2nd Amendment - What is your purpose?

What is the purpose of the second amendment anyway? In many countries they have no second amendment. No right to bear arms. So what was it our forefathers were trying to do when they established this most controversial amendment? Which of the following views do you espouse?

1. They were trying to protect the right of the military to protect us from foreign threats. Since there was no full-time army at the time, soldiers were made of citizens and often times their personal firearms.

Since the government has taken over that roll with a full time military, and provides the soldiers with firepower, there is therefore no need for this antiquated amendment.

2. They were protecting the right of the people to hunt for their food. At the time this was written many families relied on hunting as one of their main sources of food. The founders were attempting to protect that and as such placed it in prominence in the constitution.

Since we now have farm raised beef and other meats readily available at your local grocer there is no longer a need for you as a citizen to stalk off into the woods to bring home a meal for your family. Now you are able to do the same thing in flip flops and t-shirt. Drop your gun off to be disposed of at your local law enforcement office.

3. As the founders had found even the best of governments can grow corrupt over time. They wanted to provide the citizens of this new country a way to rise up against the leaders of this country if they themselves become corrupt.

If you drop by your local gun dealer you will find that firearms are selling quicker than they can be put on the shelves and ammunition is even more scarce. It can be very hard to find certain calibers of bullets. I can only wonder why there are so many people buying these rounds as soon as they are placed on the shelves.

Quick Adoption Update

Today while I was working my wife headed to Billings for an all church garage sale to benefit those adopting from Ethiopia. We had been under the impression that it would take a LONG time to get a placement from the agency we are working with. As it turns out, that has not been the case for a few other families.

Just as soon as they turned in their cash to the agency they were given placements. What does that mean? Well, we may be able to have pictures of our kids soon. Of course we are not exactly swimming in cash, so it may take us a bit longer than some of the other families, but we are still very excited about this news.

I don't normally use this as place to talk about our adoption, but well, I'm excited. So deal with it.

Yellowstone on the Holiday Weekend

This is a small lake just south of Yellowstone lake. Most of Yellowstone lake was frozen over. This lake on the other hand was created when magma and water combined under the surface of the earth... exploded from the steam pressure and is constantly refilled from the underground stream..... or so the info describing the lake claimed.

This is taken right on the edge of Yellowstone lake. One of the few spots of the lake not completely frozen over at this point. I'm not sure what kind of bird/duck this is. It has webbed feet like a duck, but a beak like a bird. Any help here...

See... I told you it was still frozen over. And you didn't believe me.

Elk. Taken near one of the many steam pots.

Obligatory shot of a bison. They are in abundance in Yellowstone. This was about 15 feet from the side of our vehicle.

This picture of a moose was not taken inside Yellowstone but about 30 miles outside the park. About an hours drive from our place.

This is a picture of my wife attacking me completely unprovoked, with a big ball of snow and ice. She would like you to believe I had thrown a snowball at her first. She is not to be believed. She lies... a lot.

My Friend Val a Long Time Coming

A friend of mine Val Geissler called to tell me this week that he couldn't run from a relationship with God any longer. I love this man, but had wondered if I would ever see this day. I could not have more joy than this news gave me.

Val is a charactor and America's Favorite Cowboy Entertainer. Val has since given up the show circuit but still puts on a funny show. If you have a few moments check out this link. It is about 15 minutes, but you won't regret it. It's the cremation of Sam McGee.

Not About Starbucks... just a story.

We pulled up to the drive through and ordered our food. We were on our way home from a great mothers day weekend with my mom. Our stomachs could not endure the wait, so Dairy Queen it was.

I like Dairy Queen. They are all that is good about America, burgers, fries, ice cream; What more could a person want. Sorry, back to the story.

So, we ordered our food. I ordered a burger. My wife orders the chicken strips. As we are unable to decipher the words coming out of the magical box we confirm our order on the screen. Looks great. We pull forward.

In less than a minute we were at the window and quickly paid our tab, receiving our drink. It was a coke. We also received our desert. A medium sized blizzard with Reese's peanut butter cups blended inside. Ah what a great country.

Surely the remaining food will be out in a moment. We wait. I take a drink of soda. We wait. Naomi begins to nibble on our desert. We wait. They must be making fresh fries. I take a bite of ice cream. We wait. We waited about 10 minutes. Suddenly the window flies open and there is our food. Fresh, hot and warm. I'm excited.

Naomi leans across me to see the gal in the window. Shakes her now empty soda so that you can hear the ice shaking liquidless on the inside. "Can I get a refill?"

My Blog Family

Sometimes as I'm reading the collection of blogs that I frequent I can't help but get the feeling that we are all just one big family. No not the kind with crooked DNA, but more of just a regular, run of the mill dysfunctional family. So, in honor of this very random train of thought I have put together who in this hypothetical dysfunctional family you represent to me.

Shirley - Matriarch. Grandmother. Yours is the first blog I can ever remember reading, then afterwards feeling that I must post a response. Yes, I'm blaming you for this addiction. You are the Grandmother of my blogging family. Your words always seem thoughtful and wise. I have never seen a harsh word flow from your fingertips.

Helen - The Aunt who used to be normal, but moved off to Berkley and drank the cool-aid. Whenever she comes over for Sunday dinner you are sure to get a lecture on why the spoon is keeping the black man down. Sure her views seem a little wacky, but she has a great sense of humor and never fails to make me chuckle.

Mookie - Ah Mookie, The middle child. Always attempting to stir up the pot. Loves to get the tempers flaring and then sits back, sips his ginger ale, and marvels at the master piece he has created.

RGuy - Cousin, but much older. Nobody in the family knows how but RGuy is much more refined that the rest of us. He enjoys the finer things of life. For some reason he wears a sports jacket to the family dinner when everyone else is in flip flops and wife beaters. That doesn't mean however that he doesn't have his redneck vice. Pro wrestling.

Scott Erb - Older Brother. Always the most accomplished of the brothers Scott is intrigued by mystery. He investigates even mundane daily activities with the same Joe Friday flare for "just the facts ma'am". He always has the answer and if he doesn't, he'll make it up. Don't worry, he'll use enough "big" words that you'll simply take what he says at face value. After all he's always been smarter than you.

Jesurgislac - Step-parent. Because I will not agree with anything you say even if it sounds like something that would have come out of my own mouth. I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of having agreed with me. Sure, we kids act like we can't stand you, but in the end we are glad to have you around.

Godfather - Brother. Actually we don't hear from you that much anymore accept for a post card now and again from strange places on the planet. After all when you joined the motorcycle gang it just didn't seem right to bring the girl on the back home to meet mom.

American Elephant - Uncle. But more importantly, insurance salesman. You never miss a chance to tell us the value of a whole life insurance policy. I mean after all isn't protecting those you care about the most important thing to us all. And I can hook you up with a great deal.

We all get together for family meals and yes there may be a food fight or two, (likely to have been started by the Godfather), but we are all glad to be there and wouldn't want it any other way.

I'm sure I forgot some of our family. So feel free to add them, make corrections, and if you must include me as well. Thanks for being a good sport. I hope no one is offended, but even if you are... it's okay... we're family.

Bear Pic

I don't have a bunch but here is a photo of the bear trapped a couple days ago. It was relocated about 30 miles away after turning a chicken coup into a Sunday afternoon snack. This 8 year old grizzly weighs about 500 pounds.

America Gets a Pay Day Loan

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that pay day loans are a bad, I mean really bad idea. I was having a conversation with a co-worker today who told me she is still trying to pay off a pay day loan she had taken out... OVER A YEAR AGO. The loan itself was for 4 thousand dollars, since that time she has paid almost 8 thousand dollars in interest and still has more than 2 thousand remaining on the balance. While my co-worker was wringing her hands trying to figure out how to pay this down, the loan officer at this establishment was wringing his hands trying to figure out where to spend the money.

Will the United States ever pay off the loans we are currently taking out. Can we see anything other than debt on the horizon. Don't get me wrong, I blame Obama, the debt has sky rocketed under him. However, Bush was no Scrooge McDuck.

I imagine a good parent is willing to suffer now in hopes their children will have a better life. Instead we are getting a credit card in our children's name and maxing it out. This is unacceptable.

Bears are Out!

The bears are now out of their dens and on the hunt for food here in Wyoming. There was one caught today. It was trapped because it had been tearing up chicken coups and such. While it was being caught a motion sensing camera caught a second bear along with it.

If you come to visit me in the next few weeks you'll want your bear mace for our hike. I'll try to get some pictures up for you.

Firing the Cable Company

As of yesterday afternoon my wife and I no longer subscribe to cable television. When we were first married we went with out cable for the first year. During that time we read, I worked in my wood shop, and we found other things to do as well.

Our cable bill went up to 120 dollars this past month and finally we said enough already. It isn't that TV is the devil or anything, it is just a time killer. Here are the shows I will continue to watch on-line.

House

Hell's Kitchen

Lie to Me

I will miss out on American Idol...but will watch football with my folks when the season picks up again this fall. In the mean time I will save $1440 a year. All while still able to watch my favorite shows with no commercials. Why didn't I do this sooner. That will be an additional $1440 to go towards our adoption.

The line item veto, your best friend when doing the family budget.