More Post-Christmas

Last year, we got the kids a Wii, with a few assorted games that I (being an old fart) haven't felt the slightest temptation to play.

This year, since they've been "OOooo"-ing and "Ahhhh"-ing over "Guitar Hero", we went ahead and got them one - with two "guitars".

Imagine my pleasure when their favorite track is a Creedence Clearwater Revival tune!

Makes me think that somewhere, somehow, Mr. Bad Influence (Professional Division) must have done something right.... Now, if I can just get them to like bagpipes, Bach organ music, and the Moody Blues....

UPDATE: MeelieNoh (The 10-year old) kicked my butt around the block. Twice. I can see I'm gonna have to practice a bit...

Post-Christmas

I'll leave it up to Mrs. OWW to describe the goings-on at my In-Law's, with one exception: Watching Chickie (14) and MeelieNoh (10) open packages and go "Oooo" and "Ahhh" as they got some stuff that they really wanted.

Instead, let's look at one of the sillier things that went on this week - in Seattle.

It seems that a large winter storm dumped large amounts of snow in places that get very little snow. But wait a minute, Seattle has snow removal equipment, right?

Kinda-sorta. The snowplows that they do have (not many) have rubber blades to avoid damaging the roads AND they do not use salt on the roads at all, because.... (wait for it) the run-off would damage Puget Sound - which is a salt-water body of water!

Read the editorial HERE.

In summary, Seattle blew the call. Granted, Seattle doesn't normally have to deal with huge amounts of snow - but the planning should have been in place, and extreme conditions allowed and planned and stocked for.

I live in a hurricane zone, and my local government DOES plan and DOES equip itself to deal with a hurricane's aftermath.

So, Seattle gets a "D" grade for violating the "Five P" principle.

Meanwhile, I'm suffering through mid-seventies temps - why, I even felt moved to turn on my truck's air-conditioning yesterday.... Ò¿Ö

Congress-critters at the Trough

These are the same folks that spend YOUR money.

Money that YOU have earned.

Is it any wonder that public confidence in the Congress is at an all time low?

As Americans across the country grapple with one of the worst financial crises since the Great Depression, members of Congress quietly are getting a pay raise. Each lawmaker's annual salary is due for a $4,700 cost-of-living increase starting in January, which will amount to a cost to taxpayers of $2.5 million in 2009, infuriating watchdog groups. ... Members of Congress make an average of $169,300 a year, with Congressional leaders making slightly more. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Cailf., makes $217,400, while the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate each make $188,100. The raise will increase the average salary to about $174,000, up 2.8 percent.

Twits and Lawyer-Twits

Oh, for Christ's Sweet Sake!

Read THIS, then tell me why public humiliation for this twit isn't a Good Thing.

She should be required to stand on a street corner at rush hour with a sign enumerating her crime, AND specifying that she and her lawyer daddy had the gall to sue!

Convicted last year of intoxication manslaughter for the death of her boyfriend, the 21-year-old daughter of a state district judge is suing the truck driver she ran into during a drunken driving crash. Elizabeth Shelton, the daughter of juvenile judge Pat Shelton, is accusing truck driver Lance Bennett of negligence in the Oct. 23, 2007, wreck that killed her boyfriend Matthew McNiece. Shelton had a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit, two tests showed. She was sentenced to eight years' probation and had to serve four months in jail. Shelton, her family and the family of the boyfriend who was killed are suing for $20,000 for the destruction of the Lexus SUV she was driving and an undetermined amount for mental anguish, pain and suffering. Bennett was driving the box truck that Shelton rear-ended on the Southwest Freeway near Kirby around 2 a.m.

Elizabeth Shelton is a twit. A drunk driver twit, and therefore very dangerous to herself and all those within fifty miles of her miserable location. Pat Shelton, her lawyer daddy, is a daffy-down-dilly, i.e., a Lawyer-Twit (caps intended), and therefore to be regarded with the utmost scorn.

"American Patriots"?

See the story HERE.

The Marine Corps motto means "always faithful," but the union says some reservists working out of a base on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit have been decidedly unfaithful to their fellow Americans by driving import cars and trucks. So the UAW International will no longer allow members of the 1st Battalion 24th Marines to park at Solidarity House if they are driving foreign cars or displaying pro-President Bush bumper stickers. "While reservists certainly have the right to drive nonunion made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn't mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by the members of the UAW," the union said in a statement released Friday. Shocked and disappointed, the Marines are pulling out. "You either support the Marines or you don't," said Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge

I go with Col. Rutledge.

These Marine Reservists are "citizen soldiers" - and when you call, they come.

They don't care if you drive a "union" car. They don't care if you're from Detroit, or Michigan, California, or Georgia.

If you call for help, they drop what they're doing in the civilian world, and they come.

The United States Marine Corps Reserve doesn't care if you are Republican or Democrat. The USMCR doesn't care if you're male or female. The Marines don't care if you're straight, bent, or mutilated. The "jarheads" don't care if you're "pro-union" or "anti-union".

"Semper Fidelis" means that they are always there.

The United States Marine Corps Reserve has sworn to protect YOU - even if you are a no account loser like the UAW.

Even if you are a miserable little "union" pissant.

I go with Col. Rutledge - you can take your stinkin' little parking lot and put it where the sun don't shine.

Note: I'm not "management". I'm not "rich". I'm not "union". I'm just an American who's "been there", and "done that" - USN 1969-1973, and a proud son-in-law to a "China Marine". And yes, the UAW has once again managed to really get me grumpy.

Grrrr.....

Wreaths at Arlington

Back around 1995, Worcester Wreath Company started laying Christmas Wreaths on the headstones of graves at Arlington National Cemetary. Now, that project has been picked up by Wreaths Across America.

A worthy endeavor, indeed!

Merry Christmas, boys. We're thinking of you....

(Image shamelessly lifted from BlackFive )

The Chicago Political Machine

Barry Obama (I refuse to use his full name, now that it's OK to do so) "came up" through the Chicago political world.

Barry, of course, is Shocked and Dismayed that Hizzoner the Gov'nor tried to auction Barry's Senate seat to the highest bidder.

The "Shock" and "Dismay" rings just a little hollow.

It's awfully hard to believe in the "New Politics" when it comes from a guy who "came up" through the Chicago politcal machine. There's no doubt in my mind that Barry knew in his bones about the sorts of shenannigans that Chicago politicos are capable of.

There's no doubt that I will find myself looking somewhat skeptically at the next President of the United States when he speaks of morality and ethics in public service.

Edit: I should note that Blago's predecessor, named Ryan, currently doing time for corruption, is/was a Republican. This is not a Dem/Pub thing, it's a Chicago Politics thing.

The "New Politics" of Chicago Politicians

The "new politics". The "Change We Can Believe In".

Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson (D - La) not only indicted for corruption, but loses his re-election bid to a Republican, Joseph Cao - a Viet refugee!

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) arrested and charged with selling the Senate seat that President-elect Barack Obama (D) resigned in order to accept the Presidency of the United States.

Cripes, we ain't even through December yet!

I just can't wait to see what kind of entertainment the Dems are going to serve up next....

Moderate Muslims Get Some Backbone

The moderate, law-abiding Muslims of India have a clue, and a backbone. See the complete news story HERE.

This story shows me, at least, that some of the Muslims of the world really do believe that terrorism is not the way.

The bodies of the nine dead gunmen lie in a morgue awaiting last rites. The sole surviving militant, Pakistani national Ajmal Amir Kamal, 21, is being questioned by police. Unclaimed bodies thought to be Muslim are traditionally given to the nearest Islamic graveyard for burial after three days. But the Muslim Council issued orders to cemeteries that the nine should not find a resting place in India. Even before the council's orders, a Muslim graveyard in the heart of Mumbai broke with Islamic tradition and refused to bury the bodies of the nine terrorists. The influential Muslim Jama Masjid Trust, which runs the 3ha Badakabrastan graveyard, said it would not bury the gunmen because they were not true followers of Islam. Hanif Nalkhande, a spokesman for the trust, said: "People who committed this heinous crime cannot be called Muslim. Islam does not permit this sort of barbaric crime."

Text Messages

Just got a text message to my cell phone from Chickie (14-year-old daughter) -

"can you come tuck me in?"

I'm in the kitchen. She's in her bedroom, not 30 feet away.

So... what's a big, strong, hero-type Daddy to do?

I go into her bedroom, and, literally, tuck her in.

"Daddy, tell me a story about you and the Navy, please?"

So I tell her about me, Poor Dumb Randy, and The Chief (that would be our Chief Petty Officer).

Keep in mind that PDR and OWW were about 22 at the time. The Chief was a rather ancient 40-something.

PDR and OWW had to carry The Chief back to the ship. And no, alchohol or drugs were not involved. Also not involved was The Captain, nor the Blonde Japanese Go-Go Dancer.

We never should have taken the bet about how many pounds the anchor weighed (not including the anchor chain).

Our Japanese hosts were much amused by the antics of the crazy Eastern Barbarians.... and so was Chickie.

True story... and I'm pleased that Chickie wants to hear my stories about ancient history - and Very Pleased that Chickie, at 14, STILL wants to be "tucked in" by her Dear Old Dad...