Wow what a week!

First of all I get the news that US navy Seals has killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, good riddance you scumbucket, I hope you are paying a hefty price for the blood on your hands. I hope enough Muslims have learned that this guy and his buddies (Omar hopefully you are next) are more that willing to spill Muslim blood in their pursuit of Jihad. Anyone that saw what Al-Qaeda in Iraq was doing to average people knows what I am talking about.
I agree this is not the end, but the end of the beginning, AQ is a Hydra and will grow new heads, but if you can chop the heads quick enough, the successor bring less and less to the table, till finally no one is willing to be the head except the real nutbars and they will be sure to alienate the people they depend on, leading to the draining of the methporic sea that Mao spoke of. I also agree that releasing the pictures is a waste of time and tossing his body into the sea is a great idea. Time for him and his story to fade away.

While I am digesting the news above, the 41st election in Canada was underway, I helped out my candidate and his awesome team on the final day, door knocking, picking up voting lists and scrutinizing the polling stations. It was pretty clear knocking on doors that people were fed up with elections, so it was no surprise to me when I finished at the polling station to hear the Conservatives sweeping to a good majority. The icing on the cake was the NDP putting the boots to the Bloc with the NDP F troop smashing long term BQ types, OUCH! man that is going to leave a mark! I'm not a great fan of the current NDP, but I will take them over the Bloc any day, at least we and the NDP agree on a Canada, even if it looks different. Funny this is the only election that my Dad and I can congratulate each other on. He is hardcore NDP and I am the "blacksheep " of the family!
Iggy has been in a death spiral for awhile so not surprising he failed to get in. The only sour note was the realization that we will have to live with the screeching of Elizabeth may for the next 4 years. Harper gave a great speech and a heartfelt thanks to his family and wife. I don`t envy them, anyone who has had parents who were politicians knows how little time there is for family, for the PM, his family will have no time to themselves for the next 4-10 years.




As for the NDP, well what an interesting kettle of fish we have here. Jack is going to be busy running his daycare, I mean caucus and will need all the help from his veterans to keep this mob in line. This is make or break for the NDP, they have 4 years to show Canada what they can do, and people will be taking a hard look at the party and it`s rather whacky policies. A move to the centre will likely cost them support from their current base. Plus he also has to appease his new Quebec base, with MP's that will have little pull to get things done. I predict jack is going to have ulcers.

The defination of Faith

When the Pope is asked to define faith, he points to the Vancouver Canuck's fans.

Update: That was a close one, their faith restored, the faithful once again march toward the holy mount were the Chalice can be seen glinting in heavenly sunlight.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter
Now I hope that our whimsical celebration of this day by having our kids and their friends go crazy hunting Easter eggs and stuffing themselves on chocolate and cupcakes does not so offend our christen friends that they will declare us as blasphemous and sentence us to death....oh yea wrong religion, they grew out of that some time ago. To bad others haven't.
I like to also wish happy Passover to our Jewish friends and wish them a safe holiday.

My Nephew Neil supervising the madness



However I am still wondering how a Rabbit (who is a mammal, not commonly known for laying eggs) who poops out chocolate eggs can work it's way into our culture and what relationship it has with Christ's Resurrection? I pity the theologians of the future explaining that!

Update
This just adds to the confusion
Hop trailer

My first Landrover still going strong

This was my first Landrover. It's a 1968 Series IIA 88 model. 88 refers to the wheelbase length. This truck was sold by Clark Simpson's motors to BC Hydro who used it for their line crews. You can tell BC Hydro trucks by the PTO winch on the front and the way the 2 piece tailgate had been fixed together and altered to a 1 piece door.
I bought it around 1977-78 from Wright marine supplies. I drove this truck hard, had lots adventures and some misadventures in it. I am still alive today because of the remarkable "Safe Working Angle" of these trucks, other trucks would have rolled on me. It was a good vehicle to learn on, cheap to fix and you can handcrank them, which was good as I was to broke to get a better battery.

in the summer I would take the top off and drive around with the windshield down. Driving on the highway like that I saw a dot ahead of me, seconds later the dot turned out to be a bumblebee that did a head on into my forehead, leaving a nice little bruise, the bumblebee did not fare as well.
Two features that I can spot on this truck is the shovel on the wing and two hooks for sandchannels on the side, both installed by myself. The fellow who owns it, installed a new frame and rebuilt the motor. However I notice that several temporary fixes I did are still in place, pretty funny to say the least. I sold this truck around 1988 to the current owners dad, who gave it to him. I replaced it with a 109 5 door, which I will chat about in another post.

Camping CF Style

Some things I don't miss about the army.

I am the "Evil gun Lobby"

I belong to Canadiangunnutz (aka CGN) forum, a very active firearm forum on all things firearms and associated sports. It has about 70,000 members. Apparently certain Liberal politicans have been claiming CGN is part of the "Evil gun lobby funded by the NRA" They are wrong on 2 points, first the Liberals would not recognize a grassroots organization if it came up and slapped in the face, mainly as the Liberals are all about "big money" (hence their current funding problems). also if they bothered to check facts (Not a liberal strongpoint)they would note that the NRA is barred by it's own rules from donating money outside of the USA.

Firearm organizations in Canada do talk and visit the NRA and vis versa. However the Gun control groups do the same with their US counterparts and the firearm "Lobby" has never received a penny from government,unlike the gun control groups here that fed off the Liberal teat for years (Remember Adscam?) They still receive money from the Police Chief Associations. Meanwhile the "Evil gun control lobby" has to do with personal donations and membership fees. Which means that I and people like me are the "Evil gun Lobby" and I wear my badge with honour.

I have posted below Greentips (Owner of CGN)response to the bogus claims.

We have been reading the latest rhetoric's from certain politicians about our website. First of all, we must thank certain newspapers for giving us the exposure! We appreciate it!

Apparently, we have been elevated to the status of an Evil Radical NRA-funded Gun Lobby!! We will love to be funded by the NRA but to the disappointment of many we do not get any money out of any evil gun lobbies.

Let us say again: We do not get a single penny from any "gun lobbies or advocacy groups". Some people may think CSSA and NFA (the real gun lobbies) are "sponsors" of this website because of their banners. The sad truth for all firearms hating politicians and journalists is that : we did not get a single penny out of these organizations! Actually to the contrary, we are putting their banners up for free so our members will think of giving them money!

If we are anything, we are just tens of thousands of Evil Radical Grass root Canadians that have real jobs and pay real tax. We are in your offices, your workshops, your schools, your neighborhood, your churches(or temples/Mosques/religious joints)....And yes, we are spending too much time on the Internet!

Simon's Cat, Sticky Tape

Sigh are the Liberals truly that dumb?

What amazes me about the Liberal ads about the fighter jets is that they don’t realize how they are being setup. Everytime they say we will cancel the deal and use the money elsewhere all I can say is: Sea KingChretion’s cancellation of that program costs us huge amounts of money and a decade of procurement sorrow that is still ongoing. Cancelling the F-35 contract and using the money elsewhere is just another repeat of that fiasco.
I not a huge fan of the current fighter jet buy plan, I much prefer a model like the Aussies are doing using a mix of Super Hornets (including Growlers) and a buy of the F-35. In my mind this reduces the risk of having the whole fleet grounded at once and increases the number of airframes.
If the Liberals would say ‘We need to quickly run a competition to determine if this is the best choice and will do so immediately upon entering office” I might buy that. It certainly not as catchy as their current platform, but rather more reality based. The Liberals created this mess by not replacing major military items and allowing so many systems to rust out at the same time everything is at a crisis point (there are more equipment issues out there that have yet to make the headlines).

Mind you the Liberals have still not figured that the Long Gun Registry is another perfect stick for the Tories to beat them with. The best thing in that regards is for the Tories to win enough seats to get rid of it and have the whole sorry affair disappear into history. But I know the Liberals would rather drown than to cast off their holy millstone.

Life imitates art

This picture of a rebel T-72 on the Libyan Rebels front(among others)has been making it's way around the military Internet and blogshpere (thank you John at ARRRRGH!). What makes people smile is that many years ago, the movie "Kelly's Heros" had created a similar scene where Clint Eastwoods Charactor is seen meeting "Oddball" a wonderful charactor played by Donald Sutherland (frankly I don't think anyone could have done that role anymore justice).


Here is Oddball introducing his crew

Silent walls

The city of Farah in Western Afghanistan has seen it's fair share of invaders and cultures, in the centre of the city resides a massive citadel. some believe it was made by Alexander the Great, other think it's newer than that. Likely both are right, I suspect a proper dig will find build upon build as it was common for a new culture/invader/ruler to build on the fortifications of the previous occupant and often terrain dictates the logical defense positions. Regardless of who built it, it's truly impressive. The picture used here is from Robert Lankenau photo album and is worth a visit.

Another astounding view can be seen at Micheal Yons Gigapan account, well worth the visit. gigapan

Here is the citadel on Google maps

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