Sunday, June 26, 2011

Don't buy a Kohler toilet

At least not if you ever want to replace the seat. .  .

Took me four trips to the local hardware store and an Internet search to find out that you can't replace a broken seat on these.  You need their special tool since you can't get to the back of the bolt to take it off. . .

So after an afternoon of back and forth, I cut the seat off, broke the bolts loose, and ended up getting a new seat and mounting it with the biggest anchors I could find and the bolts from the new seat.  It works but what a pain.

I will NEVER by another Kohler toilet.  Talk about a bad design. . .  and for the price I paid them. . . . just pisses me off.

And I learned that all the innered are special and pricey too. . .

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Gay Marrage passes in NY

And I have to say good for NY. 

I freely admit I was against it when it passed in MA.  Then I got further and further into the gun rights thing, and the Constitution, and finally realized I was wrong.

The state has no place in marriage beyond recording it.  The Constitution does not say a thing about it, so they leave it up to the states.  But the states should not discriminate against anyone - so beyond recording who is married and who is not it should stay out of it.

I had to learn it but what it came down to is how can I expect anyone to respect my rights - be it over the Second Amendment or any other if I don't respect and fight for theirs?

Our rights are what they are, and the government is trying to slowly take them away in it's quest for more and more control of us.  We need to stand together and hold the line.  We need to force the powers that be to see we know what our rights are and we won't give them up.

So Congrats to New York, you have not only won your right to marry, but you have won for all of us a little bit of control over our lives back.

Thanks

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Al Qaeda, Gun Shows and the Media

And coming as no surprise to anyone, the Main Stream Media has fallen in with Al Qaeda and is parroting their taking points word for word.

Al Qaeda in an attempt to further dis-arm us and in showing it's desperation at coming up with some kind of attack in the US they are calling for a loan wolf attack here.  And to make it happen they are saying "go to a gun show and buy automatic weapons and attack the US"

Folks, the media is all over this as they can (and are) using it to push for more gun control.  They have signed on 100% for this lie and are pushing it.

Lets get this straight shall we?  You can not walk into a gun show and buy an automatic weapon.  ANYWHERE!

The laws around automatics are numerous and federal, so you can't just go over the state line to get one.  You have to jump through many many hoops on the fed level, such as paying fees, getting background checks and all that good stuff.  The only folks that can buy an automatic weapon have been thoroughly checked by the Fed. . .  Of course if you are up on Operation Gun Walker you know the Fed likes to give guns to the bad guys to push their anti gun agenda but that is another story.

To make a long story short, no, you can not get the guns and bombs Al Qaeda says you can at a gun show or gun shop.  It don't work that way.

Remember, gun control is not about the guns, it is about the control.  We are well armed and getting even better armed every day.  This is a problem for Al Qaeda and the loan wolf idea.  They know that. . . . One armed citizen can turn their great attack into a minor news story by taking out their lone wolf.  They need to fix that and the way to do it is to take our guns away.  Don't let them.  We won't.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Gun Nut take 2

Thinking about how I became a gun nut for the last post has got me thinking about the ride in general and how it has changed me . . .


As I said in the last post my trip to a Northeast Blogger shoot is probably what got me really into being a gun nut. It was a very interesting day. I packed up the guns I had and some ammo and headed to this shoot. . . probably a bit nuts but I did it. I didn’t know where I was going in the woods of NH, didn’t know any of the people I would meet, and I did know they would all have guns. . . . what was I nuts or something???

Anyway it was a great time and I met a bunch of great folks. The best part was not the guns (but that was fun!) The best part was the friends I made and that they challenged my thinking on many things. Up until this point I did not carry a gun, I had my permit to but didn’t. I had also not really thought too much about buying more guns beyond what I had.

All this changed that.

These folks were mostly into carrying, and they had good reasons to – self protection, protection of the family, and support of our rights. . . .

This started me on a new way to look at many things. Now I have a second degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and I have spent years studying other martial arts as well, I never thought I would need a gun. Then I went to a blogger dinner. Again great people, thoughtful conversation on guns, hobbies, family and politics that made me think more. Then on the way to my car I attracted the attention of a bunch of teens hanging out late night . . . I gut lucky and ignoring them worked but it made me think – 5 on 1 was not good, and even with Karate I was going to get hurt or loose that one. . . . . ever since I have been carrying whenever I can.

But I have been saying they make me think. . . . and that has changed many things.

As we discussed politics and gun rights with these folks I found that they were looking at a much bigger picture than I was. Gun rights are great on their own, but they also show you where a person stands on many things. These folks were pro gun but they also made a good solid argument that to support our right to bear arms against the liberals we also had to support all of the Constitution from government infringement, not just the Second Amendment. This was a new idea to me and lead to much thinking on my part.

I rather quickly realized that they were right. I could not pick and choose what rights I would support out of the Constitution or all would be lost. This lead me to shift from being rather conservative to being more of a libertarian/Constitutionalist. I went from being against things like Gay Marriage to saying I had to support their rights and protect the Constitution. If I supported the government getting into Gay Marriage then what else would they get into? I took a new look at what the government was doing on the drug war, and how they were treating our kids in schools with No Tolerance rules and laws. . . and I didn’t like what I was seeing.

My eyes were starting to open as to what the Constitution said and what the government (both Parties) were actually doing. I could see how they have for years been slowly moving away from our Constitution and our founding fathers ideal of what the USA was and pushing us toward bigger and bigger government, more and more government control of our lives. I could also see how this was a big contributor to the mess we are in now.

Big government, more control of our lives, more taxes, more jobs lost and more jobs moved over seas. . . . More spending on welfare, more lack of any personal accountability or responsibility. More poor, more division between have and have not. None of this was good and we have to get involved, vote, and make sure our elected officials know we are watching them and we want our country back – No, we are taking it back! They work for us, not the other way around.

Another change in me from the gun nut exposure is I am now more aware of what is going on around me all the time. I no longer wander through life lost in my own thoughts. I pay attention to what is around me. This has changed many things down to what I put in my pockets on the way out the door. I now won’t leave the house without my knife, a flashlight and my dad’s old lighter. I also carry a multi tool and a gun when I can. I have tools on me in case I need them. I no longer assume all is well so it will stay that way. I prepare for what if’s. I can’t tell you how handy that knife, light and multi tool have been.

And I blame all of this on becoming a gun nut. It has made me a better person and a better citizen. And I credit this on the gun nuts I have meet – some on line and some in person - who have shown me how to be that better person. . .

How I became a gun nut

Well, all the popular kids are posting on how they became a gun nut . . . . so I figured I would throw out my not so exciting two cents:


I started shooting as a kid in probably 5th or 6th grade when dad got me an air rifle, one that you could pump up to 10 time to get some real power out of. I had a great time in the yard with that. Also took out a few squirrels that had been getting in the attic too. . . It was a lot of fun to shoot, rather accurate and a number of old plastic models met there end sitting on a stump to that gun. . .

In Boy Scouts my scout master was very pro 2A and took us all out shooting a few times with .22s. I even managed to earn the Rifle and Shotgun merit badge at summer camp.

After my Granddad passed I got his gun collection and my dad gave me his two rifles. I had just got my FID and this gave me a 22 and a few other things to shoot. For years that was all I had, and it seemed enough.

Fast forward a few years and I had joined a gun range shortly after getting married. Still had the same small collection of arms but it worked for the moment. When I got laid off from work I got plenty of warning so had another job lined up. This let me take the bit of severance I go and buy my first evil assault rifle, a WASA 10 and it was great. I started to look at cowboy shooting and that lead me to finally get a lever action I always wanted. . . . Next thing I know I am actually putting away a gun fund and thinking about the next purchase. . . .

About this time I discovered Blogs through Law Dog. From there I found JayG’s blog and started to really get sucked into the gun blogger world. Then I went to my first blogger shoot (Thanks JayG!). . . . and spent the day surrounded by these great folks, all armed, and all with all sorts of fun stuff to shoot. This got me really interested in the carry movement. I already had a carry permit but didn’t carry.

Well, I have to say that getting into the gunny movement has done a lot to make me a better person, at least I think so. As I got more and more into being a gun nut I realized how gun rights fit into all of our rights. It changed my view on a number of things like gay rights for example. I slowly shifted to seeing any limitation on gay rights as a limitation on rights period. I became more and more wrapped up in looking at what the Constitution actually said vs what the government was doing. And I became more of an independent Libertarian than anything else. . . .

In the end I became a gun nut, I now carry often, have purchased a number of guns myself, taught my kids to shoot and still keep thinking of what I want to get next. . . . I have also found I am much more interested in politics and where my town, state and country are going. I have found that being a gun nut pushes most people into being a patriot nut too and that is a good thing.

Every gun nut I have met has been a great person to know, friendly , eager to share their knowledge and let you try their guns. They are quick witted and smart, love their country, and are eager to help make it a better place if they can . . . almost the exact opposite of what the left portrays them as. . . funny how wrong the left is about these things.

My name is JD and I am a gun nut. . . .

How are we screwed, let me count the ways. . .

Old NFO has a great bit of news for all you Obama lovers, and a reality check. .  .

Go give it a read HERE

Proof that Obama is either a fool who is in way over his head, or well on track to trashing our country. . . you tell me. . . .

Friday, June 10, 2011

TSA and Special Needs Kid

THIS makes me sick, almost physically sick. . . .

As a parent with kids, one of which is mildly special needs I don't even know where to start.  The TSA needs to be taken apart and tossed out.  It doesn't work.  IT IS BROKEN FOLKS and not keeping anyone safe.

They made a dad toss out a special needs persons toy. . . one he has had for 20 years or so. . . 

I don't know about you but it would all but kill me to have to toss out my kids favorite toy so I could get on the airplane with him or her.  Honestly I don't think I could do it.

I feel for this dad and his kid.  I am sure it still bugs him and always will that he had to do this in front of his kid because the Thugs said so.

Folks, we have gone way too far down the rabbit hole.  We have folks playing TSA agent that have no compassion for people, and seem to be more on a power trip than looking at what is really going on in front of them.

So the PLASTIC TOY HAMMER was hard??? that makes it a weapon??? ok, so anything that can be used as a weapon can't come on the plane. . . so no shoes, no belts, no books, no briefcases, no one with any Martial arts training, no canes, no crouches. . . sorry, you all can't fly any more because the sheep say so. . .

I am so sick of this abuse I just don't know what to say any more. . .

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Zero Tolerance Policy

After years of this Bull, the liberals in the school systems are finally admitting that "Zero Tolerance" policy's may not work. . .

You hear that?  The main stream media is reporting they may not work. . . . .

WOW

We may actually be winning finally.  After all of this I wonder why the admission?  Did enough of their kids get caught up in this BS that they finally felt the pain?  Or have things finally gotten to the point where they can't hid the numbers any more showing the failure. .  .

This is a good thing - common sense is slowly returning to our schools.  Zero Tolerance is the refuge of the fool.  Only those who can't see beyond black and white would agree with it's use.

Think they are a good thing?  Then how do you explain the use of these results:
kids suspended from school for drawing army men
kids suspended from school for bring a GI Joe to school (he has a plastic gun, so violates gun policy)
kids suspended from school for allergy meds given to him by parent

I could go on buy you get the point.

All Zero Tolerance has gotten us is good kids with bad school records, trouble getting into college or private high school, and lots of drop outs who can see they are getting screwed.

The left is slowly loosing folks, this may be the single great act of Obama . . . revealing the left for the failure it is to the whole country. . . . .

Now if we could get them to go back to teaching the important stuff like when we were kids instead of "new" math we would really get someplace. . .

Obama Vs. The Economy

No shit this was the headline on CNN at lunch. . ..

and all I could think was " Crap, now he has declared war on the economy?  Hasn't he done enough damage to it already???"

That is just what we need, Obama vs. the economy to help continue our push into a double dip recession. . . Thanks. . .

So how is the hope and change working for you lefties anyway??  You hoping you still have a job or working on the changes brought by unemployment???

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Pirate of the Caribbean

Went to see the new Pirate of the Caribbean yesterday . .  .

Have to say it is long at almost 2.5 hours but worth the trip! 

Was a great story and once again Captain Jack is at his best!  That has got to be one of the all time great characters in film.   I just love watching the crap he gets into and how he manages to almost bumble his way out of it.

Not as many good sword fights or ship battles as before but still a great flick.  And once again you need to stay to watch the quick bit after the credits. . .  won't tell you what it is but they do again leave things open for another film.

They did stretch history a bit with Black Beard going to England if I followed that right, and all that stuff but what do you want, it is Hollywood after all.

Most of the favorite characters are gone, you have Jack and his first mate and Barbosa. . . everyone else is new.

Go see it, a great way to spend a few hours with the family.

Weekend Work

How to make a weekend go by quickly. . . . work. . .

Spent all of yesterday and most of today working around the house.  Managed to get the screen house up and finished off. . . looks good and great for blogging from. . .

Then off to clear brush at the end of the driveway so I can actually you know like see cars coming when I am trying to pull out of the drive. . . always a plus.

Then off to doing more yard work in the back yard. . .

All in all got a lot done this weekend. . . .