I like to cook, and am not half bad at it – traditional American fare:  lasagna, deep-dish pizza, steak, hamburgers, hot dogs.  Baking.  Some sugar-free stuff.  But, with my various infirmities, standing and cooking usually isn’t a pleasant experience.  (I need to eat more salads, anyway).

So, I’ve taken to finding foods I like near my new digs.  Mexican food, bar & grills, pizza.  Usually accompanied by alcohol (or diet soda ).  Much depends on how close it is to ‘payday’.

We used to frequent a pizza place near my old house.  Our favorite waitress appeared to be a recovering tweaker from Boston – always pronounced beer as beah, so we adopted that.  For fun.  (Yes. sarcasm and mockery are our stock in trade!)

Of late we (my roommate and I) have found a couple new places.  One had excellent burgers and fries – at steak prices, and 52 craft beers available.  We took immediately to Mr. Pineapple Ale, then found out the craft beer was $7.00/pint!

As much as we liked the food, we went on the hunt to find Mr. Pineapple, and found it at another place we have been known to frequent.  For $4.50/pint!  Have three beers and you’re saving money!  (see what I did there?)

The problem is, the food at the cheaper beer place, while good, is not as good (or as costly) as the expensive beer place.  They do have 1/4 pound BACON-WRAPPED hot dogs, though!

A friend recently gifted me with a fine single-malt Scotch.  Perhaps I should just stay home with that.

I’m certain my doctor would agree.

Probably without the dark chocolate, though…

FTC – San Tan Brewery gives me nothing.  Now go away!

Recent Pew Research of Gun Violence in America found gun violence has dropped at an incredible level between 1993-2010, however, in spite of these FACTS, 56% of American’s believe gun violence is higher than 20 years ago.

The primary findings of the research center on these salient points:

1. Homicide rates are down 49% using a time-series analysis between the years of 1993 and 2010.

2. Victimization rates for violent crimes with a firearm are down 73% during that same time period.

3. Despite incredible decline of gun-related violence, 56% of those surveyed (which was a scientific representative sample) 56% of American’s believe gun crime is higher than 20 years ago.

GEE, how did THAT happen?

Public mass shootings are rare crimes that account for less than one percent of gun homicides. They are a matter of great public interest and concern. The mass shootings in Newtown, Conn., Aurora, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz., were among the public’s top news stories in recent years.

And, of course, the number of States with licensed concealed firearms carry or Constitutional Carry have increased.  And the Clinton Assault Weapon Ban went away.  Then how could this perception be?

Can you say there’s an agenda in the mainstream media (sorry Biff).  Sure you can.  Visit his link and read the rest.  If you dare0

The issue is NOT gun violence – the issues are crime and terrorism.  And Constitutional rights.

h/t Sean Linneane

The statistics speak for themselves:

What is the risk of a six year old dying from an accidental gun shot?

Lisa Maxbauer recently wrote a piece in the New York Times worrying about her six-year old visiting homes of gun owners.  Here are some numbers from the CDC for both six year olds and those under age 10.

For other ways of accidental deaths, the numbers are as follows:

“ The single most important factor that has caused the political left to demand an end to private firearms ownership is that the underclass has, over the last fifty years, expanded exponentially, bringing with it an exponential increase in crime. Many of these criminals come from the single-parent families encouraged by the welfare system, a dysfunctional government give-away favored by the far left. The absence of fathers has led large numbers of children to seek gangs as a substitute for parenting not available at home. Not content with having created an entire class of welfare-bred criminals, the political left now seeks to protect this underclass by rendering ordinary citizens defenseless against crime perpetrated by these criminals.”

“ a dysfunctional gangster-rap culture that glorifies promiscuity, drug dealers and the power of the gun.” 

“We only kill each other” – Bugsy Siegel

This time it’s blogging…

First Amendment Menace: Obama Administration to Expand Americans with Disabilities Act over Websites?

by HANS BADER

Kent McManigal shares with us an essay regarding the essence of personal liberty, freedom and individual rights in this Constitutional Republic.

I find it sad that whenever someone wants to do something, the first question most people ask is whether government allows it, requires a license, or forbids it.

There is so much that isn’t (or shouldn’t be) the business of government.  Most personal conflicts are attached to an understood contract between individuals in the free marketplace – If you don’t like guns, don’t buy one; if that head of lettuce is bad too soon, don’t buy them there, anymore; don’t like illegal drugs, don’t use them.

There are remedies before getting the government involved.  That shouldn’t be our go-to choice.  It should be the last resort.

This isn’t a pointless philosophical debate. On May 5, President Obama warned Ohio State University graduates to reject the warnings people like me are passing along, and to simply trust government.

My motivation is that I trust you to run your own life, and I want you to understand liberty and experience it in all its glory.

What might his motivation be?

If you can be fooled into asking the wrong questions, the answers don’t matter.

This should be our (libertarian’s) anthem. – Guffaw

h/t Kent’s “Hooligan Libertarian” Blog

Or will the government declare the pictures illegal, too?

Credits:  

Photo © Defense Distributed. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Yesterday, I had a usual scheduled doctor follow-up appointment (having chronic conditions, and all).  It went generally well, but, afterward, I had more pain than I usually get, and it continued throughout the day.

Even after application of the ‘extra-special’ meds!

So, I’m running some errands last night, and AGAIN, my SES (Service-Engine-Soon) light comes on!  Since I know very little about auto mechanics, that always scares me.  I do know it could mean my gas cap isn’t tight enough or my engine is getting ready to fall out.

Today, I’m going in for an oil change.  Not me, the car.  Hopefully, that will happen quickly, ‘they’ can check the SES light meaning and it can be fixed tuit suite cheaply.  We’ll see.

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley.–Robert Burns*  (To a Field Mouse)”

A Bobbie Burns day.

*Robert Burns – the poet laureate of Scotland

Addendum – Whole thing took about 45 minutes.  Oil changed, fluids topped.  Windshield cleaned.  SES light decoded.  Came back to an air injection malf (pollution control), and cam sensor (may need alignment or replacement)
She’s an old car and there are oil leaks – could be affecting the sensor, too!

No repair today, cannot afford it.  But, she runs – next the emissions/registration thing.  Not today.

Cudos to Oasis Auto Center (who gives me nothing but great, fair service, FTC!)  $22.62 for everything!

Not THIS kind…

Largely because of errors-in-judgement I’ve made in my own life, I find myself drawn to other’s opinions with regard to how one should live.  And I sometimes even try to apply them to my standards, and see how (or if) they fit.

I’ve occasionally referred to The Art of Manliness in this blog.  While much of what is written there is a how-to, some of it is a paradigm-breaking thing.  Thinking outside the box, as it were.

This recent essay challenges the mold of modern parenting.  The one wherein a parent tells the child they can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it.  Now my parents tried their own version of this which was I wasn’t living up to my potential.  Not exactly a positive message.  I tried to encourage my own daughter, but let her figure out her own limits for herself.  She wasn’t necessarily supposed to live my dreams.  She was to live hers.

“You can do anything you put your mind to!”

“The sky’s the limit!”

“You’re the best!”

“Follow your dreams!”

Did you hear these kinds of things growing up? Your parents sure meant well. They really felt like you were the most special creature to arrive on planet earth – a beautiful boy full of limitless possibilities. You could do anything in the world!

But now that that boy is grown up and in his twenties, you might find that such encouragement has become more paralyzing than motivating. If your possibilities really are endless, how will you ever decide which path to take and what to do with your life? (TAOM)

I would encourage you to visit the link above and also read the other essays.  I often learn things there – and I’m old!

Better than thinking I can blow up the Earth because it blocks my view of Venus!

1. The outlaw is a victim of injustice from authorities, and is paying back the favor.
2. The outlaw helps common people.
3. The outlaw is sacrificing his life for a political stance.
4. The outlaw does things the average Joe would love to try, if he had the courage.
5. The outlaw’s outlandish adventures provide entertainment in the manner of a long-running serial.

I’ve often wondered why this happens, historically.  After all, some folks, in spite of their fledgling pretense at ‘social justice’ are nothing more in reality than murderers.  Bonnie and Clyde come to mind.

Also, William Ayers and the Weather Underground.  I’m all for political protest, but blowing up folks and setting fire to their homes is hardly a brave act of protest.  And being unrepentant for it years later, and saying they didn’t do enough – after becoming a college professor (!) molding young minds.  Disgusting.

Angela Davis?  The cop-killer being lauded by the N.A.A.C.P.  Mao.  Fidel.  Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. – murderer and bigot.  Every time I see some college fool or rock star wearing a Che’ shirt – it turns my stomach.

There are many others.

How are they heroes?  Except perhaps to Lenin’s useful idiots.