Confederate Sharpshooter

Welcome to Kalifornia...

2011-10-04T17:54:00.000-04:00

The Scary thing is, some people really think a system like that is 'reasonable.'

Sorry for the lack of posts

2011-07-10T22:21:00.000-04:00

No, I've not fallen off the planet. I hope to be back soon. I have a lot of pent up posts, I just need to find time to get them typed up.

Thanks for your patience- both of you.

Mtn Man.

Funny because it's true department

2011-03-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

This Just in, from the Atomic Energy Commission:

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium(symbol=Gv), has one neutron , 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons . Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes . This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass . When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomesAdministratium (symbol=Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Is it just me, or are these people stupid?

2011-03-15T11:02:00.001-04:00

A very important vote is happening in the Tarheel state this week, one that I have been looking forward to for many years. Specifically, we gunnies are trying to get the elite in Raleigh to admit we have some civil rights. North Carolina currently has several restrictions on concealed carry, one of the most onerous being the prohibition of concealed carry in any restaurant that serves alcohol for consumption. (i.e. you can drink your beer while you eat.) It is already prohibited to consume alcohol in any quantity while packing, so the concerns of the wide eyed frothy mouthed hoplophobes are unfounded. All this bill would do is allow me and my family to go into the local steak house and enjoy a meal without me being forced to leave my CCW in the car, where it is more likely to be stolen (and thus be used in one of those infamous "GUN CRIMES.")

With this in mind, I have been following the bill (HR 111) pretty closely with the help of the good folks at Grass Roots NC, as well as the NC General Assembly. The bill itself can be found here.

Having left voice mails with my local representative, and emails with the list provided by GRNC, I was feeling pretty good about myself. That is, until I got this snippy reply from one of the ‘swing’ votes:

Thank you for your email. Representative Rapp believes that in order for this bill to be adopted it needs some tweaking. Thank you for taking time to contact us.

Meredith Matney
Legislative Assistant to Rep. Ray Rapp
(919)733-5732
Office 2213 State Legislative Bldg.
Raleigh, N. C. 27601-1096

Tweaking? TWEAKING? Not that I expect any respect from these clowns, but you’d think they could manage a better lie than that. Apparently, they think that will be the end of the matter, and they can forget about me. Obviously, they do not know me very well:

Dear Ms. Matney:
I appreciate your reply. However, I would appreciate very much some clarification on the term 'tweaking.' Specifically, could you explain what you find objectionable in the bill as written? Please be advised I will be following this vote very carefully, and like most honest citizens, would consider weakening amendments just as bad as voting against it.

I await your explanation.

Thank you,

That’s where the matter stands at the moment. I’m not getting any hopes up for a polite reply, or for that matter any reply at all. Even if this bill gets passed, it’s almost certain to be vetoed by our botox-enhanced Governess, and it is unlikely we have the votes to override a veto. Of course, if enough of us put pressure on the elected representatives, it could happen. So, what say you? Are you ready to fight for your God given rights yet, or are you content sitting in the back of the buss? You don’t need to be a member of GRNC to use the email service there, but you really should be a member and join the fight. We can use all the help we can get.

Cody Alicea , American Hero.

2010-11-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

I love it when a plan comes together...

http://www.kcra.com/r/25795718/detail.html

Stories like this give me hope for the future.

Things to do this weekend

2010-10-01T15:01:00.000-04:00

Ah, the autumn season is upon us, with all the seasonal fall festivals, fairs, and beautiful weather to enjoy. If you happen to be in NW North Carolina, or SW Virginia this weekend, may I highly recomend a visit to the JEB Stuart Homeplace , home of the ledgendary hero of the war between the states. Twice a year, in the fall and spring, the homeplace is turned into an accurate encampment of Union and Confederate troops, and stages realistic battles once each day. Also, you can do walking tours through the grounds, and get a look at how life was during that time. Photographs do not do things justice, but here are a couple to give you an idea of what you might see.

They don't just get a bunch of goobers to put on uniforms for the weekend, either- especially when the uniform is that of General Robert E. Lee. Each and every re-enactor (both North and South) is a documented decendant of someone who fought- and in many cases died- in that time. The person pictured above representing R.E. Lee earned that right by demonstrating his knowledge of the history of both the General and the period, and prior to the battle will do a question and answer session with the gathering crowds. Living history, indeed.

The lower photo is a field medical kit of the sort used to treat battlefield injuries and sickness. A lot of people are surprised to find out that more men died from desease than battle injuries during the war. If you have the stomach for it, they do a nighttime candle lit tour of the battlefield, with a graphic medical demonstration of 'medical care' given to the wounded. It's not for everyone.

Given the state of education in this country today, if I had kids this would be mandatory visit each year, to conteract the politically correct brainwashing that goes on in public schools now. Try it- you'll thank me later.

New Posts coming soon

2010-06-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

I hope to have some seriously good posts coming soon. Thanks for your patience.

Some uplifting thoughts to brighten your day...

2010-04-20T15:18:00.000-04:00

Having a bad day? Need something to put a smile back on your face? There is always the wit and wisdom of the gunners guru, Col. Jeff Cooper and his Cooperisms.....

We need some more folks like the late Colonel, for sure.

Keyboard alert...

2010-04-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, perhaps this one is a bit on the geeky side, but I still think it explains a great deal about how the goverment spends our money....

http://home.comcast.net/~steveham21/turbo.mpg

Now remember, there will be a test on the material presented at the end of the semester.

Just another reason to support concealed carry

2010-03-30T19:43:00.000-04:00

As if we needed another reason to support the concealed carry movement, we have this jewel via The Patriot Post:

To Keep and Bear Arms

An 82-year-old woman was approached by a man in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in a Walmart parking lot when he began to threaten her. "This is your day," the man told her. "You are too old to be alive anyway." He then took her cane away and began beating her with it. However, he was unaware that she was carrying her handgun, which she quickly pulled from her purse and began firing at the suspect. Witnesses nearby were alerted by the gunshots and came to help the elderly woman. The suspect was taken into custody by police shortly afterward. Impending charges include attempted murder. The courageous woman later told the media, "If I go naturally or to a sickness or something, fine. I'm ready to go, but I'm not ready to let some idiot like that take me out."

The next time you hear some sniveling political type whinning about 'gun violence' remember that sometimes the gun violence saves someones grandma. Amazing how animals like the one in this story learn their manners when confronted by lethal force. Good job, granny. Next time you hit the range, the ammo is on me.

Mourning an old friend.. or Good bye to the local Drive In...

2010-03-24T22:38:00.003-04:00

A news story last year highlighted our local drive in as one of only 11 left in the state of North Carolina. Unfortunately, as of March 15th, that number has now been reduced to 10.
Bright Leaf Drive In

The holes you see are where the original, 1955 era pole-mounted speakers stood last weekend. The picnic tables still stand, but the benches and chairs for the 'front row' crowd have already been moved to the concession stand.

Reaction to the news locally has been overwhelming. Hardly anyone within driving distance of our town hasn't watched a movie at "The Bright Leaf." My parents took my sisters and me to see movies there on hot summer Friday nights, crammed into the back of a huge 1967 Ford Station Wagon, hoping we'd fall asleep so they could watch the second feature in peace.

In the sixties there were Westerns- John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. The Seventies brought Vanishing Point, Billy Jack, and the "Trinity" Westerns.

Always, always a double feature. Sometimes, if you could stay out late, all night shows.

Unlike a lot of drive in movies, The Bright Leaf stayed open year round. The original owner, Don Davis, was always there with a smile and knew you by name. He's always ask me how my dad was doing. On Halloween there would be an all night spook-tackular, and if you weren't careful one of the concession staff would likely scare the bejesus out of you with a rubber mask and a growl before the night was done....

Unfortunately, Don died a few years back. The Bright Leaf was almost closed then, but the outcry from generations of movie goers who grew up with her bough her some more time. Some of the remaining employees- all of whom had day jobs as well- leased the property and worked hard to make it a great place to go spend a night under the stars. They did well- when the weather was nice, you had to show up hours before dark to get a good parking place. The food was some of the best anywhere- try getting a hot dog like that at the local movie chain! and they still showed the old trailers from the 1950's- talking popcorn and soft drinks encouraging you to stop in at the CONSESSION STAND during the intermission. And my favorite, a vintage 1950's short encouraging you to attend your place of worship this Sunday...

Dispite good attendence and enthusiastic crowds, one thing kept working against the Bright Leaf. What had been a lonely stretch of a two-lane blacktop in 1955 was now the center of a major part of town, complete with four lane highway, strip malls, and all that comes with progress. The property, coveted by local realtors, was valued at over $1 millon dollars. (And I'm sure the lease didn't even cover the property taxes each year.) So for reasons not given publicly yet, the remaining owners of the land refused to renew the lease this year, and gave the drive in owners 30 days to get out. One rumor going around is that a major food franchise may put a resturant there. I hope not. That would just be cruel. For me, and thousands like me, this was more than just a place to have a movie. This was where you went to meet friends, cook out on the back row, play pinball, or wonder if this would be the place you'd get your first kiss. The Bright Leaf Drive In, 1955-2010. Rest in peace, old friend.

Most useful thing yet to do with a Christmas tree and a bunch of rocket motors...

2010-01-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

If you have not already figured out something to do with the old Christmas tree, you might try this one:

I love it when a plan comes together...

Haiti Ham Radio Relief Frequencies

2010-01-13T20:53:00.000-05:00

Via Time Bomb 2000:

Haiti Ham radio emergency relief nets and frequencies

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those that want to either listen in or help SATERN Is active on the following frequencies.

7.045 and 3.720 MHz (IARU Region 2 nets), 14.265..., 7.265 and 3.977 MHz (SATERN nets), 14.300 MHz (Intercontinental Assistance and Traffic Net).

Right now they have heard no ham radio stations out of Haiti, and nether have hams in the Dominican Republic.. but they will be working on the frequencies for a long long time.

Also the airport in Haiti has opened up for relief agencies only at this time.

I am not a ham operator (yet) but do enjoy listening to SW radio when possible. For those of you with the means to pick up these broadcasts, it's always an eye opener to hear what is going on before it is filtered through the reporting media.

Why I've been posting funny stuff.

2010-01-13T20:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know there is a lot of serious stuff hitting the fan right now. I've got some strong thoughts on what is going on in Haiti right now, and I'm sure you do as well. But without time to step back and get away from the horrors going on in the world occassionally, we'd all go insane. So I'm hoping the lighter posts will give you that short break, for just a minute, before we get back to the serious business of trying to save what is left of the United States of America, and the Constitution.

Ok, break is over. Back to the serious work at hand.

Nuff Said.

2010-01-13T20:36:00.004-05:00

(Thanks to a reader who wishes to remain unnamed)

Three Missing after Animal RIghts activists Take on Leather wearing bikers

2010-01-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

Keyboard alert, this one is too funny.

http://www.best-news-site-ever.com/index.php?p=1_115

Oh, please, could that one come true?

Funny stuff...

2009-12-17T19:59:00.001-05:00

This one came in today's email, and I just have to share it:

There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about.

The letter read:Dear God,I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension.Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment.Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope... Can you please help me? Sincerely, Edna

The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars.By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman. The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.Christmas came and went. A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God. All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.

It read: Dear God, How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it might have been those bastards at the post office. Sincerely, Edna

Worlds smallest snow man

2009-12-14T18:03:00.002-05:00

For those of you looking for a white Christmas, here's a little snow man... a very little snow man.

The Unemployment Picture Illustrated

2009-12-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

Everybody knows that the employment picture is very bleak at present. But this animated map shows it more dramatically than anything I have seen yet. Check it out.

Please note how things really start to happen early on in 2009. How's that hope and change working out for ya?

Thank you for you patience...

2009-12-04T21:22:00.002-05:00

I have had a few emails wondering about the lack of posts. Health issues and work have kept me from posting, but hopefully I will be able to do some serious posting very soon.

Meanwhile, thank you for your patience, and feel free to email or comment on past postings.

"Mountain Man"

Just in time for CHRISTmas...

2009-12-04T21:19:00.003-05:00

Via Timebomb2000:

Just when I thought I'd heard all the wierd and unusual stories from the submarine service in WWII, this one was brought to my attention.

A reindeer on submarine? That's a new one on me....

How many Felonies did you commit today?

2009-10-06T18:55:00.002-04:00

Paul Valone, of Grass Roots NC fame, has hit one out of the park. Go read it, now:

How Many Gun Laws Have You Broken Today?

(While you are there, be sure and read the comment left by Jeff Knox)

I've said for many years to friends, co-workers, and relatives- you've committed a felony today. You might not know what it is, but trust me, you did. They have enough laws out there now- not just guns, but taxes, environmental, even traffic- that somehow, some way, you committed a serious infraction sometime, probably more than you realize. If you are thinking it doesn't matter, since they didn't arrest you, know this: They can do something, when they want to. And it's looking very much like the powers that be are getting ready to use (and abuse) as many of those laws as it takes to keep you, the sheep, in line.

Any time the government - any government- passes a law that they can't or don't enforce- the recent 'no recycleable bottles in landfills' bill springs to mind- ask why they pass laws without being able to enforce them. Then remind yourself: they aren't enforcing it- yet. But they will- one day, when they need to keep you in line, or punish you for speaking out- tea party, anyone?

You have been warned.

Why it is important to learn skills before you need them

2009-10-03T07:49:00.004-04:00

I really hate this kind of story, but it does bring up some useful lessons:

(via The Columbus Dispatch)
Beaten Ohio man is shot during self-defense lesson
Sat Oct 3, 2:36 am ET
GROVEPORT, Ohio – An 80-year-old Ohio man is recovering from a week in which he was beaten during a home invasion and then shot while trying to learn about guns.
Ralph Needs says he wouldn't want anyone to experience what he's been through.
He was tied up and pistol-whipped when at least three intruders broke into his Columbus-area home Sept. 20. Needs' nose was broken and his pickup truck, a computer and credit cards were stolen.
Four days later, Needs was shot in the hand during a self-defense lesson. A 9 mm pistol went off as one of his sons was loading it.
Groveport police say it was an accident, so there will be no charges. No one has been arrested in the assault, but one person was charged in connection with the stolen computer, now recovered.

Ok, first the obvious: If this had been a success story, if the 80 year old gentleman had been proficient in the use of his firearm, and prevented the robbery in the first place, we would have never heard of it. Perhaps a local story on page three, perhaps not. But of course this story fits the media template, so it gets national attention: Guns are bad, and just waiting for a chance to kill grandpa. This is nonsense, of course, but until there is a dramatic change in the makeup of news employees (some 80 to 89 percent admit being 'liberal democrats) the news bias will not change.

So rather than dwell on the obvious, I'd like to point out the importance of learning skills before they are needed. When you are over 80 years old, have just been traumatized by a beating and being robbed, this is not the time to pick up a gun and try to learn how to use it. Yes, it can be done, but I have seen this scene played out far too many times. Victim, or potential victim, impulsively decides they MUST have a gun for protection before learning the proper safety rules and understanding how the weapon functions. Victim then 'feels' safe, puts firearm in drawer, never to be thought of again unless and until an emergency is upon them.

This is a dandy way to end up as this gentleman did, with a self inflicted injury.

Folks, we live in a world that is growing ever more dangerous, with no reason to expect things to improve in the short run. The prison system is a revolving door, with the average 'life' sentence for capital crimes in my state running around 7 years, average. Drug offences? Domestic violence? Armed robbery? Good chance the offender will be out on bail before the officer gets the paperwork done. When sentenced, look for probation for a first or even second offense. This means an ever increasing number of potential felons near your house waiting for a chance to do you harm. If you wait until it happens, you will be a victim.

If, on the other hand, you would like to avoid being a victim, now would be a good time to get some training, information, and mindset for what to do if the unthinkable happens. The head-in-the-sand crowd will call this paranoia, but any reasonable reading of the current crime statistics is a convincing argument for reasonable precautions. This does not necessarily mean going out and buying a firearm- although for an elderly person with limited strength and skills it is often the best choice- but should include a well thought out plan of what to do in the most likely situations. Recently, someone I know got locked out of the house. They were forced to 'break in.' After this, they admitted to me they were surprised at just how easy it was to force entry into the house. When is the last time you walked around your own house and pretended you were a break in artist? Something as simple as a screw in a window to prevent easy entry may have saved this gentleman a lot of pain. Going down this list, things like alarms, pepper spray, panic buttons, neighborhood watch, and yes, weapons of deadly force can all help the Innocent stay safe.

I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to look around today, and do some planning to keep those they love safe and secure.

Hope and Change, South Carolina Style

2009-09-23T22:18:00.002-04:00

Another nominee for most idiotic elected official of the year. Via The High Road US
We can't have the police out there catching bad guys now, can we?

Meanwhile, in the secure secret bunker...

2009-09-13T19:43:00.004-04:00

For those of you who have been wondering where the dickens I have been the last few weeks, and why I have not been posting, it is finally time to reveal the answer:

Friends and neighbors, behold, the MAN CAVE.

Yeah, still in the finishing up stages, but this will be the new home for hobbies, projects, and the occassional odd job. Amazingly, this entire project got completed in under 2 weeks, and that includes setting up, wiring, plumbing, and inspection by the local codes officers. Hopefully, this will be a asset in preparing for future needs, and certainly will be a great learning experience on setting up a new, modern home shop. I will keep you posted as things progress.

Sometimes You Win...

2009-09-13T19:21:00.010-04:00

I have mentioned before I used to be the 'on call' guy for the local police and sheriff's departments for removing problem reptiles from folks houses. Oddly enough, that talent also got me one of the more interesting jobs of my younger days- after removing a tiny blacksnake from a local radio stations transmitter, I got to work the summer helping with setting up remotes and live broadcasts, and even worked for a couple of years as the overnight person on the FM station. Well, it seems that they never forgot me, and I got a frantic phone call late the other night begging me to come and coral a terrifying watercoppermossicanhead or the dreaded diamondbackrattlerhead.... and luckily this time, I was able to find and pick up the scary thing:

(click on image to enlarge)

The station owner was sure this harmless little fellow was a 'copperhead.' It isn't, obviously, or I'd not be holding it bare handed. Ok, boys and girls, here's your chance to show how smart you are: anyone who hasn't been through my snake identification class, let me hear your best guess on what we have here. I'll post the correct identification as soon as I get a correct guess, or in a few days if no one guesses correctly.

DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!
As noted in the comments section below, 'anonymous' correctly guessed our little patterned friend will soon be a large, solid black, 'black rat snake.' (Elaphe obsoleta)

Like the spots on a fawn, that give way to a solid color on an adult deer, the beautiful pattern on the baby snake will give way to a solid color as it grows into adulthood. (The timing varies greatly, depending mainly on how much food is available and other conditions related to growth.)

Also known as a blacksnake, rat snake, black racer (incorrectly) and a few other common names, this harmless fellow is the greatest mouse trap ever created by God. They will literally eat mice and small rats until they are so full they can't move properly, and will find a nice sunny rock to warm up on, and digest food, getting ready for a long winter. If you find one around your house, by all means, don't panic- just leave 'em alone and soon you won't have any mice problems, and they will wander off in search of a meal elsewhere.

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or guess, and hopefully this will help you learn just a little about the many critters you find out in the woods.

Below is an adult male black rat snake I pulled out of a nice ladies garage. He was not a bit happy when this picture was taken, hence the gloves. (He was missing several inches of tail where someone had tried to kill him with a hoe, which would tend to make anyone a bit testy.)

Fringe Premier next week

2009-09-11T14:37:00.002-04:00

While I am not a huge fan of the show, I have started taping it for the benefit of the lovely Mrs. Sharpshooter. It does have the elements of some seriously weird science fiction, not to mention plot twists that are nearly impossible to follow.

Figure out the code yet? I don't even understand what the code is yet.

Anyway, for those of you who follow such things, I've added a widget to help you count down to next week's season opener. A little entertainment to take minds off the depressing news we are hearing so much of in recent days.

The 2012 Obamamobile

2009-08-17T19:42:00.002-04:00

This just in from the ideas department of Government Motors....

Coming soon to a dealer near you!

Because if you don't prepare, sometimes you die

2009-08-09T15:29:00.003-04:00

This is why I keep trying to encourage people to be prepared:

(via Drudge)

Las Vegas Boy Dies After Getting Stranded in Death Valley
Updated: Aug 07, 2009 2:54 PM EDT
An 11-year-old Las Vegas boy died after his mother's car got stuck in sand for five days on their way to Death Valley for a camping trip, officials said Friday.

Carlos Sanchez and his 28-year-old mother set out for an overnight trip to the area Aug. 1, but were stranded when their car got stuck about 20 miles east of Trona. The mother's name has not been released.

The mother hiked to the top of a tall peak to try to get a cell phone signal but could not, officials said. The pair had no maps and quickly consumed the 24 16-oz. bottles of water, Pop Tarts and cheese sandwiches they had packed.

The vehicle was found several miles off a dirt road in the middle of the desert and apparently got stuck when it drove over an underground coyote den and the soil collapsed, Lotspeich said.

The severely dehydrated mother was airlifted to Sunrise Medical Center in Las Vegas. Her condition was not immediately known.

Cell phones, GPS units, and other modern tools are all nice things to have. But they can, and do, fail. A few bottles of water and some pop tarts aren't exactly my idea of enough gear to cross the notorious valley of death, to put it mildly.

As has been said many times before, the most important survival tool you have is between your ears. Use it.

My heart goes out to any mother who loses her child. More so when that mother will live out her life wondering what she could have done to have prevented that death. As for the rest of us, we need to learn from her mistakes, and try very hard to avoid making them ourselves.

Keyboard alert...

2009-08-03T23:06:00.004-04:00

There seems to be a growing wave of ridicule involving our selected representatives ... about time, we need something to laugh at:

By the way, if you don't recognize these 'jokers', you should find out who they are real soon- they are the folks determined to take everything you have, in the name of 'fairness.' And that, friends, is no joke.

Sorry for the lack of posts...

2009-07-21T22:18:00.003-04:00

Things have been very busy indeed at the old home place. Work, preps, and summer activities have kept me away from the keyboard.

The bad news is, it may be the weekend before I have a chance to post again.

The good news is, there is a wealth of things to update. Unfortunately, a lot of them are more reports of the Federal Government putting down it's heavy hand. But there are a few good things going on, as well.

Speaking of which, there is news of a vote on concealed carry reciprocity which I only learned of today- I am trying to find out more. If what I heard is true, it's time for another call to the duly elected Representatives of my area....

Latest Attempt to end run around the Constitution.

2009-07-12T18:27:00.002-04:00

They never, ever give up.

Neither can we.

Be sure and catch the part about 'extradition.' Yep, they seriously are talking about sending you to a Mexican prison for having a firearm in the USA.

Ah, Hate Crimes only appy to White people

2009-07-09T21:10:00.003-04:00

From Ohio.com comes this story:

Akron police investigate teen mob attack on family
By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer

POSTED: 07:44 p.m. EDT, Jul 07, 2009

Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.

But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.

It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium. Marshall, his family and two friends were gathered outside a friend's home in South Akron.

Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ''This is our world'' and ''This is a black world'' as they confronted Marshall and his family.

The Marshalls, who are white, say the crowd of teens who attacked them and two friends June 27 on Girard Street numbered close to 50. The teens were all black.

''This was almost like being a terrorist act,'' Marshall said. ''And we allow this to go on in our neighborhoods?''

They said it started when one teen, without any words or warning, blindsided and assaulted Marshall's friend as he stood outside with the others.

When Marshall, 39, jumped in, he found himself being attacked by the growing group of teens.

His daughter, Rachel, 15, who weighs about 90 pounds, tried to come to his rescue. The teens pushed her to the ground.

His wife, Yvonne, pushed their son, Donald, 14, into bushes to keep him protected.

''My thing is,'' Marshall said, ''I didn't want this, but I was in fear for my wife, my kids and my friends. I felt I had to stay out there to protect them, because those guys were just jumping, swinging fists and everything.

''I'm lucky. They didn't break my ribs or bruise my ribs. I thank God, they concentrated on my thick head because I do have one. They were trying to take my head off my spine, basically.''

After several minutes of punches and kicks, the attack ended and the group ran off. The Marshalls' two adult male friends were not seriously hurt.

''I don't think I thought at that moment when I tried to jump in,'' Rachel Marshall said. ''But when I was laying on the ground, I was just scared.''

Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.

The construction worker said he now fears for his family's safety, and the thousands of dollars in medical bills he faces without insurance.

''I knew I was going to get beat, but not as bad as I did,'' Marshall said. ''But I did it to protect my family. I didn't have a choice. There was no need for this. We should be all getting along. But to me, it seems to be racist.''

Akron police are investigating. Right now, the case is not being classified as a racial hate crime. There were no other reports of victims assaulted by the group that night.

The department's gang unit is involved in the investigation, police said.

''We don't know if it's a known gang, or just a group of kids,'' police Lt. Rick Edwards said.

The Marshalls say they fear retaliation at home or when they go outside. They are considering arming themselves, but they're concerned about the possible problems that come with guns.

For now, they are hoping police can bring them suspects. They believe they can identify several of the attackers.

''This makes you think about your freedom,'' Marshall said. ''In all reality, where is your freedom when you have this going on?''

Gee, I don't know where to start here. Hate crime? Suspects all black, shouting "This is our world" and "This is a black world" and the police aren't sure it's a hate crime? Hmmm, let's try it this way: a bunch of white guys show up and brutally attack a black couple watching fireworks with the kids, shouting "It's a white world"... do you think they would call that a hate crime?

I've said it before, I'll say it again: racial equality will never happen as long as we persist in trying to make laws that attempts to make things 'fair.' Racial quotas, hate crime laws, affirmative action, all cause far worse problems than they solve. Crimes must be judged on what one human being did to another human being, without color making it worse, or better. Martin Luther King wanted to be judged on the content of his character, not the color of his skin. These criminals need to be judged on the lack of character they showed, color blind. The same should hold true of whites attacking blacks. This episode shows clearly what we already knew: 'hate crimes' only happen when the victim is one of the 'protected classes.' This is the worst kind of discrimination- and it will only lead to worse things down the road.

Next up, we have the victim's injuries and reaction: "They were trying to take my head off my spine, basically." and later "Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.
The construction worker said he now fears for his family's safety, and the thousands of dollars in medical bills he faces without insurance.''I knew I was going to get beat, but not as bad as I did,'' Marshall said. ''But I did it to protect my family. I didn't have a choice. "

Sometimes, you don't have a choice, that is true. But sometimes you do. Here's the problem: The Marshalls say they fear retaliation at home or when they go outside. They are considering arming themselves, but they're concerned about the possible problems that come with guns.

After an attack like that, and they are worried about the possible problems that come with guns? I would think they would be more worried about the possibilities of further beatings. Yes, there are responsibilities and problems with owning a firearm. Lots of problems owning a car, house, or can of propane for the grill, too. But you learn to be responsible, and learn how to use all of those things properly. While I sympathize with the victims, I can't help but wonder if part of the problem is a reluctance to learn to take care of life's little problems, instead of relying on someone else- like the police in this case- to do it for them.

More cheerful predictions...

2009-07-06T22:35:00.001-04:00

Back in the Saddle, or close enough

2009-07-04T11:32:00.005-04:00

Blogging has taken a back seat to getting back into good condition of late. Sometimes, while the world is busy going crazy, you just need to get away from it all and take care of you. In my case, this almost always involves a bicycle of some sort. This was one of those times.

The place is New River Trail, in South West Virginia. The trail is an old rail road line, converted into a hiking/bike/equestrian trail, with camping, picnicking, and various other activities along the way. You can find out more about it here. Running from Pulaski, Va. to Galax Va. is a bit over 51 miles, with a spur line running to Fries (pronounced "Freeze" by the locals) adding 7 more miles. This day in June was perfect for riding, mild temps, low humidity, and clear skies. If the current political situation is getting your blood pressure up, I highly recommend finding a place such as this for a little R &R . Added bonus, a little exercise goes a long way to keeping you ready for difficult times, and having an additional skill such as being able to cover serious distance while packing enough gear to survive is always good. (I've been requested to do a blog entry on using a bike for survival purposes one day. I hope to do that soon.)

Yep, sometimes you just have to stop and smell the white pines and Rhododendron.

Some things you just can't prepare for

2009-07-04T10:24:00.004-04:00

There are a lot of things in life you can prepare for. Spare tires, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, firearms, even parachutes can come in handy when the unexpected happens.

But there just isn't a lot you can do when your train is targeted by a tornado. Wow.

Yet another background check for your humble blogger

2009-06-14T13:42:00.004-04:00

Oh, the joy of being investigated. As a part of renewing my drivers license this year, the state DMV sent me a letter this week informing me that I would be required to pass a Federal background check, complete with fingerprinting, FBI investigation, NCIC checks, the works. All this under the watchful eyes of the TSA, those friendly folks who pry through your luggage and ask you to remove your shoes each time you want to travel.

What, pray tell, did I do to incur this honor? I have a 'hazardous materials' endorsement on my CDL.

It would be simpler for me to just let it slide, give up the endorsement, or better yet just drop to a class C license and save a bunch of money. I have not driven a class A vehicle in some years, and have no plans to start back. But it is a lot easier to keep a CDL that it is to get one back. Plus, it's a pride thing. I worked hard driving 'back in the day' and if things got bad enough, I want that option to do so again. But still...

My first drivers license was a 'chauffeurs license' which cost an extra $5 then, and required that you score 85 or better on the written test, instead of the normal 70. That was all. I did this when I was 16 years old so I could earn money driving a school bus before and after school. (yes, back then 16 year olds were allowed to drive school buses. I loved it.)

Now, here's what I will be required to do: 45 days prior to renewal, fill out paper work here. Please note this is not cheap- $90 for the service, plus taking at least a half day off from work, and gas money to go to a not-very-close big city. Payment in advance, and non refundable.
If you look at the forms, please note a few things: under 'military status' you have only two choices: 'dishonorably discharged' or 'other.' To me, that is kind of insulting. I was "Honorably discharged." I should have that option, not 'other.' Then look at the 'SSN' option: you have the option of not disclosing your SSN, but gee, sorry, if you decide to exercise that option we can't process your application and you will lose your license. Sorry about that. What is it they say? if you aren't allowed to exercise your rights, then you don't have any? Oh well.

Then, hopefully, in a month or so I will get a letter stating I am not a menace to society or otherwise prohibited from handling 'hazardous materials.' With that in hand, I am allowed to report to the DMV and take the written tests- in my case, 7 written tests: motorcycle, class A endorsement, air brakes, tanker, twin trailers, passenger vehicle, and of course hazardous materials.

I would like to point out here that none of this insures that I am either a safe, nor a decent, driver. All it insures is that I can fill out the proper forms and can pass a written test. Some of the best long-haul drivers I ever knew had problems with the forms and tests required now.

My first chauffeurs license cost $15.

This trip to the DMV:
DOT physical- $90
Background screening: $90
Basic CDL test: (application fee) $30
Class A fee $15 per year, or $120 for 8 years.
Endorsement fees: $3 per endorsement, or $21.

Grand total: $351.00 This does not include losing at least 2 partial days from work, nor the medication required to lower my blood pressure after dealing with the bureaucracy.

The sad part of all of this, even with your tax dollars- gas taxes, general fund taxes, etc. -paying for the salaries and infrastructure of of all this, I'll bet they still lose money.

And some of you want to turn our health care and banking industries over to the likes of these people? God forbid!

2009-06-14T08:47:00.003-04:00

Everybody remember this glittering jewel or colossal ignorance? Oh yes, simply by virtue of his skin color, the anointed one was going to give us all free gas, pay off our houses, and of course free health care and ~~bread and circuses~~ money for nothing.

Let's see, in less than 6 months, the corrupt gangs in DC (yes, Obama is the primary problem right now, but don't ever lose sight of the big picture- both houses of Congress, plus an out of control Judiciary, are just as much to blame) have nearly completely destroyed the US economy, have bankrupted the government (not an easy thing to do since they can print more money at will, something no other institution can do!) They have destroyed General Motors, not only the largest manufacturer of automobiles, but the largest manufacturer of anything on this planet. (the scope of what GM is, or was, is truly incredible.) Chris Dodd and Barney Frank destroyed the banking industry in the interest of "affordable housing." And then had the audacity to claim they needed more money and power to fix the very thing they caused.

And now, we are headed directly into another oil crisis. This one can pretty much be blamed on the President alone. The President is responsible for meeting with world leaders, and any unbiased observer (which lets out the major networks) can only come to the conclusion that Obama is an a complete disaster. Bowing to a (his?) King, apologising to anyone and everyone for everything from slavery to new coke, he might as well wear a sign on his ass that says 'kick me and raise oil prices.'

And of course, the OPEC nations are only too happy to oblige. As a happy bonus, Obama has even thrown in Israel, too. While the liberal opportunists are rubbing their hands together in glee at the nut case who shot a security person at the Holocaust Center in DC (never let a crisis go to waste, after all) the President of the United States is signaling to any country in the middle east that it is open season on the nation of Israel. Need a nuclear program to produce electricity while sitting on the largest oil reserves on the planet? Sure, makes sense to Obama, go right ahead. Oil consumption at an all time low, not selling much? Raise prices to $100 per barrel, and the US will bend over and ask for more.

I warned you about this man. He wants nothing less than the complete and total distruction of the things that made the United States of America the greatest nation on earth. And he is accomplishing that task with incredible speed, thanks to a huge majority in both houses and a judicial branch corrupted by years of abuse.

If this is allowed to happen, we will be living in a country much like Mexico or Somalia is today. Don't say it can't happen here. It can. It will. It's happening now.

So, Peggy, how's that change working out for you?

The Correct time is...

2009-06-14T08:44:00.003-04:00

Just a note for the folks scheduling maintenance at blogger, there is no such time as '12:00 AM.' It can be 12:01 am, or 12:01 pm, but 12:00 is either midnight or midday- the dividing line between AM or PM.

I know, it's silly and nit picky. But then, so am I.

John Bolton 'gets it.'

2009-06-11T02:14:00.002-04:00

The man who was all too briefly our representation at the UN gets it, and explains it here.

It's time we all started getting vocal about the violations against the constitution going on in the current administration. Loudly, clearly, and often. Nothing less than our liberty is at stake.

Why learn safety rules when we can depend on gizmos?

2009-06-06T22:09:00.003-04:00

Gunnies, prepare to be nauseated:

NYPD Looks to Futuristic Technology ~~to mask incompetence~~

Hey, I have an idea... why don't they just find some instructors and teach these guys the four rules?

Laughter, still the best medicine

2009-06-03T21:34:00.003-04:00

Via The High Road.us

If you enjoy watching people in public do stupid things, you need to go here.

This one is what every gunny would love to do, just once.

I don't care who you are, that is funny stuff.

It's not much, but I'm posting again...

2009-06-03T21:08:00.004-04:00

First of all, an update for those of you that asked: I am doing quite a bit better this week, and I am back at work more or less full time, not counting visits to various follow-up doctors. For those of you interested in medical details, you can find details on what was going on here. For what it's worth, my EKG didn't even look as nice as that one, it looked more like an epileptic chicken was having a seizure on the graph.

I would like to take this opportunity to give some free survival advice to everyone. One of the quickest ways to end up dead, or at least very, very sick, is to not be able to communicate the correct information to the rescue personnel, and the doctors. This was not my first episode of AF, and I strongly believe the reason I came home in 8 hours rather than 7 days (in ICU, no less) is that I had learned what the problem was and could tell the medical staff exactly what they needed to know. As we say in the repair business, you can't fix it until you know what broke. The first time, having never had any sort of heart problems before, I naturally assumed I was having a heart attack. I wasn't. But when you say 'chest pains' and are old enough and on the heavy side, they take it serious and give you all kinds of drugs immediately to take care of that possibility. Unfortunately for me, that sort of treatment makes my problems worse. Hence, a painful, and expensive, hospital stay.

So, if you want to avoid all of that, here's the thing to do. During your next yearly physical (you do have one every year, right?) find out as much about your condition as possible. Get copies of the reports- especially the blood work. Keep up with your basics, like daily BP, heart rate, etc. You don't have to be a hypochondriac, just put into it as much effort as you do your other daily tasks. Keep these records handy in case you need urgent care. If possible keep a mini version on your person, either with a medic alert bracelet or something similar. Then, if the worst happens, you'll have useful information with you. Of equal importance is being able to give good, accurate information to emergency personnel. I don't know of any short cuts on this, you either know how to communicate or you don't. But a basic first aid class would be time well spent, and if you have a nurse, medical technician, or the like in the family, spend some time finding out how to tell the difference between problems with similar symptoms.

Yeah, not as interesting as 9mm vs. .45 ACP. But it's just as important- perhaps more so. The likely hood of being involved in a firefight on any given day are very small. But your chances of having a medical emergency one day are darn good. It might make the difference between going to the next gun show, or having your widow selling your collection off for what you told her you paid for it... something to think about.

Well, this isn't good.

2009-05-25T10:59:00.003-04:00

Seems I woke up last night an irregular heartbeat. Things did not improve, and I ended up spending the night at a hospital in a nearby city. I'm back home now, but very weak.

The good news would be I will have some extra time to blog this week. Depending on how well I feel, I will try to post a few things that have been on my mind.

Winston Salem Gun Show- Again. Good News.

2009-05-25T10:25:00.002-04:00

I posted on my post election visit to the Winston Salem Gun show back in January, during the buying panic when everyone was trying to corner the market on ammunition and standard capacity magazines for their AR or AK. Over the Memorial Day weekend, I once again traveled to the Camel City to see how things were going in the war on our civil rights.

Things have improved, in some areas improving greatly.

First, a few comparisons. On my prior visit, on the last Saturday in January, I'd had a difficult time finding a place to park, and been surprised at the long lines and the number of people wishing to buy anything for sale. Ammunition was selling at an incredible rate, and evil black rifles commanding a premium price. This time, although attendance was still heavy (especially for a holiday weekend) finding a parking place was easy, and only a few people waiting in line to get in. I noted last time very few people were smoking in line, this time, most of the folks hanging around outside had a smoke- most of them cheap, nasty ones. I guess we can thank the tax-everything-that-moves crowd in Raleigh for that, our friends who smoke can no longer afford a premium cigarette, so they're buying the nasty stuff.

Once again, everyone was incredibly polite. I only mention this for the wandering hoplophobe who stumbles here, those of us in the 'gun culture' know that as a group, we are the most law abiding, decent people in the United States. Those who get distorted views of our demographic from the major media outlets- especially the major TV networks, that are blatantly in the tank for the messiah- think all gun owners are mental cases waiting to go postal. If you fall into this category, please, do yourself a favor and attend the next gun show in your area, and prepare to be enlightened. If the thought of that is too frightening to you, please, seek professional help. Email me and I'll try and help you over come your irrational fear.

The best news from this show was seeing things getting somewhat back to normal. Ammo was abundant, cases of XM-193 stacked neatly in front of several tables, and no line to purchase. A friend and I split a case of one thousand priced at $400, and could have bought more at several other tables at the same price. I wasn't looking for any rifles, so I didn't watch prices that closely, but they seemed a bit more reasonable than last time. I did see a few SKS's priced way over retail, but no one was buying- the free market will take care of that soon.

I managed to spend a bit more money than usual, but I found a few things I'd been looking for and felt a bit like buying. Another Olight flashlight, this time the T-30, I really like what has been happening in the technical area of flashlight designs of late. (I grew up with rolled steel tubes, yellow filament bulbs, and carbon batteries. Might as well used flint and dried grass.) A couple of special purchases in mind for Father's Day, (no hints here, dad reads the blog daily..) and the usual impulse buys- spicy peanuts, gun safe pistol rack, pistol hangers, etc.

All in all, a great day having fun with nary a hoplophobe in sight. Best thing, however, was the continued determined attitude I saw in every face there. We all know the fight is not over, and the recent back downs from the current administration on AWBII, surplus brass disposal, and other draconian laws shows that they know they have stirred up a hornets nest- and they are leaving it alone, for now. We know they will be back. And we are going to be ready when they do.

As you prepare for Memorial Day Weekend, remember...

2009-05-21T20:49:00.005-04:00

(quote from The Patriot Post)

"Once each May, amid the quiet hills and rolling lanes and breeze-brushed trees of Arlington National Cemetery, far above the majestic Potomac and the monuments and memorials of our Nation's Capital just beyond, the graves of America's military dead are decorated with the beautiful flag that in life these brave souls followed and loved. This scene is repeated across our land and around the world, wherever our defenders rest. Let us hold it our sacred duty and our inestimable privilege on this day to decorate these graves ourselves -- with a fervent prayer and a pledge of true allegiance to the cause of liberty, peace, and country for which America's own have ever served and sacrificed. ... Our pledge and our prayer this day are those of free men and free women who know that all we hold dear must constantly be built up, fostered, revered and guarded vigilantly from those in every age who seek its destruction. We know, as have our Nation's defenders down through the years, that there can never be peace without its essential elements of liberty, justice and independence. Those true and only building blocks of peace were the lone and lasting cause and hope and prayer that lighted the way of those whom we honor and remember this Memorial Day. To keep faith with our hallowed dead, let us be sure, and very sure, today and every day of our lives, that we keep their cause, their hope, their prayer, forever our country's own." --Ronald Reagan

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T08:08:00.004-04:00

If you are lucky enough to have your mom with you today, be sure and give her all the love and respect she deserves.

I was lucky enough to have a Godly mother, who raised a wild, impulsive, hot-tempered son along with three sisters, half the neighborhood kids, along with countless dogs, cats, turtles, snakes, and even the occasional pet skunk and possum.. (now there's a story... but I digress..)

Thanks for everything, mom. God love you, and keep you, and bless you. You are the best.

Lessons from the past

2009-05-09T08:12:00.001-04:00

Let me introduce you to a bit of history here. I currently work in the electronics repair field, where technology keeps going faster, better, and more complex. But once in a while, a veteran from long ago comes in for some R & R, and you just can't help but marvel at how things used to get done. Introducing just such a device, from General Electric Corp. (back when GE was the biggest kid on the block)

I have no idea who sent this in, or where it has been working, but it's a wonder of engineering for the day. Best I can tell, late 1940's to perhaps mid 1950's manufacture- bakelite and steel frame, hand wound coils, clockworks balanced and still working.

Oh, what does it do, you ask? Not much- it's a time-delayed breaker, sort of like the one in your home's distribution panel. Except this one has multiple taps to choose the current you want to trip out at- from 0.5 amps to 2 amps- and a hand-set time delay, from 0 seconds up to 7 seconds. Just enough time for the motor or light or whatever to get over inrush current and settle down before we go and set off the overcurrent alarm and shut things down.

Yeah, I got it fixed- problem was a broken bakelight terminal strip where someone had overtightened a screw. I made sure to do it right, too. This one deserved good treatment, after so much time on the job. I hope one day- a long time from now- when the old girl is finally retired, they have the decency to give her to the a museum or at least send her home with someone who cares. They don't make 'em like that any more.

National Day Of Prayer

2009-05-07T20:30:00.003-04:00

Today is the National Day of Prayer.

I tell you this so you'll know, since the Anointed One has seen fit to ignore any mention of prayer not directed to him.

If ever our country needed the power of prayer, it is today. I urge each and every person reading this to take a few minutes today, find a quiet spot, and ask God's forgiveness for our sins, as individuals, and families, and as a country.

Ask God to give us guidance in these difficult days, and to help us to turn back to him.

Only then can God bless us as a country, and restore us to the nation we once were.

Speaking of taxes.. again...

2009-05-07T20:01:00.002-04:00

Rumor is that the good folks in Raleigh are burning the midnight oil tonight to try and get the NC gasoline tax- already the highest in the southeast, and 3rd highest in the continental US- raised again. Not only that, they want to change the maximum tax allowed to become the minimum tax. Next time you fill up, try and look for the sticker on the pump that tells you how much you pay per gallon to the Feds and the state for gas, and figure out how much gas would be without that tax. Oh, and let us not forget: that is the tax levied on the final product. That doesn't include the hundreds- if not thousands- of hidden taxes along the line. You know, taxes on the equipment that drilled it, on the wages for the workers, the pipleline fees, corporate taxes (US corporate tax rate is the second highest in the world.) Highway taxes on the tankers that delivered it, on the drivers salary that pumped it, and even the poor underpaid clerk behind the counter. Yep, you get to pay all of those. And it's still not enough for those greedy pigs who do nothing but pass laws to look good and steal us blind. Have you noticed the roads are a bit rougher lately? That bridge that's been looking a bit old getting worse? Don't look for it to get fixed anytime soon. Not to worry, though: I'm sure Gov. Beverly won't notice in the taxpayer paid helicopter, or the limo. They ride pretty nice.

Me, I'm still buying my gas across the line in Virginia, just like most folks in Charlotte wander down into SC once a week to fill up cheap, and buy some fireworks. You see, when you overtax things, people buy less of it, or buy it somewhere where it isn't taxed so much. Apparently, some of the great wise leaders in Raliegh missed economics 101. Perhaps next election cycle we can help them find some spare time to take a make up class.

Nature... the government approved way

2009-05-07T19:47:00.004-04:00

Ah, the government and education. Is there anything they can't do?

This field used to be an overgrown bit of woods with a creek running through the back, which emptied into a small river. Great place for finding just about any critter you'd care to look for, from frogs, turtles, snakes, birds, squirrels, and more. Usual assortment of trees, plants, and insects, from just plain bugs to magnificent praying mantis.

Just the perfect place to bring in a bunch of heavy equipment and have a big old taxpayer funded project. Why, instead of all that natural stuff, we can level it off and kill nearly everything in sight, so we can teach everyone about what a danger to the environment ~~evil white conservative men~~ mankind is.

How much will all this cost? Don't ask.

Will this teach the kids about nature? Somehow, I'm thinking the lessons the government teaches these days are a bit... slanted. You want to learn about nature, go camping. Or better yet, hunting. For something that could kill and eat you.

Not to worry, the taxpayers will pay for everything.

Who Carries a concealed weapon?

2009-04-28T21:13:00.003-04:00

Recently, the good folks at Grass Roots NC have been trying to change a very bad codicil in North Carolina's Concealed Carry Law. In NC, you can't use your CCW to carry in any place that allows alcohol to be both sold and consumed. In other words, you aren't supposed to be packing when you go to eat at darn near any chain restaurant that serves sit-down meals. To us gunnies, the stupidity of this is obvious. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of the non-shooting public is horrified at the idea that people might be eating next to them at Ruby Tuesdays or Lone Star while armed. I've been trying to enlighten a few such folks of late, and I've found that it almost always comes down to the same problem: they don't understand the way things really work. Specifically, they think this would make it legal for the wife-beating drunk with 6 DWI's and a bad attitude to bust in with a pair of Colt Peacemakers, and the cops would have to say "Sorry, it's legal now- darn that CCW law!"

Here's the challenge: we have to enlighten more people. Some, of course, are beyond reason. No use preaching to the choir, either- bitch sessions at the local gun shop with those who already agree with us may feel good, but it's hiding in the foxhole as far as doing something about the problem. What we need to do, every chance we get, is point out the facts about CCW.

The drunk you are afraid of can't get a CCW. Neither can the wife beater, if the victim has ever filed a domestic order against him (or her.)
CCW holders are not wild eyed, paranoid gun nuts waiting for a chance to shoot somebody. It helps here to have a list of people you know (without naming names) who carry. My list includes several Doctors, medical professionals, former police officers, business owners, and retired or handicapped people. Not exactly Rambo, eh?
The average CCW holder shoots more often, and shoots more accurately, than the average police officer. They are also far less likely to shoot an innocent person than a law enforcement officer in a sudden encounter.
Perhaps most importantly, remember to tell them that only law abiding people obey laws. The drunk or domestic violence person we spoke about earlier won't be a bit bothered by a 'No Guns" sign or a law (that he's probably unaware of anyway.) Nope, they'll come right in, knife, ball bat, broken beer bottle or tire iron in hand even if they have no gun. And if Mr. or Mrs. CCW has been forced to leave the weapon in the car, guess what? You are all pretty much out of luck.

I know most people reading this already know all of that, and more. But try and remind yourself this week to educate someone who may be sitting on the fence. We've got a lot of things going against us right now, especially in Washington DC, so we can use every friend we can get. If every gunny could get just two other people to join us, we could win every fight on the horizon right now. Let's get busy.

Learning from other's mistakes, or, My First Appleseed Shoot does not go as Planned.

2009-04-26T15:11:00.006-04:00

My father was (and still is) fond of saying “my son, learn from other’s mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.” That’s good advice, although I must add that if I could just learn something from all of the mistakes I’ve made in this lifetime I’d be the smartest person in the room. Unfortunately, I didn’t, and I’m not. Most recently I got to learn the hard way a few of those lessons involving being prepared in the use of a firearm. Those of you who enjoy learning from other’s mistakes, here is a golden opportunity. Those of you who just enjoy watching others screw up, enjoy.

As I posted earlier today, I recently was fortunate enough to find not only ‘a job’ but a serious career opportunity. Better still, in a world of accountant and liability lawyer driven employee handbooks and no-gun rules, I landed a job with an employer who makes me look like a novice shooter. On the job well less than a month, he takes the employees out to a local steak house for a brainstorming meeting, and announces that anybody who wants to go to the Patriot’s Day Appleseed Shoot on the weekend of April 19th-20th can meet at the shop that morning and ride together, and he’d pay the entry fee for anyone attending.

That last statement deserves its own paragraph. I just told you my employer believes enough in the second amendment, the benefits of firearm ownership and marksmanship training, to put forth a considerable amount of cash to pay for each and all of his employees to go get rifle training over the weekend. Perhaps there is hope for the future.

Needless to say, I took him up on the offer. Since I live a bit distant from the range mentioned, I opted to go for a nearby hotel and went down the night before, and met up with everyone else at the range Saturday morning. Although I have been around firearms since I was a kid, and a member of the ‘gun culture’ since the term got coined, I’ve had very little formal training at all. Save for some police rookie school training, a CCW course, and the occasional tip from my favorite gun store proprietor, I can’t think of any formal training. So, I was a bit nervous, wondering how badly I’d shoot in front of some other shooters, many of which were obviously better prepared and experienced. Around 50 participants (or “Cooks” as Fred likes to call them) had parted with hard-earned money with the intention of becoming “riflemen.” I was hoping one of the people earning that title would be me.

Sadly, I had a few things working against me. First, despite having my fair share of long guns available, I did not have a single one that met the complete list of needs stated for the course. Second, having had little time to prepare for the event on such short notice, I’d not even had time to read the booklet to prepare myself. Last, and worst of all, I’d only had a few days to gather gear together from the list on the Appleseed website, and had hastily dumped the entire mess in the trunk of the car after work just prior to leaving home for the trip. I knew that inevitably there would be something forgotten, or something would go wrong. But I figured I’d improvise, adapt, and overcome. Of the list of recommended gear, the only major bit of kit I’d neglected to bring was the elbow pads, but I had purchased a nice shooting mat from ~~higher than crap~~ cheaper than dirt, and also had my trusty GI issue sleeping bag foam pad to put under it. I figured I could live without the elbow pads. Firearms were a bigger problem: the recommendation from people who had been before was either a M1 Garand or other similar battle rife with adjustable sights, or a .22 LR semi-auto with plenty of spare magazines. I own neither. I have an AR-10 flat top with a nice scope on it, but no iron sights for it at all. I have boo coos of .22 rifles, but all are tube fed, from the but stock- I didn’t want to show up with one of those. I own one bolt-action .22 LR, but only owned 2 5-round magazines and one 10 rounder for her, which I wasn’t sure would be enough for the number of rounds to be fired during the course. Still, it is the best shooting rifle I own with iron sights, so even being a bolt action it went into the car as a backup. I also had an AR-15 I’d recently purchased just before the election panic, although I’d only put a few magazines through the rifle I felt it to be reliable and accurate- plus I have plenty of magazines for AR’s. So it became my primary choice. Lastly, I had borrowed a genuine M1 Garand from a good friend, complete with a period web belt with full complement of clips loaded for same. This would be the obvious rifle to use, except for one thing: the ONLY ammunition available for the Garand was on that web belt. I don’t have any 30-06 rifles, therefore I had zero ammunition for same. A quick check of my local gun shop showed buying ammo would not be possible- even if I could have afforded it (I couldn’t) the only loads available on such short notice would have been lighter, hunting style ammo, which he wasn’t even sure would cycle the action. No time to order online, even if the panic buying hadn’t dried up the supply. (it’s getting scary going to every ammo supplier you know of and getting the same story: out of stock, no backorder)
So, to recap: I have a M1 with limited ammo, a AR-15 with plenty of ammo and magazines but a standard GI sling (not recommended) and a bolt-action .22 with only 3 magazines with total capacity of 20 rounds. I have a nice new shooting mat plus a GI sleeping bag pad, but no elbow pads. I have a positive attitude and am really looking forward to improving my marksmanship skills.
I was about to have quite possibly the most fun time shooting I’d had since my first .22 on the farm, but not without first learning some valuable lessons on ‘being ready.’

The Appleseed format should be familiar to most shooters, if not check it out here or read Fred’s column in any issue of Shotgun News. I was lucky enough to be shooting at the original ‘Appleseed’ range in Ramseur, NC. Very nice range, the long range has berms at 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards, with pop up targets no less. For the first day, however, we’d be shooting at the short range, sighting in at 25 meters on the 100-200 yard range. First the inevitable signing in process, figuring out which spot to shoot from, and gearing up from the trunk of the car, minus rifle- safety meeting made it clear no one was to bring a rifle to the line until authorized to do so. It’s always good to see safety taken seriously. I’d spoken to the range boss, and he told me to bring the rifle I was most familiar with and could shoot the best. That would be the AR-15, so I brought some gear for it to the line. First up was a well delivered and interesting history lesson on the significance of Patriot’s Day, and the shot heard round the world. WHERE WERE THESE LESSONS WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL? I’d pay real money to get this bunch into the local school systems to combat the idiocy being taught to the poor brainwashed sheep hearded through the system now. Next up, just to get everyone ready to go, would be a 13 round (representing the 13 colonies) live fire at easy targets- ‘redcoats’ on a white background. I loaded thirteen rounds into a 20 round magazine, waited for the command, and heard “FIRE.”

CLICK.

There is nothing as loud as a “CLICK” when you were expecting a “BANG.” I could feel my blood pressure spike about 30 points. Cleared the round, rechambered, target picture, squeeze trigger… CLICK. Again. Click. This is not good. The other shooters are about half way through the 13 rounds. Clear, tap, reseat magazine, hit forward assist to make sure bolt is in battery, yank on the trigger because I’m frustrated by now… CLICK. OK, my rifle is not working, and I’m not going to get off 13 rounds, so let’s figure out what’s wrong before we get to serious shooting. Check fired rounds. Light or zero primer strikes. OK, firing pin is not hitting primer. Simple enough. I pull the bolt out as the rest of the group stops firing, and take it back with me to the picnic table behind the yellow line. I was not aware that this was not permitted, and a safety instructor corrected me, but shortly after I got permission to try to correct the problem. Obvious first thing to check was the firing pin, it was protruding properly with bolt in position and pressure applied to the rear. Pulled it out, it had some light oil residue on it, but certainly not enough to keep it from movement. Wiped it down, sprayed the bolt with CLP, reassembled, just in time to get down for the first string of sight in targets. Prone position, sight picture, squeeze… CLICK. We shan’t dwell upon thoughts or words that went through my mind this time, let us just say I was not well pleased. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had a firearm not go ‘bang’ when I’ve pulled the trigger, so having one fail on me at a critical time is worse than frustrating. Fortunately, I have other options. I was about to switch over to the bolt-action .22 LR, and in fact had swapped the AR for it and had laid it on the firing line when my employer stepped up and offered me the use of a beautiful match-grade M1 Garand for the day- with ammunition. Those of you with lesser employment options, I feel your pain. This is my definition of a ‘good employer.’ I accepted his offer before he could change his mind, got set up just in time to hear the command of ‘load for 10 rounds.’ I had never before seen a Garand clip for 2 rounds, but it was pretty obvious how it worked, so I loaded it and one for 8 rounds, and was good to go. This time, I got a satisfying BANG and felt the welcome recoil of the bigger rifle when I pulled the trigger, and to my utter surprise found when we checked targets that I had put all rounds in the prescribed 1” squares on the target. Not bad at all for a new rifle with no warm up time, and surplus ammo. Things were getting better. Better yet, I was learning things I’d heard about but never tried. High on that list was the proper use of a military sling, which to be honest I had doubted the use of. Not any more. The safety boss and coach on my end of the firing line was a motherly woman named Jennifer, who while not correcting me for forgetting to put in a chamber flag or having the rifle on safe spent her time reminding me to keep my elbow vertical under the stock and properly using the sling to increase accuracy. If you have not learned this skill yet, by all means try a Appleseed shoot. This alone is worth the money spent. This continued until the first break, where I got to meet some of my fellow shooters, and I was not at all surprised to find them to be unfailingly polite, nice, salt of the earth people. I am not sure where all these potential terrorists the homeland insecurity types are looking for are at, but they certainly aren’t to be found where they insist on looking. Back to shooting, and I’m learning the hard way the other big mistake I’ve made for the day: I really, really, should have found a pair of elbow pads. Even with the double padding from the shooting mat and foam pad, I’ve skinned my elbows pretty good, and the day isn’t half over. I don’t notice much, as I’m having so much fun. Either from fatigue or age however my groups are getting larger, but not embarrassingly so. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent this much time firing prone, and I’ve never been one to shoot from the sitting position, but for a middle aged fat guy I’m not doing badly. And as much as everyone wants to fire perfect groups in front of the other shooters, this isn’t the idea: you are supposed to learn from mistakes, not be perfect. In this respect I learned a lot. I have a tendency to allow my support arm elbow to move ‘out’ which gives diagonal groups (from high left to low right) and coupled with improper breathing control (you should not hold your breath, as I have often made mistake of doing, but time the trigger squeeze to have the tigger break as you have fully exhaled and before inhaling.) Coupled together, I got a couple of groups that looked like a line from a tic-tac-toe game. This is good, now that I know what I was doing wrong, I know how to correct it. As we say in the repair business, you can’t fix it until you know what’s broke.

For those of you that are sitting back laughing heartily at the AR-15 failures, and wondering when I’ll get a ‘real’ rifle like a Garand, I have one more lesson to pass along. Ye old wonderful M1 started having problems near the end of the day. The mil-surp ammo had been around a long time, and was producing some heavy smoke with each shot. Also, some of the rounds near the bottom of the can had some green corrosion. For what ever reason, during the last strings of fire it began to have problems. I got a good crash course on clearing malfunctions, but near the end I was having more fail to fires and misfeeds than rounds fired. So I guess at least for now I’m a cook in Fred’s eyes, but not to worry- I will be back, and I will be back with better preparations and with knowledge of what to expect and how to be ready. (yes, that will include the addition of an M1 to the arsenal) And that, friends, is exactly why I went down there: to learn from mistakes, both my own and others. I learned the lessons well, and I am a better shooter for it.

Thanks Fred, you are a true patriot in the truest sense of the word. Keep up the good work. As is my new employer, a pity we don’t have more folks like him in the business world.

Rescuing a harmless reptile, Or, How to get a couch for free

2009-04-26T10:07:00.003-04:00

Before I get back into the hot and heavy topics of the day, with your kind indulgence I’d like to warm up to writing posts again with another story from the past, on a topic that is near and dear to me. Also, this is a good subject for this time of year, as the warm weather brings humans into contact with wildlife of all sorts-sometimes with amusing results.

I have, like most normal people, a great respect and love of the outdoors and wildlife. Unlike most ‘normal’ people, that respect and love extends to creatures not everyone cares about- such as possums, turtles, and snakes. It never ceases to amaze me at the reaction you can get from otherwise normal people by simply uttering the scary word ‘snake.’ A few of these people can be educated and overcome this irrational fear, but a lot of them are so emotionally terrified they can’t be reasoned with logically. (think Obama supporters) I suppose I might have ended up a ‘snake hater’ like these sad people, except for the wisdom of my late grandfather, C.M., whom we called grandpa. Proud owner of a family farm, and distinguished member of the Virginia Aberdeen Black Angus Society, my dad’s dad didn’t learn about wildlife by watching PBS or walking down a well-tended ‘nature trail.’ Nope, we learned about these things by getting dirty, sweaty, and trying to keep a bunch of stupid bovines from doing stupid bovine things. When grandpa learned that I had, on instructions from my grandmother, killed a magnificent adult blacksnake in the back yard, he gave me a serious talk on how things worked, including a visit to the feed barrel in the barn, and lessons on just how much poop the average family of mice could produce in said feed barrel, how much disease they could spread, and how rapidly they could multiply. (Get a calculator sometime and figure it out- 2 mice, 4 or 6 offspring per month and each of those offspring going forth and doing likewise- it is incredible.) This done, I was forbidden to kill any more blacksnakes, God’s perfect and insatiable mouse trap. Also, due to a bad case of asthma growing up, it was impractical for me to keep a cat or dog inside the house- so when ever grandpa ran across a turtle while cutting or baling hay, I’d get to keep it for a few days before turning it loose again where we’d found it.

Ok, enough background. Free couch? Here’s how you get a free couch….

As a result of working with some local groups, I was on the police and Sheriff’s Department call list for animal complaints involving reptiles. Every spring I’d get a bunch of calls as snake-fearing home owners ran across a little guy just waking up from hibernation. I enjoyed doing this sort of thing, for the most part, and tried to educate those who called on the realities of dealing with harmless reptiles. On this particular night, however, I’d get an added bonus. The Sheriff’s department dispatcher called my house (this was well before cell phones) and gave me the address of an elderly lady well out in the county who had seen a HUGE snake crawl into her sofa. (They were invariably HUGE snakes, even the 14” hatchlings were several feet long when described on the phone.) I got there as fast I could, as the dispatcher had told me the lady was quite upset. I arrived at a small but neat home with the back door standing open. I knocked anyway, and a high voice laced with fear bid me to come in. I stuck my head in the door cautiously, and to my utter amazement observed a little old lady perched on top of her kitchen counter, balled up in a defensive position with a large straw broom in her hand.

“Uh, you must be the person who called about the snake…” I ventured….
“I SAW IT GO INTO THAT SOFA. IT’S IN THE SOFA” this reply delivered at slightly less volume than a 747 at takeoff.
“Yes ma’m, I’ll be happy to check that out for you. Would it be alright for me to turn the couch over and look inside it?”
“YOU AIN’T LEAVING TIL YOU FIND THAT SNAKE.”
It was going to be an interesting night, I could tell that already. Often the problem on snake calls would be that the problem reptile would be long gone prior to my arrival, and no amount of conversation or education on my part would make the party who called feel any better about the situation. It looked like this would be one of those times. The lady was obviously very upset, well past the point of reasonable conversation, but I tried anyway as I pulled the bottom liner from the couch and matching chair, looking in vain for the source of her frustrations. After a reasonable amount of searching, I told her flat out that I believed the snake must have gotten out of the sofa before I’d arrived, and probably had gotten outside by now, thus no threat to her.
“I’VE NOT TAKEN MY EYES OFF’N THAT COUCH SINCE I SAW THAT SNAKE GO IN IT, AND IT HAIN’T COME OUT. AND YOU AIN’T LEAVING TILL YOU FIND THAT SNAKE.”
“Ma’am’, I’ve looked closely inside both the couch and the chair, and I can’t find anything. I’m sorry. I’ll be happy to come back if you see it again later.”
“YOU AIN’T LEAVING TILL YOU FIND THAT SNAKE.”
“I can’t find any snake in your couch.”
“THEN YOU TAKE THE COUCH WITH YOU.”
This was a nice couch- couldn’t have been more than a year or two old. But she was adamant. No amount of reasoning would change her mind. And, of course, she would not get off of the counter. That had to be getting cramped up there like that at her age. It wasn’t easy, moving and loading a couch and chair alone in the dark while trying hard to reason with a little old lady too terrified to be in the house with serpent-possessed furniture. But I did it. I left my name and phone number on the end of the counter, and asked her to call me when she wanted the furniture returned. She never did. I used that set for several years, and never once did anything more frightening than spare change come out of the bottom. I wonder sometimes how the little old lady explained things to the kids when they came over for Sunday dinner, and I have to smile. For what it’s worth, friends, remember this- anything you are that afraid of needs to be addressed. Go to the zoo, the nature science center, or google up a herpetological group in your area. Fear is overcome by training, and knowledge. Once overcome, it is no longer your master, but your servant. This is a good thing.

Yes, I still offer the service when needed. I’m also willing to help anyone willing to listen to overcome fear of reptiles or other creatures. Feel free to contact me if you need help.

Coming up later today: My first Appleseed shoot doesn’t go as planned- still learned a lot and had a ton of fun. (by 3 pm.)

The Return of the Blog...

2009-04-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

My apologies for the lack of posts in the past month. The good news is, I am once again gainfully employed- something 14% of the folks in my area can’t say right now. Better yet, I am working for an excellent small business that is more than firearms friendly- they are rabidly supportive of freedom and the second amendment. The bad news is, of course, that with any new job comes an adjustment period-hence the lack of posts. But hopefully I’m getting to the point now where I can spare a few minutes per day to post some things here, hopefully to amuse and entertain my legions of readers- both of you.

In addition to the new employment, springtime has brought quite a few personal things to blog about- in such diverse fields as auto racing, electronics, survival, and even my first formal firearms training course. I hope to get to all of those in due course. Of course we’ll also have to visit the unpleasant reality of the overreaching massive federal government expansion, and the porkulus package.

As always, I welcome your suggestions and comments. One thing is for certain- we won’t be lacking for things to talk about in the coming days, I just hope the story has a happy ending.

Thanks for reading.

Posters by Oleg

2009-04-14T21:28:00.003-04:00

If you are not already familar with the wonderful photography and pro-self defense works of Oleg Volk, by all means aquaint yourself with him at his website here.

Why I carrry a gun...

2009-04-14T21:24:00.004-04:00

Originally posted here.

My old grandpa said to me “son, there comes a time in every man’s lifewhen he stops bustin’ knuckles and starts bustin’ caps and usually it’swhen he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin’.”

I don’t carry a gun to kill people.I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don’t carry a gun to scare people.I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid.I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil.I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in theworld.

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government.I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry.I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hatingmyself for failing to be prepared.

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone.I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, andnot on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m a cowboy.I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be acowboy.

I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man.I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and theones they love.

I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate.I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it.I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningfulto me.Police Protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves.Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate thecrime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.Personally, I carry a gun because I’m too young to die and too old totake an ass whoopin’.…author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

That pretty much sums it up for a lot of us...

If Deaths by Firearms were reported like Traffic Deaths

2009-04-10T07:28:00.003-04:00

The local Newspaper reports today that traffic deaths are down somewhat, and the obligatory 'expert' attributes this decline to high gasoline prices and people driving less. I'd like to point out that the article speaks only in the most general terms, giving little specific information on numbers, or even percentages. No specific traffic 'accident' is ever mentioned, nor are specific 'victims.'

For the hoplophobic folks out there, I'd like for you to take a minute and compare such coverage to your average 'gun death' story. For starters, you will observe that you pretty much hear about every single person who is affected by a criminal with a gun in the story. You will also hear about shootings, or attempted shootings, or people who may have been thinking about shooting, all over the entire country, and lately in Mexico as well. Relatives will be tearfully interviewed, questions will be asked about 'how could this have happened' and 'why doesn't somebody (the government, of course) do something?'

Now, check out the nearest story about a traffic death. Quite a difference, wouldn't you say? As a former (and still part time) professional driver, let me say first I hate seeing the word 'accident' used as frequently as it appears in traffic death stories. An accident, by definition, is something that could not be prevented. Outside of a bit of the space station crashing onto the interstate or an earthquake, most traffic situations are quite avoidable if you drive with care. The tens of thousands of bodies mangled and killed on the highways each year are almost always the result of someone driving like an idiot. Often, said idiot has a long and storied history of violations and accidents, more than a few are driving with a revoked- or never held- license.

Let's try this sometime: the next time we have an 'assault vehicle death' let's ask the Newspaper why they didn't interview every relative who just lost a loved one, or why that particular car isn't banned for being a threat to public safety. Ask why such a car owner was allowed to go to any dealership without a government background check and allowed to purchase any high capacity SUV without any waiting period, training, or being fingerprinted. Yeah, I'm serious. Be sure and point out that if you added up every single person killed by an 'assault weapon' by a civilian in the history of the United States, you'd still not equal even a single year's motor vehicle deaths.

One of the biggest enemies to freedom in the current political climate is the socialist media. A close second is the public indoctrination school system. The two are closely related. Fortunately, both of these groups are populated mostly by cowards. They will back down if confronted by a large dose of public opinion. That's where the common folk have failed. You need to speak up, loudly, confidently, and often. Write a letter to the local paper, television news, or radio station. Very few people bother to do this, and that makes even a single letter stand out. Be polite, confident, have your facts carefully checked. Do this, and I promise you will walk a little taller, and feel a little prouder when you do.

Things will get better... eventually

2009-04-07T20:31:00.002-04:00

If you have been watching the national or mainstream news much the past few months, you are probably about ready to call the United States of America deceased. You would have valid reason for doing so, what with the banks failing, GM either taken over by the Feds or bankrupt (who do you root for in that fight, anyway?) and of course the eviiil corporations on Wall Street and elsewhere that the elites would have you believe are the source of all our woes.

I'm here to tell you it ain't necessarily so.

Yeah, times are rough right now. But we've been through tough times before. I've spoken to some elderly folks about the great depression a great deal lately, and they have told me what we are doing now doesn't hold a candle to what happened then. Those folks survived, and brought us the greatest, wealthiest nation in the history of the world. Any historian will tell you that the War between the States in the 1860's pretty much determined what kind of nation we live in now. We lost a half million lives in that conflict, decimated the infrastructure and way of life of over half the country, and shredded a good portion of the Constitution. Yet we rebounded, overcame the difficult reconstruction period, and became a superpower in a little over one lifetime.

The trick in times like these is to not listen to those who preach gloom and doom. Instead, look for opportunity. Wouldn't you have liked to been around in 1930 and bought some stock in Boeing Aircraft? Or the dismal days of Jimmy Carter in the late 70's and foreseen an upstart company building software under the funny name of Microsoft? Yeah, hindsight is 20/20. But I promise you the American spirit isn't dead yet, and somebody out there is working on the next 'big thing.' The trick will be spotting it first, or coming up with it yourself, and being ready to jump on it. That's all there is to it- be at the right place at the right time. A lot of people are going to suffer mightily for the current problems. If you are not one of the people who bought a house you can't afford, or have way too much debt, however, there will be opportunities as well. As a baseball coach told his team once: "put the ball where they ain't." It's as simple as that.

On the Lighter side

2009-03-28T09:56:00.004-04:00

Just way too much bad news in the country today, I just have to lighten the mood a bit. Hope this one helps:

For those of you that do not follow racing, F1 is the fastest of the fast, the most advanced cars on the planet. Driving a passenger car, you can tell Riccardo Patrese is not even pushing the car much- engine isn't even reving much. Not that extreme G-forces, either- even his wife is not moving around much. (Probably wanted to make sure he stayed married!) Imagine what it would be like if he'd really pushed the car to the limit- F1 drivers routinely pull over 5 g's in turns, and acelerate from 30 mph turns to 220 mph straights in seconds.

Oh, forget all that. The one "MAMA MIA" with added hand gestures pretty much says it all.

Another Memory Lost to Time

2009-03-26T20:49:00.003-04:00

The worst part of getting older, is watching the people who made the songs of our youth go the way of all Flesh...

Dan Seals was 61, and died from complications of cancer (lymphoma)

Slow Blogging Alert

2009-03-24T20:53:00.002-04:00

I know, I know- I haven't been at this long enough to slow down already. Unfortunately earning a living in these perilous times must come first, and I've been lucky enough to find employment that pays well above the average for my area, not an easy task when the unemployment rate for my county currently is the 3rd worst in the state. So please accept my apologies for not posting the next few days, and I will try to do a good one this weekend.

If you have not done so already, please feel free to read some of the prior posts archived on the left.

Thanks again for taking the time to visit my humble home here in blogland, I do appreciate your company.

Grandpa Clyde, or, how to put an apple tree into orbit.

2009-03-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

I have been sitting around for some days now, attempting to think of a good story to tell that wouldn’t involve an activity that in these enlightened times would be considered ‘politically incorrect.’ I came up with a few, but quite frankly they all seemed boring. So after much deliberation and thought I’ve decided to just go ahead and tell you the truth about some things that happened. All of this was perfectly legal at the time, and no one got hurt. It was a lot of fun, too. Overly protective nanny types, take note: I still have all my fingers and toes, and grew up to be a productive member of society.

Grandpa Clyde was the kind of grandpa every kid should have. He delighted in making all of us laugh, and his favorite thing to do when we were munchkins was to screw up his face into wild contortions, stick his false teeth out of his lower jaw, and open his eyes wide- invariably greeted with howls of laughter by us, and stern rebukes from grandma. He’d ignore those, of course, and proceed to do something else fun to keep us entertained. Somewhere in this time he got the nickname ‘Clyde Crash cup’, after a popular black and white carton of the time. It fit. Clyde Crash cup was the best kind of grandpa ever.

As the years passed, I was helping out more at the machine shop, and on my other grandpa’s farm. One of my favorite things to do was stump blasting, the easiest way to remove a field full of stumps from newly logged fields. For those of you who think the only way to pull stumps is to bring in an expensive, heavy backhoe and spend hours per tree digging, let me enlighten you- before political correctness and the nanny state got carried away, the way to pull a stump was explosives. Much cheaper- about $2 per stump back then- much faster, and as side benefits you loosened up a lot of dirt, and the explosives used (still used today, if you are properly licensed) are great fertilizer for the soil, so it was a win-win situation. The fireworks aspect of it were just icing on the cake for a teen age boy working for the family farm. Everybody back then loved things that went ‘boom.’

Grandpa Clyde had a small house in a somewhat rural area away from town, typical of the time. Situated at the bottom of a hill, it was about 75 feet below the area church, which sat beside the parsonage and another house, which my mother had been raised in along with my great-grandmother and grandparents. At Clyde’s house, the main features were a very small wooden garage (just big enough for a model T, and used for a workshop then) and a couple of wooden chicken houses, for grandpa enjoyed trading chickens and raising them. The chicken house was about 35 feet from a large, dying apple tree, and the house itself was slightly farther than that from the same tree. Remember those relations, please- they will be important.

The apple tree wasn’t good for much of anything. The apples were sour, and likely to send you to the bathroom for an extended stay if you ate one. There were few enough of them, as the tree was all but completely dead. The branches were so low as to make getting under it a problem. It needed to go away, and grandpa one Saturday pulled out his trusty chainsaw and sawed off all of the big limbs and branches, leaving about a 10 foot section of trunk sticking at an ugly angle from the ground. He then tried to pull the tree/stump out of the ground with a logging chain and his old Dodge pickup, with predictable results: a couple of slick spin marks in the grass, and an unmoved apple tree trunk. He called my dad, and asked a question he would forever remember as an understatement: did we know of a good way to get that tree out of the ground? Uh, well, yes, in fact we did. Oh, yes, we certainly did. And we’d be over shortly to help him out.

On arrival my dad went directly to the smoke house, which in years passed had been used to smoke pork meat after slaughter, but now was used as storage for yard tools and fertilizer. As you might expect there were several bags of various types of same, and to my dad’s delight there was a 50 lb. bag of one of his favorites. He handed me a shovel and a pick, and followed me into the yard with the fertilizer bag over his shoulder. Grandpa came out of the house, and followed us down. He looked puzzled when he saw the fertilizer, and told dad he didn’t want to make the old tree grow, he wanted it out of the ground so he could get rid of it. I got the impression he’d expected dad to come over with a bigger truck and a stronger chain to pull the big stump out of the ground. Dad’s response was to pull a 1/3 stick of kinny pack (a type of explosive) out of his jacket pocket, and smile. This concerned Clyde, of course, being so close to the house and even closer to the chicken coops, although at the time I don’t think there were any chickens in it- it must have been one of the days he’d sold out everything and not bought any new ones. Clyde’s biggest concern was the chicken coops- he absolutely did not want to get any dirt on the chicken house. Was that possible? Sure, dad told him. I won’t get any dirt on the chicken house. Not a bit. You watch. Son, he ordered, get the pick and start digging right there- he marked a spot with his boot, and I went to work. I soon had a perfect round hole all the way to the tap root, which is what you have to break to get an apple tree out of the ground. I stopped digging, thinking I was done. Nope- dad ordered me to keep digging, a little more room and a little deeper, please. This puzzled me, as I’d done enough of this to know what I had was plenty big for a small charge to get things done. Then I noticed dad had on a poker face, yet I could detect a slight smile behind it. Something was up, and from his look, it was going to be fun. I kept quiet and paid attention. Soon I was handed a Merida Bread wrapper, and stuffed it with a couple of handfuls of fertilizer, thinking that was plenty, and pushed it deep into the hole I’d dug. Dad told me to put in another handful, and another, until I was looking at him with wide eyes and a questioning stare- are you sure about this? Finally he was satisfied, and I back filled the hole with dirt and packed it carefully and tight. Dad had always been famous for smoking cigars, big ones, and as grandpa was walking back to the carport he looked a me, and with a swagger that would have made Babe Ruth proud, pointed to a spot in the exact middle of the field next to the house- it’ll land right THERE, he announced, and smiled mightily. Yes, I asked, but how high will it go? I couldn’t help but ask, and my answer to that was hearty laugh and ‘that’s a good question, I guess we’ll find out soon, won’t we?’

I guess this is as good a time as any to point out the obvious: Kids, don’t try this at home, and never, ever try to make things that go boom without proper education and advice. My family had been doing this a long time, and dad had a gift for estimating things of this nature. This is not the sort of thing you learn by trail and error, ok? Nuff said.

The wires were run back to the carport, where the single, lone light fixture hung from the ceiling. Making sure the power was off, we hooked the end into the plug, and with a devilish grin dad simply told Clyde when he wanted to get rid of the tree, just pull the chain on the light fixture. Without a thought, Clyde yanked the chain. It was, in a word, magnificent. The entire house shook, the ground seemed to raise under our feet, and the shock wave took the very breath out of your lungs and rattled off the surrounding hills… stepping out from the carport and looking up, I watched the tree doing a perfect spiral, turning like a properly thrown football, arcing ever upward, higher than the surrounding hills, and peaking just over the altitude of the church and parsonage nearest us. I heard through the grapevine later that the pastor had been out doing yardwork around this time, and turning to see what the noise was, was very surprised indeed to see a large apple tree trunk hanging in mid air, with no visible means of support, then gently, slowly, dropping from view and out of sight. Back at the foot of the hill, the noise and shock wave had just died out, and suddenly with a mighty THUMP the tree landed- exactly where predicted, in the center of the field. Then, it began to rain. Softly at first, then a downpour of dirt. Mainly loose dirt, but a few fist sized dirt clods thrown in for good measure. All raining down on the main house- as promised, not a speck, not a particle, fell on the prized chicken house. Clyde was standing there, wide eyed and open mouthed, as he stared at a crater nearly big enough to bury the tree in. Dad had by this time grabbed me and put me back in the car, and was getting in himself, when Clyde regained his senses, and turned to start asking questions. The first, obvious question came as dad closed his door- “What in world do I tell people when they asked what happened?” To which came the expected reply “Tell ‘em you heard it too, and have no idea what it was” and away we went.

It was some time before I got to visit at grandpa’s again, but when I did, I remember clearly opening the smoke house door to check on something, and finding a big, empty space where the fertilizer had been. Grandpa had taken all of it to the land fill that same day, having decided that having such things in close proximity to the main house was not a good idea, especially with crazy people like us around.

Fight back

2009-03-19T10:55:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I posted anything gun related. Mainly because there are good people out there writing better stuff than I do right now.

For instance, the good folks at Dillon Press have an entire library of articles, such as this one. The article in question has been up for a long time, but it is more true today than ever. You might argue the best way to accomplish the task, but the basic idea is beyond argument: give them nothing. Fight back. Yes, you may die- but at least you'll die fighting, not lying on the floor begging like a coward.

You have to love the wisdom of Jeff Cooper. His response to the statement 'violence begets violence' was classic Cooper- 'I should hope so.'

I should hope so, indeed.

Hero Truck Driver Stops Runaway Car, Saves life

2009-03-19T09:43:00.002-04:00

Go read the story and watch the video here. I'll wait.

I love it when professional drivers finally get some respect from the media. Usually the big rig drivers are only shown in the news as menaces to safety when a wreck occurs, usually because some rush-hour dolt trying to play race car driver caused a wreck. In reality truck drivers are much safer than automobile drivers, as you might expect when these hard working men and women are entrusted with everything from tomorrow's bread and beans to nuclear weapons. (Yes, they ship those by truck- how do you think they get from the airport to the missile silos?)

Do me a favor today- on the way home from work, give the big trucks a little extra room. If you can, give 'em a thumbs up, and try to make their life a little easier. They do a difficult job, do it well, and without them you wouldn't have any of the many things you buy at the grocery store, Wal-Mart, or anywhere else. They deserve your thanks.

Escaped lion shot dead at zoo

2009-03-19T09:33:00.001-04:00

It’s almost a daily thing now. But fear not, I have a solution:

Escaped lion shot dead at zoo
CANBERRA (Reuters) – Staff at an Australian zoo have received hate mail after shooting dead a lioness that escaped from its enclosure near a coastal resort and wandered toward visitors, the zoo owner said on Wednesday.
Visitors to Mogo Zoo, around 280 kms (174 miles) south of Sydney, were locked in safe houses for protection after a nine-year-old lioness named Jameila escaped. Staff were forced to shoot the wandering cat.
"I've never had to make that decision ever in my entire life, in a blink of an eye, and I did yesterday and everybody is safe," zoo owner Sally Padey told state radio.
Padey said she had received hate mail from people upset the animal, much-loved by zoo-goers, was killed rather than disabled with a tranquillizer dart to be re-confined.
"When you've got to make a split decision like I had to yesterday, especially with a lion that's so very dear to me, it's not easy," she said.
Zoo spokesman John Appleby said Jamelia had been raised from birth at the zoo and it was the first escape by one of its star big cats.
"She was moving quite slowly toward a public area, but under the circumstances a decision was made to put her down," Appleby told Australian Associated Press. (Reporting by Rob Taylor; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

Ok, those of us old enough to remember looking forward to “Wild Kingdom” on Sunday nights saw Marlin Perkins hit the wild elephant from the helicopter with the crossbow loaded with narcotic-tipped bolts. Elephant goes sleepy-bye, and wakes up with a helluva hangover and a radio transponder, ear tag, and ‘vote democratic’ tattooed into her backside. But no real harm done, right? Sigh. Can somebody please explain to these emotion-filled morons how this stuff really works? Or would even that make a difference? I’m pretty sure some of the animal-lovers writing the hate mail would be happy to sacrifice a couple of humans- what’s mom and the kids compared to a magnificent caged lion anyhow?- to keep the zoo critters happy and healthy. Hey, we could start feeding kids under 12 to the felines to combat global warming! Why not?
Seriously, if you don’t think the zoo personell made the right call, consider a few facts: You were not there. You have no idea how close the lioness was to zoo visitors, nor do you know what the lioness may have done. Dart guns work instantly only in the movies- in real life it can take minutes to put a large animal down, and in the meantime the shock of being stuck with a sharp needle can startle a big cat into going into unhappy mode. A big cat can kill a strong man in seconds. A smaller person, woman, or child, won’t have a chance. And animal activists aside, a human life is more important than an animals, even a majestic lion. I’m sorry the animal had to be put down, and I certainly hope they figure out where the security went wrong and keep it from happening again. But the zookeepers made the right call. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to learn about wildlife first hand: drop yourself off in Africa and wander around the brush for a few weeks, and talk to all the animals you want. Get up close, perhaps the pretty kitty will let you pet her. There is a saying in the Dark Continent: Nothing in Africa dies of old age.

The Best way in the World to Clear a drain, or, my very first explosion

2009-03-15T13:11:00.005-04:00

I was blessed in many ways growing up. I got to hang around with some very talented and intelligent men, work with machine shop tools, and generally do a lot of things that I didn’t really appreciate until later on in life. Some things just tend to stand out in life though, and for me those things usually went ‘boom.’

This incident took place back in the old days of the machine shop, when it was in the little wooden building by the railroad tracks. As I described earlier in my post Mr. Ralph, we were doing a good business with case hardening parts for a local factory, and part of this process involved washing the parts down after heat treating them, and of course the waste water was then treated and flushed down into the city sewer system. This system had worked well for several years, until at last one long day Ralph forgot to clean out the system and left some residue in the pipe. This residue had set up, hardening to a solid mass as solid as rock. This pipe was either 6” or 12” cast iron, I can’t remember which right now, but it was underneath the floor- a full 8” of poured concrete. To put it simply, replacing the pipe was not an option- not unless you wanted to rent a jackhammer and waste a few days busting concrete, pulling heavy iron pipe out of the ground, and refilling the whole mess and pouring concrete again. No, not an option at all. Nor was this going to be as easy as using a plumber’s snake or drain cleaner- the residue from the cleaning part of the process looked a lot like set concrete itself, and was nearly as hard- although considerably more brittle. That was a nice property for the proposed solution.

I’m guessing I would have been around 7 or 8 when this happened, but I may have been as old as 10. Details get fuzzy when you go back that far, but suffice to say I was a kid. Dad was not only running the shop at the time, he was doing a lot of the machine work as well, and wore a blue and white uniform with his name over the pocket, just like everyone else in the shop. About this time we’d gotten a contract- I think it was for a short run of government vehicles, but I’m not sure- and the product we were supposed to produce was the rear end housing for a small vehicle, something like a Cushman scooter or the like. Usually in Detroit parts like this are made either by punch press, or by hydraulic injection- either way tremendous force is applied to make the metal flow into a prescribed shape. Of course, we didn’t have this option- the part run was way too small to make setting up and tooling for that profitable at all. Dad had come up with a much simpler way of doing it, and was quite proud of the result: a round plate was drilled and bolted to a heavy steel block, which had a concave area machined in the center. In the bottom of this dip was a carefully measured amount of very fine black powder, with an electric squib wired in the bottom. Once set up, and behind a big shield of boiler plate, the switch was thrown, and POP- perfect dome shaped rear end cover, ready for painting. I think we made a few hundred this way, and I’d pay real money to find one today and have for my ‘collection.’ I wonder if anybody changing the rear end lube in one of the little vehicles ever took notice of how the covers were made. (Wildcat cartridge shooters are well familiar with this process, often called ‘fired fitting’ brass.)

For this reason we had several metal gallon cans of very fine black powder in the storage room at this time, and a good portion of it was about to be put to use. Long after the regular employees had left for home, dad brought me into the shop and into the back room where the case hardening furnaces and equipment stood, cold and quiet after a long week of heat and noise. It seemed a little spooky, being used to the usual clamor or the shop, to be there in the dark late at night. (This also marked one of the first times I stayed up past bedtime as well.) I was then introduced to what was to become a hallmark of my dad’s: The Merita Bread Bag, or wrapper. I don’t know why he always used that particular brand of bread bag, or why I remember it so clearly, but we always used the exact same kind. As I watched, thrilled with the excitement only a kid can feel, dad carefully poured black powder into the bag, with what seemed to me to be a rather large quantity of the explosive mixture. Then came an old electrical cord, wires stripped and copper wire tangled and ready to short out and produce sparks. Finally he wrapped the entire mess with sticky black electrical tape and bagged it again to keep it all dry when it was submersed into the standing water in the pipe. Carefully he lowered the charge into the clogged pipe, and measured how far it had proceeded into the system by counting the number of hands of cord going into the pipe. Satisfied it was where it needed to be, he covered the opening with a big square of boiler plate, and rolled a stump with an anvil bolted to it over the boiler plate. We were all set.

Safely behind yet another square of boiler plate, to my undisguised glee dad handed me the extension cord, and told me to be prepared for some noise when I plugged it in. With the impatience of youth I found the receptacle, and as long as I live I will never forget the wonderful sound and feel of what happened next. There is nothing in this world quite like a black powder explosion going off, and nothing as unique as your first experience with one. The sound, the boom, is overwhelming. The new feeling of having solid earth move under your feet, and the distinct smell of black powder smoke is addictive to a young man, having experienced it once, you just have to do it again. I was hooked. But it wasn’t over yet, not by a long shot. The force of the powder going off had shot the standing water back out of the pipe with such force as to lift the boiler plate, stump, and anvil together, and the anvil actually shot up high enough to let me see it over the shield, almost reaching the ceiling in the room. As it hung in mid air, the water that had propelled it there reached us, and a dark rain of greasy water showered down on us both. What comes up must come down, of course, and the first thing to hit the ground was the boiler plate, with a mighty metallic clang that echoed through the neighborhood. A millisecond later the stump/anvil combination repeated the performance, and seconds later it was very, very quiet, with only the acrid smell of smoke hanging heavy in the air showing what had happened. Then, as our ears cleared from the noise, you could hear it.. faintly at first, then louder… the unmistakable sound of water draining freely down a drain pipe. Our clog, to put it mildly, was cleared.

The fun wasn’t quite over yet. Our shop was in the city limits, and in a quasi-residential neighborhood- several houses down the street on the other side of the railroad tracks. It was near 11 pm, and all decent folk had long ago gone to bed. Suddenly lights began to come on in these houses, and before long a local police car slid to a stop in front of the building. I’m pretty sure he was the only policeman on duty in town, but I guess there may have been another somewhere. At that time we had a pair of heavy wooden sliding doors that opened from the machine shop to the street, to unload trucks from, and as dad slid the doors open the black smoke literally rolled out from the shop into the cool night air. The policeman was one of dads good friends, back then everybody knew everybody else in our town. The sergeant spoke first, obviously concerned someone may have been injured. “We’ve had calls there was an explosion down here. What happened?”

Fanning the smoke out of his face and the building, my dad uttered a phrase that was to be repeated over and over at family gatherings for years to come. With a deadly serious poker face, he stared directly at the local law enforcement officer and said, quote: “yeah, I heard something too- I think it came from over there somewhere….”

The Sergeant just rolled his eyes up into his head, looked down, got back in his car, and drove away.

Next week: We help Grandpa launch an apple tree into space.

Read a book, people...

2009-03-12T21:44:00.002-04:00

When I get the same idea from two sources as different as the Freeholder and Facebook in the same hour, it must mean something. In both places today were laments on the lack of reading present in today's society. Very true, and very unfortunate- as a people these days we are reading less than ever before, and what we do read is often of dubious quality and content. While some of this can be blamed on modern technology like computers, cable television, and other distractions, I believe there is a more unpleasant aspect of it as well: laziness. It takes time, effort, and concentration to sit down and go through 800 pages on one subject, writen by a single author. Much easier to plop down in front of the labotomy box and let the mindless twittering kill off those few remaining brain cells. Much like taking that first step to losing weight, it won't be easy to relight the fires of learing in some of us, but we need to try. As usefull as short blogposts or news articles can be, there is nothing like a well thought out novel or educational book to help concentrate the mind. Or better yet, a classic novel from years past to bring the history to life, or the adventure to the heart.

With that in mind, in coming weeks I hope to start posting some books in the left hand column that I consider the best, books that I'd loan to a friend if I wanted to help them become a more enlightened person. Not everyone will like every book I recomend, of course, but if you find even one 'great' book in the list, perhaps it will be worth the effort. I hope so. And of course if you have a great one you'd like me to read, by all means post it in the comments section.

Enjoy.

Disturbing trend in Wildlife

2009-03-09T11:30:00.005-04:00

Once again, Dad sends us a funny one worthy of a 'keyboard alert.'

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party... as they have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance.
This photo is of a Democrat black bear in Montana nicknamed, Bearack Obearma

Coyotes doing fine, Cows, not so good

2009-03-08T12:37:00.005-04:00

I think I have figured out part of the problem we are facing with humanity today. Or at least part of it. It seems that a large percentage of the population has become so far removed from reality that they no longer understand how things work, at least as far as the laws of nature are concerned. Several examples spring to my mind, but let’s start with this latest bit of insanity:
Lake rescue aborted; coyote presumed drowned
So let me get this straight- the City of Chicago brings out a helicopter, at least a couple of fire trucks, ambulances, ice divers, and paramedic crews to save a coyote?
Onlookers are outraged when the rescue attempt is called off for the safety of the crews? And my favorite quote from the story: "The coyote would have acted just like a dog," she said. "It would have clung to the person trying to save it." This wisdom is from CeAnn Lambert, who runs the Indiana Coyote Rescue Center. I have to wonder just how many wild animals Ms. Lambert has really rescued when she equates a coyote with a dog. (Perhaps it’s like The Humane Society of the United States, which uses a name that sounds a lot like another organization to raise money, but in reality is a political organization that tries to ban hunting and firearms. That’s just a guess on my part, though.) Personally, I’m still trying to get my arms around the need for an organization to rescue predators that are causing havoc in nearly every state of the USA, and costing millions of dollars to farmers and landowners as well. Just a couple of ‘for instance’ stories from a local news source, WXII. First, this one.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A Winston-Salem farmer said coyote attacks on his livestock are starting to cost him thousands of dollars.
Overnight Thursday, a coyote attacked and killed one of Thomasville Road farmer Mac Tymball's cows.
Animal control officials said coyote sightings and attacks across Winston-Salem are on the rise.
He said wild dogs and coyotes have killed five cows since December.
"I have lost five cows at $600 a piece, and that hurts you in the pocket," he said.
Forsyth County Animal Control officers said that, in recent months, they've received an increase in coyote complaints within Winston city limits.
"They're killing my cows and calves," he said. "You're in the city limits. You can't shoot them. What're you supposed to do?"

Please note that last sentence, which no doubt was placed near the end of the story on purpose. No, you can’t protect your property any more. You must wait for professionals from the government to come and use a humane trap, tag the loveable little critter, nurse it back to health, and release it back into the wild- so it can return and munch down on a few more calves. Yeah, that makes sense.

If that doesn’t convince you, check out these other stories all from the same news source, in the same area:

· December 10, 2008: Coyotes! Danger To Pets
· July 12, 2006: Forsyth Community Concerned About Coyotes
· March 4, 2005: Troxler Pet Put To Sleep After Wild Animal Attack
· March 2, 2005: Ag Commissioner's Wife Injured In Coyote Attack

I’d love to see the bill for the attempted rescue. Helicopters aren’t cheap, say a few hundred per hour- never mind paying the pilots. Fire trucks, paramedics, cops, etc. run the bill up in a hurry. And I do hope we didn’t have too many humans waiting in line for a crew to become available to help them out with a minor problem like a heart attack or stroke. The decision to call off this nonsense was the correct call. Personally, I think the humane thing to have done would have been to give Mr. Coyote a mercy shot to the head, at least sparing the creature a prolonged and painful death from drowning. Of course, that could never be an option with an audience of city dwellers who get all their information on animal behavior from cartoons and cable television. As the saying goes, there’s your problem right there- people who don’t understand nature keep trying to tell those who do how to solve the problem.

No media Bias here...

2009-03-07T14:27:00.003-05:00

Via http://www.drudgereport.com/

Russian media has been poking fun at US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she gave her Russian counterpart a "reset" button with an ironic misspelling.
Clinton's gift to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at their meeting in Geneva on Friday evening was meant to underscore the Obama administration's readiness to "to press the reset button" in ties with Moscow.
But instead of the Russian word for "reset" (perezagruzka) it featured a slightly different word meaning "overload" or "overcharged" (peregruzka).
Daily newspaper Kommersant put a prominent picture of the fake red button on its front page and declared: "Sergei Lavrov and Hillary Clinton pushed the wrong button."
A correspondent for NTV television called it a "symbolic mistake," pointing out that US-Russian ties had become overcharged in recent years due to discord over such issues as missile defence and last summer's war in Georgia.
"The friendly US gesture was upturned by a small amusing incident," the news website RBC.ru wrote in an article posted late Friday evening.
"Yet this curious episode did not stop Clinton and Lavrov from pushing the button in front of television cameras."
US Vice-President Joe Biden spoke of pressing the "reset button" on relations between Moscow and Washington during a speech in Germany last month. It has since been repeated in various forms by both US and Russian officials.

The US media has pretty much laughed off this gaffe, and made excuses about how hard Hillary has been working and how little sleep she has had while toiling tirelessly 'for the good of the country.' Yeah, right.

Ask yourself a question: What if this had been Dan Quayle? Or Ronald Regan? You know the answer. We'd never hear the end of it, along with endless commentary on how dangerous it is to have such an intellectual lightweight in an important government position. No wonder the new administration is so desperate to shut down any and all voices that might oppose them: they can't handle the truth getting out. They need a compliant and lazy media to cover up what a bunch of arrogant impostors they really are. Luckily for them, they are blessed with a mainstream media that borders on religious zealotry. Unfortunately, even that isn't enough to cover up the obvious: they don't have a freakin' clue.

Thanks Freeholder

2009-03-03T21:34:00.004-05:00

Just a quick note of appreciation to The Freeholder for helping me figure out some of the HTML labels here on the blog. I'm still very much on the learning curve here, and I'll take all the help I can get. Hopefully then I can devote more time to blog content and original postings.

For those of you in the same situation, check out this resource.

The bed wetting crowd still don't get it...

2009-03-03T19:42:00.004-05:00

In case you missed it, The Armed School Teacher did a wonderful job with the latest 'sky is falling' bemoanings from the hoplophobic crowd. Apparently, carrying a concealed weapon is 'abnormal behavior.' Scary, too.

Sometimes, you just have to laugh. I would hate to go through life so afraid that I felt the need to drag everyone else down to my level, rather than try to overcome my fears. Unfortunately that is what liberalism is all about though- making everyone equally miserable by making sure no one- especially YOU- are allowed to do anything that might make the emotion-based elitists feel inferior.

Let's put things in perspective here

2009-03-03T12:57:00.003-05:00

Ok, just in case the economy and unemployment have you down, just remember, things could be worse- a lot worse:

An asteroid of a similar size to a rock that exploded above Siberia in 1908 with the force of a thousand atomic bombs whizzed close past Earth on Monday, astronomers said on Tuesday.
2009 DD45, estimated to be between 21 and 47 meters (68 and 152 feet) across, raced by at 1344 GMT on Monday, the Planetary Society and astronomers' blogs reported. The gap was just 72,000 kilometers (44,750 miles), or a fifth of the distance between Earth and the Moon and only twice the height of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, the website space.com said.
The estimated size is similar to that of an asteroid or comet that exploded above Tunguska, Siberia, on June 30 1908, flattening 80 million trees in a swathe of more than 2,000 square kilometres (800 square miles).
2009 DD45 was spotted last Saturday by astronomers at the Siding Spring survey in Australia, and was verified by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre (MPC), which catalogues Solar System rocks. The closest flyby listed by the MPC is 2004 FU162, a small asteroid about six metres (20 feet) across which came within about 6,500 kms (4,000 miles) of us in March 2004.

If you need to picture what a rock that size can do, go here: http://www.carloslabs.com/projects/200712B/GroundZero.html
Try a couple of 'strategic nuclear devices' then go for 'asteroid.' Yeah, things aren't all that bad, if you look at it that way.

Math Geeks Rejoice, It's National Square Root Day!

2009-03-03T09:37:00.008-05:00

Yes, joy of joys, today's date is a perfect square: 3/3/09. (3x3=9)

Read more here. And, of course, you'll be needing one of these.

If you've never used a slide rule, find someone old enough to show you how, and then think really hard about this: A bunch of guys with nothing more than slide rules, trig and log tables, and courage took us to another world in less than a decade... and along the way designed the first working electronic computers, space Satellites, intercontinental communications, and a whole lot more. In short, they changed the world. We need more men like that today.

I should have known...

2009-03-02T19:38:00.003-05:00

Never get from Amazon what you can get from Alibris:

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?binding=&mtype=&keyword=Rocket+manual+Brinley

Probably one of the best written books on the subject, should you be interested in Model Rocketry, of course much of the electronics information is terribly outdated. The Rocket designs, in particular the nozzles, nose cones, safety instructions (Critical!) are just as good today as they were back then.

The author is better known for the "Adventures of the Mad Scientist Club" series, which deserves a post of it's own. Check back later for that.

School Zero Tolerance Policy, again

2009-03-02T18:30:00.007-05:00

Via http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?p=3286832&posted=1#post3286832

Short version is, an eight year old girl has been accused of ‘bringing a weapon to school’ when ~~jack booted thugs~~ school officials searched her back pack and found- horror of horrors- a POPSICLE STICK and A RUBBER BAND. The fun part is, the little girl didn't even understand how these things could be used as a weapon- UNTIL SCHOOL OFFICIALS SHOWED HER HOW. Morons. Of course this potential felon will suffer dire consequences, and the dreaded ‘permanent record’ will show her to be a threat to society. The sad thing is, such idiocy is so commonplace now that it doesn’t even surprise the public anymore, and some folks are so brainwashed that they will make excuses like ‘well, we have to be careful with all this violence going on…”

Bullshit.

For the record, here is a list of things they were in my school locker, 6th grade, June 1971. I remember clearly having to bring things home over a three day period as my locker was completely full. (They were huge back then, floor to about 5’ high, not the half lockers you see now.) Like most kids of that time, I was thrilled with the moon landing in 1969, and loved guns, explosives, and Star Trek.
Partial list:partial coil of dynamite fuse
3 quart containers of home made black powder
bottle rockets
firecrackers
Sparklers
"USS Enterprise" photo cut from front of AMT model kit
Book, “Rocket manual for amateurs, by Bertrand R Brinley (http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-manual-amateurs-Ballantine-books/dp/B0007E5M1Q ) By the way I bought my copy used for 50 cents back then. I had no idea what it was worth today until I looked it up just now – dang. And no, HELL no, my copy is not for sale. (still in mint condition, btw.)
50' coil of nichrome wire (for rocket igniters)
big box of loose .22 LR rounds.
Oh, yeah, probably some school books and papers in there somewhere.

Our School principle had no issues with any of this. Liberals, sit down for this next part: She- our dear principle- ORDERED some of these supplies FOR US through the school science program. In addition to letting us build things like small rockets, ignition boxes, and the like for the 'rocket program', she also gave our 'science club' some buzzers, bells, switches, and wire to help us learn about electricity- which probably helped lead me into my chosen profession later on.

Later on, I'll tell you about the big rocket I built in high school. I don't think some of my readers could handle that just yet, though.

Somehow, I never killed anyone, blew anything up (that I didn’t mean to blow up) nor did my delicate brain suffer any ill effects from being exposed to ‘the gun culture.’I rode my bike or walked the three miles to school most days, through the black section of town- without any concern of safety. Our friend Mr. Ralph (http://confederatesharpshooter.blogspot.com/2009/02/sunday-morning-biographies-mr-ralph-or.html ) lived just a few houses down from the school- often I’d see some of his grandkids in the yard as I’d pass.)I often took some of the items listed above on the school bus when riding home with my best friend, where we'd make all kinds of explosive fun- usually involving the demise of model boats or aircraft. On one particular day I recall wiring up over a dozen home made explosive devices wired to a series of nails driven in an old board, where we could fire them sequentially by touching them with wires from a battery. The ‘depth charges’ were sunk in a fat creek at my best friends house, and some old in the tooth model boats- a PT-109, the Bismark, and a USS North Carolina if I recall correctly- were given proper Viking funerals rather than allowed to be ignominiously dumped into a trash can.

We never locked our doors at night.
Gun safe? Who needs a gun safe?
If a stranger came to the door, needing to use the phone due to car trouble, you let them use the phone- then went out to see if you could fix the car.
Yeah, things sure have changed.
Prayer is banned in classrooms. You no longer read from the Holy Bible when learning to read in grade school. Children are no longer taken hunting at an early age, nor are they taught the fundamentals of firearm safety and marksmanship. Instead we have the ‘liberal agenda’ which I can’t speak of here without getting angry. In fact, I seriously debated if I should post what I have written here, lest some government agency decide that I should be prosecuted for being a normal kid 30 plus years ago. Yeah, things sure are safer now that the elite are in charge... and if we don't stop them, one day we'll wake up and be so safe we'll be afraid to speak out loud or help a neighbor in trouble. That day is nearly upon us, and I for one intend on doing everything possible to turn things around and stop this political madness while I am free to try. I suggest you do the same.

Thoughts for the Day

2009-02-26T08:19:00.003-05:00

After recently sticking my head into the liberal hornets nest called the Raleigh News & Observer, the following quotes seem appropriate:

An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper

“Criminals are not dissuaded by soft words, soft judges or easy laws. They are dissuaded by fear and they are prevented from repeating their crimes by death or by incarceration.” Ronald Reagan, 1975

"Sadly, being helpless themselves, sheep tend to instinctively fear anything with canine teeth. Many of them cannot distinguish between the wolf and the sheepdog, and thus fear them both equally."- Massad Ayoob

On the Lighter side

2009-02-25T21:41:00.004-05:00

Here's mom's letter to the school, next day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

Thanks to seven.sixtwo for original posting at
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?p=3279816&posted=1#post3279816

Common Sense Law needs your support

2009-02-24T17:59:00.001-05:00

Once again a senator with some common sense wants to eliminate the idiotic prohibition on CCW in restaurants that serve alcohol. Predictably, the same emotion-driven dolts that oppose any sensible firearm law are going into panic mode.: http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/bill_would_allow_guns_in_restaurants

Thanks to http://thefreehold.blogspot.com/ for bringing this to my attention. You’ll notice I’ve posted several comments below the article, and have actually caused a few of the less hysterical anti-gun folks to at least admit they can’t counter my arguments. That’s a start. Feel free to help me out there. Also be sure and send a thank you note to Senator Brock so he’ll know we appreciate his sticking his head into a particularly large hornets nest. He can probably use all the support he can get.

Road Wisdom

2009-02-23T20:48:00.002-05:00

I’d like to talk to you today about a part of self defense few people give thought to anymore: what to do when your car breaks down. The good news is today’s automobiles are safer and more reliable than ever before. If your car is less than 10 years old you probably would give little thought to jumping in for a cross county trip with a quick stop to check the oil and tire pressure- perhaps not even that. The trouble is, is something does go wrong, the chances of being able to get things going on the side of the road with some duct tape and pliers is about as good as your odds of winning the lottery. So, what can you do to at least be prepared for what problems you can solve?

This topic was brought to mind by something that happened earlier today. Pulling out from our rather rural side road onto a major US route is always fun, and today was no different. To add to the challenge today, looking just up the road I observed a good sized SUV stopped dead in the south bound lane, facing me. A line of cars were stacked up tight against the SUV, and a small sports car was blocking the center of the lane, straddling the center line, apparently caught in the middle when he tried to dart around the SUV and met cars coming in the other direction.

Did I mention all this started around the beginning of heavy traffic going home time?

Normally I go out of my way to stop and help folks out. I really do. I know it’s not the smart thing to do any more, conventional wisdom is ‘call a professional’ and don’t get involved. But this was well out of the city limits, the Sherriff’s department refers traffic problems to the State Patrol, and chances of having a unit available for a quick ETA would be nil. So there was a very good chance the impatient dolts behind the stranded motorist would manage to make things worse with at least a rear end collision behind, or even a head on collision trying to go around, were dang good.

None of this needed to have happened. I wish I could tell you that I stopped, helped this lady out, and taught her a valuable lesson. But I didn’t. I’ve been down with a nasty chest cold for some time now, was going the wrong way and would have had to turn around, and likely as not would have been a victim of the aforementioned collisions for my trouble. So this time I left it for younger and closer Samaritans, and hoped one would get the vehicle off the road before something bad happened. Even in passing, I could observe several telling signs as to what might have been the problem. First, the front bumper bore the plastic plate of one of the less trusted used car dealers for this area. Second, the driver was an older, grandmotherly lady, who looked positively bewildered at what had happened to her ride. Finally, the SUV- if I had to guess I’d say it was a Ford Explorer- was stopped in the level area between two fairly steep hills, just past one large intersection and just short of the one I was exiting. Good wide shoulders on both sides of the road. Car was obviously not under power at all, for what ever reason.

Ok, before you read further, ask yourself: what could this presumably nice senior citizen have done to prevent ending up in such a precarious predicament?

Quite a few things, if you ask me. And since you are still reading, I’m going to act as if you did. She could have pulled off the traveled portion of the road when she sensed the engine had died, for one. Buying from a used car dealer with a better reputation for another. Keep the gas tank full, and don’t cheap out on the maintenance is also good advice.

As we discussed earlier, cars are more reliable than ever, but they are also more complex. Back in the points-and-condenser days, I have nursed wounded motorcycles home with nothing more than the tool kit under the seat with only half of the twin cylinders working. I have also repaired broken air lines on 48 foot semi-trailers with a swiss army knife and pliers, and some improvised parts made from aluminum cans and other trash on the side of the road. Sometimes, you can still get things going with ‘improvised field expedient methods.’ But if that mysterious epoxy sealed ignition module decides now is the time to quite making the little sparky things spark, well, you are pretty much screwed until you have another epoxy filled module- and that after the big dealer-only machine tells you that is what is wrong. But what about those of us who have no mechanical abilities, and depend on others to do anything more complex than change a light bulb? Fear not, there is still a great deal you can do to avoid being the lead story on the late news.

First off, it’s always better to not have problems in the first place. This is a lot easier than it used to be- if you have enough money. If you’re never going to get your hands dirty working on it anyway, you might consider a leased vehicle. You pay your money, and let the dealership take care of all those pesky details like oil changes, tune ups, even tire pressures. Personally, I detest going to a dealership for anything, it’s expensive, time consuming, and they often treat you poorly. That said, if you are unwilling to learn skills for yourself, it’s an option. Option number two is slightly better: purchase a reliable automobile from a reputable dealership or a used car dealer that you can trust completely and take good care of it. In our current economic woes, that’s where a lot of people are becoming penny wise and pound foolish. Now is NOT the time to go cheap on maintenance. Real simple: if you can’t take care of the wheels, don’t drive it. You can walk now, or walk later. But you will end up walking if you keep putting off filling up the gas tank, checking the tires, etc.

You may think I’m a bit off topic talking about car maintenance as a self defense or survival topic. Far from it: the most popular place to find trouble is the public highways, especially when you aren’t able to choose where you are stopping. Ask anyone you know who’s had car problems, and see how many of them died in front of the repair shop. Years ago a broken down car was a great way to meet nice people who would do anything to help you out. That still happens, but rarely. Much better chance you’ll meet someone wanting something you have, be it the AAA wrecker asking for your credit card number or the roadside bandits who want your car for parts- or worse.

Even if you do everything to prevent problems, sometimes things go wrong. The delivery trucks have been known to put kerosene in the gasoline tanks, that bottle you just drove over might flatten passenger side tires, fan belts break, etc. What do you do then?
You have a plan to survive, that’s what. And it starts with not being killed while you sit there trying to figure things out. No matter what the problem is, no matter how fast it came about, unless you are sitting at a stop light or waiting for the train to pass, you have no excuse for being a sitting duck in the travel lane of a high speed roadway. Do NOT coast to a stop in the travel lane, and sit there trying to restart a car that obviously isn’t going to restart. Use the inertia of your vehicle to get it as far off the road as is safe and possible. You don’t want to park in a ditch or get mired up in the mud, but even that isn’t fatal. Sitting stopped in the travel lane is a good way to end up very dead. Get off the road, now. When I teach younger people how to drive, I get them out in the country and start with a known good place to stop, and reach over and kill the engine. “Your car died, get off the road.” I’ll announce, and let them dead-stick the car off the pavement. At first they’ll look bewildered, and claim they can’t steer, brake, etc. without the power accessories. But after a few tries they always start smiling and enjoying it. Nothing like a new skill to enhance your confidence. If I have a decent pupil, I’ll then give them a list of symptoms and ask them what they think is wrong. Then we go down the list of how to get out of the mess- do we walk, will the cell phone work (never does, I make sure of that.) Can we fix it here, do we count on help from a passerby, etc. It is nothing less than amazing how much good can come out of a few dry runs like this, and yet I can only name one other person who has done anything like it, bless his heart his daughter will be a lot safer as a result. More often I see the flip side of preparedness. I will never forget a summer afternoon- almost dark, the sun was setting- and driving past two teen age girls stopped dead center of a blind curve on a curvy state road that already had a reputation for fatal accidents. I pulled off the road, walked back, and offered assistance. “No, we’re fine, daddy is coming to change the tire.” Dolts. Imbeciles. Idiots. Bad enough you’re trying to kill yourselves with your stupidity, but do you have to kill the poor bastard who’d going to come around that corner any second now and plow into your brain-dead behind? I tried in vain to convince these Barbie doll lobotomy cases to drive on the flat tire long enough to get around the curve and off the road, and left them sitting there. I hope they made it home, and I hope daddy was smart enough to take away driving privileges until they wised up. But I digress. Yes, cell phones are wonders of modern technology, but don’t bet your life on them. Use that computer between your ears, and use it often- ask yourself once in a while what you’d do if this happened here. If you have kids learning to drive, remember that driver’s education in most states now is an even bigger joke than it was when you took it way back when. Be honest with yourself- if you aren’t going to be able to teach the proper skills, find someone who can. Ask those same professionals before the need arises- most all police departments have ride along programs, and the cops would rather teach your kid now than meet them later. If you know a truck driver- a good one- or a trucking company, ask them to show your trainee just how big the blind spots are in a modern semi rig. I’ve never tried it, but you might even see if the local rail road has a program to show the kid what a locomotive will do to a car. My personal favorite involves a Saturday night demolition derby at the local short track, but I’ll understand if you don’t want to go to that extreme.

Back to the lady in the SUV. When I came back by, the wrecker was hooking up the to rear of her wounded steed. She looked like a nice little old lady. I’ll bet her grandkids think the world of her. She probably doesn’t have a cell phone, and always counted on grandpa to keep the car up so she wouldn’t have to worry. That’s all good, as long as it works. But trouble most often finds the unprepared, and these days the trouble is easier to find, and worse to deal with. If you have someone you care about, do something that might save their life one day- teach them what do when things go wrong. It might be the best thing you’ve ever done.

I wonder if she wishes she'd had a gun now?

2009-02-19T20:04:00.003-05:00

Go Here:

http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d19-When-animals-attack

Go Now.

Thanks to David Codrea and for saying what needs to be said, and for linking to this blog as well.

Take it from someone who has taken phone calls very similar to this one: When every fraction of a second counts, and your friend or loved one is bleeding, dying in front of you- the police will be minutes away. Minutes. It will seem like eternity, and after it is all over you'll wonder what you could have done differently. You will feel ashamed that all you could do is talk on the phone and wait for others better than you came to do things for you that you should have been able to do for yourself.

That is why I am so passionate about making people take responsibility for their own safety. It is not the governments job to keep you safe. It is YOUR responsibility. The sooner you figure that out, the better off you will be.

The Shape of things to come

2009-02-18T09:13:00.003-05:00

The Aussies decided a few years ago that banning firearms and self defense would make things better. After all, only the police need guns, and the police will be there if you need protection. Let's see how that's working out:

Be sure and listen for the money quote: "The union says the police need more protection." That's right, The police need more protection.

Something to Smile about

2009-02-17T23:27:00.004-05:00

Sometimes Dad sends me good, wholesome family fun.
This is one of those times. Enjoy.

You'll notice everyone is smiling. I've never seen anyone finish off a mag or belt of full auto who wasn't grinning from ear to ear. Pity more folks aren't able to enjoy events like this.

New features, Still on the learning curve

2009-02-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

I am still obviously very new to blogging, and still very much trying to decide how I want things to look and work around here. I appreciate any and all suggestions, and hopefully things will settle into a productive pattern soon. As you can see I have changed the template, in order to work better with blogger and have more control over layout. Obviously, colors are not my strong point- be patient and perhaps one day someone will convince me there are more than 5 colors in the world. My main concern is that the entries be easy to read on everyones screen, which isn't always possible, but I am trying to come as close as I can.

About the only regular feature so far is the "Sunday Morning Biographies" which I decided to use so we could have at least one day a week to look forward to some good news, and easy reading. It is not my intention to preach gloom and doom every day- enough of that out there as it is. Rather I'd like to mix some entertaining and light hearted stories in with serious discussion of ideas in the hope of attracting readers who may not agree with everything I say, in order that I might get them to think about what position they have taken. I may not change a lot of minds, but I find that a discussion with someone who disagrees with you makes you think a lot harder and work on your own position more so than 'preaching to the choir.'

You will notice I have started catagorizing stories at the lower left hand of the page now. The catagories are far from perfect, and there are some things that will be hard to find, but I hope this will help you find what you are looking for if you want to find something specific, or if you like one subject I cover but not the rest.

Finally, feel free to post comments as you feel the need. I enjoy the feedback, and it lets me know what is working. Should you have something you do not wish to post publicly, I will consider a email address for feedback in the future if enough people ask for it.

Thanks again for stopping by, hope you will want to come back soon.

Mountain Man.

Dear God in Heaven... what next?

2009-02-16T14:40:00.005-05:00

I knew video games had gotten pretty bad, but this???

Rapelay virtual rape game banned by Amazon
A PC game that allows players to gang rape virtual women – and then force them to have an abortion – has been banned from Amazon

Withdrawn from sale: Amazon.com has stopped selling RapeLay, in which players have to stalk and rape a family of women
In Rapelay, gamers direct a character to sexually assault a mother and her two young daughters at an underground station, before raping any of a selection female characters.
The game was intended for release just in Japan, but was on offer to British buyers through Amazon Marketplace, the section of the online store's website open to third-party sellers.
But Amazon has now withdrawn the game after complaints from users, deeming it to be inappropriate. "We determined that we did not want to be selling this particular item," a spokeswoman said.
Rapelay was developed by the Japanese production house Illusion, which makes a number of sexually violent games for the domestic market. Their other titles include "Battle Raper" and "Artificial Girl".
A spokesman for the company said: "We believe there is no problem with the software, which has cleared the domestic ratings of an ethics watchdog body."
Keith Vaz, the Labour MP for Leicester East who has previously spoken out against computer games that promote violence, condemned the game.
"It is intolerable that anyone would purchase a game that simulates the criminal offence of rape," he told the Belfast Telegraph.
Rapelay, which was released in 2006, encourages players to force the virtual woman they rape to have an abortion. If they are allowed to give birth the woman throws the player's character under a train, according to reviews of the game. It also has a feature allowing several players to team up against individual women.

A dear friend of mine was brutally raped years ago while we were both attending community college. It took her decades to learn to deal with the emotional aftermath. Anyone who thinks this is the sort of thing that makes for great video gaming is a sick, sick bastard.

Quote of the Day: Sir Winston Churchill

2009-02-16T14:28:00.004-05:00

If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
-Winston Churchill

They spoke of him as the "British Bulldog" for a very good reason. We would do well to heed his words.

Ladies, pay attention

2009-02-16T10:23:00.006-05:00

Forget all the idiocy you have seen watching the latest hollywood nonsense, and watch how a real woman shoots a real gun- and does it quite well. Gentlemen, if you have a spouse or girlfriend that doesn't think handling a firearm is ladylike or fun, get her to check this out

Somebody Gets it...

2009-02-16T08:54:00.003-05:00

Not everyone is a true believer in the Church of Algore...

Former astronaut speaks out on global warming
By Associated Press Sunday, February 15, 2009 http://www.bostonherald.com Around the Nation
SANTA FE, N.M. - Former astronaut Harrison Schmitt, who walked on the moon and once served New Mexico in the U.S. Senate, doesn’t believe that humans are causing global warming.
"I don’t think the human effect is significant compared to the natural effect," said Schmitt, who is among 70 skeptics scheduled to speak next month at the International Conference on Climate Change in New York.
Schmitt contends that scientists "are being intimidated" if they disagree with the idea that burning fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide levels, temperatures and sea levels.
"They’ve seen too many of their colleagues lose grant funding when they haven’t gone along with the so-called political consensus that we’re in a human-caused global warming," Schmitt said.
Dan Williams, publisher with the Chicago-based Heartland Institute, which is hosting the climate change conference, said he invited Schmitt after reading about his resignation from The Planetary Society, a nonprofit dedicated to space exploration.
Schmitt resigned after the group blamed global warming on human activity. In his resignation letter, the 74-year-old geologist argued that the "global warming scare is being used as a political tool to increase government control over American lives, incomes and decision making."
Williams said Heartland is skeptical about the crisis that people are proclaiming in global warming.
"Not that the planet hasn’t warmed. We know it has or we’d all still be in the Ice Age," he said. "But it has not reached a crisis proportion and, even among us skeptics, there’s disagreement about how much man has been responsible for that warming."
Schmitt said historical documents indicate average temperatures have risen by 1 degree per century since around 1400 A.D., and the rise in carbon dioxide is because of the temperature rise.
Schmitt also said geological evidence indicates changes in sea level have been going on for thousands of years. He said smaller changes are related to changes in the elevation of land masses — for example, the Great Lakes are rising because the earth’s crust is rebounding from being depressed by glaciers.
Schmitt, who grew up in Silver City and now lives in Albuquerque, has a science degree from the California Institute of Technology. He also studied geology at the University of Oslo in Norway and took a doctorate in geology from Harvard University in 1964.
In 1972, he was one of the last men to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 17 mission.
Schmitt said he’s heartened that the upcoming conference is made up of scientists who haven’t been manipulated by politics.
Of the global warming debate, he said: "It’s one of the few times you’ve seen a sizable portion of scientists who ought to be objective take a political position and it’s coloring their objectivity."
___
Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com

The sooner we all realize we are being lied to, and what they are lying about, the sooner we can clean house and start over.

Sunday Morning Biographies: Rev Sheldon Jones of Moncks Corner SC

2009-02-15T10:04:00.006-05:00

I only met 'Brother Sheldon' three times in my entire life, each time at the church down the road on US-52 with a sign out front that proclaimed "Truckers Welcome." But I feel like I knew him very well. He was, and continues to be, a part of my morning ritual on our local radio station, one of the few that still includes morning preaching on a daily basis. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of staying with my mother's grandmother, a widow, while mom and dad went to work. Grandma Jessup would invariably turn on the AM radio in the living room at 9 am each morning to listen to morning devotions, often done by Preacher Burrows, a kindly old man who always stopped by to pray for grandma when she was in poor health. After morning devotions, the high pitched, energetic voice of Brother Sheldon would jump from the speaker, announcing "The temperance and evangelistic crusade bringing you Triumph and Truth..." I was too young to understand it all then, but grandma would listen with rapt attention, despite a bunch of kids fighting, jumping, and generally being a nuisance.

As the years went by, sometimes I'd listen, sometimes I couldn't. As a long haul truck driver in the late 70's and early 80's I came to realize how important good Southern Style preaching could be to a boy far from home, when I tried to find some good preaching on the radio while waiting for a load on Long Island, near NYC. I did finally find a good preacher, but somehow hearing the King James 1611 being quoted by a guy with a heavy Bronx accent just seemed wrong. Not long after that I started running local, or at least regional, truck routes. With a little planning and some luck, I could pick up my 10,000 watt home town station up to 100 miles away, even with the cheap radio in the cab. I'd try to catch Triumph and Truth for a morning break, it was only a 15 minute long program and I could usually stop for that long.

What made Triumph and Truth so different was the often used subject matter of temperance. It was hard even back then to find a preacher who often spoke about prohibition and the evils of alcohol. As I have mentioned recently, I am not a believer in government prohibition of much of anything, all it does it raise the price and generally causes more problems than it solves. That does not make the prohibited items any less wrong, however. A lot of people raise eyebrows and look at me with a bit of disbelief when they find out I don't drink alcohol. A lot of them probably don't believe I'm telling the truth, but I am. I do not see much, if any, benefit to using an over the counter drug that makes me even more stupid than I already am. As you might imagine, that way of thinking wasn't popular with a lot of the people I associated with, so it was really wonderful to have a daily pep talk from someone as passionate about the subject as was Brother Sheldon Jones. That wasn't his only passion, of course. He preached about the love of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the need of salvation, and could preach Hell hot enough to scald a wet dog three counties away...

Sadly, we lost the voice of Triumph and Truth in late 1999. I remember hearing the sad tone of the radio announcer as he intoned he had a special announcement- and I knew it was bad news. Reverend Sheldon Jones had died at the ripe old age of 81, the end of a well lived and full life. His funeral was at his beloved home church in Moncks Corner, SC, and he was buried nearby. The Voice of Triumph and Truth continues, at least for now, on some of those same radio stations, but I wonder for how long- my local station announced recently that the program might be discontinued soon due to a decline in listener support. That would be a sad day indeed. If you happen to live in an area where you can pick up a broadcast like Triumph and Truth, I would encourage you to support it with your prayers and with your gifts. In these days of uncertainty and despair, we need God fearing men like Reverend Sheldon Jones to remind us that there is such a thing as right and wrong, and God does still work in the affairs of men.

Mourn the Confederacy... SC gun buy back idiocy

2009-02-14T12:48:00.004-05:00

Dear Lord, the nonsense just keeps coming, and from a Confederate State, for goodness sake:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090214/ap_on_fe_st/odd_guns_for_roses_3

The story is short, so I quote it in entirety:

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Police in South Carolina gave away roses on Valentine's Day. All you had to do to get one for your sweetie was turn in a gun.
Hoping to get the weapons off the streets with the "Guns for Roses" program, authorities in two central South Carolina cities set up a program where anyone who turned in a gun received a free rose and a Best Buy gift card.
At a Columbia church, five cars lined up to give away guns before the exchange had even started. About an hour and a half later, police had collected 75 weapons.
"We've got a great turnout so far," Richland County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan said.
A handgun was worth a $100 gift card, while a rifle or shotgun netted a $50 gift certificate. Cowan said one man turned in six handguns, worth $600 in gift cards.
But there was no amnesty for those turning in the guns. The weapons were checked to see if they were stolen, names and addresses were jotted down and ballistics tests would also be done to see if the firearm was used in a crime.
Cowan said the idea was spawned in part by Columbia Police Chief T.P. Carter and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who has made headlines recently for investigating Michael Phelps after a photo surfaced showing the Olympic swimming champion smoking a marijuana pipe. The program was modeled after a California one; similar exchanges have been done in New York and San Francisco.
Cowan said gun donors were young and old, men and woman. Many had a big smile and some said it was a relief to get rid of the weapons.
And did the men even care about the rose?
"Most of them have taken it," Cowan said.

Where to start? Sigh. Well, it made these dolts 'feel good' which of course is the idea behind any liberal nonsense. Did it make anyone safer? Possibly, a firearm in the hands of someone not willing to learn how to handle it safely is indeed a danger and should be avoided. But if that is the case, they should not be looking for a bribe to turn loose of the iron- they should simply call someone who understands firearms to come and pick up the unwanted machinery. If this describes you, you can even call the local police department and they will happily come and take them away, no cost to you. Of course, you'd be stupid to let a valuable family heirloom go that way, but that is your decision. Your local gun shop is a better bet- they will tell you the value of your stuff, and if it is something they can sell, will offer to buy it at a fair price. ( I wonder how many nice valuable guns got turned in here by unlearned relatives?)
And of course the guns will be ballistically tested to see if they were used in a crime. Yeah, right. Don't hold your breath on that one, sparky. Matching up a random gun to a crime under such circumstances make the lotto look like a sure thing. Never mind that stubborn little fact about criminals not showing up for gun turn in programs. Just not happening, for some reason.
Pity the 'gun donors' didn't take the rose offered. They could have held onto it, and used the thorn to stop the next bad guy that shows up.

The End Result of Total Gun Control

2009-02-14T12:38:00.004-05:00

By the way, in case you still aren't convinced, and think that gun control really could work if we just held hands and had happy warm thoughts:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_re_af/af_congo_making_guns_2

And this from a bunch of folks living in a third world country under a totalitarian government. Here in the land of John Moses Browning and machine tools galore at the local Lowes Hardware, I promise you we could do a lot better.

What’s missing in this story?

2009-02-14T12:25:00.003-05:00

Read carefully, and try to figure out what they left out.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090214/ap_on_re_us/guns_in_church_1
That wasn’t too hard, was it? We gunnies figured it out before clicking the link, in all likelihood. If you read the story and it did not jump out at you, here is what Paul Harvey would call “The REST of the Story…”
There was no mention anywhere of an armed individual stopping a person bent on mass murder anywhere in the story. They’d like for you to believe such things ‘just don’t happen in real life.’ They do, however, quote a pastor who sees things the way they want the story slanted: "I believe it would disturb the sanctity and tranquility of church" said Pastor John Phillips, a bill opponent who was shot twice in the back as he finished a service 23 years ago. If a church opts out, "Do you want ushers to stop you at the door and frisk you?"
Well, Pastor John, if you aren’t going to let your law abiding, honest, church going congregation decide on how best to provide self defense in these dangerous times, you darn well better have somebody frisking people at the door. In fact, you’d better get a metal detector and a few goons to make the bad guys think twice before going hunting in a ‘disarmed victim zone.’ You know, like those really nice people that make you take off your shoes before you can fly on the plane, and the beefy guy in the Kevlar vest at the courthouse that makes you put your keys in the basket before going into the courtroom- and will send you back to your car if you forgot and brought in a swiss army knife with a 1” blade.

I wonder why the AP writer didn’t quote this guy?
"Many people are expressing relief that a volunteer security guard used her own gun to stop a man on a shooting spree Sunday. "She probably saved over 100 lives," the Brady Boyd, the pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, said on Monday. The female guard, a church member dressed in plain clothes, killed the gunman after he opened fire at the mega-church." (http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2007/12/shooting_at_new_1.php)
That quote is from a story not too long ago where a man showed up armed to the teeth at a large church in Utah, assuming that a church was a prohibited area for concealed carry, and that he would have no resistance to mass murder. He was wrong. Utah allows CCW in Churches, and instead of getting his 15 minutes of fame for slaughtering a bunch of sheep, he got a Darwin award for poor planning. By the way, try to find mention of this story somewhere besides a gun blog. It’s not easy. The left wing media buries stories like this as fast as they can, and worse yet, they will out right lie to change the way you look at it: over and over in the AP versions of that news item, the woman was referred to as a ‘off duty police’ or ‘security guard.’ She was neither, as far as I can find. She was an ordinary member of the congregation with a valid CCW permit, who had volunteered to carry during services because of stories of similar attacks in other churches. Also AP failed to mention after the first rewrite of the story a quote from the CCW holder that she was convinced that “God had guided her shooting’ and gave her the accuracy to stop the attacker. Can’t have that sort of thing spread around, it might cause people to think.
If I can accomplish only one thing with my readers today, it is this: You can no longer trust the major news outlets. They are no better than Radio Cuba or Pravda at reporting the news. They report what they want you to know, in a way to make you think what they want you to think. This is why the folks in Washington are so obsessed with shutting down the blogs that point this out, and especially with talk radio. If they manage to shut down the few remaining voices of dissent, they can pretty much brainwash the great unthinking masses into going along with the big plan. That is why we have to fight, and fight hard. Nothing less than the freedom of this country is at stake in these two major battles: free speech, and the freedom to live life as you see fit, without any oversight by those who wish to enslave you.
Personally, I would never attend a church where my rights to self defense were abridged. Luckily, I don’t have to.

Alcohol Responsibility Act, A modest Proposal

2009-02-13T08:44:00.005-05:00

While trying to think of a short subject to write about while under the weather, I came up with this happy thought:

The anti-freedom crowd is hell bent on gun control in any form right now, Bill Clinton musing about how it's time for the AWB to return, Eric Holder being confirmed as AG, etc. The Socialist agenda has the fairness doctrine high on the list of things to do as well, but strangely doesn't want to start with NBC, CBS, CNN or any of the other left leaning outlets. Gee, imagine that. Of course they want to start with talk radio and the Internet blogs- silence the opposition, it's called.

Here's a though for fighting back. Every time they try to introduce a bill like that, the loyal opposition needs to add an amendment targeting the real problems. Starting with this insane notion that you can catch criminals with serial numbered ammunition and firing pins that print numbers into shell casings. OK, if they want to try that, let's try it with a real problem: alcohol abuse. We all know the problems associated with alcohol abuse- broken families, being out of work, traffic fatalities, murders, rapes, all caused by people who have a problem with alcohol. Well, if it works (and it doesn't) for firearms, why not apply the technology to the booze industry? I can see it now- Photo ID's for purchasing alcohol, 3 day waiting periods, 'proof of need' before purchase, and of course total accountability in the form of tracking every drop of booze from manufacture to consumption by careful record keeping and cans that can only be opened by special devices that imprint the owners name on the can. These would be registered and numbered by the government, of course, and it would allow for the easy solving of crimes such as littering, drunk driving, and of course those deadly 'assault bottles' crime.

Won't work? Why, it would work just as well as any of the dimwitted gun control schemes being pushed through right now. (http://www.grnc.org/ has some updates on gun control schemes hidden in the porkulus package.) And even those who don't care much about having real God-given rights taken away by a runaway government will sit up and take notice when that government starts to interfere with the chance for them to get drunk. Besides, the last time prohibition was tried in my home state in reference to alcohol, a lot of poor farmers got mighty rich, and we invented NASCAR and made Junior Johnson a hero. Not a bad side benefit, that.

Same thing with the assault on free speech (Fairness Doctrine) Best case would be to have it applied to the mainstream press in equal measure, I'd love to see Katie and Matt and Chris- especially Chris- forced to share air time with Rush and Sean. But we know that won't happen, the courts are even more liberal than congress. So we need to poison any bills with things just as silly as what the socialist agenda has planned.

Yeah, it's silly and it won't work. But then, that's what the other side is doing, and sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

I'll Be Back...

2009-02-13T08:37:00.003-05:00

My apologies for the lack of posts the last few days. I have been dealing with some health issues that have kept me away from the keyboard.

I have been astounded at how many people have already stopped by my tiny little outpost here in blogger land, and from such diverse places as Austria, Canada, Iraq, and even foreign countries such as California.

Meanwhile, if you have read the few posts I have already published, I hope you will take the time to drop a comment or two via the links. I don't know what you think unless you tell me. As it says in the box, speak your mind- but be polite.

I hope to be up to some short posts later today, and perhaps some 'standard capacity' rantings this weekend. Thanks for your patience.

Gunmen kill 2, injure 5 in California coffee shop

2009-02-06T09:53:00.004-05:00

SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (AP)– Masked gunmen opened fire inside a coffee shop, killing two men and wounding five other people before fleeing, police said early Friday. Officers who received a panic alarm call from the Coffee House cafe were headed there Thursday night when they were flagged down by several people who had been shot, police Sgt. Rene Hernandez said. Witnesses said two men with bandanas over their faces entered the cafe and opened fire before fleeing, he said. One victim was declared dead at the scene and another died at a hospital, Hernandez said. Two victims were hospitalized in critical condition. Three others suffered wounds that were not considered life-threatening, including a man who was grazed by a bullet and declined hospital treatment, Hernandez said. San Gabriel is about 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

Ok, let us analyze things logically here.
California has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Getting a concealed carry permit is impossible except for the politically well connected, and the Hollywood elite. The murderers were also violating probably a dozen other laws against kidnapping, assault by pointing a firearm, burglary, terrorizing the public, robbery, as well as civil rights violations and of course murders, plural. Apparently, none of these laws deterred these individuals in any way from brutally murdering decent folks doing nothing more than having a morning cup of coffee.
Question: will the people of California realize this, and start demanding that existing laws be enforced, criminals taken off the streets until no longer a threat to the public? Will the laws against self defense be repealed, so that decent people can protect themselves when needed?
Or will it be just another excuse to cry ‘evil guns kill! We need more gun laws!’?
I think you know the answer to that one.
As we used to say in the repair business, you can’t fix it until you understand what’s broken.

Smoking Police

2009-02-05T23:07:00.015-05:00

Apparently, I'm not the only person who really dislikes folks discarding cigarettes out the window:
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/5909644.html

Police are looking for a litterbug vigilante who reportedly posed as police officer to stop a woman who allegedly tossed a spent cigarette from her car window. Police said the unidentified man was driving a red pickup truck with a dash-mounted flashing blue light when he stopped the woman and told her he was an off-duty Maine State Police trooper.

Now, as funny as this may seem, it does raise a few safety issues, and the advice in the newspaper column is pretty good. And for all my friends out there who smoke, do us all a favor and use the ash tray, please. I still have a nice scar from someones smoke that got lucky and nailed my left arm back in the days when I rode motorcycles more than drove automobiles. And quite a few brush fires, including some big ones, started with a discarded cigarette. Note to the bandit: cops are very, very particular about competition. They don't like it. And they will have a very bad attitude if they catch up with you- and rest assured you are getting more detective time than just about anything else going on right now.

News You Can Use... Comrads!

2009-02-05T11:03:00.001-05:00

Eric Holder Confrirmed

2009-02-02T18:42:00.001-05:00

Senator "Leaky" Leahy grinned like a cheshire cat as he announced the nomination was confirmed by the largest margin in history, 75-21. North Carolina Senator Burr voted against the nomination, but our brand-new junior senator, Kay Hagen, voted for confirmation.

So now we have the most anti-self defense, pro-government president in history, aided by near fillibuster proof majority in the Senate, confirming the most rabidly anti-gun AG in history. One day we may look back fondly at the Janet Reno AG office. Bad things are on the way for those of us that wish to be left alone to live our own lives as we see fit, without big brother controlling our every move.

Mark my words: things are going to get worse. Much worse, and quickly.

Economics 101 or, “Why we are losing the War on Government intervention”

2009-02-02T16:16:00.001-05:00

Like almost everyone else in the free world, I spent last night enjoying the company of friends and family watching the Super Bowl on TV. Great game, even though I’m not a football fan- I just show up for the food and conversation. This year, as you might expect, a lot of that conversation centered on the economy, jobs, and what needs to be done. The group of friends I was with would be considered extremely conservative, religious, and ‘right wing’ by any member of the current media. Yet, during the pre-game conversation, the talk turned to the recent Wall Street bailout and in particular some of the salaries of the executives of the affected companies. Most of the remarks were the expected ones, but to my surprise there was widespread agreement when it came to passing laws and controls on what people could be paid for doing work. Specifically, what a Wall Street Executive, say, the guy who runs Acme Investments, should make. My fellow arm-chair quarterbacks were all in favor of passing laws against anyone on Wall Street making ‘a million dollars a year.’ One person opined that they shouldn’t be making more than the president, since anyone who had control of the nuclear button had a lot more responsibility than a glorified banker. So, nobody in the US should ever make more than $400,000 per year. Also, nobody needs to make that kind of money.
I said very little at the time, I came to watch the game and eat, not get into a heated political argument. But the point bears scrutiny, as it demonstrates the lack of depth most people apply to issues of great importance. I expect that given a quiet setting, and some time, most of these educated, in some cases professional, men and women could be persuaded into seeing the flaws in the argument they were so passionately extolling over chips and dip. But most people do not get around to doing that, and the majority now give some brief thought as to who to vote for a week or three prior to the election, and then forget it for another 4 years. This needs to change, and we- true conservatives- need to get to work at educating and correcting everyone who lets this sort of thing go unchallenged.
Free markets regulate themselves. That is how they work. Every time you stick the heavy hand of government into the mix, you screw up that regulation, with sometimes disastrous results. It might fix a temporary problem or make you feel better in the short term, but sooner or later it will snowball into something terrible. No, I don’t think some of these high-paid executives are worth the obscene amounts of money they are paid. (I don’t have to go to New York to see that kind of money, either- every city, county, and state has a share of ultra-rich folks, if you know where to look.) But I cringe with fear any time I hear someone voice the opinion that a government- any government- should do something about it. Who do you think owns those companies? Most are publicly traded, and if you own insurance, have an IRA, or have an investment anywhere you could probably do something about things at the next meeting. But I would advise that you don’t. Why? Well, you do want the IRA to gain value, right? The insurance to be worth something? Then you need to have someone running the company that knows what the devil they are doing, and unfortunately people like that are in short supply, and command strong salaries. Let’s face it, if Acme Investments could hire Wile E. Coyote to run the business and expect it to prosper, they would, and save a few million bucks on salaries. But they don’t, because they’ve seen what happens to Wile E. Coyote when he gets near the Acme products. So the stockholders pony up the bucks and hire someone who will get the job done, and by golly if he doesn’t he’s out the door in short order, with the few exceptions of CEO’s that are bright enough to fool the stockholders while they rob the place blind. Those companies are not around long, which is the other end of self regulation. Contrast this with government control, where this year we tell the CEO he can’t make more money than looks good for the cameras. CEO promptly does so, and either gets the money elsewhere, as a stock option for instance, or he finds work in a sector that allows him or her to make the money he deserves. As the saying goes, you generally get what you pay for. The Clinton administration attempted to levy a tax on any CEO that grossed more than $1 million to the tune of a 100% tax. Guess how much they collected? Right- zero, zilch, nada. Nobody is going to work when it all goes to taxes. The affected parties simply reduced the salary they were paid and took it elsewhere as noted above. But it did look good for the cameras.
We are constantly told the minimum wage needs to be raised, and the top earners need to get less. This will not work. Wages are paid from profit earned by a company providing goods and services to the public. When these wages are artificially raised, or lowered, it affects the ability of these companies to provide those goods and services. Simply put, if you raise the minimum wage to $100 per hour, you won’t have a bunch of happy burger flippers and waitresses. You will have a bunch of unemployed burger flippers and waitresses, since few of us can afford $500 burgers or $1,000 lunches. Change that amount to $7 per hour, or $10, or $15, the effect is still the same. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about selling newspapers on the corner or General Motors- the products sold have to reflect the wages paid to workers, or the company will lose money and be forced to close, and minimum wage doesn’t count when you are unemployed. It holds true for the other end of the economic spectrum as well: if you don’t pay top dollar for your CEO, you get Wile E. Coyote running the Acme Inc. And we all know what happens then. Government regulation, with very few exceptions, causes far more problems than it ever solves. So, please, think carefully and remember that having the people who cause problems (The Feds) are the last people to ask for help when trying to solve a problem, especially one that involves money.