What can I say? ‘Coffee’ wasn’t offered as Soup of the Day anyplace so I had to settle for what I could get!

Ummm..ahem… I got nuthin…

I’m going to go try the soup you guys start without me I’ll catch up.

That’s right, the list is blank. We keep telling you nothing comes before coffee around here!

Thanks to the Blogs official Barista Kizmette for the graphic

A man met a beautiful lady and he decided he wanted to marry her right away.

No, she said, “I was a hooker in Fort Worth and I worked both sides of the Trinity river.”.

BUS! IMPISH WATCH OUT!

Sigh! MEDIC!

Four golfers who like to gamble wind up in the same foursome. The pot builds throughout the day until they reach the 18th green, where it comes down to the last putt. If Charlie makes the 10-foot putt, he wins the $200 pot.

Charlie lines up his putt, but just as he’s about to take his stance, a funeral procession begins passing by on the road that runs alongside the 18th hole.

Charlie steps away from his ball, sets down his putter, takes off his hat and places it over his heart, and waits in total silence until the funeral procession is completely passed. Only then does Charlie pick up his putter and begin lining up the putt again.

“Wow,” one of his opponents says. “That was the most touching thing I have ever seen. You’ve got a makeable putt for $200, yet you stopped and paid your respects to a passing funeral procession? I had no idea you were so sentimental!”

“Well after all,” Charlie says, “we were married for 25 years.”

I got comment when I mentioned the weather down here in Texas being bigger than the rest of the US after we had that river of hail down by Reliant Stadium. Some of you figured that was an isolated incident I was playing up. Nay! Nay! On the contrary!

Weather Alert for Harris County, TX

Special Statement !
Issued at: 4:51 am CDT on June 2, 2013, expires at: 5:45 AM CDT on June 02, 2013

…Significant weather advisory for southeastern Burleson…
southeastern Brazos…Walker…northern Austin…northwestern
Harris…central Waller…eastern Madison…Washington…western San
Jacinto…northwestern Montgomery…Grimes and southern Houston
counties until 545 am CDT…

At 447 am CDT…National Weather Service Doppler radar was tracking a
line of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 6 miles east
of Madisonville to 9 miles northwest of Navasota to 7 miles west of
Somerville…and moving southeast at 30 mph.
Wind gusts up to 40 mph will be possible with these storms.

Locations impacted include…
Huntsville…Brenham…Navasota…Hempstead…Prairie View…
Bellville…Pinehurst…Willis…Panorama Village…Somerville…
Waller…Magnolia…New Waverly…Pine Island…Montgomery…
Stagecoach…Burton…midway and Todd Mission.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms…and may
lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

====================
THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN LEAGUE CITY  HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR.
NORTHEASTERN HARRIS COUNTY IN SE TX.
CNTL LIBERTY COUNTY IN SE TX.
SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SE TX.
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JACINTO COUNTY IN SE TX.

* UNTIL 715 AM CDT

* AT 548 AM CDT.DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM  WAS LOCATED NEAR PANORAMA VILLAGE.OR 4 MILES NW OF  CONROE.& MOVING SE AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE.
KINGWOOD.SPRING.THE WOODLANDS.CLOVERLEAF.HUMBLE.
CLEVELAND.DAYTON.BARRETT.OAK RIDGE NORTH.SHENANDOAH.
CROSBY.SHELDON.PORTER HEIGHTS.PATTON VILLAGE.WOODBRANCH. CUT & SHOOT.ROMAN FOREST.SPLENDORA.KENEFICK & CHATEAU
WOODS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. DESTRUCTIVE HAIL.DEADLY LIGHTNING & VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION.MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL & DAMAGING WINDS.CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES LEADING KILLERS. REMEMBER. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER.YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

IF ON OR NEAR LAEK HOUSTON.GET OUT OF THE WATER & MOVE INDOORS OR INSIDE A VEHICLE. REMEMBER.LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE OUT TO 15 MILES FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER.YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER NOW. DO NOT BE CAUGHT ON THE WATER IN A THUNDERSTORM.

So roughly 2.5 hours of ^^^ that ^^^ results in seeing this when you go outside for your Sunday paper:

And the thing about it is we don’t gape at these things here in Houston, this sort of thing a nearly every heavy rainfall occurrence and is just accepted right along with 4WDs towing water skiers & wave boarders down the street in some of the more flood prone neighborhoods.

It will make being confronted by Wal-Martians SO much easier to endure and much faster to brain bleach out of my mind afterwards too!

A few ‘enquiring minds’ (a deliberate choice of spelling) have been asking to see a baby picture of me. Now I don’t know why, nor do I know if you have been hounding Impish to see one of him too, but I do know that anyone (other than Molly) that wants to se my naked little tushie on a lambskin rug is going to have to pay for it!

So instead here I am just about a year old with my very first heavy weapon! Oh the memories!

Impish likes to whine and cry (and there by gain the attention and sympathy for female medical personnel) about all the slings arrow and buses he has to suffer.

However the brain deficient dunce of a dragon fails to recognize that if he kept his fat trap shut around a few jars of peanut butter and exercised what few brain cells he DOES have so they might all fire at once in the name of good judgment he could avoid much of the attacks he suffers! 

Case in point: The last few days I noticed I have been absent my feline entourage as I moved about Keebler Towers. One or the other and occasionally both usually has me with in eye shot at all times lest I do/open something of possible interest and they miss out.

Also some loud banging and other tool sounds have been emanating from the rear parking lot along with a great deal of caterwauling. I noticed this new addition to the vehicles out there yesterday and one of my cats was caught in the act of dismounting from it.

When I asked why they appeared to be going back to their pre- dragon bribes & apology war footing I was informed that I had left my Lap Top on DragonLaffs and they had scrolled through to make sure Impish was in fact honoring his side of the agreement over the weekend. AS we all know Impish chose to feature a LOT of cat humor- that is humor at the expense of cats. Well the leaders of the State of Catatonia were insulted and incensed at this violation of their peace accords and are preparing accordingly unless restitution and apologies are again publically made by Impish.

Grill Up Good Health

Bust out of the burger box and fire up these mouthwatering meals that are heart smart and low calorie for an exciting and delicious change of pace

Grilled Pork Tacos with Avocado Radish Salad

Lean pork tenderloin replaces shoulder in this healthier version of Mexican “carnitas.” Grilling the meat (instead of simmering it in its own fat) allows any grease to drip away.

To ensure you get the full 20 g of fiber–80% of your daily goal!–look for low-carb whole grain tortillas with about 50 calories and 8 g of fiber.

Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 (2 tacos each)

Pork
11/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 -1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 trimmed pork tenderloin (about 11/4 lb)
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 whole grain tortillas (6″-7″ diameter)

Salad
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 ripe med avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4″ chunks
1/2 c sliced radishes (about 4 lg)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 lime)

1. Preheat grill to medium.

2. Prepare pork: In small bowl, mix paprika, salt, garlic powder, mustard, and red pepper. Rub all over pork. Drizzle pork with oil.

3. Grill pork, turning 2 or 3 times, 20 to 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 150 degrees F. Transfer to cutting board and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and place on cooler corner of grill to warm about 10 minutes.

4. Make salad: In small skillet over medium heat, toast oregano, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside. In medium bowl, mix avocado, radishes, scallions, lime juice, and toasted oregano.

5. Cut pork on an angle into thin slices. Place tortilla on work surface. Arrange a few pork slices on bottom half, top with some of the salad, and roll up, folding in sides. Repeat with remaining tortillas, pork, and salad.

Nutritional info per serving 382 cal, 41 g pro, 28 g carb, 20 g fiber, 19 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 92 mg chol, 562 mg sodium

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Citrus Marinade

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes + marinating time

Serves 4

Prepare Citrus Marinade

Citrus Marinade

Marinate chicken at least 2 hours or overnight; shrimp or salmon, 15 minutes.

1/2 c fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper in dish. (Makes 3/4 cup.)

Add 2 1/2 lb. bone-in chicken thighs. Chill at least 2 hours.

Prepare lightly oiled grill for medium heat. Grill chicken (reserve marinade), turning, until cooked through (165°F), 25 minutes.

Bring marinade to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes for sauce.

NUTRITION (per serving; chicken, without skin, and sauce) 332 cal, 33 g pro, 9 g carb, 0.5 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 17.5 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 259 mg sodium

The citrus marinade works well with shrimp too. Leave the shells on and reduce marinating time to 15 min. Skewering the shrimp beforehand will make your job post marinating much easier.

Kicked-Up Skirt Steak with Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes + standing or chilling time

Serves 6

Prepare Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub

Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub

Delicious on steak and pork tenderloin.

2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground coffee
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Whisk together all ingredients and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. (Makes 1/3 cup.)

Rub onto 1 1/2 lb. skirt steak, patting to adhere. Let stand 15 minutes or chill, loosely covered, up to 4 hours.

Prepare lightly oiled grill for medium heat. Grill steak, turning, about 10 minutes or until desired doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Skirt steak at one time was a cheap cut of meat, much like chicken wings . Well the advent of fajitas popularity and done the same thing to the price of skirt steak as Buffalo Chicken Wings did to the price of chicken wings. So use London Broil or Flank steak in place of Skirt steak and remember to slice on the bias and across the grain and save yourself a boat load of cash.

NUTRITION (per serving; steak only) 214 cal, 24 g pro, 3 g carb, 0 g fiber, 2 g sugars, 11 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 167 mg sodium

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with All-Purpose Rub

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes + standing or chilling time

Serves 6

Prepare All-Purpose Rub

All-Purpose Rub

Works with just about anything, including poultry, meat, fish, and vegetables.

1 Tbsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Whisk together all ingredients and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. (Makes 1/4 cup.)

Coat 2 pork tenderloins (1 lb. each) with olive oil spray on all sides. Coat all over with rub, patting to adhere. Let stand 15 minutes or chill, loosely covered, up to 4 hours.

Prepare lightly oiled grill for medium heat. Grill pork, turning, until cooked through (145°F), 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with grilled plums,  peaches or pineapple rings if desired.

NUTRITION (per serving; pork only) 189 cal, 32 g pro, 2 g carb, 1 g fiber, 0 g sugars, 5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 168 mg sodium

No, really, this is worth it. This is a real newspaper obituary that appeared in Ohio May 21, 2013. Not just the classic first sentence, but his “significant honors” and what his family wants in relation to flowers.

Great family, and our kind of guy!

HOLCOMB, Robert (Bob)

Died a couple of days ago which wasn’t exactly unexpected as he had been in poopy health for years. While he never complained much, those that knew him were aware that he suffered several heart attacks and had quadruple bypass open heart surgery before age 40, and it kinda went downhill from there.

Born in Kemp, Texas on April 11, 1940, he graduated from Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas in 1958. He obtained an Associate of Arts degree from Lubbock Christian University which he attended on a basketball scholarship and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Western College in 1963 (now the University of Texas, El Paso). He pursued post-graduate studies through the Gemological Institute of America, the World Gold Council, and Diamonds International plus continuing education courses at the University of Texas, Brownsville.

Significant honors and awards include: “Honored Exhibitor” International Gem & Mineral Show, Washington, D.C., 1969, “Diamonds International Award” from DeBeers (one of less than 250 U.S. recipients in 1972), “Who’s Who in American Commerce & Industry”, 1996, and he especially appreciated being named an “Honorary Mexican” by his Hispanic poker buddies in Brownsville.

In addition to his beloved sister, Sarjim Wenzel of Lubbock, Texas, he is survived by his wife, business partner, lover, and best friend of 52 years, Rhoda Antoinette (Toni) Holcomb with whom he was co-owner/operator of the Cab-N-Facet Fine Jewelry in Springfield, Ohio for some 35 years. While a member of numerous professional and trade organizations, groups and clubs, he was particularly proud of his association with the Masonic Order being a Blue Lodge Master Mason and a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. He also held life memberships in Delta Sigma Pi (National Honorary Business Fraternity) and the American Numismatic Association.

In accordance with his wishes, Bob will be cremated with half of his cremated remains to be buried in the Ohio Masonic Community Cemetery and the remainder scattered over some favorite haunts of his somewhat misspent youth in Lubbock, Texas. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday in the Wooley Chapel of the Ohio Masonic Community with Chaplain Bruce Vincent presiding. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Don’t waste money on flowers…if you have extra bucks, send them to the Ohio Masonic Home Benevolent Endowment Foundation, 5 Masonic Dr., Springfield, Ohio 45504 where they will be put to good use and appreciated.

(Source: Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun obituary)

Golf Lover

Ed and Nancy met while on a singles cruise and Ed fell head over heels for her. When they discovered they lived in the same city only a few miles apart Ed was ecstatic. He immediately started asking her out when they got home.

Within a couple of weeks, Ed had taken Nancy to dance clubs, restaurants, concerts, movies, and museums. Ed became convinced that Nancy was indeed his soul mate and true love. Every date seemed better than the last.

On the one-month anniversary of their first dinner on the cruise ship, Ed took Nancy to a fine restaurant. While having cocktails and waiting for their salad, Ed said, “I guess you can tell I’m very much in love with you. I’d like a little serious talk before our relationship continues to the next stage.

“So, before I get a box out of my jacket and ask you a life changing question, it’s only fair to warn you: I’m a total golf nut. I play golf, I read about golf, I watch golf on TV. In short, I eat, sleep, and breathe golf. If that’s going to be a problem for us, you’d better say so now!”

Nancy took a deep breath and responded, “Ed, that certainly won’t be a problem. I love you as you are and I love golf too. But, since we’re being totally honest with each other, you need to know that for the last five years I’ve been a hooker.”

“Oh wow! I see,” Ed replied. He looked down at the table, was quiet for a moment. Deep in serious thought then he added, “You know, it’s probably because you’re not keeping your wrists straight when you hit the ball….”

‘I was on my way to work and I saw something I neither like nor understand, so it is clearly evil, anti-American or represents a threat to my safety/beliefs and I demand that it be removed, regulated or outlawed before I cry.’ – Democrats & Liberals’ Core Beliefs System a.k.a Chicken Little’s Credo as summarized by Lethal Leprechaun.

Let’s All Calm Down About 3D Plastic Guns

By Paul M. Barrett May 06, 2013
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-06/lets-all-calm-down-about-3-d-plastic-guns#r=tec-s

Should we light our hair on fire about plastic guns made with 3D printers?

Too late for Senator Charles Schumer. The combustible New York Democrat is encouraging hysteria over the prospect of criminals using 3D printers to manufacture firearms, possibly to assassinate the president. “We’re facing a situation where anyone—a felon, a terrorist—can open a gun factory in their garage ,and the weapons they make will be undetectable,” Schumer said. “It’s stomach-churning.”

What’s stomach-churning is the way that [liberals & ] gun foes [but I repeat myself] get their facts wrong, undercutting their cause and distracting from serious discussions about fighting crime.

3D printers are machines that can use digital designs to build a variety of devices out of thousands of layers of hard plastic. Pro-gun activists have been talking about using 3D technology to make a functioning firearm. This week, a libertarian-minded outfit in Texas called Defense Distributed reportedly test-fired such a weapon. Thus Schumer’s severe indigestion. The lawmaker said he will push legislation that would extend an existing ban on “undetectable” weapons to cover guns made via 3D printers.

A ban on undetectable guns will do no more harm, I suppose, than a ban on undetectable automobiles or spaceships, which could also be dangerous in the hands of a diabolical Marvel Comics super villain. Schumer’s bill will not, however, have a practical effect on ordinary street crime, psychopathic mass shootings, hijackings, or political assassinations.

Here’s why: If you’ve got the skills, you can already make a gun in your basement, and there are less complicated ways to do it than using a $10,000 3D printer and computer set-up. Why would bad guys bother making comic book firearms when they can go online and order anything from a Glock 9 mm pistol to a Bushmaster military-style semiautomatic rifle with 30-round ammunition magazines?

Perhaps the evil doer wouldn’t want to leave a credit-card trail. Then he pays cash at a Main Street gun shop, a weekend gun show, or to the criminal down the block who sells black market firepower from the trunk of his car. Or the crook steals or borrows his gun.

The worst part of Schumer’s phony alarm about 3D-printer guns is that we’ve been down this path before, when gun-control activists tried to get Austrian-made Glock pistols banned from the U.S. in the late 1980s. The allegation then was that the innovative Glock, made mostly from industrial-strength plastic known as polymer, would defy airport security measures. As I recounted in a January 2011 Bloomberg Businessweek cover article, the would-be Glock banners:

Claimed that because it was mostly plastic, the pistol would be invisible to X-ray machines. “Only the barrel, slide, and one spring are metal,” the late Jack Anderson wrote in his syndicated column in January 1986. “Dismantled, it is frighteningly easy to smuggle past airport security.” Antigun groups mobilized, Congress held hearings, and the National Rifle Assn. rallied its troops. “The amazing thing was that nobody had ever heard of Glock before the Anderson column,” says Richard Feldman, a lawyer then working for the NRA. “‘Glock? What’s that? Oh, an Austrian gun, a plastic gun? Interesting. I’ve got to see one of those.’”

As the 17-round pistol became an object of curiosity and admiration among Second Amendment enthusiasts, the anti-Glock campaign fizzled. The Federal Aviation administration concluded that if screening personnel paid attention, they would be able to detect the pistol. “That was a big ‘oops’ moment,” says Richard M. Aborn, a former president of Handgun Control, now known as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “We made the classic mistake of failing to do our homework.”

Gun foes helped popularize the Glock with more speed and less expense than the Austrian company would ever have been capable of on its own. Today, the assault on the latest version of the plastic pistol makes no more sense. TSA scanners at airports detect shapes, not metal.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m no fan of mischievous libertarians making guns in their basements. On the other hand, if I were intent on mayhem, I would go with a proven manufacturer, like Glock. And if I were a lawmaker, I would focus on serious policies that might accelerate the reduction in crime rates that Senator Schumer’s hometown of New York has enjoyed for the past quarter-century.

State Department Demands Takedown Of 3D-Printable Gun Files For Possible Export Control Violations

The sixteen parts of Defense Distributed’s 3D-printable gun, the Liberator.

The battle for control of dangerous digital shapes may have just begun.

On Thursday, 5/09/2013 Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson received a letter from the State Department Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance demanding that he take down the online blueprints for the 3D-printable “Liberator” handgun that his group released Monday, along with nine other 3D-printable firearms components hosted on the group’s website Defcad.org. The government says it wants to review the files for compliance with arms export control laws known as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR. By uploading the weapons files to the Internet and allowing them to be downloaded abroad, the letter implies Wilson’s high-tech gun group may have violated those export controls.

“Until the Department provides Defense Distributed with final [commodity jurisdiction] determinations, Defense Distributed should treat the above technical data as ITAR-controlled,” reads the letter, referring to a list of ten CAD files hosted on Defcad that include the 3D-printable gun, silencers, sights and other pieces. “This means that all data should be removed from public access immediately. Defense Distributed should review the remainder of the data made public on its website to determine whether any other data may be similarly controlled and proceed according to ITAR requirements.”

Wilson, a law student at the University of Texas in Austin, says that Defense Distributed will in fact take down its files until the State Department has completed its review. “We have to comply,” he says. “All such data should be removed from public access, the letter says. That might be an impossible standard. But we’ll do our part to remove it from our servers.”

As Wilson hints, that doesn’t mean the government has successfully censored the 3D-printable gun. While Defense Distributed says it will take down the gun’s printable file from Defcad.org, its downloads–100,000 in just the first two days the file was online–were actually being served by Mega, the New Zealand-based storage service created by ex-hacker entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, an outspoken U.S. government critic. It’s not clear whether the file will be taken off Mega’s servers, where it may remain available for download. The blueprint for the gun and other Defense Distributed firearm components have also been uploaded several times to the Pirate Bay, the censorship-resistant filesharing site.

[Here is where the FBI’s heavy handed tactics on behalf of the movie industry come back to bite them in the ass. Kim Dotcom is outside their jurisdiction this time as the files were shared open source. The US Government’s abdominal treatment of Kim Dotcom at the behest of Hollywood’s big money lobby made prior to their betrayal and attack on him (Dotcom was in fact co-operating in the FBI’s investigation to find the pirates using his service) has made him a vocal opponent of the US Government and its Big Brother tactics. Hollywood movie moguls wanted an object lesson made of him. Now he’s going to give the US Government an object lesson they are not likely to forget over this.]

Wilson argues that he’s also legally protected. He says Defense Distributed is excluded from the ITAR regulations under an exemption for non-profit public domain releases of technical files designed to create a safe harbor for research and other public interest activities. That exemption, he says, would require Defense Distributed’s files to be stored in a library or sold in a bookstore. Wilson argues that Internet access at a library should qualify under ITAR’s statutes, and says that Defcad’s files have also been made available for sale in an Austin, Texas bookstore that he declined to name in order to protect the bookstore’s owner from scrutiny.

Despite taking down his files, Wilson doesn’t see the government’s attempts to censor the Liberator’s blueprints as a defeat. On the contrary, Defense Distributed’s radical libertarian and anarchist founder says he’s been seeking to highlight exactly this issue, that a 3D-printable gun can’t be stopped from spreading around the global Internet no matter what legal measures governments take. “This is the conversation I want,” Wilson says. “Is this a workable regulatory regime? Can there be defense trade control in the era of the Internet and 3D printing?”

Wilson compares his new legal troubles to the widely-followed case in the mid-1990s of Philip Zimmermann, the inventor of the cryptographic software PGP, who was threatened with indictment under ITAR for putting his military-grade encryption software online. “It’s PGP all over again,” says Wilson.

In Zimmermann’s case, much of the technology community was outraged that PGP’s inventor was being treated as if he were selling bombs or missiles to a foreign regime when he had simply put a powerful piece of privacy software on the Internet. That public support is widely thought to have influenced the State Department decision in 1996 to drop its case against him.

In this case, by contrast, Cody Wilson is literally an arms manufacturer. But whether the government will have any more luck in controlling the spread of his invention remains to be seen.

I’ll provide updates as this story develops.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story I described Wilson as an “arms distributor.” In fact, he’s an arms manufacturer, while Defense Distributed is a software distributing non-profit. Since Defense Distributed–not Wilson himself–is the target of the State Department’s query, that may be an important distinction.

Update: Here’s the full text of the letter.

United States Department of State

Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

Offense of Defense Trade Controls Compliance

May 08, 2013

In reply letter to DTCC Case: 13-0001444

[Cody Wilson’s address redacted]

Dear Mr. Wilson,

The Department of State, Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance, Enforcement Division (DTCC/END) is responsible for compliance with and civil enforcement of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778) (AECA) and the AECA’s implementing regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130) (ITAR). The AECA and the ITAR impose certain requirements and restrictions on the transfer of, and access to, controlled defense articles and related technical data designated by the United States Munitions List (USML) (22 C.F.R. Part 121).

The DTCC/END is conducting a review of technical data made publicly available by Defense Distributed through its 3D printing website, DEFCAD.org, the majority of which appear to be related to items in Category I of the USML. Defense Distributed may have released ITAR-controlled technical data without the required prior authorization from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), a violation of the ITAR.

Technical data regulated under the ITAR refers to information required for the design, development, production, manufacture, assembly, operation, repair, testing, maintenance or modification of defense articles, including information in the form of blueprints, drawings, photographs, plans, instructions or documentation. For a complete definition of technical data, see 120.10 of the ITAR. Pursuant to 127.1 of the ITAR, it is unlawful to export any defense article or technical data for which a license or written approval is required without first obtaining the required authorization from the DDTC. Please note that disclosing (including oral or visual disclosure) or tranferring [sic]technical data to a foreign person, whether in the United States or abroad, is considered an export under 120.17 of the ITAR.

The Department believes Defense Distributed may not have established the proper jurisdiction of the subject technical data. To resolve this matter officially, we request that Defense Distributed submit Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) determination requests for the following selection of data files available on DEFCAD.org, and any other technical data for which Defense Distributed is unable to determine proper jurisdiction:

1. Defense Distributed Liberator pistol
2. .22 electric
3. 125mm BK-14M high-explosive anti-tank warhead
4. 5.56/.223 muzzle brake
5. Springfield XD-40 tactical slide assembly
6. Sound Moderator – slip on
7. “The Dirty Diane” 1/2-28 to 3/4-16 STP S3600 oil filter silencer adapter
8. 12 gauge to .22 CB sub-caliber insert
9. Voltlock electronic black powder system
10. VZ-58 sight

DTCC/END requests that Defense Distributed submits its CJ requests within three weeks of the receipt of this letter and notify this office of the final CJ determinations. All CJ requests must be submitted electronically through an online application using the DS-4076 Commodity Jurisdiction Request Form. The form, guidance for submitting CJ requests, and other relevant information such as a copy of the ITAR can be found on DDTC’s website at http://www.pmddtc.state.gov.

Until the Department provides Defense Distributed with the final CJ determinations, Defense Distributed should treat the above technical data as ITAR-controlled. This means that all such data should be removed from public access immediately. Defense Distributed should also review the remainder of the data made public on its website to determine whether any additional data may be similarly controlled and proceed according to ITAR requirements.

Additionally, DTCC/END requests information about the procedures Defense Distributed follows to determine the classification of its technical data, to include aforementioned technical data files. We ask that you provide your procedures for determining proper jurisdiction of technical data within 30 days of the date of this letter to Ms. Bridget Van Buren, Compliance Specialist, Enforcement Division, at the address below.

Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance
PM/DTCC, SA-1, Room L132
2401 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20522
Phone 202-663-3323

We appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please note our reference number in any future correspondence.

Sincerely,

Glenn E. Smith
Chief, Enforcement Division

—

The 3-D Pistol is .380 Auto caliber & the OAL of the round is .984 inch. The barrel assembly appears to be roughly 2.25- 2.5 times that length or just under 2.25 inches. Now remember that the cartridge chamber actually takes up a part of that barrel length and you get a working barrel length of just over 1”. Velocity power and accuracy are going to suffer in such a short barrel. Yes the Chicken Littles are portraying it as a 9 shot weapon. Of course they omit the fact that it is nine SINGLE shots which require you to partially disassemble the weapon to reload it and after which you throw the barrel (if not the entire weapon away).

Also I have yet to see ANY video of the weapon being fired in the hands of an actual person other than the single shot by Cody. Oh sure I have seen a butt load of PHOTOS of a guy in a shooters stance with one, but all the video I ahve seen of several different ones firing ahve been remotely fired with a lanyard from 20′ distance. This tells me that while the concept is technically proven, nobody is co confident in the weapon as to say that it is a fully functional and safe to use weapon. Frankly as long as the printers are making them out of ABS plastic, they never will be either. One mistake one imperfection in the barrel resulting in a bubble or weak spot and you’ll have that weapon detonating right in your hand.

Yes it IS capable of being made in various calibers, low power calibers with limited spotting capability that is .22 rim fire, 22 mag, .25ACP, .32 ACP, .38 & .380 auto. My understanding is the risk of catastrophic failure escalates sharply when you move past this point to high pressure generating calibers like .40, .45, 9mm and other pistol calibers with significant stopping power. Particularly noted in the research I have done and articles I have read was the inadvisability of even attempting the 5.7×28mm as the single attempt destroyed the entire weapon and pelted the people 20 feet behind it with hot plastic.

In truth there are far better options out there if you want to make your own gun, from single shot zip guns capable of firing a .410 shot gun shell and concealable in a cane to plans to manufacture cast aluminum weapons:

So you get a sense of just how small that weapon is the cylinders are switchable on the go and hold  3 rounds of .380 or 5 rounds of .22. Apparently cylinder swap out/reloading could be accomplished by a practiced person in under 3 seconds. The gun is simple, light weight, has few moving parts, easily machine-able by anyone one with CAD-CAM knowledge and access to a CNC  machine and a few dollars worth of metal stock. Unlike the hysteria in liberals inducing 3-D printed gun this one is not only capable of multiple shots with out reloading but easily and quickly reloadable, it had a significantly longer useful life as well. Strangely there are no frantic governmental attempts to control this design despite its superiority to the 3-D gun.

I should also point out that there are reinforced machine-able plastics out there strong enough to make one of these out of that just like the 3-D printed one would one need a metal firing pin.

The worst part of Schumer’s phony alarm about 3D-printer guns is that we’ve been down this path before, when gun-control activists tried to get Austrian-made Glock pistols banned from the U.S. in the late 1980s. The allegation then was that the innovative Glock, made mostly from industrial-strength plastic known as polymer, would defy airport security measures. As recounted in a January 2011 Bloomberg Businessweek cover article, the would-be Glock banners:

Claimed that because it was mostly plastic, the pistol would be invisible to X-ray machines. “Only the barrel, slide, and one spring are metal,” the late Jack Anderson wrote in his syndicated column in January 1986. “Dismantled, it is frighteningly easy to smuggle past airport security.” Antigun groups mobilized, Congress held hearings, and the National Rifle Assn. rallied its troops. “The amazing thing was that nobody had ever heard of Glock before the Anderson column,” says Richard Feldman, a lawyer then working for the NRA. “‘Glock? What’s that? Oh, an Austrian gun, a plastic gun? Interesting. I’ve got to see one of those.’”

As the 17-round pistol became an object of curiosity and admiration among Second Amendment enthusiasts, the anti-Glock campaign fizzled. The Federal Aviation administration concluded that if screening personnel paid attention, they would be able to detect the pistol. “That was a big ‘oops’ moment,” says Richard M. Aborn, a former president of Handgun Control, now known as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “We made the classic mistake of failing to do our homework.”

Gun foes helped popularize the Glock with more speed and less expense than the Austrian company would ever have been capable of on its own. Today, the assault on the latest version of the plastic pistol makes no more sense. TSA scanners at airports detect shapes, not metal.

Liberals and the Anti Gun Lobby have failed to  achieve any meaningful legislation with their misinformation and circular logic so now they are attempting to pass it via the hysteria card which they first played with (and IMHO demeaning) the Newtown tragedy. Now that their Newtown hysteria horse is fading they’ve jump to 3-D printed guns. Don’t get me wrong. I’m no fan of mischievous libertarians making guns in their basements. On the other hand, if I were intent on mayhem, I would go with a proven manufacturer, like Glock. And if I were a lawmaker, I would focus on serious policies that might accelerate the reduction in crime rates after exercising due diligence and doing my homework so as not to allow the Liberal Chicken Littles to make Congress look yet again like a bunch of no nothing jackasses. 

Good Morning Campers!
Well, it’s happened.  We got our 30 day notice last week, furlough days are coming in July.  40% of my usual paycheck…poof!  Gone.  Blown away!  Taken by the Government, because of some stupid power play by the politicians.
They have no integrity.
If they did, the VERY least they would do is take pay away from the rest of the government, not just the peons in the trenches.  They would take it from themselves.  But no.  Just like everything else they force upon we the people, they exempt themselves.
That’s bullshit politics.
That’s chicken shit.
That’s a lack of integrity, honesty and leadership.
I have no intention of re-electing any official who refuses to uphold his oath.
Oath breakers – as Lethal’s video on Wednesday showed.  Well, I have two more videos, in today’s Last Word, from the same session in New Jersey.  I believe you will find it VERY enlightening.  But, until we get there….let’s get our laugh on!

Okay, I want to start out with this one, right off the bat.  It’s funny, but in a really sadistic sort of way.  I think every man should see this.  Because everyone has a mother who has gone through this and many men feel that women are wimps and can’t take the pain…so, before we go anywhere else, lets watch this video.  And remember, if you want to see it, you have to go to our website.  You can’t watch it in the email.  So, right now, go to http://dragonlaffs.com and you’ll already be there for the rest of the videos that I’m sure will be in the issue.  This is the first item that I’m adding to today’s issue, so I’m guessing there will be more videos, but I’m not really sure.  But, just in case, go to the website anyway and you’ll be all set.

Okay…so they also say (who the hell “they” are is beyond me, but I digress) that the closest thing that a man can come to a woman’s pain in childbirth is having a kidney stone.  Well, since I’ve delivered 6 stones so far in my life, I would consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject of the pain involved.  Let me paint you a picture of my very first kidney stone.
It started out as sort of strange pain.  Kind of made me feel like I had to use the toilet.  But, as the night wore on, it got worse and worse.  Kind of a wavery slippery pain that seemed to move up and down in the same short area in the lower right side of my back.  Finally about midnight, I told Mrs. Dragon, that we had to go to the Emergency Room.  We dropped the littlest dragon off at the neighbor’s house (God bless them for taking our kid at midnight) and started to drive.
Mrs. Dragon was behind the wheel and I was hanging from the sissy bar above the window, (also known as an assist handle for the elderly and the “Oh Shit” Bar for the near accident and tight turn crowd) and I was actually holding myself parallel to the seat, which was laid back.  I was pleading with God not to kill me and telling my dear wife, who bless her heart, was caught between being scared to death and laughing her ass off at me, that I didn’t want to die.  Please don’t let me die.
Needless to say, I have taken a lot of crap over the ensuing years over that infantile display.  But, I’m telling you … it hurt!
Anyway, we pull up to St. Joseph Hospital at about 1 am and thankfully it was early on a Thursday morning, so the ER wasn’t that crowded.  I puked several times from the pain before we even got to the door and by the time I got to the check in desk, there wasn’t a person in Kokomo who didn’t know that I was hurting.
But, the climax to the whole affair came about 30 minutes later when the doctor needed a urine sample and I couldn’t pee, so they used a catheter on me.  I never even felt it.
Now, remember, this is SAINT Joseph Hospital, this is important for the next part.  It was about this time that another really strong pain hit me and I screamed at the top of my lungs, “Oh My Fu*king God it hurts!”  I’m pretty sure that one nun fainted outright, while another turned the prettiest shade of crimson.  The doctor, in a calm voice said, “Yup, take him upstairs, see that he’s sedated.”
Well, long story short, I stayed that way for two days while they tried to allow the stone to pass on it’s own.  When the finally decided it wouldn’t, they sent me to surgery and removed it by sending a tiny basked on a pole down the end of my junior dragon, capturing the stone and pulling it back out.  All I can say about that is that I’m glad they knocked me out for that part.
Even with all the great drugs they gave me, my first taste of morphine, great stuff that, still one of my favorite pain killers, although nowadays I have to take a lot more of it to have any real effect on my arthritic pain, it was indeed, THE WORST pain I have ever had.  Even my knee, at it’s very worst, before they replaced it, was not even a candle compared to the fiery inferno that was that first kidney stone.  So ladies, if that’s the kind of pain that you feel when having a baby, I can only gaze amazedly at you and wonder how in the world you could ever have more than one child…on purpose.  It boggles the mind!

Here’s a great little science quiz.  Not to brag, but I got 100%.  Compare how you do…

If Congress got stuff done like roommates….

Life in thirteen words…no truer words have been spoken…
”Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the fuck happened.”

Here’s a great example of how both women AND men can enjoy chocolate…

An older guy goes to his doctor for his physical and gets sent to the Urologist as a precaution.
When he gets there, he discovers the Urologist is a very pretty female doctor.

The female doctor says, “I’m going to check your prostate today, but this new procedure is a little different from what you are probably used to. I want you to lie on your right side, bend your knees, then while I check your prostate, take a deep breath and say, ’99’.

The old guy obeys and says, “99”.

The doctor says, “Great”, now turn over on your left side and again, while I repeat the check, take a deep breath and say, ’99”.

Again, the old guy says, ’99’.”

The doctor said, Very good . Now then, I want you to lie on your back with your knees raised slightly. I’m going to check your prostate with this hand, and with the other hand I’m going to hold on to your penis to keep it out of the way. Now take a deep breath and say, ’99’.

The old guy begins, “One… Two… Three “

Since we are, first and foremost, an e-zine designed to impart wisdom and knowledge, I’d like to share with you a short explanation of common hand and electrical tools. 

Channel Locks:
Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

• O.J. Simpson is waiting to see if a judge will grant him a retrial. Have you seen how fat O.J. has gotten? He’s so fat, he’s changed his name from O.J. to “Au Jus.”
• O.J. is so fat, he wants the judge to throw the cookbook at him.
• White House officials continue to insist that President Obama knew nothing about the IRS scandal until we all heard about it in the news last week. They said because there was an investigation under way, it would have been inappropriate to tell him. And besides, Obama was too busy not knowing anything about Benghazi.
• Anthony Weiner has formally announced he is running for mayor of New York City. He posted a video announcing it just after midnight — and traditionally, being online in the middle of the night has always worked so well for Mr. Weiner.

Conan

• Last night at midnight, former Congressman Anthony Weiner officially announced in an online video that he is running for mayor of New York. Nothing says “I put my sleazy past behind me” like showing a video on the Internet at midnight.
• During a Senate hearing yesterday, Senator John McCain said it was too hard to always have to update apps on his iPhone. No one has the heart to tell him the device he was holding was a garage door opener.
• Brad Pitt said in an interview that he has very few friends. In other words, it’s just one more thing that Brad Pitt and I have in common.
• In New Jersey a woman found her lost dog by luring the dog back with bacon. She also found the governor of New Jersey.

The two Texans are scrambling from jack to jack to try to get the barn raised when this Cajun walks up. “Wot chall doin?” Boudreaux asks.

“We’s raisin thuh barn, yuh stoopid Cajun,” Billy Bob says.

“Why you do dat?”

“Cause thuh mule’s ears keep touchin’ thuh doorway when we try to put him in iss-here barn and he goes haf-crazy wild,” Billy Bob says. “He kicked Ernest Wayne plumb in thuh haid twicet already.”

“Why come you don’ just dig de hole in de doorway? Dat way him got to go down when he get to de do’ an him ear don’t touch nutin.”

“Ya stoopid Cajun,” Ernest Wayne chimes in. “It’s his ears at’s too long, not his laigs!”

Marriage Quotes
————————-

You have two choices in life: You can stay single and be miserable, or get married and wish you were dead.

At a cocktail party, one woman said to another, Aren’t you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?” Yes, I am. I married the wrong man.”

A lady inserted an ‘ad’ in the classifieds: “Husband Wanted”.
Next day she received a hundred letters.
They all said the same thing: “You can have mine.”

When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.

A woman is incomplete until she is married. Then she is finished.

A little boy asked his father, “Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?”
Father replied, “I don’t know son, I’m still paying.”

Young son: “Is it true Dad, that in some parts of Africa a man doesn’t know his wife until he marries her?”
Dad: “That happens in every country, son.”

Then there was a woman who said, “I never knew what real happiness was until I got married, and by then, it was too late.”

If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you
say, talk in your sleep .

Just think, if it weren’t for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.

First guy: “My wife’s an angel!”
Second guy: “You’re lucky, mine’s still alive.”

Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a big gut, and still think they are attractive to the opposite sex.

The Doctor’s Office by Mrs. Hughes

President Obama’s job approval ratings held steady Monday in CNN’s latest poll. The numbers split exactly along party lines. Fifty-three percent of Americans approve of the job Obama is doing as president while the other forty-seven percent are being audited.

The Vatican is denying that Pope Francis performed an exorcism on a man in St. Peter’s Square. Official say if the Pope really wanted to perform an exorcism he would arrange an audience with Donald Trump.

A study says that health literature is too complex for most patients to grasp. Mostly because these are the same people who can’t figure out how to even open their pill bottles in the first place.

I feel bad for Barack Obama. He’s got the Benghazi scandal, the IRS scandal, and the FBI wiretapping phones. The president is in so much trouble politically, he’s thinking about killing bin Laden again.

President Obama commented on the Oklahoma City tornado damage on Tuesday. He obviously has a lot on his mind now. The president said he’s looking into it, he vowed that folks will be held accountable and he declared that the American people expect better.

IRS official Lois Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to testify to Congress about targeting conservatives. How embarrassing. Lerner is so mortified over having to cite the U.S. Constitution she ordered herself audited for being a right-wing group.

These scandals at the White House are just getting worse. It turns out that President Obama’s chief of staff knew about the scandal at the IRS three weeks before the president found out. Obama was like, “Anything else you guys aren’t telling me?”
And Joe Biden was like, “Uh . . . I broke the copier.”

Oklahoma Senator Coburn is on record now saying that any tornado relief funds for OKLA must be matched with cuts elsewhere. How much money could we save by cutting Oklahoma down to one senator?

As a former citizen of the great state of New Jersey, a place I still tend to call “home”, I find I am intolerably embarrassed by the spectacle you are about to view below. You may remember the video link that Lethal presented in his issue on Wednesday, and those of you who follow the comments section may remember the Whelpling’s comments (who also happens to be my son).  If you haven’t seen them, I hope this next section still makes sense to you, since it’s a two video continuation on that video.  From the same session in New Jersey that the first video came from, please follow along with the next part.  The embarrassing part.

Welcome to NJ, Pro Gun Citizen Forcefully Removed From Hearing in the Middle of His Testimony

So, this is NJ huh?

Second Amendment activist, James Kaleda, was forcefully removed from a hearing on a new gun control bill in NJ during his testimony.

Yes, James’ testimony got a little heated, but he was still making an intelligent argument. A little heated?  I didn’t find his testimony heated at all until he was interrupted.  Pure Bullshit!

Notice in the video the legislators laugh as they have their security (armed with guns of course) remove Kaleda before he finished his testimony.

Kaleda receives a standing ovation from the gallery during his ejection.

There is some atonement by the populace as can be seen in this next video which comes almost immediately after the first one.

Amazing Video – Entire Audience at NJ Gun Hearing Disobeys Senators Orders, Recites Pledge

If you’ve seen the video we posted earlier today, then you definitely want to check this one out. There was some question that when Second Amendment activist, James Kaleda, was removed from the hearing if the audience was clapping for him or for his removal. I think this video, which took place immediately following that, should clear things up.

After a Second Amendment activist was forcefully removed from a hearing on upcoming gun legislation in NJ, the audience wasn’t too happy.

Several members of the audience yelled at the state senator in charge from the audience, several called him out of order, and at least one more was escorted from the room.

Then in one of the best displays of civil disobedience I’ve ever seen, the entire audience recited the pledge of allegiance, while most of the lawmakers remained seated.

This is one to share.

It’s working from the top down.  If you don’t care for what the people have to say, throw them out, lock them up, shut them up or just ignore them.  I can’t believe that there are still  people out there who think this administration is doing a good job.  Guns are only one small part of it, an obvious and very visual example.
We must wake up people!

[Sometimes you’ve just got to go with the classics and nostalgia be damned!]

GOOD MORNING BOYS AND GIRLS!

OMG! WOW! What in the heck…

DAYUM! Most of you guys look like HELL! Was there an explosion in a aerosol red paint can factory someplace I missed hearing about? Not funny? [Giggle] You sure? ‘Cause ya’ll look pretty funny from here- like a bunch reverse patterned red raccoons!

Okay! OK already! SHEESH!

Impish break out the lemon and drawn butter I MEAN the Aloe Gel and the Shea & Almond butter for these poor sunburnt lobster colored fools I MEAN suffering souls!

Now if you can keep your moans of pain and your Oohs & Aahs of relief down we’ll get on with things!

The Top 10 Things No Parent Said, Ever

1. “The porn under Timmy’s bed is getting stale. We’ll need to change it.”
2. “Son, if you want to have a great date, ask a gal who’s fast and loose like your mom.”
3. “Sweetie, Mommy has a headache. Could you please distract me with more of that yelling and pot-banging?”
4. “Just wait till your other mother gets home; she’s gonna bust a cap in your ass.”
5. “These kids practically pay for themselves!”
6. “Someday when you have kids of your own, you’ll look back and realize what a total ass I’m being now.”
7. “The sound of a baby crying makes me feel so alive!”
8. “If you don’t watch ‘Walking Dead’ with me, I will not take you to Chuck E. Cheese, and that’s final!”
9. “He’s only hitting you because he hates you and thinks you’re ugly.”

#1 Thing No Parent Said, Ever…

1. “Careful, you’ll put an eye out! But hey, that’s why you have a spare.”

Motorcycles drive past the Lincoln Memorial as Colin Morris, of the US Army, salutes during the annual Rolling Thunder “Ride for Freedom” parade ahead of Memorial Day in Washington, Sunday, May 26, 2013.

This lady tells our elected officials which way the wind is blowing and she hits the nail on the head!  She’s got this right!  ATTAGIRL! GIVE ‘EM HELL!!!!!!!!!!

Give this a listen. It’s short, it’s concise and it represents our feelings here at DL/LL Electronic Media Enterprises  EXACTLY.

In just over one minute she hands the NJ legislature its liberal ass so eloquently…………..

http://video-embed.nj.com/services/player/bcpid651974715001?bctid=2341389953001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMIP6E~,BRrRHTAljlF40NofMDxsColEK-8KEsxy

Texas Titty Bar

YEAH, I KNOW what YOU people were expecting! PERVERTS!

One of the largest sources of malware infections is PDF files with scripts buried in them. The embedded JavaScripts have instructions to download and install various types of malware. The Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat are the major targets for this kind of attack. Although Adobe seems to issue an unending stream of updates, many PC users still get infected. Here is a tip to help avoid malicious PDF files.

From their antimalware products, Microsoft gathers data about the source of malware infections. The Microsoft MSDN blog has just given a list of common infected PDF files that have been detected.  If you see any of the eight files below, do not open them but delete them permanently.  

• pdf_new[1].pdf
• auhtjseubpazbo5[1].pdf
• avjudtcobzimxnj2[1].pdf
• pricelist[1].pdf
• couple_saying_lucky[1].pdf
• 5661f[1].pdf 7927
• 9fbe0[1].pdf 7065
• pdf_old[1].pdf

A gourmet challenged me to eat
A tiny bit of rattlesnake meat.
Remarking, “Don’t look horror-stricken,
You’ll find it tastes a lot like chicken.”
It did.
Now chicken I cannot eat.
Because it tastes like rattlesnake meat! – Ogden Nash

7 Food Swaps That Will Make You Skinny

Simple Swaps = Healthy Weight-Loss Results

You don’t have to sit out summer picnics to start slimming down. Sure, warm-season gatherings often involve gut-busting carbs in the form of starchy breads, pastas, and potato products, but you can still savor the season without causing the numbers on the scale to creep up. In fact, many of the top food swaps that will whittle down your waist are super fresh this time of year, readily available in gardens and farmers’ markets across the country during the growing season.

Lettuce Instead of Hot Dog Buns

 The Swap: Don’t let a starchy bun weigh down your summer cookouts! Instead, wrap your hot dogs in a nutrient-packed outer leaf of red- or green-leafed lettuce. Want extra crunch? Choose romaine.

Carbs Avoided: 19 grams

More Health Perks: Lettuce is loaded with isothiocyanate, lutein, zeaxanthin, and isoflavones, healthy compounds that protect against Alzheimer’s, lung cancer, and macular degeneration.

Summer Squash Instead of Hash Browns

The Swap: Summer squash is a readily available, affordable substitute for carb-heavy potatoes. To prep, grate summer squash (zucchini or yellow summer squash), mix in an egg as a binder, work into patties, and fry in olive oil.

Carbs Avoided: About 15 grams per hash-brown patty

More Health Perks: Summer squash is a solid source of magnesium, a mood-regulating mineral that also protects heart health and reduces disease-promoting inflammation.

Cabbage or Collard Greens Instead of Bread

The Swap: Summer means quick and easy sandwiches—less time in the kitchen and more time outside enjoying warm-weather activities! Avoid a post lunch energy crash by ditching your standard two slices of bread and instead wrapping your sandwich ingredients in a raw cabbage or collard-green leaf.

Carbs Avoided: 24

More Health Perks: Cabbage and collard greens promote healthy cholesterol levels. These cruciferous veggies also contain potent anticancer compounds.

Spaghetti Squash Instead of Pasta

The Swap: Switch out spaghetti for the noodle like flesh of spaghetti squash and you’ll enjoy the same consistency without the excess carbs.

Carbs Avoided: 30 grams per cup

More Health Perks: Winter squash is chock full of cancer-fighting antioxidants like alpha- and beta-carotene.

  [I don’t care what who says, its NEVER going to replace pasta for me, however it DOES work well I find in Asian stir fry dishes and lo mein’s]

Cauliflower Instead of Potatoes

The Swap: Potatoes are full of simple carbs that cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar. Instead of mashed potatoes, try steaming fresh or frozen cauliflower, adding a bit of butter (the kind from cows raised on pasture is the healthiest), a bit of milk, and puree.

Carbs Avoided: 30 grams per cup

More Health Perks: Cauliflower is from the cruciferous vegetable family. People who ate just four servings of these vegetables a week slashed their risk of dying by 26 percent, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

[I find 1 large or 2 medium potatoes done with it improves what your mouth is telling you about how that’s not mashed potatoes significantly. OK granted it’s not exactly what they have in mind but it’s a compromise I can live with- taste and still healthier than 100% potatoes. Remember for an Irishman a potato is practically manna from heaven!]

Pancakes

The Swap: Pancakes are a breakfast staple, but if you indulge in these refined-carb patties too often, you’re likely to feel zonked by noon due to the food’s energy-crashing effects. Instead, use a mixture of whole-grain oatmeal and protein-packed cottage cheese to create your own healthy pancake mix. Mix together half a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal, a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese, two eggs, and a dash each of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process in a blender until smooth. Cook the mixture like a regular pancake.

Carbs Avoided: 45 grams per pancake

More Health Perks: Add a tad of 100 percent pure maple syrup (not the kind sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup), and you’ll be able to enjoy a pancake-light treat that also reduces inflammation and fights enzymes that can lead to diabetes.

Pizza

The Swap: Forget that floury crust that wreaks havoc on your waistline and trade it for a nutrient-packed Portobello mushroom as a crust! [Make sure to remove the bitter gills first!]

Carbs Avoided: 20 grams per slice

[Around here we used Pita pockets for pizza crusts to make our own with great success. Remember to brush/spray them first on the toppings side with olive oil to keep them from getting soggy. Fan of stuffed crusts? While not as healthy pitas DO have pockets and this does work better for certain gourmet toppings like prosciutto or fresh/roasted garlic for instance.]

More Health Perks: Portobello mushrooms are bursting with selenium, a nutrient vital for immune-system health.

Thank Heavens!!!

The following write up  explains so much.

“Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only  to completely forget what that purpose was?  Turns out, doors themselves are  to blame for these strange memory lapses.

Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what’s known as an event boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next. Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.”

It’s not aging, it’s the door!

Whew! Thank goodness for studies  🙂

For You Friends of the TV Show “Friends”- THIS IS THE ONLY FRIENDS REUNION YOU’RE GOING TO GET, so enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWJ1QByo5OQ

You may have heard on the news about a southern California man put under 72-hour psychiatric observation when it was found he owned 100 guns and allegedly had (by rough estimate) 100,000 rounds of ammunition stored in his home. The house also featured a secret escape tunnel.

My favorite quote from the dimwit television reporter: “Wow! He has about a quarter million machine gun bullets.” The headline referred to it as a “massive weapons cache!” [ 100K is a far cry from 1/4 mil by my math but hey what do I know…I’m just a Centrist money hording/counting Leprechaun! WHO KNOWS what passes for math in the largest liberal welfare state in the Union, but I digress]

By southern California standards, someone owning 100,000 rounds would be called “mentally unstable.”

Just imagine if he lived elsewhere:

In Arizona , he’d be called “an avid gun collector.”

In Arkansas , he’d be called “a novice gun collector.”

In Utah , he’d be called “moderately well prepared,” but they’d probably reserve judgment until they made sure that he had a corresponding quantity of stored food.

In West Va. and Montana , he’d be called “The neighborhood ‘Go-To’ guy.”

In Alabama , he’d be called “a likely gubernatorial candidate.”

In Georgia, he’d be called “an eligible bachelor.”

In North Carolina , Mississippi and South Carolina he would be called “a deer hunting buddy.”

And, in Texas , he’s just “Bubba”, who’s a little short on ammo.

Hell, were he in Texas he’d already gotten to the 1/4 mil round level because word would have gotten around about Bubba’s ammo ‘poverty’.

Then women would have been making crockpots of beans, Tamales, baking Corn Bread & Pies and such while men folk set to smoking a mess of Brisket & Sausage. All to raise money for Bubba’s Ammo Fund which would have been seen as the only neighborly and Christian thing to do for a fella so down on his luck!

But seriously folks, here is about the best most logically thought out and well argued 7 minutes of discussion on the issue of Gun Control that you’ll ever see. Thanks to Impish for sharing it with me!

There was an old man from Australia
Who painted his arse like a dahlia.
The colors were fine, Likewise the design,
The aroma, alas, was a fahlia.

There once was a man from Van Isle
Who said jogging just wasn’t his style.
“I’ll get my workouts,” he said,
“At home, in my bed,
‘Cause a Miss is as good as a mile!”

There is something about satyriasis
That arouses psychiatrists’ biases
But we’re both very pleased
We’re in this way diseased
As the damsel who’s waiting to try us is.

There was a young German named Ringer
Who was screwing an opera singer.
Said he with a grin,
“Well, I’ve sure got it in!”
Said she, ‘You mean that ain’t your finger?”

Mary had a little skirt It was slit right up the sides
And every time she wore that skirt
The boys could see her thighs
Mary had another skirt It was slit right up the front
But she never wore that one!

There was a young girl who begat
Three babies named Nat, Pat and Tat.
T’was fun in the breeding
But hell in the feeding
When she found there’s no tit for Tat.

Two school kids around Aberystwyth,
Made love with the lips that they kissed with,
But as they got older,
They also got bolder,
Making love with the things that they pissed with!

OK I’ll grant you that it’s no secret I’m not a supporter, fan or even very tolerant of Obama the man, his administration or his appointed liberal lackeys & thugs.

I hope you will in return concede that I try to call things as fairly as possible (a bet from a view point somewhere between Centrist and moderately Conservative depending on the issue) and that I have a track record of actually defending Obama (as unpleasant a task as that might be for me personally) when things get too distorted or blown out of proportion

President Obama is facing multiple scandals for the first time in his presidency. (We’ll ignore some of the scandalously arrogant and ridiculous things he himself personally did in his first administration) but are these scandals really the horrendous we should talk impeachment offenses that Republicans are trying to make them out to be? How do they measure up against the scandals of the past Presidents? Let’s explore them from a historical perspective.

The IRS was found to have improperly investigated Tea Party groups. The Department of Justice is being criticized for digging into phone records of reporters with The Associated Press.

And Republican lawmakers continue to demand investigations into the administration’s response to an attack against the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that led to the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens.

These, however, aren’t the first scandals to hit 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and they may not be the worst. Below, you have the chance to consider what you think are the top scandals to ever rock the White House.

1868: Andrew Johnson: Impeachment

What happened? Abraham Lincoln’s successor broke the Tenure of Office Act, which was intended to block him from firing senior government officials without the approval of Congress.

How serious was it? Although President Andrew Johnson is not regarded highly by historians today, his impeachment is largely considered a partisan affair centered on tension between the different branches of government over the path of Reconstruction in the South.

The aftermath: Not much. While Johnson was impeached by a large majority in the House of Representatives, he was acquitted in the Senate by a single vote.

1875: Grant: The Whiskey Ring

What happened? A group of whiskey distillers bribed tax officers and officials in Washington to avoid federal taxes. Some of the withheld taxes were allegedly set aside for President Ulysses S. Grant’s re-election campaign.

How serious was it? Grant himself never was suspected of direct involvement, but his private secretary was. And the taint of the scandal has dragged down Grant’s reputation for nearly 150 years.

The aftermath: There were 238 indictments and 110 convictions. Grant’s secretary was saved when the president testified on his behalf.

1921-23: Harding: Teapot Dome

What happened? A group of oil barons bribed President Warren G. Harding’s interior secretary to lease them Teapot Dome and two California oil fields at below-market rates without a competitive bidding process.

How serious was it? Secretary Albert Fall’s bribes included a no-interest loan and other gifts worth the equivalent of millions of dollars today. Until Watergate, it was considered the most serious presidential political scandal in history.

The aftermath: Fall became the first cabinet member to be convicted of a felony. One of the oil barons was fined and sentenced to a few months in prison for not cooperating with investigators.

1973: Nixon: Watergate

What happened? Members of President Richard Nixon’s administration were caught attempting to bug the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in the Watergate office complex.

How serious was it? Some of Nixon’s closest advisors were involved in criminal activity designed to help him get re-elected. Recordings revealed Nixon’s close involvement in covering up the break-in.

The aftermath: After Congress began preparing articles of impeachment, Nixon became the only president to resign. More than 30 people pleaded guilty or were convicted of various crimes related to the scandal.

1973: Nixon: Agnew resignation

What happened? Vice President Spiro Agnew solicited bribes totaling $147,500, $17,500 of which was paid in cash while he served in the Nixon administration. The criminal activity began during his political career in Maryland.

How serious was it? Even as the Watergate scandal engulfed President Richard Nixon, Agnew was negotiating with prosecutors to avoid jail time. The simultaneous scandals rocked America’s faith in government and cost Agnew the presidency.

The aftermath: Agnew was forced to resign less than a year ahead of his boss but never served time in jail, going on to a highly profitable career in business. Future President Gerald Ford was picked as his replacement.

1986: Reagan: Iran-Contra affair

What happened? Officials in the Reagan administration sold weapons to the Islamic regime in Iran and funneled a portion of the proceeds to a rebel group in Nicaragua. Hopes that the deal would lead to the release of U.S. hostages in the Middle East didn’t pan out, though.

How serious was it? Members of the administration and the CIA broke the embargo on selling weapons to Iran and violated American policy against negotiating for the hostages. Laws designed to prevent aid to Nicaraguan rebels also were broken. 

The aftermath: Of the 14 people charged, four were convicted of felonies by a jury, seven pleaded guilty to felonies or misdemeanors, and one case was dismissed. President George W. Bush later pardoned a number of Iran-Contra figures. 

1998: Clinton: Lewinsky affair

What happened? President Bill Clinton had a sexual relationship with a White House intern and then lied about it in sworn testimony in a lawsuit on a separate matter.

How serious was it? From a legal standpoint, the case was whether Clinton perjured himself. From a political standpoint, it centered on his sexual conduct and the fact he lied under oath.

The aftermath: Clinton became only the second president to be impeached, but was acquitted in the Senate. He was found guilty of civil contempt of court, lost his law license for five years and had to pay $90,000 in legal fees.

2006-2007: Bush: U.S. attorneys

What happened? President George W. Bush’s Department of Justice dismissed nine U.S. attorneys in 2006. Although it’s common for incoming presidents to appoint all new prosecutors, the midterm dismissals were unprecedented.

How serious was it? An internal investigation found the firing process was inappropriately political and raised doubts about the integrity of the department’s decisions on prosecutions.

The aftermath: No one faced criminal charges, but there was political fallout. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and nearly every top official in the Justice Department eventually resigned. 

2007: Bush: Valerie Plame

What happened? After a former ambassador questioned President George W. Bush’s evidence for invading Iraq, a vice presidential staffer revealed to the Washington Post that the ambassador’s wife was a covert CIA agent. 

How serious was it? Blowing Plame’s cover put her past associates at risk and effectively ended that part of her career, but investigators never found any criminal wrongdoing associated with the leak.

The aftermath: Vice presidential staffer I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was found guilty of not cooperating with investigators. President Bush later commuted his 30-month prison sentence, though he still was required to pay a $250,000 fine.

2012: Obama: Benghazi

What happened? Islamist militants attacked a U.S. consulate building in Benghazi, Libya, killing Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others and injuring 10. 

How serious was it? The Obama administration was criticized for lax security, for not calling the attack an act of terrorism and for failing to respond more quickly during the attack.

The aftermath: So far, no one has lost their job, although former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may face further tough questions if she runs for president.

2013: Obama: IRS

What happened? The Internal Revenue Service revealed that it had targeted conservative groups applying for nonprofit status for further scrutiny, including invasive questionnaires.

How serious was it? The behavior of the IRS employees damaged the agency’s already poor reputation, though there is no evidence yet that it was done at the behest of the White House.

The aftermath: Acting IRS Commissioner Stephen Miller announced he would resign. Congressional hearings are ongoing.

2013: Obama: Associated Press phone records

What happened? After the Associated Press reported on a terrorist plot to bomb an airplane, the Obama administration reviewed work and personal phone records for a number of AP reporters to find who leaked the information.

How serious was it? Officials with the AP argued that the investigation was overly broad and hurt its First Amendment right to report the news. Congressional Republicans sided with the press.

[Seriously??!! ‘Report the news’?! I think the last time they actually managed to make that honestly and plainly happen sans spin, slant  or owners political agenda/bias was probably the late 80s! ‘Report the news’?! Seriously??!! You could at least have the integrity to portray what you do honestly, which is rake spin sensationally and dumb down the muck you gleefully rake for ratings!]

The aftermath: Attorney General Eric Holder was grilled in a congressional hearing and Obama quickly endorsed a media shield law.

While Obama’s Administration does seem to excel at multi-tasking in the scandal area, it to date appears the he’s not personally guilty of much more than ignorance of what his own administration is doing in his name and possibly excessive loyalty to his appointees (Eric Holder is a prime example- interestingly enough this list omits ‘Fast & Furious” as a scandal for whatever reason).

Are gross mismanagement and ignorance Impeachable Offenses under Constitutional law? Sadly not any more than criminal stupidity or excessive arrogance is unfortunately. The Republicans are just going to have to bide their sound bites and the rest of us stoically endure on.

Good morning campers!  Did you know that this is a holiday weekend?  Woo! Hoo! Party!  Can anyone tell me what holiday it is?  Yes, you in the back…
Memorial Day?
Oh…well…yes, yes, I suppose it is Memorial Day weekend, I’d forgotten that for the moment.  Yes, that is correct, it is Memorial Day weekend, can anyone think of any other holiday that occurs this weekend?  Okay, you with the tie…
By the way, you do realize this is camping, right?  People don’t normally wear ties at the campground.
The Indy 500?  I see, that explains your tie with the black and white checkerboard pattern.  Racing, ah yes.  But no, no, no!  That is not the holiday I was thinking of, either.  Sheesh!  How many special days are there this weekend?
Yes, you with the … um…. just what the hell is that you’re wearing?
A Tiara?  Really?  Yes, sir, you look quite fetching with your Tiara.  Oh really?  National Tiara Day yesterday? Oh, I’m sorry INTERnational Tiara day was yesterday.  And I’ll bet you liked it so much that you just had to keep it on.
Right.
Anyone else? Let’s limit it to just today, shall we.  Call it a hint.  What very special holiday, for a lot of us here today, is it…today…Yes?
I’m not sure that Cookie Monster’s Birthday is that important to…yes ma’am.  I’m sorry your child is crying ma’am.  No, I don’t think Cookie Monster is silly. No I…yes ma’am.  Ma’am…MA’AM…Would you pipe down for a bloody second!!! First of all, that child shouldn’t even be here, you did sign the rules agreement that states that you must be at least 18 to visit this campground, right?  He’s not a child?  No ma’am, I am truly sorry that your husband looks so young and is that enamored of Cookie Monster.  I’ll try, yes ma’am.
(You’ve really got to be kidding me!!!)
Okay, anyone else, with a legitimate answer?
Nope.  I wasn’t talking about National Tap Dance Day, Towel Day (gonna have to check that one out, it’s got me curious), International Jazz Day (K², did you know that?  K²?  Hmm, must be off celebrating International Jazz Day) nor is it Julia Pierpont Day or Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day.
Yes, I know ALL of those occur on May 25th this year.  Or at least I do now. Okay, one more hint, after further research, it seems that the holiday of which I speak is closely related to towel day (a celebration of The World of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe which extolls the benefits of always carrying a towel) and the Glorious 25th of May from Terry Pratchett’s Disk World.
Any other guesses?
None??
Well, then, here we go!
Today is…………
Drum Roll Please!
  Okay, well, I guess a rimshot will do…
Today is……………..

Ta Da!
Geek Pride Day is an initiative to promote geek culture, celebrated annually on 25 May.  the date was chosen as to commemorate the release of the first Star Wars film, A New Hope on 25 May 1977 but shares the same date as two other similar fan “holidays” as we mentioned previously.  The initative originated in Spain in 2006 as “Dia del Orgullo Friki” and spread around the world via the internet.

So, for that reason, we will be concentrating on this special holiday, as well as the much more important and special Memorial Day.  And yet, we are going to balance it all out with laughter.  Because we ALL KNOW that the best way to battle the bullshit around us is to laugh at it.  (and then empty the entire magazine at the S.O.B.s!)

How about a couple of Geek/Nerd Fantasy Pictures?

The perfect illustration to figure out if you are a geek, nerd,or dork.

May 25 is “Geek Pride Day,” according to some folks on the Internet. The holiday was established in 2006 and is still going strong.

Geek Pride Day (Spanish: Día del orgullo friki ) is an initiative to promote geek culture, celebrated annually on 25 May. The date was chosen as to commemorate the release of the first Star Wars film, A New Hope on 25 May 1977 (see Star Wars Day), but shares the same date as two other similar fan “holidays”: Towel Day, for fans of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy by Douglas Adams, and the Glorious 25th of May for fans of Terry Pratchett‘s Discworld.

In 2008, Geek Pride Day was officially celebrated in the U.S., where it was heralded by numerous bloggers, coalescing around the launch of the Geek Pride Day website. Math author, Euler Book Prize winner, and geek blogger John Derbyshire not only did a shout out, but announced that he would be appearing in the Fifth Avenue parade, dressed as number 57, on the prime number float – prompting some bloggers to say they’d be looking for him.

By 2009, acknowledgment of the day had reached the Science Channel, with special programming on 25 May to celebrate and events took place to commemorate the day in Ottawa, home to the Canada Science and Technology Museum and a notable research center in Canada,^[ while in 2010 the festival spread further, taking in cities as diverse as Halifax, Nova Scotia; Budapest, Hungary; Tel Aviv, Israel; Timişoara, Romania and San Diego, California.

Geeks have come a long way since “The Revenge of the Nerds” movies. IT staffing firm Modis’ recent geek perception survey found that geeks are cooler than they were last year, with 54 percent of respondents rating geeks to be extremely intelligent (up from 45 percent last year).

Looking through the results it seems that Geeks are becoming even more acceptable than last year, with 54% of respondents rating Geeks as “extremely intelligent” (up from 45% last year). 71% reckon we’re the people to go for technology advice (up from 56%), and more than half of Americans (51%) define Geeks as professionally successful – a huge leap from the 31% in last year’s survey. Around two-thirds of respondents defined a “Geek” as someone who is addicted to technology and who spends more time online than offline, yet when given a list of items and asked which they would have trouble living without, 71% of the “Geeks” put a pen and paper above technology and gadgets such as a computer (58%), smartphone (41%), or MP3 player (25 %). The non-geeks listed their cars as the thing they couldn’t live without! It’s all about priorities.

One result I find surprising is that 60% of “Geeks” would find it more stressful to lose the data from their hard drives than to go through a relationship breakup. All I can say to that is that the pool of respondents couldn’t have contained too many GeekDads and GeekMoms because; a) we would definitely miss our other halves more than a bit of data, and b) we’d have all that data backed up securely. In several different locations.

Five Reasons to be Proud on Geek Pride Day!!

It’s a difficult thing to wish you a happy Memorial Day.  Memorial Day or Remembrance Day as it is also known, is a day to remember those who have fallen in defense of our freedom, protecting our loved ones, and saving our lives.  Allow me to quote my partner and friend, Lethal Leprechaun: Regardless of what event you chose to participate in this weekend or how you chose to participate, all the ongoing festivities that seem to be crowded into this weekend have one thing in common. Our fallen heroes earned you the freedom to do so and continue to pay for that freedom each and everyday with their lives. So, to wish a happy Memorial Day, doesn’t always feel right. 

It’s not National BBQ Day…

Or the Indy 500, or even Geek and Nerd Pride Day as we joked earlier.  For so many people, it’s a time that reminds them of lost loved ones or perhaps worry over loved ones who are currently deployed, patrolling our own streets as our police department or perhaps fighting fires.  Throwing around the word happy at that point, somehow doesn’t seem quite right…

But perhaps it is…

Perhaps, through our spirit of patriotism and our love of freedom we should celebrate the enduring essence of our heart and soul and be happy for who and what we are.  Perhaps, fun, laughter and parties extols the true substance of the American Spirit. And maybe, those who’ve passed before us in the service of our country, the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, fireman, LEOs, and many others, would rather we celebrate their lives and their sacrifices with parties and smiles, laughter and good times.  Maybe, they’d rather us laugh and be happy with the good memories we share of them, then being sad for their loss. 

They died in our defense, protecting us from whatever evil or danger there might have been.  But let us celebrate their lives and their deeds and be happy that they did the task that was required of them; that they had the bravery, strength and integrity to toil in the valley of the shadow of death.

Let me close with how I normally close the classes I teach to the military men and women. 

I wish to thank, each and everyone of you for the service you’ve committed to and done for our country.  Thank you for the sacrifices you make every day, and your willingness to put yourself on the line to protect me and my family from the evilness that seems to be encroaching more and more into our lives.

And to those who’ve given the ultimate, paid the ultimate price, let us bow our heads and say thank you before we go out and celebrate the life, spirit and love they had while they lived.

May each and everyone of you have a Happy Memorial Day Weekend.  May you each celebrate your freedom in your own way.

And lest we forget….I’m sorry…. I just had to…