Something to Fret About

Let’s Give Them Something to Fret About…

Something to fret about:

Hmmm…… Our Founders, particularly George Washington warned about foreign entanglements.  

Martin guitars with rosewood fingerboards

CITES is an acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. At a conference held in late 2016, this body ruled that all rosewood species of the genus Dalbergia, and also three species of bubinga, are to be protected. Since Brazilian Rosewood is already under CITES protection, this means that now all rosewood is protected.

Is CITES a treaty that I’ve never heard of? Did the Senate advise and consent? Somehow, I doubt it*.

Rosewood and ebony are used in most if not all types of stringed instruments for the fret-boards, not for only guitars. The fret-board (or key-board, if you prefer) affects the resonance and sound quality of the instrument. While I’ve seen maple on an electric guitar, I’ve never seen maple on a violin fret-board. I admit I’m not an expert, there may in fact be maple necks on violins, I just haven’t heard or seen of any.

This seems on first blush like the eco-nazi stuff that Gibson experienced back in 2012 or thereabouts.

New CITES Regulation Impacts International Import/Export of Rosewood…

From Sweetwater, the major online musical instrument and music production retailer in the world. They are located just west of Fort Wayne, IN. I found this in my inbox, since I am a customer.

Continue reading Something to Fret About

the Second Amendment Christopher Sean Mercer TAkes!

This topic is a few weeks old, I was drafting the post and then something called work (and a weak knee) got in the way. So in the spirit of cleaning up first-amendment-on-scroll1things, here are my thoughts on the latest mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. President Obama’s rapid effort to politicize this recent tragedy, by his own admission said it needs to be politicized, wasted no time to call for even more “reasonable” efforts for gun control, even though the shooter bought his weapons legally, and Oregon already has all of the expanded background checks that he is calling for.

The real deal is that what those who advocate for reasonable regulation really want is to damn the Second Amendment and confiscate all law-abiding citizen’s weapons. They just aren’t brave enough to state the obvious. Yet.

Here we go!

Welcome to the Second Amendment Christopher Sean Mercer TAkes!

A few days ago, there has been yet another mass-shooting at a school, a community college this time, which also practiced a gun-free policy, the Umpqua Community College.

There has been a huge effort to suppress the story, even down to the shooters name in the early phases of this story. His legal name is Christopher Sean Mercer.

President Obama wasted no time nor effort to politicize this shooting, by his own admission.

I would like to offer condolences to all victims and families of this tragic event, as well as a get well soon to all of the survivors.

550254_553012441383836_990933697_n

The US intelligence services ignored warnings about the Boston Bombers from the Russians, in fact we made a citizen of one of them.

I’m not surprised, are you? The media seems to be covering up the full extent of this story as well, with many outlets not even mentioning the shooters name.

Political correctness not only suppresses free speech, it also ends in needless deaths when PC trumps reality.

There has also been a doubling down of the call for expanded gun free zones, when gun free zones are the underlying cause to begin with.

There was a directed effort to conceal the identity of the shooter in this case, in which the media also participated in for a time. Megyn Kelly was one of those who took up the policy. Sheriff John Hanlin: “You won’t hear his name from me or this investigation.”

If American journalists would simply do their job and report the facts about a news story, much of this nonsense could be averted. Instead we are faced with psy-ops from all sides. A Sheriff refuses to release the name of the shooter? Does anyone think that he dreamed that up all on his own? And that major and cable media played along?

OKC, Waco, Sandyhook, and all of the rest have been controlled events after the fact (even during the fact in Waco) and I for one am getting quite sick of it. Suppressing the facts serves no one, especially our once fair republic.

Oregon already has expanded background checks in place, and Christopher owned 13 legally purchased firearms. Why very little mention of his mother whom he lived with? His parents were divorced since 2006 or thereabouts.

The Curious Case of Oregon Shooter Chris Harper-Mercer – A Social Media Profile Shaped, Modified and Deleted…

President Obama wants to politicize the Oregon shooting

Obama did politicize this tragedy, which he admits. What liberals really want and won’t admit is the total confiscation of all modern firearms from our citizens. They are just too chicken to say it.

Here’s What We Know About Shooter Who Targeted Christians at Oregon College

>The school is described as a “gun free zone” and has only one unarmed security guard, who carries mace. The shooter was taken out by two local police officers who raced to the scene.<

UPDATES: Shooter Identified – Oregon Community College Shooting – Pre Planned Act of Jihad

The local Sheriff refused to identify the shooter. I’m betting some powerful folks whispered in his ear. Megyn Kelly played along too, on FNC.

Gun Free Zones – 1/2 Hour News Hour – YouTube

Hillary adopts new ‘goth’ look to appeal to youth   — The Dandy Goat

Just for giggles – she needs to work on her tats some, though.

“I say it’s time for a new political aesthetic, that we find beauty in the macabre,” she said. “If you elect me as president, I’ll paint the White House black, permit the lawns to wither and die, and I’ll turn the Lincoln Bedroom into a mock funeral parlor. Visiting heads of state will be forced to confront their own mortality. Instead of backing down from [Russian president] Vladimir Putin at a UN summit, I’ll present him with the skull of a beloved Victorian poet.”

Continue reading the Second Amendment Christopher Sean Mercer TAkes!

The Mid-Term Massacre TAkes!

Okay, a little gloating might be in order after the Mid-Term Massacre, but Boehner and McConnell insured that it will be short-lived.

They are determined to compromise with the socialists and Obama in the near term, and the current lame-duck is very scary. Both kept their positions in closed door meetings, with no challengers. We need leaders with a spine, and neither Boehner nor McConnell have convinced me that they possess one.

Anyway, enjoy the

2014 Mid-Term TAkes!

Dems weigh in on holding the Senate

The Dance. Thanks, Joe Dan!

Tuesday Was A Hollow Victory For The GOP

The ’14 mid-terms was an open and shut case that we the people are opposed to all of Obama’s policies. Sadly, Republican leadership seems to think that we want RINOs working with Obama.

Obama plans to protect up to 5 million from deportation

His next tack is purported to be illegals who happened to birth a child while in the USA illegally. It is time to end the birth right policy. It is not in the Constitution, including the 14th Amendment, which is perhaps the most misinterpreted amendment in the Constitution. Birth-right citizenship first appeared in an 1895 Court decision. One of the first cases of judicial over-reach.

I am in favor of an amendment which specifies that at least one parent of any child born in the USA be citizens themselves before citizenship is conferred upon their off-spring.

Net Neutrality: A 21st Century Trojan Horse

Statists on both sides of the aisle, mostly leftists, would like nothing better than to regulate the last outpost of freedom.

Climate Agreement Allows China to Keep Polluting While U.S. Makes Cuts

Obama pledges we will reduce our carbon emission below 2005 levels, China agrees to maybe peak by 2030. They are opening a coal-fired plant every week, with no sulfur or ash controls. Sweet!

Elizabeth Warren gets rock-star reception at liberal donors confab

50-50 chance that Warren will be the next Dem POTUS candidate. A communist, plain and simple. I hope she is nominated. After all, you didn’t build that.

RichTAkes! on Tyrants, Red Buttons, the IRS, Bears, and the Tipping Point

In 2009, Hillary was busy pushing a red reset button with Russia, and Obama toured the world apologizing for the United States. I have no idea what he was apologizing for, we have set more people free than any people in history. Obama and Hillary were happy to jump on the Arab Spring band-wagon tossing long-time friends under the bus. Okay, in Libya’s case, it was a bad guy who suddenly discovered civility of a sort after 9/11. Last year, in Syria, this administration had no trouble backing radical jihadis, and some A-Q affiliated groups in the conflict there, a stance which may have contributed to the tragedy in Benghazi. A “Red Line” was crossed, but no one had proof who did the chemical crossing. Some guy named Vladimir Putin saved the day, when the Red Line suddenly became pink and dotted.

russian_bear

“Putin is playing chess and Obama is playing marbles”

I think he’s lost his marbles, but he is performing exactly as I expected. Worse than Jimmy Carter, and I didn’t think that was possible.

Did you know that Kiev was once a part of Poland, and that Poland completely disappeared prior to WWI? Germany, Russia and Austria carved it up like kids at a candy store. Whatever.  This story is still playing out, here’s a few stories for now.

And some links I’ve found interesting lately!

RichTAkes! on Tyrants, Red Buttons, the IRS, Bears, and the Tipping Point

Beware the Russian Bear

“History shows the Russian Bear’s ambitions never die, they just go into hibernation.”

~ Indiana Gov Mike Pence

Russia Prepares for Occupation After Winning Control of Crimea

▶ Mark Levin: Russia & Ukraine—Palin Was Right & The Eggheads Were Wrong – YouTube

Liberal Prof.: Obama Has Brought Us to ‘Constitutional Tipping Point’

Turley flatly rejected the Obama administration’s reason for using more executive powers, which the president claims is a gridlocked Congress. “It is simply untrue that we’re living in very different or unprecedented times. The framers lived in these times,” Turley said, noting that back then Congress used the Alien and Sedition Act to arrest opponents and Thomas Jefferson referred to his opponents as the “reign of witches.”

“This is not a different political time, and it shouldn’t be used as an excuse for extra-constitutional action,” Turley warned.

Self-identified Obama supporter delivers a must-see critique of the President

Continue reading RichTAkes! on Tyrants, Red Buttons, the IRS, Bears, and the Tipping Point

Obama’s Big Truck MPG TAkes!

Yesterday,

Obama announced out of thin air that he was directing the EPA to mandate new MPG requirements for Class 8 trucks, mostly semi-tractors. What the EPA has already done to the Class 8 market is nothing short of breath-taking. 

Lohr 90

I first started big-time car-haul back in ’86, by ’88 I was running an 80,000 pound 65 footer with a large block 14 liter which got 6 MPG, a huge improvement over the average 4 MPG equipment from less than ten years earlier. In 1990, we had a small block 10 liter, rated at the same 300 horse power which got 8 MPG and was good for 10 MPG in certain applications.     

Beginning with 2006 models, big trucks were mandated by the EPA to reduce particulate emissions, that puff of black smoke which appeared slightly when shifting gears, it is unburnt carbon which falls harmlessly to the ground. Diesel engines have never contributed to smog, they only emit CO2, not CO, as gasoline engines do. Pre-2006, larger horse power engines yielded better fuel mileage, if the gearing was set up correctly. (most fleets did not spec larger HP engines, since they cost significantly more)

Last year, I moved into a first generation EPA emissions unit, and I was towed five times, and lost 20 days of work due to the emissions system breaking down. Any Class 8 tow-truck driver will tell you that 90% of his tows are all new EPA-mandated 2006 and newer equipment, in many cases, these power units are less than a year old, sometimes this occurs within the first week of being put into service. 

The 2009 Sterling that I am operating now is lucky to get 4 MPG, the older, pre-emissions 2005 model that I got out of was good for 5 MPG, and it was only towed once (the engine blew, it was long over-due for a rebuild).

Things got so bad that Caterpillar got out of the highway engine market altogether. They didn’t need the hassle, Class 8 engines was only a small part of their business. The EPA mandates added easily $20,000 to the price of an engine, and the manufacturer could lose a lot of that in warrantee claims.

So now comes Obama, proclaiming that he will have the EPA mandate the equivalent of CAFE standards for big trucks, with another expensive unrealistic mandate, which will serve to put the small operators out of business, and the big fleets will be able to suck it up by passing along higher freight rates to everyone, resulting in higher prices for everything.

Continue reading Obama’s Big Truck MPG TAkes!

Bachmann was correct: the Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration

ishot-455

Rich TAkes!

on the Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration

Update: Boom! Evidence U.S. Bribed Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood?

Huma Abedin is Anthony Weiner’s wife. She was also Hillary’s Chief of Staff when Hillary was Secretary of State. This is from a story nearly one year ago, when four Congressmen and one Congresswoman called into question the service of at least five people with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration. In all fairness, Brotherhood influence did not begin with Obama, but he has certainly embraced it, in both words and actions.

From the link below, which also has an embedded doc which can be downloaded here. Some excerpts:

In recent days, a torrent of criticism has been directed at Representatives Michele Bachmann, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Tom Rooney and Lynn Westmoreland. These legislators had the te- merity to ask five federal inspectors general last June whether individuals with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (or Ikhwan in Arabic) are using their access to the Obama administration to influence its policies towards the Brotherhood and the Islamist agenda, both in this country and elsewhere. The members of Congress cited a recent study by the Center for Security Policy that showed, for example, that Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Huma Abedin, “has three family members– her late father, her mother and her brother connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations,” and asked for an investigation into whether such associations are affecting U.S. government policies.

The Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration

The rise of these Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers in elite American policy circles tells the story of the success of the Brotherhood in its stealth jihad against this country. This stealth jihad proceeds through the slow motion infiltration of social, cultural and political institutions rather than the ramming of planes into skyscrapers, but with the same ultimate objective: destroying American society.  

Continue reading Bachmann was correct: the Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration