Happy New Year

With the passing of NDAA we shall see.


Best wishes to you and yours.

I am learning to edit videos on my computer

We picked up Sony Movie Studio HD Platinum on an Amazon.com Black Friday deal. I loaded it several days ago, but just started the tutorials.
The power of this tool amazes me. Now you just have to wait to see my mug on the camera. Or, maybe we'll do puppets.

This is a link to a number of receptacle types.

http://www.generatorjoe.net/html/web/outlet/quailplug.html

Sometimes I can't escape my building inspector past. Plus, this will help some of my friends figure out what plug types they have.

What is the bigger threat?

Most of us know that police have no duty to protect citizens. Combine that with the absolute lack of any substantial terrorist attacks on US soil, and I am 99% convinced that the "War on Terror" is a sham perpetuated on the citizens of the US.
I'm not wishing harm on our people, but it seems awfully suspicious that we haven't had any attacks on civilians or any number of "soft" targets. I think the government has given us an enemy abroad, suspended our rights in this "state of emergency", and labeled returning vets as potential terrorists, while classifying the Ft. Hood massacre as "workplace violence".
I'm also not saying that there are not Muslims that don't wish us infidels harm. I'm just saying that they've been less effective than any number of angry teenagers in the past 10 years.
I also don't mean to diminish the service of veterans. I served in the USN Sea Bees from 1996-2000. I just think we've been mislead. That's perhaps the hardest thing for us to deal with. We've spent so much time and mental energy gearing up (and being wound up) for a fight, that it's hard to unwind ourselves.
My concern, is that the population control freaks in the UN and leading our country want us ready to fight. They don't care who we fight or kill--look at the suffering of non-combatants in all these areas of conflict.
Are we being wound up in order to fight each other as American citizens? What better way to destroy America, then get us fighting each other and bring in a NATO or UN military police force--all "for our own good".
Do you and I, as Christians, really believe that we should be a part of killing women and children who aren't attacking us?
Are we acting like Christ, or are we acting like the world?
Or, WWJD?
Something to consider as we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace this Christmas season.

The 1% is really in Washington DC

I think that really says it all.

Self Reliance

I think that just about says it all. I'd certainly prefer my family members wait for the police to show up and take their report after my family has already made itself safe.
In a disaster situation like Katrina, Fukushima, or the "Big One" in California, the police will be too busy to help in any case, and then defending yourself from predators will be your job. You'll be on your own.
I think this is Oleg Volk's work, but am not certain at the moment.

TOTUS Kidnapped!

In grim news, the TOTUS has been kidnapped. No word yet if there will be ransom demands. BOT (Barack Obama's Teleprompter) has been shaping US policy for approximately 1000 days.

The TSA

I'm just linking to this post on Techdirt.com and voicing my general disgust.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110323/03003713593/homeland-security-says-they-could-strip-search-every-airline-passenger-if-they-wanted-to.shtml
My wife and I have pretty much ceased flying due to the inconvenience. If both of us are going it's easier to drive, and we can bring more clothing, and have more options.
Last year around Halloween, we went to Free Enterprise Day in Denver, CO. We rented a compact car with cruise control and packed food, clothing, my pocket knife, her nail clippers, and whatever size shampoo bottle we felt like. Fuel and car rental were about $300, which was cheaper than 1 ticket once you added in airport fees. We used a rental, as the cost of fuel, tire wear, and an oil change for our car would have cost more.
In fact, two round-trip tickets, and 3 days of car rental would have been about $700 plus fuel. Also, we didn't spend 3 days of parking or the $20 in fuel round trip to the airport. Then I would have had to buy (or ship to myself) a pocket knife, and perhaps pay for extra clothing. So we drove 1 day each way, no sorry, 2 days on the way home because we were either really tired or fighting a cold, so we did spend $60 on a motel. Either way, we saved around $400 for the trip by driving.
I can't recommend it for everyone. Both my wife and I are road warriors. She's driven 14+ hours and I've driven 21.5 hours in a day. She drove from Apple Valley, CA to Humboldt State University. I drove from Colorado Springs to Victorville, via the Devil's Hwy (Rte 666) and Phoenix, AZ because I was avoiding snow in Flagstaff, AZ.
So we lost the equivalent of $100/day each. That's about $12.50/hour each. I think it was well worth it, because I like the view. Also, the passenger can read. There's time for discussion, and slug bug...or the alphabet game, if you prefer.
I understand, not everyone has the time or inclination to drive that far. Some don't have the ability. I think my grandma says that you shouldn't drive more than 500 miles. But all the people in my family are road warriors, regularly making 800+ per day. I have also driven from Victorville to Portland, Ore, and Boise, ID in a day.
And, we got some future vacation ideas for places to visit. There's so many sights to see along and off the highways across America.