A primary election was necessary to cull the herd of Demokrats for the purpose of having a do-over for a duly elected Governor, Lt. Governor and four state Senators because, god forbid, they did exactly what they promised they would do, specifically, clean up a democrat mess of eight years in the matter of six months.
The good thing is that, even though the sitting Governor had a faux candidate to force a primary, he still garnered more votes than the two top vote-getters on the othe side combined! And it was "their" election to boot. Payback is a hard lesson.
Some recent history is necessary here. In the 2010 Wisconsin gubinatorial election, there was a distinct difference in governance philosophies. On the one hand, let's call it the left, there is a tax and spend and steal philosophy that is still prevalent at the federal level. That is, spend money that we do not have, tax all exhorbitantly to the point where businesses fled the state and unemployment soared. Stealing occurred from itself by taking from funds moneies constitutionally intended for other specific purposes, thereby ignoring their own rules.
On the other hand, the right, was a unique concept of lowering taxes, eliminating imposed fees and, the unholies of the unholies, rescinding public unionized collective bargaining that was costing the state and other governmental bodies billions of dollars in unnecessary over paying.
The voters decided on the right hand. So, the losers, those preferring the left hand, decided that it was their responsibility to make sure that a do-over was to be forthcoming. So, after months of making complete horses asses of themselves by screaming and yelling at any and all events at which prominent conservatives appeared, occupying the state Capitol 24-hours a day for months with paid protestors and, ulimately, waiting an entire year to collect signautres on recall petitions, we came to yesterday.
A primary election was necessary to cull the herd of Demokrats for the purpose of having a do-over for a duly elected Governor, Lt. Governor and four state Senators because, god forbid, they did exactly what they promised they would do, specifically, clean up a democrat mess of eight years in the matter of six months.
The good thing is that, even though the sitting Governor had a faux candidate to force a primary, he still garnered more votes than the two top vote-getters on the othe side combined! And it was "their" election to boot. Payback is a hard lesson.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
SEEMS LIKE FOREVER - LIFE AND DEATH
It's been over four moths since I guess I've found it necessary to, or, that I have had interest in "blogging". My wife made a commitment to blog once every day for a year. I am not that ambitious nor prolific. But, I have things to say, but, mostly, they are yelled at the TV.
Let's start with ends. The Brewer season ended with a flutter, being beaten in the NLCS. The Badgers, under "coach" Beilema, lost in the Rose Bowl - AGAIN. The Packers laid an egg in the Conference championship, so, no Superbowl repeat. The worst end came just after New Year when my older daughter and husband traveled to Ethiopia to meet and adopt their son, my grandson. That's not the "bad", please keep reading. All went well. He was officially adopted, according to Ethiopian law, according to that same law, was not allowed to travel home at that time. Natnael Mebrat, it was learned a week after their return, was called to his eternal home from "complications of pneumonia". While we never met him, the remainder of the family will remember him as our son/nephew/grandson/great grandson nonetheless. "God bless you, sweet boy" as his father wrote in his obituary. We will cherish the day we unite in His presence.
As for the beginnings, we have news of a second granddaughter form Ethiopia. The same daughter and husband, and, this time with their daughter in tow, as I type, are traveling from Ethiopia after having met and officially adopted Soliana according to Ethiopian law, but, as was the case with Nati, according to that same law, was not allowed to travel home at that time. Another trip is being planned in four months to retrieve Soli. God, please keep her safe and well, if it be your will, in Jesus' name, so that we can revel in your mercy and kindness as always.
Let's start with ends. The Brewer season ended with a flutter, being beaten in the NLCS. The Badgers, under "coach" Beilema, lost in the Rose Bowl - AGAIN. The Packers laid an egg in the Conference championship, so, no Superbowl repeat. The worst end came just after New Year when my older daughter and husband traveled to Ethiopia to meet and adopt their son, my grandson. That's not the "bad", please keep reading. All went well. He was officially adopted, according to Ethiopian law, according to that same law, was not allowed to travel home at that time. Natnael Mebrat, it was learned a week after their return, was called to his eternal home from "complications of pneumonia". While we never met him, the remainder of the family will remember him as our son/nephew/grandson/great grandson nonetheless. "God bless you, sweet boy" as his father wrote in his obituary. We will cherish the day we unite in His presence.
As for the beginnings, we have news of a second granddaughter form Ethiopia. The same daughter and husband, and, this time with their daughter in tow, as I type, are traveling from Ethiopia after having met and officially adopted Soliana according to Ethiopian law, but, as was the case with Nati, according to that same law, was not allowed to travel home at that time. Another trip is being planned in four months to retrieve Soli. God, please keep her safe and well, if it be your will, in Jesus' name, so that we can revel in your mercy and kindness as always.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
CHRISTMAS FROM HEAVEN
This 2011 Christmas will be my first without both of my parents. I know, I know, I'm almost fifty-seven years old, so what's the big deal? The big deal is that "this 2011 Christmas will be my first without both of my parents", especially with my mom's passing in September. By Christmas, it will have been very close to three months to the day. She liked Christmas. She especially liked the commercialization of it, the giving of gifts and the over eating. She insisted on having her Christmas on Christmas Day, even when our daughters were in school, had a large Christmas Eve religious service on that night and a family Christmas that same night, it was expected that we get to her house before mid afternoon in Christmas Day.
Mom always thought herself the "fun" grandma, the gregarious grandma, the generous grandma. She gave numerous, unusual, often meaningless gifts, but almost all of these had some sort of monetary reward in them, so one had to open the entire gift. She also gave "group gifts. All the "boys" received "like" gifts, the "girls as well and the two groups of gifts were completely different and unrelated. We had to sit in those groups and open the gifts together in the order determined by the hostess. I. of course, had to add a wrinkle by handing a gift given to me to someone else and saying that I believed I received that particular gift in error and insisted on a trade. We all, then, "traded" the gifts seeminly endlessly. That, then, had to be included in every Christmas thereafter. Tradition.
So, in wondering how Mom was going to manipulate this Christmas, she left us a pre-wrapped gift purchased five years ago in anticipation of her passing. Below is are photos I took of the gift.
Mom always thought herself the "fun" grandma, the gregarious grandma, the generous grandma. She gave numerous, unusual, often meaningless gifts, but almost all of these had some sort of monetary reward in them, so one had to open the entire gift. She also gave "group gifts. All the "boys" received "like" gifts, the "girls as well and the two groups of gifts were completely different and unrelated. We had to sit in those groups and open the gifts together in the order determined by the hostess. I. of course, had to add a wrinkle by handing a gift given to me to someone else and saying that I believed I received that particular gift in error and insisted on a trade. We all, then, "traded" the gifts seeminly endlessly. That, then, had to be included in every Christmas thereafter. Tradition.
So, in wondering how Mom was going to manipulate this Christmas, she left us a pre-wrapped gift purchased five years ago in anticipation of her passing. Below is are photos I took of the gift.
Ornament from Mom
Accompanying poem
It is a really nice gesture and I'm glad she did this for us all, but I am happier that she had the reassurance that she would be in heaven. We will speak of her frequently during the holidays. She will be with us still. Thanks, Mom.
Friday, November 25, 2011
2011 BEST FALL EVER UPDATE
Well, it's after Thanksgiving (more on that later) and some things have changed. The Brewers never made it to the World Series. The Badgers fell from grace after two straight Big Ten losses, one to MSU, the other to OSU, both in the last second. They deserved to lose the OSU game as they gave up a lead. Tomorrow is the last regular season game vs Penn State. If the Badgers are triumphant, they get a whack at the Big Ten Championship, if they fail, it's to some crappy non-News-Years-Day bowl game. The Packers, on the other hand, have remained solid and lossless at 11-0, seventeen straight including last season. It must be my special underpants. I still worry, but not quite so much.
Thanksgiving has come and gone for this year and, as usual, it was filled with family and food and good humor. We actually celebrated twice. Once in Oshkosh with daughter 1 and her family and daughter 2 and mate last weekend. While daughter 1 tended to her craft booth at a local event, we got to tend the meal, turkey and all the fixin's. The second was here and the same people, but different food and conversation Wednesday night and yesterday. Today was our traditional outside decorating day. We bought new lights for the gutters. We had to give up our swags for icicles . Icicles are packed in a box all scrunched up and tied in three bunches. the do not hang all nice and straight. They are very ugly when first hung. We'll see how they look after a few days of hanging.
Also while in Oshkosh last weekend, my wife suggested that I spend some of the gifted money from my Dad earlier this fall, before my Mom passed away. She remembered that we had an SLR camera when we were first married and the girls were small, but we had to sell it as it needed repair. Since then, technology has made everyday photography very easy and reproduction even easier. So, at her suggestion, I purchased a decent digital SLR, a Canon, Rebel EOS Ti2 with image stabilizing lenses. It was a great idea. I already like it. The photos are on my laptop and I currently do not have access to them, so samples of my work will have to wait.
Here is an update to this update. First, UW will play in the first Big Ten Football Championship game (vs MSU). Second, I have added two photos taken with my new camera. Niether was with the built-in flash.
The outside decor is a combination effort of both of us. Sherri did all the indoor herself. I carry the tree up from the basement entombment and assemble it. Sherri decorates it. She does much better than I do. I lose interest very quickly and my frustation level is high.
So, Merry Christmas to all and to all, a good night!
Thanksgiving has come and gone for this year and, as usual, it was filled with family and food and good humor. We actually celebrated twice. Once in Oshkosh with daughter 1 and her family and daughter 2 and mate last weekend. While daughter 1 tended to her craft booth at a local event, we got to tend the meal, turkey and all the fixin's. The second was here and the same people, but different food and conversation Wednesday night and yesterday. Today was our traditional outside decorating day. We bought new lights for the gutters. We had to give up our swags for icicles . Icicles are packed in a box all scrunched up and tied in three bunches. the do not hang all nice and straight. They are very ugly when first hung. We'll see how they look after a few days of hanging.
Also while in Oshkosh last weekend, my wife suggested that I spend some of the gifted money from my Dad earlier this fall, before my Mom passed away. She remembered that we had an SLR camera when we were first married and the girls were small, but we had to sell it as it needed repair. Since then, technology has made everyday photography very easy and reproduction even easier. So, at her suggestion, I purchased a decent digital SLR, a Canon, Rebel EOS Ti2 with image stabilizing lenses. It was a great idea. I already like it. The photos are on my laptop and I currently do not have access to them, so samples of my work will have to wait.
Here is an update to this update. First, UW will play in the first Big Ten Football Championship game (vs MSU). Second, I have added two photos taken with my new camera. Niether was with the built-in flash.
Outside Decorations - 2011
The outside decor is a combination effort of both of us. Sherri did all the indoor herself. I carry the tree up from the basement entombment and assemble it. Sherri decorates it. She does much better than I do. I lose interest very quickly and my frustation level is high.
Christmas Tree - 2011
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