Disappointment

We rented the latest Indian Jones movie this weekend, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We'd not heard much about it, good or bad, but figured that it was an Indian Jones movie, so it had to be at least halfway decent.

Shows how much we know. The movie was absolutely horrible. Granted, you expect a certain amount of cheesiness in an Indian Jones movie, but this was absolutely ridiculous. It was like they took every little schtick moment from the previous movies, and said to themselves, "how can we put this so far over the top that it ceases to be funny?" Then, they apparently went on a Wikiwander to see what other off the wall stuff they could come up with to throw into the movie, regardless of whether it even fit with the movie theme or not.

We literally sat there through the entire movie, cringing, not only in what we were seeing, but in what we feared might be next. Just bad, bad, bad. So much so that when I got up to step outside for a smoke, and my wife got up to get something from the kitchen, we didn't pause the movie, because we didn't want to extend the torture any longer than was absolutely necessary.

Thanks so much for ruining a movie adventure icon, I hope the money you milked out of it will assauge your tortured soul. Surely it must be tortured for you to do that to Indian Jones.


Casey

Mandatory Unpaid Furlough

Ayep. We just got the memo today from our Agency Director. Mandatory furloughs are in, and things aren't looking good for when the 2009 state legislature sits down in January of next year. Probably going to be looking at even bigger cuts. We've already been told to cut almost 9% from our budget, hence the furloughs.

Now, I understand that being a part of a state agency means when the state is running a budget shortfall, we all have to suck it up. However, we're a Law Enforcement Agency. Giving us mandatory furloughs not only cuts into our already pitifully small paychecks, but is going to give a reduction in force that's actually out and doing our jobs. Not to mention, that with the budget cuts elsewhere in the state, they're trying to free up some space in the prisons, so that's just going to put that many more convicted criminals out on the street and in the community that much sooner. Oh, and that's at the same time they are reducing the number of LEOs on the job through position cuts and mandatory furloughs. Maybe it's just me, but that seems like a recipe for disaster.(hope you've got your CWP)

We've been told that our mandatory furloughs, which admittedly are not as big as some non-LEO agencies in the state, is going to save the Agency 17 jobs. I hate to say it, but when I see my paycheck shrinking, I start thinking about how far away I am from the bottom, and that they could let the last 17 people they've hired go, and I'd still be all right.

I've got bills to pay, a mortgage to meet, car payments, children in day care, paying for food and gas, etc. Not to mention the holiday season coming up, and now I'm going to get docked pay out of each and every check until the new fiscal year next summer. Plus, they tell us to expect more budget cuts after the new legislature meets in January.

I swear, it almost makes you want to go out and get a job in the private sector.....

Casey

.38 Caliber Dreams

We all have dreams. Some of them require winning the lottery, and I have a few of those, but some are much more reachable and obtainable. This dream is one of the latter.

I have an old Colt Cobra in .38 Special. It was my grandfather's revolver. It was carried regularly by him, whether in a holster, tossed into a saddlebag on the motorcycle, under the seat in the car, or in that little box pocket thing next to the seat on the tractor. Consequently, it's all beat to hell. The finish is worn off in several places, and it has dings, nicks, scratches, etc. However, as much as he carried it around with him, it never got used much. The inner workings are just about like new. Everything is tight, clean and crisp in the workings. I love this old Colt because it was my grandfather's, and I enjoy carrying it for the same reason.

The condition of it started me thinking of projects. I would never do anything to alter my grandfather's gun, just because of what it means to me, but I'm now on the look out for one in similar condition. Of course, I'll also have to have the pennies scraped together when I finally run across it to be able to purchase it, but isn't that always the way with dreams?

What I want is a nice, snub nose revolver, of .38 caliber or greater, that's ugly as crap because of a hard life, but still has nice tight workings. Here's what I want to do with it. I want to make it into an ultimate knock around gun. One that you won't worry about getting dirty, even muddy, or getting wet, even in salt water. I want to take it, and strip it down, and have it Parkerized. I suppose I'll also have to have the barrel chromed, or treated in some similar fashion to protect it it as well. Once the gun is Parkerized, I want to immerse it in a tub of cosmoline, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, and let it soak in the heat of our Southern summers for a month or two. Then get it out, and clean it up, leaving enough of the petroleum product embedded in the finish to make it darn near impregnable to rust or corrosion. At which point it can be reassembled, and fitted with a nice synthetic grip, maybe one of those rubberized Hogue grips or some such.

At that point, you've got a revolver, one of the most dependable hand guns around, treated to stand up to just about anything short of plugging the barrel or jamming the cylinder, that you can carry with you on hunting or fishing trips, or any jaunt out into the world, and never worry about it's condition deteriorating.

I know, not anything earth shattering there. But sometimes, it's nice to have reasonable dreams that are obtainable, just to balance out all of the pure fantasy dreams that while nice to think about, just aren't going to happen...


Casey

Kilt Check

I've wanted a kilt for years. The family line traces back, if the research is correct, to Scotland's time of emigration coinciding with the Highland Clearances. Anyway, I've always loved the kilt, and there is a family tartan associated with our name. I finally had the money saved up this past August, and ordered my kilt. Now, it's not the nice, ~$800 hand-sewn wool kilt that I might hope to have some day, but an affordable, man-made material, in the family tartan, and machine sewn. Still, I like it.

I've worn it out all of three times. Not to any Highland Games or anything yet, as there have been none nearby since I received the kilt. Just out and about, to a book sale, to join friends at a pub, and the other night, to a Halloween party.

About halfway through the night, I feel this sudden cool breeze on my right cheek, followed by the words screeched out "Oh My GAWD!!! It's True!!!" Seriously, if you didn't want to see old, bare ass cheeks, why did you go looking? You know, if I returned the favor, I'd be guilty of a Sex Offense, and if convicted, could be forced to register as a Sex Offender for the rest of my life, after I got out of prison. But it's OK for you to do it, because ...heck, I don't know why anyone would think it was OK to do that unless specifically invited to do so.

Respect other people's private areas folks, it's just the right thing to do....


Casey