I have to go to work in a few minutes, early day. I haven’t had a chance to review this, Words that Don’t Matter but I’m sure it’s up to the standard that we expect out of Mr. Hanson.

Ah, yes. Our wonderful public school system. The Separation of School and State.

First of all, what started out the story:

In the wake of a fatal shooting, the security for a D.C. high school was officially turned over to the city’s police department last week. Armed officers will patrol the halls.

I’m sorry to say that schools like this will never go away. Even if we were able to get the best and brightest students out and away from hellholes such as this, the students that create the situation in the first place will still be there, necessitating such measures. But that is no excuse to sacrifice those who have a chance to escape in the name of those who don’t have that chance.

Two of the most viable ones are homeschooling and apprenticeships. Neither prevents anyone from choosing public schools; each merely offers a choice at no public expense. How could anyone reasonably object to that?

I’ll tell you right now the teachers and NEA have a problem with things like this. They realize that every success undermines their position, and they are the masters of incrementalism. If they allow this today, they’ll have to take another step back when the first step proves successful. Before you know it, people will think they have the right to teach their own children, or to send them to whatever school they want to.

This must not be allowed to happen. People by and large are too stupid to raise their children or to make such decisions.

Of course, if you believe the above, you are hopelessly Liberal. It is a basic tenet of this country that people are NOT stupid, and must be empowered to make their own decisions. Just like there is a freedom to starve, there is a freedom to make the wrong choice. This freedom must never be taken away from us.

In a related story: This concerns me. Gaffes spell doom: Students’ sloppy letters aid charter schools’ approval.

I think this quote sums it up, emphasis mine.

[Board of Education member Roberta] Schaefer ridiculed the letters against a proposed school in Marlboro for their missing punctuation and sloppy spelling – including a misspelling of the word “school” in one missive.

“If I didn’t think a charter school was necessary, these letters have convinced me the high school was not doing an adequate job in teaching English language arts,” Schaefer said.

Misspelling simple words at the high school level, especially in a letter to an important person, shows the sloppiness not only of the student, but of the teacher as well. These letters were supposed to show that these charter schools weren’t needed, but proved the very point that they are desperately needed. Anything to get away from the monolithic bureaucracy that is the public schools. And, of course, the teachers union opposes any kind of opposition. They would never put the welfare of the children above their own petty agenda, would they?

Here’s two stories, Kerry’s View on Israel’s Fence: ‘Legitimate’ or ‘Barrier to Peace’? and Kerry Donors Include ‘Benedict Arnolds’ show just who he isn’t.

The first article talks about his standard giving the audience what they want to hear, and in doing that he comes down on both side of the issue. The second article is all about biting the hand that feeds him.

Kerry couldn’t make up his mind and stick to it if his life depended on it, and in this time and place it does.

What strikes me as odd is Clinton did the same thing, but never got the same level of coverage about his flip-flops. It’s like the media are in league with Hillary and her 2008 bid that I’ve talked about before. It seems like the media is trying to shave points away from Kerry without being too obvious about it.

Heh.

I have a ton on stuff to comment on, but I have to go into work today, I have some mandatory annual training to take, so I’m working half-days today and tomorrow. After a visit and errand by my case manager, I’ll be back and working off my queue of stories.

Later.

I have to admit, I wonder how they get these stunning pictures.

Well, I have two tactical squads done, plus a rhino and a dreadnought. I also have my HQ squad done, except for the apothecary which is coming in the mail. I have two rhinos, a predator (heavily armed rhino) a dreadnought, my assault squad and another tactical squad left to go, and only 31 days left to go. I might make it. I really want to get this done quickly because I want to practice a game or two so I really know how Warhammer works. I’ve watched a few games, but that’s been it.

Here’s what I have to date:

Thanks for looking.

I’ll say it again: This scares me. This article, Socialism Lite is being enacted today and most people don’t know it.

This quote:

“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened.”

Enough of this quote rings true that it doesn’t matter if someone actually said it or not. This is what is happening today, right now, this second.

This is not how the Founding Fathers envisioned the United States:

What does the DSA believe? According to the Greater Detroit DSA local : “We believe that everyone has a right to . . .

• Affordable quality health care, quality education, food and shelter, and childcare;
• A full-time job at a living wage;
• Living-level disability and retirement income (Social Security);
• Meaningful participation in public affairs and politics;
• Meaningful participation in workplace decisions; and
• A healthy, clean environment

. . . regardless of income, education, gender, race, or sexual orientation.”

Ladies and gentlemen, dear readers, we here in the US have many freedoms. But one of the most important one has been taken away from many of us: The Freedom to starve. This very basic tenet of life is one of the founding freedoms. It is upon this freedom that our greatness has been born from. Many people do face this freedom every day, but there are enough charity programs out there that not many actually do stare this freedom in the face.

You know, it used to be, “Want a house? Here’s an axe. There’s some trees over there. Want fast food? Here’s a gun. There’s an elk. Don’t miss.”

When I was separated from my family over a year ago, I already had a job, else I would be working at a pizza place, a Kroger or a stop-n-rob. I faced the freedom to starve and I passed the test. All of my disability money goes to my family, none to me.

There are many that are unable to pass this test. Those people deserve the charity they receive. There are many that are able to pass the test. Those that can, but won’t should starve. Won’t being the operative word. Those who refuse to help themselves are not worthy of public support. If they want to get their GED, get some schooling and find a good job, I have no problem with that. But to languish around and do nothing, let them starve. Either they will pass the test or they won’t, it’s all up to them.

I happened across this on Newsmax, Senate Democrats Push Anti-gun Measures and I picked it for two reasons.

First, it is a continuation of one of yesterdays entries about the anti-lawsuit legislation. This desperately needs to get through.

Second, is an erroneous quote from a Republican Senator:

“Although I voted against the ban a decade ago, over the past 10 years it has reduced crime dramatically and has made our streets safer,” [Virginia Senator John]Warner said. “The legislation also has protected the rights of gun owners better than many of us predicted.”

Semi-automatic rifles with the cosmetic features as described in the “Assault Weapons Ban” are used in less than 2% of crimes. They are unwieldy, difficult to conceal, and the bullets of the military issue rifles(7.62×39, .308, 5.56) are designed to wound, not kill.

What has reduced crime is actions like Project Exile where repeat felons caught with guns, even ammunition, have their parole revoked and are hauled back to prison to serve their full terms. Keeping the people who do the crimes off the streets, not “limiting” an unused type of firearm has put the dampers on crime.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Don’t complain about history when it’s current events. This article, Report: Slavery Alive and Well in Florida talks about how people are being forced into labor.

Sure, they don’t wear steel collars and leg chains, but forced labor is forced labor. From prostitution to farm workers to house staff, people are undergoing the demeaning existence of slavery TODAY.

Do what you can to stop it. Please.

There’s more I want to comment upon, but I’m running out of time before I have to go to work. It takes time for me to muster up the vitriol and get my words straight before I hit post and I don’t have it this morning. While the pills are lessening and even occasionally stopping the attacks, a malaise has settled over me.

The Warhammer paining has done good for me in the fact that it gives me a specific detail-oriented project for me to do, but there are times that I can’t face it. The two tactical squads I have been putting together have taken more time than I thought they would. I’m doing it right in the sense that I’m taking my time and not duplicating my actions like I did with the first squad, but I thought it would be easier. I still have lots of time before the tournament, but I would like to get some practice in before I go. I don’t want to look like a total newbie.

That’s all. Gotta go.

It’s all over all of the news sources today, Clinton’s FBI had a lead on one of the 9/11 terrorists in 1999. 9/11 Commission Probes Clinton Administration’s Failure to Track Hijacker.

The flawed philosophy of treating terrorism as a crime and waiting for an attack to respond is the worst possible thing to do. When dealing with people like this, you kill them before they can kill you, because nothing short of death will stop them. Which is why we must change the middle east, not beat it into submission.

The next terrorist attack will make 9/11 look like a garden party. Recall the emotions and horror you felt on 9/11 and multiply them several times to think of what you will feel when a mushroom cloud appears over NY or LA. Or webcams showing thousands lying dead in the streets after a biological or chemical attack.

The only way to stop the next attack is either to kill every last terrorist, or surrender to their twisted vision of Islam. And Americans don’t surrender.

Unless I get some suggestions from you dear readers, I am almost done with my list of core values. This list was not easy to come up with, nor to write for each subject. Here’s today’s installment:

Don’t look for glory. The soldier who looks for glory and medals gets killed quickly and takes his buddies with him. The worker who looks for glory will not do the job completely and truly earn the glory for a job done right. A good manager is always on the look out for jobs well done and will award glory appropriately. A bad manager expects perfection from his workers and does not reward their subordinates with the appropriate kudos when they are earned. In all cases, those who look for glory first will be disappointed. This does not mean that you should not point out your jobs done well. Record them in your calendar so you have them when it comes time for your performance review. Those who work for a good job first and glory second will be rewarded in the end.

*Sigh* more Warhammer news. Just to tell you how anal I am, I spent about 3 hours yesterday painting 15 rifles. They are painted rather lovely. I wish I had a macro function on my camera so I could show you. It took so long because these guys are less than an inch long and required a fine painting skill. Which I don’t have, I muddled through as best I could. It took about two minutes per rifle, per color and there are four colors each. All on an item about 3/4″ long.

I told you my second series of Marines would be better painted than the first. I should be done with these Marines today, I’ll post pictures of them later on tonight or tomorrow.

Congress has two gun bills in front of them. Gun bills may trigger split.

First is a proposed law to exempt gun manufacturers from product safety lawsuits. States and cities have been brining lawsuits against gun manufacturers on the basis that guns are unsafe and demand monetary compensation and unreasonable design changes to weapons.

Second, is a renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban, pushed by the anti-gun groups and given full backing by President Clinton. It bans 19 semi-automatic weapons by name, plus those who have too many cosmetic features.

The House really wants the first passed, while the Senate really wants the second extended, and it is causing a real headache.

It is really important that the first be passed. So far, every lawsuit against the gun manufacturers has failed. If one were to succeed, it would open up a floodgate of product safety lawsuits, and the courts know it, which is why they’ve been ruling in favor of the manufacturers. Imagine every product getting sued under this precedent if someone gets hurt. And I’ve always said there are people so stupid that I don’t know how they draw breath.

The second thing is a matter of pride for the gun industry and the NRA. While we have survived under it for 7 or 8 years now, it is time for it to go. I would be prepared to extend the ban for another couple of years to get the lawsuit law passed, but that’s just me. I would definitely not make the Assault Weapons Ban permanent. That is just bad, knee-jerk lawmaking and doesn’t deserve to be on the books.