Sign

When looking for animals you follow the sign. For pig hunting, this would be the mother of all sign! That is supposed to be a nice pasture and on the left side of the picture is the road. Or at least what is left of it. THe hogs tore up everything they could in this clearing including the road.
Unfortunately for us, this was at least a day old and the pack responsible had moved on to another field next door. We did see a couple lone hogs but not the pack or hogzilla we really wanted. Game camera pictures show there is one that is at least 3.5-4 feet tall standing on all fours and very fat. Wish we could have crossed paths with him. Also saw two nice looking little bucks but they will live to grow a little more as their rack was not wide enough to qualify for taking. Besides, this is a doe weekend in Grimes County and it is time to gather some meat.

That sinking feeling

when you are sitting in an office and someone walks in and asks, "Who's driving the truck parked out front?". I answered with the question, which truck? The response was, the brown 4X4 just outside the door. "That would be me." I just hit your truck. At which point, I pointed to misbeHaven and said, "talk to her, it is her truck and I already wrecked it once."

Well, misbeHaven's hair being all up in getting processed, I went outside and had a look. Not anything major at all. They backed into the drivers side rear fender. Damaged the fender flare and the underlying fender and support structure aroudn the wheel well.

They said, well, I have XYZ insurance and they will take care of you. Guess what, we carry XYZ insurance as well. So, we swap info since it is in a private parking lot the PD is not at all interested.
I go back inside and misbeHaven and I talk a bit while her hair is doing its thing. I finally call the insurance company and wade through the automated answering system and work my way through to claims. The claims agent already has my member number with my phone caller ID info that popped up on her screen and she greets me and says, "that's just too weird, I just got off the phone with Xxxxx and we are accepting full responsibility on their policy." Now you may think this is some local insurance company with one person answering the phones. You would be wrong. Lets just say, if you are active or retired military officer, they would likely be your insurance company. Not small to say the least.

Anyway, I have an appointment next week to have the local partner bodyshop have a look and schedule when they can have all the parts and supplies and be ready to do the repairs. Rental will be waiting at the shop when I drop of the truck for repairs as well. All handled directly by the insurance company.

Well, while I would prefer to not have the damage and repair, this treatment, and the cost, is why we carry our auto insurance through them. Same as when misbeHaven had her bad wreck, and back when I crashed her truck when it was two weeks old. They take care of their policy holders well.

Random Act of Culture

This is just way too cool. With all the flash mob activity and such, it is interesting (to me) to see a cultured flash mob.

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together over 650 choristers from 28 participating organizations to perform one of the Knight Foundation's "Random Acts of Culture" at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia. Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ - the world's largest pipe organ - the OCP Chorus and throngs of singers from the community infiltrated the store as shoppers, and burst into a pop-up rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah" at 12 noon, to the delight of surprised shoppers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU

Always Remember

Remember those who served! This would be the young Lt being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. For the first time, there is an Oak Leaf Cluster to follow.

WHOP WHOP DUEX

Today brings a follow up to my last helicopter post that covered Huey's flying in. Well, as I was leaving work this evening there was a rumble from the other side of hanger. I wandered over and there were 4 SeaHawks warming up. Yhe lead had a special tail plane though. It was dark base with SPARTANS across it in gold. Sorry but all I had on me was my cell so the picture is a bit crappy.


I followed up by getting my camera and by the time I got back to the ramp they were taking off in a sloppy trail.

Guns -n- Gambling

They just don't mix! At least that's what we are told. You can't have guns in any area where gambling is taking place so that must be prohibited place for those with Concealed Carry Licenses.

What's that?


Armed robbers hitting up a bingo hall? You mean a victim disarmament zone where no one is legally allowed to have the effective tools to fight back? Kinda like no guns in schools as they are a learning environment. No crime can take place there so we don't need guns there.

Election Excriment

So, a bunch of new power hungry psychophants have ousted a bunch of the existing psychophants. Whoop de freakin do! Stay tuned for the flurry of lawsuits and accusations of election fraud as these nut bags try to retain their grip on power. Also, be prepared for the self serving money grubbing legislation that will be rammed down our throats in the next two months by the lame ducktards that still occupy their seats of power. "WaDaYaGoNaDoBoutIt? Fire me?"

Meanwhile, since local news doesn't come on until 05:30 here, we tuned in Houston news. Interesting thing there was that Prop 3 (red light camera continuation) failed overwhelmingly. The ad campaign for it was a union hack from the firefighters union going on about having to pull wreck victims from cars especially children then a hospital administrator who states the fact that "We KNOW red light cameras work". Now that it has been voted down, the cities reaction was, "Now we have to find the money to pay for all the work we wanted to do with the red light camera money. As a result peoples homes are going to get flooded and the streets are going to suck because we can't afford to fix drainage or roads." So, it really wasn't about safety, it was about revenue to pay for things the city should have been doing already and haven't.

UPDATE:
The city council meeting this morning in Houston yielded some interesting results. The city controller announced the city would lose $10 million in revenue with the cameras gone. The city annouced that the cameras will stay on and people will still get tickets and have to pay them until they decide what to do. The city has a contract with ATS for another two years and ATS hasn't decided if they are going to sue the city over this yet!

What a crock of sticking poo! If this doesn't show all too clearly that these cameras never were about safety but are all about money then I don't know what will. That is all this is about money! I'm glad we got that settled here locally.

Powder Explosion Aftermath

If you remember back in may the explosion at Black Mag powder manufacturer, the official OSHA ruling has come down.

Gunpowder manufacturer fined more than $1.2 million after explosion kills two workers

OSHA issued 54 citations* with penalties totaling $1,232,500 to gun powder substitute manufacturer Black Mag LLC following a deadly May explosion that took the lives of two workers at the company's Colebrook, N.H., worksite.

The workers, who had been on the job for only a month, were being required to hand feed explosive powder into operating equipment because the employer failed to implement essential protective controls. The multiple explosions that occurred when the powder detonated killed both men and blew out the walls and roof of the worksite. Four months earlier another worker had suffered serious burns from a flash fire at the facility.

"Even with a prior incident in which a worker was seriously injured, and multiple warnings from its business partners and a former employee, this employer still decided against implementing safety measures," said OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels. "Unfortunately, we see this kind of disregard time and time again across industry. All employers must plan for and prevent workplace injuries so these types of avoidable tragedies don't happen, and workers can return home safely at the end of the day."

OSHA inspectors found that the employer had shown willful indifference to protecting the safety and lives of his workers by failing to train those involved in the manufacture of the gun powder substitute, failing to locate operators at safe locations while equipment was operating and failing to separate workstations by distance or barriers. The employer also failed to provide fire resistant clothing, face shields and gloves; to safely store gun powder; and to identify explosion hazards in the company's operating procedures. See the news release for more examples of Black Mag's numerous safety and health violations.

So, OSHA found willful indifference in the violations and say that is common across industry. Well, they will have to pay for it now but that won't do anything to bring the dead workers back. I would not be surprised if they end up out of business after OSHA and the victims families get done with them.

Active Shooter. NOT!

Yesterday afternoon the campus alert system sent out notice of a man with a gun spotted at Rudder Tower in the center of campus and for everyone to shelter in place.

A bus driver had spotted a man walking into the building carrying an AK-47 and called it in to dispatch.

Plusses, the campus alert system "Code Maroon" worked well. The notice went out quickly to let students know something was up. The UPD and CSPD both responded along with the CSPD SWAT team. Searches were carried out while witnesses were interviewed. The suspect was identified and police went to his home to investigate. Turns out he had a plastic replica AK that he had carried through campus to his parking area in west campus then home. Nothing illegal but certainly really dumb given the current climate and VERY recent shooting on the UT campus and Sam Houston State campus.

Minuses, WHY THE HELL CAN'T CHL's CARRY ON CAMPUS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES?

Had this been an actual active shooter, by the time law enforcement arrived, there would have been multiple casualties. Granted, the number of CHL's on campus is small and even a small percentage of those would actually carry, but why are we denied the fundamental right of self defense because we have crossed some mystical line int he sand that is arbitrarily called "Campus?

If you don't already, support Students For Concealed Carry on Campus. Last legislative session here in Texas the bill to allow carry on campus was held up by petty Dems not letting anything move so they could stop Voter ID. WE can't let that happen this year. First off to get voter ID through and second to get CCoC passed. The lie being spread right now is that legislators do not want to take the decision out of individual school administrators hands and make this state law. Since the places weapons prohibited says if you have specific permission of the school you can carry. Problem is no school (college) will give permission for CHL's to carry as the administration sees it as too much of a risk. Blood in the streets, shooting over parking spaces and shootings over low grades and all that hysterical BS! Same nonfactual emotional BS that the anti rights crowd pull out every time CHL is proposed anywhere. Same Shit that has been proven factually wrong over and over again over time after the laws are passed.

It is time for this to stop!

How LOW?

How low can some people stoop?

SAN ANTONIO -- A crook broke into Soldiers' Angels last Sunday, stealing half a dozen flat screen tvs and laptops carrying valuable memorabilia.

"Certificates, awards, letters, inspirational letters," says the group's co-founder, Jeff Bader. "All of these were in the display modules and it feels like the loss of a loved one. Feels like we were violated."

The thief also vandalized the charity's exhibit room with flame retardant foam, right by the Fallen Heroes memorial.

"It was totally disrespectful," adds Bader. "It's unimaginable that someone would come into a place, a non-profit, and steal from a non-profit trying to help American soldiers."

Surveillance video from businesses next door led police to the arrest of 42 year old Charles Edward White. White is now charged with burglary of a building, but News 4 WOAI found this isn't his first time behind bars.

White has been in and out of jail since the late eighties for assault, kidnapping, drugs, and burglary.

Police haven't been able to recover the stolen items. Replacing the goods could cost Soldiers' Angels thousands of dollars... money that may have to come out of what they give to soldiers.

"This is going to cost money that could have gone to help wounded soldiers, deployed soldiers," says Bader. "It could have been used for better purposes than that, so we're going to need help replacing some of these items."

To help, you can call Soldiers' Angels at (210) 629-0020.

To break into a charities office and not only steal stuff but then to vandalize what you don't take?

So, go NOW to Soldiers Angels and donate. Doesn't matter how much but at least give something to help them get their facilities back together. They do an important job that needs to be done and this is the treatment they get. Make sure they know that there are more good people in the world behind them then there are bad people in the world stealing from them.

H/T From my position, on the way

UPDATE: Turns out this actually happened a couple weeks ago. Why the HELL hasn't this gotten more coverage in the press? (OK that's rhetorical) But why hasn't this been spread far and wide by now? If a Red Cross or Salvation Army office was broken into and vandalized you bet the word would be spread about how despicable of an act it was and calls for donations so why not now for SA's?

Monster Hunter SQEEEEEE

Well, we got our autographed copies of Monster Hunter Vendetta in. I had already gotten my copy from Amazon and was trying to read it while I was sick but just couldn't keep my head in the game more than a paragraph at a time. So I just set it aside. I finally managed to finish it today and am pretty sure that I am going to have to go back and re read it to get everything. Not like that is an issue as I've read MHI at least a dozen times.

So, now that makes a collection of an original self published version with very personalized autograph. That was after having dinner with Larry and his kids. I have to say he has a great family and his kids are very well behaved.

Anyway, in addition to the self published copy, there are three copies of the BAEN published MHI with one being personalized with the warning that the book belongs to us and better be returned. Now we have two autographed copies of MHV to add to the collection.

So, if you haven't already gone out and bought one, GO ORDER MHV NOW!

I mean, who doesn't love gangsta Gnomes?

Beretta NEOS Recall

Beretta U.S.A. Corp. has discovered a potential condition with Beretta .22 caliber NEOS semiautomatic pistols in which the pistol will fire even if the safety is activated and, in some cases, the pistols may fire if the safety is moved from the OFF to the ON position. Chances of either of these situations occurring is extremely remote and no injuries have occurred because of this condition, however, because of safety concerns relating to this situation, Beretta U.S.A. Corp. is immediately implementing a recall of Beretta .22 caliber NEOS semiautomatic pistols.

You can get more from Beretta Directly here.

Sick SUX!

Well, I've been down for three days. I should have known things were bad when my cat wouldn't leave me alone all night. He stayed curled up next to me all night long.
Anyway, not sleeping because my head was full and I couldn't breath was a hell of a way to spend a few days. I had my fresh copy of Monster Hunter Vendetta and couldn't focus long enough to read it. Finally have gotten my head to drain but now that makes for a sore throat and not so happy stomach.

To top it all off, Yesterday was the anniversary of the happiest day of my life, misbeHaven said "I Do." What should have been a happy day for us to be together turned into her taking care of me and getting me a bowl of PHO that I really didn't even taste or enjoy. Unfortunately, that's about how our anniversaries have been. At my last job, I spent more anniversaries and birthdays with my boss than I did with my wife. I finally got away from that job and into my current job where we are actually able to be together and this happens.

3652 Days...

... since TXGunGeek and I tied the knot. Actually 3653... our anniversary was yesterday, but I was too busy to post and TXGunGeek is sick. We said "for better or worse"... we've had some of both. Sickness and health, too. Gave up (relatively) richer for (relatively) poorer and found happier in the process. Life isn't perfect, but it's good.

I love you, honey.

Now get well! We have to get started on the next 10 years.

Navy Bombs Guam With Dead Mice

The solution was to drop the mice into the snakes’ natural habitat, the branches of trees in the jungles of Guam. By outfitting the mice with cardboard wings and green party streams, the bait could float down to the jungle and catch on the branches. The result is a hanging, deadly snack for the snakes.

You just have to go read the article to get the full effect. However, the visual from that one paragraph made my day. The Navy is dropping dead mice that have been stuffed with Acetaminophen into the jungle so snakes will eat them and die.
Commando Mice Brigade to the rescue!

UPDATE: Go over to We The Armed to read the real behind the tail tale of what really happened in this raid. Moose42 outdoes himself!