Neighborhood Watch

[N.B. Sorta-kinda-halfway tongue in cheek?]

Home Made Mortars?

No neighborhood watch should be without one. Or five.

(For when the Felonious Barony of Iniquity parks 1/4 mile away before launching yet ANOTHER illegitimate assault on a citizen’s inalienable rights? Maaaaaybe. . . 😉 )

“Sweet Dreams Are(n’t) Made of This”

*sigh*

No, not that ? .

Had a dream that woke me this A.M. My Wonder Woman picked me up at a huge shopping mall. She was driving her tricked out I.H. truck w/custom camper. (An award for some unspecified cool thing she did in the dream. TOTALLY deserved!) Liked it. But. My immediate thought was, “Now we have to pay the taxes on this thing.” Yep. Form 1040-ES Payment Voucher #2 is indeed due next week. *sigh*

Fairtax, please.

Not User Friendly

Not User Friendl

Users can just hit the door (and better do so running). All others welcome. . . until they exhibit User tendencies.

ADC

Hmmm, wondering whether I need to expand or cut back on my “ADC” (All Day – “pocket/belt” – Carry). It’s now at a little over six pounds. (Of course, I’ve cut my weight pack – almost all day “exercise” to increase my load-bearing capacity – back to thirty-five pounds, so. . . ). If I can locate the right multitool, one that replicates the tools in both a mini-multitool and my Swiss Army Knife, I might be able to at least cut the bulk a little. Looser-fitting pants have meant easier access to pockets and room for an ITWB bellyband, but the *cough* items *cough* carried there add only a little over a pound, more or less.

It’s a work in progress, and part of that progress is having different belt-carried “keychains” with configurations for different days’ expected needs, along with just general EPrep. As soon as a new pouch comes in, I’ll have a small of the back carried (using Velcro™ attachments) IFAK, slanted toward a Stop the Bleed IFAK (CAT, blood clotting agents, bandages, etc.). My mini-trauma kits are here in the house and with my EDC Car Kit. (Already used the FAK in the car kit for a person who fell in a parking lot.)


Well, lefthand front pocket “ADC keyfob/chain” hanging from belt hook now has

  • micro flashlight
  • Swiss Army Knife
  • Mini-multitool
  • Lansky Pocket Medic (blade sharpening tool)

Added 16-pocket vest. Is handy when I get hungry, too. Was out and about around Noon the other day and appreciated having a loaded “Sandwich Pocket.” Yum. (The Backup Sandwich Pocket wasn’t loaded, but that was OK, since the loaded Sandwich Pocket was sufficient.) Also, small IFAK loads nicely in inside upper righthand pocket, so waistband carry is unnecessary.

Lansky Pocket Medic moved to its own “keyring/fob” flipped to D-ring on vest and zipped into pocket. Taking its place in left pants pocket is Zippo lighter fluid canister (neat lil thingy). Other vest contents:

Cell phone (inside upper left pocket)
Kershaw assisted opening pocket knife, “tanto” blade (lower inside left pocket)
3×5 notebook and 2 pens (outside upper left pocket)
Snack food (3rd pocket down, outside left)
Lansky Pocket Medic (4th pocket down, outside left)
Cash/ID, etc. (bottom pocket, outside left)

Pocket NT and pack of gum (upper right pocket)
“Keychain,” Mini-flashlight (second pocket down, outside right)
Small IFAK (in repurposed “backup sandwich” pocket)
Small “tactical” LED flashlight (4th pocket down, outside right)
Day’s purchase receipts (bottom right outside pocket)

It Ain’t Fair, I Tell Ya!

N.B. It is fair to note that I have actually viewed very little of the entire “Friends” opus. I have only caught bits and pieces before changing channels to avoid vomiting. Yes, every single bit I have seen is just that disgustingly stupid.

I have sometimes dumped disapprobation (OK, that’s far too mild, but just go with it) on the Joey character from “Friends,” as being a prime influencer of the degradation of English usage in our society. While I think it’s fair to say that the popularity of “Friends” has had a huge negative impact on the generation that – largely – grew up sucking down its stupidity, lumping all the blame on Joey isn’t exactly fair, though he makes a good emblem for the show’s stupidity.

A generation raised on the language, ideas (such as they are), and thematic elements of “Friends” has emulated its stupidities well. Heck, they have become the dumbed down version of Ortega’s “mass-man,” and that’s damning.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

At most, practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice can make “perfect,” and that ain’t gonna happen this side of the Jordan. . .

Still, practicing a musical piece. . . so many different methods, and choices/successes depend largely on skill level and preferences, but I always preferred reading through a piece and listening to it “between my ears” as much as possible before setting hand (and mouth, depending on instrument) or voice to the music. *shrugs* During a quick read-through, I could generally identify places that might need special attention, and could often iron them out, at least a bit during the scan. Then it was mostly discerning and effecting the teleos of the piece, as I inferred it from the leading of the tune and harmonies, as well as the composer’s directions on the page (notes and signs and etc.). When leading a group through a sight–reading. I came to appreciate the STARS method for young/inexperienced/amateur performers. For a group with more developed music literacy, just walking through a piece and noting to the group where I thought the different sections (or the group or the piece or both) might require a bit of attention. That was usually enough to get that attention paid during the first sigh reading session. Usually. *heh*

With volunteer choral groups, I preferred handing out an abbreviated rehearsal schedule, with bullet points derived from my much more detailed outline for each piece in the schedule for that rehearsal. Kept things moving and saved time. Of course, I had to remain flexible and touch on unanticipated issues though those were usually rare. A fav book on choral conducting informed the time I spent doing that. . . I occasionally had voices like those referred to below, and I celebrated their inclusion:

“I have never paid much attention to the ‘quality’ of a choral candidate’s voice. I am much more influenced by the extent of his desire to sing, and by his interest in music. . . May I offer an extreme example of this indifference to vocal endowment. I once had, as members of a chorus, two monotones. It would be impossible to exaggerate the delight they experienced in having a part in the rehearsal of great music, and had I denied them one of the real resources of life, I should always have regretted it. They were not the least sensitive over their deficiency and made no protest at being seated together a little apart from the chorus. Fortunately, their voices were not strong ones. They sang, without deleterious effect, not less than four major choral works with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its conductor.” —
_Choral Conducting_, Archibald T. Davison ©1940, sixth edition: 1950,pp. 27-28.

Student Debt?

Just a thought: Anyone with a degree and unpaid student loans should have their degrees rescinded. After all, if you refuse to make car or mortgage payments, you can lose your car or house, which is fair: unpaid debts are theft, and yeh, I’d say the same for debts unpaid after bankruptcy. Need to bring back indentured servitude to repay the debt.

Oh, and servants indentured for unpaid debts should probably be restricted to bread and water, and burlao clothing and bare feet for “off-duty” wear (assuming “on duty” wear suitable for assigned duties). Dog houses should be sufficient to keep ’em warm and dry.

The lesson? Do not assume debt you are unwilling or unable to repay. Living beyond one’s means is a good way to place onself on the horns of a dilemma: to be or not to be a thief.

Never Forget

Since this is a mid-term election year, always remember that in addition to MASSIVE Dhimmicrap cheating one should also always remain aware of the stupidity of people in large groups, especially on election day.

After all, the stupidity of people i large groups is what democracy is all about. . .

“In a democracy (‘rule by mob’), those who refuse to learn from history will be the majority and will dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance.” -third world county’s corollary to Santayana’s Axiom

Tongue-Clicking SciFi or LitRPG Characters Have You Twitching, Too?

Soooooo tired of this Manga meme. ITRW, people only do this to “giddyup” horses or sub for clickers with click-trained dogs. Or. . . they are imaginary (yeh, that’s about how “real world” they are) Japanese schoolgirls (or schoolboys who would be more comfy in skits) caught up in a Manga meme.

Here’s the solution for those twitches: STOP READING THAT CRAP!

*heh*

It Ain’t Easy, Ya Know?

As I observe the passing scene, I try, I really do try, to take the Apostle Paul’s counsel to heart, but it ain’t easy, ya know?

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.