Saturday, September 29, 2007

I've been busy, okay

It seem the faster I go the more behinder I get.

Let's see, since no one wants to answer the trivia quotes, I'll post the answers.
1) "I know nothing..." Klaus (is that his name) the guard from Hogan's Heroes
2) "If this should have a reason.." Steppenwolf - Rock Me, Baby (theme from the movie Candy)
3) "If drafted I will not run...." William Sherman - Civil War General

okay look for a new quote soon

******************** Concert Review ***********************
I went to see Nickelback on my birthday in July. I think I'll do a review.

Puddle of Mudd and Staind opened. Before I could relate to the new music, I was unimpressed with Puddle of Mudd because it sounded like noise. They have a couple of songs that I actually recognised. However, the vocals were weak and they had the energy level of a person coming of anesthesia. Staind was better but still kinda subdued. I like most of what I've heard from them, but just felt like they weren't trying very hard. Both the bands seemed like the guitarists never play a lead lick in their lives. It wasn't like there was any other lead instrument. The Bassist looked like he was an old heroin addict. 5'10" and about 98lbs. He was, in my opion, the best musician of the two bands. The NIckelback came out. More stage, more volume, lights and flash. After the two openers, how could they lose. Okay, I liked them. I've never been a hugh fan, but they're okay. Great Job, some technical problems, but a good show. They palyed all their hits except "Not like this" which I expected. Good videos and Chad Kroeger was good as a frontman, explaining their history and such. They kept talking about Pantera and I got the impression they wished they were Panters. Personally I think they're better than Pantera. All in all, I good show. A bit lacking but I'd not seen a concert like that in some time and I had a good time.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

It's Hunting Season

It's that time of the year again when "real men" come out to the country and stir up the wildlife so you can hit more of them on the gravel roads. It was really warm today. Kinda unexpected. There is a Garter snake that lives out here somewhere. It's getting bigger. I saw him today and he's about two and a half feet long. I wish He'd eat the gophers! Oh well....

Kinda quiet today, big football game tomorrow. Chargers play Green Bay. There are a lot of Packer fans around here, 2nd most popular team in this area just behind the Minnesota Vikings.

Q: Why doesn't North Dakota have a professional football team?
A: Because then, Minnesota would want one.

More soon

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Parking Lot

My friend Hawkeye sent this to me so I wanted to share...


New Law:With the high rate of attacks on women in secluded parking lots, especially during evening hours, the Minneapolis City Council has established a "Women Only" parking lot at the Mall of America. Even the parking lot attendants are exclusively female so that a comfortable and safe environment is created for patrons. Below is the first picture available of this world-first women-only parking lot in Minnesota


Locals Only

Some pictures of local critters.






Forget about Muskrat Suzy and Muskrat Sam, muskrats have about the nastiest temperment short of Wolverines. I'd rather face a weasel or badger.

On a Lighter note....

Went into Grand Forks tonight. It's getting foggy out here. It's cool early in the evening as the fog creeps across the ground. Kinda stinks later when you can't hardly see the side of the road. The biggest worry I have is deer. They are not too bright and tend to wander across the highway at random. The temp's dropping lately, (it does that here) so the critters seem to be busier now. A lot of skunks and Racoons. The family of foxes that live down the road haven't been seen for awhile. Then, the other night, I'm bringing my daughter Eliza home from her work and as we're about to come to the town just west of us, I flip on my high beam and narrowly miss 5 or 6 horses wandering across the road. So we pull into town (pop 205) and the only place open is the bar and the firestation across the street. We go into the fire station and tell them what we saw and this girl says "oh, they would be Alice's" and proceeds to call her up on her cell. My good deed for the week. Oh, yeah, this mornig when I went out to feed Whiskey before going to work I heard Coyotes. Wow.

Later kids!

Follow in your books

and repeat after me as we learn our next three words in Turkish... Towel, Bath, Border.
May I see your passport, please.

Okay, immigration is a really complex issue. Who gets in and how? What's wrong with it? What about those jobs Americans don't want? Aren't they just trying to make a better life in this land of opportunity? Whose land is it anyway?

Look! This is America. It's for Americans. If you are not a citizen you have no citizen rights. Don't sneak into this land in difference to our laws and expect to be treated like a national. If you are not a Mexican citizen and sneak into Mexico they put you in jail! Stand in line like everybody else. And if we say "no" then too bad. We don't owe every person who doesn't want to live in their own country a place in ours.

Yeah, I know it's a simplistic approach, so I'll try to explain.

First, this is a land of opportunity and we do have a history of opening up for oppressed people. But that doesn't mean we can take everybody right now. Immigration is a process of absorbing new cultures and people becoming Americans. They do not come here and be foreign nationals with the benefits and none of the responsibility towards loyalty of an American. They have to forsake their nationality and native language and learn English and American culture.

Second, and I know the liberals don't want to hear it but, we have to be careful of people who want to harm us and criminals who want to take advantage of our weak. This demands control. We have a right to decide who gets in and it doesn't make us prejudiced, just careful.

Third, the whole thing about "jobs Americans don't want to do" is stupid! I'm convinced food prices won't sky-rocket if farmers have to pay fair wages to whoever works on their farms. In California it appears as if we have to use cheap labor, but out here in the heartland it doesn't seem to be the case. In fact, we regularly have people from other nations come here to work on farms from parts of the world where farm seasons are different so they farm there when we have no need and come here for our harvest. Works out well and people are not exploited and underpaid.

Here's the bottom line. Liberals want to bring in a whole lot of people to subsidize because they'll vote Democrat. Far-left loons believe national identity is passe' and we should be one world so we should drop borders. This is nuts, because I guarantee you other countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Korea, Iran, etc. won't drop their borders. This one-world thing is an "intellectual" concept and is not shared by most of the world that wants to hurt us.

Think about this. We'll use Mexico as an example because they are the closest. The people in Mexico have a corrupt government and police. They have no economy and little hope for change. In history, whenever this is the situation in a country, the people take to the streets and cause change. I'm not advocating violent revolution, but they always do something to better their country. In modern Mexico, the people don't have to stand up to their leaders. They can sneak over here, make low wages in our terms- wealth in theirs, and return home well-off enough to insulate themselves from the countries' poverty. Or, they come here have a child and become legal and live here. I have seen this over and over as a resident in Southern California. Now, If we cut off the ability to come here illegally, they will be motivated to address the problems of their own country. In this way their country will move into the modern world and be better off, the world will be better off, and we'll benefit by the solution of this crisis and the presence of a strong national neighbor.

We just don't have the resources to fix other countries or absorb everybody in the world. So, I'm saying a lot of the problems in the world are not our responsibility. We should help those who want help and fight the slaughter of innocents as in Dafur, but that doesn't mean opening the floodgates to the destruction of our country. If we fall, the free world will fall and there will be worldwide anarchy.

This is my opinion, what's yours.
Patrick!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Out Riding

I have something to write about, but we went to the trainer's to see the horses. The women rode both Ringo and Ally and I rode Ringo. Their training is going great. I'm a little sore because of something that happened a couple of weeks ago so one was enough. It's starting to get cold here. 50 degrees isn't really cold by standards here but it's always a shock when it starts turning. The trees are pretty. I'd like toget some pictures. Well, it's late and I am an early riser (not by choice) but I wanted to post something daily if possible. Tomorrow I'm planning to state my views on illegal immigration.

Luego.............

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

New Hampshire Debate

I was able to watch the debate last week and came away surprised. First, I just want to say that Congressman Tancredo's sound bite was great. They were discussing Iran's nuclear program and what to do about it. A few were tip-toeing around any positive action. He says: "Political Correctness is going to kill us." and he's right. The next President will have to be ready to deal decisivly with that madman Ahmadinejad. But I digress.

I was impressed with homeboy Duncan Hunter and his desire to control the border. And then I was shocked that Mccann actually sounded like a Republican. I wrote him off a while back but here he sounded like he was back with the program. I'm not sure I trust him, but maybe he'd make a good Vice.

My current favorite is Giuliani, although he's a little weak on social issues. He's stated that he's against abortion, but doesn't feel it's his choice. I'm disappointed, but there are other issues I need addressed and he has the track record of dealing with them well. The gallery was interviewed afterwards and people kept saying they are tired of him quoting his record as Mayor. This is because they have no real experience in leadership.

I would like to see Newt as President but he hasn't announced yet, and the cool-aid drinkers will do everything they can to keep him out.

Otherwise the rest of the debate was as expected but Ron Paul will have to see his tailor about a sheep suit that fits a little better. He was pretty oviously a plant from the other camp.

And what is this about these wimpy little guys running for President? Paul, Lieberman, and Kucinich look like refugee's from a Woody Allen convention. I don't know about you, but I want a President who doesn't look like he's going to wet himself the first time Al Franken screams "liar" (and you know he will).

On a P.S. It seems French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is trying to get the U.N. to drop more sanctions against Iran. Did I say French? Alarm Clocks are going off all over Europe and people are starting to wake up. Go Bernie!

Wow! Did I say all that? Later....

Monday, September 17, 2007

Horses!!!



We have three horses. Ringo, Ally, (shown) and Whiskey. Currently Ally and Ringo are at the trainers learning how to be horses. Whiskey has already come back but doesn't seemed to have gotten it. Our buddies are part or wholly Arabians and we got them from a rescue ranch in South Dakota. I have not been around horses before, so this is all new to me. It's exciting and I'm eager to learn. We hope to have the three of them trained soon so we can go riding in the snow. My daughter assures me this is very cool. She has the most experience so she must know. I'm learning about electric fencing, saddles, bridles, hay, round pens, lunging and all sorts of neat stuff. There is a good picture of me riding Whiskey at the blogspot listed below. Check it out!

*** Check out Karma's Believe In Dreams Ranch in the Links ***

And So It Begins.....


Okay, this is all new to me, so if it looks like I don't know what I'm doing, I don't. Educated in California before the Liberals totally messed it up. Moved my family to North Dakota (doncha know) just before the great flood in '97. Life here is at a different pace and people are nicer and less suspicious. This is not to say they are rubes. A whole new world for me growing up on Air Force Bases and cities. I now live in the country away from everybody. My closest neighbor (across the street) is a mile away. Town is 7 mi. and only 200 people. Civilization is 50 miles either west or east.

I have thoughts on Politics, Religion, Music, and many other unimportant things. I'll try not to ramble. Feel free to comment. Keep it clean as profanity and most outright stupidity will not be tolerated. Dissent is good but I might argue with you.

Three quotes appear on my profile. Can you correctly place them?

I just finished reading Bernie Goldberg's "100 people who are screwing up America" Great Reading. Kinda light but makes you think a bit. That's all for my first post.