My Third Year................

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my blog.

I don't know if you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it, I hope so. Perhaps I haven't been as eloquent as other bloggers out there, such as the people I consider my Blog Daddies, Texas Law Dog and Ambulance Driver. But it has allowed me to make dear friends such as Brigid, and has given me a chance to express my views and find a bunch of kindred spirits. I entered a world that has been both exciting and educational and I am looking forward to sticking with it. So fellow bloggers, thank you for taking me into your family, and dear readers, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts, ideas and simple rants. It's been one heck of a fun ride.

Merry Christmas Ya'll...............

I wanted to take a few moments to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas. I will post a bit more later when I have time.

I am very grateful for the gifts I have received, most of all a very special gift that was presented to me 2000 years ago, the birth of my savior.

I also want to wish you all the very best of the season. Good fellowship, the love of family, feasting, and every thing else that makes this time of year so special.

This is from the Virgina Almanac from the 18th Century and it pretty much sums up my take on the holiday.

Now Christmas comes, 'tis fit that we,
Should feast and sing and merry be.
Keep open house, let fiddlers play
A fig for cold, sing care away........

Christmas Spirit.............

Only ONE more shooting day 'til Christmas................

Christmas Spirit again............

Only two more shooting days 'til Christmas...............

Even More Christmas Spirit...............

Only three more shooting days 'til Christmas................

I've Said It Once, I'll Say it Again................

This is Oliver Cromwell's speech to Parliament just before he closed it and began The Protectorate (Which was nothing more that a military dictatorship.) Every fiber of my being is against any type of dictatorship. I believe that freedom was a gift to this country from the Almighty, but when the people who we elect to office refuse to follow the will of the people, I sometimes wonder if it isn't time for a Cromwell once again.

"It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!"

The "Shining Bauble" that Cromwell referred to was the Mace of State which was always present when Parliament was in session and signified the authority of Parliament.

More Christmas Spirit..............

At the request from a friend..............

Only 4 more shooting days 'til Christmas..........

Ya Win Some, Ya Lose Some..........

I heard today that the authorities in Poland have recovered the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign stolen from Auschwitz. It was damaged but hopefully can be restored. If I was over in Poland, I would stand the lads who solved the case a few rounds or so. Damned good work that...........

On the negative side, I see the Senate passed their little bill at 01:00 this morning.

I guess times have changed, Judas Iscariot only took 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, not the millions that some Senators took to betray our country.

It Is Amazing How Sorry People Can Be..............

There is a place in Poland, called Auschwitz.

The Germans built a prison camp there to systematically kill those who didn't fit into their plans or fit into the German ideal. Over 1 Million Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, Communist, Homosexuals, Political Prisoners or anyone else that just didn't fit in, only left Auschwitz riding in a cart to a nearby mass grave, or in the smoke of the crematoria chimneys.

To calm the prisoners as they entered the camp, (Or to show off their perverse sense of humor) the Germans in 1940 had some of their Jewish prisoners make up and place a large metal sign over the main gate of the camp that said " Arbeit Macht Frei ". Translated, the phrase means "Work Sets You Free" This sign was so popular that it was copied and placed on the gates of other camps, but the one at Auschwitz was the biggest and first.

I heard tonight that this sign which had been over the gates of what is left of the camp since the end of WW II was stolen today by party or parties unknown. I don't know if the sign was taken by someone who was Anti-Semitic and wished to have a (In their mind) very cool souvenir, or perhaps a collector who wanted the ultimate in historical artifacts. No matter what the reason, the perpetrator(s) should be hunted down like a rabid dog and placed underneath the prison. There has to be a special level of hell reserved for any person who would steal something like this.

Ready On The Right, Ready On The Left...................

Christmas shopping done, I am as ready for the holiday as I can get. Now to do the cooking and baking and watching everyone freak out over the weather. Here in Carolina they are predicting 1 to 4 inches of snow starting this evening. We will see what develops, but since the stores are as another blogger put it "Like the fall of Saigon" the predicted snow should put everyone over the edge. It should be fun to watch.

I love the Christmas holiday, but I have a special road trip planned for just after Christmas and into the new year. I head to the Northern Neck of Virginia for about a week to spend time with my adopted family to include my favorite budding shootist Miss Susan. If you follow the stuck in Massachusetts blog you have seen her photos as well as read the story of her learning to shoot her purple b.b. pistol. I will be up there for a week or so, and while I am up I will be doing a wee bit of coaching to Miss Susan's mom on C.Q.B. drill with the handgun.

I just didn't know how much I was looking forward to being in the teaching mode until last night. The goodwife was watching a Bette Davis movie, "The Letter" on DVD and I was doing some reading. Somewhere in the movie, Miss Davis opened up on a man with what looked like a 38 revolver and when he hit the ground, she then dropped the weapon and looked confused. All I could think was " Police up your gear and brass and move back to the seven yard line "

Go figure.................

Getting In The Christmas Spirit...........

I spent Saturday at Historic Halifax, a colonial period state historic site in the north eastern part of North Carolina. They were celebrating the Christmas season, so I made my own contribution by taking my dice and teaching all who wanted to learn various period games of chance. Since Halifax was a deep river port, I wore my sailor clothing and interpreted how important the shipping trade was to colonial North Carolina. So I got to sit in a restored 18th century tavern while my messmates had to go out into the cold and give demonstrations of cannon and period muskets. I think I got the better end of the deal.

It was the first time that I have been out in the field in period clothing since April and it felt good to be back but I have lost so much weight that my clothing was almost falling off. Luckily, that didn't happen, but I was worried.

For those of you who wonder what I look like, please check out my messmate Andrew's blog. To tell us apart, I am the fellow in the blue jacket with the brown knit hat talking to another messmate Chris who is wearing a tricorn hat. Check it out.........

http://civilwarnavy.blogspot.com/

It Was A Beautiful Day................

In Memory of my friend Dallas "Shackman" Pendergraph

In all that I have read or heard about the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, the most common thread is that all who were there said that it was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm, the kind of day that brought out the tourist. I wonder if the horrors that latter occurred on that fateful day might have magnified the contrast between the beautiful surroundings and the destruction that befell the men at Pearl Harbor. I have also heard several 9/11 survivors comment about how nice the weather was in New York on the day of the attack on the twin towers.

Not many folks know this, but the U.S.S. Arizona had been refueled a few days before the attack, so her fuel bunkers were full. The Arizona took a bomb hit in the early part of the attack which penetrated her forward magazine exploding it and sending her to the bottom with the loss of 1177 of her men. Because of the damage to the ship they could not raise her, so she is still resting on the bottom of Pearl Harbor. A large amount of her oil was not burned off in the explosion and resulting fire so droplets still float to the surface. The Park Service and the Navy have concerns that with the deterioration of the ship's metal, that there may be a major release of oil that will damage the eco-system of the harbor. Survivors of the attack however, say that the Arizona will quit "weeping" oil when the last survivor of the attack dies.

Something else interesting is that Navy and National Park Service policy allows that anyone who was serving on the Arizona on 12-07-1941 has the right to have his ashes interred in the Arizona when they die. The urn containing the sailor's ashes are placed in what is left of the ship's forward turret. I think there less than 2 dozen survivors of the Arizona's crew alive that could take advantage of this. Other Pearl Harbor survivors can have their ashes scattered over the harbor, but the Arizona is reserved for her crew.

Also lost on that morning was the old battleship U.S.S. Utah which had been turned into a target ship. It was said that due to the wood placed on her decks to cushion the practice bomb hits, it may have miss led the Japanese into thinking that she was a aircraft carrier. She suffered so much damage that they couldn't raise her so she also still rest on the bottom. The U.S.S. Oklahoma too was sunk, but they were able to raise her. However the ship's damage was so severe, that there was no attempt at repair, but rather she was stripped for parts and later sank while being towed to the west coast.

68 years ago today, a date that no American should ever forget............

Good Weekend...............

I had a pretty good weekend, all in all. I didn't have anything pressing on my list of "to do" things so I took it a little bit easy. Besides that, it was gray, overcast and misting rain so my knees told me "nothing too ambitious, big fella" So what did I do? Road trip........

I took a road trip to Fayetteville to a gun show, just to get out and do a wee bit of last minute Christmas shopping. (Mostly for myself) I picked up some pistol grips, a few magazines and other odds and ends. Since Fayetteville is the home of Ft. Bragg, this show leaned to a LOT of surplus, tactical, and other military related stuff. Prices fluctuated between reasonable and outrageous as normal. I did notice a bunch of Mossberg cruiser shotguns for sale. Prices were $230.00 to $260.00 depending on condition. I also noticed that dealers had good quantities of ammo in stock to include the long missing .380 auto.

Having spent the money I had taken, I returned to the casa where I had a big pot of homemade soup waiting for me. You couldn't ask for any better.......

In Memory Of The Fallen............

Sgt. Mark Renninger
Patrol Officer Tina Griswold
Patrol Officer Ronald Owens
Patrol Officer Greg Richards

Lakewood WA. Police Department
End of Watch 11-29-09


Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits c 1984

Justice, After A Fashion...............

I just heard the glad tidings that the sub-human scum sucker that killed the four officers in Washington was killed by a Seattle Police Officer early this morning.

I know that by this action that the officers will never be brought back, they are still gone and their families are left to face the future without their loved ones. But I can say this with a great deal of certainty, NO law enforcement officer will have to fear that this sub-human will threaten anyone, anymore.

Reports are that this "thing" suffered a gun shot wound from at least one of the officers that he murdered. At least the officers didn't go down without a fight.

Now if it was me, I would focus on how this sub-human was able to move around and get to Seattle. I would hunt down like dogs ANYONE who helped or assisted him in anyway whatsoever. Then prosecute them to the absolute fullest extent of the law. People need to understand that to assault or murder law enforcement officers is nothing more than a assault on the thread and fabric of society. There should be the severest penalties for this as well as against those who would support such animallistic behaviors.