2007 October | The Bull Speaks!

Halloween 2007: A Commentary

Welcome, and Blessed Be!

Another year has past us by and for us Pagans, be they Heathens, Wiccans, or otherwise, it is New Years Eve, (give or take a day or three). The Pagan term for Halloween is Samhain, a day when the Veil between this mortal realm and the next is at its thinnest. The Bull is not writing today for the edification of the populace on matters Pagan. I am writing in disgust with America’s complete lack of perspective on Freedom. Particularly when it comes to the matters of Faith.

Our Freedoms – all of them – are precious things. Bought and paid for with the blood and sacrifice of brave men and women for well over two Centuries. Hundreds of thousands of now-immortal Heroes gave their very lives that we might be Free to live as each of us may wish – within the boundaries of polite Society, of course.The Bull submits that America has forgotten the meaning of sacrifice and has long since begun the process of trading off essential Freedoms for a little portion of security. Our forefathers warned against such an action. Ben Franklin himself said it best.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Despite this, and other warnings, from the very men that built the framework for the greatest Nation the world has ever seen, our populace sees fit to bicker over matters of only minor, (if any), import when the very foundations of Freedom are being undermined from both without and within.

As I alluded to above, let me use the matter of Faith as a case-in-point…
Today for many Pagans is Samhain. The Christian world’s Halloween. Stories, of course, abound in the media of all things ‘witch’ related. Two big stories I noted as I watched the news were as follows:

A self-professed ‘Witch’ sues neighbor over a Halloween decoration depicting a cartoon-styled witch being hanged.
A mid-America town is up in arms over a school being opened that will serve the Pagan community, (the students being the children of Pagan families), despite the jobs and revenue it will bring to the town.

This is “news”? Why? Moreover, why is either action being taken?

Let me address the second action first.
America was first colonized on the principle of religious freedom. It is one of our most cherished Freedoms, guaranteed in our Constitution. Government schools are available for all American children, yet many Christian churches sponsor schools in every city The Bull has ever visited, both North and South. The Catholic church especially devotes massive amounts of church funds into the education of children both here in America, and Worldwide. Those not agreeing with Catholic tradition simply do not send their children to Catholic schools. Pagan schools are no different. So, if you don’t want your children educated at a Pagan-operated school simply exercise your Right to Freedom of Religion and send your kids elsewhere!

Now for the first matter…
As oft stated, The Bull is unabashedly Pagan. Even so, I am embarrassed by the actions of a fellow Pagan so insecure in her Faith as to feel threatened by a simple Halloween decoration. The thought of actually suing a neighbor over something so silly makes me want desperately to apologize for such stupidity. If ever there was such a thing as a frivolous law suit, Dear Reader, this is it! As an American, faith is protected. Faith is also a personal, private matter. There is no guarantee that your neighbors will share your beliefs. I’d like to point out to this ‘lady’ that contentment with one’s neighborhood begins in one’s own home. Further, let me quote ol’ Ben once again…

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.

Holidays, or rather ‘Holy Days’, have wide and varied meanings in such a multicultural nation as America. Only tolerance of the Faith of others,the constant reminder that one’s beliefs are his/hers alone and not to forced upon those of different belief systems, will keep the peace and maintain that most precious Freedom. Never forget that the war we fight today and those lives lost on 9/11 and since are due to the religious intolerance of radical Islam. One faith demanding dominance over, (and the destruction of), other Faiths. Lady, get a Life!

Mean time, while America’s mind is on such matters, our Nation is being raped by do-nothing politicians in Washington, D.C. and the Constitution is being slowly gutted. What a waste!

Beware, America! You stand at the brink of a long and terrible fall! Survival of such a tumble would be largely a matter of sheer luck.

Bull, out.

Told Ya that She is Scary…

Once again, Hillary Rodham Clinton leads in a poll. This time, she was top choice when people were asked which major 2008 presidential candidate would make the scariest Halloween costume.

Asked about costume choices, 37 percent in an Associated Press-Ipsos survey this month chose New York Sen. Clinton, the front-runner among Democratic presidential contenders. Fourteen percent selected former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who leads Republicans in national polls.

No other candidate exceeded 6 percent.

Clinton was the choice of four in 10 men and one-third of women. While a predictable two-thirds of Republicans picked her, she also was the choice of 18 percent of Democrats. Among members of her own party, that made her second only to Giuliani as the scariest costume.

About one-third of independents, nearly half of whites and just over half of conservatives selected her.

The poll involved telephone interviews with 1,013 adults conducted from Oct. 16-18. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Folks, you can’t buy this kind of stuff! Makes one wonder what is under that mask ‘Hitlery’ wears everyday, doesn’t it? {insert full-body shiver here}

Bull, out.

An American Bill of NON-Rights

Bill of NON-Rights
(Written by Lewis Napper, A self-described amateur philosopher from Mississippi.)

“We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other Liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.”

ARTICLE I:
You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II:
You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on Freedom, and that means freedom for everyone — not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III:
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV:
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing
generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes. (This one is my pet peeve…get an education and go to work….don’t expect everyone else to take care of you!)

ARTICLE V:
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI:
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII:
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other Citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII:
You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE IX:
You do not have the right to Happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness,which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X:
This is an English speaking Country. We don’t care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back To wherever you came from!

ARTICLE XI:
You do not have the right to Change our country’s history, heritage, or culture. This country was founded on the belief in God. And yet, you are given the Freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, Or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!
***

Here ends one of the most on-target email-stuffers I’ve ever read. Honestly, this sounds like a great idea to The Bull!

Bull, out!

MRSA in Gulf Coast Schools Is Being Ignored

If you are a parent and have not heard of the drug-resistant form of staph known as MRSA running through the school systems of America, then you have been hiding under a rock! The story really got going when a student from the school district The Bull himself graduated from, (Bedford County, VA.), died as this super-bug ravaged his body. This victim was 17-year-old Ashton Bonds, a student at the Staunton River High School. A tragedy to be sure, but could it have been prevented?

Sources to The Bull have informed me that in one Pensacola, FL inner-city school there is an employee (non-teacher position)that is a carrier of MRSA who is being actively treated for the disease and has at least four open ‘colonies’ of the bacteria on the body at this moment, is still working with the students – every day – even though the school principal was informed the moment that the said employee was diagnosed! The school official actually made the comment, (as quoted to The Bull), that the employee should “just keep this information between us“. Another comment made by a school system employee recently was that “this entire staph thing is just being blown all out of proportion“. (Said employee was told by a doctor that hospitalization may soon be required.)

Excuse the heck outta me! Children are dying! “Out of proportion“? When it comes to the health and welfare of my kids, nothing concerning staph is out of proportion! The Bull wants to know ALL! Is this an example of how our school systems feel about the health of our children? How many school principals are keeping such secrets How many kids are now infected, or possibly condemned to death, by this one principal’s lack of concern? There are all kinds of staph. I’ll assume. for the sake of argument, the principal thinks this employee is mistaken. Let’s further assume for a moment that someone would say they have MRSA, but don’t actually have the disease. Why would you take the risk?

Frankly, if this kind of active cover-up is going on in the school system of Pensacola, FL, then what are the chances of the same kind of crime vs. humanity happening here in Mobile, AL? What about your school system, Dear Reader? Speaking of Pensacola, when will that school district over there do the right thing and clean their schools? Or is it, Pensacola, simply that your inner city kids are not worth the effort and expense? Here’s a hint: What starts in the inner city doesn’t necessarily stay in the inner city. Wake up, Pensacola! Wake up, America!

This has been going on for a while it seems. School systems all over the Nation are reporting outbreaks, schools are being closed for cleaning everywhere. Already we have had school closures in nearby communities and confirmed cases this bug in the Spanish Fort, AL schools, and that is just across Mobile Bay. On October 12th 11-year-old Shae Keirnan of Vancleave, MS died of this disease. That’s too close to home.
Mobile, it seems, is surrounded.

May the Gods watch over our children. After all, our school systems won’t…

Addendum: The above mentioned school employee had reportedly made the condition known to the local health department. According to the employees’ statement, the Florida Health Dept was less than concerned.

Why am I not surprised? Yes, staph is everywhere. MRSA, however, is not and The Bull would like to keep it that way.

***
MRSA Info.

First off, not all staph is MRSA! Staph is everywhere. There is no escaping it. Most of the time it is just another of the wee bugs colonizing our homes and our skin. However, there are strains of the bacteria that given a chance will indeed wreck your day. This particular bug goes far beyond that and is a real danger to your life and the lives of your children.

What is MRSA anyway?

According to Wikipedia, “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is also known as oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA), multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, CA-MRSA (community-acquired MRSA) and HA-MRSA (hospital-acquired MRSA). It is a biological agent responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. (MSSA is Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus.)

How bad is this staph infection anyway?

Do NOT allow yourself be lulled by the thought that the death of Ashton was an isolated incident. Far from it! According to a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a government study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this month, estimated that more than 90,000 Americans suffered from MRSA in 2005, including 18,650 deaths. The researchers do not know if the MRSA strain was the cause in all cases.

How can you catch this bug?

It can be as simple as a touch.
Handshakes, kisses, any skin-to-skin contact with a person with open wounds containing the bacteria. My sources tell me that it can be caught from a toilet seat. (Note to Ladies: Practice ‘hovering’ when you pee…) Again, according to Wikipedia, S. aureus most commonly colonizes the nostrils, although the respiratory tract, open wounds, intravenous catheters, and urinary tract are also potential sites for infection. Healthy individuals may carry MRSA asymptomatically for periods ranging from a few weeks to many years. Patients with compromised immune systems are at a significantly greater risk of symptomatic secondary infection.

What does it look like? How can I tell if my child is infected?

Most, but not all, people who are symptomatic present with painful pus-filled boils and occasionally with rashes. Check your kids – and yourself – for anything looking like a pimple that doesn’t seem to go away or becomes very inflamed. Don’t worry about being thought an annoyance. If something doesn’t look or feel right, see your doctor immediately!

How can MRSA be treated?

“CA-MRSA, (commonly aquired MRSA), often results in abscess formation that requires incision and drainage. Before the spread of MRSA into the community, abscesses were not considered contagious because it was assumed that infection required violation of skin integrity and the introduction of staphylococci from normal skin colonization. However, newly emerging CA-MRSA is transmissible (similar, but with very important differences) from hospital-acquired MRSA. CA-MRSA is less likely than other forms of MRSA to cause cellulitis.

“Both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA are resistant to traditional anti-staphylococcal beta-lactam antibiotics, such as cephalexin. CA-MRSA has a greater spectrum of antimicrobial susceptibility, including to sulfa drugs, tetracyclines, and clindamycin. HA-MRSA is resistant even to these antibiotics and often is susceptible only to vancomycin. Newer drugs, such as linezolid (belonging to the newer oxazolidinones class), may be effective against both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA.

“Vancomycin and teicoplanin are glycopeptide antibiotics used to treat MRSA infections.” (Wikipedia)

A new type of antibiotic, called platensimycin, and had demonstrated its successful use against MRSA. Don’t hold your breath, though… The FDA is years away from allowing this life saver to be used. (Gotta protect the pharmaceuticals companies from lawsuits, you know… )

How can I prevent this from happening to me and/or my family?

Simple. CLEAN! MRSA can survive on surfaces and fabrics, including clothing, curtains, furniture and on hard surfaces like countertops, doorknobs, toilet seats and flush handles. Simply put, it is where you are. The very best way to disinfect is to use vaporizing sanitizers, however that is rather specialized equipment. The best thing to do is to remember K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Clean every surface possible. Wash your hands – often! And don’t forget the hand sanitizer! Alcohol has proven to be very effective in killing staph on surfaces. Drive the idea of personal hygiene into your kids. It just might save their lives.
***

The Bull sincerely hopes that this post will force the hands of those in charge of our children to work harder and smarter to keep them safe from such disease. I also hope to see a full investigation of the Pensacola, FL school system. That kind of indifference is completely unacceptable, if not criminal.

Bull, out.

Coming Up This Weekend!

The Bull has been busier than the proverbial one-armed paper-hanger of late with family, animals, home duties, and other writings… and has fought off not one, but two, bouts of a nasty little virus.

Never fear, Dear Readers! The Bull is more than just a hell-for-strong, bull-headed, Southern man. He is pretty good at multi-tasking as well. I have several stories lined up for completion and publication this weekend.

The stories include:

An update on the local sex offender scum,
A story on my latest leather purchase from Simply Rugged, Alaska’s premier holster maker,
A Review of Thomson/Center Arm’s ‘Encore’ rifle, and…
Other musings from the mind of Alabama’s Web-based minotaur!

Make it a point to stop by often over the next few days

Bull, out.

Michael Alig

It’s cold in south Alabama this morning. I’m still recovering from yesterday’s bout with a stomach issue brought on, I think, from bad yogurt or some vile bug one of the kids brought home from school. Sitting in my chair I turned on the tube and caught an issue of American Justice. This episode was about the 1990’s “Club Kid” turned murderer, Michael Alig. Sentenced to 10 – 20 years, Alig was due to come up for parole this year.

When the show was over, The Bull, walked over to the computer and googled his name. In excess of 165,000 hits were listed. For a murderer! Geez… Well, if the guy’s story was interesting enough to spark a movie, a couple of books then there might be something to learn. The first hits were the usual Wikipedia hits. The third, however, was am article written by Jonathan Van Meter on the NYC Magazine web site titled Party Boy in a Cage.

The contrast between the two descriptions and the photos shows the degradation of Alig’s image, body, and soul after some ten years in the New York State penal system. It also shows, very clearly, that the party animal that dismembered a corpse he had kept in his bathtub for some ten days prior still has all of his ‘weapons’ near at hand. Ten years has done nothing to dull his wit, his charm, or his ability to instantly be – and act – exactly how the people around him want him to be and act. Van Meter nailed it. Alig is a human mirror. He is also still just as dangerous as he was at the time of his crime. Michael can claim he is now free of his drug habit, something that he has always blamed for his bloody act. Yet even I can see that at the first taste of freedom Alig will be at once trying to back into the NYC club scene and within days – if not hours – he’ll be back on heroin.

Alig was, (fortunately for us), denied parole. Heâ€™ll get another chance to go before the board in 2009. We can only hope that the State of New York sees at that future point that even twelve years is not enough time to rehabilitate such a waste of Human flesh as Michael Alig.

Damn. I’m glad I live in little ol’ Mobile, AL!

Bull out.

Kalifornia Burning

As everyone knows, terrible fires are reducing the southern portions of the People’s Republic of Kalifornia to a fine ash. It is a terrible loss for those effected.

However, I am reminded of the responses from residents of that most communist of States when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast. So, to return their thoughts in like kind…

“California is far too often hit by these wildfires and mudslides. Not to mention the earthquake threat. It is obviously an unsafe environment for people to live in on a permanent basis. California should be abandoned as a total loss and no taxpayer dollars should be sent there for reconstruction.”

How does it feel now, assholes?

Never fear, though. America will help her Citizens, even those that think themselves above all the rest of us and despite those folks previous bad manners.

Bull, out.

Did Y’all See This Crap?

Folks, a picture really is worth a thousand words…

Not that The Bull would call Bill Richardson, “Hitlery”, or Ruth Harkin exactly ‘Fine upstanding Americans’, but this shows exactly where Obama’s ‘heart’ is, doesn’t it? The scumbag!

I wonder what his excuse is for this one…

How anyone calling themselves an American can serious plan to vote for this bastard is simply beyond me. Do us all a favor, you pig-shyte, Muslim bastard – drop out or drop dead.

Bull, out!

Pagan Pride Day in Mobile, AL

Today was Pagan Pride Day here in Mobile, AL and your intrepid writer and bloated ego,The Bull, was proud to be counted as one of those Pagans in attendance. It’s been quite a while since I was in the fellowship of others of my kind and it felt rather good I must say. Despite some minor concerns of security, (provided ably by the local Heathen contingent and the USA Police Dept.), of a possible Muslim incursion, the day went off without a hitch.

We couldn’t have conjured better weather had we tried and the facilities supplied by the University of South Alabama were superb. I offer my sincerest thanks to that fine institution for their support of all Americans rights to Freedom of Religion.

I do think the time has come for me to retake my rightful place in Pagan Society. I’ve healed all I’m going to from my injuries, have come to terms with my limitations, and just possibly have something left to give back to the Faith that directed me to the Life I lead now as a strong-willed, dedicated, American who loves his Country.

As a side note though, I should mention that The Bull did set out a collection box for our rescue, Chaos & Critters, and collected more money in five hours than that same box garnered in eighteen months at B&B Pet Stop here in Mobile. Perhaps that says something about the generosity of Pagans. The fact that no one tried to steal from it says more about the afore mentioned store! (See my previous post here.)

Blessings!

Bull, out.

Alabama Justice – Lite!

The Castle Doctrine. An idea who’s time has come. Here is how one Alabama family chose to implement The Bull’s favorite law…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. â€??? A burglar in Montgomery chose the wrong family to mess with, literally.

Adrian and Tiffany McKinnon returned to their Centennial Hill home Tuesday after a week away to find that thieves had emptied almost everything the family of five owned, Tiffany McKinnon said through tears.

“Tears just rolled down my face as I walked in and saw everything gone and piles of trash all over my home,” she said.

Adrian McKinnon sent his wife to see her sister while he inspected the piles left behind. As he walked back into the sunroom, a man walked through the back door straight into him, Tiffany McKinnon told the Montgomery Advertiser in a story Thursday.

“My husband Adrian caught the thief red-handed in our home,” she said. “And what is even crazier, the man even had my husband’s hat sitting right on his head.”

Adrian McKinnon held the suspect, 33-year-old Tajuan Bullock, at gunpoint and told him to sit on the floor until he decided what to do.

“We made this man clean up all the mess he made, piles of stuff, he had thrown out of my drawers and cabinets onto the floor,” Tiffany McKinnon said.

When police arrived, Bullock complained about being forced to clean the home at gunpoint.

“This man had the nerve to raise sand about us making him clean up the mess he made in my house,” she said. “The police officer laughed at him when he complained and said anybody else would have shot him dead.” Roger that! ~Bull

Capt. Huey Thornton, a police spokesman, said police arrested Bullock at 2 p.m. Tuesday on burglary and theft charges. He was being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a $30,000 bond.

What America needs is MORE families with this kind of backbone and, I’ll admit, restraint. If so we might be able to retrain some of these thugs with a little less bloodshed. However, if that fails then we could always just shoot the bastards.

A great big “BULL BALLS” Award to Adrian McKinnon for standing up to the outlaws, protecting his family and property, and for being a responsible gun owner (and apparently a CCW holder).

Bull, out!

Thoughts on Concealed Carry

While sitting here working on the layout for a future post on holster makers, such as ‘Simply Rugged‘ from Alaska, I began thinking about the act of ‘packing iron’ itself. Not the all-to-often debated points of why someone carries a concealed weapon, but rather what the effects are on said person’s mind.

Since I’m isn’t a bloody shrink I can’t tell you what other folks may be thinking. However, I’ll gladly tell you what is running through my little grey cells.

The Bull is – most definitely – a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. I’m also very much in love with the rest of that most beloved of documents as well. I do have a pistol permit and I legally carry a handgun pretty much all the time. Here in my Pasture I don’t even notice the mass of the gun anymore. Regardless of how & where I’m carrying it on any given day, (and that depends on how I’m dressed for the weather or my destination). That is in the comfort of my very own home though…

When I step beyond my yard, be it in our car or on foot, I immediately feel the intense pressure of responsibility hit me. The first time I felt that weight I found it rather odd. After a lifetime of carrying weapons of one type or another back and forth to the range, or for days on end during the hunt, you’d think I’d be immune. No! This is different! This isn’t like before where only targets were in danger or where a missed shot at a game animal means nothing more than a missed meal. Carrying a concealed weapon means that I have shouldered the responsibility for something that could mean either Life or Death for myself and/or others. *IF* I should ever be in a situation where this firearm is drawn for use there is a very good chance that someone’s life will be lost – or at least be changed forever. Mine if I failed to see and stop a threat in time, or some other person because they presented a threat to my life or someone else’s. I feel that weight with every step I take in public. While I don’t notice the gun at home, when I’m out it seems that every tiny movement reminds me of the unique, (in today’s “modern” society), and heavy burden of responsibility I have taken on as a pistol permit holder.

There is some good, no, ‘great’ news in this though… The Bull, as a CCW holder, is now counted among the safest and most reliable of America’s firearms owners – already the World’s most responsible firearms owners, (and among the last). Despite the angry rhetoric from the Leftist, America’s legal firearms owners are law-abiding to an extreme, patriotic beyond measure, and exceedingly SAFE and DEPENDABLE. Out of curiosity I spoke with our local constabulary and asked if the issuance of pistol permits had caused and noticeable changes in crime such as robbery and assault locally.
I expected no straight answer, but I got one anyway.

The answer is YES. Crime is lower now that the citizenry is being legally armed against the criminals. Seems that thugs are thinking twice about violent crime when the possibility of getting shot down in the act is far greater. The Bull thinks that is as it should be.

Bull, out.

A Mobile, AL ‘Den of Thieves’?

If there is one thing that The Bull can not stand it is the existence of thieves in our society. One of the few things worse than your basic thief is one that steals from charitable organizations, and that, Dear Reader, is what we are dealing with today.

As you are aware, my dear wife, Lady Beth, operates one of only two or three IRS 501(c)(3), Tax-Exempt, exotic animal rescues in the entire Nation. The rescue is called Chaos & Critters. This entity operates solely on the donations and adoption fees. To help feed the creatures we house there have been a couple of donation boxes stationed at pet stores here in Mobile, AL. One of these boxes has sat at Mobile’s largest pet store, B & B Pet Stop, (operated by Mobile’s well known Trufant family), for almost a year. Despite the traffic that store garners, and it being the only store where exotic supplies are readily availible, donations have always been rather slim. It was assumed that this lack of production was simply because exotic pets are considered as ‘throw-away’ pets by the majority of society. We were wrong!

Today we learned that the real cause for such lack-luster donations is the specter of rampant thievery in that store.

Just yesterday Lady Beth had stopped by to pick up a couple of other items and had noticed several dollars in the lockbox. She stopped by there this morning to purchase food for several of the creatures and found that the majority of the cash had been removed. Not just ‘removed’, the lock had been compromised and the cash had been stolen! What makes this so irritating is the fact that this had obviously been done by either an employee of B&B Pet Stop or under the direct observation and backing of said employees.

Now, how in the world can I be so sure?
Quite simple. The lock had been forced by someone inserting a screwdriver, or similar, devices and turning forcibly so as to cause the retaining nut to loosen so the entire lock could spin and the cash box could be removed. Having installed the lock myself, I know it was installed both correctly and tightly. The operation necessary to loosen the lock could not have been done quickly. It took time. Most damning, the donation lockbox has always been located on the check-out island of the store under the direct supervision of at least one – and most often three – clerks.

This all boils down to one inescapable conclusion for The Bull. That conclusion is that the grand ol’ B & B has indeed become a ‘Den of Thieves‘. This , of course, is not the only example of thievery going on at that store. Oh hell no! They are forever finding everything from animals and other stock being stolen, to employees finding their personal items, (ie: wallets, credit cards, coats and such), stolen right out of the break room. For some unknown reason, the Trufant’s simply refuse to address these issues.

The Bull challenges the Trufant Family to clean up their act and bring B & B Pet Stop back to its former glory. Meanwhile, the creatures will be on reduced commons…

Bull, out!

Tomcat Troubles

The ‘Tomcats’ simply will not stay out of the news! This from Fox News…

SALT LAKE CITY â€??? Two Utah men are accused of trying to illegally export surplus pieces of F-14 fighter jets, a plane that is flown only in Iran.

Abraham Trujillo, 61, and David Waye, 22, both of Ogden, are alleged to have tried exporting the parts to Canada, but the charges don’t specify how they supposedly got the parts and don’t list all buyers.

Federal agents placed online orders, then intercepted the goods before they made it out of the country, the charges said.

Trujillo and Waye were charged Friday with three counts each of attempting to export a defense article without a license. Telephone listings could not be found for the men.

Iran, trying to maintain its F-14s, is aggressively seeking components from the retired U.S. Tomcat fleet. Members of Congress have expressed concerns about the Department of Defense selling surplus F-14 parts because they’re worried they could wind up in Iranian aircraft.

The U.S. sold the F-14 to Iran in the 1970s when it was under the rule of the Western-friendly shah. In 1979, the shah was deposed, and the U.S. eventually banned the sale of military equipment to Iran.

The U.S. attorney’s office says federal immigration agents discovered a Web site with listings of F-14 parts offered by Trujillo and his Ogden business, NSN Specialists. Over several months in 2006 and 2007, agents bought cable assemblies and other F-14 and F-4 jet items from Trujillo.

The men will receive a summons to appear before a federal magistrate. Penalties can carry 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine per count.

It was a sad day for The Bull when the F-14 Tomcat took to the skies for the last time. It wasn’t that they were obsolete. Hell no! To this day the Tomcat could rule the sky! The reasoning was the huge cost of keeping the aging airframes flying and the beatings they took with carrier operations didn’t help much.

Of course the Iranians want those parts!

Folks, 10 years in prison and/or a $1 Million fine is not enough! The penalty for blatant treason is death, preferably by firing squad! Damn it! It is time to put the teeth back into National Defense!

Shoot the bastards!

Bull, out!

Bull: Seems to be a run on folks getting their gear or refunds from Terry at long last. My guess is that they got a...
Our Bandit Leather Client: Was contacted via email this morning. Civil communication. I opt for a full refund as...
Jerry Cox: REFUND CHECK from Terry Savanich received ‘today’ !!! From order placed Jan 2008. I received a...
OnTarget: Bull - My order was placed with “Our Bandit Leather” in early May of 2006. My order was...
Bull: OnTarget, When, exactly, was your order received and when, exactly, was you original date of order? The one...

xeaxe: P 322 operation 7 knife and sniper action
The Bull Speaks!: About the Reply from “danwatson69@yahoo.com”
The Bull Speaks!: Scum Update: 30 Nov 2009
cornsnakes: Why Big Pythons are NOT good 'Beginner' snakes
Slap-Happy Over Leather: issues arise concerning Terry Savanich and ‘Our Bandit Leather Crafters’. Please...