What are your thoughts on "big game hunting?"
You know, where hunters go to Africa, gun down an elephant, or a lion, or a cape buffalo, then have the poor lifeless bastard mounted so they can bring it on home and hang it over the fireplace. And then brag to all their buddies about how they confronted danger in the Dark Continent...and escaped with their lives!
Do you agree with PETA, and the ASPCA, and "Mother's Against Hurting Wildebeests Unnecessarily (just made that last one up!)" when they call for an abolition against all such hunting? In fact, PETA would prefer that no animal anywhere would ever be killed again for any reason whatsoever. Sort of like forced veganism, I guess...
I know that this subject is a bit controversial. You'll recall the dentist from Ohio who mistakenly shot poor old Cecil the Lion on a private game preserve a few years back. And you'll recall he was tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. He lost his license, and his dental practice, and his marriage. Yeah. Controversial.
Oh yeah, and I should also add in about here that more than 200 local villagers were eaten in the months following Cecil's ignominious demise. That was because all hunting was outlawed for a time due to the outrage over poor old Cecil's death. And no hunting meant no herd control. And out-of-control herd growth results in waaaay too many lions vying with each other over who gets to eat whom.
So do you think hunting for Big Game, or any game, for that matter, should be abolished? Should hunting for Big Game be officially sanctioned? Or outlawed altogether? Well, fellow Pilgrim, let's take a deep dive into that question...
Did you know that Africa is a poor continent? With exception of South Africa, it is. Africa is beset with poverty. And crime. And corruption. And anything the world can do to help them in their time of need should be welcomed, don't you think? So do I...
And Big Game hunting is often a major source of help. Of economic assistance. Their pathway out of poverty. Whaaaat? What's that you say, Mr. Chuckmeister? That Big Game hunting is actually HELPFUL? Yes, yes it is. And here's how...
Africa has been divided up by its various countries into a series of franchises they call "concessions." Much like McDonalds, Africa's countries have divvied up their millions and millions and millions of square miles into several dozen game preserves that are each called "concessions." And each concession is tasked with locating, inventorying and protecting the health of the game animals within its borders. But each is also tasked with protecting and caring for their various indigenous tribes, their "human capitol," lest they wither and starve. So each concession must also provide security for its citizens, its residents, while protecting its game animals from poachers. And poaching represents the single biggest threat to Africa's big game animals today.
So, how does one preserve and grow the herds of game animals, protect and feed the tens of thousands of tribal members under their sway, and also hunt down, arrest and prosecute poachers? They do it by selling permission slips to kill their animals.
Each concession offers hunters the right to come to their territory, their preserve, whether it be in Zimbabwe, or Uganda, or Kenya, or any of the other participating countries, and hunt any of their animals...for a price. A tag to hunt a wart hog, for instance, could cost as little as $200. A wildebeest, $1,500. A Sable would cost you $4,000+. An Oryx, around $6,500. And then it starts to get interesting.
The so-called "Big Five," lion, cape buffalo, leopard, rhinoceros and elephant, will set you back Big Bucks. A lion tag, good for a period of as little as 10 days in duration, start to finish, costs around $32,500 for a lioness, and $50,000 for a black mane male. That's just for the license! A cape buffalo, perhaps the toughest of all big game animals, costs around $30,000. A leopard, a cool $60,000. And an elephant, believe it or not, as much as $100,000!
So you hire a safari company (around $2,000/week, lodging and meals only) and a Professional Hunter to serve as your guide (upwards of $5,000/week, plus tip) to help you fill out your Bucket List tags. That's on top of all your costs fo transportation, both to Africa and in-country, and for firearms, and ammunition, and specialized clothing and gear. And once you've hunted down and dropped that elephant something unexpected will happen. The local villagers will appear en masse, as if by magic, in mere moments, to harvest the meat. And within 30 minutes there will be nothing left of that elephant but bones. And had that elephant not be harvested at that time, and at that place, then that tribe would not have eaten that day.
There are no food stamps in Zimbabwe. No welfare. No Medicaid. No nothing, but a wealth of game animals which can be turned into a payday. And a meal. If managed correctly...
And oh yeah, I should mention it can cost more than $10,000 to have one of your trophies mounted for presentation. Ten Grand!
"Hey Larry! Whaddaya' think of my elephant foot waste basket?"
All of the foregoing expenditures occur within poor countries. Countries with slight other economic opportunities than hunting. And now that these professional concession operators are caring for and growing their herds while hunting down poachers, we have the best of all worlds. Their job is to field the private police forces necessary to hunt down poachers, which are paid solely by the concessionaires, and then arrest and prosecute those evil bastards who kill elephants and rhinos solely for their tusks and horns. And those tusks can command as much as $200,000 each, proving the worth of this modern franchise concept.
So, by managing herd size through a carefully-controlled hunting program, the concessions can earn enough income to police against poaching while guaranteeing their tribal members don't starve. What's not to like?
The United States gives African countries $Billions each year in foreign aid. Zimbabwe gets nearly $One Billion all by itself. Other countries contribute far less, but still a significant amount. But most African countries are still doing their best to work their way out of poverty. And hunting is a major component of that quest.
So, I ask again: what do you think about Big Game hunting? Has knowing a bit more about what it entails and the many benefits it offers changed your mind somewhat? Or are you still dead-set against it? I'm certainly not here to change your mind. That's not The Chuckmeister's job. My self-appointed job is just to bring you the information you need to form an intelligent opinion. Have I? Have you?
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Sunday, May 17, 2020
No Free Lunch!
While we're all safely sequestered, "sheltered in place," protected by our elected officials from that awful virus that's everywhere but Home Depot, Albertson's, Wal-Mart and Lowes, I thought I'd take a look at something that's been bothering me. And perhaps it's been bothering you as well...
So I was thinking about buying one of those reeeely trendy little electric cars.
You know, the kind you just plug in, and then absolutely "free" electricity flows unimpeded directly from the wall - or somewhere-or-other - right into your "tank." Or your battery, or your computer, or your back pocket, or wherever the heck it chooses to go...
Damn, maybe it comes directly out of the ether! Who knows?
But we do know that it's the "right thing to do," as taught to us by our current generation of folks who are scared of Confederate statues. And plastic straws. And mis-pronouning folks, lest they have their precious little snowflake feelings hurt. And the 1st and 2nd Amendments. And the 4th and 5th and 10th, too. And "global warming," of course. Can't forget about that. It's the new religion of the Left, doncha' know...
Now, we put-upon Californians, for example, know that doing bizz with electric utilities is somewhat sketchy. Like SCE for example. Southern California Edison decided a generation ago (1984) to build a really nice, shiny new nuclear power generating plant in Orange County's San Onofre, California.
San Onofre is Spanish for "gouge the rate-payers," I think.
And boy, did it ever work! It was beee-u-tee-ful! It spewed out tons and tons of electricity, powering hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses here in the Southland. For years and years! Absolutely clean! The natives rejoiced! The politicians rejoiced! The climate rejoiced! All without nasty emissions, or otherwise harmful consequences of any kind!
That little jewel cost them (us) $8.986 Billion Dollars.*
But all was not sweetness and light. Oh No, my friends, no, no, no! The folks who built this baby later learned that this plant was situated near an earthquake fault. (I wonder why the highly-paid consultants didn't notice that glaring detail going in?) And if an earthquake hit nearby, it might, just might object. And I emphasize "might." And when nuke plants object, things can get real awful, real soon. Think Three Mile Island. Or think Chernobyl. Bad...
Of course, a ten mile-wide meteor just might strike downtown Chicago today. And I emphasize "might."
So, they decided to redesign, refine and update the plant, in order to make it more earthquake-proof, taking more than a decade to accomplish. And costing them (us) more than $2 Billion more of our hard-won dollars. Boy, them there rate-payers (us) sure are nice, aren't they (we)?
Uh oh! And then back in 2012 somebody discovered a radioactive leak in one of the generators. Ooopsie! Not good!
The Social Justice Warriors then mounted their assault. They somehow decided that nuclear power, especially nuclear power located in a state where earthquakes are more ubiquitous than Starbucks, in a state where folks are afraid of what the weather might bring in 12 years or so, a state where they love illegal aliens and hate old white geriatrics, like me, is a big time "no-no." And somehow or other the folks in charge up there in Sacrataxyou listened to these limp-wristed pantywaists instead of the normal, everyday rate-payers.
Like you and me.
Pretty, it was. And I say was, because it no longer is...
SCE then decided to s**tcan the entire project, tearing it down and carting it away. Of course, disassembling a 30 year-old nuclear generating plant is not so very easy; we're told it'll take a long time and costs $Billions.
In our case, our erstwhile power company is spending another $4.2 Billion in a "decommissioning fee" to make the San Onofre nuclear plant disappear. As in, go away. Buh bye! Courtesy of the rate-payers (me, and maybe you), I might add. And then estimate that this disappearing act will take at least 9 or 10 years, and generate no fewer than 600 jobs. Hmmm.
I'd just like to say that this is not a good way to create jobs. Oh no! Otherwise, why not just tear down the L.A. Coliseum and the Golden Gate Bridge, too?
So, SCE, a company already in bankruptcy due to its having caused the infamous 2018 "Camp" Fire, which destroyed more than 18,000 homes, burned 150,000 acres down to the ground, and killed 85 people a year or so back, has blown through through some $10.4 Billion Dollars of OUR MONEY, for no good reason that I can determine. But it's gone. And we, the rate payers, have to pay it back. Via increased electric bills ad nauseum and ad infinitum (doncha' just luuuuv French?)
And all of that is happening as countries around the world are mothballing their nuclear reactors. Why? Hmmm, because hand-wringing scardycat weirdo commie Lefties who sit at the feet of teenage climate gurus like that loudmouth little Greta chick are demanding it. They want wind! And solar! And wave energy!
Fossil and nukes bad! Solar and wind good!
So our "Sano" Nuke Plant is history. But our electric bills are not. They're gonna' be with us ratepayers for decades. And if I were to buy a Tesla, or another of those little Liberal automobiles, my electric bill would go up faster than Slick Willie's willy. So just remember this, fellow Patriots. Our elected officials will do everything they can to make our puny, miserable, Great Unwashed little proletariat lives less livable. And the moral of this story is, whatever they do, helpful or not, we have to pay for it.
Because, and no surprise here...there ain't no free lunch!
* KPBS News
So I was thinking about buying one of those reeeely trendy little electric cars.
You know, the kind you just plug in, and then absolutely "free" electricity flows unimpeded directly from the wall - or somewhere-or-other - right into your "tank." Or your battery, or your computer, or your back pocket, or wherever the heck it chooses to go...
Damn, maybe it comes directly out of the ether! Who knows?
But we do know that it's the "right thing to do," as taught to us by our current generation of folks who are scared of Confederate statues. And plastic straws. And mis-pronouning folks, lest they have their precious little snowflake feelings hurt. And the 1st and 2nd Amendments. And the 4th and 5th and 10th, too. And "global warming," of course. Can't forget about that. It's the new religion of the Left, doncha' know...
Now, we put-upon Californians, for example, know that doing bizz with electric utilities is somewhat sketchy. Like SCE for example. Southern California Edison decided a generation ago (1984) to build a really nice, shiny new nuclear power generating plant in Orange County's San Onofre, California.
San Onofre is Spanish for "gouge the rate-payers," I think.
And boy, did it ever work! It was beee-u-tee-ful! It spewed out tons and tons of electricity, powering hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses here in the Southland. For years and years! Absolutely clean! The natives rejoiced! The politicians rejoiced! The climate rejoiced! All without nasty emissions, or otherwise harmful consequences of any kind!
That little jewel cost them (us) $8.986 Billion Dollars.*
But all was not sweetness and light. Oh No, my friends, no, no, no! The folks who built this baby later learned that this plant was situated near an earthquake fault. (I wonder why the highly-paid consultants didn't notice that glaring detail going in?) And if an earthquake hit nearby, it might, just might object. And I emphasize "might." And when nuke plants object, things can get real awful, real soon. Think Three Mile Island. Or think Chernobyl. Bad...
Of course, a ten mile-wide meteor just might strike downtown Chicago today. And I emphasize "might."
So, they decided to redesign, refine and update the plant, in order to make it more earthquake-proof, taking more than a decade to accomplish. And costing them (us) more than $2 Billion more of our hard-won dollars. Boy, them there rate-payers (us) sure are nice, aren't they (we)?
Uh oh! And then back in 2012 somebody discovered a radioactive leak in one of the generators. Ooopsie! Not good!
The Social Justice Warriors then mounted their assault. They somehow decided that nuclear power, especially nuclear power located in a state where earthquakes are more ubiquitous than Starbucks, in a state where folks are afraid of what the weather might bring in 12 years or so, a state where they love illegal aliens and hate old white geriatrics, like me, is a big time "no-no." And somehow or other the folks in charge up there in Sacrataxyou listened to these limp-wristed pantywaists instead of the normal, everyday rate-payers.
Like you and me.
Pretty, it was. And I say was, because it no longer is...
SCE then decided to s**tcan the entire project, tearing it down and carting it away. Of course, disassembling a 30 year-old nuclear generating plant is not so very easy; we're told it'll take a long time and costs $Billions.
In our case, our erstwhile power company is spending another $4.2 Billion in a "decommissioning fee" to make the San Onofre nuclear plant disappear. As in, go away. Buh bye! Courtesy of the rate-payers (me, and maybe you), I might add. And then estimate that this disappearing act will take at least 9 or 10 years, and generate no fewer than 600 jobs. Hmmm.
I'd just like to say that this is not a good way to create jobs. Oh no! Otherwise, why not just tear down the L.A. Coliseum and the Golden Gate Bridge, too?
So, SCE, a company already in bankruptcy due to its having caused the infamous 2018 "Camp" Fire, which destroyed more than 18,000 homes, burned 150,000 acres down to the ground, and killed 85 people a year or so back, has blown through through some $10.4 Billion Dollars of OUR MONEY, for no good reason that I can determine. But it's gone. And we, the rate payers, have to pay it back. Via increased electric bills ad nauseum and ad infinitum (doncha' just luuuuv French?)
And all of that is happening as countries around the world are mothballing their nuclear reactors. Why? Hmmm, because hand-wringing scardycat weirdo commie Lefties who sit at the feet of teenage climate gurus like that loudmouth little Greta chick are demanding it. They want wind! And solar! And wave energy!
Fossil and nukes bad! Solar and wind good!
So our "Sano" Nuke Plant is history. But our electric bills are not. They're gonna' be with us ratepayers for decades. And if I were to buy a Tesla, or another of those little Liberal automobiles, my electric bill would go up faster than Slick Willie's willy. So just remember this, fellow Patriots. Our elected officials will do everything they can to make our puny, miserable, Great Unwashed little proletariat lives less livable. And the moral of this story is, whatever they do, helpful or not, we have to pay for it.
Because, and no surprise here...there ain't no free lunch!
* KPBS News
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Freedom Isn't Free...
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it along to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed down for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
- President Ronald Reagan
- President Ronald Reagan
I've heard the above quotation many times. And each time I sort of scoffed inwardly at the notion that America, our Great Country, could somehow find itself in a position where our innate and guaranteed freedoms were at risk.
After all, we've fought the wars we needed to fight to win our freedoms, I thought, and I could not foresee any situation where those freedoms might be lost. Or to some degree compromised, even. That an enemy, foreign or domestic, could somehow put its boot on our neck and subject us to authoritarianism and tyranny. That we might find ourselves in danger of losing our hard-won birthright. Of finding ourselves under the thumb of fascism.
After all, we've fought the wars we needed to fight to win our freedoms, I thought, and I could not foresee any situation where those freedoms might be lost. Or to some degree compromised, even. That an enemy, foreign or domestic, could somehow put its boot on our neck and subject us to authoritarianism and tyranny. That we might find ourselves in danger of losing our hard-won birthright. Of finding ourselves under the thumb of fascism.
I was wrong.
It seems all it took was a pandemic to be unleashed on the very day after our Mr. Trump was found Not Guilty in his bogus impeachment trial. The very day after. Take from that what you will...
It seems all it took was a pandemic to be unleashed on the very day after our Mr. Trump was found Not Guilty in his bogus impeachment trial. The very day after. Take from that what you will...
As one among many who's fought for freedom while wearing the uniform of the United States, I now sit, sequestered, "sheltered in place," while San Fran Nan Pelosi's nephew decides whether or not I can leave my home. And return to work. Or go to church. Or get a haircut (which I desperately need...notice, he doesn't!). Or grant me a relative degree of ever-changing "freedom" depending upon the state in which I reside.
Freedom isn't free. We bought and paid for it with our blood. And I can tell you I won't stand by and watch it taken from me, and from my family, without putting up a fight. And I'm betting I'm just one of many millions who agree with me. Millions and millions. That just sitting by and watching while some commie pinko dumbass liberal weenie governor somewhere or other issues an "executive order" taking my Rights from me...and keeping my Rights from me...for no good reason, is just not going to happen. Rights he does not have the authority to erase. And his trying to do so is unconstitutional. A little tour through the 1st Amendment to the Bill of Rights should provide all the proof anyone needs.
So I sit back and watch. I watch whether our current crop of Americans are made of that "special stuff" needed to adequately represent our Country while they're carrying the load. And what I see leaves me concerned. I watch people driving their cars while wearing a mask. Huh? Don't they know...or care...that wearing a mask is purported to protect everyone but the wearer? Or are they just too damn dumb to even be permitted to drive their cars? Maybe, just maybe, they're Darwin Award candidates making their cases early...
So I watch the so-called "Mainstream Media" work overtime to try and blame Trump for his manufactured failings on the Chinese Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. All the while shielding Biden and Obama and everyone else for their culpability over pandemic preparedness.
It's worth recalling that Trump was a Democrat working and living in New York City while the Obama Administration was refusing to "deal" with the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic that killed nearly 20,000 Americans a decade ago. It hospitalized 250,000 Americans. And sickened more than 60 Million worldwide. And in the aftermath, the Obama and Biden Administration's requirement to also adhere with a House panel's recommendation to purchase millions of masks and tens of thousands of ventilators to promptly resupply a depleted inventory.
Which they didn't. As Trump said, "The cupboards were bare..."
Remember hearing anything about this pandemic back then from your friendly Dinosaur Media? Anything? No? Me neither. Could it be that the primary difference between then and now...is the Party occupying the White House?
It seems to me that many of the governors of the 22 Democrat-controlled states have forgotten something that all of us should remember; our citizens deserve, and must receive, the trust of those they choose to elect. Our citizens must be trusted to "do the right thing," lest we're left with authoritarian despots who've decided that they are the arbiters of acceptable behavior. When Michigan's Democrat Governor Whitmer can decide, unilaterally, that it's okay to row a canoe, but not okay to use a motorboat; and that it's okay to buy pot and booze and lotto tickets, but not paint or seeds or a shovel; and that it's okay to cancel a 77 year-old barber's cosmetology license without a hearing because he decided to open without her exalted permission, then we have sown the "seeds" for civil disobedience. And when she's joined by other governors arresting barbers for cutting hair, and anglers for fishing, and surfers for surfing, then we have the makings of a revolt.
And perhaps much worse...
I've often wondered why the Leftists among us are so dead set on removing from us our 2nd Amendment Rights to "keep and bear" arms. Now, it appears, we have an inkling. Just imagine how much more compliant we, The People, would be if one-third of us, more than 100+ million of us, were not armed and considered (by them) dangerous...
Freedom isn't free. We bought and paid for it with our blood. And I can tell you I won't stand by and watch it taken from me, and from my family, without putting up a fight. And I'm betting I'm just one of many millions who agree with me. Millions and millions. That just sitting by and watching while some commie pinko dumbass liberal weenie governor somewhere or other issues an "executive order" taking my Rights from me...and keeping my Rights from me...for no good reason, is just not going to happen. Rights he does not have the authority to erase. And his trying to do so is unconstitutional. A little tour through the 1st Amendment to the Bill of Rights should provide all the proof anyone needs.
So I sit back and watch. I watch whether our current crop of Americans are made of that "special stuff" needed to adequately represent our Country while they're carrying the load. And what I see leaves me concerned. I watch people driving their cars while wearing a mask. Huh? Don't they know...or care...that wearing a mask is purported to protect everyone but the wearer? Or are they just too damn dumb to even be permitted to drive their cars? Maybe, just maybe, they're Darwin Award candidates making their cases early...
So I watch the so-called "Mainstream Media" work overtime to try and blame Trump for his manufactured failings on the Chinese Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. All the while shielding Biden and Obama and everyone else for their culpability over pandemic preparedness.
It's worth recalling that Trump was a Democrat working and living in New York City while the Obama Administration was refusing to "deal" with the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic that killed nearly 20,000 Americans a decade ago. It hospitalized 250,000 Americans. And sickened more than 60 Million worldwide. And in the aftermath, the Obama and Biden Administration's requirement to also adhere with a House panel's recommendation to purchase millions of masks and tens of thousands of ventilators to promptly resupply a depleted inventory.
Which they didn't. As Trump said, "The cupboards were bare..."
Remember hearing anything about this pandemic back then from your friendly Dinosaur Media? Anything? No? Me neither. Could it be that the primary difference between then and now...is the Party occupying the White House?
It seems to me that many of the governors of the 22 Democrat-controlled states have forgotten something that all of us should remember; our citizens deserve, and must receive, the trust of those they choose to elect. Our citizens must be trusted to "do the right thing," lest we're left with authoritarian despots who've decided that they are the arbiters of acceptable behavior. When Michigan's Democrat Governor Whitmer can decide, unilaterally, that it's okay to row a canoe, but not okay to use a motorboat; and that it's okay to buy pot and booze and lotto tickets, but not paint or seeds or a shovel; and that it's okay to cancel a 77 year-old barber's cosmetology license without a hearing because he decided to open without her exalted permission, then we have sown the "seeds" for civil disobedience. And when she's joined by other governors arresting barbers for cutting hair, and anglers for fishing, and surfers for surfing, then we have the makings of a revolt.
And perhaps much worse...
I've often wondered why the Leftists among us are so dead set on removing from us our 2nd Amendment Rights to "keep and bear" arms. Now, it appears, we have an inkling. Just imagine how much more compliant we, The People, would be if one-third of us, more than 100+ million of us, were not armed and considered (by them) dangerous...
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Another New Record!
You'll be pleased to know that our Great Country set another new record in March!
Yes, fellow Pilgrims, while we were all kvetching over the Chinese Killer Not-From-Here Wuhan Killer Coronavirus, the FBI just informed us that the fine folks of the United States purchased more than 3.8 Million Firearms in March!
And that number is up from our all-time monthly record of some 2.7 Million Firearms in December. That's nearly a one-third increase, boys and girls! That yuuuuge! That means that nearly 4 million more Americans decided to finally exercise their individual, immutable, irrefutable, non-cancellable, guaranteed* 2nd Amendment Rights to "keep and bear arms."
More power to them!
You should recall that the FBI told us we Americans owned roughly 150 million firearms the day ex-Prez Obama was elected. And then our citizens immediately started buying guns in droves! Apparently they, like me, knew that Obama was on record...on video...as saying that he'd confiscate all our guns if he ever got the chance (check it out on YouTube).
(Funny how video can always tell the truth no matter how often some choose to lie...)
So the lines at the gun stores grew long after Obama took office. And they haven't really stopped. The FBI released statistics last month indicating that we American citizens now own and use and "keep and bear" more than 429.7 million firearms! In just a bit more than a dozen years we've nearly tripled our firearm ownership! It took us 240 years to reach 150 million guns, and just 12 years to triple that number.
It surely must be that Americans know something, or at the very least suspect something, and their firearm purchases prove it...
For evah we've been told by the "more equal than us" that we don't need no stinkin' firearms. That we've got the police to watch over us and keep us safe. All the while knowing that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. So while we're being told not to become beer-swilling, pickup-driving, flag-waving rednecks by the the "Coastal Elites," The People are choosing to disregard that sophomoric and short-sighted advice.
And there's something else I'd like to add to this little rant about now. You've been told for eons by the effete authoritarians that "guns kill people." And that more guns will kill even more people! So last month we Americans bought almost 4 million (more) guns. Did you notice any new mass shootings? No? Did this mountain of newly-purchased guns load themselves up and start mowing innocents down like ducks in a shooting gallery? No? Nobody running around killing hoards of people with all their new firearms? No? No bodies bleeding in the streets as a result of all those new gun owners? No?
Then I guess you've been fed a load of s**t all these years, haven't you?
So I say again, the surest way to avoid a life-threatening confrontation with a Bad Guy, is to have the Bad Guy think you might be armed. Then, like all other predators, they'll bypass you, the armed, and prey upon some other poor unarmed schlub. They may be crooks, and evil, but they're not necessarily stupid. So don't YOU be. If you haven't joined the long, but "socially distanced" lines at your local gun store, assuming your local commie liberal dumbass weenie politician hasn't shut them down as being "non-essential," now might be a good time to do so...
* (Supreme Court Rulings; "District of Columbia v. Heller," 2010; "Chicago v. McDonald," 2008)
Yes, fellow Pilgrims, while we were all kvetching over the Chinese Killer Not-From-Here Wuhan Killer Coronavirus, the FBI just informed us that the fine folks of the United States purchased more than 3.8 Million Firearms in March!
And that number is up from our all-time monthly record of some 2.7 Million Firearms in December. That's nearly a one-third increase, boys and girls! That yuuuuge! That means that nearly 4 million more Americans decided to finally exercise their individual, immutable, irrefutable, non-cancellable, guaranteed* 2nd Amendment Rights to "keep and bear arms."
More power to them!
You should recall that the FBI told us we Americans owned roughly 150 million firearms the day ex-Prez Obama was elected. And then our citizens immediately started buying guns in droves! Apparently they, like me, knew that Obama was on record...on video...as saying that he'd confiscate all our guns if he ever got the chance (check it out on YouTube).
(Funny how video can always tell the truth no matter how often some choose to lie...)
So the lines at the gun stores grew long after Obama took office. And they haven't really stopped. The FBI released statistics last month indicating that we American citizens now own and use and "keep and bear" more than 429.7 million firearms! In just a bit more than a dozen years we've nearly tripled our firearm ownership! It took us 240 years to reach 150 million guns, and just 12 years to triple that number.
It surely must be that Americans know something, or at the very least suspect something, and their firearm purchases prove it...
For evah we've been told by the "more equal than us" that we don't need no stinkin' firearms. That we've got the police to watch over us and keep us safe. All the while knowing that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. So while we're being told not to become beer-swilling, pickup-driving, flag-waving rednecks by the the "Coastal Elites," The People are choosing to disregard that sophomoric and short-sighted advice.
And there's something else I'd like to add to this little rant about now. You've been told for eons by the effete authoritarians that "guns kill people." And that more guns will kill even more people! So last month we Americans bought almost 4 million (more) guns. Did you notice any new mass shootings? No? Did this mountain of newly-purchased guns load themselves up and start mowing innocents down like ducks in a shooting gallery? No? Nobody running around killing hoards of people with all their new firearms? No? No bodies bleeding in the streets as a result of all those new gun owners? No?
Then I guess you've been fed a load of s**t all these years, haven't you?
So I say again, the surest way to avoid a life-threatening confrontation with a Bad Guy, is to have the Bad Guy think you might be armed. Then, like all other predators, they'll bypass you, the armed, and prey upon some other poor unarmed schlub. They may be crooks, and evil, but they're not necessarily stupid. So don't YOU be. If you haven't joined the long, but "socially distanced" lines at your local gun store, assuming your local commie liberal dumbass weenie politician hasn't shut them down as being "non-essential," now might be a good time to do so...
* (Supreme Court Rulings; "District of Columbia v. Heller," 2010; "Chicago v. McDonald," 2008)
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Too Many Channels...
Time was, children, when there were only three broadcast TV channels. They were 2, 4 and 7. And they were only "on," broadcasting, about 18 hours a day, signing off as they did at around Midnight. With a big picture of a black and white Indian chief on your TV screen all night long to keep you entertained until the next morning.
Oh I'm sorry. I meant "Indigenous Personage of a sort of reddish hue."
And during this time there were only 40 or 50 big-time stars. The Milton Berle's, the Jimmy Stewart's, the Bob Hope's, the John Wayne's, the Clint Eastwood's ("Wagon Train," if you didn't know), the Lucille Ball's. There was a few "B-List" stars, and even fewer "C-List." There were no "D-List" stars. Kathy Griffin hadn't yet been born. Apparently her mother hadn't heard of Planned Parenthood. And no room for them anyway. Not enough channels. Thankfully.
And then an entrepreneur named Ted Turner "turn"ed a medium-sized TV station in Atlanta into a 24-hour cable provider. And almost overnight we went from 3 channels to dozens. And then hundreds. And now 1,000 or more! And then the skirmish began to find what they call "content" to fill all those hours of dead air time. That's another name for "programming." And God knows, they did. To our mutual disadvantage, I would say.
Some of these new channels were dedicated to home and garden. Some to cowboys and Indigenous Persons. Some to comedy. Some drama. Some religion, and some sports. And more recently, politics. In short, they, the TV moguls, needed content; lots and lots and lots of content. So they started buying up old TV shows. "Friends," and "Gilligan's Island," and "Batman," and "Maverick" made their stars millionaires after-the-fact. Taking "Seinfeld" for an example, its stars hit pay dirt when their production company sold 100+ previous episodes for more than $100,000,000! In fact, we still have channels boasting nothing but "Cheers" and "Friends" and "Law and Order" reruns, all day long.
But they also needed new content. New dramas and new comedies. And so they started looking high and low for creative talent; the writers, the producers, and, to them, most importantly, the actors.
Overnight we were inundated with new actors and actresses who we'd never heard of previously. Actors who were nobody's yesterday, and stars today. People who were parking cars at "Ivy" or waiting tables at "Chinois" on Tuesday were on a cable channel program by Saturday. Actors who were hired more because they were available, I would say, and somewhat attractive, than because of their talent.
And God knows, we get proof of that lack of talent every. single. day.
And that's my beef. I don't mind not knowing much about these overnight stars, I just wish they could act. Or sing. Or juggle. Or whatever it is they're supposed to do. In most cases, they're laughably inept. Some of them are even called "influencers." I guess that's a bunch of non-famous folks whose job it is to sell crap that the other "stars" are hawking. Like Gwynneth Paltrow's newest product that she guarantees smells like her, ummm, "nether" region.
You just cannot unlearn that...
It's as if they were yanked from the nearest acting academy and thrust in front of the camera. Or from the local Starbucks if their frontal protuberances, their mammilary corpulence-ses-ses, their "headlights," if you get my drift, are sufficiently bulbous (Thanks. It's a rhetorical flourish of which I am duly proud!). And then WE'RE expected to watch the drivel they then produce.
This I shall no longer do!
I have begun noting the names of would-be actors and singers and jugglers who...can't. Can't act and can't juggle and can't sing, I mean. And I also add to this ever-growing list the names of actors and singers and jugglers who wish to impose upon us, the viewing public, their particular political persuasions. The foul-mouthed Bobby De Niro's. The aforementioned, desperate-for-attention Kathy Griffins. The scarily sick Jim Careys. And then I make it a point not to watch them. Or listen to them. And the silence is so very calming...
(And by the way, when, exactly, did actors decide they were the moral arbiters of American culture and values? And when did a needy subset of our society decide to start paying attention? I'm guessing it was the very day that Turner married "Hanoi Jane" Fonda...)
The Net Result? It's as if I've reduced the number of channels dramatically, overnight! And I've certainly reduced the number of would-be actors and singers and jugglers I give my valuable time. That little list of mine is not only saving me time, and improving my mood, it's also saving me money! Just think about the bucks you can save by not giving them to people who likely view you with contempt and wish you dead!
So now I think I'll watch a little bit of "livePD" and luxuriate in the fact that I'm not one the people they're stopping on the highway each and every night...
Oh I'm sorry. I meant "Indigenous Personage of a sort of reddish hue."
And during this time there were only 40 or 50 big-time stars. The Milton Berle's, the Jimmy Stewart's, the Bob Hope's, the John Wayne's, the Clint Eastwood's ("Wagon Train," if you didn't know), the Lucille Ball's. There was a few "B-List" stars, and even fewer "C-List." There were no "D-List" stars. Kathy Griffin hadn't yet been born. Apparently her mother hadn't heard of Planned Parenthood. And no room for them anyway. Not enough channels. Thankfully.
And then an entrepreneur named Ted Turner "turn"ed a medium-sized TV station in Atlanta into a 24-hour cable provider. And almost overnight we went from 3 channels to dozens. And then hundreds. And now 1,000 or more! And then the skirmish began to find what they call "content" to fill all those hours of dead air time. That's another name for "programming." And God knows, they did. To our mutual disadvantage, I would say.
Some of these new channels were dedicated to home and garden. Some to cowboys and Indigenous Persons. Some to comedy. Some drama. Some religion, and some sports. And more recently, politics. In short, they, the TV moguls, needed content; lots and lots and lots of content. So they started buying up old TV shows. "Friends," and "Gilligan's Island," and "Batman," and "Maverick" made their stars millionaires after-the-fact. Taking "Seinfeld" for an example, its stars hit pay dirt when their production company sold 100+ previous episodes for more than $100,000,000! In fact, we still have channels boasting nothing but "Cheers" and "Friends" and "Law and Order" reruns, all day long.
But they also needed new content. New dramas and new comedies. And so they started looking high and low for creative talent; the writers, the producers, and, to them, most importantly, the actors.
Overnight we were inundated with new actors and actresses who we'd never heard of previously. Actors who were nobody's yesterday, and stars today. People who were parking cars at "Ivy" or waiting tables at "Chinois" on Tuesday were on a cable channel program by Saturday. Actors who were hired more because they were available, I would say, and somewhat attractive, than because of their talent.
And God knows, we get proof of that lack of talent every. single. day.
And that's my beef. I don't mind not knowing much about these overnight stars, I just wish they could act. Or sing. Or juggle. Or whatever it is they're supposed to do. In most cases, they're laughably inept. Some of them are even called "influencers." I guess that's a bunch of non-famous folks whose job it is to sell crap that the other "stars" are hawking. Like Gwynneth Paltrow's newest product that she guarantees smells like her, ummm, "nether" region.
You just cannot unlearn that...
It's as if they were yanked from the nearest acting academy and thrust in front of the camera. Or from the local Starbucks if their frontal protuberances, their mammilary corpulence-ses-ses, their "headlights," if you get my drift, are sufficiently bulbous (Thanks. It's a rhetorical flourish of which I am duly proud!). And then WE'RE expected to watch the drivel they then produce.
This I shall no longer do!
I have begun noting the names of would-be actors and singers and jugglers who...can't. Can't act and can't juggle and can't sing, I mean. And I also add to this ever-growing list the names of actors and singers and jugglers who wish to impose upon us, the viewing public, their particular political persuasions. The foul-mouthed Bobby De Niro's. The aforementioned, desperate-for-attention Kathy Griffins. The scarily sick Jim Careys. And then I make it a point not to watch them. Or listen to them. And the silence is so very calming...
(And by the way, when, exactly, did actors decide they were the moral arbiters of American culture and values? And when did a needy subset of our society decide to start paying attention? I'm guessing it was the very day that Turner married "Hanoi Jane" Fonda...)
The Net Result? It's as if I've reduced the number of channels dramatically, overnight! And I've certainly reduced the number of would-be actors and singers and jugglers I give my valuable time. That little list of mine is not only saving me time, and improving my mood, it's also saving me money! Just think about the bucks you can save by not giving them to people who likely view you with contempt and wish you dead!
So now I think I'll watch a little bit of "livePD" and luxuriate in the fact that I'm not one the people they're stopping on the highway each and every night...
Monday, May 4, 2020
Biden-isms, Part Deux.
I have to say I received so many nice complements from those who appreciated reading about Uncle Joe Biden's "Biden-isms" in a recent posting that I decided to gather up and send along a few more.
You should know that all these "Biden-isms" are direct quotes. Nothing made up. Although it would frankly be easier to believe if it were. Attributions are provided where possible. And because I think we all know that Uncle Joe is, ummm, a couple of fries short of a happy meal, most of these "Biden-isms" are spread over the past two decades. Indicating, I'm pretty sure, that Biden's been daft for quite a long while.
And so, without further ado (or a don't), here goes...
- "No ordinary American cares about their Constitutional rights."
- "I never had an interest in being a mayor, 'cause that's a real job. You have to produce. That's why I was able to be a senator for 36 years."
- "Every single morning since I've been 27 years old, I've got up and someone's handed me a card like the one I have in my pocket with the schedule on it, of all the things I'm gonna' do. I don't know what to do if I didn't have that card."
- "The next person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ass."
- "I get a lot of credit I don't deserve."
- "I think the only reason Clarence Thomas is on the court is because he's Black."
- "It's easy being Vice President. You don't have to do anything."
- "You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."
- "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
- "There's never been a day in the last four years that I've been proud to be his Vice President. Not a single day..."
- "Folks, I can tell you I've known eight presidents, three of them intimately."
- "Guess what, the cheerleaders in college are the best athletes in college. You think I'm joking, they're almost all gymnasts, the stuff they do on hard wood, it blows my mind."
- "When you're appealing to people's fears and anxieties, you can make some gains."
- "I did not grope the wife of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter or the daughter of Sen. Christopher Coons. I don't put drugs in drinks or give drinks to underage females. And all those photos about me inappropriately touching girls, they are blown-up."
- "Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door."
- "The number one job facing the middle class. And it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S!"
- "Make sure of two things. Be careful - microphones are always hot, and understand that in Washington, D.C., a gaffe is when you tell the truth, so be careful."
- "Every single great idea that has marked the 21st century, the 20th century and the 19th century, has required government vision and government incentive."
- "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."
- "Banning guns is an idea whose time has come."
- "In presidential campaign I released a 65-page file from the time from the Syracuse University College of Law that showed poor grades, back in college, also. If I were plagiarizing consistently, my grades would have been better."
- "I was kind of secretly hoping one of my kids would go out and make a million bucks. So when they put me in a home, at least I'll have a window with a view."
- "I may be Irish, but I'm not stupid."
- "For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community."
- "The more people learn about them (Obama and Hillary) and how they handle the pressure, the more their support will evaporate."
You like these? There are plenty more. Plennnnty more! And they plainly reflect that Joe's elevator has ceased going all the way to the top floor. Joe's malapropisms are legendary. And multitudinous. Let me know if you want me to look around for another batch...
You should know that all these "Biden-isms" are direct quotes. Nothing made up. Although it would frankly be easier to believe if it were. Attributions are provided where possible. And because I think we all know that Uncle Joe is, ummm, a couple of fries short of a happy meal, most of these "Biden-isms" are spread over the past two decades. Indicating, I'm pretty sure, that Biden's been daft for quite a long while.
And so, without further ado (or a don't), here goes...
- "No ordinary American cares about their Constitutional rights."
- "I never had an interest in being a mayor, 'cause that's a real job. You have to produce. That's why I was able to be a senator for 36 years."
www.huffingtonpost.com, March 30, 2012
- "Every single morning since I've been 27 years old, I've got up and someone's handed me a card like the one I have in my pocket with the schedule on it, of all the things I'm gonna' do. I don't know what to do if I didn't have that card."
Source: PBS.org
- "The next person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ass."
- "I get a lot of credit I don't deserve."
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
- "I think the only reason Clarence Thomas is on the court is because he's Black."
- "It's easy being Vice President. You don't have to do anything."
Source: www.foxnews.com, February 26, 2010
Source: www.nbcnews.com, July 7, 2006
Source: www.cnn.com, February 9, 2007
- "Folks, I can tell you I've known eight presidents, three of them intimately."
Source: www.newyorker.com, July 28, 2014
- "When you're appealing to people's fears and anxieties, you can make some gains."
Source: www.realclearpolitics.com
- "I worked at an all-black swimming pool in the east side of Wilmington. I was involved in what the Negroes, I mean, blacks were thinking, what they were feeling."
- "I did not grope the wife of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter or the daughter of Sen. Christopher Coons. I don't put drugs in drinks or give drinks to underage females. And all those photos about me inappropriately touching girls, they are blown-up."
Source: www.spectator.org, October 22, 2015
Source: www.fieldandstream.com, Feb.25, 2013
Source: www.nationalreview.com, Oct. 28, 2008
Source: www.politico.com, June 20, 2012
Source: www.foxnews.com, October 28, 2010
Source: www.newsbusters.org, July 19, 2010
Souce: www.nwtimes.com, November 18, 1993
Source: www.spectator.org, October 22, 2015
- "I may be Irish, but I'm not stupid."
- "For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community."
Source: www.nytimes.com, june 10, 1987
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com, Jan. 30, 2007
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Your (Approved) Weekend Activities...
You'll be pleased to know that Boy Guv Gavin Newsom, Speaker of the House San Fran Nan Pelosi's nephew, is feeling badly about having to shut down your used-to-be Golden State. He's shuttered all the stores and the restaurants and the barber shops and everywhere else. Except for "essential" locations, such as your friendly grocery store, that is.
Imagine: Everybody, everywhere socially-distances, except when whole bunches of them pack into grocery stores, and then spread whatever they picked up there all over the place. That makes sense, right?
Anyway, Boy Guv, J. Paul Getty's Godson, a guy who was born on third base and thought he'd hit a triple, must be feeling sad that he's had to punish "reddish" Orange County by closing all its beaches. Nowhere else, mind you. Just Orange County. A County which doesn't vote for him. A County which is experiencing almost no cases of the Chinese Coronvirus, and a death rate of 0.0001% (Newport Beach's Mayor's stats).
So Boy Guv, a fellow who's mucho more concerned about Orange County's people surfing unfettered than he is about permitting unlimited numbers of medically-unchecked, illegal aliens to pour in to the state unimpeded, put together a list of "approved activities" in which his "serfs" may engage. Yes, yes he did. He actually did...
But he prefaced his Official List with these kind words: "We want you to see sunsets," he said. "We want you to enjoy activities outdoors. What we don't want is people congregating outside in large groups." Or groups of any kind, it would seem...
And he's had his formal goons release that list in time for us to plan our plebeian, unimportant, out-of-work weekends. And knowing that you'll appreciate a heads-up from your Faithful Scribe, The Chuckmeister, here's that Official List, published on the Guv's COVID19.ca.gov website for those who'd like to check (my commentary provided in italics, where appropriate):
- Athletics
- Badminton (singles) (who returns serve?)
- Throwing a baseball or softball (to whom?)
- BMX biking
- Canoeing (singles) (only one per canoe, or only one canoe?)
- Crabbing
- Cycling (singles, I assume)
- Exploring rock pools (how quaint)
- Gardening (not in groups) (how often does one "garden" in groups, anyway?)
- Golf (singles - no cart) (disabled Americans, revolt!)
- Hiking (on trails and paths allowing distancing)
- Horseback riding (singles) (again, one per horse, or only one horse?)
- Jogging and running (singles, I presume)
- Kite boarding and kitesurfing (except in Orange County)
- Meditation (why didn't I think of that?)
- Outdoor photography (no indoor?)
- Picnics (with your stay-home household members only) (reminiscent of 1936 Berlin, me thinks)
- Quad Biking (limited to four per bike?)
- Rock climbing (no falling)
- Roller skating and roller blading
- Rowing (singles)
- Scootering (not in groups) (what's a "scootering?")
- Skateboarding (not in groups)
- Soft martial arts - Tai Chi, Chi Kung (not in groups) (I just have to ask, why not "hard" martial arts? Are they too "hard?")
- Table tennis (singles) (who returns serve?)
- Throw and catch an American mini-football, frisbee or frisbee golf (not in groups) (this is actually embarrasing!)
- Trail running
- Trampolining
- Tree climbing (singles only?)
- Volleyball (singles only)
- Walk the dog (the dog appreciates the consideration)
- Wash the car (what if you had to sell the car because you're out of work and broke?)
- Watch the sunrise or sunset (are you s**ting me? Did they really put this out? They've got to be smoking something!)
- Yoga (how elite of them)
So, fellow Pilgrims, while you're "sheltering in place," or better put, in State-ordered, anti-Constitutional solitary confinement, this little list from your Boy Guv should give you alternative, "approved" activities from which you can choose.
No need to thank him. That's why the Liberals put him in charge...
(I just had to add, if fascistic, would-be dictators like our Boy Guv are okay with overstepping their Constitutional prerogatives to such an egregious extent, how much farther would they be willing to go if one-third of their population wasn't already armed and considered dangerous?)
Imagine: Everybody, everywhere socially-distances, except when whole bunches of them pack into grocery stores, and then spread whatever they picked up there all over the place. That makes sense, right?
Anyway, Boy Guv, J. Paul Getty's Godson, a guy who was born on third base and thought he'd hit a triple, must be feeling sad that he's had to punish "reddish" Orange County by closing all its beaches. Nowhere else, mind you. Just Orange County. A County which doesn't vote for him. A County which is experiencing almost no cases of the Chinese Coronvirus, and a death rate of 0.0001% (Newport Beach's Mayor's stats).
So Boy Guv, a fellow who's mucho more concerned about Orange County's people surfing unfettered than he is about permitting unlimited numbers of medically-unchecked, illegal aliens to pour in to the state unimpeded, put together a list of "approved activities" in which his "serfs" may engage. Yes, yes he did. He actually did...
But he prefaced his Official List with these kind words: "We want you to see sunsets," he said. "We want you to enjoy activities outdoors. What we don't want is people congregating outside in large groups." Or groups of any kind, it would seem...
And he's had his formal goons release that list in time for us to plan our plebeian, unimportant, out-of-work weekends. And knowing that you'll appreciate a heads-up from your Faithful Scribe, The Chuckmeister, here's that Official List, published on the Guv's COVID19.ca.gov website for those who'd like to check (my commentary provided in italics, where appropriate):
- Athletics
- Badminton (singles) (who returns serve?)
- Throwing a baseball or softball (to whom?)
- BMX biking
- Canoeing (singles) (only one per canoe, or only one canoe?)
- Crabbing
- Cycling (singles, I assume)
- Exploring rock pools (how quaint)
- Gardening (not in groups) (how often does one "garden" in groups, anyway?)
- Golf (singles - no cart) (disabled Americans, revolt!)
- Hiking (on trails and paths allowing distancing)
- Horseback riding (singles) (again, one per horse, or only one horse?)
- Jogging and running (singles, I presume)
- Kite boarding and kitesurfing (except in Orange County)
- Meditation (why didn't I think of that?)
- Outdoor photography (no indoor?)
- Picnics (with your stay-home household members only) (reminiscent of 1936 Berlin, me thinks)
- Quad Biking (limited to four per bike?)
- Rock climbing (no falling)
- Roller skating and roller blading
- Rowing (singles)
- Scootering (not in groups) (what's a "scootering?")
- Skateboarding (not in groups)
- Soft martial arts - Tai Chi, Chi Kung (not in groups) (I just have to ask, why not "hard" martial arts? Are they too "hard?")
- Table tennis (singles) (who returns serve?)
- Throw and catch an American mini-football, frisbee or frisbee golf (not in groups) (this is actually embarrasing!)
- Trail running
- Trampolining
- Tree climbing (singles only?)
- Volleyball (singles only)
- Walk the dog (the dog appreciates the consideration)
- Wash the car (what if you had to sell the car because you're out of work and broke?)
- Watch the sunrise or sunset (are you s**ting me? Did they really put this out? They've got to be smoking something!)
- Yoga (how elite of them)
So, fellow Pilgrims, while you're "sheltering in place," or better put, in State-ordered, anti-Constitutional solitary confinement, this little list from your Boy Guv should give you alternative, "approved" activities from which you can choose.
No need to thank him. That's why the Liberals put him in charge...
(I just had to add, if fascistic, would-be dictators like our Boy Guv are okay with overstepping their Constitutional prerogatives to such an egregious extent, how much farther would they be willing to go if one-third of their population wasn't already armed and considered dangerous?)
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