All in the Family featured the curmudgeonly Archie Bunker. Archie was television’s most famous grouch, blunt, blustering, straightforward and untouched by the PC crowd. He was the archetype of the conservative male. Michael desprately tried to reeducate him, but he persisted in his breviloquence.



Looking back at the last 40 years, we realize: ARCHIE WAS RIGHT!

11/29/2010

Advice Columns

I don't get it.  I thought he was offering some solid insight into why the car was having problems.  Does anyone have a better solution or place to look to fix her car?

11/28/2010

Making a Marine Cry

Last night I left the house under the excuse of retuning a video.  It seemed like a good excuse because I had a video that was going to be overdue if not returned by 10pm.  This seemed like the perfect chance to get a little clandestine shopping done for my wife, who is just a tad bit Christmas crazy.

While waiting at the counter in the store I noticed an older man who had a piece of jewelry on with a very nice EGA.  An EGA is the Eagle Globe and Anchor is the emblem for the Untied States Marine Corps, for those of you who did not grow up the son of a Marine.

Several years ago I made it a personal challenge to thank anyone who is a vet for their service.  So when I see anyone wearing something reminiscent of one of the branches of the service I ask them about it.  If they have a hat with a boat crew number I ask them about the Navy, an Army unit patch gets the same question as does the Air-force.  If they say they were in, I tell them thank you for your service.  If they say no, its my kids's boat, air crew, regiment etc, I ask them to tell their kid thank you for me.

I don't do that with Marines.  I ask them if they EARNED the right to wear that EGA.  If they say no, its for my kid, husband, etc I ask them pass along my thanks.  IF they say yes, and its normally more along the lines of a "HELL YES! OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T BE WEARING IT. WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?"  Then I say, something along the lines of, "I thought you looked like a Marine, I just wanted to say thank you for your service."  This almost always does two things: 1. brings them to attention and 2. elicits a beaming light of pride from their eyes.  I've done this to a man in his 80's who was bent over from age.  He got out of his wheel chair and stood straight to let me know that I was more than welcome and he wished he could do it all over again.

Back to last night.  I went through my normal "so did you earn the right to that EGA" question.  I think I narrowly avoided getting my butt kicked by a man 30 years older then me BTW. Predictably he came to attention.  I do mean attention. Ram rod straight, eyes locked forward, chest out, fingertips perfectly aligned etc.  USMC on a parade ground attention.  I could almost see him in his dress blues.  I gave my usual hearty, "I thought you looked like a Marine, I just wanted to say thank you for your service."

Perfectly at attention, he began to weep.

I teared up as well, and for the first time since I started my personal campaign of saying thanks to vets I wish I had not said anything.

Then he spoke, "no one has every told me thank you".

"Well they should have" I replied.  "I appreciate your service". I said and turned to go.

"When did you serve?" he asked me.  I stopped and turned back around.  "That honor is not mine to claim." I replied.  "I just make it a point to say thanks to those who have". I went on, "My father served with the 3rd Mar Div and pulled security at the De Nang airbase in 67 and 68".

That opened the flood gate of info.  He served in Viet Nam from 1964 till 1972.  He was with the 1st and 3rd Marine Recon. When we were done talking, and we were done, the store was getting ready to close; he made me promise to tell my dad thank you and Semper Fi.  In his estimation my father had done something right and quite frankly I hadn't earned his respect as #1) I am not a Marine, or #2)even in one of the other support branches of the military who do the less important jobs that let Marines go and fight Americas enemies.  I told him I would pass it on.

I got home well after bath time (one of my normal jobs) and past bed time, also my normal job.  Mrs. Ipsa was slightly less than happy with me.  When she demanded an accounting, I gave it.  As I was getting ready to round the kidos up for bed, she told me to call my father.  As she pointed out, "You'll forget if you don't do it now".  So I made the call.  The kids were even latter getting to bed.  My dad informed me of how great this Marine was.  How tough he had it.  How my dad's combat experience was like being on vacation compared to everything this man faced.  I suspect that dad was standing at attention while he and I had this chat. Ram rod straight, eyes locked forward, chest out, USMC on a parade ground attention.

I never got the man's name.

I don't know if you are the type who will go up and talk to a stranger because they are wearing a hat or a pin that has a unit on it. If you are, try out my little program. Tell a vet thanks. You might be the only person that ever has. You owe them this much.  They earned it. Some more than others have paid the price of your freedom.

11/25/2010

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours my friends.

May you be blessed more this next year than you were this, and may your extra blessing be used to bless those around you.

11/24/2010

The Secret of Bill’s Success

Back in his college days Bill Gates used to wander around the seamy side of Cambridge MA. Even in the brainy town that surrounded Harvard, Bill was something of a nerd. Forced to cruse the second hand stores for the 1950’s era pocket protectors and plaid fashion accessories he craved, Bill became a regular in pawn shops and at yard sales.

It was on one of these excursions from the Ivory Tower that Bill wandered into Habeeb's House of Pawned Crap and Estate Brokers. Bill saw what appeared to be a giant hookah in a box that had just came in. Thinking that getting random strangers to take a hit on the hookah might just be the ticket to getting some new friends, he bought it. Rushing home he began to polish it up.

That’s when it happened. A genie came out of the hookah. Apparently the genie got confused during the 60’s and wasn’t able to get back to his lamp during a raid on a frat party. This incredibly laid back and mellow genie offered Bill his three wishes.

Bill said, “I want all the money in the world, for all women to find me irresistible and a Pack Man arcade game.” The genie thought over his wish and said: “Sorry man, can’t do it”. “Well why not?” Bill asked, “Aren’t you a real genie?” “Sure man I’m a real genie, but some things aren’t possible”, he replied. “Like dig it man, you can’t every have ‘all the money in the world’ cause as soon as you do the man just prints more and everybody gets inflation”, the genie said. “Face it Bill you’re a nerd, all women are never going to find you irresistible, it defies the nature of the universe”. The genie continued, “man you have to adjust your expectations and stay true to your place in the cosmos”.

Bill thought this over for a bit. So he said, “OK this is what I wish for, I want to get credit for inventing the personal computer, I want a nickel for every time someone has to reboot it, a dime for every time it crashes and a quarter for every time someone gets a virus”. The genie, not knowing anything about computers agreed to the wish.

This is why Bill Gates has almost all the money in the world.

It is also why I haven’t been doing much blogging. My computer has been and still is giving me fits. It’s also why I have lost everyone’s email address.

11/11/2010

Good Timing

A special note of thanks to my friends who served our country in the armed forces.  Thank you for your service.  From the Marine Corps Times:
The Marine Corps has recommended that a former corporal receive the Medal of Honor for braving a hail of enemy fire in September 2009 to pull the bodies of four U.S. troops from a kill zone in eastern Afghanistan, Marine Corps Times has learned.

Dakota Meyer, 22, of Greensburg, Ky., was recommended for the nation’s highest award for valor, according to a source with knowledge of the process, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meyer was recommended for his actions on Sept. 8, 2009, near the village of Ganjgal in Kunar province. He charged into a kill zone on foot and alone to find three missing Marines and a Navy corpsman who had been pinned down under enemy fire for hours by about 150 well-armed insurgents. Already wounded by shrapnel before braving enemy fire, he found them dead and stripped of their gear and weapons, and carried them out of the kill zone with the help of Afghan soldiers, according to military documents obtained by Marine Corps Times.

As a side note, if this Marine recieves the Medal of Honor, he will be the first living Marine to do so in a generation.

11/09/2010

Obama




I guess the evil empire just ran out of cash.

11/02/2010

Hip Boots

First a hunting/shooting update.  Normally I would blog about my success.  Except I can't.  First opening day of elk was 74 degrees outside.  I saw no elk, but had a great 4 days of camping. 

Second, I took one whole day for antelope.  My shooting SUCKED.  Attempt on mature buck #1 resulted in a miss at less than 300 yards.  One day I will remember about shooting down hill and against a head wind.  Notice I said remember, not learn.  I already know what to do and have practiced the shot.  I just can't seem to remember not to screw it up.  I have no idea why I missed shot at doe #1.  No idea at all.  Not even a good guess.  Same thing goes for the 200 yard shot at doe #2.  Buck #2 (a baby buck barely 2 years old) was a double shoulder 1 shot kill at 225 yards with a 12mph cross wind and an extreme downhill angle.  168 grain Berger Bullets in a 7-08 Rem at 2600 fps was a new load for me this year (I'm still experimenting) they will more than get the job done.  As it turns out I had NO USABLE MEAT on either side of the front quarter of the buck.  Doe #3 presented not one, not two but three shoots for me.  I missed them all.  I have no idea why.  I changed guns at this point.  I had a sweet set up on a buck at 1,079 yards.  I've shot targets in the same exact place and NEVER missed.  1,079 would be a new personal best on a big game animal.  So I set up, checked the wind, ranged it again, got a great rest and missed it by TWO FEET!  I had no clue why.  So I had another go at another lope at 998 yards and missed.  Research latter proved that the scope had been bumped and was off.  Doe #4 was an easy 375 yrds and I missed.  I tried again at 450, and missed.  I got closer (about 80 yards) and made a solid hit.

For those of you keeping score that's attempts on 2 bucks and 4 does.  With one buck and one doe hanging in my garage.  It took me 11 shots to get it done at a little less than 7 hours.  Normally I'm done with antelope in less than an hour of hunting to fill two tags.  I'm not even keeping the bucks horns. The tenderloins however were delicious tonight for super.

I'm going to make a try for elk again this weekend, even though the heat wave is expected to continue.  Deer season opened yesterday in my elk unit so I'll buy a tag.

The election was today.  I voted.  There were no surprises here.  Our congress critter is a republican.  She won.  Yawn.  They seem to be making a big fuss in the news about our having a Democrat Governor and a Republican winning.  Its not a big deal.  We have term limits.  Gov Dave limited out.  The Republicans ran a candidate and the Democrats didn't, this isn't a big upset.  At least not in my book.  In fairness to Gov Dave, he was more conservative than most Repubs, at least outside of Wyoming.  He did a decent job when in office and was elected to the maximum number of terms.  What would have been big news is if Taylor Haynes would have won as a write in candidate.  If that would have happened we would have had a black man as governor, who ran to the right of the Constitution Party.  BTW I wrote him in.

In local races I stuck to my policy of either 1.)vote the challenger or 2.)vote for the lessor evil.  This year I actually had to vote Dem in a handful of races.  Don't hate me.  The reason was that the Repub incumbent is/was such a complete and total waste of oxygen that I couldn't vote for her, her and him.  That and there were no 3rd party options in those 3 races.  I hated to vote dem but face it, at some point even the dems couldn't screw the job up worse than these clowns. We've reached that point.  Hopefully we get someone new in those jobs and we get a new cohort of crooks in the county commissioners and other assorted offices that actually can be affected by my vote.