What Life is Out There?

The Ancient Lunar "Glass Dome"

The images that China's Jade Rabbit - their rover on the Moon - has sent back seem to verify two things:  first, that Americans did in fact repeatedly land on the Moon and return to Earth during the eight Apollo missions, and secondly, photographic evidence confirms earlier NASA contention that ancient artifacts have been found.  Apparently in the ancient past, there was vast intelligent construction on the Moon, obviously built by other than Homo Sapiens.  A base or outpost, perhaps?  The curious part is that this discovery is being globally suppressed by the US, Chinese and other space agencies.  But why? Is this considered a threat to religious notions?  Do they fear a panic of the masses in learning of this?  I don't know.  But I do think most thinking people, regardless of religious affiliation and beliefs (well, there may be one exception), can intellectually accept the notion that in the whole of space there certainly must be intelligent life forms other than just us.  The universal popularity of space adventures in science fiction has certainly permeated every culture.  Again, perhaps except for one.  Think Star Trek and Star Wars. Who isn't aware of the possibility of alien life?  And with four nations (United States, India, China and Russia) along with the European Space Agency now exploring space at a furious pace, it's inevitable that we will find that we are not alone.  Even today, a NASA report indicated that NASA's Martian Rover Curiosity has found evidence water once was plentiful on Mars.  Vast lakes, and perhaps even seas once existed on Mars.  If so, intelligent life as we understand it was most assuredly abundant there, as photos of Martian artifacts indicate.  And NASA's Cassini probe, launched years ago, has found liquid water - essential for life as we know it - on Europa, one of Jupiter's moon, as well as under the ice on Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons.

Curious Skull Configurations

Some scientists speculate ancient beings on Mars may have seeded the human race on Earth tens of thousands of years ago.  It just may be that we are them, after all.  Interestingly, here on Earth some ancient civilizations sprang forth fully developed, and then suddenly disappeared. Incubation?  Or merely an anomaly?  I don't know.  But I can understand caution by the scientific community in declaring positively there are aliens, or at least there once were, in our solar system and elsewhere.  Perhaps the caution is borne of Stephen Hawking's famous admonition that if aliens do exist, they're probably not going to be friendly toward us.  I don't know about that.  I lean toward the notion that alien civilizations certainly do exist, and that there's a variety of species, as there are here on Earth.  And I think we've probably encountered both benevolent and malevolent aliens in mankind's past, and that fact will come to light soon. Stay tuned.

Day of Infamy

Sunday, December 7th, 1941: the day the Imperial Japanese navy attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor Hawaii.  The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. There were simultaneous Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

The  photo above is of Battleship Row taken from a Japanese plane at the beginning of the attack. The explosion in the center is a torpedo strike on the USS West Virginia. Two attacking Japanese planes can be seen: one over the USS Neosho and one over the Naval Yard.

Seventy-three years later - today - we remember this event as the start of the US involvement in World War II, and rightly so.  Probably the most iconic image of that day is the sinking of the battleship USS Arizona, which lies on the Oahu lagoon's bottom, and is a both a monument and a memorial as the ship's crew are still entombed there.

Even though few WWII veterans are still alive today, we as a nation must never forget the attacks upon our sovereign soil. As with the infamous attack of the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001, those who attack us may, in the end, regret doing so.

Back To Space

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle 

I watched the white plume of vapor as the Delta IV Heavy Rocket lifted the Orion Space Vehicle soared skyward early this morning at 0705 hours.  As I write this in early afternoon, it has already splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, concluding a roughly six-hour successful test flight into space and back  Outstanding!  NASA's back in the space game with new and advanced technology.  So what's the big deal about that?  The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is capable of transporting astronauts farther out into the solar system than manned flight has ever trekked before.  This test flight reached a peak altitude more than 14 times farther from Earth than the International Space Station's orbit. No spacecraft designed for astronauts had gone so far since Apollo 17 — NASA's final moon shot — 42 years ago.  This is the Conestoga Wagon for the 21st century, and will take Earthlings into deep space.  This is a vehicle that can take a crew of astronauts to Mars, outer planets, the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere. 

Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, July 1969

As I've posted here previously, China is on the Moon, and India orbited Mars on the cheap, and both nations should be congratulated for their technological success.  And some have wondered if NASA was out of the space business as the US leased portage on Russian space flights to and from the International Space Station, and private contractors were paid to taxi US astronauts and supplies to the ISS.  NASA's most visible foray into space this year was the MAVEN project, which was a probe sent to orbit Mars to study atmospheric conditions.  Last year NASA launched the Cassini research vehicle to orbit Titan to study the possibility of life there.  Those were long term unmanned probes.  But today was the test flight of a new, true spaceship - one that can go into deep space with a three or four man crew, and more importantly, return home.  Let's hope the US continues manned space exploration, and put its efforts into a manned mission to both Luna and Mars, as we did with the eight manned Apollo missions to the Moon.  As a nation, we need another giant leap for mankind.

Rape, Not Rape Part Deux

Rape has become one of the most overused words in the country's current lexicon.  Why?  Because it's been reduced to a weapon, a threat, a minor accusation, and most importantly, a shakedown.  Consider the recent updates to two of the most published "rape" claim stories.

Rape Bait??

First, let's review the claims of the venal narcissist Lena Dunham.  Breitbart News did a thorough investigation of her claim of rape by "a mustachioed Republican named Barry" while she was a student at Oberlin College.  On this blog I have reviewed her specious claim, along with related misandry issues by radical feminists at length in previous columns here, and here.  As dubious as they were when alleged, Ms. Dunham's claims have now been exposed as almost completely fabricated.  The superb journalists at Breitbart give her the benefit of the doubt, and that's a noble gesture, but is much like giving the infamous shakedown actor Tawany Brawley the benefit of doubt.  

But wait - what of the poor man whose life is ruined by this vile misandrist's yet to be retracted accusations?  He's living in fear that the liberal press will find him and harass him with this total fantasy nonsense.  "Have you raped anyone else?" shouted by liberal harpies can be heard even outside of his darkest nightmares.  But our good Lena, adored by All The Right People, knows and feels nothing but the glow of her own self aggrandizement.  And the sparkle of the $3.7 million she got from Random House, publishers of her unbelievably disgusting book.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent?

Second, let's review the idiocy surrounding Jameis Winston's alleged rape accusation, which we exposed as bogus last year on this blog.  Guilty until proven innocent, Mr. Winston's is faced with defending himself at his Florida State University student conduct hearing.  In a statement prepared for the hearing, Winston says his accuser willingly danced with him, entered her number into his phone, and traveled back to his dorm in a cab with him and friends.  Quoting from that statement:

Almost immediately upon our arrival, (NAME REDACTED) and I went into my bedroom. We were standing facing each other, kissing and touching each other's bodies. I eventually asked (NAME REDACTED) if she would perform oral sex on me. She said that she would. The lights in my bedroom were on and (NAME REDACTED) willingly performed oral sex on me. While (NAME REDACTED) was performing oral sex, I was close enough to my dresser to reach over to it, open a drawer, and retrieve a condom. (NAME REDACTED) and I also engaged in intense foreplay and heavy petting during the same period that she was performing oral sex.... (NAME REDACTED) assisted me in putting on the condom. I stood on the floor with (NAME REDACTED) on the bed and we engaged in consensual sexual intercourse. After sometime in this position, we changed positions. I got on my bed on my back and (NAME REDACTED) got on top of me. (NAME REDACTED) conduct and other verbal expressions left no doubt that our sex was consensual.
I recall hearing Chris and Ron outside of my room. The door to my room was broken so the door could not close fully or be locked. At some point, Chris came into the room. (NAME REDACTED), who was still on top of me, saw Chris and told him to get out of the room.

As Winston's friends continued to interrupt him and his accuser in flagrante delicto , the quarterback states that she pressed him for more privacy, so they went into the bathroom where they continued. Afterward, Winston says he chauffeured his lady friend to her dorm upon his scooter. Winston's accuser has demanded $7 million from him.  This blackmail includes a slanderous charge that will hang over him for the rest of his life. "Rape is a vicious crime," Winston declared. "The only thing as vicious as rape is falsely accusing someone of rape."

Well said, Jameis, well said.  As we see, it's all about a shakedown for money.  It's about misandrists setting up men in "honeypot" shakedown stings.  And it has nothing to do with rape.

What Now, America?

A few days ago, may of us took a moment to thank and honor the armed services in general and veterans in particular for their service and sacrifice in protecting the United States, our freedoms and our way of life as we acknowledged and celebrated Veterans Day. Others did not.  But what has become of us, since that noble holiday was established so long ago to celebrate the end of a terrible and costly war?  What have we lost in terms of freedom, democracy and most importantly a sense of self reliance since those days a hundred years ago?  That America, I am sad to say, no longer exists.  In that America, one could wake up in the morning and go out into the world and not only be free, but able to make his own way, in most any way he chose.  The unbridled optimism of people simply being and doing resulted in our country becoming the most ambitious, free, and prosperous nation the world has ever seen.  Innovation, literature, science, technology, manufacturing, exploration - all of these things were heralded, honored and admired.  But today, our every act and thought is monitored, judged and punished by a mindless, nameless, overreaching and completely totalitarian government.  Innovation and intellectual curiosity is quelled and is made to genuflect at the alter of political correctness.  Individual motivation and desire to excel is punished so that egalitarianism may be worshiped.   How were we, as the most powerful and righteous nation on earth, able to defeat the authoritarianism of a hostile communist enemy, only to succumb without a whimper to the very same ideology from within?  How did our concept of our nation of laws, not men, become so perverted in such a very short time into the exact opposite of that noble notion today?  How did we allow this to happen?

The culprit was- and is - moral apathy and cultural complacency, and the enemy took advantage of that weakness.  Are we defeated?  No, not yet.

I'm encouraged by the overwhelming change of national mindset I hope I see in the results of the recent midterm elections.  If what I see is true, then the country has indeed awaken to the fact that we have been literally invaded and occupied by an alien and hostile force, not only in a political sense, but culturally as well.  If the folks we elected into positions of leadership follow the electorate's mandate, and resist being sucked into the amoral political morass that defines Washington, DC, we just may be able to pull back from the brink of Orwell's dehumanizing nightmare, and save our culture, our nation, and our way of life after all.  If however, those leaders resort to the insipid get-along, go-along mentality espoused by the smiling, evil freedom sucking vampires, then I suspect we, as a nation of free men, will need to resort to other means.  What now, America?

Real Estate Consultants: A New Idea?

Real estate agents get a bad rap sometimes.  Public perception is that agents broker transactions, but don't really delve into the client's needs and motivation any more than is necessary to close the deal.  But is that an accurate assessment regarding real estate consultants?  Consultants don't act like traditional agents; they work on a fee for service basis, and are concerned more with successfully achieving the client's needs, rather than being focused on any one singular transaction.  In challenging fiscal environments, such as the one we're in now, employing a real estate consultant to navigate the market seems to be the best idea yet.

 People get in and out of real estate assets all the time, for varying reasons.  Maybe they're moving up, downsizing, avoiding foreclosure, or just investing in cash flow tangible assets.  Perhaps they're just starting a new business and need some professional, in-depth insight as to the best location.  Or maybe a business needs to expand, and existing or proposed zoning and land use constraints may be an issue.  Or it may just be one seeks to speculate in the real estate market, but wants the help of a real estate professional to get some of that "inside baseball" knowledge, but who will then step back let the investor handle the rest of the transaction.

In these cases and countless others, utilizing the services of a real estate consultant is the perfect solution, because consultants provide those services you need and want, and when you need and want them.  OK, so how does one go about picking a consultant?

1.  Find a short list of consultants with expertise in your particular needs.  Web search real estate consultants in your area, or ask friends and colleagues.  Real estate consultants should be licensed professional real estate practitioners; avoid any who are not.

2.  Interview, Interview, Interview.  Expect that your real estate consultant will be an integral member of your team, so treat that selection with the same care as you would in picking a lawyer.  You must have a sense of ease with him, and you must pick a consultant in whom you trust to do the job in the best way for you.  Rather than grill him, chat with him and determine a level of comfort and competence.

3.  The importance of experience cannot be understated.  How long have they been consulting, as opposed to how long they been brokering?   Ask this, because their answer may be enlightening.  Brokers make deals, that's true, but a good consultant will work with your own attorneys, accountants and partners to ensure that your project is successful, and glitch free.

4.  The importance of connections is noteworthy, as well.  Is your consultant candidate well known in your project's community?  Does he do business with attorneys, accountants, and others who may have an impact on your project?

5.  Is your consultant candidate a member of any organization that serves the consulting community?  A candidate's membership in groups such as C-CREC, ACRE, and others is a determination of who's who in the consulting universe.

6.  Determine the legalities of a working relationship.  Ask to see his employment contract and ask about his fee schedule. Discuss these terms extensively.

So, go ahead and make the leap into real estate.  Real estate assets make an excellent store of wealth, as they tend to appreciate in value over time, and they also can produce cash flows in certain cases.  But don't go in blind, let the experience of a real estate consultant guide you along the way.  The money you spend for this service will pay off in greater rewards for you as the project develops.

Thanks, Vets!

On this Veteran's Day, it's proper to recognize and appreciate what members of our all-volunteer military do every day for us, and for what others have done in the past. But before I get into that, a personal salute to Dad, Chief Petty Officer, US Navy Seabees, Bougainville, Pacific Theater, 1943-1945.  Thanks, Pop.  Glad you made it back so I could be here.  And to every enlisted member of my family and to all veterans, I say, thanks y'all.

But what does The Kenyan's regime do on this somber day?  It issues a list of the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, "presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States." Just look who's on this list, and compare them to the gallant members of the US armed forces who actually did something to further to the security and national interests of the United States. These folks are merely the Kenyan's Hollywood and political pals.  Isn't it telling that on the single day each year to honor those who fought and died, the Kenyan recognizes civilian political hacks?  What an inspiring  leader we have!

As of last year, the number of veteran lawmakers in Washington DC is depicted here as declining, as one would presume.  I'd like to see an update of these figures in January 2105, when the 113th Congress is sworn in and convenes.  In my humble opinion, a lawmaker who has served in the military has a wider view of the impact of lawmakers' policies than does a protected and secure citizen.  Meanwhile, the left-wing-nut media like to point out that the "childish" military members are not the reason we're free.  I guess the 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom above were responsible.  But what can you expect from the vile, anti-American left?

To those of you in uniform, or who have worn it in the past, my salute and thanks, from me and a grateful nation.

Midterm Spanking

The results of the 2014 midterm elections are in, and the consensus is that the Kenyan's policies and his worshipful sycophants are definitely out.  Republican candidates held the House and retook the Senate, and captured several key gubernatorial wins, as well.  Quite a showing, especially on the heels of the overwhelming victory in the 2010 midterms just four years ago.  Although the Kenyan won two consecutive elections hands down, the electorate seems to regret both of those elections, as they try to right the ship of state in the midterms.

So now the pressure is really on.  First, the Kenyan will use these last two years of his regime to punish the plebeian masses for their disloyalty to their master.  We can expect ever defiant executive orders left and right.  Amnesty by the end of the year, gun control, doubling down on the disastrous ObamaCare, more IRS abuses, federal interjection into trivial private citizen matters and more can be expected as the Kenyan exacts his revenge and implements his totalitarian ideology.  Even as hard liner Democrats turn on him - think Harry Reid for one - he will deny that this election was the smack-down of the last six years of his regime.  He will continue to view his America-brought-to-her-knees policies as successful - he alone was the guiding hand bringing the country through the castle gates of his utopian totalitarianism.  He still wants to be the leader who destroyed the most free, prosperous and enlightened nation the world has ever seen, so deep is his hatred for freedom and individual liberty.  Be warned and be prepared, as psychopaths never admit they're wrong.

Secondly, for the Republicans, after the glow of their hard won victories subside, their work will be considerably hard. The most important issue will be to address the invasion of the southern border.  Not only are there some 34 million illegals in the country now, but blanket amnesty will literally open the borders like floodgates. These folks are not educated, civilized people seeking a better life in the US, far from it.  They are, and will continue to be, the most unworthy and undesirables imaginable.  Unschooled, unwashed, disease ridden, and criminally inclined, most will tax the system to failure.  Which is exactly the Kenyan's plan. Using the Cloward-Piven maxim - overwhelming the system to destroy it - he intends to cap his ill-begotten legacy by literally changing the moral fiber and color of America.

Republicans need to seek out and punish the wrong doing and unconstitutional endeavors arising from this regime.  Persecute and imprison Eric Holder for his roles in Fast and Furious, the IRS scandal, his meddling in Ferguson, Missouri, his sanctioning of the Black Panthers to deter voters in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, and any and all other crimes he's committed, either known or to be discovered.  Put Lois Lerner in jail.  We cannot survive as a nation when some criminals are deservedly punished for their crimes, while others, especially those in high office, are not.  The new congress needs to guard against the onslaught of unconstitutional mandates, executive orders, and general tyranny dished out by this illegal regime.  In fact, it's my opinion that everything that's been done in this regime is invalid, notwithstanding any legal standing, due simply to the fact that the Kenyan is not qualified constitutionally to hold the office of President.  That on its face nullifies all his policies, notwithstanding endorsement by a cowardly and compliant congress.  The constitution and the rule of law cannot stand if this egregious, blatant violation of Article II, Section I of the US Constitution is not remedied. 

Will the Republican led congress have the intestinal fortitude to not only stop this illegal and unconstitutional regime, but to reverse the damage already done?  To restore the public's faith in its cherished institutions? Time will tell, but we are definitely at a constitutional crossroads, and failing to get it right in Washington will ultimately result in getting it right at Concord Bridge. Molon Lube.

Skanks A Lot!!

In her book, the vile and amoral Lena Dunham, in excruciating detail, describes homosexual experiences with her six year younger sister, which were not consensual.  These episodes included multiple predatory advances, again by her own admission.  A conservative website, Truth Revolt, uploaded its opinion and commentary in the form of a review of Ms. Dunham's book, citing specific examples.  No big deal, right?  It is if you're a left wing activist and radical feminist misandrist.  She hired a law firm to send a cease and desist letter to Truth Revolt, demanding a rescission, apology and further threats of punitive million dollar damages.  Naturally, Truth Revolt and its editor attorney Ben Shapiro, essentially told them to pound sand.  The point is not that this is a bullying tactic in an effort to nullify the first amendment, even though it certainly is.  It's about a vile, disgusting personage who is so emboldened by the decay of American morality and culture at the hands of the amoral progressives, that she feels free to admit to - and publish - her most heinous acts against a defenseless child. Males go to prison for this kind of behavior.  But this is today's feminist as I described here last month.  So skanks a lot, Lena!

Scary Stuff on Halloween

I love Halloween - I live for it.  It's scary, it's fun and sometimes it's even sexy.  This year it's heavy on the absurd side, given that the scariest stuff in ages is about to come down on us:  Ebola and ISIS.  But then there's always pop culture to deaden the anxiety.

There's Kaci Hickox, the nurse who just returned from West Africa treating Ebola patients, who insists she's not symptomatic and is not trying to "get anyone sick," yet defies a quarantine order.  She's out riding her bike in Maine with her boyfriend, basking in her 15 minutes of fame.  As any medical professional knows, not having symptoms of a disease doesn't mean that one may not be a carrier.  See Typhoid Mary.  You gotta admire her for one thing, though - defying the government.  In her case, she knows more than anyone else, and therefore laws don't apply to her.  But what if she is a carrier?  That's scary.

Panic in the Democrat party is escalating as all major polls show devastating losses for the Dems next week. They fear they'll lose the senate, so they're playing the race card for all it's worth.  Mary Landrieu, herself a daughter of the South, is so desperate in her Louisiana senate race that she's taken to defaming all us Southerners as racists and sexists.  Because we're racists down here, she says, that's why the Kenyan and his policies aren't very popular in the South.  Although over the last six years the race card has been played so often that it's become lame and absurd, she, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Michelle Dunn of Georgia all seem to think they can fool black folk one more time.  Well, they're democrats, after all, so that silliness can be expected.  The truth is Democrats - and even the Black Panther Party  - are running for the tall grass, lest they be associated with the Kenyan.   Liberals in a panic.  Fun.

Just in time for the midterm elections, a video goes viral of a young woman roaming - er, I mean walking - the streets of New York.  For ten hours.  Just so she could record the whistles and catcalls directed her way.  Just to show us how sexist we men really are.  Oh, boy, here we go again with more misandry, that feminist hate of all things male.  Shoshana Roberts (who?), an aspiring actress (aren't they all?), appears to have gotten a double bang for her buck.  Her sexist video on YouTube got over a million hits, which gives her some public exposure she would have never gotten otherwise based solely on her "talents."  And, she was working with Hollaback, yet another feminist hate group masquerading as a public support group.  So in ten hours hiking through New York, she only got 100 incidences of "harassment?"  Maybe that's because she's not as hot as she thinks she is.  After hearing her speak, she's even less so.  Sexy?  Not!

One of the scariest things for me is the notion that citizens are free to "out" anyone with whom they disagree on a given issue, for the sole purpose to create a clamor and debate.  Second amendment rights come to mind.  In Rochester, MN a woman so afraid of guns she decided to post a poster-sized sign in her neighbor's lawn "outing" him as a gun carrier.  The Constitution allows for civil scrutiny of the government, or of public officials, and I applaud that.  But when that freedom is used to embarrass, harass and demean law abiding citizens, that's misuse and abuse of the right.  I hope Matthew Hellack, a licensed carry permit holder, father of two and prior school board member, sues the pants off the meddling socialist activist Kimberly Edson for invasion of privacy and libel.  One does not have the right to attack others simply for exercising their constitutional rights - or their beliefs, for that matter.  We may see the NRA pursue this, but certainly not the hypocritical ACLU.   Scary.

But all this nonsense isn't going to deprive me of having fun tonight, as I intimidate the neighborhood kids with my zombie ninja costume.  Like I said, I live for Halloween, and I get to be scary, fun and sexy again for one short evening.  Boo!

The Skill of Self Defense

Given the chaotic and turbulent environment of late with which we're forced to contend, many folks have chosen to arm themselves by obtaining concealed carry permits.  Carrying a gun, or bearing arms, is a right that is not only God-given, but is protected and guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.  All but a few states now have "shall issue" concealed carry laws, and more and more citizens are taking advantage of this.  That's a good thing, because in this crazy world, being armed and able to defend oneself and one's family is a near necessity. Studies have shown armed citizens prevent over two million violent crimes every year.  One may never need to use deadly force, but it's comforting just to know that potential bad guys don't know for sure if one is armed.  An armed society is a polite society.  Deterrence and threat of force works . Si vis pacem, para bellum.

As a holder of a concealed carry permit, I have carried a gun every day for most of my adult life, both before and after passage of my state's concealed carry law in 1989.  In all that time, I have only had to present a firearm once.  And in that instance, I can tell you that all my training, all my marksmanship, and all my cool went right out the window, even though I de-escalated the situation before the shooting started.  Here's why:  faced with immanent bodily harm, the human brain reverts to three basic options.  Fight, flight or freeze.  In a dire situation where the use of a firearm may be needed, the upper brain with all that training, rationale and intellect flies right out the window, and it passes the ball to the animal part of the brain - the hippocampus -  to ensure survival.  Your skill and training is reduced and confusion, denial and inability to act kick in with a vengeance.  And that's why even highly trained police officers often miss their targets during a gunfight. But the best way to win a gunfight is to never be in a gun fight.  Survival consists of mindset, skills and tools.  OK, you strap on your new pistol, place your new carry permit ID card in your wallet, and you boldly step out into the world, all armed and bad.  Right?  Partially.  You have the tool, but do you have mindset and skill?  Skill is the ability to utilize the tool you're carrying, and that includes intimate familiarity with the workings of your particular weapon, as well as proficiency in marksmanship necessary to employ it properly. Despite danger lurking almost everywhere and anywhere, by employing the following five basic elements in one's daily behavior avoiding a deadly situation is not only possible, but likely.

Awareness

Situational awareness is being aware of your surroundings, and your presence in them.  Use that sixth sense to anticipate danger, and always be diligent in what you do and where you go.  When walking across a parking lot one should be aware of other pedestrians, backing vehicles, or any threat or danger.  That's just common sense, but apply it intellectually; that is, be consciously aware of what's going on around you.  Note things out of pattern:  a car idling by the curb perhaps, or a nervous acting person with darting eyes.  Awareness is the first step in developing mindset, because when you are aware of surroundings, there's less possibility of surprise, and when you're not surprised, you're closer to being prepared.

Avoidance

You're walking home from the convenience store one night, and you see a group of youths congregating  on the corner ahead.  You're armed, but there are several of them and one of you.  Do you continue on your way, as is your right, and brush by them and possibly engage in some manner of conflict?  Or do you change directions, and find a different way home?  That's not cowardice, that's smart.  You have the power to avoid a potential confrontation, so use it.  Remember, rule number one in winning a fight is never get in a fight.  

 De-escalation

 Let's say you're driving in heavy traffic and some clown rips around you, cuts in front, and then slams on his brakes to keep from rear-ending the car ahead.  You have to stand on the brakes to keep from hitting him.  He sticks his head out the window and in graphic detail questions your motives and heritage.  What to do?  His immaturity gained him maybe 25 feet in the traffic que, but endangered everyone around with his reckless behavior. You could match his rant epithet for epithet, after all you've got a gun on your hip, and you're not intimidated at all.  Or you could merely shrug it off as he was just having a bad day.  A simple "My bad!" or "Sorry!" could save the day, and the pride you may swallow is far less demeaning than the bile a machismo response may entice.  Discretion is the better part of valor.

Escape

Always have an escape plan.  In the example of walking home from the store at night, we talked about avoiding a potentially dangerous situation.  But if you can't avoid it, be prepared to escape it.  If you see four guys coming over to you with obvious malicious intent, it's better to escape than to try to present that firearm.  Even advanced gunfight training may not carry the day, and in most states, the law wouldn't support you either. They may have been Estonian tourists simply seeking directions.  Think twice before your ever pull that gun: because after you do, everything changes.

Deadly Force

Now to the end-of-all-options scenario: the one you never want to face. The wild-eyed crazed assailant has a knife, and he's charging you in a full run. An average man can cover twenty-one feet in just one-and-a-half seconds.  That's two car lengths, or a large living room, or the distance from the sidewalk to your front door.  All in just over one second.  There's no time to avoid, no time to de-escalate, no time to escape, and no time to analyze.   You have to shoot.  To stop the threat.  Not scare, not wound.  Kill.  To stop the threat.  It's his life, or you and your family's lives.   Can you fire?  Do you have the mindset?  Do you have the skill?

Carrying a weapon is a right.  It's also a huge responsibility.  Forget all that Hollywood nonsense.  Forget your buddies' machismo over beers.  There's no reset button when you pull your weapon.  You need to be smarter and more level-headed and mindful every day that gun is on your person.  Get your permit, exercise your rights, but be as the Zen Warrior.  Don't screw it up.   

How to Win the Race War

In the chaos of all this nonsense about racism in the United States, especially as is occurring recently in Missouri, we lose sight of the facts concerning the protests.  While the media focus is on the death of a certain black teen, we should recall that this was the inevitable outcome of bad attitude driving bad behavior and ultimately bad decisions on the part of the so-called victim.

Let's start with the bad attitude.  Mike Brown was an 18-year old who was immersed in the thug culture that so permeates the black "experience."  Black teenage males wannabe ganstas are found in probably every city in the country, embolden by their parent, peers and music.  Brown was one of these wannabes, acting in bad behavior and with chip firmly in place on shoulder, was captured on video engaging in strong arm robbery of a convenience store.  Belligerence is a sub function of bad attitude, and when stopped for walking in the middle of a public street by an officer, Brown resorted to belligerent violence.  He attacked the cop, pounded his face to the point of crushing and collapsing the officer's eye socket, and as a result, ended up shot dead.  Bad decision.

The media continues to whitewash (pun intended) his criminal image into one of a big, lovable unarmed black teenager.  Unarmed?  He was a giant, well over six feet tall and weighing some three hundred pounds.  I wouldn't call that unarmed.  I hold advanced belts in Korean martial arts, and as such, am I unarmed?  No, I don't think so, either.  But the facts don't fit the left's political narrative.  To the progressive media, it's simply a case of a white cop killing an unarmed black man.  Period.  No extenuating circumstances needed, thank you.  Now onto our quest for justice.  In come the agitators, the instigators, and all the other left wing vermin to incite the black (and the Birkenstock-wearing and over-educated liberals) communities to seek justice.  Um, actually justice has already been applied.  See Self Defense, Chapter 1.  Oddly, no black or media rage is directed at the thousands of black-on-black instances.  Oh, right.  That doesn't fit the white America is racist narrative.  My bad.

As a result of this event months ago, more spontaneous protests occurred again yesterday, on Columbus Day.  That's a white America holiday, fool.  Spontaneous, did I say?  This was no flash mob - it was painstakingly orchestrated by the race baiters of old, out from under their rocks to take advantage of a perfectly good crisis.  Professionally printed signs with neat borders proclaiming Racism Kills and Black Lives Matter.  Clever.  Oh, and the cool tee-shirts, Hands Up.  Don't Shoot  - all in white-on-black (get it?) and in grammatically correct English.  Joined by white leftists, college kids (always vocally ideological but rarely truly informed), and other anthropomorphic socialists, the mobs found their way into Nieman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Michael Kors, Talbots, Tiffany & Co. and several other upscale stores.  Well, at least they didn't burn anything down this time.  Cornell Wild got arrested, though, and that's something.  Al and Jesse must have been in Vail and couldn't make it.  I wish white-hating black people would just get over this whole black victim-hood thing.  Mike Brown (remember?  supposedly what this is all about) was a teenaged thug headed for even more criminal intent.  He got killed for his bad behavior, as did over 400 people in 2012 alone.  There's nothing to defend or decry or protest here.

What about this, instead of defending the indefensible:
1.  Develop your own positive contributions to your community and to civilization as a whole - that is, find the zen in your blackness and honor and act within it;
2.  Find ways to elevate your community through job creation and education - build a business and train, teach and hire some folks and everybody makes money;
3.  Realize that people like to congregate with people who are like them - you do and I do, too.  That's not racist, it's human nature.
4.  And quit letting the leftist ideology in all its permutations shove you around and control your destiny.

Is this the mob-riot-protest legacy you want to leave your children?  No?  Then move beyond the mindless victim mentality that's being displayed in these events and others, tell the truth by not lying to yourselves, and you'll earn and gain the trust that you seek - and deserve.

Sexual Healing

It's not bad enough that the male-hating, rabid feminists have destroyed masculinity in this country, but now they are out to destroy sex.  Women are different from men.  Men differ from women.  Nature set it up that way, so the species could continue.  So it's natural that women are attracted to strong, masculine and powerful men.  But the hags at NOW and other radical feminist clacks, all mostly unattractive and dateless, want to declare every sexual encounter as rape, or as it's politically correct to define, sexual abuse.  Abuse?  That's a whole other fetish.  So when the hags scream "sexual abuse," do they mean bondage and domination?  Nope, they refer to any sex between a man and a women.

You wanna hit this?

Let's take the case of Lena Dunham, who claims she was raped years ago by a Republican.  With a mustache.  I'm serious.  You just can't make this stuff up. His name was Barry, she said.  There's some irony for you.  But why bring it up now?  She won't - or probably can't, because no such person exists - identify the bugger.  Oh wait, I know why now.  Now she's written an anti-male TV series, and she's touted by the leftist perpetually offended as an activist.  The cool thing is you don't need to be well versed in a topic to be an activist, you just need to be vocal.  Loud. Shrill.  Now armed with her 15 minutes of fame, she's well positioned to advocate for rape victims everywhere.  But, like the Al Sharpton-perpetuated Tawana Brawley rape hoax back in the 1980s, claiming rape when none exists could come back to haunt her.  And this kind of crying wolf hurts women in the long run.

She thinks she's hot.

There's more.  Consider the vulgar, vicious Sarah Silverman and her campaign against the male of the species.  In a reference to the supposed inequity between men and women's salaries, Silverman, in order to avoid the so called "$500,000 vagina tax," wants to trade her vagina for her own penis. Wow.  Talk about penis envy.  She insists however, it be circumcised.  If she hates men so much, why does she want to be one?  Oh, right. For the money.  You may recall her vicious rant about her wish to kill Christ again.  You can't make this stuff up, it's that far out in the lunatic fringe.  Jews are so funny.

Jameis Winston, FSU

Or how about the twin cases in Florida, wherein the star quarterbacks at both Florida State and University of Florida are under investigation for sexual abuse.  Both quarterbacks are black, and both of their separate accusers are black.  In the case of Jameis Winston, FSU, he is accused of sexual abuse for an instance from  a year ago, where the "victim" had had sex with everyone in the room, and with other men prior to the "event."  I wrote about this here in December of 2013.  The investigation at the time by the Tallahassee Police Department, as well as the University itself, revealed no evidence to warrant any charges.  But the black community, and the leftists on campus and elsewhere, won't stop until someone "pays" for this non-existent crime.  But if it's labeled sexual abuse, the outcome is predetermined.  Someone will be shaken down, and someone else will acquire ill gotten gains. 

Treon Harris, UF

The same thing happened in Gainesville, in the University of Florida case regarding Treon Harris, their game saving quarterback.  Literally as he came off the field after winning against the Tennessee Volunteers, he was taken aside and notified he was suspended for the rest of the year, both as a player and as a student.  No charges, no investigations, no trial.  Guilty until proven innocent.  To illustrate how far the insane NOW contrived notion that all sex is rape, both these guys are harassed and vilified for having carnal knowledge of less than virtuous females.  Smelling fame and fortune, these skanks are quick to plead their story to university officials, who in turn are terrified of the wrath of the harpies, and as such take immediate unlawful action against these guys.  The irony here is that the male-on-female abuse is more important than the fact that all parties are black.  Facts don't matter to the shrill, hate-filled hags, as long as they get a discrimination issue to flout before the mid term elections, all will be well.

Oh, and hey Sarah.  Be careful where you put your new penis.  You might find yourself on the other side of your favorite issue.

Is Isn't Isn't

I recall way back in elementary school, my teacher, in a lesson in punctuation, gave us this sentence and asked us to properly punctuate it:

That that is is that that is not is not.

Not all of us at that grade level got it right, of course, but it was something that stuck with me throughout the years, as it clearly demonstrates the importance of proper punctuation, and how even a misplaced comma can change the meaning of a sentence.  Here's the proper punctuation:

 That that is, is; that that is not, is not.

But more importantly, and what struck me then and now, is the mathematical, logical and philosophical truth of this simple sentence, and how in our current age, it has been twisted by advertisers, and political correct spin doctors.  There is a distinction between reality and fictional delusion. 

Think about the impact of this simple statement:  What is true, is true.  What is not true, is not true.  But spin doctors seek to blur the lines between truth and non-truth.  Changing the meanings of words, and the bastardization of the language is a prime example of this.  Homosexuals are now gays, notwithstanding that they actually may not be all that gay.  An abortion of a viable fetus is a woman's choice, not premeditated murder.  Intolerant is the label applied to those who merely question the political correct nonsense.  A racist is anyone who is white.  Period.

So as the Kenyan opens the borders, and invades us with millions of diseased, undereducated and criminal aliens and ships them to every state in the union, we may not criticize this treason because, well, that would be racist.  But these labels don't apply to the militant La Raza, who call for the annexation of the entire southwestern US to Mexico.  If one believes the Kenyan is the Antichrist in part because of his globally destructive policies, they are labeled an intolerant religious zealot.  Muslims, as they kill and maim with impunity, of course, are not.  If one believes that this government has become bloated beyond the people's control and that it is critically and criminally intrusive in our lives, then one is labeled a separatist, prepper or worse.  The labels applied come from the manipulation of the language by the political correct leftists.

We've been indoctrinated to believe discrimination is a bad thing, when in fact it's guaranteed by the first amendment as freedom of association.  Of course one must discriminate; its the crux of survival.  So each of us must reclaim our language, because when words and terms are redefined to one party's definition and benefit, the debate is already lost.  Throw off the yoke of political correctness, and use the English language in it's original and proper way.  Doing so will clarify for you that is isn't isn't.  Is is simply is.

And This Passes For Leadership

Senator Michelle?
Michelle is in a pout.  In a developing story, it seems he's decided to punish the country by not running for the senate.  Oh, dang.  To not allow all that supreme betterment to rule us mere commoners is just unfair.  How come you don't want to run, Mike?  Well, he says, it's because not enough congressional democrats supported his wonderful, altruistic, healthy school lunch menu mandate, er, I mean program.  It was bad enough that the kids upon which this idiotic menu was thrust - unschooled as they are as to what's good for them - know what they like. And they emphatically didn't like Mike's school lunch menus. Neither did parents, nor teachers, nor the school administrators.  Kids didn't eat their crappy lunches and went hungry the rest of the day, but what's worse is the waste!  Alley cats and dumpster divers wouldn't touch it either.   Now the program is a colossal failure, all those perfect, healthy meals are landfill compost.  But Mike's democrat cronies should have fallen in line and supported Mike's Big Lunch if they know what's good for them.  So for lack of Big Lunch support, now we lose a perfect senate candidate.  Just our bad luck.

US Tomahawk shipboard launch

 No Wars, War!
In an update to our relentless pursuit to decimate - I mean eliminate  - ISIS, it comes to our attention that in the first week of the war, the US alone has spent a billion dollars.  Ain't war hell?  Those Tomahawk cruise missiles are a really cool weapon - they can reach out and touch someone from thousands of miles away - but they cost in excess of a million dollars each.  And we've deployed a bunch of them, in part because they're effective, but also because we can hit from afar.  That's they way the Kenyan does business.  Not eye-to-eye, not mano a mano.  Nope, none of that dirty, house-to-house combat that gets people killed, like the way Bush did it.  And besides, ISIS, or ISIL, or just plain ol' IS is a just a JV team, right?  They pose no threat, to us anyway,  so let's just bomb them for a couple of weeks until we get the uptick in Democrat voter interest before the mid term elections.  The Senate is up for grabs, so, yeah, that should do it.

What Does It Say?

Islamic State
The real problem in this Iraq/ISIS mess is identifying the actual enemy.  Oh, sure it's ISIS, but we're arming Syrian "rebels," who aren't interested in US interests.  Our interest in the region is stability, and we put up with Netanyahu and Assad in furtherance of those interests.  Our hastily cobbled coalition is so inept, we even supply the bad guys.  But if we learn nothing, we should learn that when we arm and train insurgents, who are fighting other insurgents, those "friends" are more than likely to engage the US at some point later.  Think al Qeada in Saudi Arabia, think the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan.  And our engagement in this conflict is destined to help our enemies more than ourselves, as ISIS's true goal is to overthrow Assad in Syria, and install a caliphate in Iraq and elsewhere across the Middle East.  Bush was right; we still needed grounds troops in Iraq, because Iraqis aren't capable of maintaining stability in the region.  But our fearless leader, the Kenyan, can't be bothered to read his daily intelligence reports or attend intelligence briefings, lest he actually make an informed decision that furthers US interest, rather than democratic lust for congressional power.  That's our foreign policy.

Is Anyone Out There?

Mars taken by MOM 29 Sept 2014

Mars Again

The Indians put their probe in orbit around Mars this week. India’s successful, low-cost Mars mission is a major milestone for the country’s space program, with experts predicting that it could open the door to lucrative space deals with the U.S. and Europe.  India joined the select group of space nations on Wednesday when the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully placed a satellite into orbit around Mars. This is a big deal for two reasons.  Firstly, it's a difficult task: More than half the world's previous attempts -- 23 out of 41 missions -- have failed, including one by Japan in 1999. The United States had its first success with a 1964 flyby by a spacecraft called Mariner 4, returning 21 images of the surface of the planet. The former Soviet Union reached the planet in 1971, and the European Space Agency in 2003.  And secondly, India joins an exclusive club comprised of only the United States and Russia, along with the European Union in reaching Mars.  India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will study the Marian surface and mineral composition and scan its atmosphere for methane, an indicator of life.

US Air Force X-37B Space Plane

X-37B with solar array deployed

There's been much speculation concerning the US Air Force's secretive X-37B space plane and it's mysterious missions.  Not much larger than a conventional private aircraft, the X-37B resembles a miniature shuttle.  The vehicle is unmanned, launched atop an Atlas 5 rocket, and lands like a conventional aircraft.  Today, it has winged beyond 600 days in orbit on a classified military mission that seems to have no end. The solar-powered winged spacecraft has spent more than 620 days in orbit as part of the military's secret OTV-3 mission, which launched in December 2012.

Alien Planet Found

WASP 18b and "hot Jupiter" planet

A nearby star is not acting its age, thanks to the influence of a massive exoplanet.  The close-orbiting alien planet, known as WASP-18b, is apparently disrupting the magnetic field of its host star so much that the object is behaving like a much older star, researchers said.  "WASP-18b is an extreme exoplanet," study lead author Ignazio Pillitteri, of the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo in Italy, said in a statement. "It is one of the most massive hot Jupiters known and one of the closest to its host star, and these characteristics lead to unexpected behavior. The planet is causing its host star to act old before its time." The star WASP-18, which lies about 330 light-years away, is about as massive as our own sun. The gas giant WASP-18b weighs in at more than 10 times the mass of Jupiter and completes one orbit around the star in less than 23 hours, leading scientists to classify it as a "hot Jupiter."

Commercial Space is Alive and Well, But Delayed

Virgin Galactic Space Ship Two

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, said almost 800 would-be space tourists signed up for $250,000 flights with his Virgin Galactic venture have been understanding about glitches that caused commercial services to be delayed until 2015. Pushback from clients who include physicist Stephen Hawking, singer Sarah Brightman and X-Men director Bryan Singer has amounted to “almost none whatsoever,” the U.K. billionaire told Bloomberg Television. “Everyone’s been very patient. They realize that it’s rocket science. They want to make sure that we don’t hurry them up there, and they want to come back.”

Virgin Galactic won’t now make a commercial flight until early spring, with Branson and his son on the first launch, the U.K. billionaire confirmed today after revealing earlier this month that a target of commencing operations this year had become unrealistic. The resolution of issues with the spacecraft’s rockets may mean a vehicle carrying flight crew but no passengers still reaches space during 2014, he added.  “It took us a lot longer to build rockets that we felt completely comfortable with,” Branson said today. “I’m confident that we’re as good as there now. We’ve got some more test flights to go, but I think you’ll start seeing Virgin going into space by the end of this year and then starting the whole space program in the spring.”

Regulations, not technology, are hindrances, and the flights are likely to reach only about 360,000 feet (about 68 miles high), which is on the very outer edge of Earth's atmosphere.  Dark sky and weightlessness will be some of the memorable elements of passengers' trip. Cool.  Save me a seat on the seventh launch.