Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

November 2008

Bright Angel Canyon

I was rummaging through the summer vacation pictures and found this little jewel I overlooked for some reason. We’re planning to visit the Grand Canyon again in the not too distant future.

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This is Bright Angel Canyon, as seen from Mather Point, on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Bright Angel extends from the Colorado River to the north and is in the center of this photo. Bright Angel Creek empties into the river straight ahead and down, out of view.

On the right side of Bright Angel, you can see Sumner Butte near the mouth of the canyon, with the higher formations of Brahma Temple and Diva Temple behind and further to the right. On the left side, you can see Sturdevant Point and Johnson Point, with Hiller’s Butte and Buddha Temple to the left of them, all beyond Phantom Creek which empties into Bright Angel Creek on the left.

At the top of Bright Angel Canyon is Bright Angel Spring near the village at the North Rim, about 13 miles away. Visitors to the North Rim get this view from the other end.

This is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Click on the image for a closer look.

06 Nov 2008 by Travel

Michael Crichton – 1942-2008

michael-crichton.jpgWe sadly report the passing of famous author and screenwriter, Michael Crichton. He died after a private battle with cancer on November 4, 2008. We respected Dr. Crichton not only for his immense scientific and literary talents, but also for his practical views on the global warming hoax.

From Wikipedia:

In 2003 he gave a lecture at Caltech entitled “Aliens Cause Global Warming” in which he expressed his views of the danger of “consensus science” — especially with regard to what he regards as popular but disputed theories such as nuclear winter, the dangers of second-hand smoke, and the global warming controversy. Crichton was critical of widespread belief in ETs and UFOs, citing the fact that there is no conclusive proof of their existence. Crichton stated that “The Drake equation cannot be tested and therefore SETI is not science. SETI is unquestionably a religion.” Crichton has commented that belief in purported scientific theories without a factual basis is more akin to faith than science.

One of the quotes from that topic was this one that we keep on our Climate and Global Warming page:

Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had.

— Michael Crichton

05 Nov 2008 by Global Warming People

Ohio Goes to Obama

ohio.gifWell, the state of Ohio has just gone over to the Democratic Nominee.

What does that mean to us? Very unlikely that the Republicans hold the White House.

What do we do now? For starters, we have to figure a way to be vocal about our convictions. Keep the pressure on the Congress about the traditional conservative issues. We have to figure a way to make them hear the majority of citizens in the country when we insist on keeping second amendment rights, keep law and order important, have a strong military and a diplomacy that stands up for the American way.

All is not lost, far from it. To pull this off, the Democrats had to make America believe that their platform was friendly to the conservative cause. And, with the assistance of the heavily-biased media, it would seem that they accomplished their deception. However, they must now appear to hold to the promises and claims made during the campaign. We need to be vocal when they try to make those hard-left turns.

04 Nov 2008 by Campaign

My End of the Work Bench

cleanup.jpgWhen we clean up after the weekly trip to the range, we go to our patio and set up shop under the canopy. The colorful table covering is something Damsel had in the closet that just happened to fit the workbench. We have a toolbox (actually a fishing tackle box) that sits on a lower table as we sit or stand at the workbench and do our thing.

After shooting yesterday, I field-stripped the guns that I clean up and laid them and the magazines out and took this picture. The shotgun is a Remington 870 Express, 12 gauge, six plus one. The pistols are Glocks, a G26 9mm and a G30 .45ACP.

The revolver is my S&W 686, which didn’t go to the range, but is there for personal security while everything else is disabled. Since we are in a fenced-in yard, security isn’t really a problem, but a few months ago there was an incident just a few blocks away where a couple of burglary suspects jumped over a fence during a foot pursuit and hid in a tool shed. We know that’s a long shot, but something like that could happen and we want to be prepared.

Click the image for a big picture.

03 Nov 2008 by Firearms

Down to the Wire

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Special Election Day Message From
Wayne LaPierre And Chris Cox
Vote November 4

This long campaign season is down to its final days. Next Tuesday, the American people will make their choice. It is more important than ever that every gun owner and everyone who values our liberties, takes action to protect the future of our Second Amendment rights. The threat is real, and the consequences of this election will be felt for years to come.

In 2000 and 2004, American gun owners rose to the occasion and defeated tough, seasoned opponents of the Second Amendment — Al Gore and John Kerry. And those opponents got craftier each election cycle in camouflaging their true beliefs about gun ownership.

Today, we face a different challenge. Barack Obama has such a long, openly anti-gun record that he cannot hide his true stance. All he can do is try to paper it over with platitudes. “If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,” Obama says on the campaign trail, although he voted in Illinois to do just that. And he goes on to admit the real obstacle: “Even if I wanted to take it away, I couldn’t get it done. I don’t have the votes in Congress.”

In contrast, we have John McCain and Sarah Palin. Make no mistake about it, the best hope to protect the Second Amendment is the election of John McCain. Sen. McCain has a strong record of supporting the Second Amendment, and Gov. Palin would be a stellar new voice for gun owners in Washington.

The record is clear. Barack Obama, with his career of supporting every gun control scheme he’s ever encountered, would be the most anti-gun president in American history.

Our mission — and our duty to protect the Second Amendment — is to defeat Barack Obama, now.

We must ensure that Obama never has the chance to push the radical schemes he promoted in Illinois, or voted for in the U.S. Senate, or funded through the Joyce Foundation. And we must ensure that the Congress, the governors and the state legislatures all stand against Obama and those who think like him. The only way we can do this is by voting for candidates endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund. Go to www.NRAPVF.org and identify your pro-gun candidates. They need your support this Tuesday!

John McCain and Sarah Palin — and all the NRA-PVF endorsed candidates — need your vote. And they need the votes of your family, your friends and your fellow sportsmen as well.

Take action. Vote. Make sure that everyone you know who supports freedom votes on Tuesday.

Now is the time to make “Vote Freedom First” a reality. On November 4, defeat Barack Obama and Joe Biden, by voting John McCain and Sarah Palin.

01 Nov 2008 by Campaign Second Amendment

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