respect

Daniel Inouye RIP

Senator Daniel Inouye, the longest serving U.S.Senator after the passing of Robert Byrd, died today.

While I disagreed with most of the man’s politics, he was indeed a true American hero.

His Medal of Honor citation:

Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

He was a medical volunteer immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, and enlisted in 1943, after the U.S. Army dropped it’s ban on Japanese-Americans.  I remember seeing him on a late-night talk show (Tomorrow – Tom Snyder?) and he spoke of being 17 and looking skyward at the attacking planes flying over his home shaking his fist and saying, “God Damn Japs!”

RIP Senator.

h/t TinCan Assassin

Hamster placed in protective custody after DUI stop.

I don’t know what to make of this, except perhaps questioning the use of government resources to this degree…?

file photo in ‘news’ story

Or not?

Or to question this actually became a ‘news’ story?  Slow news day?

I would think in most of the rest of the World, the animal might have been left to it’s own devices, killed, or eaten.

h/t Instapundit

“Dogpile on the Rabbit! Dogpile on the Rabbit!”

(c) Warner Bros.

Walls Of The City addresses the recent kerfluffle of Robert F***** and his blog, The T**** A**** G****.  He is the latest of a number of bloggers incensed that Mr. F***** just received an award from a prestigious Gun Rights organization.  Other blogs have gone on to conclude that this portends the end of gun blogging as we know it.

(By my count five or more blogs posted about him, thus far…)

The reason for the anger has to do with Mr. F*****’s alleged copyright infringement, misrepresentation, lies, exploitation, abuse, negative interaction with others and other miscellaneous literary and personal crimes and torts.

If you wish to view Walls Of The City’s evidence, please adjourn to the above link.

While I philosophically agree with the general reaction of the gun blogging world to this guy’s actions, I do not see it as an end of anything for me.

You see, I blog because it is a way for me to contribute, to reach out educate and inform.  And sometimes atone.  I won’t say I don’t care what others think, but, I AM surprised people stop by.  After one and a half years!

Thanks, again.  You know who you are.  Being a libertarian (small L) I won’t request you not visit Robert F*****’s site.  You are educated enough to make your own choices.  Most of you are smart and principled, though.

h/t Linoge

Back In The Saddle, Again

One of my favorites from childhood (WAY back in the 1950s) was Gene Autry.  Along with Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers, he embodied much of the Western mythos that was presented to we children.  In later life, he contributed heavily to charity, and even owned a baseball team.  Obviously, Capitalism was good to him.

But, Mr. Autry wasn’t just a capitalist, film, radio and TV star.  He set forth in his radio show a set of rules to live by.  The Cowboy Code.  Granted, they may seem trite by today’s standards, but in their simplicity and directness really aren’t a bad way to conduct oneself.

A Cowboy Must:

1. Never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage;
2. Never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him;
3. Always tell the truth;
4. Be gentle with children, the elderly and animals;
5. Not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas;
6. Help people in distress;
7. Be a good worker;
8. Keep himself clean in thought, speech, action and personal habits;
9. Respect women, parents and his nation’s laws;
10. Be a patriot.

I don’t recall having any toys attributed to him (I still have my Hopalong Cassidy watch, somewhere!) but finding these rules in my Internet travels is a better remembrance.

My question is this – what values are being presented to today’s children steeped in popular culture?  From the Kardashians to the Octomom…what are their rules to live by?

Part of ‘The Greatest Generation’ Passing…

USS Lagarto

Old NFO reluctantly reminds us about yet ANOTHER segment of those who battled evil in WWII.  Those who are passing before us.

The Naval Submariners.

Part of said post, below.  Thank you for reminding us, good sir!

~The U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II disbanded at the end of its convention Sept. 7 in Norfolk, Va. Local chapters now must decide whether to continue operating under another name or to dissolve as well.

A large group at one time, now the YOUNGEST member is 86, and the oldest is over 100, and they have less than 1000 members left…~

This made me wonder about a couple things:  How much longer before ALL the WWII Veterans are gone?  And

The War On Terror(ism) is so fragmented, so diverse, so compartmentalized.  Will there even BE organizations to remind us of the brave actions of our warriors, both military and civilian, who kept us from further harm?

Or will subsequent regimes make such organizations illegal?

15 Maxims for Being a Reliable Man

The Art of Manliness has been posting a series aimed at young men (and presumably young women, as well) regarding what is appropriate and necessary for them to learn as they embark on their journey out into the World.

The most recent is entitled Heading Out on Your Own: Day 26 — 15 Maxims for Being a Reliable Man.

As one who wrestles with my own neuroses on a daily basis, I love stuff like this.  Many of these are things that were taught to me by my Father and Grandfather, but never codified.  And I don’t think there’s an age limit to when one needs to learn them.

Being reliable.

The word reliable has its origins in relier, Old French for “fasten” or “attach;” the reliable man was an immovable pillar of strength on which you could hang your hat, someone you could lean and depend on, a man you could trust.

Compare that image with its opposite: the flake. Floating, drifting, fragile. Melting as soon as it meets any resistance.

We’ve all known reliable men, and we’ve all known flakes. We admire the former, and avoid the latter. To become the kind of man you’ve grown up trusting and counting on, read on.

Please visit the link and pass them down to your youth.  Or refresh your own memory.

It couldn’t hurt.

Guilty Pleasures

I’ve a number of guilty pleasures.  Most of the ones I can mention in this blog involve watching movies and television.

Those of you who know me know I was raised in the 50s and 60s by TV.  It’s one reason I became a PI.  Before I recently moved, I’d had basic cable for 10 years.  Basic.  No frills.
My roomie, being more of a television addict than I, had a satellite system.  During my addition to the household, we upgraded it.  We can now watch Underwater Argentinian Curling (while wearing bear suits) at 0300 broadcast in Swahili!  Not really, but our choices are quite varied.

We’ve been watching much dysfunctional TV.  Not as dysfunctional as the Kardashians or Jersey Shore, but there is some amusement and education.

We’ve been watching (among other things) Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn.

Pawn Stars is about the customers and staff in a prosperous Las Vegas pawn shop.  Cajun is headquartered in Alexandria, Louisiana, and Hardcore hails from Detroit.  All shops are family-owned and somewhat dysfunctional, but the real entertainment here is the customer base.  The Louisiana folks seem to be the the most genteel and polite, with Las Vegas following and Detroit brings up the rear.  It’s real culture shock to go from a customer in Alexandria exclaiming, “Thanks Mr. Jimmie, sorry we couldn’t do business!” to Detroit’s “Give me my m*****f***** money!”, followed by threats of violence.

Las Vegas and Alexandria occasionally brings in experts to value or grade such items as antique firearms or coins, before attempting a deal.  Detroit seems to thrive more on showing both the family and customer dysfunction.  I find that show in particular to be the most disturbing.

I come from a dysfunctional background.  Perhaps not as bad as these folks, but enough to make me grimace.  Perhaps I need to stick to Leave It To Beaver re-runs…

The President

Another unusual character in my life was my former barber.  He’s no longer my barber, as he’s retired.  He and his long-time friend used to man chairs together at a local barber shop they co-owned.  The friend was openly gay, and my barber used to razz him unmercifully about it, and made negative comments about gays in general.
It took me awhile before I figured out this was just his way, and, his gay buddy seemed to not care, so why should I?
I began going to this barber during the Clinton years.  He hated Bill Clinton, and everything he stood for.  But, I never heard him address the man directly.  There were never an ad hominem comments.  Nothing about what a jackass he was, anything like that.
I’m not a big fan of such attacks, myself, because they don’t address the actual issues.  I think they’re a lazy way to argue.  But obviously, this guy just couldn’t stand him.
So, I asked him one day, out of morbid curiosity.
He said, “Do you know who I hate more than President Clinton?  People who don’t show the Office of the President respect!  Those guys who say “Slick Willie”, and “Bill”!  The man’s the President for chrissakes!
Show some respect!”
The scales dropped from my eyes.  I had (and have) similar disregard for the man.  But my barber was right.
And the same principles apply today.
I’m not a fan of the current President or his Administration’s policies on most everything.  And, I may even question election tactics, much as President Bush was questioned a few years back.
But, the man is the President.  The system dictates if we don’t like what he’s doing, address the policies and vote against him, next opportunity.
Name-calling only makes us look juvenile.  And, doesn’t address the issues.

My barber was right.