Locked and Loaded!

The Supreme Court of the United States finally got one right. In a 5-4 decision, the Court struck down the Washington, DC, handgun ban that punished law-abiding citizens who wanted to defend themselves against criminals.

Even more important, for the first time, the Supremes recognized an INDIVIDUAL'S right to keep and bear arms. Although it seemed painfully obvious to anyone with half a brain, gun owners were understandably nervous that an institution that in the past has found an unrestricted right to kill babies in the womb and the right of terrorists to sue in US courts might not find the Second Amendment even when it stares them dead in the face!

Fortunately, President George W Bush was able to appoint two justices who actually believe the Bill of Rights means what it says. The real surprise was Anthony Kennedy, who is now the swing vote and power broker on the Court. While I'm pleased that Justice Kennedy ended up on the right side of this decision, I still shudder whenever he starts talking about using rulings from around the world to help decide US Constitutional Law. Thank the Good Lord for Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and Thomas, and their respect for the people of the United States.

It's kind of ironic that the two Bush Presidencies have produced 3/4 of the Court's "Original Intent" wing. For all the Liberal lampooning of the "Bushies", they sure got the better of the Lefties on this one.

To the gun store!!!!!!

Daisy, Baby Bunnies, and the Evil Balloon

Today, Daisy the Golden Retriever found a nest of Baby Bunnies in a clump of irises in our backyard. Mrs Merc Man and I don't think she would deliberately harm the little cottontails, but she's so inquisitive (nosey, actually), we're afraid she might step on them while trying to sniff them.
On my last post, I mentioned how frightened Daisy is of the mylar Father's Day balloon that Gimlet and Froggie Girl gave me last Saturday, and we decided to use it as a defense against Daisy squishing one of the little ones hidden in our flowers.
We put a small wire fence around the perimeter that's spaced just wide enough to let mama bunny in, but keep large dog noses out. We then tied the mylar balloon to the fence, and, Ta-Da!, instant force field protecting baby bunnies.

We hope the balloon holds out 'til the babies move to a more secure location.

Whoever heard of a dog with a balloon phobia?

Daisy and the Evil Father's Day Balloon!

Poor Daisy. As part of my Father's Day present, Gimlet and FroggieGirl got me a mylar balloon with the Simpsons on it.
Unfortunately, Daisy viewed it as an evil presence and did everything possible to stay as far away from it as possible. Later that night, well, actually early next morning, Daisy awoke and saw the evil balloon hovering over the kitchen table. At 3 a.m. Mrs Merc Man and I were awakened by the frantic barking of a very excited Golden Retriever. We finally got back to sleep after Mrs Merc Man put the balloon out of sight.
We've decided Daisy's future as a guard dog might be in doubt. She would come in handy if we ever get invaded by Hallmark, though.

I'm For McCain

Well, the primary season is over, and Barack Obama is the Socialist--uhhhh---Democrat Party nominee for President of the United States.
Although I have some significant differences with the Republican from Arizona (on immigration, climate change, and campaign financing), he is far and away the preferable candidate to the junior senator from Illinois.
John McCain will support our military, and not surrender to our enemies. With the danger the US faces from rogue states like North Korea and Iran, I don't want to entrust the nation's security to a "community organizer" who believes he can negotiate with terrorists who murder Americans.
Obama proposes a Marxist economy for America, and if you doubt that point, just read the transcripts of the Congressional hearings with oil industry executives. The Demo-Rats actually threatened to nationalize the oil companies, as if the leeches in the House and Senate could produce a drop of gasoline or a single cubic foot of natural gas. They can, however, create a lot of Bravo Sierra.
Give the Jackass Party control over our economy and our health care system, and we'll be a second-rate power with a second-rate future for our children.
That's why I'm for John McCain for President of the United States.

Another Home Improvement-$$$$$$

In the never-ending saga of imitating the famous TV show, our very own (This) Old House added another episode to our recent string of major repairs. Since last Spring, we've water-proofed the basement, upgraded the electric service, and removed a couple of big trees in the backyard.
This week, our 21-year-old furnace decided it had had enough, forcing us to replace it, the attached electronic air cleaner, and the matching A/C unit. The company that did the work, Averill Heating and Air Conditioning, did a super job, and had the whole thing done in about 4 hours!
The unit is pretty high-tech, which means I don't understand all the stuff it does. The electronic air cleaner is so state-of-the-art that it actually subtracts money from your bank account whenever it's activated, and the outside unit looks like R2D2 from Star Wars. The only sound your can hear outside when the A/C comes on is "Luke, I am your father!"

More Snow Pictures

Here are some additional pictures following the big St Louis snowstorm of '08.

Fun Weather in St Louis

March 4 was another interesting weather day in a Winter with lots of interesting weather days. Snow, ice, sleet, rain, single digit temperatures and near-record high temps, often within days of each other. Yesterday took the cake as heavy, heavy snow blasted the Metro area for much of the daytime hours.
Naturally, North County got hit the hardest, with a foot of the white stuff covering everything. I was out in West County at a medical building when the biggie hit. I entered the building about 9:15 a.m., with a little light snow falling and the parking lot wet. When I came out about an hour later, there were 3-4 inches of snow on the ground with more falling at a prodigious rate!
I decided to head for home, normally a 20 minute drive, but with the weather conditions deteriorating rapidly, I pulled into my snowbank of a driveway an hour-and-a-half later.
I think I'm going to hibernate until May.

Sick and Tired

I used to be highly critical of people who didn't vote, or even take a rudimentary interest in politics. Lately, however, I'm beginning to believe they're a lot smarter than I am. For a long time I believed the lies of politicians, only to be disappointed time and again when their true colors surfaced. Now, after all these years, the lies have gotten so blatant, and politicians so detestable, that I've had enough. I'm sick and tired, and as the Chinese proverb says, the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

I'm sick and tired of Republicans who claim the mantle of Ronald Reagan, but aren't worth the dirt off Ronaldus Magnus' wingtips. These craven wannabes are the worst type of political opportunists, willing to lie, defame, and mislead the people of the United States in order to attain the positions of power they so crave.

I'm sick and tired of being asked to ignore the troubling positions some so-called "conservatives" take that strike against personal freedom, capitalism, and common decency. We live in a situation today where we're expected to sacrifice our own beliefs and integrity to the whims of political correctness, race hucksters, and pseudo science.

I'm sick and tired of being told that government can solve economic disparities in our society, that Christianity is the root of all evil, and that the United States of America is an imperial power intent on ruling the world. Hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters made the ultimate sacrifice so that others might live in peace and freedom. No nation in history has paid so dear a price for the benefit of others.

I'm sick and tired of attacks on American prosperity and commerce. American businesses drive the entire world economy, and when America falters, the rest of the world sees its standard of living erode. People around the globe can tell how the United States' economy is performing by their own economic condition. If the US were to move toward socialism, as many Democrats (and more than a few Republicans) believe we should, people all over the world will suffer. Who the hell are these socialist fascist bastards to try and steal the prosperity American genius and ingenuity have created?

Most of all, I'm sick and tired of self-appointed "glitteratti" who believe they know best how the rest of us should live, where we should work, and how we should think. I've got more respect for the guy on the garbage truck who handles other people's trash all day than the pretentious East-Coast-Ivy League degenerates who look down their noses at us poor schmucks in fly-over country.

From now on, I'm devoting as much of my time to causes; things like gun rights, the rights of the unborn, respect and support for our military and their families, and charitable causes. Most of all, I intend to actively defend the principles America was founded on--the US Constitution. I'll never get sick and tired of that.

Rants, Raves, and Whatever

The latest round of Winter weather has Daisy the Golden Pest bummed out. It's not that she minds running like a banshee through the white stuff blanketing the backyard, far from it. The real problem is me. I actually like cold weather, but not going outside every 10 minutes to watch Daisy scarf down frozen leaves, chase rabbits, and make yellow snow.
Where's global warming when you need it?

*I am actually on vacation through New Year's Day. All in all, 2007 was a pretty darn good year. Kept my pharma sales job after Abbott Labs purchased my old company (Kos Pharmaceuticals) late last year. My new territory was pretty big, geographically speaking, with a lot of windshield time, but my 2 counterparts were really great, and we kicked butt against our competition and maxed out on bonus money. Just recently, the Company realigned, again, in preparation for the launch of two new meds in 2008. As a result, I'm getting a new territory much closer to home, and my new partner is my old partner from Kos! On top of that, I'm assigned to the sales force that will launch BOTH new products. As I said before, 2007 hasn't been bad at all.

*Fortunately, I was able to get the Christmas lights up before the ice storm/snow storm/sleet/rain/fog/whatever started falling a couple weeks ago. Excuse me, Mother Nature, but are you aware that the first day of Winter isn't until December 22?

*Mrs MercMan and I have really been kicking around the idea of moving out of North County. We've been in the same house now for 32(!) years, and it's probably time for a change. It would be nice to have a garage and an extra bathroom, along with a first-floor laundry room and a place with a more open floor plan. The biggest obstacle to actually moving is where to move to, and overcoming the inertia that comes from being in one place for more than half your life.

I will sign off for now. Daisy the Golden just heard a snowflake fall and urgently needs to go back outside and investigate!

Ahhhhh........Tools!

On Friday, my new Craftsman toolbox arrived via UPS. I already had a rolling cabinet topped with a matching chest, but had run out of space to hold all the additions to my tool collection. So, I ordered a new intermediate chest to nestle between the top and bottom boxes and give me four additional drawers to cram with tools.
As it stands now, my combo stands 6 feet tall and is completely loaded with Craftsman hand tools. The only problem I have now is trying to wheel that behemoth around. Man, what a great dilemma!!

Rainy Days and Sundays....

Poor Daisy! After a busy Sunday morning that included a two-mile walk through Sunset Park, a "Rocket Dog"romp in the backyard that terrified the dogs next door, and a few good woofs at all the other goings on in the neighborhood, she got highly insulted when she was called inside to avoid running through our just-watered tiger lillies. Like the spoiled adolescent she is, she threw herself across our bed and proceeded to put on one of her famous "Puppy Pouts".

Chili Goes Home, Daisy Gets Some Rest!

After 2 weeks of running through "Chinny Village", consuming an entire crop of raisins, alfalfa, and oats, and occupying every waking moment of our Golden Retriever's days, Chili Chinchilla is finally going home to FroggieGirl and Gimlet.
She leaves behind a cloud of dusting bath, enough droppings to fertlize Nebraska, and a traumatized canine who just never understood why Chili had to live in a cage and couldn't come out to play tennis ball chase.
Vaya con Dios, Chili, and remember the 3 rules for surviving North County: Always keep extra ammo on hand, just in case; never look back--something may be gaining on you; make sure the Escalade has plenty of fuel and a primo sound system.
Later!

Chili Goes Into Seclusion!

Well, it had to happen. Chili Chinchilla, tired of all the paparazzi coverage of her vacation on the North County Riviera, has gone into seclusion to protect her privacy. Flinging poo at reporters from her "Wheel of Fortune", the celebrity rodent has withdrawn from public scrutiny.
When reporters attempted to get clarification from Chili's agent, Daisy Doo, the only response was a terse "Woof!".
These pictures were obtained from station K-DOG's own helicopter, "Alfalfa One". Stay tuned to K-DOG for the latest Chili updates.

It's Warm Outside, But It's Chili In Here! Daisy Gives Up.

Chili Chinchilla continues to enjoy her nightly romp through our hallway and its attendant boxes/condos/garages, but Daisy the Puppy has decided Chili's never going to come out and play. Tonight, Daisy just threw herself down on the foor of our living room, heaved a big sigh, and gave up. Poor puppy! Meanwhile, Chili celebrated her night out with a luxurious dust bath that she spread all over the hallway.

Chinchilla Village Keeps Growing! Daisy Keeps Worrying.

Day 9 of the Chili the Chinchilla vacation finds our heroine exploring all the new condos in her village. Meanwhile, Daisy the Puppy keeps a close watch and worries that Chili will soon be taking over the entire neighborhood.

Chili Vists Her Chinchilla Village! Real Estate Agent Daisy Looks On.

Today, we built a "Chinchilla Village" out of a cardboard box (thanks to Abbott Labs), a small box that formerly held pens, and some Zestril (thanks Zeneca) logo cups. She had a blast running through the little maze, and it took forever to round her up to put her back in her cage. Our Golden, Daisy, supervised from the living room and made sure everything was OK. The only downside was that Chili showed her excitement by using the bathroom quite often, which was problematic since the village has no such facilities!

Can Chili Come Out and Play?

Today marks Day 7 of Chili Chinchilla's vacation to North County. She's had a great time dining on our MercMenu of alfalfa, Chin Chow, raisins, and oatmeal, jogging around the 'Chinnie Track" of our hallway, taking refreshing dust baths at the MercSpa, and entertaining our Golden Retriever, Daisy.
Daisy loves to look through the window of the baby gate into Chili's room, and she stares so intently we say she's watching "Must See Chinchilla TV!".
Gimlet and Froggie Girl are due back later next week to collect Chili, but for now she's content to sit back and relax on her first trip to the North Suburbs. The biggest dilemma we face is what Daisy will do for entertainment when Chili goes back home. Probably back to those boring old tennis balls and chewed up slippers!

Daisy, One-Year-Resident of North County!

On Saturday, September 1, Daisy celebrated her first year in her new home. The top photo shows Daisy sleeping by our back door on that first afternoon. The bottom photo is Daisy today, about 65 pounds heavier and much fuzzier.
The past year has been filled with late-night trips outside, lots of chewed-up shoes and socks, what seems like a ton of dog food/treats, and a million laughs. It had been a long interval since our last puppy, and we probably underestimated the activity level by a factor of 10, but Mrs Merc Man and I wouldn't trade it for anything. To all of our friends and family who have helped/supported/just put up with us, we give a hearty Thank You!

How'd I Get So Old?

On Sunday, we had Grandpa Merc Man over to celebrate his 84th birthday. As it turned out, my MercNephews, Chris and Ryan, and Ryan's fiance' Beatriz, also came by to visit. Chris works for MoDot and is stationed in St Louis to work on the Highway 40 redo, and Ryan and Beatriz were in town from Midland, Texas, where they are employed by Haliburton. Ryan and Beatriz will be married in November in Puerto Rico, so best wishes to the happy couple!
Before everybody left, Mrs Merc Man took a picture. That's me in the back trying to peek over everybody. I remember when the boys were just little guys in a crib! How'd I get so old?!

It's Chili Bean!

While Froggie Girl and Gimlet explore the Badlands of South Dakota, Mrs Merc Man and I are Chinchilla-sitting Chili, who is recovering from some scrapes she received in an encounter with another "little friend". Everything's gone pretty well, and Chili seems to have really settled in. Daisy, our Golden Retriever, is fascinated by her new housemate, and spends much of each day peering over the baby gate into the room housing Chili's cage.
Yesterday morning, Daisy piled lots of her toys outside the room in the hope that Chili would come out to play. Apparently, Daisy thinks Chins are just really small dogs, especially after hearing Chili "bark" the little noise Chinnies can make.
Who'd have guessed Chinchillas would like being on vacation?