.308 Rifle

Well there she is. A Remington 700 VS in .308 Winchester. I'm on my way to the range now, and I got a lot of stuff to shoot! I have the .308, I'm bringing my Mosin Nagant, My .22 Marlin, and a Seko .22 my buddy lent me. I'll also hit up the pistol range for 50 rounds to try to sharpen those skills.

The .308 is a shooter. I had a bit of a SNAFU because I didn't understand that high-end scopes have a focal length, and you need to adjust it by turning the big end from 50yds to 100yds, etc. Out of the box it is dropping 180 grain factory rounds in the paper, and with a few clicks I had it in a 2" circle. Not bad for factory 180gr crappy loads.
On Thanksgiving I visited a friends Dad. He's like a father to me, as I've known his son since Kindergarten. He gave me a lyman press he had "floating around"! All I need are shell holders, a good reloading book, and a scale and I'm reloading rife and pistol ammo. I cannot wait to start dialing this gun in with a good handload.

I have all the loading data this fellow has on the .308, and it is quite extensive. But he kept meticulous records, so I will continue to do the same. Everyone have a safe weekend, I'm off to the range to put holes in paper.

A Family Conversation

First off, I need to apologize, as my cellphone died a spectacular death, and took the photos of my new rifle with it. I'll post pics of it soon - I promise.

I was surprised during dinner when my brother brought up storing food, getting his firearms license, preparing for social upheaval, etc. I was floored. My brother used to be a card carrying, banner waving liberal. My Mum wasn't too thrilled with the conversation, as she is very much anti-gun. After describing several scenarios of what is possibly on the horizon, she is now concerned that we might be facing a crisis of moderate to devastating severity in the near future.

I confessed I had nine months of food stored, and I was working to getting more. The look on Mum's face was priceless. That's when she got serious, and started asking questions. By the end of the night Mum had a better understanding of what I was doing, and why I've been buying firearms. Neither of them knows about this blog, as it's really for the readers, and not my family or friends. I get to tell them in person!

Mum summed it up when she said, "Oh my! I need to stock up on Zantac!" I was surprised I had her on board so easily. But then again, her parents were teenagers during the Great Depression, and they raised their kids poor. She raised two kids on her own with no child support and working three jobs. Over the years, her tolerance for bullshit has dropped to zero.

So now the rest of my family is on board, and have promised to start storing food and water. I warned my Mum not to go and buy too much too soon. I suggested to buy two boxes of her zantac every time she ran out of one, unless it was on sale. Then rotate her stock. My Mum has about a months food in the house outside of what's in the freezer. That's a good start. I suggested buying a few extra cans of food every trip to the supermarket.

My brother has contacts in Maine, and he's actively looking for property up there. ?He has a line on 70 acres of landlocked land, that abuts his buddies property. This fellow already agreed we could have access if we get it. The hard part is figuring out how much the landlocked land is going to go for. Most land in Maine is going for $2000 and acre. That's way too much! I'm going to be careful with any land purchase - it's all talk for the short term.

My brother is very much a noobie when it comes to planning for a crisis. He thinks we will head north in a caravan of trucks like it's Mad Max or something. I can straighten him out, but it will take some time. I did let them both know that we will meet at Mum's and we can work out where to go or what to do from there.

You can do the same thing. It's not too late for my Mum, it's not to late for you! Start now, at least if the balloon goes up next week, you have a head start. Start with water, food, medicine, shelter. Then move on to personal security and training. Work on financial security. Build a community.

The problem with retreats

I was pondering retreats and how I could get one the other day. I was also processing some information I've gleaned from various sources. I would like to score some land up in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine for use as a camping site for me and my buddies, and as a retreat location if the poop did hit the fan in a big way.

I was talking with several guys at the gun club, and several have property in Maine. All of them have trouble with the locals breaking in and using the place for a party hangout, looting, and other nefarious purposes. If they lock the door, they break through the windows. If they cover the windows with metal shutters, they are worried the locals would set the place on fire.

One of the guys has a good spot that is behind the house of the guy he bought it from and they keep an eye on it, but still his cabin is broken into by kids looking for booze and as a party place.

So unless you live at a retreat, then building any permanent structure is an exercise in futility. I guess that is lesson number one. No matter how remote you are, eventually a local teen will discover the place and use it for their amusement.

So the options are to live in a tent, or bring your shelter with you like a pop-up or RV. I guess the other option is to build a cabin, but cover all windows with metal security covers, and have a proper security door. They can still burn it, so keep your supplies cached in the ground nearby.

It's still a dream of mine to have, but considering my 401k has a year-to-date return of -52% I doubt I could escape the job anytime in the next 30 years. I have zero intention on moving to a retreat full time unless I had to due to mutant zombie biker ninja's rampaging across eastern Mass. Some survivalists woudl say I'm an idiot for not giving up on the job, but we all have opinions, right?

Unemployment

Well I was prowling for data for a post, and found this site. It has the "official" unemployment statistics for every state. Mass is at 5.5%, and Rhode Island is at 9.3%. These are the official numbers, not the real ones. Remember, the government removes you from the "eligible workforce" if you have been out of work longer than a few months. These numbers also don't reflect those who are short of work and need more. Also if you leave work to have a kid, then try to go back to work, you don't count.

It's chilling. I am witnessing the slide of America into poverty. If this keeps up I wonder what will happen to the illegal immigrants when the "jobs no one wants" are coveted by American citizens? America has always been a heterogeneous mixture, with different ethnic groups clumping together in the melting pot. When one group has it better than the other then you better look out!

I used to push boxes around for a living. For 5 years or so I worked in a variety of warehouses. When I started, There were little, if any immigrants, legal or otherwise. When I left, managers were taking Spanish classes to keep up with the work force. I recently had to go to several warehouses to help out a buddy and we couldn't find anyone who spoke freaking English. I was cracking jokes about INS, and the foreman warned me to knock it off, because they'd beat the crap out of me. This is New England, it's as far as you can get from South America and stay in the continental US, and the menial jobs are all held by immigrants!

As a country we have some tough times ahead. This is going to be made harder by racial tensions, as up here the South Americans all stick to themselves in their own little ghettos where everything is done in Spanish. By excluding themselves from the rest of society they make themselves a target. If your lucky enough to have a retreat, don't segregate yourself, integrate with the communities near you.

Would the federal government, if faced with a total collapse of the economy boot out illegals so citizens could have a job? With a democrat in office, I tend to doubt it. This means the illegals will form the core of the middle class if the American economy recovers in 5-10 years. Now that's funny. See, they way I figure it, if they are working steadily, then they will have the income to invest and grow their own businesses. While the lazy American citizens will live on the dole.

I wonder how the increased strain on the unemployment system impacts the state economies.

New rifle

Well I was shooting skeet in the below-freezing weather with a few other hardy folk on Saturday when a guy came into the club to post a flyer about the gun he is selling. Turns out he's selling a Remington 700 VS chambered in .308 Winchester. Exactly what I am looking for in a bolt-action rifle.

It's got a heavy barrel, which is limiting tactically, but I wouldn't consider it too heavy for hunting moderate distances. I figure I could lug it around for a few hours with a proper sling on it. It is not good for any kind of snap-shooting though. Too cumbersome to whip around. On the plus side, the rifle can shoot 1/2 MOA accuracy and the seller has the ballistic data to back up that claim. The barrel also has a custom muzzle-brake to reduce full power .308 rounds to a recoil equal to a .223, which basically eliminates it. I checked, and no holes are drilled on the bottom of the brake, so it will not kick dust up. The trigger has been professionally done, with a 2# pull. He has a replacement follower for the magazine so it can be used as a bench gun. This follower can be removed easily for hunting.

The rifle has a synthetic stock with aluminum bedding block. The grip is better contoured to larger hands, it's the same stock as the police version. He has a monster 32x scope on it, I'm not sure of the specs but it is optically very clean and has a 50mm bell for good light gathering. He also is including a full set of dies for reloading, all his ballistic and reloading data, bullets, brass, primers, cleaning rods, and a case.

I know I've been mentally masturbating over a MBR like a FN-Fal or a M1A. I realize I cannot afford such a weapon at this time. Once tax time comes again I'll be sure to get one, and it might be too late by then, who knows? I do know this. This is about $2k worth of stuff going for $500. The rifle is plenty big enough to hunt all but moose and grizzly. It's in a common caliber that can provide headshots at 300 meters without batting an eye. I will also get everything I need to start reloading .308 except a press. I can get a used press at Kittery Trading Post up in Maine after the holidays, I'm planning a trip up there in early January. Until then I'll keep my ears open at the club, and on craigslist for a used press locally.

I'm picking it up Wednesday, I'll post pics for sure!

Slow Slide

Well let's face it. The greatest danger we face is a slow economic slide into a 3rd world country. Now the $64,000 dollar question is how to prepare for it. I have been re-reading FerFal's blog heavily, as he has lived through such a slide, and I feel his insight is a key indicator on what to do.

What this means to me is this:

1) I will be employed, but I will have to work longer hours to keep my job.
2) Getting to and from work is going to get very dangerous.
3) I will be forced to live in a high-threat environment.
4) Police help will be available to the rich, who can afford to bribe.
5) My sidearm will be more valuable than any rifle.
6) Food and electricity will available most of the time.

I agree with FerFAL's assessment that you would not be allowed to walk down main street with a shotgun or your MBR. Unless there is a complete collapse of law and order then it's best to leave the long guns home. Likewise, if there is a complete collapse, then a lone person waltzing down to the supermarket with a MBR will be attacked for his weapon.

So in a slow slide, until society collapses then your sidearm would be the most important piece of gear you own. If you live in a very rural environment then a rifle or shotgun might be acceptable in your truck, but even then, a concealed handgun would be nice to have. To this end I have begun shopping for a shoulder holster for my Sig. I also am not a fan of the factory grips, I want to see about replacing them with something more robust, and less slippery. I also want to upgrade my sights to Tritium or whatever it's called. Practicing last night in the dark, I couldn't see where my weapon was pointed - not good.

Add to this line of reasoning that Obammy might ban handgun sales outright, or make the licensing procedure too long and complex that it is an effective ban. I just hope I am grandfathered in. Even if you don't have the money for a handgun I encourage everyone to start the licensing procedure.

As for what to buy. There were a few features I felt were a 100% necessity for a daily carry handgun. It had to be a double action firearm, chambered in a common, but large caliber. And it needed to be reliable. I found a Sig P220 on sale, and fell in love with it. It holds 8+1 of .45 ACP so there is plenty of firepower. It is accurate, and very reliable. Earlier posts fully detail what I love about my Sig, so check the "firearm" posts to see them.

I have already started to be more aware of my surroundings, checking my house out as I pull up. This is a good thing to do all the time, regardless of the current threat level. I think I will have to beef up my security system, as FerFAL mentions dogs get poisoned, so they are of limited help.

Victory!

It was a hard-fought campaign, many lost hours on both sides of the brawl, but Natog has emerged victorious!

I have been fighting a running battle with my old cell phone company for the last 6 weeks. I had switched from Helio (aka Sprint) in disgust of their poor cell coverage in my area, and they double charged my account when I made a payment online. Then they took 4 days to get the money back to me.

The trick in dealing with the situation was to have excellent notes. I jotted down everyone's name and ID number I spoke with, dates and times, and highlights of the conversation to jog my memory. As with all cell phone companies their customer service is abysmal. This is intentional, as they don't want to cough up a nickle unless they had to. After 10+ hours on the phone, I have no early cancellation fee, and my account is retroactively canceled to when I ported my number out.

Without good notes, I would have been screwed, with my only recourse to not pay them and then have to deal with a credit agency going after me.

So anytime you have an issue with any company, or the Fedz for that matter.
1) Take good notes. Get ID #'s of the people you talk to with dates and times.
2) Establish your expectations clearly, then don't budge an inch.
3) Persistence.
4) DO NOT YELL. Explain to them you are very upset with their company, but you don't yell and scream. Tell them you are furious, but it's not their fault so yelling at them will not make anything better. You want the rep to be on your side.
5) If they cannot help you bump up to their supervisor.

Gun Grab

A lot of people are worried about a gun grab, where the federal government takes away your firearms by force. I think this is overblown a bit.

I fully believe that a new version of the Assault Weapons Ban will go back into effect. Banning all imported military-style arms. I fully expect a ban on all new non-LEO, non-military magazine sizes to be 10 rounds or less. Perhaps to go so far as California's fixed magazine requirement. That's about as much as he could ram through congress and the senate before the 2010 elections. I do not see him being able to do more than that. Although the hardcore democrats would like more, he has to split his time with other projects, like working on the welfare state, righting all the "wrongs" of the past administration, dealing with the financial crisis. He won't have time, and I doubt he will try to take on the Gun Lobby, the NRA, and the bulk of the middle class during his first term.

I say the middle class because as crime increases, more and more from the shrinking middle class will buy guns to "defend" themselves. Without training, whatever they buy is useless, but they won't want to give up their protection. I might be off base with this part, but unless martial law is declared, I don't see a gun grab happening.

His second term is a different story. If Obama maintains a Democratic Senate and Congress, I fully expect a gun grab of some kind. I also expect a lot of situations to come up like Ruby Ridge and Waco. I expect a lot of people in law enforcement and civilians to die from it.

Back in the Real World

Vacation is over. Oh well. For 6 days I didn't read the news, check my e-mail, or watch any TV. Mentally I am refreshed and ready to take on the world. Physically I hurt like hell. Playing a video game for 16 hours a day in a chair that's bad for your back can break you down.

I did get out a bit, especially yesterday. In the morning I practiced shooting, and scored my best to date with my 22 rifle. At 50 yards I could cover the 5 shot group with a nickle. Considering I have a low-end .22 rifle, I am pleased as punch. I have no intention on buying a better .22 rifle at this time. Although there is a strong desire to compete, I got more important things to buy.

I still have a major hard-on for an FN-FAL or an M1A battle rifle. Maybe it's foolish because obama might take them away, but I want something handy in case it really goes to hell in a handbasket.

I picked up more food supplies for my preps. My main batch of seeds came in! I have what I need to grow food for myself if push comes to shove. It's a load off of my mind, but there is more to do. I could not find any hard red winter wheat, but the crops should come in the spring, so I'll buy some then. I didn't get a chance to grab another 150# of corn, but I will this weekend.

I've been over my supplies and there are a few items I need to grab. I need cheap garden tools from a flea market or yard sale. I also need to grab some cheap LED headlamps. And I also got to grab a solar battery charger, with a second set of NiMH batteries in AA and AAA. I'll order these items this week. Having vacation at home and cooking (most) of your own meals saved me a ton of cash. All of which will be set aside for a MBR, or put into food preps. That's it for me on an update now, I'm also writing up an article I'll post later on.

The Monster Within

A bit of a philosophical post before going on vacation. I firmly believe that every human being has the willingness to commit murder in their hearts. Scrub away the Saab, the Cardigan sweater, the espresso enemas and you essentially have a wild beast, held in check by a thin layer of morality and social customs. Granted, most social customs are an extension of morality, but not all. For example, is it a violation of morals to eat with your hands instead of silverware?

Obviously the social customs would be the first to go in a societal collapse. Things like polygamy and polyamory would rise in acceptance quickly. Especially if the female to male ratio is out of balance in either direction. I know for the Christian segment of my readership is not going to be too happy with me lumping marriage with "social customs." I just would like to point out that Christians have affairs, just like everybody else. Although that is a poor example, as breaking an Oath is a moral issue.

Back to my original point, as I try to avoind the slippery slope of religion, everyone is capable of murder. If you had a child who was sick with some horrible disease, and some corp offered you a cure if you killed a death-row inmate for his stem cells? If you were starving, and you saw a group of thugs kill someone for food, would you kill the thugs for the food?

I could go on and on with these thought exercises. What does that mean to us?

If the poop hits the fan in a bad way, then I fully expect to have to kill for my survival. Let's face it, I work in a densely populated urban environment, surrounded by a lot of people with questionable moral standards. How bad an incident has to be criminals take advantage of the reduced law enforcement presence? What did that study find? After 3 days the average human would steal to eat, after 7 they would kill.

I don't mean to dwell on such negative aspects of our preparedness. It is a situation I never want to face, I hope all the prepping we do is in vain. But if something really bad does happen, the woman in the pantsuit might try to kill you for the MRE you are eating. My plan is to avoid as much humanity as possible, so I won't be forced into such a situation. But I prepare for the situation, in case it presents itself.

I am currently reading "Dies the Fire" by S.M. Stirling. I'm only half way through and I think it's an excellent book, well written and entertaining. I will be buying the remainder of the series and passing them to friends once I am done. This is what got me to thinking. Any book that makes you use your noggin is a sound time investment.

Neat item

Check this out @ Cabelas.

It's a disposable sterile stapler for stitching wounds, 15 staples for $25. Next time I order from there I'm going to buy one. Unless I manage to take the drive down to Hartford, CT first.

I should buy some sutures too, I know.

Prep Time

Well I've been blessed with a half-day today in return for working 6+ hours in the middle of the night last week. So this post will be a little short.

I cannot find any hard red winter wheat at the feed stores, so I'm going to try the earthy-crunchy stores next. I'll have to pay more, but if it's less than $25 a bag I'll still buy some.

I have yet to bag up the corn I bought into mylar bags, I am concerned I do not have an airtight container to put the O2 absorbers in so they will stay good. If I don't find any wheat by Sunday I'll buy 150# more corn and put that up. That reminds me, I need to buy a cheap iron to seal the bags.

Well the rest of the day will be spent prepping. I want to change the oil in my jeep, and I need to do some housework, and yardwork. Harbor freight has a bowsaw for $7, (with coupon) so I might swing by and see if it's worth it.

I am on vacation thursday - tuesday so I doubt I will be able to post. I'm not doing anything special, but I'm not going to be hitting the boards, or checking the news, nothing. A complete mental and physical vascation. I need it real bad.

Busy Weekend

First off, let me admit to being a damn nitwit. I went to pick up some long term supplies of grains, and they were out of Hard Red Winter wheat, and they were not going to get any in for a long time. Dammit! I should have bought it when they had it. Granted it would have been sitting there for 3 months, but now I got to scramble to get some. Now I have to spend time tracking it down.

So I bought 100# of corn for $25. They did have winter rye, but I knew jack shit about it and passed. Cornmeal is good. Cornbread and johnnie cakes. Yummy.

On Saturday, I had my own three-gun shoot. Pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting. I'm very happy with my progression in all three weapons. Not that I'm the best shot around, but I would say I'm good enough to get by. Any training from here on in would need to be tactics training on how to clear rooms, handle prisoners, etc.

I am somewhat disappointed with the reloader I bought. Turns out the re-sizer is a separate ring, and I wasn't using it for many of shells, and it bit me in the ass on Sunday. From now on, I need to check all my hulls and separate them into piles that need to be re-sized and those that do not. I figure if I take the barrel off of my shotgun, and use a wooden dowel to pop them out, I can quickly go through the shells. The cheapest MEC reloader with the re-sizing die

I was shooting in a league on Sunday, and missed four or five shells because of jams. These hulls were the oldest ones I had, so I was an idiot for using them in the competition. Live and learn. Pretty much any shell I load buck into and store, I will re-size. By the time I use it, who knows what shotgun (or barrel) I'll be using it out of.

I bid on a replacement barrel for my 870 on gunbroker.com but the bidding went too high for me for a snap purchase. I do want to get a longer barrel for my 870, this will help with Skeet, as well as duck and goose hunting, which I might like to do next year.

A friend I made at the club is going piggy hunting down south soon. evidently there is a big feral pig problem in NC,SC, and TN. I like to eat piggies. Bacon tastes good, pork chops taste good. Roast tenderloin done rotisserie style in my grill is wicked pissah. I just might have to go and get me a pig.

I've never been into hunting, but with the financial crisis we are in it will be a damn handy skill to have. I also don't like the idea of feral species damaging the environment. If I ever get to go to Australia, I always said I book a cat hunting safari. Plus, did I mention I like to eat piggies? Looks like you can stock a freezer for short money, especially if you drive down with others so you can split gas. Worth looking into.

Well that's it for now, So much crap going on I cannot keep it straight. There was a picture up on CNN with obammy standing at a podium with "PRESIDENT-ELECT" on it. I thought that was a little full of himself, proving to me he's a narcissist. CNN pulled the picture down before I could get back up here and grab a copy.

The economy is still fucked. Had a great conversation with a guy who ran a DJ business on the side. He's had 50 or so major companies cancel thier holiday parties. That's not good.

Good Pistol Drill

I saw a link to Commander zero's blog on Rawles survivalblog.

It's a pistol drill I wasn't aware of but doing it anyway. At my range you are only allowed to shoot at 25 or 50 yards. So I was blazing away at the standard NRA pistol targets. I even bought some replacement centers. Turns out the replacement centers are exactly the size of a average man's chest. So I can shoot at a silhouette without breaking the clubs rules about no silhouette shooting.

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to move while shooting, but when no one else is around I'll practice shooting while kneeling or while using a post or bench as support. I only do this once in a blue moon as I am so accurate when supported, I don't need the practice and it's not worth getting talked to by a range officer when it's perfectly safe, just not what the club wants.

Anyway, I shot this weekend and I am keeping it in the 7 ring at 25 yards, which is about 8 inches across. Not too shabby for someone who started this summer.

Now go out there buy a good pistol and practice. Get a .45 unless you cannot handle the recoil, then get as big a caliber as you can handle. Then practice your ass off!

Northeast Prepper Network?

Sorry for the intermittent posting this week. I've been on call which means long days and my pager going off all damn night. I have been trying to formulate a good post idea for the last half-hour, but I've failed in that department.

So I have been mulling about the idea of a New England Prepper network. With a big tip-o-the-hat to Riverwalker for doing the Texas Prepper's Network.

I am limited with the amount of slack time I have, so I will not be able to provide enough content to make it worthwhile. I did notice that there is a way of allowing other people access to the blog as guest authors. So I won't have to do all the work, and others who might not have time to blog regularly can post information that is beneficial to everyone.

In the past in comments here and there there has been some interest, so if you New Englanders are interested in working together to keep a site focused on New England filled with content, please post a comment or drop me a line. I'll post my e-mail below.

I noticed on survivalblog.com that someone noticed that cheaperthandirt.com has already increased the price of their high-capacity magazines. Big shocker there. I already have a tough time with buying magazines here in Mass so I already figured price hikes were going to happen on Nov 4th. I still need a battle rifle, so until I get one I'll just save any money to put towards that, and then buy mags once I have it in my hands. An AR-15 mag does me squat, if I get an AK-47 or an M1A.

Speaking of AK's there is one in the gun shop near my house for $650. It's new, but I think a M1 would be a better buy for the same money. Or you could get two SKS's for that. I need to look into the SKS, some can take AK mags and are cheap. I need to educate myself a bit on these firearms. I might be forced into settling for one, if I can't save enough money for the M1A or FN-FAL I want.

Well, my e-mail is teotwawkiaiff@gmail.com, feel free to drop me any non-spam mail. I'll do my best to get back to you promptly.

So for now I think M.A.S.S or the Massachusetts Anti-Sheeple Society has a good ring to it. e-mail me ideas for names or articles and let's see what we can put together. Eventually I'd like to see this blossom into something a little bit larger, maybe group buys of equipment and supplies. Face to face meets. Who knows? For now, let's focus on getting the ball rolling. I see the potential for a lot of good community building in this. I know there is a silent crowd here in New England who wish to pass on information, but do not want to give any exposure to themselves, their families, and thier preps. I can respect that. Any personal information would never hit the blog(s) unless you specifically want it to. If anyone has some good information that could help us in hurricanes, blizzards, or mutant zombie infestation. Please send it and I'll post it anonymously.

The King is Crowned

Well Obama has won. Big shocker there. I was surprised with the lack of violence post- announcement. If Detroit and New Orleans burns after a NBA victory, then a (half) Black president is worth at least a dozen overturned cars and several fires.

Now what does that mean for us preppers? I am no oracle, no seer of visions so take this with a grain of salt. I actually see the financial markets calming down, although I think the bailouts are having no effect. AIG might go tits up any day now and we are seeing the Lehmans CDS fiasco still working its way through the system. I think of it along the lines of gorging yourself on beer, Taco Bell, and questionably good ice cream for dessert. It probably won't kill you but your going to have all sorts of "fun" passing it. Plan on living in tennis shoes and boxers for a day or so while it works its way out. Like wise keep your mental acuity sharp, your awareness heightened. I wouldn't get bogged down in the fine detail, skim the surface so your not slowed down with the media masturbation going on because their chosen one was elected.

So banks will still continue to fail, and the economy will still be shaky (at best), how could Wall St. be stable? It's simple, everyone is drinking the Magic Kool-Aid that Obama is handing out. False hope. Things will get better before they get worse. I'll make no bones about it, if his presidency fails, then you will see rioting across most urban areas. If he is assassinated, there will be even more rioting. Maybe bad enough those nitwit white supremacists might have the race war they want.

I have a very pessimistic view of humanity in large groups. There has already been three foiled assassination plots on Obama already. Granted these are the kind of chuckleheads that could barely tie their shoelaces, but that's three attempts. I would not be surprised in the least if there are more plots, and not just from chuckleheads, but serious men of evil intent.

Time for me to share a bit more of myself on the web. Language used from here on in will offend you, so please read it in context before judging me.

I used to be a racist. I was a racist out of ignorance. My Maternal Grandfather was the most racist man I have ever met. He was half German and half Irish and would call my Grandmother, who was also half German and half Irish, a drunken Mic when he had enough wild turkey. If I wore my baseball hat backwards he'd call me a N****r. Everyone was a Mic, a wetback, a wop, etc. My father was racist against Blacks and Latinos, and I never knew better.

Granted, I never yelled insults to people or egged minorities homes on Halloween or anything like that. No, it was much more insidious. I just thought I was better than all non-white. Which is weird because my father and I are part Cherokee.

It wasn't until high school, when I started to meet minorities in classes that I had to sit down and do some thinking. I guess that is what separates me from 90% of America, I actually thought about my attitudes and beliefs and consciously changed them. It's hard, something I work on on an almost daily basis. I am a better man because I am less ignorant.

Calm before the storm

Well all the liberal moon-bats are preparing for the second coming tomorrow. All of Massachusetts is just moist in anticipation. The anti-Question #1 people are out in droves, their war chest of 5 million is being spent to snuff out the voice of liberty. They want to stop busting people with less than an ounce of pot. They want to ban dog racing. Nanny state knows best.

I listen to a local sports radio station a lot, WEEI. They are top dogs for sports radio in the US. We Boston sports fans have a lot to chat and listen about. The morning show guys are about as anti-liberal as you can get - to the point that if their favorite ice cream was Rocky Road and they saw John Kerry eating it, they wouldn't touch it for the rest of their lives.

Now on the show the do chat about politics, but this time of year it's about half the show. I personally cannot stand their knee-jerk reaction to anything without really thinking about the issue. Their Neo-Conservative tirades are annoying, but I put up with it to hear about sports.

One caller did bring up an interesting point about the decriminalizing of pot. It would be better to just legalize it and tax the fuck out of it than to just decriminalize it. If it's decriminalized, then there still is a large black market operating which makes big bucks for the criminals. I thought about it at lunch and I agree. I don't smoke pot, I would advise anyone and everyone not to smoke pot, but I rather see the cash go to buy schools and fire trucks than buy some drug dealer a new Mercedes.

Tomorrow, I'm not going to set foot outside my house once I get home from work. Just in case a race riot breaks out or anything weird goes on. I would suggest that if you live in an urban or suburban area you do the same. Being prepared is not just stuff you buy, it's actions you take to avoid trouble.

I'm not going out on a limb to say there will be trouble in major cities if he wins or not. I was waiting in line for my lunch and a very urban/hip-hop/thug young black man asked me if I was voting for Obama or not. I threw him off his little rant by stating I was writing in Colin Powell. So the young man said "'bout time an black man who understands the American black experience gets elected to da white house."

I raised my eyebrow at that, and the young man went on about being descended from slaves, etc. I stopped him cold by saying Obama's father was a Kenyan, and was not the descendant of a slave. The reply was swift, " Well, what the fuck do you know?" as he squared up to me. That's when my good friend who was watching all of this, laughing his ass off, said "A fuckload more than you."

Such ignorance is prevalent among most of America. So exercise your right to vote tomorrow, while we still can.

Oh did I mention my friend from work was Black? And he's voting for McCain. I couldn't convince him to write in Colin Powell.