It's a start ...

From today's news:

Victims group passes up Qld gun panel spot

A VICTIMS support group says it doesn't mind being overlooked for a Queensland government advisory panel aimed at changing gun licensing laws.

The Newman government initially announced a six-member panel, made up of pro-gun lobbyists and gun shop owners, to look at ways to cut red tape faced by gun owners when renewing licences.

The Queensland Police Union was later invited to join after it criticised the government for stacking the advisory panel with people linked to the gun lobby.

Union president Ian Leavers said he would accept the invitation, but more needed to be done to balance the panel.

He said the inclusion of Pistol Shooting Queensland and Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group would "provide a full spectrum of views".

But the support group's general manager Ross Thompson says he doesn't see a need to be included on the panel.

Mr Thompson said Police Minister Jack Dempsey rang him on Wednesday and explained the panel would not discuss relaxing gun laws, only cutting the bureaucracy around renewing licences for already approved gun owners.

"We don't need to be involved in that part of it, because he (Mr Dempsey) guaranteed me that the laws were not going to be changed, it was not going to soften anything at all," he told AAP.
"I feel quite satisfied with the answer I got."

Premier Campbell Newman said the government would make gun laws tougher, particularly for people who carry concealed weapons or sawn-off shot guns.

But he said the panel's main focus would be making things easier for legal gun owners.
"At the moment there's a lot of red tape and bureaucracy for people who are law abiding gun owners," he told reporters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
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Now, unfortunately for me, this is in on the otherside of the country in another State (and gun laws are basically State based), so any changes won't benefit me directly.  But I am happy to see that this is being raised and addressed in this country and hopefully other States will follow the lead in making things easier for "law abiding gun owners".

Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/victims-group-passes-up-qld-gun-panel-spot/story-e6frfku9-1226460794035 emphasis mine.

Bookweek Dress Up Day

Today is Bookweek Dress Up Day at the girls' school. Miss 10 has been reading MHI (and loving it), so she decided to dress up as a monster hunter. Miss 8 didn't want to miss out, so she's dressed up as one too:

(I did get them to leave the gun at home!)

This does not bode well for the future ...

On Wednesday night at cubs I was doing some "badge work" with various cubs. Our cubs work through three stages of boomerangs - bronze, silver and gold - and each have 14 different sections that the cubs need to complete.

I was reading this section out to the cub, to ask her if she has done anything in this area (this cub, by the way, is 9 years old):

"Demonstrate that you know how to do cleaning around the home, such as vacuuming, sweeping, washing up and cleaning the bathroom."

As I was reading it out - and the girl was shaking her head at each point - her mother came into the room (on some other errand), and said "What?".

I passed the book to the mother to show her what it said and her response was:

"I have a cleaner. Why should my daughter do cleaning if I don't?"

This may have been a rhetorical question by I was so stunned I sort of spluttered:

"Um, because maybe when she moves out of home and can't afford a cleaner she will need to know how to do these things."

Now I have heard of people not getting their kids to do chores before but I have never met anyone who actually lived that. I mean to be 9 years old and never swept?!? or done the dishes?!? To me that is very scary.

You never want to see this ....

Drought! ...

Please remember the farmers across the US who are facing this sight and worse! Your thoughts and prayers are needed.

Science experiements again ...

Just had this conversation with Miss 8:

Miss 8: "Why did dad buy Mountain Dew?"

Me: "We want to make glow sticks with it."

Miss 8: "Okay"

She wasn't even surprised that we were planning to do some science experiements with Mountain Dew!

But yes, apparently, Mountain Dew, bicarb soda and peroxide creates glow sticks. We're going to give it a go a bit later on and see how much of each we need. Stay tuned.

[UPDATE]Apparently it doesn't work :( I should have checked out Snopes first! Oh well, it was fun to try[/UPDATE]

Along These Lines: How knot too right ...

As the new school year approaches, I would like to undress you all today concerning a serious education problem facing this nation — the inability of the younger generators to write properly.

It’s a very disturbing trend, because there is a vast suppository of knowledge lodged in the collective minds of today’s youth who desperately need to espresso themselves better.

Continue reading here.

Hattip Along these lines

Who's Following Me #4

Today I'ld like to introduce you to Cocked and Loaded. The name alone should give you a pretty good idea of what the blog is about.

His profile states:
A conservative gun lover and lifetime sportsman from chatham county North Carolina. I am now spendinga great deal of time defending our 2nd Amendment and our freedom.

Which should remove any doubt that you're not dealing with a freedom-loving, gun-loving guy!

His blog is crammed full of links to various sites and articles. I always find a rabbit hole to disappear down whenever I visit.

Pop across and see what you can find and don't forget to say "hi"!

Slowly returning to the land of the living ....

But my head still hurts and don't ask me to talk yet ....

Hope the rest of you are all well! Keep away from people with the flu, you don't want it!