Great Tea Party Article From the Cato Institute

Tea Partiers Shouldn't Date the GOP

Good Quote

Democracy is when 2 lions and a lamb can vote on lunch. Liberty is when a well armed lamb can dispute the vote outcome. - Ben Franklin.

UNDER THE LEATHER AND BEHIND THE SHADE

Patriot Guard Riders

UNDER THE LEATHER AND BEHIND THE SHADES
Author Unknown

Under the leather and behind the shades stands a biker. We ride for the sense of freedom it gives us. The encouragement to take the road less traveled in the chance that we may encounter something new. We ride for the friendships we make along the way, as well as, the solitude of the open road. We don't really care what you ride, just that you do.

Under the leather and behind the shades is a beating heart. A heart filled with compassion that on any given day will be riding for those in need. Ask one of us for help, but don't be surprised when all of us show up.

Under the leather and behind the shades stands a proud American. We are as diverse a group of people that you could possibly assemble. We are men, women, tradesmen, doctors, lawyers, retirees, military, civilian and on and on and on. We stand silently with reverence and one voice that, in the silence, can be overwhelming.

Under the leather and behind the shades stands an invited guest to the funeral of a soldier that we most likely have never met. We hold the flag of our nation as a tribute to the greatest sacrifice anyone can make. Out of respect for the fallen, we travel to stand firm for a family, a community and a nation to lean on.

Under the leather and behind the shades stands a biker with sons, daughters, brothers and sisters of our own. Beneath the rough exterior we tremble and weep at your loss. You may not see that, for we are there to support you. That’s why we stand so silently under the leather and behind the shades.

ALR Sendoff

(12/5/09-Saturday) – Please Join ALR 406 (Andover) for a Sendoff to Honor 50 to 60 Members of the 226^th Engineer Company (National Guard) as They Deploy from Augusta to Salina for Training, then to Afghanistan - We will meet at Augusta High School, 2020 Ohio Street, in Augusta at 11:45 A.M. to flag up and prepare to ride to the National Guard Armory. KSU at 12:15 for the short ride and small ceremony put on by the Augusta American Legion, and then escort the bus down to Highway 54 and out of town, where we will dismount and send these youngsters off. We will have Augusta P.D. support. Ride captains will be Wayne (Shark) Friedel and Bashful of ALR 406.

New Patriot Guard Mission

Fallen Hero US Army Staff Sergeant John James Cleaver

US Army 82nd Airborne Division Trooper, Staff Sgt John James Cleaver, age 36, Joplin, MO. was killed in action on 19 November 2009 in Afghanistan. The family has invited the Patriot Guard to attend the funeral. The Patriot Guard extends our sincere sympathy to the Cleaver Family. Please keep this family in your prayers. God bless John and his family. If you are on the Patriot Guard email list, a confirmed mission with final details will be emailed and posted when finalized. Tentative funeral services: Saturday 28 November 2009 in Galena, KS.

Salute to Veterans Ride

(11/8/09-Sunday) – ALR 401 (Wichita) Invites All ALR to LEAD the First "Salute to Veterans Ride" at 2:00 p.m. at Alefs Harley Davidson in Wichita. Alefs has purchased 50 3x5 state flags for this Ride, and they would like to see all 50 states flying in honor of the Veterans from all 50 states. Stage at Alefs (I-35 & 53rd St. N.) at 1:00pm. Alefs has asked the Legion Riders from this area to lead the ride with service flags flying behind the US flag and the Kansas state flag, then all the other state flags following, then riders without flags. The ride will end at the Wichita Veterans Park. When we arrive at the Veterans Park, riders will park in the right lane, dismount and gather together to pay Tribute to all the Veterans of the USA. We will then present welcome home flags to area veterans who well represent veterans from WWII, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, the Gulf war, etc. This ride is open to all riders and you do not need to be a Veteran. This is for anyone who just wants to salute our Veterans and their service to our country. RC is Mike Macy, Director of ALR 401, at (316) 461-2639.

Renaissance Daze at Post 4

(11/7/09-Saturday) – ALR 4 (Wichita) Renaissance Daze at Post 4 (818 N. Water St.) from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. – There will be belly dancing by Dreama Dancing Gypsies, heavy sword fighting by Barony of Vatavia, European & Middle Eastern Dance, fencing by Acadme’De Duello, bag pipes by The Saltire Piper, Medieval Photo Booth, hair brading & basket weaving, games for the kids, crowning King & Queen Medieval costume contest, and merchants with knives, swords, dragons and leather. Turkey Leg Dinner. Linda’s Famous Fish Fry at 6:00 p.m. Karaoke & dance at 7:00 p.m. DJ by Dollar & Tall Tim. Join us in helping our active duty and disabled veterans to be remembered and honored. All proceeds go to them.

Wichita Veterans Day Parade

(11/7/09-Saturday) – ALR 4 (Wichita) Invites All ALR to Participate in the Wichita Veterans Day Parade –For the second year, we have the honor of escorting the Gold Star Mothers in their float. The parade will begin at 11:00 am in downtown Wichita. The parade route begins at Central & Murdock and goes south on Main to Douglas. The parade will end on Douglas at Kennedy Plaza on the north side of Century II. Following the parade there will be a celebration at Kennedy Plaza and on Douglas Avenue between Water and Waco. You will have the chance to meet the parade participants; view vehicles and other displays; and listen to patriotic music. ALR Staging: Breakfast will be available at Post 4 from 0800-1000. We will be lining up at 10:00 just down the street to the east.

Great Quote

PA Dutch Proverb of the day: "A ship in harbor is safe. But that is not what ships are for."

SHRIMP BOG - One of my favorite recipes

SHRIMP BOG

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

1/2 pound sliced bacon, finely diced

2 medium-size onions, finely chopped

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 medium-size, ripe tomatoes, peeled, finely chopped, and juices retained

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

In a fine sieve, rinse the rice well under cold running water and drain. In a large, heavy pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the grease, add the onions to the pot, and cook for 3 minutes over moderate heat, stirring. Add the rice and stir well. Add the stock, tomatoes with their juices, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, nutmeg, and black and cayenne peppers, bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the crumbled bacon and the shrimp and continue cooking, uncovered, for 10 minutes, adding a little more stock if the rice seems to be drying out. Stir the bog with a fork, taste for seasoning, and sprinkle the parsley on top.

Yield: 6 servings

One of my favorite George Orwell Quotes

" We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. "

Great Quote

The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we have of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us. - Quentin Crisp

Haircut

I took my grandson in for a haircut. A handsome lad if I do say so myself.

Outrage at NBC

Just wanted to take a moment to vent my outrage at NBC. I turn over to watch some Super Bowl pre game and they are airing an interview with the President. What a lame attempt at BS on both Obama and NBC news. Just proves to me that NBC is actually the DNC broadcasting network.

A new ride

I decided I needed a new ride. :)

Beer and Wings Night

A while back we started a tradition of boys night out. Buffalo Wild Wings is Brandon's favorite place to eat when visiting grandpa. Tonight is the night so we will hoist a few and celebrate life.

Make A Wish

We recently returned from Florid where we had an amazing time at Disney World. I would like to thank the Make a Wish people for making one little boys dreams come true. Here is B in his NASA space suit. 

Colonel Brandon

My son, Jason, is in the Air National Guard and decided to outfit Brandon, his son and my grandson, in a genuine Air Force flight suit. Brandon looks dashing in his jumpsuit, jacket, hat, and regulation sunglasses. When Jason went in for his Security Forces hair cut Brandon insisted he also have one.

New Fall Hat

Fall is in the air which means it is time to switch to a new Fall hat.

Switching Cell Phone Carriers

I have been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for a number of years, but I have finally had enough of two year contracts. I firmly believe WiMax will change the cell phone landscape and free us from the shackles of the big wireless providers. However, that time is not now.

With my contract ending soon I decided to give Cricket a shot. I will admit to some anxiety about using Cricket. I have always considered it a network for collage students who did not need a mission critical communication system. My son has used Cricket for years so I thought I would give it a try.




My reasoning was this.

1. Unlimited talk time in a Cricket area
2. Unlimited text and pic messages
3. Access to Nationwide roaming
4. Unlimited National long distance calls
5. Extremely attractive low monthly rate without a longterm contract
   

I realized I was giving up the Verizon network which has served me well, and I would not have a large selection of phones. However, I wanted a new phone, my trusty Razor had served me well but I wanted newer technology. I was not interested in signing a new contract so I was going to have to pay full price for the phone no matter which provider I selected.

I reviewed the plans offered by all the major carriers. All wanted one to two year contracts unless I wanted to go with some kind of limited prepay plan. All of which was unsatisfactory to me. Cricket offered the plans that were most appealing to me, and were a good fit for my current needs.

I signed up for the Cricket $55 a month plan that gave me all of the features listed above, 100 minutes a month of Nationwide roaming, and unlimited Web access. I signed up for the service and bought the brand new Kyocera Lingo from the Cricket web site. I was a little nervous about buying a phone sight unseen but I thought if I did not like phone I could exchange it at one of the local Cricket stores.

The phone arrived and I activated the service. This was a straight forward process and I was up and running in about 10 minutes. In my local area I found the signal to excellent. Voice was crisp and clear and text and picture messaging worked without issue. This would be expected in my home area, but I wondered how would the phone and system work on the road? I would not have to wait long as I was attending a conference in Phoenix that very week.

My first stop was DFW in Dallas. After I deplaned I turned on my phone and noticed I was in a roaming area. I though this was a little odd so I checked the coverage map on the Cricket web site and found that Dallas was not a Cricket area. I decided to make a call to see how the roaming system worked. The call went through without issue and the quality was excellent. The call used 2 minutes of my 100 minute allotment which should be plenty for my needs. Text messaging still worked fine but mobile web was off line as I was not in a Cricket area.

Upon arrival in Phoenix I found I was once again in a Cricket service area. All services worked fine and the call quality was once again excellent. The more I used the phone in Phoenix the greater my comfort level with the Cricket system.

The only negative I have found while using Cricket so far is that my Google calendar alerts do not work with the Cricket service. This is not a deficiency on Crickets part, but rather Google does not support Cricket. Perhaps this will change in the future as Cricket adds more services.

Speaking of services, I would like to see Cricket provide GPS services so Google maps would work. I would not mind paying for this service because I think it would be a real value add to my overall communications package. The Cricket web site says they are working on rolling GPS out so hopefully I will not have to wait long.