A garden is a lot of work

I've been at it all morning sitting on the back porch shelling peas. I managed so far to shell about 3 bushel myself by hand. And with the other help we're down to about a bushel left to shell for today. That will give us about 6 bushels of peas for just today to get put up in the freezer. Then we have to get the 2 bushel of string after that. Right now, the other half is canning about 3 to 4 bushel of tomatoes. That's a lot of produce to do in one day, but when it comes in from the garden, it has to be done. We'll put the shelled peas in the fridge until tomorrow and will blanch them and then put in freezer bags. And the same with the string beans, but all that stuff will sure taste good in the winter especially with a good pone of cornbread to go with it. I can make a meal off a bowl of the peas and cornbread and a couple of glasses of iced tea. Well, got to go now and get back to work as I had to take myself a small break and let my thumbs have one too. And, I almost forgot all that okra that I picked and it's sitting in the fridge waiting to be bagged up for the freezer. And I still have to head back to the garden and pick the okra again today or it will stop growing and I'm not ready for that yet.

Ya'll have a good day!
Almtnman

Confederate sailor laid to rest after 143 years

It took 143 years to get this sailor buried after he died in a shipwreck off the coast of France in the English Channel. It's too bad that that we didn't have a way to identify him so that he could have had a marker at his grave site.

The unidentified man died in the 1864 sinking of the Alabama off the coast of France.
From the Associated Press
July 29, 2007

MOBILE, ALA. — The remains of a Confederate sailor, recovered several years ago from a shipwreck at the bottom of the English Channel, were buried Saturday in a handmade wooden coffin pulled by a horse-drawn caisson.

The unidentified sailor's skeletal remains were found on the underside of a cannon raised from the wreck of the Alabama in about 200 feet of water.

The Confederate warship was off the coast of France on June 19, 1864, by the Union warship Kearsarge. More than 400 artifacts have been recovered from the site by American and French divers.

The Alabama had a crew of about 120 members, most of whom were rescued by the victor and the British yacht Deerhound. About a dozen men drowned or were never heard from again, said Robert Edington, a Mobile lawyer and president of the CSS Alabama Assn.

Saturday's funeral procession began downtown at the statue of Adm. Raphael Semmes, commanding officer of the Alabama, and ended at Magnolia Cemetery, where the sailor was buried.

VP says: "Ain't no superhighways"

I have heard about this superhighway opening up our country to Mexico and Canada which I think is a bad idea. Most everything that has came about with ties to Mexico has been bad ideas and has caused us to have hoards of illegals flowing into this country with more showing up almost every night as it looks like the present administration has welcomed it against the will of the American people. If VP Cheney is honest, this might be good news, but it's hard to believe a lot that comes out of the mouths of our leaders these days as some of them haven't been exactly truthful with us.

Now Cheney chimes in: Ain't no superhighways
VP latest to make official denial, some call it 'gaming semantics'

By Jerome R. Corsi
WND

Despite evidence to the contrary, Vice President Dick Cheney says there is no "secret plan" to create a continent-crossing superhighway to help facilitate a merger of the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"The administration is not engaged in a secret plan to create a 'NAFTA super highway,'" asserts Cheney in a recent letter to a constituent, according to a copy of the message obtained by WND.

The vice president's letter quotes an Aug. 21 statement from the U.S. Department of Transportation that, "The concept of a super highway has been around since the early 1990s, usually in the form of a claim that the U.S. Department of Transportation is going to designate such a highway."

DOT then refutes the claim, stating, "The Department of Transportation has never had the statutory authority to designate a NAFTA super highway and has never sought such authority."

The DOT statement then retracts the absolute nature of that statement, qualifying that, "The Department of Transportation will continue to cooperate with the State transportation departments in the I-35 corridor as they upgrade this vital interstate highway to meet 21st century needs. However, these efforts are the routine activities of a Department that cooperates with all the state transportation departments to improve the Nation's intermodal transportation network."

The DOT statement cited by the vice president seems to model the denial recently fashioned by the North America's SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc., or NASCO, on its website.

There NASCO states, "There a no plans to build a new NAFTA Superhighway – it exists today as I-35."

The coalition continues to distinguish its support for a North American "SuperCorridor" from a "NAFTA Superhighway," asserting that a "SuperCorridor is not 'Super-sized." The website then claims NASCO uses the term "SuperCorridor" to demonstrate "we are more than just a highway coalition."

In a July 21, 2006, internal e-mail obtained by WND under a Missouri Sunshine Law request, Tiffany Melvin, executive director of NASCO, cautions "NASCO friends and members" that, "We have to stay away from 'SuperCorridor' because it is a very bad, hot button right now."

As WND previously reported, Jeffrey Shane, undersecretary of transportation for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation got into a spirited exchange in January with congressmen after he asserted to a House subcommittee that NAFTA Superhighways were an "urban legend."

In response to questioning by Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, before the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Shane asserted he was "not familiar with any plan at all, related to NAFTA or cross-border traffic."

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., then questioned aloud whether Shane was just "gaming semantics" when responding to Poe's question.

In June 2006, when first writing about NASCO, WND displayed the original homepage of NASCO, which used to open with a map highlighting the I-35 corridor from Mexico to Canada, arguing the trade group and its members were actively promoting a NAFTA superhighway.

NASCO's original map highlighted the I-35 corridor from Mexico to Canada

In what appears to be the third major revamping of the NASCO website since WND first began writing articles about NASCO, the Dallas-based trade group carefully removes identifying NASCO with the words behind the acronym, "North America's SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc.," which the original NASCO website once proudly proclaimed.

The current NASCO homepage displays a photo montage of intermodal highway scenes, presumably taken along I-35, but without any map displaying a continental I-35 super corridor linking Mexico and Canada.

NASCO currently relegates the continental I-35 map to an internal webpage that describes the North American Inland Ports Network as a "working group" within NASCO that supports inland member cities who have designated themselves as "inland ports," seeking to warehouse container traffic originating in Mexican ports on the Pacific such as Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas.

The beige and blue continental I-35 map now positioned on an internal page of the NASCO website was originally used as the second NASCO website, in make-over of the original NASCO blue and yellow continental I-35 map that made the continental nature of the I-35 appear graphically more pronounced.

WND has also previously reported that in a speech to NASCO on April 30, 2004, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta referred to Interstate Highways 35, 29 and 94 – the core highways supported by NASCO as a prime "North American Super Corridor" – Mineta commented to NASCO that the trade group "recognized that the success of the NAFTA relationship depends on mobility – on the movement of people, of products, and of capital across borders."

WND has also reported Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a GOP presidential candidate, introduced an amendment to H.R. 3074, the Transportation Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008, prohibiting the use of federal funds for participating in working groups under the Security and Prosperity Partnership, including the creation of NAFTA Superhighways.

On July 24, Hunter's amendment passed 362 to 63, with strong bipartisan support. Later, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3074 by a margin of 268-153. The bill has been sent to the Senate with Hunter's amendment included.

According to Freedom of Information Request documents obtained by WND, Jeffrey Shane has been appointed by the Bush administration to be the U.S. lead bureaucrat on the North American Transportation Working Group under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

On July 23, 1997, the NAFTA Superhighway Coalition was formed to promote continental highway development in association with the Ambassador Bridge.

Toughing it out during the night!

I watched a great movie on TV last night and went to bed after it was over. About 10 minutes after getting in bed, I had pains in my stomach that was excruciating. All I could think was either that glass of milk I had about 10 minutes before must have been stale or the BBQ I eat during the day was bad. I laid there and tried to go to sleep, but the pain wouldn't let me. A couple of times, I thought about driving myself to the emergency room to see what was happening but didn't. So I just toughed it out and finally about 5:30am managed to get to sleep after laying there all night. I got up about 8:30am and fed the animals and then went back to bed and stayed until almost 12 noon. The pain had subsided but I sure don't feel like a million bucks after losing sleep. I'm just gonna hang around the house and take it easy the rest of the day reading the Sunday paper and getting on this computer some. I must have had a case of food poisoning. One thing's for sure, whatever it was, it was extremely painful.

Senate Judiciary Committee Tries To Sneak Through Anti-gun Brady Expansion

The dimwits are at it again. They're doing everything possible to take your guns away. We need to put a stop to this stupidity and flood the Judiciary Committee members with plenty of emails and phone calls.

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

It can hardly be a surprise that anti-gunners on the Senate Judiciary Committee are trying to sneak through a huge expansion of the Brady Law. The anti-gun bill -- which is being supported heavily by Democrats Carolyn McCarthy, Chuck Schumer and Patrick Leahy -- will turn over millions of your personal medical, psychiatric, and financial records to the FBI's Instant Check system.

After all, the last thing these politicians want is to have to confront veterans who have served their country honorably and are outraged that their names are about to be turned over to the FBI.

On Thursday, July 26, Judiciary Committee anti-gunners will try their "sneak attack" -- meeting to rush this bill through without hearings, without listening to vets and seniors, and without any deliberations whatsoever. At last check, the bill didn't even have a number.

If this bill is signed into law:

* As many as a quarter to a third of returning Iraq veterans could be prohibited from owning firearms -- based solely on a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder;

* Your ailing grandfather could have his entire gun collection seized, based only on a diagnosis of Alzheimer's (and there goes the family inheritance);

* Your kid could be permanently banned from owning a gun, based on a diagnosis under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

ACTION: Please use the pre-written letter below to help direct your comments to your senator, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tell him to oppose the Brady Expansion bill that is being supported by Rep. McCarthy and Senators Schumer and Leahy.

You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your senator the pre-written message as an e-mail. Please contact the one in your state. (Note: It is perfectly fine to contact both your senators, but the one on the committee really needs to hear from you at this
time.)

Judiciary Committee members:

Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT)
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT)
Charles E. Grassley (R-IA)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

Once again, anti-gun zealots are trying to sneak the McCarthy-Schumer-Leahy bill through the Senate Judiciary Committee without any hearings whatsoever. If passed:

* As many as a quarter to a third of returning Iraq veterans could be prohibited from owning firearms -- based solely on a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder;

* An ailing grandfather could have his entire gun collection seized, based only on a diagnosis of Alzheimer's (and there goes the family's inheritance);

* A kid could be permanently banned from owning a gun, based on a diagnosis under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Please do not let this happen. Please oppose this anti-gun Brady expansion.

Sincerely,

Reaping the rewards

It's been a busy week here on my mountain. On Monday we went and loaded up a trailer load of old weathered wood from a house that had been torn down. I just love the looks of old weathered wood and can make all kind of nice looking things from it. The house was very old as we got a bunch of square nails out of some of the wood. I looked up on the 'net and found out that the nails were type B cut nails that were used between 1820 and 1900, so that give me a clue that the house was over 100 years old. I usually pick the okra every other day and am getting a lot of okra now, plus squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, corn, green beans and field peas. The other half picked about 5 bushels of field peas yesterday and we sat and watched TV last night and shelled about 2 bushels. They're in the freezer now. Got some zucchini that will be there with them in a few minutes and okra there too. It's been good eating all those fresh picked vegetables right from the garden.

I got my results back from taking a physical and everything looked really good. My cholesterol was way down there now and it looks like I'm in pretty good shape. If only I could get up in the mornings without ol Arthur freezing up and aching my joints, it would be better. I pruned our fig tree yesterday and it looks good with the dried up ends that was left from the freeze a while back. It has even put on some new small figs. I hope they have time to ripen as that fig preserve sure tastes good on a couple of pieces of toast in the morning's with my coffee. I went back to the old house place this morning and dug up a small pear tree and got it planted. In a few years it should produce some good canning pears that will be good on cold winter days when nothing else is growing.

Ya'll have a good day!
Almtnman

Bush defends his immigration proposals

I am sad to say that I voted for Bush twice and supported him all the way up to here. My support for this guy has ended and I will never agree or go along with his political aspirations ever again as he simply does not listen to us "We The People". I will take a guess that his public support or rank in popularity will continue to drop and he will go out of office as one of the most un-popular Presidents. I think that he has no interest in listening to the American public that placed him in office. Whatever his motives are is a puzzle to me as it's not generally what the public wants. He has stood up for one of his Texas buddies (Johnny Sutton) and let him get away with imprisoning two Border Patrol Agents on trumped up charges for simply doing their job, while letting an illegal drug peddler loose to continue his illegal drug running activities. That is a travesty and a slap in the face of our laws and the citizens of this country. It's as if he does things for his friends, buddies and cohorts, but does not give a rats butt about anything else. He let his pal Scooter Libby from doing any prison time and stood up for his other big buddy, the DA that sent the Border Patrol agents to prison trying to tell us it was a fair trial when we know it wasn't. I see leaders from other parts of the world running their country like that, but never in my wildest dreams thought that I would live to see the day that it took place here.

Bush defends his immigration proposals


President Bush sharply challenged critics of his stalled immigration-overhaul efforts on Thursday, suggesting that failure to pass a guest-worker program could trigger a labor shortage in the United States.

At a town-hall style meeting, Bush also rebuffed a question about whether he would consider pardoning two Border Patrol agents in prison for the cover-up of the shooting of a drug trafficker in Texas.

"No, I won't make you that promise," Bush told a woman who asked about a possible pardon. Many Republicans in Congress have said the men should not have been convicted and have criticized the federal U.S. attorney for even prosecuting the agents.

"I know it's an emotional issue but people need to look at the facts. These men were convicted by a jury of their peers after listening to the facts" as presented by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, said Bush. Bush called Sutton a friend.

The president also toured a bun bakery here, and used the business to illustrate a warning to Congress that he'd veto any government spending bill that he thinks is excessive.

"You can't keep making buns if the Democrats take all your dough," Bush joked in a speech shortly after taking in the aroma of fresh bread at the bakery, which supplies fast-food restaurants.

Bush took questions for more than an hour. Most were friendly, but several on immigration policy were pointed.

The president said he was disappointed about his immigration bill's demise in the Senate and reiterated his support for a guest worker program and a path toward citizenship for many of the 12 million illegal immigrants now in the United States.

Without such a program, and with stricter enforcement of the border, said Bush, "I can make you a prediction ... that pretty shortly people are going to be knocking on people's doors saying `Man we're running out of workers."'

The president defended his embattled Iraq policy and sought yet again to link the current Islamic militants in Iraq with those who planned the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, even though such links are tenuous.

When Bush was asked about whether he would consider pardoning the two border patrol agents, he seemed briefly taken aback.

"I'm not going to make that kind of promise in a forum like this, obviously," he said. "I'm interested in facts. I know the prosecutor very well, Johnny Sutton. He's a dear friend of mine from Texas. He's a fair guy. He is an evenhanded guy and I can't imagine, well, you know. ..."

To the woman, Bush said, "You've got a nice smile but you can't entice me (into) making a public statement" on the controversy.

The issue of presidential pardons has been front and center since Bush last month commuted the 30-month jail sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Bush had called the sentence "excessive."

The border patrol case has figured in the debate over overhauling immigration law. And calls for executive clemency have come from many Republican lawmakers. Former agents Ignacio Ramos and Alonso Compean are serving 11- and 12-year federal prison sentences, respectively, for the 2005 shooting.

The woman who asked the question of Bush told him that the Tennessee General Assembly has passed a resolution asking for such a pardon.

Bush's visit was designed to focus on the economy.

He said the Democratic-led Congress should pass appropriations bills and make sure they keep spending in check, a key concern of his conservative base.

"I've got the right to accept whether or not the amount of money they spend is the right amount," Bush said during the speech about his federal budget priorities at the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center.

"If they overspend or if they try to raise your taxes, I'm going to veto their bills," he said.

Seven of the 12 annual spending bills have passed the House but none have passed the Senate, and it's clear that the Oct. 1 deadline to enact the bills will go unmet.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., chairman for the Senate Budget Committee, responded even before Bush left Nashville.

"How ironic that the White House would use a bakery as a backdrop, because when it comes to spending the people's dough — taxpayer money — this president baked this cake," Conrad said. He argued that since Bush took office, government spending has increased nearly 50 percent.

Dang lawnmower busted again

I've been having problems with my riding mower. Seems like every time I use it, I need to work on it. A couple of weeks back I went to get it out of the barn and it wouldn't crank. After an hour or so of checking things out, I found that the ignition switch had gone bad. I went and bought a new switch, air filter and new blades and installed those and got it going and got the grass cut. Then a couple of days ago the blades started hanging up and wouldn't turn. I took the mower deck off this morning and found that the middle blade wouldn't turn. I took the bearing housing out and noticed that the bearings were seized up and wore out. I then went to the tractor shop and bought a new bearing housing that came with bearing's, seals, new shaft and everything I needed plus a couple of tubes of grease for my grease gun. Whew, I think the tractor place makes more money off parts than they do the mowers as parts are sky high. Anyway, got it all put back together and greased the bearings for all 3 blades and it seemed to whip right through the grass. I hope it holds together for at least 2 or 3 years as this fixing that thing all the time is gettin old. I think I'm almost qualified to call myself a millwright after all the work I've done on that riding mower.

Ya'll have a good day
Almtnman

FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande

We know this is and has been happening, but our government seems to have a deaf ear when it comes to our southern border. When Bush made a statement about the Minuteman organization being a bunch of vigilantes, I knew we could no longer find any support from him on protecting our border and I started losing interest in him and any of his programs from that point on.

July 17, 2007 3:11 PM

Brian Ross Reports:

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

Border Patrol officials in the area said they were unaware of the specifics of the FBI's report, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico told ABCNews.com they had no current cases involving the illegal smuggling of Iraqis.

The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report.

The people to be smuggled would "gather at a house on the Mexican side of the border" and then cross the Rio Grande into the U.S., the report says.

"Unidentified individuals would then transport them to train stations in El Paso, Texas or Belen, New Mexico," according to the FBI document.

A spokesman in Albuquerque said the FBI had "no viable information" that could lead to a case.

Until recently, the United States has kept its doors all but shut to the estimated two million refugees fleeing the violence in Iraq. Until this year, the country had taken in fewer than 800 Iraqi refugees, according to the State Department. This May, the Bush administration pledged to resettle 7,000 Iraqi refugees here by the end of the year.

Common Sense

I see more and more people that don't seem to have any common sense whatsoever. I worked with a few in my days. A lot of them are running our country or trying to.They get elected and somehow become an authority on knowing how to do everything except they still don't have a inkling of common sense. The new house speaker is one of them along with quite a number of liberal Senators. Now all of them are not that way, but a majority are. So I thought that this was appropriate for posting here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by until today I read his obituary. Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance. For Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations.

Obituary for Common Sense.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

I'm sure going to miss him!!!!

Labor Department Announces It Will Revise Overreaching OSHA Explosives Rule

It looks like our comments to OSHA have stirred things up as they were overloaded with comments about this new regulation. Here’s some good news to show what your comments can do with government officials.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, July 16, 2007

 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will significantly revise a recent proposal for new “explosives safety” regulations that caused serious concern among gun owners. OSHA had originally set out to update workplace safety regulations, but the proposed rules included restrictions that very few gun shops, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.

 

Gun owners had filed a blizzard of negative comments urged by the NRA, and just a week ago, OSHA had already issued one extension for its public comment period at the request of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. After continued publicity through NRA alerts and the outdoor media, and after dozens of Members of Congress expressed concern about its impact, OSHA has wisely decided to go back to the drawing board.

 

Working with the NRA, Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) planned to offer a floor amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill this Wednesday when the House considers this legislation. His amendment would have prohibited federal funds from being used to enforce this OSHA regulation.

 

Such an amendment is no longer necessary since Kristine A. Iverson, the Labor Department’s Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, sent Rep. Rehberg a letter, dated July 16, stating that it “was never the intention of OSHA to block the sale, transportation, or storage of small arms ammunition, and OSHA is taking prompt action to revise” this proposed rule to clarify the purpose of the regulation.

 

Also, working with the NRA, Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) gathered signatures from 25 House colleagues for a letter, dated July 11, expressing concerns about this proposed OSHA rule. The letter calling the proposal “an undue burden on a single industry where facts do not support the need outlined by this proposed rule” and “not feasible, making it realistically impossible for companies to comply with its tenets.”

 

The OSHA proposal would have defined “explosives” to include “black powder, … small arms ammunition, small arms ammunition primers, [and] smokeless propellant,” and treated these items the same as the most volatile high explosives.

 

Under the proposed rule, a workplace that contained even a handful of small arms cartridges, for any reason, would have been considered a “facility containing explosives” and therefore subject to many impractical restrictions. For example, no one could carry “firearms, ammunition, or similar articles in facilities containing explosives … except as required for work duties.” Obviously, this rule would make it impossible to operate any kind of gun store, firing range, or gunsmith shop.

 

The public comment website for the proposed rule is no longer accessible. The Labor Department will publish a notice in the July 17 Federal Register announcing that a new rule proposal will soon be drafted for public comment. Needless to say, the NRA monitors proposed federal regulations to head off this kind of overreach, and will be alert for OSHA’s next draft.

 

Gonna start getting in shape

I went to the sporting goods store today and bought myself and the other half a bicycle for each of us. I paid a little more than I wanted, but wanted one that wouldn’t fall apart while riding down the road. Anyway I had read an article in an Arthritis magazine last week about how bicycling was good exercise for people with arthritis. We’re gonna get in shape, but need to sort of take it easy to start out with. We made a little trip down the road and back just before dark. I could tell that I wasn’t in good shape as my legs got to aching some, but I’ll get over it. I think we will stick to the flatland riding until we get in shape enough to hit the hills. Funny thing about bicycles, everyone you look at is made in China. I think everything sold nowadays is made in China. It’s hard to find American made stuff around anymore. I don’t like buying Chinese made stuff. My wife asked me about the bikes and I said, well those suckers ride them all over China, so they must be fairly good at building them. We’ll see!

Wonder What Al Gore Thinks Now!

 

It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news video of Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.
There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree, but what he said was stunning!

He was being drilled by a senator; "Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"

Ollie replied, "Yes, I did, Sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't that just a little excessive?"

"No, sir," continued Ollie.

"No? And why not?" the senator asked.
"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir."

"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.

"By a terrorist, sir" Ollie answered.

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"
"His name is Osama bin Laden, sir" Ollie replied.
At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. Why are you so afraid of this man?" the senator asked.

"Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of", Ollie answered.

"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.
"Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."
The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown of the clip.

By the way, that senator was Al Gore!

Also:
Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called "political prisoners."

However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands, The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released.

Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified.
It was censored in the US from all later reports.

 

 

Already Happening: Case Shows How HR 2640 Threatens All Gun Owners

Got this in an email alert from GOA (Gun Owners of America) and wanted to pass it on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"For the first time [in history, HR 2640], if enacted, would statutorily impose a lifetime gun ban on battle-scarred veterans." -- Military Order of the Purple Heart, June 18, 2007

 

ACTION:

 

1. Even if you have already sent an e-mail to your Senators on the McCarthy bill, please send another such as the one at the end of this alert. Yes, you might have already taken action on HR 2640. But if you (and many other gun owners like yourself) haven't taken any action recently, then NO ONE is taking action. After all, the NRA is supporting this bill, so they're not rustlin' up the troops in opposition to this massive gun control bill. Remember the immigration fight -- it took weeks of continued activism to kill that bill. This fight may very well be the same.

 

2. Please try to get as many of your friends as you can to join with you in this effort to kill the McCarthy bill (HR 2640). Now that Senators are returning from their July 4th holiday, we need to get as many gun owners as possible to remind them that HR 2640 is unacceptable!

 

 

McCARTHY BILL COULD COME UP AT ANY TIME IN THE U.S. SENATE

 

Now that Congress returns to work this week, your liberties are in jeopardy once again!

 

You will remember that before the Independence Day break, the House of Representatives passed a McCarthy gun control bill (HR 2640) without any hearings, without any committee action... they put it on the Suspension Calendar and simply got a non-recorded voice vote.

 

An important part of the legislative process is to introduce a bill in committee, to get both public and private observers to ask questions, make recommendations and offer comments on the bill.

 

But for some reason, HR 2640 was not given this benefit. The bill was rammed through the legislature with very few Representatives present on the House floor... there was no recorded vote at all!

 

So it's not surprising that, having skipped much of the legislative process, there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding HR 2640. In fact, these questions have only been magnified after an offhanded, tongue-in-cheek remark made at the Harrisburg Community College in Pennsylvania cost a man his gun rights for life in that state.

 

Newspapers last month reported that Horatio Miller allegedly said that it could be "worse than Virginia Tech" if someone broke into his car, because there were guns there. It is not clear whether he was making a threat against a person who might burglarize his car, or if he was simply saying that the bad guy could do a lot of damage because of the guns he would find there. Nevertheless, Miller was arrested, but not charged with anything.

 

The comment Miller made was certainly not the smartest thing to say.

But realize, we don't incarcerate people for making stupid statements in this country -- at least not yet. Miller was a concealed carry permit holder who, as such, had passed vigorous background checks into his past history. Miller does not have a criminal record.

 

Regardless, the county district attorney did not like what he had said, so, according to the Harrisburg Patriot News on June 20, "I contacted the sheriff and had his license to carry a firearm revoked. And I asked police to commit him under Section 302 of the mental health procedures act and that was done. He is now ineligible to possess firearms [for life] because he was committed involuntarily."

 

Get that?

 

Pennsylvania is operating exactly the way Rep. McCarthy's bill (HR 2640) could treat all Americans. You might be thinking, I've never had a mental illness... I'm not a military veteran... I've never been on Ritalin... hey, I have nothing to worry about under the McCarthy bill. Right?

 

Well, think again.

 

 

DO YOUR VIEWS ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT MAKE YOU A POTENTIAL DANGER?

 

The Pennsylvania case shows how all gun owners could be threatened by HR 2640. After all, did you ever tell anyone that the Second Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights because the Founders (such as James Madison) wanted the people to be able to overturn a tyrannical American government?

 

Or, while you were watching the nightly news -- and getting a detailed account of all the crime in your area -- did you ever make a statement such as, "If someone were to break through my door, I'd blow him away!"

 

Well, those kinds of statements will certainly make anti-gun nuts think you're a potential danger to yourself or others. So if you make the local district attorney or police officer nervous, how difficult would it be for him to get a psychiatrist (most of whom are very left-wing) to say that you are a danger to yourself and to others?

 

Or, would the district attorney even need to get a psychiatrist? One of the outrageous aspects of the McCarthy bill is that Section 3(2) codifies existing federal regulations. And existing federal code says it only takes a "lawful authority" to "adjudicate" someone as a mental defective.(1) And another section of the bill makes it clear this "adjudication" does not need to be made by a formal court, but can simply be a "determination" -- such as a medical diagnosis.(2)

 

Consider how significant this is. The BATFE has been quietly attempting to amend the federal code by regulatory fiat for years, but they've been somewhat restrained in their ability to interpret these regulations because they are, after all, regulations (and not statutory law).

 

But with HR 2640, much of the pablum that BATFE bureaucrats have quietly added to the code over the years will now become the LAW OF THE LAND -- even though those regs were never submitted to a legislative committee or scrutinized in legislative hearings or debated on the floor of the House of Representatives.

 

When one looks at the federal regs cited above, there are a lot of questions that still remain unanswered. What kinds of people can fall into this category of "other lawful authority" that can deem someone to be a mental defective? Certainly, it would seem to apply to Veterans Administration shrinks. After all, the federal government already added more than 80,000 veterans with Post Traumatic Stress into the NICS system in 2000.

 

But who else could be classified as a "lawful authority"? A school counselor? A district attorney? What about a legislator, a city councilman or a cop? They are certainly "authorities" in their own right. Could the words "lawful authority" also apply to them?

 

Do we really want to risk the Second Amendment on the question of what the words "lawful authority" in 27 CFR 478.11 mean -- once they have been "statutized" by HR 2640 and BATF is no longer under ANY constraint and can read it as broadly as they want?

 

If the "lawful authority" thinks you pose a danger to yourself or others (or can't manage your own affairs) then your gun rights could be gone.

 

In its open letter of May 9, 2007, BATFE makes it clear that this "danger" doesn't have to be "imminent" or "substantial," but can include "any danger" at all. How many shrinks -- using the Pennsylvania standard -- are going to say that a pro-gun American like you, who believes the Second Amendment is the last defense against tyranny, DOESN'T POSE AT LEAST AN INFINITESIMAL RISK of hurting someone else?

 

As easy as that, your gun rights would be gone forever.

 

HR 2640 is Janet Reno's dream. Does somebody make a politician nervous? Get a prescription pad, get your friendly left-wing psychiatrist to make the "dangerous" diagnosis, and it's all over.

Expungement will be virtually impossible. Just turn in your guns.

 

FOOTNOTES:

 

(1) See 27 CFR 478.11.

(2) See Section 101(c)(1)(C).

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Supporters of the McCarthy bill are hanging their hat on language which purports to help disqualified people to get their rights restored. So GOA has built a special section on its website that gets to the truth on this issue and informs gun owners of the dangers in HR 2640. Please go to http://www.gunowners.org/netb.htm to learn what the specifics of the bill are, who its main supporters are, answers to claims made by proponents of the bill, who faces the greatest risk of being disqualified for buying a gun, and more.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION: You can use the pre-written letter below to help direct your comments to your two U.S. Senators. Please visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

 

----- Pre-written letter -----

 

Dear Senator:

 

The Military Order of the Purple Heart got it right when it stated that for the first time in history, HR 2640 "would statutorily impose a lifetime gun ban on battle-scarred veterans."

 

The Military Order of the Purple Heart, which is chartered by Congress, is urging the DEFEAT of HR 2640, the Brady-expansion legislation introduced by anti-gun Rep. Carolyn McCarthy.

 

Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, this bill THREATENS gun owners' rights and represents one of the biggest gun bans in history.

 

 

A recent case in Pennsylvania shows how easily a gun owner can be slapped with a LIFETIME gun ban, without any due process, based solely on a mere accusation by a shrink or other "lawful authority."

For more information on this -- and for a point-by-point analysis of HR 2640 -- please go to http://www.gunowners.org on the website of Gun Owners of America.

 

All the background checks in the world will NOT stop bad guys from getting firearms. Severe restrictions in Washington, DC, England, Canada, Germany and other places have not stopped evil people from using guns to commit murder.

 

Again, I hope you will OPPOSE the McCarthy bill (HR 2640). Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Finally got some rain

We have finally managed to get some rain this way. The last couple of days, I have had some good rainfall. Got maybe a half inch yesterday and then today it rained twice. I guesstimated that with both the showers today we might have got an inch and half or maybe even two inches of rain. It sure helps the garden and I'm hoping some of the water in my pond is being replenished, but that might take a lot of rain as the pond is almost 5 foot low right now. I think that some of that Texas rain has finally creeped over this way and it's a relief for us and Texas.

We've been eating a lot of vegetables as the garden has really been supplying us with a lot of fresh produce. Got fresh vine ripe tomatoes, Blue Lake pole beans, Big Boy peas, okra, peppers, corn, squash, zucchini and a few new potatoes. That stuff sure is good, especially those fresh mater sammiches.

OSHA safety regulation comments extended 60 days

SUMMARY: OSHA is extending the comment period for its proposed standard on Explosives for an additional sixty (60) days until September 10, 2007.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted (postmarked or sent) by September 10, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. OSHA-2007-
0032, by any of the following methods: Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal

Rulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions on-line for making electronic submissions.
Fax: If your comments, including attachments, do not exceed 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648. Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger or courier service: You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number is (877) 889-5627). Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger and courier service) are accepted during the Department of Labor's and Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., E.T.

Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the docket number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032). All comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in the public docket without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions you about submitting personal information such as social security numbers and birthdates. For further information on submitting comments, plus additional information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

Docket: To read or download comments and materials submitted in response to this Federal Register notice, go to Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032 at http://www.regulations.gov or at the OSHA Docket Office at the address above. All comments and submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov

OSHA Proposed "Safety" Regulations

I have went to the government regulations site and left my comment with them. When you click on the link below, you will have to do a search for the document. Just copy and paste this to search for.

OSHA-2007-0032 (Explosives—Proposed Rule)

I have also contacted both of my Senators and my Representative about this new safety regulation. I would suggest that you do the same very soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed new rules that would have a dramatic effect on the storage and transportation of ammunition and handloading components such as primers or black and smokeless powder. The proposed rule indiscriminately treats ammunition, powder and primers as "explosives." Among many other provisions, the proposed rule would:

• Prohibit possession of firearms in commercial "facilities containing explosives"—an obvious problem for your local gun store.
• Prohibit delivery drivers from leaving explosives unattended—which would make it impossible for delivery services such as UPS to deliver ammunition or gun powder.
• Require evacuation of all "facilities containing explosives"—even your local Wal-Mart—during any electrical storm.
• Prohibit smoking within 50 feet of "facilities containing explosives."

It's important to remember this is only a proposed rule right now, so there's still time for concerned citizens to speak out before OSHA issues its final rule. The National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Association will all be commenting on these proposed regulations, based on the severe effect these regulations (if finalized) would have on the availability of ammunition and reloading supplies to safe and responsible shooters.

The public comment period ends July 12. To file your own comment, or to learn more about the OSHA proposal, go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket Number OSHA-2007-0032"; you can read OSHA's proposal and learn how to submit comments electronically, or by fax or mail.

-----------------------------

OSHA Docket Office Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032 U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625 200 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20210 Re.: Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032 (Explosives—Proposed Rule)

Sample Comment

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing in strong opposition to OSHA's proposed rules on "explosives," which go far beyond regulating true explosives. These proposed rules would impose severe restrictions on the transportation and storage of small arms ammunition—both complete cartridges and handloading components such as black and smokeless powder, primers, and percussion caps. These restrictions go far beyond existing transportation and fire protection regulations.

As a person who uses ammunition and components, I am very concerned that these regulations will have a serious effect on my ability to obtain these products. OSHA's proposed rules would impose restrictions that very few gun stores, sporting goods stores, or ammunition dealers could comply with. (Prohibiting firearms in stores that sell ammunition, for example, is absurd—but would be required under the proposed rule.)

The proposed transportation regulations would also affect shooters' ability to buy these components by mail or online, because shipping companies would also have great difficulty complying with the proposed rules. For instance, the rules against leaving any vehicle containing "explosives" unattended would make it impossible for companies such as United Parcel Service to deliver ammunition to businesses or consumers without massive changes in their operations (such as putting a second driver on any truck that might happen to deliver a case of shotgun shells).

There is absolutely no evidence of any new safety hazard from storage or transportation of small arms ammunition or components that would justify these new rules. I also understand that organizations with expertise in this field, such as the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Association, will be submitting detailed comments on this issue. I hope OSHA will listen to these organizations' comments as the agency develops a final rule on this issue.

Concealed Carry in Hot Weather

Here's an interesting article about how to carry your handgun concealed in hot weather which is a problem a lot especially here in the south. Here's my hot weather concealed carry rig.

Concealed Carry In Hot Weather
By Joe Alves

A major problem in the Southern States and the long hot summers is how to carry concealed while going about their daily business. Portly and heavy persons have even a bigger problem.

Here in Central Florida, it appears that the concealed carry weapon is the 1911 pattern in .45ACP. A big pistol such as that is even harder to conceal yet I have seen dozens of these weapons poorly concealed by people who do not take the time to properly fit the weapon on their person. I have seen many weapons carried on the strong side and concealed with an open-front short sleeve shirt. Unfortunately the weapon grip tends to print when the person happens to lean over a counter or over a restaurant table even when carrying the weapon in an IWB holster such as Milt Spark’s Summer Special.

Carrying in a belt-slide holster may preclude the grip print on some people but the slide and barrel tends to peek out from the bottom of the shirt. Photographer’s vests and fanny packs are too obvious as most people know they hide weapons. Are there solutions? Lets review some possible ones :

Starting with the weapon, it should be as compact as possible and as powerful as possible. Such weapons would include the Colt Light Weight Commander (my personal weapon of choice), the various compact .45ACPs from Kimber and Springfield as well as the compact Glocks and Sigs. Revolvers would include snub nose S&W and Taurus in .357 Magnum as well as their lines of Airweight and Titanium models.

Bottom line is choosing a weapon you shoot well and trust to perform under all condition and after developing muscle memory to present the weapon rapidly in the event of a confrontation. I know all this seems to be common sense to most of us but many people don’t pay attention to these details.

Regarding holsters, there is a plethora of very fine holsters that have given rise to that industry in the past decades and their offering are wide and varied. I believe these fine holster makers can produce a fine conceal carry holster for any pistol or revolver in the market today. For warm weather carry, for example, IWB holsters are a fine choice for full size weapons like the 1911 pattern autos. I carry mine in a classic Sparks Summer Special that I have had for years and many other holsters of that type are also offered by the top holster makers. For carrying a compact auto, one of the best on the market is Mitch Rosen’s belt-slide that is finely moulded to the weapon, tight yet easy to present the weapon. Mitch also offers a treatment for the holster called Leather Lightning. It coats the inside of the holster yet does not leave a residue. Having an open bottom, it will accommodate both the Commander and full size 1911. As an accessory that complements this holster, Mitch offers a carrier that accommodates a spare magazine and a combat light such as the 6Z .

A holster aberration I have seen carrying heavy weapons are those soft nylon "bags" and soft leather ones that fold when the weapon is (finally) withdrawn. It would appear that many people use these weapons to carry concealed as well as to store their weapon at home (?) and I can’t figure that one out. Also they tell me they the retaining strap will keep their weapon safe on their person. Huh?

The last consideration is of course, the belt on which to hang your weapon. I have seen dozens of people wearing attractive slim belts that were designed only to hold up your trousers. They twist and drag the weapon down to an unreachable position on the hip.

In addition to choosing the carry weapon an investment in a good holster and a sturdy double thickness is essential to a proper concealed carry. It is as important as your weapon of choice.

The Big Buggaboo: Here in Florida, about 300,000 people have CCWs but only a small fraction of that number carry on a daily basis. No wonder they haven’t learned how to carry concealed. As to practice with their carry weapon, most people may shoot only during qualification then only once a year, maybe, neglecting the need for proficiency and hoping they will never have to use their weapons when in "harm’s way". That is really unfortunate.

With the level of crimes committed with firearms, it is a wonder more CCW permit holders are not injured in confrontation. It’s a good thing the bad guys are not adept at handling firearms as well.

I hope all CCW permit holders will take these words to heart and carry daily in a strong rig and practice often to preclude risking their lives when the chips are down.

Visit Joe's Site, Click Here

Happy 4th of July

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy 4th of July. This is the birthday for our country and we all owe our freedoms to all our military both past and present for the freedoms we have here. Without them we would have no freedoms at all.

Got my computer back after an extensive rebuild. I lost a lot of files that I can't seem to recover, but managed to save a few. I went to Wall-World yesterday and bought a 32 gigabyte external harddrive and all my personal files, photos, ancestry files, email address books and documents will be stored there so I won't lose that stuff again if the 'puter crashes for no apparent reason.

I hope all of you are having a good celebration at your house. I plan on hanging around the house and relaxing some. I might have some good ol home grown mater sammiches for lunch today. Doesn't get much better than that.

We're still very short on rainfall over this way at my house. It looks like this drought is going to last until winter. I think we've had no more than an inch of rain here in the last 3 months or so. I heard somebody say that it was so dry here that the catfish in the river had fleas. Send some of that rain this way.