Monday Musings...

Here we are again...at the threshold to another extravaganza-laden week, depending on how YOU define the word extravaganza.
To folks like me, it's just another (damn) week in the ghettohood, where nothing changes but the faces, as they pass by.
And we can thank the wonderful city of Fort Wayne for the nuances.
But, since we've more pressing matters at-hand, let us venture forth into the day.
*** The weather will be mild, but with dropping temps throughout the day, and yes, that IS light rain you're seeing outside.
Damn near ALL the snow is gone, so if you're planning on making snowballs (to freeze for a later date in JULY), time's 'a wasting.
And now on to..."the rest of the story"...

*** We've changed over to Daylight Saving Time, and I wonder how much are YOU saving?

I know I'm not saving anything, and nether has the state of Indiana since the changeover to DST.

In fact, millions of dollars are being LOST as a result...every year since.
(who knew?)
Just in our house, the difference of time that the outdoor lights are on is negligible.
So, I turn ON the lights later...big fat hairy deal.

I turn them OFF just as "later" the following morning, not to mention that the A/C will run LONGER when the sun remains in the sky LATER.

Talk about stressful...and we'll visit THAT street later on down the post.

Anyway, multiply that "saving" by several million households and businesses, and you can see how the "saving" adds up.

(pssst...it really doesn't)
I'm all for taking it back to standard time...ALL year, every year.
*** Stubby the Squirrel is in the dog house...

(or maybe...it's the squirrel-house?)

My little "buddy" was sternly chided yesterday when he decided to chew a hole in our screen to get a little closer to his food source (me, the peanut-vendor).

I had to spritz him with some home-made repellant, and then repaired the screen (a patch for the time being), and hopefully, that will discourage him from doing this again.

I don't mind handing him peanuts (which he takes from my fingers with no problem), but I HAVE to draw the line someplace, and having to re-roll new screening later this year wasn't in MY game plan.

Fortunately, we DO have more screening on-hand (Semper Paratus, as it were), but Stubby has got to learn the "rules of engagement" here.
Peanuts - YES...screen - NO!
*** Part 2 of the History Channel series THE BIBLE picked up markedly from last week, with the stories of Joshua and Jericho, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, King Saul, and David and Bathsheba.

Goes to show that God did not always choose "perfect" people...
But He DID choose people that were right for the time and had the levels of faith and devotion required for their place in history.
And as quick as God was to mete out punishment for disobedience, He was just as quick to reward adherence to the Law of God.
The only thing I would take exception to, is that it airs the same time as the new episodes of The Walking Dead on AMC.
(and THAT show's storyline is getting REALLY interesting, but that's a whole other post...lol)
*** And speaking of apocalyptic venues that require people to hoard ammunition and weapons...
(helluva segue, hmm?)

Has anyone been following a story that claims the Department of Homeland Security has been buying up obscenely HUGE amounts of ammo?
And that's not all...they've ALSO been purchasing "mission-specific" vehicles.
Here's the story link:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2013/03/10/why-the-heck-is-dhs-buying-more-than-a-billion-bullets-plus-thousands-of-guns-and-mine-resistant-armored-vehicles/
This article is a very good read of near-epiphanic proportions. (imho)
And here's a related link for the government purchase of SELECT-FIRE (that means full-auto) firearms designated for "personal defense".
((...ahem...))
https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=d791b6aa0fd9d3d8833b2efa08300033&tab=core&_cview=0
Wow...a BILLION BULLETS, and NOT for the "military"?
Hmm...could the DHS soon become that "National Security Force" that President "that guy" wanted to institute?

And the vehicles mentioned are called MRAPS (mine-resistant, ambush-protected), and it's said that THESE armored vehicles are NOT going overseas either...or to be used for strict MILITARY use...wonder why?
(Bet'cha we COULD use one at EACH of our embassies, though)

I don't recall local POLICE forces across the nation being GIVEN such trucks for SWAT use...do you?
The vehicles purchased (2,700+) look more like URBAN-ASSAULT vehicles more than anything else...like what the Brits used to have back in the old Belfast-IRA days.
Now, not to totally blow off any "conspiracy theories" here, but something just doesn't seem "right" with all this.

The majority of that 1.4 Bil. (total) rds. of ammo are HOLLOW-POINTS, which means NOT for combat use (per Geneva Convention), as FMJ (full metal jacketed) rds are those used in theater.

JHP ammo is primarily for personal defense, and primarily used HERE (mainly by law-enforcement).

Think of a JHP round as the definitive round to use when you definitely, positively need to DROP whoever it is you have to shoot.

And the WEAPONS purchased (7,000 total) are fully-automatic 5.56mm AR rifles.

Again, why would DHS suddenly find such a need for SO MANY "personal-defense" weapons.

Funny thing, they're not calling these firearms ASSAULT-STYLE guns in THIS instance - the guns the government would like YOU not to have, even in SEMI-AUTO modes.
Sure makes you wonder.

But the article goes on through the shrubbery maze of politics, arriving at the center, where we find (who else), but Barack Hussein Obama (mmm, mmm, mmm....), who, between the years 1998-2001, served along with Bill Ayres and Valery Jarret on the board of the VERY anti-gun JOYCE FOUNDATION in Chi-Town.

During the 2008 campaign, you might recall that Barry stated:

“We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded.”
See, I remember THAT statement...just as well as the writers of the Forbes article.
And doesn't the DHS just "fit that bill" nicely?
What about the TSA...bet you can add THOSE people in the mix here, as well.
A NATIONAL security force...kinda like...lemme see...the BROWN SHIRTS...or the...GESTAPO?
Now maybe, just MAY-be all this ammo purchased was ONLY "just for quarterly special agent qualifications..."

Yeah, that's GOT to be it, nothing to see HERE, right?
Still, that's a helluva LOT of "special agents"...
In fact, that's ENOUGH ammo to sustain a "war" (on the scope of Iraq) for several YEARS!

And perhaps we should forget that DHS has blacked out all information regarding these purchases...yeah, STILL nothing to see here, right?

Now, try going out and buying ammo for YOURSELF...if you can find it, and at a decent price...getting kinda dicey, no matter where you shop.

Yeah...I'm sure GLAD I'm not one of those conspiracy-theory junkies, otherwise, I'd be stressed out the ass.
And, according to a "new" study, STRESS can aggravate heart conditions...
(...'ya think???...)
Here I thought stress only CAUSED heart conditions...LOL.

*** Lastly today, vigilance is fast becoming the new watch-word for millions of law-abiding Americans.

I stated YEARS ago, that you have to watch BOTH hands of those in this  administration.

It's kind of like watching the hired help to make sure the silverware doesn't grow feet and walk from the manor.

It seems that every question we ask is answered only by...(you guessed it...) MORE questions.

But, at least we're finding out more than we knew yesterday...so much for transparency in government.
Well, we can SEE right through them, so I suppose transparency has it's own place.
That should not dissuade us from continuing our questioning of things and people that require it.
WE are the ones who should best determine our future, and not some jack-booted, lock-stepping minions of an administration that doesn't even keep it's lies straight...or hidden at this point.
WE need to watch them all, LISTEN to what ALL they are saying, and read between the lines, if we are to discern the TRUTH of the matter.
Yeah...easier said than done, and quite stressful when we have households to maintain and families to look after.
But, it's a job we should take in willingly, if WE are to retain our nation as it was conceived and designed.

Have yourselves a good week.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America