I have engendered some confusion by being too vague on my previous post.  I humbly apologize, I hope to clear up some confusion ( Read more... )

In no particular order ( Read more... )

What follows is difficult to write.  I can see both sides of the dynamic, and have a ring-side seat to watching part of it play out ( Read more... )

Long silences do not always mean lack of concern, rather they often mean one's attention is riveted elsewhere ( Read more... )

Gun control is one of those topics guranteed to wind up everyone in the room.

It's an emotional topic, right up there with religion and abortion, and hits lots of emotional triggers.

In my lifetime I've seen the debate slowly dragged into little more than a screaming match by the fringes of the respective positions.  Most of the anti-gun ( Read more... )

It occurs to me that I've been involved in defense, either on active duty, or as a defense contractor for 30 years now.

I loved my service, and I believe I serve a necessary demand in my current  position.

But you know, I'd kind of like to rotate out of the shield wall.

Carry on.

In no particular order:

1.  Went to karate again last night after a long haitus (due to the new job...more on that below).  I was shocked, pleasantly, at how much of my kata I remembered.  As it was "red tip testing" night, Sensei was also pleasantly shocked, I have achieved my next belt.  :)

Did come home with a good bruise, as sparring was part of ( Read more... )

I have come crawling back after slumming on Facebook for what seems like ever.  I've railed that it's damn near impossible to have an intelligent, articulate argument in that forum...but have tried to do so for far too long.

So, I will perform some measure of penance, something minor to atone for my sin...application of the keisaku (as demonstrated ( Read more... )

This:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/laura-bush-malala-yousafzais-courage-challenges-us-to-act/2012/10/10/9cd423ea-1316-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_story.html

The short version for those of you who many not know:  A young Pakistani girl has been blogging about the Taliban's oppression of young girls seeking education.  Schools have been burned/ ( Read more... )

Hey, it's fall.  "Hagakure" and all that.  So desu.  Two quick items that have raised (well, again raised) my ire.

The first is the credit reporting industry.  While I acknowledge, at least from an academic argument, that business do have some vested interesting in knowing if they're going to lend out a huge bunch of {fill in the blank}, whether or ( Read more... )