Monday, April 28, 2008

Storm Warning

My employment as a land surveyor is tied to construction activity.

I may have more time for yard work, home maintenance, and yes, blogging, in the near future.

I won't be alone.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

No Surprises

Obama picks up a key endorsement:

""We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the election." Why? "He has a vision to change America."

They like Carter, too, back then and today.

(via Instapundit)


Aside: WE ARE OUTTA HERE... until Monday. Y'all have a fine one. And if you need to blow shit up, make sure the neighbors are cool with it, okay?

Monday, April 14, 2008

Gunners!

It's cannon shooting time.

We'll be on the road Thursday for a weekend with our southern California friends at a location just north of Edwards Air Force Base and east of Feinstein's Folly. We are going to an area the locals graciously revealed and authorized us to use after the state fish cops got around to chasing us out of the original cannon shooting venue (Homestead I) that had been the scene of continuous, biannual cannon shooting parties since the mid-1970's. To my knowledge, this last October (Cali was on fire. All of it.) marked the first interruption of the biannual ritual in cannon party history.

(The actual facilities of the state Park are minuscule, but it exists solely because the boundaries were drawn to screw locals out of long-existing prospecting, off road vehicle use, and shooting venues having nothing to do with the canyon itself. It was done as a pander to environmentalists in the same fashion that Clinton screwed Utah with Grand Staircase)There were no facilities the first four years the area was designated as a park, and then it was merely fenced.)



If you live in the SoCal or southern Nevada area and are interested in an opportunity to participate in a three (and maybe more) tube cannon shooting weekend, contact me by email. There will be at least one bowling ball mortar on the firing line, too.

Since we will be in California, I will not be bringing exotic weapons. However, I am bringing a fair spread of my milsurps and enough ammo for all comers to get a good taste o' the boomy goodness. There are two cannon gongs (300 and 500 yds) and a generous number of targets, such as suspended steel gas cylinders, plates, and three foot harrow discs scattered out to 500 yards as well. The shooting area itself is not as extensive as the old line at Homestead I, but the impact and backstop areas are actually better since there is now way for anybody on or in a vehicle to blunder into the danger or beaten zones.

On Saturday night there will be Mrs. Tmj's camp spaghetti, along with campfire garlic bread... and ...AND... Utah State Fair blue ribbon recipe Dutch oven cobbler. This is all dry camping, no facilities and especially NO WATER. A vehicle with decent ground clearance OR a lot of driver patience is required to access the site.

Have a fine day.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Because I'm Mean

31




The questions asked to determine your score are actually quite pertinent.

I never employed an opponent's body as a weapon, but once used a foe's head to block a punch from the next guy on the dance card.

Where did all those years go?

(via American Digest.)

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Flame ON!

Wow. Here's an excerpt from a "Dear Camille" letter:

"The men you always see under her are to a person passive-aggressive, sadistic, mean, little, petty beta-male pieces of work who would not naturally succeed in a common male-type hierarchy. By that I mean an environment that values straightforward achievement rather than the darker political arts."

I could have written that.

Ms. Paglia responds, including this:

"I agree that the male staff who Hillary attracts are slick, geeky weasels or rancid, asexual cream puffs. "

I could have written that, too. Not as well as her, of course.

Who would want Sidney Blumenthal or Sandy Berger on their team? Hell, in their carpool?

The circus continues!

(via Drudge)

On a related note ("flames") I am involved in a contentious exchange here.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Back On My Head

Back in late February, my company approached me about our winter staffing, specifically what was going to happen with my project.

Short story: We needed to cut back due to the extreme weather. Their idea: lay off at least one man, with my immediate assistant seeing his hours cut back at least a day a week for as long as the nasty weather held.

My idea: we put those two in that situation, after training them up with me for one and two years respectively, and buddy, they'll find a job that doesn't require them to be up at five and at the office by a quarter to seven, then out in single digit weather eight or ten hours a day.

So I took a leave, left my second man in charge, and as far as I know the company kept both of them busy. It's a slightly Pyhrric victory, since my longest-tenured man is leaving on his LDS mission later this month... but it was worth it.

I spent March remodeling our living room and being a Mr. Mom. Tomorrow, I go back.

I already feel as if I never left. I am not so sure that is a good thing.

Onward!

Friday, April 04, 2008

Thank Goodness (Updated 4/7)

...that Hillary is coming to save us from that filthy corporate lucre.


"The considerable crossover between the couple's decades of political fundraising and their personal profit also extended at times to the former president's charity work and his presidential library, though many records related to those remain secret. What is clear is that numerous financial patrons -- individuals as well as large corporations -- repeatedly emerge in the Clintons' circle."


What part of "scam" don't people understand?

I can sort of maybe kinda sympathize a little bit with Michelle Obama. Right now, I'm embarrassed to be an American. Surely we can do better than the three clowns and their attendant cast of blowers and flappers that comprise our political cream -
can't we?

UPDATE: Related.