Great State Race

[sofadoc]

As I'm sitting here wondering if my post card will fit the bill, I've got to ask: What does an armadillo have to do with social studies?

I included a couple of hand written factoids on the other side.

The card says that armadillo's litters are always one sex. No mixes.

BTW How come some people say KI-YOT, and others say KI-YOT-EE?

Why are critters getting braver? Lately, I've seen coyotes and bobcats roaming dangerously close to my residential neighborhood in broad daylight.

[gene]

I heard that Texas will shortly be an open carry state (for guns).

It does amaze me that many folks, including our president, think that if we take all the guns away from good citizens that that will somehow reduce crime.

Them thing's good eating if you cut out the sweat gland

I was in Hawaii backpacking the Kalalau Trail on the north shore of Kawaii and ran into a guy who was hunting goats. These goats had gotten loose decades ago and became feral. They climb very steep cliffs and that's part of the sport: trying to get close enough to hit them with a bow and arrow. I asked the guy if they were good eating. He said "If you smoke them long enough you'll be able to eat them". Yuk!

gene

[byhammerandhand]

One of my uncles was an avid fisherman, he'd often visit the nearby lakes, frequently drive 4 hours to the best fishing areas in Lake Erie and ice fished in his homemade shanty.

He once told me how to cook carp, in a method known as "Cedar Planking"   You get a cedar plank that would hold the carp fillet and tack it down on both ends.   Slowly cook until the fillet turned opaque.  Remove the tacks, throw away the fillet and eat the plank.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I heard that Texas will shortly be an open carry state (for guns).

It does amaze me that many folks, including our president, think that if we take all the guns away from good citizens that that will somehow reduce crime.

gene

I'm not going to get all political and ruin this thread but Gene would you really want to go to, let's say, a college or professional football game where there are a bunch of drunken idiots brandishing their weapons and talking trash about whose team is better.  Sooner or later one of those drunks is going to get po'd and start shooting.  Makes me want to lock myself up in my house and never leave again.

Not to mention that the whole 2nd amendment thing is completely misinterpreted.  The NRA, etc., forget the part that says: "In the absence of a formal militia ..."  Since we have Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Reserves, State National Guards, etc., I'm thinking that we have the formal militia thing covered.

I do not know the answer but I know it's not teachers carrying weapons, idiots buying the biggest weapons they can find and hot heads using them during incidents of road rage.  This is a serious problem and neither side is carrying on meaningful dialogue.  We are never going to get rid of all the weapons that we have now so to suggest it just shuts down dialogue but putting more and more guns that are designed just to kill, kill, kill is not the answer either.

I apologize for responding to Gene's comments but just couldn't keep my fingers from typing. 

Virginia

[SteveA]

V discussion is good.  Why think of qualified citizens who know how to handle a gun unreliable ?  They are not the people targeting innocents -
They can and would make a difference
- don't stay home - the bad guys will be defeated -
SA

[Darren Henry]

I apologize for responding to Gene's comments but...

Don't. I had considered keeping my big mouth shut for almost 4 nano-seconds after I read Gene's comment, then realized that if your surface mail is as quick as ours, we might as well visit among ourselves to keep Keith's thread up top for more exposure while Ava waits. grin.

Winnie did call Wed. night, and yes she knew exactly where the good post cards were and she and her sister were going there yesterday anyway. I trust a nice Arizona card is on route from the nice ladies from Winnipeg Manitoba. So far I've had less luck than Dennis but have some leads and will be up closer to the highway (tourists) tomorrow so will try to get her something from up here for her scrap book.

To Gene's first comment: I'm not a fan of open carry, for the same reason as Virginia. Up here if a bear kicked my screen door in I'd have to fix it a three course snack while I unlocked the cabinet, took the key for the ammo box,took the key for the trigger lock etc...LOL. Even if all you have to do is drive home and get your weapon, you've had a brief cooling off period.

I whole heartedly agree with his second point though. There was a very popular button/bumper sticker/etc... back in the late 70's when we tightened our firearms laws. The government of the day introduced a certificate called a firearms acquisition certificate that allowed you to purchase rifles and shot guns. (Hand guns had been a whole different ball of wax since '39). Without it you just went to some scuzzy bar and got introduced to some one who's middle name was "the" and bought a flame thrower or pistol etc...Ethical shooters/law abiding owners rally ed behind: When you outlaw guns ----only outlaws will have guns. And that is exactly the truth Gene is talking about!

Short version; the cops can't get the illegal guns away from the criminals---the mostly urban-ite ( read uniformed)electorate appeal to the government to stop these crimes in their cities---to save face the government makes up some uniformed BS to appease the electorate at what ever cost---the honest foot the bill, the criminals laugh and all that money that could have been dedicated to getting illegal firearms out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them gets wasted on grandstanding on the backs of the responsible  fire arms owners.

I had a buddy send me a news item a few years ago when Australia asked for a voluntary turn in of firearms.  There were numerous piles of shot guns/hunting rifles 20 ft.X20 ft. by the width of the photo. I zoomed in,I panned, I could not find a single exhibit of anything "inappropriate". The next year their crime rate went up 30 some % .

Good job I posted before I BBQ that piece of red meat tonight.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Gun control is not an easy fix.  Yes, there are hundreds of thousands of guns in the hands of criminals.  The good news of that aspect is that almost every day, guns are recovered as a result of police raids.

First issue is to stop the influx of weapons that are only designed to inflict maximum damage against humans.  These weapons were designed for our soldiers to use and suddenly it was "in" to have at least one of them in your personal collection.  Problem is that the head of the NRA is adamantly opposed to the restriction and sales of any guns.  That man is an absolute idiot in my opinion but that's another subject.  I personally believe that if we could prevent any more sales and import of these types of guns, that would be a great first step.  Yes, the "bad guys" are going to have access to some of them initially but our police generally have a darn good idea of where these are stockpiled by people that should not have them and after a few raids that would be that.  You have a much better chance of disarming someone with a good old fashioned six shooter than with a magazine that holds upwards of 100 rounds.

Secondly, background checks should be mandatory across the board.  I am personally against internet sales of weapons since background checks are not done.  Stores that fudge background checks should be heavily fined and have their license suspended first offense and permanently lost should they be caught subsequently.  I saw a headline a few days ago but didn't click about some bozo who owns over 7,000 weapons.  WTF????  Why does one person (not a business that sells) need over 7,000 weapons.  Truly bastardization of the second amendment.

I'd be happy just to see these two things seriously implemented.  There are other adjustments that could be made but baby steps.  I would point out that Countries (Japan, Great Britain, Scotland to name a few) that have strict gun laws have zero gun fatalities.  Funny how that works.  Problem with that in the US is that there are so many weapons underground that absolutely only criminals (and the police) would have weapons.  That creeps even me out.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

stop the influx of weapons that are only designed to inflict maximum damage against humans

Up here full auto rifles are prohibited. I get that---if I can't harvest a deer with the first or second round out of my bolt action, I need to get back out to the range and practice. Semi automatic centre fire rifles are restricted to a 5 round magazine. That makes no sense to me. I can put a 10 round mag on target with my old enfield almost as quick as I did with my old FN or C7.(service rifles). BTW double tapping zombie targets with an SKS with a 5 round mag is gay!!!

background checks should be mandatory across the board

Absolutely!!! We have to graduate a Canadian firearms safety course before we can apply for a possession and acquisition license (replaced the old FAC I mentioned before).  This is where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police do the background check,interview estranged spouses etc...We need to produce said license to buy ammunition or guns.

We do still have some gun crimes---but 99% of the guns involved were bought from Jimmie "the" ? without a paper trail.

[byhammerandhand]

Dennis, you're too funny.  One of my daughters lives in Michigan, a neighboring state.   But it's 750 miles away (it could be further if we lived in Belpre, OH).  And the closest way there is through Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

[Darren Henry]

Hey Keith. Winnie got 4 off to Ava from Az. Friday. I finally found a card yesterday and will be posting it from up here on the way to work in the morning. Hope they get there in good time.

My scanner is pooched, but the front of the card is a Canadian flag and the narrative reads as follows;

"Hi Ava,This probably won't help your project but Grandpa Keith thought you might enjoy a card from up in Canada. Brandon is in the SW corner of Manitoba 1285 miles NW of you. No we do not live in igloos LOL. 45*F today,63 on Friday but that is close to a record.We had a little snow but it melted.In the summer we have lots of days in the high 80's-90's. We have two official languages. That's why the card has English and French on it. Best of luck with your project and school year. Darren Henry,Eh!

[byhammerandhand]

Thanks!

[byhammerandhand]

Got the 4 from AZ, thanks.

here are the states Ava's class still needs!
Alaska
Connecticut
Delaware
Iowa
Maine
Mississippi
Montana
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Remember- postcards need to be postmarked from state and include one state fact. THANK YOU!!!

For our Canadian friends, in the unlikely event that Donald Trump becomes president, do you recommend Ontario or Quebec?   I'm leaning toward Ontario as my French is 44 years out of use.

Hey Keith. Winnie got 4 off to Ava from Az. Friday. I finally found a card yesterday and will be posting it from up here on the way to work in the morning. Hope they get there in good time.

My scanner is pooched, but the front of the card is a Canadian flag and the narrative reads as follows;

"Hi Ava,This probably won't help your project but Grandpa Keith thought you might enjoy a card from up in Canada. Brandon is in the SW corner of Manitoba 1285 miles NW of you. No we do not live in igloos LOL. 45*F today,63 on Friday but that is close to a record.We had a little snow but it melted.In the summer we have lots of days in the high 80's-90's. We have two official languages. That's why the card has English and French on it. Best of luck with your project and school year. Darren Henry,Eh!

[gene]

How long until the contest is over?

I've been thinking of visiting Alaska in the winter some day.

gene

[Darren Henry]

Mike is your son still in NH? I'm terrible with names, help me out here.

I don't know what the objective of the exercise is. I'm guessing that they are trying to foster understanding for hand written communication , other wise they would have just handed them their electronic brain replacement and had them print off the information. I would suggest the class send a post card to the state capital office and at least one seniors home in the outstanding states. A hand written letter that the staff could post in the elevator, accompanied by a cover letter, should have them covered the next time the shuttle takes the seniors out for their prescriptions LOL.

I see that Oklahoma is covered. Was that our crazy little whirlwind?  

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

OK,

Finally got Ava's postcard out in the mail.  Never got a chance to leave the shop due to the dry cleaner's alterations.  Crazy but really good $$$.

Anyway, postcard is nothing sensational.  An artist's rendering of the Annual Sandhill Crane migration to the Platte River.

Facts I wrote on the back:

UNL's Memorial Stadium holds an ongoing NCSAA record of 347 consecutive sellouts, which began in 1962.  When full, Memorial Stadium is considered the 3rd largest city in Nebraska; only being beat out by Lincoln and Omaha.

The Sandhill Cranes migrate to the Platte River and Grand Island annually, every spring and fall, in a number between 600,000 and 800,000.

Did not put this on the postcard but those are the ugliest darn birds I have ever seen.  I just love them.  They sleep in this lump that looks like a large dirt mound.    Then all of a sudden, it starts moving.  The bird, mostly long legs and a huge wing span, begins to stretch.  Starts running the most ungainly run I've ever seen and then takes flight.  Nothing poetic or pretty about it but amazing in its own way.

Hope Ava's class gets all 50 states + Canada thanks to Darren.

Virginia