Wednesday, December 19, 2012

"Guns don't belong in school!"

Reads the Facebook post of a friend when she learned of an Oklahoma legislator's proposal to allow properly trained and licensed teachers to arm themselves for protection.

It's a good sentiment, but guns ARE getting in, carried by criminals intent on death and destruction, carried by students (see the latest headlines) who realize that the education establishment can't protect them, and undoubtably carried by a few teachers who have come to the same realization. I agree that guns don't belong in school but as long as they are getting in, how about recognizing that fact and letting people defend themselves instead of being sitting ducks. Calling 911, telling the operator what's happening, the call being dispatched, and waiting for the police to arrive can take enough time for someone to kill every person in a school.

Let willing adults have the chance to stop a shooting spree early instead of being known as the one who died shielding others with her body.

Or is it somehow more honorable to be killed in a spray of bullets knowing that you, at least, didn't bring a gun to school?

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Traveling just to go to church.

Yesterday morning we visited with friends at a church in Luther, which is about an hour drive from our house. I resisted at first because of the time and cost, but suddenly realized I was being selfish. I don't know if it was a "revelation from God" but it came out of nowhere with an exclamation point on the end.

I'm complaining about a one hour DRIVE in a heated truck when people used to WALK miles to get to church, and in some countries still do. We drove an hour to see our horses when we lived in the city and now I drive forty minutes every day to get to work. How can I refuse to take a long drive to hear the word of God and fellowship with good people?

This may or may not become our home church but however often we end up going it is a small sacrifice compared to what others are willing to do.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Another puppy available for adoption

Very sweet chi mix 8 mo old little girl needs forever home. Kennel and house trained. Walks well on harness and leash and is spayed vacinated and dewormed. Can you help her?? Call or text Kim Morgan 405-234-7415


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Voting rights...

One of the big liberal pushes lately is for allowing convicted felons to vote after they've "paid their debt to society."

I'm leaning toward that, BUT as long as we're restoring constitutional rights let's let them own guns too.

Now what party do you think they'll vote for?

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Watching TV on your phone...

Did the early pioneers in television have any idea that decades later, nearly any movie or TV show ever made would be available on a wireless device that can be carried virtually anywhere?

Probably not, because that would have led to the realization that they were inventing a major waste of time and contributing to the dumbing down of civilization.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Lab mix available for adoption

Creamy/yellow lab mix needs forever home. Well behaved house trained and kennel trained. He is overweight and will need help returning to a proper weight. Loves people not gerat with cats or small dogs. Can you help him? Call 405-234-7415.

 

Terrier mix puppy for adoption

Another bait dog terrior mix 8 months old. She is very sweet and loving. Ok with bigger dogs but a bit guarded. She had a gaping chest wound but that is now healed. Can you help this baby out? Call 405-234-7415

 Photo: Another bait dog terrior mix 8 months old.  She is very sweet and loving.  Ok with bigger dogs but a bit guarded.  She had a gaping chest wound but that is now healed.  Can you help this baby out?  Call 405-234-7415

Husky Lab mix puppy available for adoption

Husky lab miz pups 9 weeks old. This is the female she has one surviving brother.

They were to be bait dogs and siblings were killed already. They love people been fine with dogs of all sizes and great with kids. Thinks cats might be a toy but not agressive so that can be taught. Can you help these babies have a better future? Call 405-234-7415


Photo: Husky lab miz pups 9 weeks old.  This is the female she has one surviving brother. 

They were to be bait dogs and siblings were killed already.  They love people been fine with dogs of all sizes and great with kids.  Thinks cats might be a toy but not agressive so that can be taught.  Can you help these babies have a better future?  Call 405-234-7415

Cavileer King Charles puppy available for adoption

Cavileer King Charles mix 4 months old. She is spayed vaccinated and dewormed. Super sweet and loving loves everyone. Can you help her? Call 405-234-7415

Photo: Cavileer King Charles mix 4 months old.  She is spayed vaccinated and dewormed.  Super sweet and loving loves everyone.  Can you help her? Call 405-234-7415

Friday, August 17, 2012

Who would be the best president?

"We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."

John Adams, 1798, Address to the militia of Massachusetts

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From a strictly philosophical standpoint, leaving out the current election, and despite my libertarian leaning, I believe a free people must be led by religious people. But even though I am a Christian I would not limit the religion of a candidate to Christianity. I would be more likely to vote for a Mormon, Buddhist, or Muslim than an athiest. Our founders signed their names to a document acknowledging that our rights are endowed by a creator.  Without a higher power, all you have is rights granted by a government of corruptable people.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Oklahoma Sales Tax Holiday for who?

How many parents bought wedding gowns or garter belts and stockings for their children during the Oklahoma Sales Tax Holiday? If I remember right, the original intent was to make it easier for parents to buy things for school but for some reason actual school supplies didn't make the list:

Aprons, household and shop
Athletic supporters
Baby receiving blankets
Bathing suits and caps
 Beach capes and coats
Belts and suspenders
Boots
 Coats and jackets
 Costumes
Diapers, children and adult, including disposable diapers
 Ear muffs
 Footlets
Formal wear
 Garters and garter belts
 Girdles
 Gloves and mittens for general use
 Hats and caps
Hosiery
Insoles for shoes
 Lab coats
Neckties
 Overshoes
Pantyhose
Rainwear
Rubber pants
Sandals
Scarves
Shoes and shoe laces
Slippers
 Sneakers
 Socks and stockings
Steel toed shoes
Underwear
Uniforms, athletic and non-athletic
Wedding apparel

Saturday, July 28, 2012

About the Chick-Fil-A flap

How many people commenting about the "hate-filled" "anti-gay" Chick-Fil-A interview have ACTUALLY READ IT? That's what I thought. Dan Cathy didn't call for imprisonment or death penalty for gays. He just said that he supports traditional marriage and the question of legalizing same sex marriage should be left to politicians. Calling it hate everytime someone disagrees with you is childish.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Fathers Day thoughts from a stepdad

Twenty three years ago I was called to tow a car from Sonic to the shop I worked in. It was driven by a woman who had found herself suddenly single with three boys, and pregnant again. Over the next few months the car was fixed, she gave birth to a baby boy, and I began hanging around her family. They were fun people and her grandmother, "Granny" started treating me like a grandson.

Eventually, I asked Deona Rae Hand out on a date for her birthday. We had a good time and started dating, got engaged, and then married. I accepted her four sons and her ex-stepdaughter as my children. As I write this we have an eight year old granddaughter and another granddaughter and a grandson on the way. The thought of having three grandchildren is making me feel old but that's ok.

I'm a Papa and every Father's Day is better than the last.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Staying in the hospital with family...

Friends, DO NOT leave your loved ones alone in the hospital. Even with the best, most well meaning staff they have other patients and can't jump on every request right away. You can fetch things, monitor equipment and alarms, help with physical & respiratory therapy, and generally make sure things get done when they should.

Set up shifts with relatives and trusted friends if you can't take off work. Sleep in the room at night. With strangers running in and out 24/7 the patient needs somebody familiar to talk to and watch out for their interests. DON'T let them feel alone.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Do you have a right to complain about the government if you don't vote?

I've always been of the opinion that if you don't vote you give up your right to complain about what elected leaders do. The argument that one person can't change anything doesn't hold water because a bunch of "one persons" can change an election.

But what if you don't believe either candidate should be in office? I've always held my nose and voted for the lesser of two evils. The problem with that is, the lesser of two evils is still evil and I'm not going to do it anymore.

So do you stay home and not vote at all? That's where I think you lose your right to complain. Usually there are enough races on the ballot to vote for the ones you believe in and leave the rest blank. I don't know about other states but Oklahoma does allow undervoting.

Show up, sign in, and vote for the candidates you believe in. Leave a particular race blank if you don't believe in either one. Don't vote for a third party nobody just to avoid candidate A and B. If 20% of the voters turn in their ballots with no vote for president, regardless of who wins both parties will start wondering what you're looking for. In four years you might just get it.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The giving spirit that came to be known as the Oklahoma Standard

17 years ago many lives were changed. Every year on this date people talk about where they were and how loud the explosion was and whether they knew any of the victims.

Well, that's not my focus today. I'm here to talk about what people GAVE, not what they saw or heard. I gave my time night and weekends as a radio operator for the Salvation Army but that's not what I want to spotlight. The first few nights I was assigned to a medical tent just east of the Murrah Building. Here I alternately marveled at the giving spirit of Oklahomans and listened to out-of-state rescuers marveling at the giving spirit of Oklahomans.

A firefighter from another state flew here on his own and didn't have anyone to meet him. An airline agent who found out why he was here offered her car and home for him to use while here.

A policeman from New York said he planned to come back later to look for a wife because of the compassion and friendship we showed.

My first or second night I relayed a request for sweats for rescuers to wear under their clothes because it was getting cold. Somebody had dropped a box off at the state emergency management office and it was in my hands within the hour.

A request for flashlight batteries brought cases upon cases of batteries. If you asked for food you got enough to feed a thousand hungry teenagers.

I answered the phone at the Salvation Army one day and it was Fedex wanting to know where to bring a box of hardhats sent from California.

You see, once the rest of the country saw what we were doing they joined in too. Any need was soon met, including prayer. Even without access to the news I could feel the spirit of the country. We knew that we had a very large support team behind us.

That's all I have to say and it's not for recognition of myself. I'm just proud to have been PART of something so wonderful.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Occupy activists are not terrorists...

I think some of the goals and methods of the occupy movement are wrong and immature but if the government can't link someone directly to terrorist or otherwise violent activity it should be criminal to put them on the no-fly list.

Mark Faulk was detained February 29th for 45 minutes for an "enhanced inspection" at Will Rogers Airport while trying to fly to New York for a film premiere. He was released in time to make his flight but they could have kept him as long as they wanted with no repercussions. His return trip was nearly identical even though he had been checked here. While the TSA refuses to tell Mark why he is on the no-fly list, his participation in Occupy OKC is the only thing that stands out. If a protester does something illegal it should be handled locally with criminal charges, not a federal "suspicious of being suspicious" list.

The no-fly list was established to stop known terrorists from getting on airplanes in the aftermath of 9/11/2001. If its purpose has migrated into a soviet style enemies of the state list who will be next?

If the simple act of protest has become an automatic terrorist indicator maybe it's time for all of us to join the next one. Freedom of speech and freedom of association were rights granted by God and then confirmed and protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Storm spotter tips EVERYONE should know...

Situational awareness: "It struck without warning" is rarely true. If you WANT storm warnings you can GET storm warnings. Don't depend on hearing sirens inside your house. A weather radio is best, a local TV station is good too. LOCAL, not CNN or Discovery.

A tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to develop. A tornado warning means radar has indicated a tornado is imminent and/or someone has actually seen a tornado.

Radar does not show what's happening on the ground. That's where trained spotters come in. DON'T go looking for storms without training. You can be hurt or killed.

The "bent neck" rule: If you're bending your neck to look up at a funnel, YOU ARE TOO CLOSE!

Don't take cover under an overpass because it turns into a wind tunnel. A TV crew got away with it once. Others have died.

There are a lot of scary looking clouds. There are not that many tornadoes.

And it's not just about tornadoes. Flooding and lightning are the top two storm related killers.

Don't drive into water if you can't see the road under it. The water is deeper than you think. Turn around, don't drown.

Even if you're not close to the storm, if you can hear thunder you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Know what's happening around you and know what you will do if something happens. Planning avoids panic.

Chuck

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Maybe same-sex marriage should be legal.

Some of my friends just had a heart attack and others are cheering.

On my journey towards libertarianism I have been led to the realization that you can't legislate morality. Basically, if something doesn't infringe on my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness then maybe the government needs to just leave it alone.

Just because I believe something is sinful doesn't mean I have the right to keep you from doing it. In the end it's between you and God. A lot of things are banned that probably shouldn't be. If it doesn't harm anyone let each person make his/her own decisions.

BUT...

The recent decision that the Catholic Church will be required to pay for insurance that covers contraception and abortion in spite of their religious objections should frighten anyone who values freedom. No religious orginization should be forced to pay for an employees medical procedure if it violates their beliefs. With this arrogant move by an increasingly overreaching government I fear that the next step after legalization may be the demand that nobody who performs weddings will be allowed to turn anyone away. If a couple wants to be married in a certain church, the preacher must do it or face discrimination charges.

That brings us back to the issue of rights. I can't stop you from doing something I consider sinful but on the same note you can't require that I participate.

How many grandchildren does it take to make a herd?

So.. we were at home minding our own business last night and received a text message from our daughter, who has already given us the best granddaughter ever, telling us that she is expecting again and due in September. Along with the one from our son Nyk due the first part of August, this will be 3 grandchildren for us.

The message came right after a phone call from an uncle in Texas who has been like a second dad to me all my life. We caught up on what everyone has been doing since our last conversation too long ago (my fault for not calling.) All of this combined with some cherished alone time with my wife made for a very nice evening after my weekend working out of town.

I hope everybody's day ended this pleasantly.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Daily Prayer

Give us Lord, a bit o' sun,
A bit o' work, and a bit o' fun,
Give us all in the struggle and sputter,
Our daily bread and a bit o' butter.

-from a pub in Lancaster, England

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Just how old do I look?

When I dropped off a prescription at the pharmacy they asked for my medicare info. ???

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Why does Wal Mart stay open all night?

It's obviously not so customers can shop because their maintenance crews and stockers do everything they can to discourage shopping.

Tonight between 10 and 11 I tried to shop at the Wal Mart on I-35 in Norman, Oklahoma. As I moved toward groceries from the other end of the store they were roping off the main aisle that runs from the front to the back between grocery and clothing. Ok, I understand the need to strip and wax the floors during low-traffic times so I go around to the back of the store where I want to start off. WRONG! There's a pallet in the middle of the peanut & popcorn aisle. Apparently just blocking half of the main aisle and carrying cases the rest of the way isn't good enough anymore. I skip that and go on through dairy and proceed with the rest of my shopping. Oops! Two more aisles blocked by pallets. Remember, the main aisle on the other end is blocked for waxing so if you need anything past the halfway point you are out of luck tonight.

Keep going through the meat department towards produce collecting what I need (and can reach)
as I go. It figures. This aisle is blocked by pallets AND hand carts. By the way, I have received dirty looks at least twice by "associates" for the crime of going through their work area. This is still before midnight so the store is fairly busy.That kind of attitude is uncalled for even if you can ignore all the blocked aisles. I'm not sure what company policy is nowadays but they managed to run me off before I got everything I needed.

Don't get me wrong - I love Wal Mart. It's convenient (most of the time) and usually has everything I need. But there seems to be a basic lack of leadership and common sense.

How late does Super Target stay open?

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Maybe some day children will stop dying in DHS custody...

Some of the Department of Human Services commissioners sound like Oklahoma is Disneyland and everything is perfect. Sure, a few kids have died but they're doing a good job.

They don't need outsiders telling them what to do?

Well, if they would listen to people here, outsiders wouldn't be involved now.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

A land developer who likes Star Trek The Next Generation...

 I have checked this with multiple mapping sites and they all come up with this neighborhood in Turlock, CA:




That's Ryker Court, Picard Lane, Crusher Avenue, Federation Court, and Warp Drive. The USGS also shows Impulse Lane crossing Warp Drive east-west.

Might be neat having your address on one of those streets. Talk about a conversation starter!

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