Vivcimization

Sarah Hoyt pens a powerful piece voer at PJMedia, about victimization and the current crop of abusers in the news.  A powerful piece.

The continuous denunciation carnival grows tiresome, much as we on the right are watching your cannibal feast with growing fascination.
The end result of it is to run men from public life as though women had no part in this system. And the abuses will go on, because women abuse power too, just not usually in a sexual way.
Take a good look in the mirror, ladies and gentlemen. If you were true ladies and gentlemen you’d know there’s a system of mutual obligation. Checks and balances, you could call them.
Women can’t abdicate their responsibility and not expect men to take advantage.
We’re racing to a system where women act like poor little flowers who have to be protected and kept safe.

Sarah is not blaming the victim, and neither am I.  But, silence is consent, and if you allowed it, then you acquiesced to it.  I've never, for example, considered Monica a victim.  She knew what she was doing, and if  Bill was able to take advantage, then it is only because she allowed it.

The current litany of exposed celebrities and politicians teaches us a cautionary lesson.  I'm sure that some of these victims are "pure" victims, but I'd suspect that a certain percentage of them were willing to go-along to get-along, for the sake of career, or power, or money. The point is; they were willing.

There is an old joke told about a rich man who asks a young woman if she would sleep with him for $200,000.  She ponders fro a moment and replies "Yes, for $200,000."

He asks "How about $20?"

She is outraged, "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"We've already established, " he explains, "what kind of girl you are.  Now we're simply negotiating a price."

There are those women who find themselves the victim of sexual abuse, and my heart goes out to them.  No one should be subjected to demeaning treatment.  But, the time to object is when it happens.  NO means NO and and we should draw a bright line here.

One More Time

News this morning as I sip my pre-dawn coffee is that Matt Laeur of NBC News has been fired for "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace."

So, it might be instructive to go over this again.  What is "appropriate" sexual behavior in the workplace?  The short answer?  None.  There is no appropriate  sexual behavior in the workplace.  Unless you're a porn star, perhaps.  Otherwise, there is none.

I'm glad I could clear that up for you.

Pouring Concrete

We poured the slab today, on a cool Louisiana day with a high overcast.  It was sunny, but we were not getting the full benefit of the warming rays.

There are days when concrete just does not want to set.  The trucks arrived at 9:00 a.m. this morning and at 8:00 p.m., they were still working the slab, under lights.

They left at 8:40 p,m.  The slab looks to be as smooth as a baby's butt.   The beauty of working a salb with cross-light, like the headlights of a truck, is that every little wrinkle casts a shadow three tiems as big as the problem.

I talked to the builder late this afternoon.  He'll let the slab cure for two weeks then start up with the building.  The best part about this project is that everything that comes across the culvert is already paid for.  No loan officers involved.

Transgender Military Policy

Insty is reporting that a federal judge.... oh, hell.

BREAKING.  Federal judge rules that military must move forward with policy allowing transgender military recruits starting on January 1, 2018.

I don't believe that allowing a civil court to order the military to do anything is a good idea.

Taxpayer Funded Corruption

It turns out that taxpayer dollars have been paying settlements to his sexual harassment allegations in Congress.  Legal Insurrection reports:

Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken. Michigan Democrat Representative John Conyers. Who is next? It could be anyone! A Washington Post report from a few weeks ago showed that the “Office of Compliance has paid more than $17 million for 264 settlements and awards to federal employees for violations of various employment rules” since 1997. This includes sexual harassment.

That's utter bullshit.  Taxpayer dollars should not be a hush-fund slush-fund for Congressional wrongdoing.  That's wrong, and if a Congressman does wrong, let him (or her) pay it out of their personal pocket, not the taxpayer pocket. As the allegations mount and the corruption becomes more public, it seems that the taxpayer will be forking over a lot of cash.

The Practical Rifle

Wirecutter leads us to a post on practical rifles. It seems that the discussion continues,  it is instructive to think about such things, to revisit the discussion.  The author of the linked article makes a good point, that confidence is supreme.  The fundamentals of marksmanship must be there.  BRAS, breathe relax, align, and squeeze.  Once the fundamentals are second-nature, hitting becomes easier.

The fundamentals are there, along with my confidence. The foundation is laid. Optics of any type are a tool to enhance one’s capability, not a shortcut in training. If Joe knows he can ring steel with irons on his weapon at an average engagement distance, then an optic of any type enhances his capability. He now has confidence in himself and his weapon. And confidence is the difference maker above any piece of kit.

The author makes the points that rifles are better now than ever, and I've said repeatedly that we live in a golden age of riflery.  Better materials, better CNC machining, more manufacturers available, the simple fact is that we have much better rifles now than we had 40 years ago.

Still, confidence with a rifle is the main thing.  If you believe that you can make the shot, you'll probably make the shot,  And confidence comes with practice and training.  Get away from the bench after the rifle is sighted and practice position shooting.  Learn to make an expedient rest.  Get to know the rifle by shooting it.  A shooter who shoots a hundred shots a year will be more confident than one who only shoots ten shots per year.

I still think that my criteria on a practical rifle is valid.  If you recall, I defined it like this:

1. magazine fed repeating rifle
2. weighing between 2.5 and 5 kilos
3.The cartridge must be capable of striking a single decisive blow on the target likely to be encountered at a distance where the operator is capable of placing the bullet in the vital area of the target.
4. Maximum length of 43 inches, with the length of pull properly proportioned to the individual
5. Robust sighting system, properly fitted to the rifle and instantly available to the operator.

Once a shooter has a proper rifle, I'd recommend spending additional disposable monies on ammunition.  And, rather than stockpiling it, go the range and turn it into confidence.

Bernie Again

Politico speculates that Bernie Sanders might be making moves to run again in 2020.

From forging closer ties to the labor movement to shoring up his once-flimsy foreign policy credentials, the moves have provided the senator inroads into party power structures that largely shunned him in favor of Hillary Clinton last year. They've also empowered the progressive icon to harness his newfound political power and help Democrats fight President Donald Trump's administration.

According to my quick research, Sanders got 43% of the vote during the Democratic primary, a primary that was stacked against him.  He's further left than most mainstream politicians, but he sure energizes the socialist wing of the party.  His big selling point is universal health care.

Plus, he's in his late 70s.  If elected, he'll be 79 years old when he takes office (born 9/8/1941).

Interesting.

Hillary and the Slave Trade

Glenn Reynolds reports that Africans are actively being sold in Libyan markets.

Back in the 2012 presidential campaign, former vice president Joe Biden told a group of African Americans that the GOP was going to ‘put you all back in chains.’ But it turned out that it was Clinton’s policies that led to black people being sold. As some ponder another Hillary Clinton run in 2020, that’s worth pointing out.”

Clinton should have a lot of explaining to do, if anyone with character or an understanding of ethics would hold her accountable.  It is worth pointing out that post-Civil War, the Democrats were responsible for the KKK and the Jim Crow laws.  And now, in the early years of the 21st century, it is the disastrous policies of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State that led to the re-emergence oof slave markets in Libya.

Draw whatever parallels you wish to draw.

Another record

It looks like we bought a lot of guns on Black Friday.  According to the link, the FBI processed over 200,000 background checks that day setting a new record.

Just wow!  Let Freedom Ring.

LINKY HERE.

Saturday Notes

I'm boiling turkey carcasses for gumbo.  I smoked one and my brother-in-law smoked one.  I'll let them boil for an hour or so in salted water, then take them out to cool.  When they're cool enough, I"ll peel the meaty bits off of them, discard the bones and keep the meat and the stock for a gumbo that we'll eat tomorrow for lunch.I have some sausage in the 'fridge, but we'll pic up another pound at the grocer's later today.

Panning for Louisiana State continues apace.  I have to make a budget and intend to get that finished this weekend.  I have been poring over last year's notes trying to get realistic numbers, and Belle and I have a date tomorrow afternoon to sit down at the kitchen table and put numbers to paper.  I need to get this done so that we can move forward.

The Cross Branded Peacemakers are meeting later today for our final shoot for this year..  I intend that we're just going to practice for a while, then talk about planning for the State shoot this spring.

The concrete crew has one additional task to complete before the foundation and forms are ready to pour.  We're scheduled to pout the concrete on Monday morning.  I am ready to see concrete in that hole.

Christmas is upon us, and Christmas music is officially endorsed.  This is one of my favorites.



Here we go!

The Shop Project

The shop project is coming along nicely.  The concrete crew is putting the finishing touches on the form and foundation, and w'll pout the slab on Monday.

This is something that Belle and I have planned and dreamed about for ten years, and it's finally coming to fruition.  We can't wait to see the concrete down and steel standing on the slab, but we realize that this is God's project as much as ours and we have to wait for His time.

Good Luck With That

You gotta love the flat-earth folks.  If nothing else, they provide us with endless mirth.

“Mad” Mike Hughes is a bit of a conundrum. The 61-year-old doesn’t believe in science, but he plans to launch himself over a ghost town Saturday in a self-made rocket that he built over the last few years, spending over $20,000. He plans to one day create another rocket that can leave earth’s atmosphere so he can prove that the earth is flat.

He doesn't believe in science, but he's going to launch a rocket.  To prove that the earth is flat.  Good luck with that.

But, he's willing to put his money where his mouth is, and he's willing to entertain us in the meantime.  I wonder what he's going to do when he gets high enough and sees the curvature of the earth?

Progress

For the vast majority of the human experience, the workday was measured by the sun.   For the most part, artificial light was limited to burning oil, whether vegetable or mineral.   Whether the lamps that Jesus used, or the kerosene lights and candles that lit the evenings of the pioneers of our more recent past, artificial light was important.  Then, in the late 1800s, the electric light bulbs were invented, and human progress took a dramatic leap forward.  The electric revolution of the late 19th century made a huge difference in human life and spawned continuing progress that continues today.  Even this computer I use to communicate my philosophy on life can be traced directly to that simple invention.

I remember a conversation between my father and my sister.  She came into the kitchen holding an open textbook and asked, "How do light bulbs work?"

Dad made his living as a telephone man.  His working career spanned that time from rotary dial phones and twisted pair cable, through electronic switching, microwave technology and fiber optics.  He looked at the light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and pronounced.  "Battery on one side, ground on the other."

"Okay," my sister asked.  "So how does the television work?"

Dad chuckled.  "Basically, battery on one side, ground on the other."

The point is that artificial, electric light spawned a transformation of human endeavor.  And, for some progressives, that's a problem.  A recent NPR article says it's a problem.

Earth Is Lit, And That's A Problem

That's the title of the article.  Click on the link, but they're serious.  The earth is too bright.  They're worried about light pollution.  Seriously.

The rapid increase in night lighting has been a profound change, a kind of global experiment, that has happened in just the last 100 years. "My mum, for example, grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, in a time before they had electrification," Kyba says. "So she grew up with an amazing starry sky, and now she lives, within one lifetime, under a very light-polluted sky."

This is called progress, something that progressives are adamantly against.  Much the irony.  Progressives won't he happy until humans descend into darkness, barely clinging to life.  For myself, than you, I'll put up with a little light pollution.

Californai

So, this California student steals a hat from the person of another and the video goes viral.  I'll show you the video.



Pure left-wing ire and angst because someone had the temerity to wear a hat that they didn't agree with.  At the end of the video, we see the police arrive, and it didn't turn out like she expected it to.

Legal Insurrection is reporting that the student has been charged and face a year in jail.

She's lucky that she didn't commit the crime in Louisiana.  From what I've seen of the vieo, that set of circumstances would be charged as Simple Robbery.

§65.  Simple robbery
A.  Simple robbery is the taking of anything of value belonging to another from the person of another or that is in the immediate control of another, by use of force or intimidation, but not armed with a dangerous weapon. 
B.  Whoever commits the crime of simple robbery shall be fined not more than three thousand dollars, imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than seven years, or both.  

She keeps yammering on in the video about having rights.  Yeah, I'd have told her.  "You have the right to remain silent.  You have the right to an attorney."  etc, etc.

Prepping

Putting politics aside, I've begun prepping for tomorrow.  Thanksgiving id s uniquely American holiday, and we make the most of it.  Turkey, ham, cornbread dressing, yams, green bean casserole and that's just the main course.  At 0800 local, I cranked up the smoker for the turkey.

It will sit in the smoker all day long,   About happy hour, I'll take it off  and refrigerate it, then it will go back into the smoker tomorrow morning to warm, along with the ham which will need to warm prior to the noon meal.

The concrete guys will be here in a few minutes, to complete the form, lay the steel, and prep for pouring the slab on Monday  morning.  I have a laundry list of things to do today, so I'd best start checking them off.

The Wages of Sin

We all remember Al Franken, the comic from Saturday Night Live, who managed to parlay that celebrity into a seat in the US Senate.  In the current climate of politics and charges of sexual harassment, Hot Air says that the Democratic wagons are starting to circle around Franken.  He is a reliable Democrat at a time when the Democrats are in the minority, so the political establishment is protecting its own.

Contrast this with the case of a Louisiana politician who was elected to the Senate.  A staunch Republican, he ran on a conservative, family values ticket, and shortly after getting to Washington, was involved in a scandal that featured a brothel, and diapers.  There were no allegations of groping, or forcing himself on women, A brothel, after all, is a place where consent is considered a part of doing business.  The fellow's apology was both heartfelt and humiliating, but we in Louisiana felt betrayed.  We started calling him "Diaper Dave."

Several years later, after the brouhaha had died down, Dave made a run for Governor.  He had been a solid conservative for several years, representing the people of Louisiana capably.  Louisiana has a weird election system, where everybody runs in a non-party primary and the top two vote-getters move to the general election.  When the dust settled, and the votes were counted in the primary, Diaper Dave was in a runoff with a Democrat, John Bel Edwards.

Louisiana has a solid Democrat voting bloc, and we knew that if we sat out the election, we'd probably hand the governorship to the Democrat.  Belle and I agonized over the decision, and came to the conclusion that we wouldn't vote for Edwards, and we simply couldn't pull the lever for Diaper Dave.  It was agonizing and frustrating, but we had to face it.

Dave is now in private retirement and we wish him well.  His opponent, Edwards, is the governor, with all the nonsense, higher taxes, and bigger regulatory burden.  He thinks he won, and in a sense he did.  There is a lesson here, but I'm not really sure what to draw from it.

Tuesday Notes

The concrete guys are here, forming for the slab for the building we're constructing.  About lunch time, a passing shower drove them off, but they promised they'd be back after lunch.  Both of them are Baptist ministers, so I trust them.  They'll be back after the rain passes.  The form is looking good, and we have a footing inspection scheduled for tomorrow morning, hopefully we can pour the slab right after the inspection.   But, we're on God's time and we can only do what He wills

About 1:00, I heard a knock on the door.  A neighbor lady, soft-spoken, well dressed, informed me that she had just knocked over my mailbox.    She got distracted and the car wandered.   I went out to inspect it, and sure enough, she got it.  I stood it back up, tamped the soil around the post with my hell, and pronounced it good.  No harm, no foul. 

"Okay," she says, "but look what it did to my car."

So, I walk over to the car.  Front right fender dented,  long scratch down the side of an otherwise nondescript little four-door sedan.  When I looked back at her, she said that she guessed she'd have to find a shop to fix it, and I detected what we in law-enforcement describe as "an odor of an alcoholic beverage". 

But, who am I to judge. Probably a lunch with friends, and she didn't appear unsteady oh her feet.   She was almost home, on a quiet suburban street.  She'll make it home just fine. 

Old Ammo Ads

I love old ammo and firearms ads, although I don't remember this particular brand.

They were probably a short-lived brand.  With advertising like this, I can see why.

Monday Aggravation

I am reminded that Monday comes each week, whether I'm at work or not.  s it turns out, I'm off this week, and Monday has been simply one aggravation after another.

Don't ever try to buy air conditioners during the last week of November.  I went to Lowe's and had them drag two big 25K BTU units to the checkout, then learned that this was a heater too.  I don't want AC/heaters.  I want AC  units.  Tood bad, so sad.  Those are seasonal and won't be  available until spring.  I went to Sears and they had one 25K and one 18K.  I want a matched set.  So, I wound up ordering two 18K units.  They'll be delivered November 30th, which is okay with my construction timeline.

The thing about Lowe's is that they're trying to out-Amazon, Amazon.    And, they suck at it.

Then, I went to my tobacconist, and they were out of my favorite brand.  Really?  Yeah, there should be some on the truck tomorrow.

I may start Happy Hour early today.

Oklahoma

A photo of me, taken in Oklahoma last spring.  I know it was  Sunday, late in the day.  I'm wearing my white Sunday-Go-To-Meeting shirt and I'm not strapped, so I was already out of the match.

I'm still trying to identify that fellow to my left, but the Cav Stetson looks good.

Sunday Morning Dawg

The dog got a haircut yesterday, and while he's still going blind, at least the hair isn't in his eyes, so that's better.  I'm sure that what he can see is a little easier to see.

It's been a busy week, and Thanksgiving week is upon us.  We're going to try and get a little rest today.  Y'all do the same.

Charles Manson Dead?

I saw a report earlier that Charles Manson had died.  I can't find it now, but all other reports say that he's near death in a hospital in California.  Either way, it's probably instructive to dwell for a moment on the life and career of Charles Manson.

That's long enough.  He's better forgotten.  He should have died years ago.

In my mind, Charles Manson is the best argument yet put forward for the death sentence.  The majority of his life was spent in a prison cell.  Over several decades all he managed to do was eat and defecate.  He cost the taxpayers of  California millions of dollars in housing, food, medical care and prison salaries.  A strong scaffold and a short rope would have been much more cost effective.

I've heard all the arguments.  None of them ring true.  Charles Manson's life was a complete and total waste.  That in itself is not a crime, lots of people live wasted lives.  In this particular case, he combined a wasted life with unrepentant evil.   Entire encyclopedia, dissertations, legal arguments, humanist objections, have been written on the evils of the death penalty, but Manson is the exception that laughs in the face of the rule.

The good people of California would have been much better off if they would have just put Charlie down several decades ago.

UPDATE** Here's the link.

Video

Our very own Miss E has put up a video of the shoot last weekend.  Once again she did a great job editing and compiling this video.  Let's watch, shall we?



Great job, MIss E.

Truth About Background Checks

I'm just going to leave this right here.



I am the NRA, and I am freedom's safest place.

Irrelevant Person Opens His Pie-Hole

Louis Farrakhan, who has been irrelevant since the '60's is opening his pie-hole again.  The level of stupidity is staggering.

"Mr. President, you won't make America great again, not in our time," Farrakhan declared Thursday in a speech at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. "She became great killing Native Americans. She became great enslaving us, bringing us from Africa into America to work the cotton fields. You're not going to get that opportunity back anymore."

Really, Louis?  When were you enslaved?    Nor your parents, nor your grandparents.

What Louis is pissed about is that we didn't elect Hillary.  Well, Lou is, you can get over it.    As far as I'm concerned, you're just another voice in the darkness, irrelevant to lucid conversation, In fact, you're totally enslaved by the Democratic party, just another lost soul on their plantation. 

Louis has done well, in fact, railing against a something that ceased to exist   He's almost laughable, if he weren't so pathetic.  What's really pathetic is that any new agency covers his delirious rants. 

America is already great, Louis, whether you like it or not.  Once your racist ilk is consigned to a footnote in a history, America can breathe a sigh of relief.

Backfire

In a feel-good story today, we learn of a high school football team i Georgia who took matters into their own hands when the local school system was forced to end the coaches participation in before-game prayers.  PJMedia reports.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has put an end to a Georgia high school coach’s practice of praying with his players.

These atheists intended to put an end to coaches praying with their players, but the students took it upon themselves to organize a pre-game prayer.

 "Our students have done a great job and our students took it upon themselves to organize a prayer with our students in the stands before the game. Instead of it being 100 players praying, it turned into 400 students praying. That's their right and we are going to support them in that," Small said

The atheists made an issue of it, and the number of participants quadrupled.   God has a way of turning adversity into a blessing.

Dirty Rice

My son asked about Dirty Rice (aka Rice Dressing), a Cajun tradition.  There isn't much to it, actually, it's simply rice with ground meat and sausage.....  and , well, here's the recipe.

Dirty Rice
Ingredients
1 lb good ground beef
1 lb breakfast sausage
Onion, chopped
Bell Pepper, chopped
Celery, chopped. (Or, just buy a bag of Seasoning Mix veggies)
Salt
Pepper
3 cups dry rice
3 cups chicken stock (use bullion cubes or pre-packaged)

Cooking
In a big Dutch oven, brown your meat, stirring together the beef and sausage.  Add chopped veggies and cook then in the meat until tender.  Drain the meat and veggie mix. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put meat and veggies back in the Dutch oven, add rice and chicken stock, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Alternatively, you can put that Dutch oven in a 350F oven for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.  Either way.  Or, if you're feeding a regiment, you can double the recipe and put the mixture into a steam pan and cook it in the oven.  It all turns out good.

Dirty rice is a south Louisiana tradition, and a really easy way to dress up a meal.

Louisiana State 2018

Let the games begin.  Lots of planning to do between now and then.

We're really looking forward to it.

My Senator

My Senator, John N. Kennedy of Louisiana has penned an article in the Washington Examiner where he tells people to quit having children they don't intend to raise.

For the life of me, I don’t know why anyone who is an addict would decide to become a parent and bring an innocent child into his or her sick drug den. My only conclusion is that some parents figure someone else will raise their children while they do drugs, drink, party, commit crimes, Snapchat, plant fake crops on FarmVille, and do anything but parent. They’d rather have the latest and greatest iPhone than help their children figure out eighth-grade algebra.

He's right, and I don't understand either.

Outdoor Cooking

I've found this website called The BBQ Pit Boys and I've been surfing around.

I've been working up the courage to try this recipe.



I'm an old hand at deep-frying turkeys, but I don't know if I can work up the courage to put a rib roast in cooking oil.  But, it sure looks good.

Pawn Shop Crawling

Today on my lunch break I decided to have a little fun, and went to two of my favorite pawn shops.

Shop #1 has a nice Ruger New Vaquero that I've been watching.  It's a 511-series, in .45 Colt, with a 5.5 inch barrel.  The 511-series was made from 2011 to 2013 and is very desirable for Cowboy Fast Draw.  The pawn shop has it listed at $595.00, which is just a shade off street retail for a NIB gun.

I was in there a month ago, and they told me then that I could have it, out-the-door, for $450.00.  I told them then that the price was too steep for a used gun, and I walked.  Today when I walked in, it was still in the case.  I bargained with the guy for a little bit and he told me that I could have it for $500.00.  I very gently and discreetly told the guy that he was out of his mind, and that I really hoped that someone bought it, but that I'd be back in 30 days to see if they had come to their senses.

Pawn shop #2 didn't have anything in the counter, but the counter guy (I've been dealing there for over 15 years) told me that he had an interesting gun coming out just after Christmas.  He brought it out so that I could see it.  It's a Uberti Stallion, but an older model than the one listed in today's catalog.  It's a very nice revolver, but interestingly, it has the 6.5" barrel. 

The 6.5" barrel is an odd bird for my type of shooting.  Too long for most of my holsters and too short for the Shootist category, which requires a 7.5" barrel.  Still, if I can pick it up right, I might be able to have the barrel shortened to 4.75 inches and keep it in the spares bag as a loaner gun.  I told the guy that I'd be back after Christmas and see if we couldn't strike a deal.

We'll see.  I don't need any more guns, but it's always nice to see what is in the display case at the local pawn shops.

Salem Moments

The thing about historians is that they understand that there is really nothing new in the human condition.  We, as a species, have already made the mistakes that we continue to make, and we refuse to learn from them.  Victor Davis Hanson is one such historian and he pens an article

The Greeks knew well of the transitory nature of these mass panics. They claimed such fits were inspired by the Maniae, the three daughters of Night who were the goddesses of insanity, madness, and crazed frenzy. We’ve seen all three of them in action throughout the past year.

Dr. Hanson talks about the frenzy of the 24-hour news cycle. 

Collusion everywhere and no where.

 For about six months, cable news shows, the internet, and the major newspapers ginned up the charge of “Russian collusion”—as a means of explaining the otherwise inexplicable and unacceptable defeat of Hillary Clinton by someone without either political or military experience.

Racism and the NFL

Soon the players’ incoherent messaging was passed off by the media as some sort of grassroots Rosa Parks civil rights movement. But as viewers turned their channels and stadia emptied, the hysterical outbursts began to cool.

The Statue Busters

 About the same time came the statue hysteria. America woke up one day and decided that century-old statues of Confederate generals or archetypical southern soldiers were proof of pernicious racism. So they had to be removed—by the dead of night and by the mob if necessary
 

The Sex Predators

 The next collective furor arose over Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Sometime in October 2017, the progressive film titan was abruptly condemned as sick, evil, and unhinged—after 30 years of common knowledge that he routinely sought to use his power of hiring and firing to leverage or force sexual gratification.

Go, as they say, and read the whole thing.  Dr. Hanson writes concisely and turns a phrase nicely.  But, I am struck by how much this time in our recent history looks like the Salem Witch trials.   Such frenzies come and go, but I am reminded of the lesson from John 8, where our Lord was asked about the punishment of the woman caught in adultery. 

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

I, for one, are tired of the witch trials.  Justice is important, but so is mercy.  What our popular culture has forgotten is that what is now forbidden was once acceptable.    We have progressed as a people in many ways, but we have forgotten how we all acted  twenty, thirty, forty years ago.   I know that I am not without sin and doubt that those casting metaphorical stones today are without sin.

Monday Snippets

While I was out playing gunfighter this weekend, the world kept spinning and some of it was news.

Everyone is reporting that Roger Goodell, the NFL Commish, wants $50 million a year and lifetime use of a private jet.    Bullshit!  No one is worth that much money.  Of course, the NFL can do what  the NFL wants to do, but personally, I'd tell him that he could go screw himself.

A while back, a Democrat shot and severely injured a Louisiana Congressman at a softball practice.  More recently, a Democrat beat and injured a Republican Senator.  Now, Governor Jerry Brown a Democrat from California, offers violence to protesters.    Why has the Democratic Party become such a cesspool of violence?  When did shootings, beatings, and threats of violence become acceptable political discourse?

Joe Biden is starting a book tour.  From what I know about Uncle Joe, he's likable enough, and he certainly is entertaining.  I've seen other folks who think that he had some regrets about being railroaded by Hillary, and should have run for President.  I say don't count him out.  He is certainly an experienced politician

Bush Derangement Syndrome was bad enough, but Trump Derangement Syndrome is beyond the pale.  It appears that the New York Times has published an op-ed calling for segregation.  

The same is true, unfortunately, of those who hold no quarter for Mr. Trump but insist that black people need to do the reaching out, the moderating, the accommodating. Imagine the white friend during the civil rights era who disliked blacks’ being beaten to death but wished the whole thing would just settle down. However likable, you could not properly describe her as a friend. Sometimes politics makes demands on the soul.

Wow.  Tonight at church, I'll pray for his soul.

Last Shoot

We finished up the Thorn Valley Invitational this morning, and it was a bittersweet experience.  We've been shooting in an old barn at the Rustic Sky Horse Camp for over three years, and it was a great place to shoot.  Unfortunately, their business is growing and they needed the space for other things, so we got evicted.   But, the owner told us several months ago, and was gracious enough to let us hold our final shoot in the facility before we had to leave.

Thirty shooters from four states, and we had one heck of a time   We shot the main match yesterday, a 4X match.  We did the ladies as a last-gal standing, and it came out about like you'd expect.

Marshall's Daughter -1st, Snake Charmer - 2nd, Texas Rose - 3rd
Blue Eyed Belle - 4th, Pistol Pearl - 5th.

When we got down to the proper point, we did a Magnificent Seven for the mean, and  there were a couple of surprises there.

The Shootist - 1st, Red Rock - 2ne, Cajun Greg - 3rd,  Little Kazzy - 4th
Okie Ed, - 5th,  Gentleman George - 6th, Diamondback Billy - 7th.

This morning, we went to the cook shack and ate breakfast, then assembled at the barn for some fun shoots.  We shot doubles, and Five Card Draw, and I'll post pictures of those later.

Then we broke down the range and got it ready to transport to its new home.  Thorn Valley is moving south about 12 miles to a new home in Big Mark's barn, and the Cross Branded Peacemakers are building a new range at Maor D's place.  That old barn spawned two clubs and is the birthplace of CFDA in Louisiana, so it was a sad time to seep out the wax for the last time.

But, we're not going to cry long.  CFDA is alive and well in Louisiana, with three clubs now, one in Shreveport, one in Pineville, and the old Thorn Valley moving to Oakdale.  CFDA is alive and well in Louisiana and we're hard at work planning the next state shoot to be held in Natchitoches, LA on April 6, 7, and 8.

Two Photos

The only two photos I've been able to find from my military career.  Film cameras being what they are, I'm sure that I have more in a box in the attic, but these are two that I've kept in digital format.

My command photo,taken shortly after I assumed command of Co D, 2d Bn, 4th Bde at Fort Knox,  probably taken the winder of 1978.  Those were the days of starched fatigues, white tee-shirts, and black combat boots.  I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in April of 78, so this picture was taken prior to April 1079.

Ten years later, summer of '88, I had just made Major the prior spring.  This photo was taken at Fort Polk, lA during annual training.  The young captain to my right is Debra Williams.  She was working on her dissertation and went on to gain her doctorate a year or so later.  By this time the Army had transitioned out of cotton fatigue uniforms and we were wearing woodland camo BDUs.  And, of course, black, polished leather boots.

The next years, we were both called to active duty for Desert Storm.

The soldiers today are wearing digicam and brown, rough-out boots. 

Happy Birthday, Jarheads!

On this day in 1775  the Continental Marines were established, recruiting in Tun's Tavern, Philadelphia. 

The USA Today Chainsaw Bayonet

I've been a little busy this week and I missed the hilarity that USA Today caused when they published a video talking about possible modifications to the ubiquitous AR-15.



They included an accessory I've never seen, but makes the already dreaded chainsaw bayonet.

Oh, yeah, double the weight of the rifle, and change the balance all the way to the front.   Hilarity ensues.

I hope that they have the editor of this video bent over a barrel, busing his ass with boat paddles.  Just putt him out in the lobby and let visitors spank him until he quivers.  Stupidity this epic should be extremely painful.

Yeah, I know, every would-be zombie hunter has put every imaginable item on the front of an Ar-15, but that makes it neither practical nor desirable.   And, yes, you can buy a chainsaw bayonet, just like you can buy a MIG-15.  That fact alone doesn't make it any less idiotic.

Thursday Morning Coffee Break

Hot Air (and everydamnbody else) is reporting that the USAF failed to forward paperwork to the NICS that might have stopped the Texas shooter from obtaining his firearm..

They also report that he was a mental patient.  And may have ordered his firearm while he was an in-patient at the nuthouse.

[The shooter] who was listed at the facility as a high-risk patient — a danger to himself and to others — told other patients that he ordered guns online about 48 to 72 hours before he fled the facility, according to the documents.

This whole thing is a cascade of failure.

Never one to let failure be an obstacle, Dianne Feinsein, the automaton from California is once again introducing another assault weapons ban ... for guns that, you know, are not really assault weapons.

“We’re introducing an updated assault weapons ban for one reason: so that after every mass shooting with a military-style assault weapon, the American people will know that a tool to reduce these massacres is sitting in the Senate, ready for a debate and a vote,” said a statement released by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Of course, it's lost on Feinstein, that both the bad guy and the good guy in this disaster were using AR-15 rifles. I'm never sure what is most stunning; the stupidity of Feinstein, or the stupidity of the voters who keep returning her to the Senate.

This newest AWB is doomed to failure, but Feinstein is accustomed to failure.

On a brighter note, the Governor of the State of Louisiana has declared November 10th to be the day that our state observes Veteran's Day, and has made it a state holiday.   As such, PawPaw will be off and will be out at the range prepping for the invitational shoot that we are hosting this weekend.  We all know that November 10th is the birthday of the US Marine Corps, and I'll hoist a toast to them tomorrow.

Responding to Comments

In the post about carrying in church,  Jonathon asks:

I read the whole statute and U(5) appears to me to require additional yearly training to carry in a church, even if authorized by the pastor. How do you read that section?

I read it about like you do.  Evidently, it requires eight hours a year.  The follow-up question might be who is going to enforce it?  That's one of those things that they write into legislation to make legislators feel better about passing it..  We can talk all we want to about the particulars of a piece of legislation, but in the end the question is enforcement.  Who is going to enforce it and how will it be enforced?  Beats me.

I'm fairly certain that if a goblin comes into a church and starts shooting the place up, the LEOs who respond will not look at the church records to make sure that the heroes who stopped him were properly certified.  Some things are better left unasked.

Now, moving on to more interesting things,  In the post on the Friday night shoot, Retired Spook notices that I'm left-handed.

Never realized you shot southpaw!

Well, yes and no.  I'm naturally left-handed, but when I started shotgunning as a youth, my Dad tested me for eye dominance and found that I am right-eye dominant.  As such, he taught me to shotgun and rifle shoot from my right side.  When I began police work in the early '80s, I strapped my handgun on my right side.  So, for several decades I shot right-handed.

When I began fast draw, my wife asked why I did't shoot it left-handed, because I do everything else (wrenching, hammering, writing, eating) from the left side.  I found a left-hand holster to humor her, and found that I am several hundredths faster from my left side than my right.

So, yeah, when I put on my duty rig for police work, the pistol is on the right.  When I strap up for Cowboy competition, the revolver is on the left. 

I hope I answered you guys' questions.

Oh, Please!

Some idiot on Twitter asks this question:

Oh, dear heart, I sleep good at night.  NRA members don't shoot up assemblies of people.  The last several such events were perpetrated by Democrats.

Why is the Democratic party such a hot-house of murder and mayhem? 

Asked and Answered

Last night, at church, many folks asked me (because I am a law enforcement officer) if someone would be allowed to carry a firearm during services.  One of those who asked was my pastor.    In light of recent acts and with full knowledge of current events, that seems like a prudent question.

I told my pastor that under my understanding of the law, the pastor could give permission to anyone to carry on the church premises.  This morning, because I wanted to be firmly grounded in current law, I went to the Louisiana Legislatures website and reviewed the pertinent statutes.

The pertinent law is here, listed as LA Revised Statute 40:1379.3.  The law generally prohibits carry in a church, synagogue, or mosque, but allows an exception:

 U.(1) The entity which owns the business or has authority over the administration of a church, synagogue, or mosque shall have the authority to authorize any person issued a valid concealed handgun permit as authorized by the provisions of this Section to carry a concealed handgun in the church, synagogue, or mosque.

As such, the pastor gave us permission to carry in church.  We're a Cowboy church, and the congregants are very familiar with firearms, many of them having CCW permits.  To say that the congregation was heavily armed last night would not be understatement.

 I'd caution my readers that this is Louisiana law and the laws in your jurisdiction might vary.

As important as the legal regime is in every jurisdiction, it leaves unanswered the moral question:  Would you rather be tried by twelve of your peers, or carried by six of your friends?

The Red River Sharpshooters

A new video out from Miss E, the chronicler of the Southern Territory.  She had her camera out for the shoot in Shreveport last Friday and posted a new video today.

Most of these shooters were brand-new to the game and we were introducing them.  It was a lot of fun.



This video never shows me on the line, but if you look for an old fat soldier behind the line, being the range-master, the fellow wearing the Cavalry stetson, that's me. j Opps!  Yeah, it does show me on the line, in the first 20 seconds.  Our host, Chief Runamuck, a good friend out of Texas, Whiplash, and Major D, yours truly are on the line for the opening shot.  And, of course, those two speedsters missed the target, and old Major D got the blinking light.

More on the Texas State Shooter

It's early yet and we've got to understand that these things take time.  But, there are a few things that we know, and a lot that's being reported.  Some of it true, some of it false.

What we do know is that some deranged cowardly dick-head shot up a church in Texas yesterday.  Twenty-seven ?? dead  We know that a local citizen ended the shooting, by busting caps on the cowardly shooter.  We know that the shooter left the scene and was found dead elsewhere.

We also know that several Godless Democrat senators called for gun control before the blood was dry or the bodies even cooled.   I have written my Senator, John Kennedy of Louisiana, asking him to rebuke his colleagues on the Senate floor.  Dancing in the blood of the victims is despicable, and I used that word in my letter to my Senator.

There are lots of things we don't know, as of this writing.  Was he an Antia member?  Snopes says no.  Did he obtain his weapon legally?   Did he receive a Dishonorable Discharge?  Was this rampage random, or did he have some connection to the congregation?    All these questions and more will be answered in the days to come.

What we do know is that he was a cowardly little sonofabitch,  We also know that he murdered dozens of people in a place or worship, and that act in itself is still against the law, even in Texas. This fact, above all others, shows the absolute futility of any laws that might be promulgated against such things.  The little coward didn't care about the murder laws, so why would we suspect that he would care about gun-control laws? 

We know that an armed citizen stopped it.  He saved lives.  That is the basic argument for the 2nd Amendment.

Higher Education Bubble.

From Glenn Reynolds, who happens to be a law professor in Knoxville.  Also, he's Instapundit.

Lately, he's been tracking the sorry state of education, both in high school and college.

That was pretty much the Insta-Daughter’s story. The first semester of high school she tracked how they used her time and found that shockingly little of it — like 2-3 hours a day — was on actual learning. The rest was busywork, assemblies, etc. That’s why she quit and went to online (Kaplan) high school, graduating early at 16 after taking far more AP courses than her allegedly fancy public high school offered.

Follow the links.  Or, hell, just go read this.   Generally, public schools are a disaster.

Church Shooting in Texas

It seems that there was another horrific mass homicide in Texas this morning.  A murderer walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas this morning.  Twenty-six are dead.

My prayers and thoughts, of course, to those affected.    The low-life scumbag who did this is dead, although it's not immediately apparent if he ate his own gun (which frequently happens), or if he were put down by police.  He has been identified, but I will not name him.  He's not worth memory, except as a n evil person.  Let his name be never uttered again.

The Democrats, of course, are already dancing in the blood.  Senator Bob Casey is leading the charge.

The last time I looked, Bob, murder was still against the law.  Even in Texas.  When Casey made his call against murder, the bodies were probably still lying in the floor.  As despicable as the murderer himself is, Senator Casey is running a close second.

**UPDATE** We're learning more, and it looks like an armed citizen stopped it.  From Austin Bay, over at Instapundit.

DEVELOPING MEME THAT CHALLENGES LEFTIST MAINSTREAM: Armed citizen who fired on the mass murderer is being described on Fox News as “a good Samaritan.” I agree. He was rendering aid in a life-threatening circumstance. The armed citizen who engaged the murderer was saving lives. How will the mainstream media address this? Commenters, please, like the chorus you are, explain this evolving history.

Whoever that armed citizen might be, Well Done!

Standards of Accuracy

Surfing around with coffee on Sunday morning, I stumbled across this video, talking about rifle myths that have been promulgated and told as truth.  If you enjoy listening to guys talking about guns while drinking scotch, it's a fascinating video, especially after the second glass, when they tend to get into diversions (as most gun conversations do).



One point that they made is something I've said repeatedly.  We today live in a golden age of riflery.   During WWII, the various participants were making rifles as fast as they could, to outfit armies in the field.  Using machine tools of the day, with wartime constraints, crude iron sights, poor wood-to-metal fit, issued to conscripts, a rifle that would group into 12" at 100 yards was considered adequate in many armies.  And, in fact, it was adequate.  A rifle built to those standards would let an infantryman hit a man-sized target at 200 yards.

If a rifleman today walks into a store, buys a rifle with an inexpensive scope, and takes it to the range, he expects much better than 12" at 100 yards.  Much better.  Any rifle bought today that can't group into 3" at 100 yards is considered defective, and will probably be returned to the store as defective.

Indeed, two weeks ago, I talked about a rifle, the Ruger American with a low-end scope that flirted with that magic 1" standard right out of the box.  In WWII that would be considered phenomenal accuracy for a sniper rifle, and totally unheard of for a rifle issued at random out of the rack.  Today, we have better control of the machine tools, better metallurgy,  better stock material, peacetime production,

That's not to say that the various armories produced bad rifles.  They operated under different constraints, and did not have the tools and processes that we have today.  In fact, many of those armories pioneered the processes that we use routinely today.  We stand on the shoulders of guys like Garand, and Mauser, and Enfield.  They did the ground-breaking work, ad we've simply learned from them.  Composite stocks, better bedding techniques, a better understanding of what makes a bullet fly, and don't forget better ammunition..

The simple fact is that the rifles we buy today, even the low-end price points, are light-years ahead of what was available at any price fifty years ago.  Go buy a Savage Axis, or a Ruger American,  or any of Remington's offerings, and you have a rifle that the snipers of WWII would have drooled over.

We stand on the shoulders of giants, and we live in a golden age of rifle manufacturing.

Sunday Morning Dawg

The dawg, and his cat, enjoying the sunshine.

That cat is real particular about who or what can get close, andthe dawg is one of the few living creatures that she tolerates.  Belle swears that the cat is autistic (and Belle has over 30 years experience dealing with autism and other developmental disabilities).

Road Trip

Belle and I are home after a road trip to Shreveport, LA.  We went up last night to help a new CFDA club get organized.  When you're teaching new shooters, it's safety, safety, safety, while trying to make sure that everyone has fun and considers it a positive experience.    I was busy hand-judging, instructing, being a range officer, and doing all manner of things to make the experience  positive one, and to help the club succeed.

Alas, no pictures.  Hopefully our designated photographer will put up some photos after she edits them.  If so, I'll share them.

After the shoot, it was well past our bedtime, so Belle and I found the motel and crashed.

Got up this morning, got our act together and went to Natchitoches, LA to survey the venue for the LA State shoot that we'll be hosing in April.  I'll have to schedule a meeting with the mayor soon to lock in some date.  But, I've been going through old photos from last year,  to get some pictures for our promotional poster.  Who wouldn't want to come see a show like this?

That's Madam K, out of the Lone Star Gunslingers, putting wax on steel.

In the meantime, Thorn Valley is hosting their invitational next weekend, and we've got to get busy on the last-minute preps for that. 

Bergdahl Walks

It seems that the deserter, Bowie Bergdahl will get no prison time.  The military judge in his case decided that the offense didn't merit jail time.

Army Col. Judge Jeffery R. Nance said Bergdahl will be dishonorably discharged when issuing the ruling Friday after nearly two weeks of testimony by Bergdahl’s former comrades. Bergdahl, 31, was held by the Taliban for five years before being released in a prisoner swap in 2014.

Okay, let's see.  Sergeant Bergdahl walked off his post, endangered his fellow soldiers, deserted, and was subsequently captured by the Taliban.  They held him for five years .

The time that the Taliban held him shouldn't count for shit.  Ut was Vergdahl's choice to walk off his port. 

The military judge, LTC Nance, evidently wanted to make the point that the military justice system was independent, and he didn't want to be swayed by Donald Trumps exclamations in this matter.    I would hope that Nance's superiors give him holy hell for letting a deserter walk.    Nance may have upheld his independence, but he's also pissed on the good soldiers who stood crappy posts all over the world.

Letting Bergdahl walk is not justice.  It may be a rebuke to Trump's remarks, but Nance had a higher calling.  It's his job to uphold military discipline, and he failed miserably.  That failing should be reflected on his next efficiency report.

So, LTC Nance, you may feel like you've done the right thing, but this old Cavalry major thinks you screwed the pooch, buddy.

A Chainsaw?

I've worked some suicides in my day, but I can't imagine what that scene looked like.

SPRINGFIELD, Va. --- A 76-year-old woman suffered non-life threatening injuries after her 70-year-old husband assaulted her with a hatchet before taking his own life with a chainsaw, according to police. 

Back in the day, when I was a plainclothes guy, I studied blood-spatter from a technical standpoint, although I haven't done any of that work since the mid  '90s.

I wonder if the chainsaw was still running when they got there?

Tip o' the Stetson to Wirecutter.

Climate Change

Global temperatures are continuing to cool.  Data, being what it is, is probably driving the Glowball Warmening crowd crazy.

I'm old enough to remember when we were most concerned about 1) an asteroid strike, or 2) extreme glaciation due to either an asteroid strike or volcanic activity.  Neither of which was due to man-caused activity, so no one could make money from it.

Good News!

I came home today and met with the guys who are going to finish up the dirt work for the building.  We agreed on a price and shook hands.  They'll do the work as soon as the weather dries up.  Probably early next week.

Came inside, took off my uniform, then checked the answering machine.  The permit for the building is approved and ready.  I'll pick it up tomorrow.

I wrote what I hope is the last check on a long-term agreement.  Hopefully, I've put that one to bed.

Went out to the mailbox and checked the mail.  The electric bill is probably the lowest I've ever gotten since living in this house.  The insulation ob from this summer seems to be paying off.

Belle got home, and we talked about an upcoming out of town trip.  We're traveling to Shreveport this weekend to help a new CFDA club get off the ground.  We believe that the Shreveport/Bossier area has a lot of promise for a CFDA club and our guy there has a spot lined up for the range, a whole gaggle of new shooters invited, and some very experienced shooters from a couple of clubs lined up to help the new shooters with a proper introduction.  Friday night should be alot of fun.

Today has been a very good day indeed.

Reformation

As we note the 500th anniversary of Luther nailing his theses to the church door, we are also horrified at the slaughter of otherwise innocent people in New York yesterday.

Luther's Theses sparked a reformation in Christendom.    A reformation that, by all counts, was sorely needed.  Likewise, the religion of the guy who drove the Home Depot truck in New York yesterday  is also sorely in need of reformation.  Any religion in which the slaughter of innocent people is celebrated is an insult to God. 

As such, Islam is an abomination.  No right-thinking person could consider it as anything else.