Beat Back Buzz Kill

Peeps....
With only a few hours to go... I think we made it.
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The only disaster seems to be President Obama's nomination of John Kerry for Secretary of State.
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Although the huge silver lining on this is the chance to see our man, Scott Brown, get the seat that he was outspent on by the first ever Native American Senator from Massachusetts, WhatsHerName.
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I hope he runs.
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Other than that, the nation gets to see our boy, "Do You Know Who I Am" Jawn "Purple Heart" Kerry wield his lovable , entitled self on the international stage.
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Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Dems.  At least we beat those buzz killing Mayans square in their tracks.

Doomsday Prediction

With the Mayan last day set for tomorrow, I guess I should sound in on the Doomsday predictions.
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Peeps... I'm not scared.   It takes more than a Mayan and his stone calendar to run a shiver up the spine of this Mountain of a Man.
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And I'm no Prepper. Won't see me stocking a concrete bunker in the backyard.  If everything goes haywire, I'll be looting and scavaging like the rest of you Bastards.  I won't be trying to fend off Peeps trying to steal my hoard, because I'll be out there trying to steal yours.
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But I kind of hope that I can scarf up a case of Scotch, build a bonfire, and sing Kumbaya at the top of my lungs with any hapless Peep that wanders near.   Then I will find a boat, and go for a long row.
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Someday this world is going to come to an end.
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But not yet, Peeps.    Not yet.

Want v. Need

Peeps...
There is a difference between want and need in our society.
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And the firearms control issue illustrates this perfectly.
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I feel like a jerk saying that at least one teacher in Newtown should have been able to bear a concealed weapon.  It's not something I want, but it obviously is something that was needed.
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I don't want teachers to have weapons... I don't want anyone to have weapons.... but this isn't a wish for "world peace" at a beauty pageant.
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Until we can control the mentally ill, and the sociopaths, and the criminals... we need to arm ourselves.
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This is an imperfect, flawed society.  You have to deal with reailty, and take responsibility for your needs rather than wish them away, or delegate to others.

Merry Christmas from Tiger Valley

Thanks to Wild Bill Hillegas for this contribution.

Smith and Wesson BodyGuard 380

At first I was moved at President Obama's speech in Newtown.  But then he said that "we haven't done enough" and "we must change".
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Sorry Peeps.... that is classic Bullshit.  It is not our fault if lightning strikes.  And more people would die if you banned lightning rods because they attracted lightning.
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I'm sure that a lot of people smarter than me could poke holes in this analogy, but my fear is that the knee jerk reaction of Obamanistas will be to try to take legal firearms away from law abiding citizens, when the reseach  shows that to defend ourselves, and lessen crime, more firearms, responsibly licensed, is the answer.
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I'm all for banning automatic assault weapons - the guns with large bullet firing capacity that spray hundreds of rounds as the trigger is depressed.   Here in Massachusetts, and also in Connecticut, this is the case.   There is no need for this type of firepower in the public domain.

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But I'm also in favor of arming responsible citizens with concealed handguns.  In Massachusetts, you can't have a magazine of more than seven rounds.   But this would have been enough to halt the mental case in Newtown.

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Somehow, I don't think that our President had in mind that we must "change" by developing programs to insure that our citizens can defend themselves and their children.   I fear that he will call for measures that will make us more vulnerable and put our families in greater danger.

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Brave teachers in Newtown put themselves in the line of fire to save their students.  Their only weapon was the flesh of their bodies.  What if just one of them had a Smith and Wesson BodyGuard 380 and knew how to use it responsibly?

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We can't wish or legislate that sociopaths and criminals don't harm ourselves and our families.  Unfortunately, in this imperfect world, we have to take realistic measures.

Non-Political, Common Sense

Morgan Freeman's brilliant take on what happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School:

 

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.
...

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed  people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."


 

POTW Week 50

I had a birthday celebration with the family last week, where I was presented with my favorite gift, Lagavulin 16 year old Single Malt Scotch by my kids and their significant others.

Usually, when someone makes this special effort, it is singular in purpose and designed to attain the status of being named as an Automatic Peep of the Week.   But this is clearly a group effort, so it's the first group nomination... probably ever.
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ANNOUNCING....
Peeps of the Week for the 50th Week of 2012

Ryan Nestor
Katelyn Nestor
Mike Nestor
Brady Boyle
Pam Georgian
Kim Hause

Birthdays at my age can be depressing events.  This definitely took the glint off.

Newtown Never Again

Our hearts go out to the families in Newtown, Connecticut.
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A random sociopath kills a complete classroom of kindergarten kids and adults... including his mother.
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It makes you realize that despite all outward appearances, we still live in the state of nature.... No, we don't get eaten by bears, or have neighboring tribes steal our crops and try to kill us.... but we still can't let our guard down.
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There exists every day, the infintesimal chance that some sociopath can attack you and yours, and virtually destroy your life.
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A while back, I felt that gun control was the answer.  Eliminate the Weapons.  But then, as I researched the controls and process that the various state governments, including Connecticut, has in place, it has become apparent to me that the proper governmental measures have already been instituted for law abiding individuals to bear arms as our constitution prescibes.
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But you have to agree that criminals and the deranged sociopaths will always get the guns.   Could this have been lessened if some responsibly licensed school officials in Newtown had their own handgun?   And could take responsible countermeasures.... i.e. cap that crazy bastard?
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You hate to think that we still live in the Wild West... but it is what it is. 
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When I had my Massachusetts Gun Permit renewed a few weeks ago, I asked the desk officer if the Marblehead Police Department had an increase in applications.   She held up a bowl containing about thirty licenses that were ready to be issued.  Then, the other day, when I was purchasing some target ammunition at the Middleton firearms store, I asked the owner if sales were up.  He said the volume had ballooned recently.
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So I'm not behind the curve on this one.
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I don't carry a concealed handgun with me everyday... because I travel throughout New England on a moment's notice, and I'm only licensed in Massachusetts.  But there's a good chance that I'll apply for licenses in the neighboring states.
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Because I'd hate to be in a situation where a stoked up mental case was pumping rounds into a classroom of 5 year olds, and I couldn't put a hollow point cartridge square into his body mass and out the asshole.

Satisfying Sojourn

Another Sojourn by your own Mountain of a Man down to New Haven County today.
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Although the ride was a Bitch, it was worth the trip as I surveyed one site, pulled a permit on another, met with City officials on an innovative third build, picked up some Engineering Certifications on the ride back through Central Mass, and had dinner with son, Mike, and Super Peep, Matt Lyons.
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After 13 hours on the road, this MOAM was one hurting buckaroo, yet justifiably satisfied by the fruits of a rich full day, when I finally landed back in Marblehead.
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Tomorrow is Friday.  I will ratchet back a bit.

End of the World Time

OK... I'm sure that most of you Peeps realize that the end of the world according to the Mayans, Nostradamus, Hopis, Merlin the Magician, Edgar Cayce, and others is supposed to be right around the corner.... Dec. 21, 2012 to be exact.  That would be about nine days from now.
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Peeps.... if we all go together in a cosmic cataclysm such as hit Brontosaurus and his Bros..... what is the big deal?????  If the Asteriod hits and takes us all out at the relative same time, then all of our daily machinations and worries will all be for naught.
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No drama, no revenge, no come-uppance, no triumph of ideologies, no happily ever after... all of those hours at the gym.... all over.  For Nothing. Nada.  Zilch.
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Our Destiny?  Poof!   No Trajedy, no Triumph.  Every one of  our. striving goals... Gonzo.
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Glad I never passed on the last piece of pizza.

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These Just In

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