The Constitution of the United States is confusing?

Where did they dredge this idiot up?

I've found the Constitution to be fairly easy to understand. Any part that I had difficulty with or a question about was always worthy of investigation and further reading.

I guess that is too much to ask from today's spoon fed "just tell me so I don't have to think" culture.

God help us. We're going to need it.

I'm back

I hope you had a merry Christmas and I hope you have a happy new year.

Random searches on trains spread

Here is your link.

The most surprising part to me is that these searches weren't already standard. I'm sure they will make the sheeple feel much safer but they won't actually make anyone safer.

I guess this is a sign that the locals there couldn't afford full body scanners for everyone. Too bad for them.

Holiday terrorist warning cites small arms attacks

Here is your link.

This means that you should be armed at all times this holiday season. Of course you should always be armed at all times.

I'm sure our fearless leaders would have a different suggestion for you. Something along the lines of "we should have the TSA set up security checkpoints everwhere and if you aren't happy about it then you must be a terrorist".

If being armed isn't a good thing then the police should quit carrying firearms and government officials should give up their bodyguards. I don't expect that will happen.

Stay armed. Stay vigilant. Have fun. Enjoy the holidays with the knowledge that you can help take care of your family and yourself if you have to.

UN wants internet reglations

No kidding. When people rise to power they almost always want more power. Free exchange of information is a threat to people in power so it must be controlled.

Here is your link.

I loved this part:

The Brazilian delegate stressed, however, that this should not be seen as a call for a "takeover" of the internet.

I'll interpret that for you: We know we can't take over total control all at once so we'll take whatever we can get away with now and come back for more later. The standard method of nickle and diming people to death. The same method is used to attack all liberties.

There isn't enough out there to keep batf agents busy . . .

. . . so they have to invent new stuff.

BATF to require "multiple-sales form" for long guns.

The short form is that government at all levels is going bankrupt the batboys want to increase the amount of paperwork that they have available to process. They are planning on doing that by requiring dealers to send a from to the batf any time someone buys more than one semi-auto rifle with a detachable magazine and a caliber greater than .22 at a time.

There is no apparent reason for this except that all the extra forms coming in will of course require a larger budget to hire more people to read and file the forms.

Nothing like overspending your budget to justify a budget increase. Doubly so when the project you are overspending on is senseless. Triply so when the people most likely to be targeted by your silly project are also the people most likely to oppose your budget increase and to oppose the direction the federal government is headed in general.

Now that I've written this I'd better go hide my dog.

Making Things

When we visit my parents the kids like to make something in Grandpa's shop. It's sort of a ritual.

This year I think #3 started it by saying he wanted to build a "sniper rifle". We asked what each kiddo wanted. #1 wanted to make a plasma pistol from Halo. #2 wanted to make a Sten. #3 wanted to make a sniper rifle. #4 wanted to make a treasure chest.

First, the plasma pistol.


In case you don't know what a plasma pistol from Halo looks like, here is a pic of one you can buy for $199.

Granted, the one that Grandpa and I made with #1 doesn't have all the neat colors and sound effects, but I think I like the wooden version better.

Here is the Sten.


Here are some pics of real Sten guns.


A little bit of black and gray spray paint added to that would get you arrested in most big cities. The receiver started out as a rolling pin. We still aren't quite finished yet. We still need to add sights.

**Side note: I really need to get that couch recovered. It's been through 11 years of kids and that's the biggest issue with it so I guess it's not too bad.**

The sniper rifle proved to be a little more involved. My dad ended up finishing it himself. The results were worth the effort.


The barrel was an old shovel handle. The scope started out as a rectangular block of wood and the hole goes all the way through.

I'm waiting for my better half to send me pics of the treasure chest. It is made from a bunch of cabinet doors that were taken out of my parent's kitchen when they had it remodeled. It is just the right size for a little girl to put her treasure in and carry it around. I'll update this with the pics when I get them.

While we were working on these my dad commented that when he was a kid parents didn't take the time to make stuff like this for kids. I think that was the difference in the standard of living in those days vs. the standard of living in more recent times, plus there has been a big change in priorities. Heck, if you already own the tools, have a huge bin of scrap wood, and are retired so that time isn't such a rare commodity then creating toys like these makes sense. You can't buy the love of children and of woodworking that went into these.

Of course back in those days parents did other things with their kids. My dad told me that he and his dad went to stay at the farm one weekend. He crawled into bed to sleep and a few minutes later his dad got him up by throwing a lit firecracker next to him. They went outside and had a firecracker fight. Those were the days.

I try to keep some of that alive for my kids. Taking them out hunting and shooting is one of those things that parents don't do enough with their kids in my opinion. Building or making stuff with them is another. I do what I can.

More proof that Stephen Breyer is unfit to be a Supreme Court Justice

As if any more proof is needed.