Laughing at 14 Months

I've never heard the joke, or the punch line, but when the boy starts to laughing its contagious. In seconds I'm smiling and cracking up. He starts off giggling, then he gets the belly laughs then snorts and then he falls over, busting a gut the whole time.

There is nothing like it. The innocent laughter of your own children is better than any funny movie or stand up comedian I've ever saw.

We were playing bounce baby on the bed (don't tell Mrs Ipsa). This game is good for a few chuckles and I was looking forward to the inevitable tickle fight, when it happened. The boy sat up and sneezed. Of course he was giggling and this caused the little snot pockets to blow bubbles. Like a good dad I was already going for some Kleenex. Right at that moment the boy discovered that if he snorted when he laughed he could get big snot bubbles. This became a new game. Which, again no need to tell Mrs Ipsa, I let him play, because I was laughing as hard as he was. Snot is affected by gravity and soon was running out of bubble blowing range. So I wiped it up. This bummed the little guy out tremendously.

I couldn't let the good times end so I started a game of tickle monster. He was off laughing again. This time he discovered if he laughed hard and pushed with his tummy, he could get a loud fart. As we all know, loud farts are just about the funnest thing on earth. So we laughed and he farted as much as he could. This now passes as high culture at the Ipsa house.

This afternoon the boy was taking his nap. I checked in to see how he was doing. He let a little toot in his sleep, and giggled. So did I.

Quote

A veteran - whether active duty, retired, discharged, national guard or reserve - is someone who (whether they understood it or not at the time) wrote an undated blank check made payable to "The People of The United States of America", for an amount of "Up to and Including My Life."--Unknown

I was asked why I say that I support our troops but not war. The person asking me was of the opinion that you have to be pro war to be pro troops. I'm not pro war and only a psychotic, or a neo-con could be so.

I believe war is sometimes unavoidable. I believe war is a moral undertaking in some cases. I believe that it is something we should avoid if possible and move heaven and earth to win if not. The person I was talking to was more interested in the current war in Iraq than generalities about war. I tried to explain that principals are more important than applications. He was having none of that. In his mind if your not worshiping GWB than you're against the flag, mom and apple pie. I tried to explain that I'm a fan of pie in general and apple in specific. He didn't get it, or see the remark as humorous.

As to Iraq. Bush didn't lie, he gave the reasons he thought we should go fight. As it turns out most of his reasons turned out to be based in fact. Congress went along for the ride. They look more like weasels every time they try to get around this inconvenient truth. Of course as congress critters they look like weasels or snakes anyway so it can be hard to tell whats happening based solely on looks.

We're in a war. Lets finish up and win it and bring the boys home. We don't need another war with Iran, or any other country friendly with "extremism". If these nations are so dangerous and pose so great a threat that we must always keep our troops on their soil, I have another suggestion. Kill them all. Use the nuclear option. The USA has shown in the past that we can and will turn our enemies into smoldering piles of radioactive rubble.

I posed this suggestion to my friend. He was against it. I asked why. Surely GWB can make intercession for our souls if that's what you're worried about. If you're pro-war and pro-victory and its all about making the sandbox safe for democracy, kill em all. Nothing could be safer than bombing them with nukes from 30,000 feet. He was still against it. I told him he hated his mother and apple pie.

I guess my main point, and here you didn't think I had one, is that the quote I provided explains why I support our servicemen but not finding lots of little reasons to send them out to shoot people. Those who take up our nations uniform do so for us. They serve us, you, me our families, no matter the cost. They wrote that blank check on their life because they value us. I honor and support them, no matter the conflict, because they did it for me, even if I might not have ordered them to go. They earned it.

Choices

I’d like some input from the gun nut crowd. I’m still working towards my 1K goal. I’m still in the rebuilding the gun stage. I know I should be further along, hunting season and taking on extra work have been slowing up the process. I’m at the point where I’m looking at adding two important components and I’d like your thoughts.

As way of reminder this is for a 7mm-08 built on a Remington 700 short action. Item number one: a new stock. I’m pretty much sold on doing a Bell and Carlson full aluminum bedded stock. I have two choices that I’m considering. Choice number one is the VARMINT/TAC S/A MEDALIST STOCK, and choice number two is the fully adjustable VARMINT/TACTICAL STOCK. Question does anyone have any personal experience with either stock? I’m leaning towards the adjustable stock, thoughts?

Item number two. I’m thinking about rebarreling the bad boy with either a Krieger or a Hart heavy, fluted barrel. Of course I’ll have it trued and accurized etc. Any thoughts on length or barrel preference?

Mortgages Part 1b

A special hat tip to Gary North. I found this at his place, although its not his work. I intend to work on my analysis after I get a substantial amount of honey do, done.

Pay attention to part 2, these guys are on the money. They are playing it for laughs but they are 100% right, on both the theory and the practice.

Environmental News

Al Gore discovers a solution to energy independence. PETA hates it. I'm torn in my feelings on if we should do it or not. You decide.

GOD is Busy

If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!!!!!!!

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. He was anti-war as well.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting."

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The Marine calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me."