At this point we don’t know what has become of Jonn and TSO. I’ll admit I was considering some sillier options, but I realized there is an anthem of sorts that defines TAH. So I’ll offer this tune without pages of elaboration. If this song doesn’t capture us and those like us, I’m in the wrong place.
https://youtu.be/QDQ_wFC3Q_E
West Virginia almost became a safer place to live today. Our state legislators had passed a bill with large majorities clearing the way for our citizens to freely carry concealed weapons. There were a few reasonable restrictions, but, in general, no longer were special permits and/or fees required. The legislative session ended and the bill went to the Governors desk.
And Then… This afternoon the Governor vetoed the bill.
The nature of the process is that it won’t be up for a vote again until the next legislative session – practically speaking that means next year.
Curiously, West Virgina is already an open-carry state. One could carry a side arm in a holster, BUT you need a special permit to wear a coat that might cover the thing.
Really! It is THAT simple folks. Not simply carrying a weapon – that’s okay… but throw on a coat to be warm, or a raincoat to be dry, and VIOLA yer a criminal.
I know it is just politics as usual. Still, I’ve been trying to figure out whether to giggle at the absurdity of this situation or just sit and mumble curses in the general direction of Charleston.
Saw this story via several sources in the past 24 hours or so and I reckon many of you have as well:
“In effort to prove once and for all that owning guns puts Americans in danger, States United to Prevent Gun Violence set up a fake gun store and shamed first-time gun buyers into foregoing their purchase.”
I’ll leave it to you to decide if ya wanna watch the video at the link. It IS really funny in an ironic sense.
Thing is… I suspect, with some confidence, that this was simply a scripted exercise with actors. And so I started writing my own scripts.
Scene: A hole-in-the-wall shop in NYC.
John Doe#1: “I wanna buy an atomic bomb, can you suggest one that is easy to use?”
Dealer: “Here’s the one used on Nagasaki. Our government used one like it to kill thousands in Japan.”
John Doe#1: “Oh my, I thought it was easy to end a war.”
John Doe#1 Street interview: “I’m shocked that these evil bombs actually kill people.”
Er, Um, My script actually makes more real sense than the yahoos in the video are trying to convey. AND I’ve been working on a coupla others.
Just keep in mind that those dark, foul, hunks of metal are evil incarnate. They force humans to do evil things.
One last bit of perspective. Matches light fires. We need to rid the country of matches. If we do no person will be at risk of being burned up.
A thing happened on this day 8 years ago. Any number of reference sources are available on-line if yer Google-Fu is good.
Some ‘Nam vets decided to stand up and be counted. ANSWER was gonna do some protesting at The Wall in DC. A coupla geezers decided to organize a counter effort. Captain Bailey and Colonel Riley managed to get the word out and The Gathering of Eagles was born.
I hope I can be forgiven for personalizing this post rather than dealing with the event in more generic terms. The latter has been done by many, and arguably better than I might offer.
The event marked my first trip to The Wall and my second trip to DC.
I, somehow, wound up being in charge of on-site communications. There were folks doing “security” that needed to be able to talk to each other and Captain Bailey made me his commo Petty Officer so I bought encrypted walkies-talkies and some (then) cheap cell phones as back-up. The day before the event we scouted the site and I picked the highest point for my headquarters. While technically the right thing to do, it had one significant downside. It snowed and the temps dropped. We were ready technically, but not so ready for the weather. We were “under’ a canopy on poles that both threatened to blow away AND periodically dumped snow on us.
Still… it was the first time I’d felt proud to be a ‘Nam Vet. I could see The Wall from my spot, and the thousands who had joined us. Needless to say… ANSWER didn’t get close to The Wall.
Someone took a pix of me that day:
Gonna take a chance and copy Hondo, but with a Metal bent…
Or maybe:
Last one, Gotta reckon Jonn will dump this… musical tastes are in play:
https://youtu.be/4uq6Ax-zzkQ
In THE OLDEN DAYS… The other branches called us, generically, Squids – But I recall terms we used in The Navy to refer to our fellow sailors. NOT PC.
I’m gonna share the ones I can remember:
Airdale: Someone who plays with aircraft and inhales jet exhaust with a smile.
Bubblehead: A submariner – NEVER a sub mariner.
Radarman: Scope dope.
Gunners Mate: Gun Bunny.
Them that kept us moving and kept the lights on, etc.: Snipes.
Pond Scum: Surface sailors collectively – according to the Bubbleheads.
Kinda wonder how the other branches referred to themselves.
So with no acronyms and/or numbers, please, offer the friendly terms you all used to refer to your fellow service members. Keep in mind that I’m including The Navy here. I certainly don’t remember them all… anyway the ones I DO remember are from near 50 years ago.
The Marines and Army types were collectively “Grunts” to most of us, as I recall, so now you can set the record straight.
One I DO recall is “Redlegs” for artillery – There is some historical basis for that one.
Anyway, fill in the blanks…
Quick update: Thanks I did forget deck apes and pecker-checkers, and The Shoes.
OUR own TSO did a post the other day that stirred memories. AND added some much needed humor into the mix that is our lives today.
It actually took some time before I realized what was missing. Gorillas making meaningful music. No wonder Dian Fossey liked to hang out with them.
There are so many things currently that make MY stomach hurt it is nice to know what to do about it. I won’t defend the following as meaningful, it just made me feel better about the phonies and er,um life. Gonna try this solution.
Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up…
I’ve been scanning my usual news sources when I can much of the weekend. Can’t seem to find stuff that makes me smile.
Long aside: Snow storm knocked out our satellite internet AND we were without power for a time. Even didn’t have DirecTV, etc. My back-up generator did the self test on Wednesday just fine, but decided NOT to run when our power failed. Did get it running, and the snow on the dishes slid off, etc. We do have battery powered laptops and a cell based Hotspot, but we only used those for weather and tracking power outages. A point worthy of note only because I reckon those events soured my attitude some.
Subsequent to all that I still haven’t been able find much that makes me grin out there in the rest of the world. So I’m gonna ask YOU lot for links to the silly I know is out there.
The only rule is that it has to be safe for work. Kinky does NOT always equal silly.
Should add also, that the snow is melting, and our world is just fine. Living on a remote ridge in WV, even with yer own gas well, does have some downsides at times .