Biltmore Estate, Gorgeous Flowers, in Asheville

I've heard of the Biltmore Estate all my life. A bit over a  hundred years old, it's a huge house in Asheville, in the mountains of North Carolina. I've heard of it, but I've never, ever been there, even though I've been to, and passed through, Asheville and the surrounding area many times.

My wife, Robie, and I had the opportunity to spend a couple days and nights at the Inn at Biltmore recently. Expensive, most definitely, but given our service and amenities, the relaxation (did I mention a "couples massage"?), it's definitely worth the time and money. You might want to indulge yourself some time.

All that aside, being a photo buff 24-7, I was duly impressed by the gardens. A couple wows! are in order. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to take in everything I would have liked. Needless to say, there's a good chance, a very good chance, that we'll be going back.

At any rate, I'm attaching a few pictures that I liked. Hope you do, too.

Looking Tall



                                                                                                Statuesque

 

Stairs to Up There

 



                            Majestic Tree

 

 

 

  Vivid Color

                                                                                                 Busy Bee

 Nature's Framing        

 

Robie is Planning Something                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Photo Blog. The Chesapeake Bay. The Intracoastal Waterway.

I had the distinct privilege and pleasure of accompanying my brother-in-law, Steve, on a run from Lexington Park, Maryland to New Bern, North Carolina aboard his boat, Nighthawk I. The 47-foot cruiser was our home for a few days, as we motored down the Chesapeake Bay into the Intracoastal Waterway, winding our way to New Bern. The photo possibilities were limitless, from before sunrise to post sunset. And, I took advantage of the opportunities. So, here are a very few of the images I grabbed as we made our way south.

Interesting Naval ships in the Bay

Yep. That's a submarine.

I want one of these.

 

 

 



The Chesapeake has a variety of vessels, many headed for the Port of Norfolk

Carnival Cruise Ship in Norfolk

Captain Steve at the helm

Meandering on Norfolk's waterfront

Naval ship in port

Flattops in dry dock

New friends, Ted and Chris, aboard Christine heading for sunny Florida for the winter

Close quarters

                      There's a lot of barge traffic in the ICW

Crabbers working their pots

Time for a fuel stop and some seafood

Net fishermen

 

There's a "lock" in the ICW, where the water levels differ by a foot or so

We thought this lady at the Great Bridge lock was collecting money. Nope, she was handing out candy. Halloween was about a week away.

 

The "locked" boats take off on cue

 

A busy place, this lock.

 

I love sunrises and sunsets. I don't know a photographer who doesn't.

  Flaming sunrise

Ahhhh.

 

Sailing Reflections

Looking for breakfast

In search of breakfast

 

New Bern Dead Ahead!

 

 

Duck!

 

Welcome to New Bern!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Last Bridge

Suzette and Steve. 

Dockside in New Bern

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are we just stupid? Gullible? Not because of what we're doing, but because of what we're not doing.

This government shutdown, caused by those evil republicans and a few evil democrats in the US House of Representative, has certainly rankled POTUS and the US Senate majority,

The House Members, to cut to the chase, voted to fund everything requested save for Obama Care. They wanted to postpone it's implementation for a year. The US Senate voted against that proposal, saying they would rather see the entire government shut down than to continue operating normally while both houses worked to make sure that the Affordable Care plan would actually work. A growing number of citizens, a majority by most polls, showed that Americans oppose the forced health care mandate.

The president went on record stating he would oppose the House plan, even if the Senate approved it. The democrats in the Senate didn't want to irritate the president. That's why they would not agree with the People's Congress.

Ok, so it now stands that all non-essential federal employees are furloughed. That means they aren't working, that the work they do is not necessary. And, they're not getting paid. That's got to be tough for the workers. No paycheck. And, unless they have been saving for a rainy day, it could get pretty rough.

Of course, that's pretty much the same challenge that every non-federal worker faces when non-federal companies lay people off, or shut their doors.

But, Congress has voted to pay all of those furloughed federal employees their lost pay once the shutdown is over. What? Let me get this straight. Furloughed employees, those deemed non-essential, are not working, but will get paid anyway. It will be a little late coming, but they WILL get paid. Meantime, they're not working, and non-essential services have been stopped.

How does that make other federal workers feel? Those who's jobs are essential, the guys who are working, getting paid for the work they're doing. I think, given a choice, that I would rather get paid, even if it's a little late coming, and not work. Great opportunity to go fishing, catch up on household chores, read a little, or just nap.

Is there something wrong with our legislators? How does any of this make sense?

Please don't get me wrong, and let me be perfectly clear.

• I totally support the effort to defund Obamacare.
• I don't understand why the Republicans in the House are being blamed for the shutdown, when they voted to pass the budget, but excluded funds for Obamacare.
• I blame the Senate and president who said they would rather shut down the entire government than defund Obamacare.
• I feel bad for the furloughed federal workers. Unfortunately, as it is in private business, those things can happen. There is no lifetime security in any job any longer.
• I feel awful for the citizens in this nation who enjoy fishing along the Outer Banks because the National Park accesses have been closed. I resent the fact that the president and his henchmen have picked areas to close that will impact the pleasures of so many Americans. What a disgusting way to make a point. At our expense.
• I believe that if the House and Senate cannot come to a resolution, then the legislators should be furloughed. Apparently, federal law requires that our legislators get paid. Why don't they vote to change that law?
• I believe that Air Force One, the president's helicopter service (HMX-1), presidential vacations, and other POTUS perks should be defunded. The number of secret service agents could be reduced during the furlough, because the president won't be needing as much security if he stays in lockdown.
• I think that furloughed government employees should be eligible for unemployment benefits, just like any other employee who loses his job because of short term shutdowns, plant closings, and the like.
• I think that enough is enough, and that if our elected leaders can't do the jobs we hired them to do, then they should be replaced. And, we should not have to wait for the next election. If, in the real world, an employee fails to show up for work, then the employer declares that the employee has abandoned his job, and he moves on with a replacement. I think that our leaders have abandoned their jobs due to a lack of RESULTS. It's time for us to move on.

 

Glock or Beretta? Typical Journalistic mis-reporting.

You might wonder why I'm a stickler for such details. In an earlier blog, I questioned initial reports that a "Glock 9mm" pistol and an "AR-15" were used by the Navy Yard shooter, Aaron Alexis. I had no information to the contrary, but I know how reporters think. Too often, they don't.

"Glock" seems to have become the commonplace name for any semi automatic handgun. Never mind that there are countless other brands, one of which is the standard issue handgun for the U.S. military, the Beretta M-9 (the civilian version is the model 92F).

It was only a day or so before police confirmed that the shooter did NOT use a rifle of any kind, including the AR-15. He came armed with a pump action shotgun, one that the FBI now says was "modified" by cutting off a length of the barrel and some of the stock. Presumably, this was done to make it easier to sneak it aboard the base in a bag.

And, pretty much as I expected, the pistol he took from a security officer he shot was, indeed, a 9mm Beretta. Not a Glock.

So, again you may ask, what's the big deal. Or, like ex-Secretary of State Clinton said, what difference does it make. Not much, really. Except, to people like me, who question credibility. Many of us have growing concerns over our president's credibility. A lack of that essential element makes some of us wary of anything the president says. It's becoming increasingly difficult to trust him, and that makes me sad. That is the apparent reasoning behind the negativity coming from the U.S. House of Representatives. And, I understand it. Journalists, those folks we should be able to trust to bring us facts, those we depend on to maintain some balance in this world...well, let me say that it's becoming ever more difficult to believe what they say when obvious factual mistakes have become so commonplace. What difference does it make, indeed.

I've yet to hear those network reporters "clarify" (they'll never "correct" anything) their rush to report misinformation about the AR-15 they were so quick to jump on. And, I don't recall hearing any journalist take Rep. Feinstein to task for her never ending assault weapons ban plan, even while the still warm bodies of 12 people lay in Building 197 at the Navy Yard.

Shame on one. Shame on all. Though I expect nothing less from pundits like Feinstein, I certainly expect a higher degree of factual professionalism from our journalists. You should be more than glad that you're not working for me. Your careers would likely be cut very short.   

POTUS, Mr. Obama. It's high time you listen to We The People, and stop being a jerk.

Sometimes, it’s hard to read people. Sometimes, that’s because what those people are saying is neither loud nor clear. We’ve all dealt with wishy-washy folks, those who just can’t say what they mean. Often, they speak “mush”. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because they’re not actually sure what they mean.

That certainly wasn’t the case with the President’s desire to send “warning missiles” into Syria. The people spoke, Congress heard what they were saying, and apparently POTUS picked up on our wishes and called off the air strikes. He said he would take his case to Congress, claiming that was his intent all along.

Uh. Right.   

So, why is it so difficult for President Obama to understand that We The People do not like his forced health care plan, better known as Obama-Care? Can you imagine how Obama-Care would have changed the course of history had it been scheduled to take effect in October 2012, a month before the election? I dare say that there would be a different man sitting in the White House today.

Congress is threatening to defund the program, something that for some reason I don’t understand is suppose to shut down our government’s business. I’m not sure that would actually be a bad thing. But, realistically-speaking, is there anyone out there who actually believes that our government will cease operating? That just won’t happen. What’s irritating is that Obama and his democrat hoodlums are already blaming the republican-controlled congress, hoping that strongarm Chicago tactics will work.

You can bet that, by the 11^th hour, someone will give. Likely, there will be either a compromise plan presented, or a delay for implementing the current plan. Either way, We The People are not likely to win. And, either way, we will likely never understand the plan. It is somewhat akin to IRS tax laws. No one seems to understand them, but we all know what the penalties are if we don’t pay up. And, you should all be aware that the IRS will be hiring an additional 16,000 agents to enforce Obama-Care. Oh, goody.

What part of We The People does Obama and his goons not understand? We are speaking out, we’re loud and we’re very clear, but our desires are falling, apparently, on deaf ears. Or, perhaps there’s an ulterior motive that We haven’t discovered. Yet.

Congress is forcing the issue. Thank goodness for that. The problem, once again, is that regardless of what Congress decides, POTUS can overrule their actions with a stroke of his veto pen. And, Mr. Obama is threatening to do just that. He has, for one reason or another, decided that he knows what’s best for us. His experience, you’ll recall, is that he was a community organizer, an Illinois state senator, and a US senator representing Illinois. One that voted, most of the time, as present, taking no stand on the issues on the table. What’s even worse is that he has surrounded himself with people who have pretty much the same level of inexperience.

We The People are getting tired, Mr. President. We don’t want a dictator. We want you to listen to us, pay attention to our needs and desires. In other words, Barry, stop being the pompous jerk that you appear to be.

Another madman, on a rampage, killing people. Let's not let another tragedy slip away without taking advantage of it.

Once again, a gunman opens fire in public, killing a dozen and wounding others. His targets, according to the president, were specific. “He targeted military and civilians”, so said President Obama a couple hours after Aaron Alexis went on his rampage at the Navy Yard in Washington. “Targeted”? What does he mean by that? Once again, without benefit of paid writers and no teleprompter, POTUS is confused about facts. But, let's not let a good tragedy go to waste.

He’s not the only one. Reporters, young and old, experienced and newbies, are only interested in relaying anything they hear. I'd like to hear one, just one gutsy reporter, question and challenge what is told them. “Never mind the facts, they just get in the way of a good story”, seems to be the order of the day. And, unfortunately, it often is.

Loved some of the general reporter comments and questions. How can anyone sneak a gun onto a military base? Really? Is there a realistic person out there who thinks that our bases are surrounded by 20 foot tall prison walls, with razor wire running along the top, and high voltage wires to keep unauthorized people out?

The shooter came to the base with a high-powered rifle capable of bringing down a helicopter, a shotgun and a pistol. “High powered rifle capable of bringing down a helicopter”? It was a .223 caliber rifle, an assault rifle. An anti-personnel gun, for goodness sakes. Good for hunting small game, not the best choice for deer, and a laughable choice as an anti-aircraft weapon. And, the pistol. Reports say it was a 9mm Glock. Factual reports are that Alexis brought a shotgun to the base, then “acquired” the rifle and pistol from one or more people once the attack began. I have unanswered questions about two things here. Who said the weapons were the semi automatic civilian AR-15 and the Glock 9mm handgun? I would have thought the guns on the post would have been standard issue M-16 rifles and Beretta M-9 handguns. But, I haven’t seen an investigator’s report, yet, and both descriptions could be accurate. Until the press became familiar with the AR-15, by the way, any gun that “looked like” an M-16 (something the press was familiar with) was called an M-16. “Glocks” are like Kleenex. Any semi automatic handgun is called a Glock, just like any tissue is called a Kleenex. Again, I’ll await the facts before assuming too much.

CNN’s Resident Alien Idiot, Piers Morgan, “reported” that Alexis brought all three guns to the Navy Yard. Even when he was given updated information, he ignored the facts. They just got in the way of his story.

Now, some truths of a general nature. Most any military installation in the United States can be breeched. From neighboring woods or rivers or oceans, all are vulnerable. Legal military ID’s will get you on board, as will legal civilian contractor ID’s. Visitors at many, if not all, military bases must stop for passes before being admitted. In the case of Camp Lejeune, a visitor must have a sponsor and that would be a person who has clearance and access on board. There are special events passes available, but they are strictly regulated. And, if any journalist thinks that it’s possible to check the 35,000 cars that enter Camp Lejeune every day for weapons or unauthorized people, then I want to make sure I’m not breathing in your happy dust.

So, why would a rational person pick a military base, a place where there are hundreds if not thousands of armed soldiers, marines, airmen or sailors running around, to carry out a massacre such as the one at the Navy Yard? Another truth for you. There are fewer ARMED servicemen and women at a stateside base than there are civilians shopping in most any city where concealed carry is authorized. Remember Bill Clinton? In 1993, he signed an order prohibiting anyone from carrying privately owned firearms on military bases. Military weapons are locked away in armories. Only those military personnel on duty and charged with security or law enforcement duties can carry guns. Military bases, stateside, are gun-free zones, for the most part. A limited number of personnel are armed at any given time.

Remember this other gun grabbing guy, this one from the 19^th century, a lawman named Wyatt Earp? Famous for cleaning up Tombstone? Yeah, that’s the guy. He did not allow citizens to have guns when they were in his town. He and his deputies were the only ones, supposedly, who could pack hardware. Movies and TV shows have shown him as the hero, the guy who cleaned up the town. Facts paint a different picture of this gun grabber. He was a flim-flam man, a cheat, and a cold blooded killer. Much like Adolph Hitler, he did not want anyone to be able to challenge his dictatorial authority, therefore he took away their guns.

If Clinton and Obama are so anti-gun oriented, then let them disarm the secret service agents who provide them protection. That’s as likely to happen as Obama is to accept the health care plan that he’s cramming down our throats.

One commonality in all these mass killings is finally getting a smattering of attention. It’s mental illness. To date, every individual involved has suffered one form of mental instability of another. Only a few responsible reporters have addressed this issue. It’s not politically correct, of course, because those people “are sick” and special. It’s better, many think, to deny the constitutional rights of 300-million law abiding sane people than it is to lock away nut cases.

And, that's just one more thing that frosts my backside.  

Ok, here we go. Midday 09-17-2013 update. Questions remain as to whether the AR-15 found at the scene was actually used by Alexis. A semi auto handgun, also found, was likely taken from a security officer. The investigation is on-going, and like I wrote earlier, too many people...reporters and politicians...have jumped to too many conclusions too early.
Stay tuned. More egg on the face coming for Feinstein and others.  

Let's Re-Think Syria. Are we tainted by other foreign failures? Maybe I'm wrong.

Like a majority of Americans, I have been opposed to an attack on the government of Syria ever since President Obama said it would be a good idea. After all, any good idea coming from this administration can't really be good, can it?

What got me having second thoughts is the fact that a majority of Americans feel the same way I do. A majority, albeit a small majority, elected Obama for a second term, right? I certainly wasn't part of that crowd. In fact, in most situations, I am not part of the vocal majority, while maintaining my membership in the silent majority crowd.

So, what's different about this issue? 100,000 Syrians had already been killed by rockets, bombs, missiles and bullets during the reign of terror by the Assad Regime. Was that ok? After all, the majority of Syrians voted to give Assad the presidency. A bunch of rebellious protestors decided they didn't want him to be their leader any longer, and instead of waiting for the next election, they organized and decided to use force to kick him out.

As it is with many rebel organizations, they were outgunned by Assad's Syrian military. Seeing an opportunity, a bunch of terrorists, known to us as Al Qaeda, joined the rebel protestors, and together, they were wreaking havoc with Syrian government forces.

Then, it is alleged (a word I almost never use because it is, for all practical purposes, a useless word) that the Assadians (I like this new word that I created) unleashed some poison gas, chemical weapons, on the protestors. The sarin gas attack in late August left 1400 dead. And, as has been pointed out by every newsman with a computer, and every politician from sea to shining sea, almost 500 of the dead were children.

Being a skeptic of the Obama Administration, I questioned, and will continue to question, every claim any person associated with Obama makes. For that, I do not apologize. Perhaps all of us should do that, to some extent, with EVERY political leader we have. I question whether Assad actually used the chemicals. What did he have to gain? 1500 dead people? He had already killed 100,000. And, we didn't bat an eye. After all, that was a civil war, and we didn't have a dog in that fight. The battle remains an internal war, but now it's claimed that those dreaded chemical weapons, weapons of mass destruction, were used. The same type of weapons of mass destruction that Hussein used against his own people.

I ask again, as so many other Americans, why would Assad do this? Is it some desire to draw the United States into a war? Is it an effort to lure our ships and men within range of the sophisticated Russian P800 anti-ship missiles he has? Or, is it, perhaps, an Al Qaeda plot to get the US (and, perhaps other nations) to help them out by attacking and weakening the Assadians?

I need hard evidence.

Why can't I trust our president? That's the core question for me. George W. Bush may not have been the brightest light bulb in the hardware store, but I trusted him. He made his share of mistakes, but I do not believe he needed a war to add to his accomplishments. That was a hand he was dealt, and those cards were on the table prior to his presidency. I still believe that Hussein had a lot of weapons of mass destruction, just as the intelligence communities (ours and others) said. Our mistake was warning Hussein that we were coming to get those weapons unless he turned them over. And, lo and behold, we couldn't find them when we arrived.

So, again, I ask myself. Why can't I trust this president?

Maybe, just maybe, it's because of his lack of experience in the real world. Maybe it's that he has no military experience. Maybe it's because his staff of experts don't appear to have a lot of expertise. Or, maybe...just maybe...I am still miffed about the attack on our embassy in Benghazi a year ago, an attack that today remains un-avenged. We have arrested no one. We have killed no one. We have... well, the Obama administration lied to the American people, it lied to the world.

It is well known that once a cop gets caught lying on the witness stand, his future appearances on the witness stand will come with a question from the defense attorney: Mr. Officer, have you ever lied before? Of course, that will be followed up with, Mr. Officer, why should this court, why should this jury, believe you now?

Mr. President, Ms. Susan Price, why should we, the American public, believe you today? How can we trust you? Or, should I...and the rest of real Americans...decide that for the good of society, for the good of the world, it is better to back the president's efforts to take the wind out of the sails of what is obviously an evil man, a man named Assad. Maybe it is time to take action. Maybe it's time for Americans to get behind the president, and hope that, this time, he's got it right, that he's telling us the whole truth, and that his intentions are not political.

Personally speaking, though it's too late now, I would have preferred that we had used the 1960 and 1970 tactics of the guys at Langley. One well-placed hunk of lead and it would have been "situation resolved". And, no one would have been able to trace it back to any specific nation.

Mr. President, just some advice for future use.

 

White People DO have our very own Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. So says the godfather.

Last time here, I wondered why white folks can't have the equivalent of Al or Jesse. You know, someone to raise hell and scream racist every time some white guy is attacked by a black guy. A friend, I'll call him the godfather, because he likes that, dropped me an e-mail and pointed out that we white people do, indeed, have such big mouths in our corner. They're the Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh guys. My problem is that I never pay much attention to either. I'm just a normal guy who happens to be white. I certainly don't consider either of these gents my mouthpiece. Anyone who knows me knows that I can speak my mind without the help of Bill or Rush.

What I didn't take into consideration is that folks like my friend, the godfather, probably feel the same way about Al and Jesse. My friend is black, by the way. And, as a white guy who does not consider himself a racist, I looked at the entire black race in a racist way when I noted that Al and Jesse were their spokes-people. Thank goodness the errors of my ways and my thoughts were pointed out.

I'm going to venture to speciualte that Jesse and Al only represent a small number of black folks, just as Bill and Rush represent the views of a small number of whites. The problem is that all four people get a lot of attention when they open their mouths. And, too often, their "followers" believe all of their rhetoric, and those believers are what I will now call the Noisy Minority. They picket, they make great sound bites, not because they say something compelling, but because they say something radical, often racist. They seldom, if ever, say or do something inspiring, but they almost always rattle off gibberish that can incite a crowd to follow them anywhere.

They're not the first people to do this. Nor will they be the last.

By the way, I know where Bill and Rush get their money. They earn it by getting a lot of viewers to watch and listen to them. Those viewers are what equates to ratings in the television world, and ratings means advertising dollars. Something like a great quarterback on a football team. People pay big bucks to see him play, and television networks pay big bucks to carry the games, and advertisers pay lotsa money to get their product before a lot of viewers.

But, pray tell, where does Jesse and Al get their money? They wear fine clothes, drive great cars, and they don't stay at Motel 6, even if the light is left on for them. Haven't you wondered the same thing? I wonder what their income tax returns look like? Folks like Al and Jesse are always screaming about the tax returns of our public officials. What's fair is fair. Wonder why the IRS hasn't audited them?

Summing up, I can conclude: Bill and Rush act as the mouthpiece of some white people, and Al and Jesse are considered the mouthpiece for some, not all, black people.

I stand, partially, corrected and somewhat enlightened.

MIA: Jesse and Al. Who is speaking up for white victims in this country? Maybe gun control IS the answer.

Well…here we go.

It’s been more than a week, and people are asking “Where’s Jesse, where’s Al”?

You know, the pair that is always on the front lines when there’s any opportunity, regardless of the facts, to claim racial injustice.

So, where is the Dynamic Duo today? A week after a White Australian young man of 22 was gunned down by three teens, two of them black, in Oklahoma. A murder by three guys who said they were bored and decided to kill someone. Three wannabe gangbangers, punks beyond belief.

Where’s Al, where’s Jesse? Does not racial injustice apply if the victim is white? Is there not enough money to lure them into taking a stand, to fight for justice for the victim, for his family?

Is there not enough media attention in this case? The shot was heard around the world, that’s for sure. The only real media attention now, a week later, is about the evil gun. Even a former Australian prime minister says the heritage in our country is out of control. I guess Al and Jesse have no dog in this fight. After all, the district attorney overseeing the case said it was not a hate crime, meaning that neither race nor nationality played a role in the murder.

Of course, Sharpton and Jackson have always taken, at face value, what the “system” says, right? Remember Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman? The DA did pretty much the same thing, in the beginning, that the Oklahoma DA did…saying that race did not play a role in that case. In fact, in the beginning, there was no indication among professional lawmen that a crime had taken place. Not until political pressure was exerted after a media blitz were charges brought. Of course, as expected, when the evidence was presented, it was painfully obvious that the charges were brought not because of facts, but because of politics and racial pressure.

The difference in the Martin-Zimmerman case and the case in Oklahoma, of course, is that it’s just as painfully obvious that a murder actually occurred.

You’ll note that I have not used the name of the Australian baseball player, the victim in this murder. Trayvon Martin…well, everyone knows that name. So, tell me…can you even remember, a week after he was killed, the name of the victim in Oklahoma? Is this just one of those “who gives a crap” stories? Three teenagers, two black, one white, reportedly shot to death a white man, and their only motive was that they were “bored”. It’s a shame that we point out how tragic it is for the poor misguided teenagers will be tried as adults, and seemingly have no feelings for the victim. Oh, those poor bored children.

Imagine if White America had advocates like Big Al and Jumping Jesse to speak up. Those guys would be called racists, no better than Klansmen. Too bad that Christopher Lane--there, I used his name-- doesn’t have anyone standing up for him.  

Now, I’m going to scare you. It is about time that we give some serious consideration to adopting gun controls in every state in this great nation. It’s high time that we, all of us, recognize that until we get a handle on this growing problem, that we recognize what the root cause is, we’re going to continue having teenagers wantonly killing people. It’s happening across the nation. From Chicago to Oklahoma. From New York to Los Angeles. It’s an epidemic that we should bring to an end.

And, until we take the guns away from gang members, wannabe gang members, or friends of gang members, the murder rate is going to remain uncontrolled. Until the cops are allowed, are actually encouraged, to use profiles to combat the crime wave, and until we stop treating teenagers who commit murder and mayhem with kid gloves, then none of us will be safe in our homes, in our cars, eating out, or while jogging along a country road.

I’ve said it before. I don’t care that you don’t like your mama, that you don’t know who your daddy is, or that you think you are entitled to anything. I could care less that your great-great-great grandfather was sold into slavery by enemy tribesmen in Africa. That is no more my fault than it is the fault of the sons and daughters of the English sailors who transported those slaves to this country 200 years ago. I want you to understand that I want to be safe, I want my family and friends to be safe, and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that happens. Regardless of your race, your nationality, or your religious beliefs.

Really? I don't care that you're bored. I don't care that your daddy is missing. I don't care that you hate your mama. I do care that little kids think they can get away with murder because they're too young to die.

Hold your horses!!!!!!!! People in Australia are uptight because an Aussie student, in the US, was shot and killed by a trio of jerks, and the Australians might cancel plans to visit this country? I don’t get it. We have three idiots, killers by all reports, three “bored” low-life scumbags who deserve nothing less than a swift trial, and a necktie party at the nearest cottonwood tree, and these three excuses for humans are going to be the excuse for our good friends to stay home down under?

At least, that’s what we hear when we watch our media, even the normally rational bunch at Fox News. They quote unknown sources…that’s right, “unknown” sources…speculating that the Australians will cancel their plans to vacation in the United States. How dare they speculate that Aussies are that stupid and nearsighted! I’ve known a number of Australians over the decades, and you can believe me, they have more common sense than that.

Now, for those little punks. They say they were “bored”, had nothing better to do, and decided to shoot someone. For the "fun of it". How dare their mothers defend them. How dare ANYone stand up for them. How dare the likes of the unrealistic out here cite their youth as a defense for stupid violence. And, how dare the anti-gunners jump on yet, another, act of stupidity as excuses for stealing our Second Amendment.

When there is a problem, like these three little idiots, then we should seriously look at our judicial system. I could care less about their boredom, their lack of parenting, their lack of supervision, or a bad upbringing. I don’t care whether they got along with their mothers. I don’t care whether they had an MIA daddy.

I don’t care about their personal problems.

I care that they have killed an innocent person for absolutely no reason. Excuses from them be damned. It’s time that we, the REALISTS in this country, stand up and demand justice. There is no second degree case here, there is no manslaughter case here, there is no reason for a deal here. There is nothing these killers deserve less than a noose.  Too bad that our system, right now, says they cannot be executed simply because they're under 18. Why should their age be any reason for them to live. Life in prison? Nothing more than a joke.

Pedophiles are NOT MAPs. They are perverts. In Great Britain, they're paedophiles. Children are their victims. B4UAct...hah!

I got a surprise a couple weeks back when my radio show co-host brought up a story about a group that wants to quit calling pedophiles what they are. Instead, this group wants them called Minor Attracted People. Less demeaning, they say.
And, I thought referring to illegal aliens as undocumented residents was dumb. Who thinks up this stuff?
Now, I give you one thing. These individuals need help. Lots of help. And, I am in agreement that getting them that help is good. In fact, it should be required.
However, until we can find a solution to their problem and come up with a cure, then we have to do whatever we can to protect our kids.
The callers to our show that morning were, for the most part, as livid as I was. Not quite as rabid, but they agreed with my assessment. Take care of the children first.
Lessening the stigma by calling them MAP's (Minor Attracted People) instead of what they are, pedophiles, will do nothing to help or safeguard the kids. Some of the callers think castration is the answer. The castration procedures most often mentioned are not what most of you think. It involves taking medicines to lessen the evil and unnatural desires. And, apparently, it's effective.
AS LONG AS THE PERVERT TAKES HIS MEDS.
Under controlled and contained (that means "confined") conditions, a child predator taking his medications can likely function normally in society. But, what happens when such a person decides to go rogue, again? Children--and parents--beware.
Now, if you want to talk about surgical, non reversible, castration, I might support that solution. Bring on the guillotine.
Approaching the end of that Monday edition of The Morning Show, Live and Local with Raeford on Thunder Country 96.3, I got another caller. Robert, that's his name. From Greenville, NC, he told our producer. Well, at first I thought Robert was playing me. He wasn't. He was real. He said, up front, that he was one of those MAP's. A pedophile. He said he was getting help, and I told him that I was glad for him. But, without a hint of sympathy, and in all seriousness, I asked him what we should do to protect our children from him. He stalled, but responded "you should keep them away from me". Out came the red cape in front of a ticked off bull!!!!
"We should keep our kids away from you!!!!!????!!!!"
Oh, hell no!!!!
Why not keep the likes of Robert away from our kids? Wouldn't that be a lot easier? Lock up one pervert to save a lot of kids, and you won't have to put a fence around the kids to keep pedophiles out.
Sorry, all of the Roberts out there, I hope you get help. Meanwhile, you need to stay away from all of our kids and grandkids. It is not out place to keep them away from the likes of you.
Or, prepare to face the consequences of a growing number of PO'd parents.

    Here we go again. The folks on the left coast are stirring the pile of poop, hoping to make California special. A certain element has plans that, once approved, will make that state the most gun-restrictive state in the nation. You thought New York and Illinois were tough on guns, but the unrealistic clowns over there are coming after your guns, then they're coming after our guns. And, not only your guns. They want your bullets. And, they want to know where you are. And, they want you to throw away your magazines. You will be able to keep all the porn mags you want, but any magazine that holds bullets will be a no-no.

    The plan, according to the San Jose Meteor, will “…include proposals to ban a wide range of semi-automatic rifles and strict new regulations on ammunition”. Anti-rights, anti-gunners want the state to create a database of ALL ammo the residents of California buy. They want it to be a crime to leave an unlocked gun in your home unless you have it in your immediate possession under your control. You won't be able to leave your guns home, even if your home is locked, unless you have them locked away inside your locked home. And, if you ever tell anyone, any time, that you intend to kick his butt, you will not be able to own a firearm.

   And, a semi automatic gun with a detachable magazine will be illegal. High capacity magazines will have to be disposed of. And, California residents will be expected to welcome, with open arms, the arrival of the next Adolph Hitler. Of course, I am completely in favor of this last part. I will be more than happy to welcome the next Hitler with “open arms”, as I am a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, whereas the right to bear arms shall not be infringed. My choice of arms will depend on how close he is.

    So, why is this such a hot item in California? Gun opponents openly admit that their efforts to rid the country’s citizens of their rights must not die. And, those efforts need the support of that big left coast state. Maybe that’s why O-damn-bama keeps kissing the backsides of the entertainment jerks over there. He and Wonderwoman Pelosi seem to get a lot of attention and respect from that segment of society. Makes you wonder if those allegations of communism in the entertainment field back in the 1950’s were as farfetched as we thought.

They have a brand new Gun Grabbing plan. And, it involves arming Illegal Aliens.

    This is a scary thought. If 11-million currently ILLEGAL aliens suddenly become legal citizens, then they become eligible, just like any other citizen, to buy guns. I am 100-percent in favor of law abiding, responsible citizens owning guns. To do that, they must pass background checks. What about these “new” citizens? Who can check their backgrounds? We can’t even check Obama’s background, how in the world can gun dealers be expected to check the history of 11-million ILLEGAL aliens-turned-citizens?

    If you give it a little thought, you might see what’s going on. The unrealistic sector, lead by Obama, Clinton and Holder, have a plan. They devised one with the Fast and Furious scam, a plan they hoped would convince all Americans that “guns are bad and should be banned”. That one backfired, but only after several hundred Mexicans and a U.S. Border Patrol agent were killed.

    Here’s what I think the Unrealistics are now planning. Give citizen status to 11-million currently ILLEGAL aliens, allow them to buy guns, guns which I have no doubt will be used in a widespread crime wave across the country. Then, the Unrealistics will have something else to use as evidence that “guns are bad and should be banned”.

    Farfetched? Not any more farfetched than the Holder-Obama Fast and Furious scam where federal agents bought guns from legal gun dealers, then sent them south of the border, down Mexico-way, straight to the hands of the drug cartel.

Phony scandals, they say. Congress wants answers. Or, do they? Is it just the same old pile of political BS rhetoric. I think so.

A handful…a SMALL handful…of congressmen have given the new FBI director ANOTHER 30 days to respond to their concerns about a mass murder that occurred almost a year ago.

Yep….they want the new Fed In Charge to find out what’s going on with that investigation into the Benghazi slaughter, an attack that no one, with at least a third grade education, can deny was premeditated.

Why give this guy 30 more days to prepare an answer? Isn’t 11 months long enough?

I guess that the upcoming election year is causing some concern among these congressmen, and they have now stooped down into the political crap pile, looking for something to squeal about, just so the unknowing asleep-sheep will be conned into returning these clowns to Washington for another two years.

If these elected leaders had any desire to get to the truth, then they would have pushed through an indictment of the Attorney General for his part in the cover up of the Fast and Furious gun running campaign. This group of elected idiots would have been squealing for the past 11 months to get to the bottom of the Benghazi cover up. These elected sharks would have insisted that something be done about the IRS scandals (plural) that have surfaced.

Nope. That’s not what has happened. These fine legislators are no better than the perpetrators of these scandals. They’re no better than A.G. Holder, no better that the IRS people who bilked taxpayers of millions of dollars for ridiculous training programs, and gave special attention to conservative political groups, and they’re just barely better than the murderous thugs who killed four Americans in Benghazi. These legislators are hoping you’ll send them back to Congress next year, and they’re giving us some lip service today, acting as though they really care about getting to the bottom of these scandals.

They don’t. They only care about conning you into sending them back to Party-Central, aka Washington. They love the Capitol-Lifestyle, they love the benefits. They certainly don’t care about you, unless you can contribute to their campaigns. They do want your votes, and they’ll tell you that each and every one of those votes count.

If I go to a restaurant, a car dealer, a boat dealer, a supermarket…I want to know what I’m going to get for my money. Am I going to get what I pay for? Do you, any of you, think you’re getting your money’s worth in Washington? If you can answer “yes”, then you need to send your representative back to Party-Central. If not, then it’s time for a real change.

As far as giving the new FBI director 30 days to fabricate a report summarizing the 11 month investigation into the Benghazi slaughter…I can only say words that I will not write. I would give the man a week. That’s long enough. And, we might, for once, see a straight report, not one that gets the White House sanction. In fact, if Congress wants the truth, then the new director should be instructed NOT to contact any person at the White House or the State Department before giving them a report.

If God could create this world in seven days, the FBI top cop should be able to get his job done in the same time.