In April 1995, domestic terrorists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonated a diesel-fertilizer truck bomb outside the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring hundreds more.  Clinton turned to the media and placed the blame on right-wing hate speech, cowed Republicans and regained much of his lost authority.

In November 2012, President Barack Obama won re-election and retained control of the US Senate.  Republicans were disheartened and blaming themselves for their failure at the ballot box.  The media was urging Republicans to become more like Democrats and proclaiming the end of the Reagan Revolution.

In December 2012, Adam Lanza killed 28 people, mostly children, in Newtown, Connecticut.  Obama turned to the media and placed the blame on right-wing gun-owners, demanding Congress to enact sweeping new gun control laws.

But a strange thing happened.

Instead of increasing the power of the presidency like Clinton managed in 1995, Obama saw his influence wane over the following months.  After months of Democrat politicians calling for various bans and confiscation, the American people began contacting their Representatives and Senators.  Gun Control demonstrations were met with Gun Rights demonstrations.  And even modest Gun Control legislation became a poison pill and failed.

Some might now ask if Obama is relevant.

In April 2013,Bombs planted at the finish line for the Boston marathon, killing 3 people and injuring 185 others.  They killed 1 police officer and injured another trying to evade police.  Democrat politicians and media made earnest effort to restore Obama’s authority by attempting to paint the perpetrators as white right-wing Tea Party Christians.

However, the terrorist Tsarnaev brothers were Chechen Muslims.

Since “keyboarding” has replaced typing class in our public school system, shouldn’t typos be called “keybos”?

I started him out with a Walther P22 at 5 yards.  It only took a single magazine for him to learn the sights, then he proceeded to obliterate the center of the target.

Once he was comfortable with the .22 caliber, I introduced him to 9mm in a full size XD.  Another shooter let him try a Glock in .45 ACP, then he learned the difference between .38 Special and .357 Magnum out of a Ruger Blackhawk.  He really enjoyed the “cowboy” pistol and can’t wait until our next range trip.

A Great Day At The Range.

Civil Rights are by definition a limit on government.

Unlimited government (if we rid ourselves of that pesky constitution) can regulate speech, the press and religion; ban guns and deny the right to petition or assemble; deny fair or speedy trials and use force confessions – well, you get the idea.

I love my uncle.

In 2000, he was about 50 lbs overweight but he carried it well.  It caused a few aches and pains, but no serious health issues.

Unfortunately, he continued to pack on the pounds…

In 2013, he’s almost 160 lbs overweight and there’s a lot of things he just can’t do any longer.

And it looks like he’s going to continue to add at least another 10 lbs every year.

He insists that he doesn’t eat too much – that he just needs a little exercise.

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My Uncle Sam:

Cartoon via http://www.adamzyglis.com/images/cartoon25.jpg

10 lbs = $1,000,000,000,000.00 or about $3,300 per person living in the US.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne* ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie’s a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Quick Update:  I just saw The Hobbit for the second time and enjoyed it immensely.  I stand by my original criticism of the movie, but did not find it nearly as bothersome during the second viewing (I still don’t expect/want an extended edition of this movie).

For once I am glad that I only have a few dozen visitors per day.  I can be honest without being tracked down and boiled alive for posting this review.  I plan to address generalities and avoid specific spoilers.

I adore The Lord of the Rings.  I am not a fanboy that complains about the changes that Jackson made to bring LOTR to the screen.  Tom Bombadil is still there in the books whenever I want to visit with him and Liv Tyler did a fine job with the expanded role that Arwen played.  I was a bit miffed with Giimli being made the butt of many jokes, but not so much when Jackson did the same with Merry and Pip.  After all, the changes also allowed Pip to redeem himself by persuading Treebeard to go to war when that wasn’t in the book.

But this review is for The Hobbit (part 1 of 3).  As many others, I was happy to hear that Jackson was going to split the book into 2 movies, but grew concerned when he announced it to be a trilogy.  There is a wealth of material in Tolkien’s other writings to embellish the story, but sequels to successful movies tend to attempt bigger and more impressive than the originals, usually resulting in outrageous silliness.

The Hobbit suffers from sequelitis.  Almost everything was turned up to 11.

Not to say the movie is bad or unwatchable.  I took the family to last night’s midnight premiere and we enjoyed it (except my wife who slept through part of it – she is not a night owl).  The cinematography was lush and beautiful, the acting was splendid (Martin Freeman is perfectly natural in everything I’ve seen him in), and the special effects are dazzling.  When the LOTR was released, each movie left us wanting more, and a multitude of fans spent a sizable chunk of change purchasing the extended versions.  I don’t expect that to be the case with The Hobbit (at least, not part 1).

The movie starts with the elderly Bilbo (Ian Holm) that we all know, just as he begins to write the book detailing his adventures.  Elijah Wood is back briefly, and the pair ease us into the story.  It’s nicely done and gently brings us back home to Middle Earth.   LOTR began with a prologue introducing us to Sauron and the Ring.  In the Hobbit, Bilbo tells us about the Dwarf kingdom and the dragon, Smaug.

And then, the story begins with Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf and a host of dwarfs.  The movie follows the book fairly well, but not religiously.  We get a flashback of Thorin Oakenshield for character development and it introduces my first complaint, but the problem isn’t that the scene wasn’t in the book.

In LOTR, the treachery of Saruman included the creation of the Uruk-Kai, an orc hybrid that is stronger and able to withstand direct sunlight.  They are presented as something new and uniquely dangerous.  But in Thorin’s flashback we see a giant albino orc that’s the size of a troll.  Not to mention the CGI wasn’t as convincing as Gollum in the original trilogy.  Later in the film is another giant orc, though that CGI was better.

Orcs cannot abide direct sunlight, except for when they can.  At one point, Gandalf actually states that they need to move into sunlight to escape from the orcs even though they had previously been attacked in broad daylight.  Another thing; I’ve only seen it once, but it seemed like the movie went from day to night and back again as the plot dictated.

Geography was also confusing.  At one point, the company is on a plain of rolling hills with a few mounds of rocks.  They descend into a cave below one of the mounds – about 20 feet below the surface.  In the back of the cave is a tunnel that they follow and the camera pulls back to watch them pass single file through a chasm that is at least 50 feet deep and then exit into a mountain pass.

Do you remember the WTF moment in The Two Towers where Legolas uses a shield to surf down a set of stone steps?  It was a very over-the-top moment that broke the spell and pulled you out of the movie.  There are about a dozen similar scenes in The Hobbit.

Rotten Tomatoes is currently giving The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey a 66% critic / 81% audience rating.  As you can see, I feel about the same.

Recommended, but keep your expectations modest.

I told my family where I thought Jackson would end the first movie and I was exactly right.

I used my Google-Fu to find out that Gene Autry’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came out in 1950.  I’m sure JayG’s little girl knows that song even better than Thriller.

So I decided to check on what songs were 30 years old when I was 9 (1973) – yes, I am older than JayG.

Hits of 1943:

As Time Goes By by Rudy Vallee

Paper Doll by the Mills Brothers

That Old Black Magic by Glenn Miller

Stormy Weather by Lena Horne

During a scene where Bond and his companions assess their stock of weapons just before being attacked by the bad guys, we see one rifle, one shotgun, one pistol and one hunting knife.

My wife (who doesn’t like guns) leans over and whispers into my ear:

“They should have come to our house.”

I almost missed it, but Happy Parabellum Day ! ! !

9 x 19

Hey, I figure that if March 14th can be Pi Day, then September 19th must celebrate the 9mm Parabellum.  Just don’t shoot them up into the air to celebrate.