I am now the owner of a 37 inch LCD Flat Screen TV. It is nice. The old tube set finally gave it up. Coupled with our newly acquired satellite service, pretty cool stuff. The missus has had a 32 inch flat screen for the bedroom since we were still in Wichita.

The Kings and Ducks games are very nice to watch, indeed.

We went with the satellite service due to our local cable company not being worth **** on a boar hog and ***** on a priest. You get the picture I made a funny!!!!!!!!!!!

Been sorta keeping up on the scumbag currently residing at 1600 PA Ave. in DC. What a worthless piece of ****! Along with the Wicked Witch of The West and the “Gambler” from Searchlight we are in deep doo-doo if their plans go through. I really am having a hard time with the statement from the Bay Area Queen that we “need to pass the bill to find out what is in it” Rope, Tree, Nancy……Some assembly required. And the TOTUS going off on fishing as it is a bad thing. Lousy bastard anyway! I really wonder if most folks realized what he really was when they voted his sorry, commie a** into office along with all those districts across the country that thought a minion of obammy-mammy was the best choice to represent them in the congress. Sort of gives credence to a personal little theory of mine. That being………the average American couldn’t pour piss from a boot with the directions written on the heel. Just sayin’ ya know.

Rant over.

And all intelligent, conservative and patriotic bloggers should have Pinch and Lex on their blogroll!

ORPO Sends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, getting back to yesterday, I’d been getting more and more hoarse as the days had gone by and my throat was getting more sore as well.  I called it quits for the day at work yesterday at about 0900 and headed out to go see the doctor.  My doctor was actually on vacation, so I saw the nurse practitioner, but she can still write prescriptions   The doctor’s visit set me back $15 and the amoxicillin was $5.99 at Costco.  Having a good job is worth quite a bit these days.

Anywho, on to the pics

9 March 2010 - An amazon tree boa adds color at Exotic Pets

Before we get to yesterday, we have to go back one more day.  I stopped by Exotic Pets to pick up some dinner for Ziva and look at what I found – an amazon tree boa   I think the coloration is rather pretty, but I won’t be picking one up anytime soon – they cost more than a Glock

10 March 2010 - Snow on the Sheep Range just north of town

Getting back to yesterday, I had picked up my prescription and was heading on out when I noticed that it was snowing on the Sheep Range north of town.  Call me strange if you must, but I always think this is rather cool

10 March 2010 - Gotta love the "Attack Grandma"

A bit later, I noticed this truck and had to laugh – very quietly, mind you due to the fact that I didn’t have much of a voice – at the bumper sticker and the mud flaps   No, I’m not being mean or derisive here – I just thought they were great

10 March 2010 - Driving towards Mt. Charleston from Highway 95

I’d also noticed that it appeared to be snowing on Mt. Charleston and seeing as how I wasn’t really feeling all that bad at the moment – I just couldn’t talk and therefore couldn’t work – I figured I’d take a short drive up the hill…

10 March 2010 - Snow showers in the distance

Yep, that looks like snow in the distance.  And it’s not coming down very lightly, either

10 March 2010 - First snowflakes at the entrance to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

I saw the first snowflakes floating at me right about here which is around the 5,000 foot elevation mark.  You can see ‘em if you look closely.

10 March 2010 - Getting into the area where the snow hasn't melted yet

More snow and it’s actually stuck to the hillside, not just melted.

10 March 2010 - A little bit farther up the road and more snow in the distance

Now, that looks like some reasonably serious snow up in the distance…

10 March 2010 - Camping anyone?

And indeed, it was snowing pretty well right around here.  One of these days, I’m going to actually go snow camping – I’ve never really had the chance before.  Sure, we were going to do it in Boy Scouts, but it never actually happened.  This will require some serious investment in cold weather gear as I don’t have much at this time, but I think it’ll be worth it

10 March 2010 - Memorial to those who perished in a military air crash in 1955 on Mt. Charleston

You can pretty much read the sign if you click on the picture or you can go to www.coldwarmonument.org to read the story there, but this memorial tells the tale of an ill-fated flight from Burbank, CA to Groom Dry Lake in 1955.  The men who perished that day were working on the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and their loss was deeply felt by those in the program.  I’d known a bit about it before, but the website has some really good info as well.  May they rest in peace.

10 March 2010 - Park ranger's residence near Kyle Canyon

10 March 2010 - Park ranger's residence near Kyle Canyon

The thought has occurred to me that it might be nice to live somewhere like this and that park ranger wouldn’t be all that bad a job.  This picture did nothing to shake those ideas   I could use being somewhere that wasn’t connected to a telephone sometimes

10 March 2010 - My trusty HHR in the visitor's center parking lot

I don’t get very many chances to get photos like this, so I just couldn’t pass it up

10 March 2010 - Icicles !!!

Another one of those things I never really got a chance to see very often is icicles.  Yes, they’re probably pretty common to lots of people out there, but not to me.  I know something of how this is for many of you out there – huge casinos are commonplace in my life, but millions of people pay thousands of dollars for a weekend in my town

10 March 2010 - Another pic of my HHR, this time up at the Mt. Charleston Lodge

Just more of the HHR in the snow

10 March 2010 - Sun coming in through a break in the clouds

10 March 2010 - Can you tell I like the way this looks in the snow ?

And yeah, more of Cathedral Rock

10 March 2010 - Cabins for rent at the Mt. Charleston Lodge

One of these years I’m going to get a cabin up here for a few days in the winter.  It’s so close (about a 40 minute drive) and so wonderfully different

10 March 2010 - My HHR at the Mt. Charleston Lodge with snow falling in the sunlight

Snow, sun, and the HHR – good stuff.

10 March 2010 - Beautiful scenery, but for some reason they closed the trail...

I just thought this was kind of funny – seeing the sign with all the snow

10 March 2010 - I saw this a ways down the mountain - maybe someday...

I know quite a few people who like horses    Maybe we’ll see about a trail ride sometime in the future

I figured I’d put the panoramas into their own little group for this post.  Click on ‘em to see full size as usual

9 March 2010 - Sunset as seen from Exotic Pets

9 March 2010 - Scenery behind the Spring Mountains visitors center

9 March 2010 - Visitors guide outside the visitors center

9 March 2010 - The Mt. Charleston Lodge

9 March 2010 - View from the Mt. Charleston Lodge

9 March 2010 - My HHR with Cathedral Rock in the background

And this time, I even have a video for you

I know it’s just some of the pictures from above with a little bit of driving and music from YouTube’s audio swap function, but I think it’s one of those things that will help bring back good memories in the future and I hope you liked it, too

That’s it for today.  Here’s hoping you have a great day and that I feel well enough this weekend to get out and do some fun stuff

But a while back, his blog went Tango Uniform and lots of stuff was lost.  Including, apparently, the link he had back over to this place.  That is, it was lost until today when he posted a new one on his blog

Thanks again, Pinch, and keep up the great work

So, you ask, what’s this got to do with bad apples?  Well, it just so happens that one of those people who were the only ones previously trusted to carry firearms openly due to his wearing of a uniform has just been arrested and charged with multiple felonies.  One of those felonies was burglary while in possession of a firearm.

According to lasvegasnow.com, Chief Constable Larry Markotay was arrested back on 22 February 2010 for driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident.  During the course of his arrest, the arresting officers found a few guns in the car and traced one of them back to a recent burglary.

Folks, I’m one of the guys out there who actually likes cops for the most part.  Remember – Dad was California Highway Patrol for over thirty years.  I’ve heard both sides between Dad, his co-workers, and the kids at school.  Quite a bit of the time, I look at both sides of an issue and side with the cops.  If you’ve never read LawDog, you should.  He’s a Texas LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) with an interesting background who tells it like it is with a sense of humor.  Often they’re out there either by themselves or with only one partner and backup is a long ways off.  They’re doing a tough job that lots of people would shudder to think of taking on themselves.  They’re the ones running to the sound of trouble.  They go door to door in wildfires to make sure residents have evacuated.

Still, like any group out there, you’ll find a few bad ones in with all the good ones.  This goes for law enforcement just as much as it does for your co-workers or the population of your high school.

David Codrea’s blog, The War on Guns, features many stories of the bad apples in the bunch.  He’s not out to say that cops are evil or that all cops are bad.  As David says on his blog:

The purpose of this feature has never been to bash cops. The only reason I do this is to amass a credible body of evidence to present when those who would deny our right to keep and bear arms use the argument that only government enforcers are professional and trained enough to do so safely and responsibly. And it’s also used to illustrate when those of official status, rank or privilege, both in law enforcement and in some other government position, get special breaks not available to we commoners, particularly (but not exclusively) when they’re involved in gun-related incidents.

I emailed David a link to the story and he published his take on it along with including a link over to this blog for which I’m very thankful.  I can’t say I disagree with David at all.

I’ve been known to carry a 9mm on my hip quite often lately and most places it gets about as much attention as a black hole in a distant galaxy.  Heck, in Bass Pro Shops the only reason I knew anybody even noticed it was that they thought I was an employee and asked me questions that I did my best to answer.  But this is Nevada and the people here seem to have a bit of common sense.

That thousands of people in Nevada and other states do the same thing on a daily basis without any “blood in the streets” or “gunfights at high noon” doesn’t matter to groups like the Brady Center (you’ll have to google it – I’m not giving them a link) who would have you believe that government agents such as police and military members should be allowed to carry guns and then only while on duty.  I’ve never agreed with this and I’ll continue to fight that idea as long as anyone tries to advance it.

One of the best examples I can give you, aside from stories like former Chief Constable Markotay and David Codrea’s Only Ones, is the following video of a law enforcement officer in a school classroom.

That officer’s name is Lee Paige and he was (and possibly still is) a member of the DEA.  A good article on the incident can be found at The Smoking Gun along with Mr. Paige’s lawsuit against the DEA.  He didn’t like the fact that he was the butt of jokes and the target of ridicule after the tape was released.  Oh yeah, my heart bleeds </snark>.  And before anyone says I don’t know what that’s like, I can assure you that I most definitely do.  One of these days, I’ll post the whole story about yours truly, a shotgun, a couple of co-workers, and a kitchen sink in the desert.  Nobody was seriously injured (they didn’t even require a band aid), but I’ll never forget the lessons I learned from that incident nor will anyone ever let me forget it, either.

But at least I never said that I’m the only one who should carry a means of defense.  I hope everyone who can come to terms with the ultimate responsibility of carrying a firearm and who is committed to doing so in a responsible manner actually does so.

I’d have to say that while I’m appalled at Mr. Markotay’s behavior, I applaud the Boulder City Police for doing their job regardless of who the person might be who’s on the wrong end of the law.  Just because someone is a cop or a politician doesn’t mean they’re not subject to the same laws as an average citizen who works in construction, hospitality, tech support, or any other field.

There’s no reason for them to be the only ones with regard to much of anything.  The only ones with lights and sirens?  Sure.  They need to get to the scene of the crime or accident as quickly as possible – I have no problem with that.  The only ones with badges and uniforms?  I’ll go along with that – there are a few things cops do for us that the average citizen can’t – like serving search warrants and pulling over speeding motorists in which case official identification is a good thing.

But allowing them to be the only ones with a legal means of effective of self defense against those who don’t care about the law in the first place?  No, sorry, I can’t agree with that.  It’s just plain stupid and goes against my interests in self preservation and has proven to be a source of easy targets for the bad guys.