Dawn

Norway

Let not young souls be smothered out before
They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride.
It is the world's one crime its babes grow dull,
Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed.
Not that they starve, but starve so dreamlessly,
Not that they sow, but that they seldom reap,
Not that they serve, but have no gods to serve,
Not that they die, but that they die like sheep.
-- Vachel Lindsay The Leaden-eyed

Gun Safety.

Have you ever noticed the implicit contradiction about anti-gun people?

The anti-gun people simultaneously don't want people, especially children, to see, hear touch or learn about guns but they expect them to know how to handle them safely when they, inevitably, come in contact with one

Is it not illogical to fight against education and then lament the problems caused by ignorance? That, seemingly, obvious fact seems to either be lost on them or a solution that can only be arrived at by government regulation rather than simple education.

When my children were in school I offered gun safety training to the other parents, especially the anti-gun people. My argument to them was, and is, this. No matter your stance on gun ownership and control, there is a high likelihood that you or your children are going to be come in contact with a gun at some point in your lives. It is better to be educated about the rules of safe gun handling, even if you never INTEND to be around them, than to remain ignorant. It is absolutely possible to teach gun safety without advocating gun ownership. We teach our children countless safety tips. If I say "stop drop and roll" you know what I'm talking about. Why not teach "don't touch, leave and tell an adult" the same way?

The anti gun folks argue for "common sense" Does not common sense start with an acceptance of reality?

Like it or not, we are a country where personal gun ownership is a protected right that millions of people exercise. That is not going to change in our lifetimes. How many lives could be saved if we accepted that fact and taught the basics of safe gun handling to everyone from an early age?

Self Defense and Women

I was at a website the other day that proposed that women take self defense courses as an alternative to being armed and linked to a nice page of some woman with a pile of trophies in this or that martial art. She had all kinds of "what to do if" instructions on her site and I'm sure she means well.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for self defense training, especially for women, but depending on your training to overcome a 6'2" 225lb man that just "graduated" from the Attica school for boys, and lettered in weight lifting, is not going to play out like the movies. 95+% of the time a large man attacking a smaller woman wins. Sadly, it's really that simple.

I sorry if this is scary but this is what really happens..

If he closes to contact distance, you are dead. Whatever happens from then on is HIS choice, not yours. He can go from standing still to being in contact with you from more than 21 feet away, in less than 1.5 seconds (see Tueller Drill). You do not get to say "hold on" I need to get into my crane stance. Unless you were already on guard, you won't see it coming.

The first sign that you are being attacked might be the fist hitting your face and, unless you have taken a punch to the face before, most people are just too stunned to do anything but fall down and cover. When you are on the ground and unarmed the fight is already over. You lose.

Bad guys, don't know that they are not supposed to attack in gangs and they don't know that head, knee and groin blows are forbidden. Nor do they know that it's not ok to use a gun, a baseball bat, or a knife and attack from behind. They are not fair, they are predators. Watch any NatGeo special to understand how they work. They hunt in packs. They single out the one they perceive of as weak and wait for a moment of inattention to attack.

It is NOT RANDOM to them. Only you. They've been hunting all night for the right prey.

I have women in my life that I would die for without a second thought. (though that is NOT plan A)

You can be sure I want them to have every possible advantage when I'm not there to protect them and be ready to help ME when I am. I don't want them or me in a fair fight. Ever. I want them to have overwhelming force at their command regardless of the size and number of people they face.

In my opinion going to a martial art makes sense when you have run out of bullets, knives, batons, rocks, pepper spray, and still haven't be able to run away.

Who knows, your crane stance might cause him to die laughing.

From Space Shuttles to Trains.

Obama has said that he would like to concentrate on high speed trains.

I've been reflecting on the last flight of the shuttle and have decided that this is a great metaphor for the entire Obama administration.

When Obama took office we had a Space Shuttle and plans to go to Mars.
Now they hope to convince the taxpayers that we have enough money to afford trains.

They are the people that have taken us from Space Shuttles to Trains.

Good Going Democrats.

For their next trick, they are going to take us from a 1st world nation to a 3rd world nation.

OMG!!

I need to remind myself when I think of someone going "Obama Money!!" that not everyone on the planet thinks that that he has free money...

This woman ROCKS. She Kicks Ass and takes names.. Except I should know better than to use profanity in her presence.

This was SUPPOSED to be another "Obama Money" moment.. (The "activist" was actually a right wing guy, trying to get ATMs banned as a joke..)

This is the outtake.

http://www.black-and-right.com/2011/07/06/outtake-of-the-day/

WOW. I need a new Grandma. I wonder if she is adopting?