MacGyver

Interesting article from last year. Kaepernick started the protest by sitting on the bench - but then decided to kneel instead after meeting with veterans - specifically to continue to show respect. The analogy was, we kneel when we pray. We kneel when we present flags to the families of fallen soldiers. https://undertheradar.military.com/2016/09/kaepernick-meets-veteran-nate-boyer-kneels-anthem/ This is offered without commentary, but offers interesting insight within the framing of the current debate.

Mind you, I grew up in Atlanta in the 70's and 80's. The NFL - and what any team does or does not do has never really been on my radar screen. This won't increase or decrease my consumption of the game. But, I do have some thoughts - filter them through the above lens and do what you want with them. When you listen to Kaepernick speak on the matter, it's clear that he knew going in that his protest might cost him his job. And, he did it anyway. I can respect that. A lot of the conversation that I've seen on social media seems to cast the debate in terms of ungrateful being a sort of new uppity. I'm really wary here. Regardless, I expect you'll see the league quit bringing teams out for the anthem before they continue to give these guys a platform. Do with that what you want, I guess. To my own views, I'm church of Christ. So, mind you civil religion makes me kind of nervous anyway. But, regardless I've worked to further this country's goals and ambitions all over the planet - so I've at least some skin in the game. When I look at the flag - what I see represented is the same ideal as represented in the preamble of the Constitution - that 'we the people' continue to strive towards a 'more perfect union'. No one has a monopoly on what that looks like - and it's clear that we're not there yet. This American experiment is still just that. I continue to believe that protest - while rarely a solution - creates room to talk about a solution. I've come home bloodied and bruised, and teared up upon clearing the border as I've heard the words "welcome home" under the US flag. I pray others might feel that same sense of belonging that I too often take for granted.

He'd sure be the first Muslim I've ever met named Emanuel. I don't know that it matters - we've got all kinds of people in this world that are consumed by their hatred. The church should stand in start contrast to that - so I guess it shouldn't surprise us when we are targeted. There's a prayer service happening this afternoon at 1500CDT at Woodmont Hills this afternoon on Franklin Pike if any of you are so inclined.

The shooter was known to some of the members and had attended there in the past. Sometimes these stories are more complex than we want to make them. I’m afraid there’s more to come on this story. Its easy - even for me to look at little churches like this like they’re dying. But, in reality so many churches in south Nashville are multi-ethnic and a lot more diverse than some of their larger suburban neighboring churches.

These were friends today... Y’all keep everyone involved in your prayers.

Everything about this incident was horrible - including the trial.

If you don't have an example of either, I'd choose an M1A. I've got an AR-patterned .308 and it's accurate and reliable. But it doesn't have the soul that the M1A has. Truthfully, if I had to grab one in a hurry out of my safe, I'd choose the walnut stocked Scout Squad every time. No question.

Neat!

Neat! I'd love to pick up a good Garand example one of these days.

All three of my kids talked about it at school today...

I always take a moment to reflect - as unnecessary as that is since I can still smell it and taste it when I close my eyes at night. Today - 16 years on it strikes me that my children are closer to he age I was when it happened than I am now. And, that makes me angry and profoundly sad. In just a couple of years we'll have kids deploying who weren't even alive when we entered this war. But, do good. Tell the people you love that you love them. The world can change in an instant.

Just saw a thread by an expert on these surges. Cited a 1900 hurricane where the rise when it came back was 4 feet in as many seconds. This is definitely different than your typical nor'easter depression. It reminds me of the signs in beaches in the Pacific Northwest warning you to be aware of the tides because you could be caught out unable to get back to the trailhead. One in particular changed 18 feet over during some phases. Edit: link to the twitter thread for the interested: https://twitter.com/mikamckinnon/status/906946816523956224

That's the leeward side of the island. Mix the low pressure from the storm, a tidal swing and the wind - and it just sucked the water out of there. It'll come back in with the surge The other time this happens is the time you have to really worry about. When you see the water leave and it hasn't been preceded by a major weather event like a hurricane, that's a good indication to seek higher ground because a tsunami is forming. I heard from some friends in Guatemala this morning that felt the earthquake in Mexico last night for more than a minute and a half.

I don't really know what kind of discussion this will generate, but this article by Peter Lucier is one of the most powerful things I've read in some time: https://wp.nyu.edu/therevealer/2017/09/08/not-your-messiah/

If we're talking other Vietnam movies, I think We Were Soldiers is the most powerful to date.

We left some of the best of that generation over there. It's kind of neat watching my dad now. Since he retired, he's gotten really involved in veterans advocacy issues down in Atlanta. He had such a hard time when he came back, but now it's almost like a switch has flipped. He remembers how he was treated and does his best to make sure that nobody suffers through that now. I remember when he was first starting out, they had him talking to a ton of veterans just coming back. He didn't think he had that much to offer or that his story was that interesting, but as it turns out the part of interest was that he made it. He transitioned back into society, had a family and now at 65 years old is still alive. I don't know if he'll watch it or not. He still occasionally wakes up in the jungle and I guess has learned not to turn over some rocks.

I'm looking forward to this.

My Boy Scout camp growing up was Bert Adams Scout Reservation in Covington, Georgia where they filmed a lot of the show. I can attest to the fact that there were a bunch of trashed chargers out there.

You're not likely to find better for soaking up recoil than the S&W - maybe download it with some low recoil .38 Special rounds. That's going to be similar in recoil to a .380 coming out of that small frame Bersa. She's going to want something with a steel frame to soak up recoil. Maybe she could go to an older .32 Smith or something?

The scary thing is that this storm is currently 400 miles across. It's right at 400 miles from Tallahassee to Miami!

There are things you can control - and things you just can't. The older I get, the more wisdom I see in taking care of the things you can control - and leaning on insurance for the stuff you can't. I'm certain there are a bunch of folks in Houston who wish they had left before the storm - and are in exactly the same place now regardless of the fact that they stayed. Mind you, all of that comes from my middle class perspective having options and means to leave. There are a lot of places in the path of this storm where that's not going to be the case.

There is one road out of the Keys - US-1. Dropsonde measurements from earlier today are being verified, but a reading of 226MPH was recorded. I learned one thing on a search and rescue crew back in the day. If you wait until you know you need to leave, you're way too late.

The takeaway on "Category 6" is probably more relevant to south Florida than it is in the Caribbean islands it's about to hit first. For south Florida - the impact of a storm of this size would be devastating in both damage from the wind and the storm surge and flooding that is sure to follow. But, that's in the US, with modern building codes - and those in south Florida have been strengthened over the years to try to lessen wind damage from storms like this. In places like Cuba, Haiti and most of the leeward islands it would all but wipe them off the map.

As a native Georgian and an engineer, I pull for Tech when I can. My wife is Bulldog born and bred, though. So, I have to be careful if I want to sleep inside.

I pulled 9 kids from 3 to 13 behind a boat all weekend long. Once the rain cleared out mid Saturday morning, they were in the water despite an air temperature in the low 60s. My favorite may have been a six year old - who despite showing me that she knew all of the hand signals - only ever gave me "go faster" sign once in the water. I didn't get in the water a single time, but the joy a kid finds the first time they get up on a board is priceless.