Thousands of illegal immigrants cross the US/Mexico border, in a southern direction, and after they vote in “their” national election, we let them back into the US. Can you say “anal-cranial inversion?” I knew you could…

My weekends are made for TMBWitW and TMBCitW, with some home improvement/renovation projects along the way. That’s why you don’t see any new posts on the weekends, and why I don’t usually respond to my e-mail after 10:00 or so Friday morning… normally.

prying1 sez© he and Mrs. prying1 can’t talk to each other unless they are in the same room, due to acoustic issues. I have that same problem, only it’s even in the same room when I’m over the sink and TMBWitW is talking to me and expecting me to hear over the rush of water in the concave bowl, which focuses the sound on my ears and pretty much drowns out everything else…

Having a job that requires you to work on July 3rd, before the July 4th holiday, is the pits. It really sucks if you don’t have any vacation to take the day off. It really, really sucks that due to a job opportunity that didn’t pan out you don’t even get paid for the Fourth, since you don’t have 90 days at the company yet (timer starts over when you return to the company). On the other hand, I give God all the praise that I can muster that I have a job, because there are many in this country who don’t even have that much.

Dogs, having learned that they can sleep on the bed with the humans, take up way too much space. Apparently, once they are domesticated, the dogs lose the ability to sleep curled up in a ball with their noses tucked under their tails. The preferred position is stretched out, with the nose tucked into the nearest nook or cranny of the closest human. (cold nose in the butt at 1:45 am? that’s a wake-up call)

Did you have a good weekend? Do you have big plans for the Fourth?

A big thank you to all the veterans out there – past, present, and even future (Hi Sammy!) – for helping to secure and preserve the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Ooh-Rah! Semper Fi!

God bless you all, and be safe, OK? I don’t have many readers, but I would sure miss you if anything happened.

(tip of the old hat to Fix4RSO) (this is updated; I see a lot of blog entries and sometimes the old melon gets soft. Sorry for the confusion)

jihad:

Answers.com “jihad definition”

An individual’s striving for spiritual self-perfection; a Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels.

hirabah:

No nifty quick search results, so Google “hirabah definition” instead.

One definition: public terrorism in a war against society and civilization

I would like to request that we all start calling what the islamofacists are doing by it’s correct name – hirabah. They certainly are not acting individually; they are striving for global domination, not spiritual self-perfection; their own citizens are not infidels by their definition; and they are most certainly practicing terrorism against their own society and the world’s civilization.

I have referred to it as jihad in the past, rest assured I will change my ways.

God bless you all.

I know, it’s an oxymoron, but I wanted my newest troll to feel welcome. (Hi, Pete!)

As I introduced him in the comments to the previous post, I thought that perhaps some of you would like to know what this country is up against, as far as beating ourselves in this global fight. I am sure that if Pete feels the need, he will let you know exactly where he stands on almost any issue. He’s the kind of citizen that makes me proud to have served this country and preserved his rights.

(sarcasm off, moving right along)

As most of you are aware, I don’t just list links over on the side for decoration. I make an attempt to interact with the writers of those blogs whenever a new post pops up. I don’t always comment, but I at least try to get over and read your new ones. Some of the blogs I visit have stronger language than others; the ones I have listed show those ratings. The ones on the Texas blogroll are under Texas Fred’s jurisdiction; he does not “rate” the blogs as I do. As it should be, since that is his blogroll, and it is under his control.

I said all that to say this: the No PC BS blog is one of the blogs that has language a bit harsher than mine; I don’t hold that against Jenn or any of her visitors (by the way, write “Diggz” in the blank line on your 2008 presidential ballot). I’m saying that to let you know so you can make your informed choice as to whether to visit her or not. Over there, I tend to cut loose on some of the topics that are brought up. Sometimes, that cutting loose gets aimed at specific people, today it was towards two liberal commenters, who call themselves “dave” and “Pete.” I don’t regret anything I said; I was probably a lot easier on them than some of you fine folk who happen to be regular readers. Tell you what, judge for yourself:

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Pete and Dave, your vitriol is very potent. No matter what happens, you will find the gall to criticize and denigrate it.

If not for the hate-spewing, misguided, and uninformed statements from certain citizens, this country would still be the powerhouse it was destined to be.

Keep tearing down that which was built up, guys – and when it finally collapses, do NOT come crawling to the military (rednecks getting their limbs blown off), the governement (all in collusion with big business) or any other body of leadership that you have put down, torn apart, or ripped on for help. Oh, they’ll give it to you, because that’s their job – but if you so much as demand one iota of help, you will be showing your true lack of honor, integerity, and self-respect. People like you who do nothing but spew WITHOUT OFFERING A SINGLE ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION make me sick to my stomach. I defend your right to free speech, regardless of whether you excercise your responsibility or not.

You, Pete, are the epitome of why this country is mired in a PC BS mess – if the military were to operate in the manner they are capable, this war would have been over almost as soon as it started. Go away, Pete. You keep threatening to leave and never come back, but I have yet to see you keep your word in any regard, so I can’t say I’m surprised you keep rearing your dissenting head.

We now return to our regular schedule…
cary | Homepage | 06.29.06 – 9:42 am | #

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To fully understand why I said some of what I said, you would have to go back through the post archives over at No PC BS and see where Pete and dave are coming from. That is, if you can stomach what they keep spouting.

God bless you all. Especially you, “Pete,” since you seem to be the most resistant to the blessings God has bestowed on you.

7/5/06 Update:
Pete only referred to one soldier as a “redneck who got his limbs blown off,” but due to his continued bashing of the American Fighting Man in general, this statement was attached to him iconically, much like Reagan’s “Tear down this wall!” Only, of course, without the pride of Americanism behind it.

I must be working in the wrong industry, or for the wrong employer (well, duh, but that’s a different post. I wanna be self-employed…).

Every morning, on my law-abiding way to work, I am passed by people who are way more anxious to get to their jobs than I am to mine. Is this a Phoenix-area phenomenon? I doubt it – I have heard of road racers from across the country. Why is this?

What is so important that the need to obey the speed limit comes in second, if not third or fourth, depending on the food and phone call being worked at the same time?

I have it on good authority that the people who do what I really want(ed) to do for a living obey the speed limits (with one *busch* exception) while driving to and from their places of business. Yes, when I grew up, I wanted to be a race car driver. I didn’t care what series, what league, whatever. As long as it had wheels and a motor, I wanted to be the driver.

Here in Phoenix, there are red-light accidents on average of three times per day. Three. Times. Per. Day. That doesn’t count the outlying areas of Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Avondale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler…you get the picture. It also does not include the “impaired” accidents. Most of the red light accidents are, thankfully, not fatal. But the ones that are, are horrifically fatal. So, was killing that lady and her kids worth getting to work on time instead of leaving five minutes earlier?

I know that my little vent here won’t change much. Heck, it probably won’t change anything. But, I feel better having let you know how I feel.

God bless you all, drive safely, and watch out for the crazymoronjerks on the road.

Weekends were made for catching up on projects, right?

Jarhead John mentioned in a comment that he hadn’t heard from me for a while. Thanks for your concern, John. I hope to be able to get my head above water soon, so I can show the same level of care to my online friends that I do my face to face friends/family, and that you have shown for me.

All’s well that ends well, right? Friday afternoon, on the way home from running errands (I get out of work kind of early on Fridays, after working four nines Monday through Thursday) I had finally had enough of the grinding and binding going on in the front end of my ’98 QX4. It’s paid for, so the maintenance is the only cost. Well, that, and it’s addiction to refined petroleum products, but that’s another post. ANYway, I called the neighborhood Midas shop, and took the beast in for a front axle lifetime brake job. I had a coupon, so it was only $110 for the brakes. While the brakes were off, it came to light that the reason the brakes were binding and jumping was that the last brake job (at a shop I will not name, for some soon-to-be obvious reasons), when they resurfaced the rotors, went just a hair past specification for thickness. Actually, thinness. Three thousand pounds of vehicle, brakes every mile and a half or so, Phoenix summer temps, ergo, warpage and binding and nasty things. New rotors and Labor: $460. While the wheels were off, I looked at the front end. I shouldn’t have. Well, maybe it’s a good thing I did. The dust boots on the front drive axles (both sides, thanks for asking) were shot, no grease in the joints, and when I grabbed and shook, it was very loose and nasty in there. Front axles R&R: $325.

Well, since my afternoon was finished, and TMBWitW (who, by the way, is enjoying the pregnancy except for the discomfort and the sinus headache she just picked up – and is now sharing with me) was hungry, we drove over to our second dining room, JB’s. We each had our own vehicle, since she had picked me up and dropped me back off at Midas. After dinner, she waved, hopped into her Camry, and zipped off. I waved back, hopped in my QX4, hit the starter, and called a tow truck.

Saturday was spent cursing the engineers who design vehicles and never work on them; followed by the realization that if mechanics designed vehicles they would be too wide for today’s roads. Or too long to drive safely. But much easier to get at each component. Seems it is required to run the tranny cooler lines right over the top of the starter bolts. Once I managed to R&R the starter, I discovered that the battery, at halfway through it’s three year life, had given up the ghost. Wal-Mart, in it’s infinite wisdom, will be supplying me with free replacement batteries for the rest of my life. Checker/Schucks/Kragen will be warrantying my starter for the rest of my life. Battery: $0 (warranty replacement). Starter: $164.99 and my own labor to install.

This all means that my weekend projects (trim out the new door, paint the hall bath, try to get more baseboard down) didn’t get done. Well, there’s always next weekend.

It also means my savings account didn’t grow very much this week.

How was your weekend?

God bless you all, every one!