Jobs Saved by the Stimulus

The Democrats are counting it as a ’saved job’ if you receive an increase in salary. At your existing job. That was at no risk of layoff.

That’s Liberal Accounting 101.

-Popgun

Overheard At Work

Had a problem with a rotary airlock on a piece of equipment.

Looked up their phone number, called the rep up – “I’ve got a problem with this piece of junk. What you shipped us is not what we bought! I’m sick of this crap coming from your company!”

On the other end – “Well, which piece of equipment are you talking about?”

“The rotary airlock!”

On the other end – “We don’t sell rotary airlocks!”

Checked my number – realized I’d called the wrong guy. – “Do you know who I am??“

He said “No-”

I said “Good!” and I hung up.

<Snort!>

Real conversation, sometime in the 80’s.

-Popgun

Today is my Sister’s Birthday

Today I celebrate the lives of my sister and my mother, in this small way.

Today (October 29) is my sister’s birthday. Four years my senior, she would have been 60 today, if she had survived. I miss her still, although when she was here, in her later years I didn’t spend a lot of time with her. Sometimes you don’t know what you have, until it is suddenly gone. She died at age 44, of liver failure – she was an alcoholic. Her death was one of the most stressful things that has ever happened to me. I was the second person on the scene at her death – her body was still warm. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.

Then, there is my mother, who passed away on October 30, 2000. I was there at her passing. A heavy smoker, she died of a combination of COPD and dementia; when she died, and for some months before that, she did not know who I was. Her passing, really, was a blessing. COPD causes shortness of breath – a victim usually has a low-level panicked feeling all the time, perhaps a ‘drowning’ feeling. My mother was suffering from this for several years before I found out there was a medical reason for it. During that period, I thought she was going nuts. In reality she was having panic attacks and paranoid attacks that frequently caused her to behave irrationally.   

At this point, I am the last survivor of my birth family. My Dad passed away before my sister did.

Death represents the end of pain. Sometimes, for everybody involved.

If you’re a Christian, that is. Neither my sister nor my mother were what I would call ‘practicing’ Christians – but they were both acquainted with the Bible, and the precepts of Christianity. I do hope they were saved. If so, I expect that I will get to see them again.

A person generally is exposed to more death as he ages. It seems that probably, on average, half of everybody you know will die before you do. As my neighbor says, “Don’t worry about life. You’re not getting out of it alive!”.

A young person doesn’t really perceive that death will happen to him – it is off in some distant future. On the other hand, an older person knows that his time will come. This causes different reactions in different people.

Some people, if you were to throw them out of an airplane at 30,000 feet without a parachute, would scream all the way down. Others would enjoy the view for as long as possible.

I plan to enjoy the view.

Cheers!

-Popgun

Mac Ads

The funny thing about the Mac ads (vs Windows 7) is that they are based on truth.

I’m beginning to think that John Hodgman actually works for Microsoft…

-Popgun

A Thought

As a Christian, I believe that I will live forever (after I die).

Maybe we’re here on this earth to learn patience. Somebody that lives forever is going to need a lot of patience.

-Popgun

You’ve Got the Mop, Doggone It!

Hey Obama – you’ve got the mop. You asked for it, and you’ve got it. Just because some of the mess on the floor wasn’t put there by you, doesn’t mean you have any right to complain about it.

You wanted the job of Janitor, and you got it. Quit your whining.

By the way; as your employers, we furnished you with that mop. We don’t appreciate your attempts to turn it into a Socialist mop with a pink bow. We like our good, old red, white and blue mop just fine, thank you.

And you’ve been seriously abusing the company credit card – that’s got to stop, right now.

If you keep it up, we’ll get us another Janitor, as soon as your contract expires.

-Popgun

Went to See Zombieland Last Night

Last night was Pokeno night for the ladies, so the guys (three members of the Silver Horde) bunched up and went to see Zombieland.

It’s definitely rated R for gore, violence and cussing.

It was extremely funny, though. We all enjoyed it, on balance. It reminded me of Monster Hunter International, a novel by Larry Correia that I read recently. Lots of shooting, humor, and great fun. Even a bit of romance. I did notice a certain lack of concern for the Four Rules in the movie.

This movie was strangely good, in the sense that you can’t really put your finger on any one thing, but you find at the end that you had a really good time watching it. I may even watch it again, but not with Texas Grandma in the room.

Recommended, for non-squeamish adults only. Snort.

Also recommended: Music. Popcorn, by Crazy Frog. We listened to it all the way to the movie.

Older people have fun, too!

-Popgun

Obama Is Not the Anti-Christ

Obama is not the anti-christ.

Can’t be. The anti-christ will be competent at foreign relations.

-Popgun

An Old Story

A long time ago, someone told me this story. I’d attribute it, but I don’t remember where it came from.

A pastor was preaching to his congregation:

“Strong drink is of the Devil! Christians should not drink Strong Drink!”

“Amen, brother!” said the old widow in the front row.

“And smoking is sinful! Lovers of the Lord should not Smoke!!”, sayeth the Pastor.

“Amen, Pastor!”, said the old widow.

“And Snuff! Snuff is Evil!!”, cried the Pastor.

“Now you’re MEDDLING!”, muttered the old Widow.

The moral of the story is obvious. Everybody is in favor of reform, as long as it is somebody else that is being reformed.

This is the fundamental problem with the current push for health care reform. Everybody agrees it’s a great idea – just don’t mess with ME. And that’s exactly how I feel, too.

I want the current push for reform to fail, because frankly I do not trust the current administration to stick to the specific subject. They have tried to hide so much left-wing progressive policy in this bill (or set of bills) that the whole thing has gone sour. I no longer trust them to come up with ANY bill that is honest.

Obama, Pelosi and Reed, and others, have poisoned this bill with their left-wing agenda. They have made so many patently false statements about it that it turns the stomach.

It’s kind of like getting screwed over by a dishonest salesman. The next time he tries to sell you something, you aren’t going to trust him much. That’s how this feels to me. I don’t have any faith at all that what is being done is for my family’s benefit.

So, Mr. Congressperson, if you happen to read this – vote NO on the health care bill, whatever is in the final version. You haven’t read it, you don’t know what’s in it. Vote NO. Maybe we can tackle it again in a few years with a more rational approach.

-Popgun

How About That?

I was reading the excellent blog of Bayou Renaissance Man, and came across this article about bacon.

I was amazed to discover that pig by-products are used in the manufacture of bullets and explosives. This is news to me.

Then, I remembered that I have read somewhere that Muslims and certain other religions define pigs as unclean animals. So I did a little fast research and found that in Islam, this sin pertains if a Muslim person knowingly partakes of pork. If they do it unknowingly, it is not a sin.

So here’s a thought: Perhaps we need to advertise the fact that our weapons have pig in them. Once aware of this, a Muslim terrorist would be committing a sin if he puts himself in a position to be shot or blown up with modern firearms or explosives.

Just a weird, tongue-in-cheek observation… sometimes my mind goes in odd directions.

-Popgun