Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Old School

When I began my cop career in 1981,  the reigning king of police handguns was the Smith and Wesson Model 66.  A stainless steel revolver in .357 magnum, it was beloved of law enforcement offices who worked in hot, humid environs.  It worked, it was accurate, powerful and reliable.  In fact, in those days, very few police departments issued guns.  The officers bought their own, and my first agency policy required " a Colt, Smith and Wesson, or Ruger revolver in .38 Special or .357 magnum."

I, like many of my brethren, acquired a Model 66 and never looked back.  I learned to shoot it and to trust it, and all of my kids learned to shoot handguns on that revolve.  I carried it until 2003 because I was never smitten by the 9mm plastic-fantastic craze and the department wouldn't let me carry a 1911.

Model 66, pinned and recessed.


But, eventually, my department started issuing guns, and in 2004 the Model 66 was retied for whatever the department issued.  The old K-frame was retired and did duty as a training revolver.  It remained largely forgotten, unless I needed it it to make a teaching point.

Last night, dressing for church, I decided to put it on  I always carry at church, but the weather was cool and I wanted a jacket, so I threaded a pancake holster on to my belt loops, stoked the revolver with good  ammo, and dropped it into the holster.  The pancake tucked it in tight, and the sport coat concealed it completely.  By the time I had walked down the hall, I had almost forgotten it was there.  Like slipping on a comfortable pair of boots, it just seemed to fit perfectly.

Later, at church, one lady was talking about the horrific event in Texas on Sunday.  She commented that she hoped that someone in  our congregation was armed.  I simply lifted the lapel of my jacket, exposing the revolver, and winked at her.  Her eyes went wide and she smiled.

I guess it's time to put the old girl back in the rotation.   Sometime soon, I'll order a set of Crimson Traces for her.

Monday, December 30, 2019

Running Toward Danger

It seems that more than one person in the congregation at the West Freeway Church of Christ were armed and prepared to move toward danger yesterday morning.  As we learn more about the event, it seems that as any as four people were armed and responsive to the threat.

The photo is grainy, but shows four congregants moving toward the shooter, who in this photo is down at the front of the church.  From what I am able to see in this photo, at least two (maybe three) of those responding cannot see the shooter.  They know that he is down, but do not know if he will come back up, yet they continue to move forward, toward the threat.  That's bravery.

The congregation of that church has some healing to do, but I'm sure that they are in the prayers of many people across the nation. 

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Goblin Down

It seems that a goblin showed up at a church in White Settlement, TX this morning with intent to do harm to the congregation.  As it turns out, a retired police officer was in atendance and did what he had to do.  The below picture and caption from Facebook.

This morning a man walked into a church in Texas with the intention of killing as many people as possible (red arrow). Luckily, there was a retired police officer in attendance (green arrow) who took the bad guy out.
The headline from the Dallas Morning News tells the story.
Gunman shoots 2 at White Settlement church before churchgoers return fire, killing him, officials say.
My prayers and thoughts are with the family of the one innocent victim killed.  Not so much for the goblin.

I understand that the usual suspects (Bloomberg, et al) are all over this, calling for moe gun control.  I believe that the parishioners exhibited excellent gun control, by shooting the goblin. 



I've been carrying in church for several years with the blessings of my pastor, and I'll continue to do so.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Best Laid Plans

Poet Robert Burns said that "The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry."

I had planned to do nothing today,   But, when I tried to nuke a cold cup of coffee, I learned that the kitchen microwave had gone tits-up.  It made a weird screeching noise and didn't heat the coffee.

Talking to Belle, we decided that the microwave had come with the house, which was built in 2001.  So, 18 years on the microwave wasn't bad at all.  We looked online, then proceeded to Lowe's whee we bought a microwave.

Taking the old one out was a joy, cursing level 6.  Some sadistic engineer had put a hidden latch on the mounting plate.  None of the half-dozen YouTube videos I watched said anything about a hidden latch.  But, one we got the old, defunct appliance off the wall, the installation of the new unit proceeded almost cuss-free.


I think it looks pretty darned good.  For an old man and two teenage boys, it worked out all right.  Belle is pleased, and that is all that matters.

Dear Virginia

It seems that the governor of Virginia is increasing the budget for his corrections department in anticipation of the increase in incarceration based on the new gun control laws that are set to take effect.

It seems now that they are backing down on an outright ban on AR-15s, allowing a grandfather clause, but requiring registration.

A grandfather clause is a horrible idea from a 2A perspective, because when grandpa dies, the gun becomes illegal.    So, a grandfather clause is simply a way of ban firearms withing a generation.  And, registration means that they know where to go get the firearm.  And, if you don't register your firearm, you become a felon.  That's why the budget is being increased.  Because he knows that a sizable  percentage of folks are going to ignore the law.



As Colion says, "You might beat the case, but you wont beat the ride."

This is all academic util the first shot is fired.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Dear Virginia

For those of you who have been watching, it appears that we might have a huge dynamic playing out in the Old Dominion.  Political forces are aligning that might morph into extreme unpleasantness. 

No one, so far, has said what is on their minds, but the ugly truth is starting to come out.
Former New York City cop and homeland security expert  Rob O'Donnell predicts, ah, problems:

The officers of the Virginia National Guard swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  I have full faith that the good officers of the VANG will fulfill their oaths.

Governor Blackface should be very, very careful.  This is all academic until the first shot is fired.

Good Question, Slick!

So, grandson Lucas and I were heading to a burger shop for lunch today, when he turned to me with a deep philosophical question.  "PawPaw!  How come when a woman goes to a beauty shop and spends $250.00, and you can't tell they did anything, but when we go to a barber shop and spend $10.00, everyone knows we got a hair cut.?"

My first thought was to ask him where he's getting a hair cut for $10.00, but I deferred.  "I don't know, son, why don't you ask your grandma?"

The questions kids ask.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Do You Like Revolvers?

I do, and I always have my eye out for good deals.  However, you have to know what you'e looking for, especially in a used revolver.

The Day After

The day after Christmas, and Belle had to go to work.  I was left to deal with the aftermath of Christmas, and I decided to do something with that leftover tuducken.  For those unfamiliar, a tuducken is a boneless hen, stuffed into a boneless duck, stuffed into a boneless turkey.  It's a quite amazing feast, and even though it is easy to carve, (basically, you slice it like a loaf of bread)), we did have some left-overs.  So, I dug around in the fridge, found some good smoked sausage, some onion and bell pepper, and decided to make a gumbo.

After the veggies are sautee'd and the roux is made, and the gumbo is assembled, best practice is to let it simmer for a bit while you make a pot of rice.

Turducken and Sausage gumbo.
While the rice was cooking, and the gumbo was simmering, I decided to put away some gifts that were on the table.  One in particular caught my eye, a bottle of Scotch given to me by my second son.  It was one I had never tied, but that I had heard good things about.  A Spey-side single malt.  So, I cracked the seal and poured myself a wee dram.

Pouring it into the glass I was struck by how lightly it is colored.  Glenlivet uses used bourbon casks for aging, and their climate must be very mild.  A 12-year-old bourbon might be as dark as coffee, but this Scotch is very light.  The taste immediately reminded me of fresh apricots and a nice, sweetness.  At 40% ABV, it was delicate, light, and approachable.  Very nice whiskey indeed. I'll have to keep a bottle of this nearby for when the Scotch drinkers come around.

Christmas was very tood to me indeed.  I have a couple of more bottles to open, but we'll talk about those in the correct time.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Day and I am blessed.  In a very few minutes we will begin the day and visit family and friends.

In the meantime

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

C&Rsenal

I've been watching this YouTube channel, C&Rsenal.  One series of videos talks about antique and obsolete firearms and the historical relevance they might have.  The other series focuses on gunsmithing tips and foibles associated with the mechanics of old firearms.

Here's one on smithing the old Webley revolvers.



Fascinating.

After I finish my coffee, I'll be working all day on out Christmas Eve celebration.  Y'all have a happy Christmas Eve and a Joyous and Merry Christmas.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Good Leather

I have always been a fan of good leather work.


Yes, Virginia, Discretion Matters

It seems that Virginia's Attorney General is cheesed off at the resolutions of many locations to refuse to enforce unconstitutional law.  He says, in part:
“When the General Assembly passes new guns safety laws they will be enforced, and they will be followed,” Herring said in announcing the opinion. “These resolutions have no legal force, and they’re just part of an effort by the gun lobby to stoke fear.”
Yes, and no.  I knew, as a street-level cop that I could not possibly know every law on the books.  Further, I could not know of the changes in the law, which the legislature did regularly.  I was fairly conversant in Louisiana's criminal statutes, but many times would have to research the law.  We all knew that if we stumbled across a human corpse, that perhaps a law had been violated, or if we came to a house with the front door destroyed, that we should perform certain procedures.

But, generally, we relied on our understanding o the law, and the instructions from our supervisors.  If the Boss said that he believed that law to be unconstitutional, then we didn't expend much time or energy trying to enforce it.

There is no doubt that state law supersedes local ordinance, and that the state cam make any laws that the legislature decrees, but the question become, who is going to enforce it?  The Governor cam certainly instruct the state police to enforce state law, but I don't believe that he can decree that elected sheriff's and chiefs of police to enforce those laws.

There are many laws, mostly administrative in nature, that local police do not enforce.  For example, there is a prohibition in Louisiana about the placement of political signs on the state right-of-way.  The local cops don't enforce that law.  We simply didn't have the time or resources to spend on that particular law.  We let the DOT enforce it at their discretion.  And they did, by the simple expedient of picking them up and throwing them away.

As a young soldier, I learned that discretion is the better part of valor.  As a military officer, I learned to never give an order that I knew would not be followed.  As a cop, I learned that discretion was vital to effective law enforcement.

I have a feeling that Virginia's Attorney General is about to learn about discretion, and he'll probably learn that petulance is no way to get re-elected.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Solstice

I am reminded that today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.  It's also the first day of winter.  Tomorrow, the day will be a little longer and the sun will climb a little higher in the sky.

Ancient peoples put great faith in the winter solstice, making it a day of celebration and worship.  Today, it is simply an interesting astronomical event.  It mask the changing of the season.

As for myself, I'm going to finish this cup of coffee and get ready for a family event at noon.  Yesterday was exhausting for all sorts of reasons not elated to my birthday, and after that family event I'm going to come home and retreat into my sloth.  Tomorrow begins the Christmas celebration and I'm sure that we will be busy until that is over.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Zero-ing the AR

I bought an AR-15 several months ago and realized that although we had mounted a sight and had been tinkering with it for several months, we have't zeroed it.

I needed to rectify that problem, and my grandson, who is going to Army Basic training next month, needed the experience.  So, we grabbed some mags and ammo and headed to the range this morning.

Grandson has chosen the MOS of 91F (Small Arm Repairman) to begin his military career, and I'm sure that some of that training, bot in Basic and in AIT will revolve around the M4 Series weapons.  I've been teaching him standard disassembly and basic maintenance, and it was time to see if he could shoot the darned thing.  I had downloaded and printed this target so that we could start at 25 yards and have a close 100 yard zero.

Afte three shots, an adjustment, and three more shots, we went down ange to change targets.  He took his time, gave me three good shots and after the range went cold, we went down to find this target.


Not bad for someone new to the AR platform.  We brought in the target butt, and I told him to pick out a dirt clod on the 100 yard berm and see if he could bust it.  He did, then started picking out oher dirt clofs on the berm to get a feel for running the AR.  Unfortunately, this range doesn't allow for position work, but hopefully we'll find time before he leaves to get out to another range and work on positions.


It was a great morning for PawPaw and grandson.  He finished high school yesterday and he's ready to launch.  He plans to do Basic and AIT, then come back here for college.  He's in the National Guard, which will help pay for his education. 

As for me and Belle, we're going to hate to see him go.

Another Trip Around The Sun

I am reminded that today marks another trip around the sun.



"Yes I'll make a resolution, that I'll never make another one.  Just enjoy this ride on my trip around the sun."

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Golden Age

I've said this for several years and I believe it now more than ever.  We live in the golden age of rifle shooting.  Never before in our history has the American gunner been better equipped.  When I began hunting in the 1960s, scoped rifles were the minority (at least locally).  My first rifle was a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington.  If one showed up in a deer camp in the late '60s, you might see a variety of lever rifles in .30-30 or .35 Rem, and a smattering of bolt guns in .30-06 and .270.  Ammo was likewise limited.  Winchester, Federal ad Remington made soft-point hunting ammo.  If you were a handloader, good luck finding bullets.  Oh, Siera and Hornady and Nosler made them, but you had to order them unless you were lucky enough to have a good handloading shop nearby.

Scopes were atrocious, fragile, and expensive.  The less said abut them, the better.  Oh, there were a few premium scopes out there, but the best were made by Weaver or Leupold, and were generally fixed 4X scopes.

In 1979, if my memory serves, Winchester came out with something called the Silver-Tip, a premium hunting bullet to compete with the Nosler Partition.  The Partition was a very good hunting bullet, but suffered from a reputation for poor accuracy, although most off-the-shelf rifles of the day were only capable of 3-inch groups at 100 yards.  If you wanted a super-accurate rifle, you went to a competent gunsmith to build the rifle.  The mythical 1-inch group was the holy grail.  It was often talked about, but rarely seen.  I had one rifle, a Remington in 7mm-08 that turned in bug-hole groups with standard Core-Lokt ammo.

In 1984 (again, if memory serves) Nosler came out with the Ballistic Tip, a premium match bullet that turned the shooting world askew.  It was superbly accurate, but fragile, with core separation a common complaint.  Bullet manufacturers were learning to make better bullets, and at the same time, optics were getting better and less expensive.

In the '90s, the internet was coming of age, and online gun communities came into being.  It was much easier to share information and the shooting companies began learning to use computers to design rifles, optics and ammo.  It may have been Savage Arms who led the way, producing the fist out-of-the-box rifle that would routinely shoot into MOA with any degree of regularity.  By the turn of the century, the gun companies had caught their stride, and were turning out rifles, ammo, and optics that let the American shooter take advantage of accuracy that we had never seen.

Nowadays we have better rifles, bullets and optics than we've ever had before, at prices that generally make it affordable to the large population.  Just three yeas ago, I picked up a new rifle (Ruger American), a new scope (Leupold Rifleman) and put together a box of ammo using new components.  The first group out of it hovered around that magical one-inch mark, and with with subsequent shooting got much better.  For less than $600 I had put together a combo that was simply much better than anything that was obtainable 50 years ago at thee times the price.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  We are living in the golden age of rifle shooting.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Run With It, Joe!

Biden has a new ad out.  He says at the end, "I will not let this man be re-elected President of the United States of America."



Who dies Joe Biden think he is?  He doesn't get to decide who is elected President.  That honor and privilege is reserved for The People. 

Joe Biden exemplifies all that is wrong with the American experience.  A career politician, he acts like he is endowed with some inalienable right to govern us.  He is wrong.  Wrong about his arrogance, wrong about his privilege, wrong about what makes America great.

If Biden thinks that this is a good message for his campaign, then I think he should run with it.  The Democrats have never accepted that the American people are free to select a President, and that they selected Donald Trump.  In their denial, they demonstrate that they don't accept the results of a fee, fair election.  These past three years have been rife with attempts to undermine the will of The People.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Old Armor - The M4 Series Tanks

You're not going to get a full review of the M4 series tans, but I was watching a YouTube video on the vehicle and happened to notice the bumper number on the tank.  Turns out, it's the bumper marking for the 4th battalion, 37th Armor regiment, the very first armor outfit I was assigned to as a shavetail lieutenant.

Bumper marking at bottom left: 4-37 Armor.

I thought that was cool, so I'll embed the rest of the video in case anyone wants to learn about the M4 series tanks.  I was assigned to that unit in 1976-77 at Fort Knox KY.  My tank was bumper number C-26 and it was named Cap'm Crunch.  This tank has bumper number B-7, and frankly that number doesn't make any sense to me.  It may have made sense during WWII.

At any rate, here is the whole video.

Bulleit Rye

Wandering through the grocers today and I happened upon a bottle of Bulleit Rye on the discount shelf.  I like Bulleit Bourbon and needed a bottle of rye to put on the server, so I picked it up (considerably under $25.00).

I have had high-rye bourbons and some rye whiskeys, but this one promised a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, so I dropped it in the buggy.  When I got home, I opened it and poured a wee dram, to chase away the cold.

Lovely, simply lovely.  It had the spice of rye, but it wasn't aggressive like some rye whiskey.  At 45% ABV (90 poof), it had a nice "Kentucky hug".  I'm not sure what else I was finding in the glass, but it went down like branch water.

Link to the website here.  I rather like it a lot.  I may have found antoerh sipping whiskey for the winter months.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Tornadoes

We've had at least one tornado rumble though here today.  Belle and I are fine, and talking with the family, everyone is okay.  No personal property damage, but not everyone was so lucky.

A spots complex, a convenience store, and a Baptist church were all damaged.  Those folks will clean up and things will get back to normal soon.

But, to everyone who is wondering, we're okay.


Troubling

All eyes are on Virginia.  In the legislative lull that is the Christmas season, it seems that some fairly troubling and interesting scenarios are shaping up in the run-up to the 2020 legislative session.  Some fairly egregious bills have been pre-filed that presume to limit the scope of the 2nd Amendment.  In response, many localities (both municipal and county) have declared themselves sanctuaries for the 2nd Amendment.  This sets up potential legal dynamics between local and state officials.

Some legislators made comments that they might have to call out the National Guard to enforce their legislation.  When I first heard those comments, I recoiled in horror.  As a retired officer of the Guard and Reserves, I understood implications that might be unfamiliar to much of the population.  It's called the Posse Comitatus Act.  Generally, the military forces of the United States cannot be used to enforce civil law.  There are exceptions, but that is the gist of the law.  And, I an heartened that the Virginia Guard is thinking along the same lines that I am thinking along.
“We understand and respect the passion people feel for the U.S. Constitution and 2nd Amendment rights. We will not speculate about the possible use of the Virginia National Guard,”
Were I a betting man, I would suspect that the next several months will see an increased interest in that Act by the officers and noncoms of the Virginia National Guard.  I would further speculate that the classroom discussions may be rather spirited.  It sets up several "what-if" scenarios that will be interesting indeed.
"If we have constitutional laws on the books and law enforcement officers are not enforcing those laws on the books, then there are going to be some consequences," Northam said Thursday, according to WSET.
"But I’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it," he added.
He'll cross that bridge when he comes to it?   Isn't that what General Gage said?

All eyes are on Virginia.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Top Gun Awards

The Cowboy Fast Draw Association awards Top Gun Points to shooters who participate in sanctioned matches across the US.  Some regional association award Top Gun Points on a regional basis, and most clubs award Top Gun Points to local club members.

Scoring is simple.  If you show up at a monthly match, you are awarded Top Gun points based on placement.  The match winner gets 10 points, the 2nd place winner gets 9 points, the 3rd place winner gets 8 points, etc until all the points are awarded.  At the end of the year, those points are tallied and the winner gets bragging rights and a commemorative plaque.

The Cross Branded Peacemakers held our year-end banquet and Top Gun awards last night.  One wag commented that because we are the only sanctioned club in Louisiana, these are state-wide awards also.  Well, okay.

Top Gun Champs;  Blue Eyed Bell, 1st - Squirrel Gil, 2nd - Two Step Cookie (not present), 3d.

Men's Top Gun Champs: Brother Fred, 1st - Big Bill, 2nd - Major D, 3rd

After awards, we proceeded to the banquet.  I had smoked a brisket and everyoe else bought side-dishes or dessert.  The table was laden and groaned under the weight of the surplus.  If you went hungy at this table, it was you own fault.


Thus ends the formal activities of the Cross Branded Peacemakers for 2019.  We;ll start 2020 on January 11th, with a practice session and the first monthly match on the 25th.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Oysters!

My buddy Termite brought us oysters.  Fresh oysters from the Gulf.  We melt some garlic butter in a muffin tin then add an oyster to each muffin hole.  Run it under the broiler for a bit, then take it out, add cheese and put it back in the broiler until the cheese melts.


We eat them on crackers, either saltine or ritz,, depending on your taste, .  A half gallon of oysters yields about four dozen and with the boys help, we made shot work of Termite's largess.



Thanks, Termite!

Thursday, December 12, 2019

This Image Tells It All

I see this image occasionally, and while it's true that our President does things, sometimes that seems to do more harm than good, it is illustrative to see how he is viewed by others.  The bigger take-away is how the media portays guns and their total lack of understanding of how firearms work.


Yes, gentle reader, he is using a revolver to shoot his own foot, and it is ejecting the brass of the spent cartridges.  The image is patently ignorant, yet these are the same people who want to tell us what guns we can have and which we cannot have. 

Robo Calls

We all get them, those infuriating calls that come across our telephones, trying to help us with Medicare benefits, or computer support, or a car warranty. 

Several years ago, I added our numbers to the US Do Not Call list, which never expires and which they routinely ignore.  The question, for me at least, is whether or not I'm talking with a machine, or a sentient person.  And yes, sometimes I'll wait to talk to a representative.  When I know that I have an actual, breathing human on the line, I start having my fun.  I curse them artfully, often using archaic terms, to call into question their heritage, intelligence, and sexual proclivities.  This practice helps me expand my vocabulary and use terms not commonly in vogue today.  Being fully retired, as I am now, this recreation helps keep my mind nimble and my soul amused.

One moron told me yesterday that he had no idea what a "catamite" was, so I told him that he should immediately seek a dictionary,, preferably a printed one, and study the English language.  While he was at it, he should look up coprophilia,  because I feared that he suffered from that condition as well.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Sanctuary Spaces

The fist time that sanctuary spaces (city, county, etc) thrust itself into my consciousness, it was local folks rebelling against immigration law. (You know, like California did.) I thought then that it was silly, and sad, and a bit wrong-headed.  I still do.  The law is the law.  If you don't like the law, work to change it.

Moe recently, I see counties in Virginia declaring themselves 2A Sanctuaries in the wake of what seems to be a push to enact draconian gun laws in that state. I note that these laws have not yet been passed, and I hope that the political pressure that is being applied will be sufficient that they never see the light of day, but most pundits are declaring gloom-and-doom for gun rights in Virginia.  So, many locales are choosing sides.  Below is a map that is probably alreay out of date.


If I am going to be consistent, I have to declare that sanctuary locales are sad, and silly, and a bit wrong-headed.  I note that nothing yet has happened in Virginia.  The threat is certainly valid, and noted, and it seems that Virginia is on the way to becoming New Jersey, but it hasn't happened yet.

My prayer is that sane people will prevail.  Some are talking insurrection and that never bodes well.  Some officials are proposing novel solutions to shield their citizens from the more onerous aspects of the law.  Still, it might have been better if the 2A advocates had spent a little more time being engaged in local politics so that all this might have been avoided via the ballot box.  Hopefully the freedom-loving citizens of Virginia will figure a way out of this mess. 

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

I Don't Need A Permit

So, Mike Bloomberg, the tyrant from New York, wants a permit system so that we can access our 2nd Amendment rights.  Here is the headline:
BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR NATIONAL PERMITS TO ACCESS SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Yeah, right.  No other human right requires a permit.  Not speech, not religion, not silence.  The idea that a right requires permission from the government is  abhorrent to free people.

If you have watched what is going on in Virginia lately, it comes as a cautionary tale for the rest of us.  Freedom requires participation.  We have to vote.  As much as we would like to just be left-the-hell alone and to go about our business without interference, it is incumbent on us to use the ballot box.  The simple fact is that most elections are decided by a minority of the eligible voters.  In most elections, only half of those eligible take the time to cast a ballot, and the winner is decided by some proportion of half.  Louisiana told that tale in November, and Virginia told that tale last week. 

It is my considered opinion that Mike Bloomberg poses a clear and present dange to American freedom.  We should reject him at the ballot box before he makes us all felons.

Saturday, December 07, 2019

Shooting in Japan

It seems that some ciminal enterprizes in Japan are having a disagreement and full auto is the method of ending disagreements.  In Japan.



As you read this, I'll be out in the shop, getting the range ready for a club practice shoot.  - - I thought that Japan didn't have guns on the street.

Friday, December 06, 2019

The Pour

Belle and I went to a Christmas party last night.  A commercial Christmas party, where a business is thanking friends and customers.  Very toney and exclusive.  And, I was decidedly out of place.  But, they had an open bar.  So, I wandered over.

Here lately, I've been drinking more whiskey neat.  No ice, no water, just the whiskey.  I still drink with mixers, but I've been exploring whiskey lately, and when I find something I've never tried, I like it neat, to explore the whiskey.

I don't care how you drink your whiskey, because the best way to drink whiskey is the way you like to drink it.  I love bourbon and coke, but I also like to linger over a nice neat whiskey.  Either way is okay.  But, bartenders locally don't serve much neat whiskey.  It confuses them, and I get it.  It's okay. 

So, last night I asked for a neat whiskey and had to tell the bartender that all I wanted was some whiskey (in this case, Glenfiddich 12) in a glass.  So, he poured Glenfiddich 12 into a glass.


That's about four ounces of whiskey.  A very generous pour.  And I tipped him generously.  And, I knew that after that one, I was done drinking until I got home.  The rest of the evening was water or diet Coke.

The Glenfiddich was very nice.  I may have to pick up a bottle for my own collection.

Thursday, December 05, 2019

Oh, Hell.

I'm going to leave this right here so I ca find it later.

Smoked Sausage and Potato Bake

1 package of sliced Eckrich skinless smoked sausage.
8 quartered Yukon gold potatoes.
1 diced green pepper.
1 diced yellow pepper.
2 tbsps of butter.
1 tsp of oregano.
1 tsp of basil.
½ tsp of black pepper.
2 tsps of olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a pan, arrange the sausage, potatoes and peppers and place the butter over the top in small cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and season on top.
Bake covered for 40 to 50 minutes.
Bonne Appétit!

That sounds pretty good, but I'm going to have to "Cajun" it.  I'm thinking some onion to go with the peppers, and some cheese.  I don't know anything about basil, but a good shake of Tony's over the top wouldn't hurt.

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Virginia SB 16

I don't know if you've been paying attention, but the Virginia legislature is considering a draconian bill that would severely limit the gun rights of citizens in that state.
Virginia State Senator Richard Saslaw has introduced SB 16 in a prefile ready for 2020: it expands the definition of “assault weapons,” among other things. It also has no “grandfather” clause. Will it lead to confiscation? IF confiscation could even occur, considering gun owners in Virginia aren’t likely to roll over and give their guns back.
I haven't done a deep dive down the rabbit hole, but I was mildly curious, and find that one of the provisions is to limit pistols to 50 ounces, unloaded.  Like many of you, I know the fine distinction between a pistol and a revolver, but that 50 ounce limit got me to pondering, so I grabbed a handgun and headed for my decidedly un-calibrated scale.  Basic math tells me that 50 ounces is 3 lbs, 2 oz.

Ruger NM Blackhawk, .44 Special.  49 oz.
Well, that one passes, but certainly my RSB with the long barrel would bust 50 ounces.  You get the idea.  But, that's not the point.  The point is that I have several firearms that would fall under the ban.

This bill is about abrogating the 2nd Amendment.  It affects us all, and it is bigger than the infighting that we gunners do between ourselves.  It is not about who is "tactical" or who is a "Fudd".  It's not about who is the most pure on the 2nd Amendment, it is about basic civil rights.  It affects my guns, and it certainly affects your guns, and just because you may live in a gun-friendly state doesn't mean that you may not be affected.

If you want a perfectly righteous rant, I'd suggest that you listen to Colion Noir.



Kamala Harris Out?

It appears that the Democrat clown car has gotten a bit lighter in the run-up to next year's election.  It seems that Kamala Harris, the senator rom California has dropped out of the race.  Okay!  I never thought that she had a snowball's chance anyway. 

Lest we forget:  She was running in the Democrat primary.  Republicans wouldn't have had an opportunity to reject her until after she had won the nomination.  This is a Democrat race.  She has been rejected by other like-thinking people.  And yet, the wags reporting on this train wreck of a Democrat primary can't seem to figure out what is happening, because they don't want to spend the energy to actually think.
Sad about Kamala Harris - she didn’t dropped out, she was pushed out by the sexism and racism of our media coverage. She also faced internalization of both in our base that we still need to grapple with.
 — Amy Siskind ?????? (@Amy_Siskind) December 3, 2019
That is lazy analysis.  Harris is out because her message didn't resonate with her own party and she was polling in the low single-digits in HER OWN PARTY.  No Republican rejected her; nearly all of her own party rejected her.

It's a humbling experience to be rejected in an election.  I know, I've been there.  As I've watched this train-wreck of a primary, I often thought that the Democrats could use a little humility.

The worst part of watching this process, though, is the laziness of the media and political analysts.  It was neither sexism nor racism that pushed Kamala out of the race.  It was her message.  Until the media and the the Democrats start doing the hard thinking, they are probably doomed to fail.

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

This Little Device

We called it a clicker.


More properly called the M75 firing device, it sent an electrical charge down the line to detonate the M18 Claymore mine, a hateful little device beloved of combat soldiers.  With a daisy-chain of claymores stretched across your front, you could create angst and anguish among those bold enough to cause problems in the wire.

Whether Infantry, Armor, Cavalry, artillery, or any of a host of other specialties the clicker is beloved of soldiers.

Of course, if you were walking the line, you learned to put this little device in your pocket, lest Private Snuffy got spooked and decided to test the efficacy of the explosives. 

Lots of Guns

It wasn't a record, but Americans bought a lot of guns on Black Friday.
USA Today reported that, in total, the FBI states they fielded 202,465 requests during the 24-hour period associated with Black Friday, just under the prior record of 203,086.
Not bad.  I was traveling last Friday and didn't get a chance to look at any guns  With the proliferation of internet sales (all perfectly legal through an FFL) I wonder what the total will be for gun trade.  I see emails from some of my favorite merchants that they are still giving cyber deals.

It's enough to give a liberal the willies.

Hat tip to Termite.

Monday, December 02, 2019

Monday

Doctor's office for blood
Come home, chores
Respond to IRS letter, very polite.
Back to doctors office.  Yada Yada
Shopping list.
Later tonight, church.

It's been Monday, all day long.  I'm looking forward to church, because I need some Jesus.

Sunday, December 01, 2019

Colion Noir v Vox

I really like Colion Noir, and I'm going to leave this right here.

New Stove

We've all heard the jokes about the guy who buys his wife a new stove for Christmas.  This isn't that joke.  Belle has always made more money than I, having the good sense to get into nursing years ago.  Registered nurses make very good money.

Belle had been talking about upgrading the stove in the shop, and yesterday she told me that she intended to go to Lowe's and look at stoves.  I grabbed the truck keys to take her, because I know how these things generally work out.

We got to the store, ad she browsed the offerings, comparing and contrasting, and weighing all the options.  After looking, weighing, and thinking, she settled on one particular range.  Of course, it was not in stock.  So, we thanked the guy and drove across town to the other Lowe's, who happened to have it in stock.

Belle payed the toll, using my veteran's discount.  Lowe's has a generous veteran's discount and we brought it home.

It's a Samsung ceramic top range, and it looks a lot like this.


This thing has more bells ad whistles than a steam locomotive.  After installing and leveling it, the boys were hungry, so she whipped up a shepherd's pie, using both the stove top and the oven.  She seems to be quite pleased with her new purchase, and I'm not complaining.  We will get a lot of use out of it during the coming months.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Home

We rolled out of Roswell, NM at 0900 CST and rolled into the driveway at 2230 CST.  By my math, we covered those miles in 13.5 hours.  We stopped for gas several times and ate lunch at a local place in Sweetwater, TX.

We ate at Buck's Steak and Barbeque.  If you ever stop there (and they have the PawPaw seal of  approval), do not be so weak as to order the large chicken-fried steak.  It was all I could do to get around the small one.  The boys both ordered the brisket sandwich.  I gave half my steak to one of the boys and Belle gave half her steak to the other one.

It is nearly impossible to fill up teenaged boys.  But, I reckon, with the time in New Mexico this morning and the time in Louisiana this evening it took us about 10 hours to waltz across Texas.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Roswell, Ruidoso

We ate lunch in Roswell with elder son, then decided to take a drive up into the Sierra Blanco mountains near Ruidoso.  The day was drizzly and grey, but the stark beauty of the mountains shown through.  For a boy who grew up in the swamps of Louisiana, these landscapes were simply amazing.

Fog, or clouds rolling over the mountain.
The elevation over the pass into Ruidoso was 6000 ft.  Not as high as Los Alamos (7171), but a lot higher than I had been in a while.

It's hard to capture the grandeur of these mountains.  I'm going to have to come back in the summer when I can get out of the vehicle and take better photos.

Tomorrow morning we're going to point the van east and start home.  With three drivers and a 12 hour jaunt across Texas, we should be able to make it in one day.  With luck, I'll be in my own bed sometime late Friday night.

Travel Day

Wednesday was a travel day, from the mountains of northern New Mexico to Roswell in the desert.

I don't know why it amazes me so, because I've sen Louisiana transition from piney-woods hills to to lowland swamp in just a couple of hundred yards.  Still, around here you're in the mountains one hour and the desert the next. 

From the mountains
to the flat desert
This landscape is so unlike everything I've lived in, I find it mysterious, beautiful, and alien.. 

Speaking of Aliens.



You can't do Roswell without the aliens.  Even the streetlights downtown have alien globes.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Day Tripping

We took a few hours to run into Santa Fe.  Too damned cold for sightseeing, but Belle wanted to go to a shopping center, and we took the time for a little car-touring and lunch.

Grandson Quinton driving, Belle navigating.  PawPaw was in the back seat  enjoying the ride.
Weird rock formation outside Santa Fe
Inside a restaurant in Santa Fe.  I don't remember the name, but the burritos were excellent.
Carne asada burrito.  It weighed about 2 lbs, and I ate it with a fork.
Mesas amaze me.
The Los Alamos Airport (KLAM) is 7171 MSL
We'll spend tonight in Los Alamos, then head to Roswell tomorrow morning. 

Snow

The snow in the mountains is totally unlike the show I'm familiar with from home.  While we don't get much snow at home in Deep South Louisiana, the mountains get plenty of snow, and it's light, fluffy, and dry.  The snow I'm familiar with is big flakes of wet heavy snow.

It's interesting, the regional difference of nearly everything.  Not better or worse, necessarily, but different.  Los Alamos is an interesting study in juxtaposition.  While the lab is still the main reason for this place to exist, and they're still doing science over there, it' is easy to tell that this place is basically a converted military town.  The housing, for the most part, is military quarters from the '50s or '60s, still in use, but privately owned.   So, when I look around, I feel like I've been here, knowing full well that I haven't.  The residential areas feel like military housing, which they once were.

The kids are at work, so we're going to go down the mountain to Santa Fe to plunder around for a bit.  I don't know how much sight-seeing we'll do, but Belle want to find a Best Buy, and there isn't any such thing on this mesa.   So, in a bit, we'll head to Santa Fe and meet the kids back here after work.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Museums

We spent the day in museums in Los Alamos.  Normally, a place has a history, but the history of Los Alamos began, basically, in 1939.  Oh, there were some homesteaders, but the government ran them off.  And, there was a prep school for wealthy east-coast boys, but the government ran them of and used the buildings to start the atomic lab.

They needed a place to blow-up stuff and this remote mesa seemed like just the place.  They've been blowing-up stuff ever sense.. 

Grandson looking at a replica of Fat Man, the bomb we dropped on Nagasaki to end the war.
 
Grandsons looking at a replica of Little Man, the bomb that put Hiroshima on the world stage.
It's been a day of museums.  The kids will be home from work soon and we'll plan supper.

Roswell and Los Alamos

Belle and I are touring this week with a couple of grandsons.  One of our sons lives in Roswell, NM, working for a huge manufacturer of cheese.  Another son lives in Los Alamos, NM, where his wife works as a veterinarian and he works for the park service.  So, we're touring around, visiting kids.

We drove across Texas in one day, Saturday.  That in itself is no small feat and when we rolled into Roswell on Saturday evening, we were whacked, and fell into bed.  We got up yesterday morning, ate lunch with elder son, and drive north to Los Alamos, got here last night just after dark.

The kids are at work, so we're going to tour about here today.  I want to see the Manhattan Project museum and the Bradbury Museum, then we'll meet back at the house for the evening.

We;ll leave here Wednesday morning, and return to Roswell, where we'll spend Thanksgiving.

We will load the van on Friday morning and head east, planning to make Texas again in one jump.  With luck, I"ll sleep in my own bed on Friday night.  If, not, on Saturday.  One thing I've learned so far on this trip is that altitude is a thing.  At 7300 ft elevation, I can't climb stairs like I can at 87 feet where I normally live.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Life Events

There are certain days that we all remember, life events that affected us all, in ways large and small.  My dad's generation had Pearl Harbor ad ormandy.  My generation had several, but this is the first one I remember.


If you want to play an interesting alt-history game, consider what might have happened if Oswald has missed.

So What? It's Not Illgal

I see breathless reports coming from California that the school shooter last week used a "ghost gun".  These are generally defined as a gun without a serial number, assembled from parts.  They put in in scare quotes, like its a bad thin.

Let me tell you a little secret:  All guns are assembled from parts, and serial numbered frames were not required before 1968.  These are still perfectly legal.

Large manufacturers like Colt, Smith and  Wesson, Remington, Winchester et. al.  used serial numbers to help with book-keeping, but many manufacturers did not.  Adding a serial number was an additional manufacturing step and was not required by law until 1968. 

Properly made firearms might last well beyond the fifty years since serial numbers have been required.    It is not uncommon to stumble across and old gun that was found in granddad's closet that doesn't have a serial number.  There is nothing malevolent about these guns.  They were simply manufactured at a time before excessive government regulation.

And,, to recap:  All guns are built from parts.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Bean Soup

Mamma used to cook this, it was an all-day affair.  Nowadays, not so much.

My sister-in-law gave me a pressure cooker that she didn't use and I've been playing with it.  It will cook two pounds of beans to tenderness in 30 minutes, it's quite the time-saver.  This soup uses white beans, either Great Northern or Baby Limas.  Today, I used Baby Lima beans.



Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 lbs dried white beans
1 lb tasso (a Cajun smoked ham.)
Salt, Pepper
Onion
Belle Pepper, Celery (Or frozen seasoning blend)
Three medium russet potatoes
Chicken broth

Prep:
Rinse and sort beans, put them i the pressure cooker for 30 minutes.
Saute vegetables.
Chop tasso into tiny bites (about 1/4 inch)
Wash and peel the potatoes, chop them like the tasso.

When the beans are done, release the pressure on the cooker, slowly.  Dump everything into a slow cooker and turn it on high for a couple of hours.  This will cook the potatoes and let the flavors blend.  Serve with saltine crackers.

And, thanks to sister-in-law for the pressure cooker.  Belle has one in the house, but now we have one in the shop as well.  It will get a lot of use, I promise.


When the boys get home from school, we'll break out the saltine crackers.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Terrible Idea

How to make gun cotton using easily available hardware store stuff.



I've been watching the Modern Rogue for a while, and I don't know how I missed this one.  Nitrocellulose is a precursor to smokeless gun powder.  There is a reason that it is called gun cotton.

That Football Thing

I'm not a football fan.  Especially the NFL, and it has nothing to do with the kneeling controversy.  I wasn't a fan for years before; I simply had better things to do on a Sunday afternoon.  But, it is impossible to not know that last week, a Brows player ripped the helmet off a Steelers player and smacked him with it.

And, the question becomes: Should he be criminally charged?  I think not, ad I'm happy to explain it.  It goes to something called implied consent and the Games People Play.

We can all pretty much agree that it's against the law to shoot someone, but if a bunch of folks get together to play paintball, it's good clean fun.  However, if you take that paintball gun into the Dollar General and light up the cashier, you can believe that the cops will be along soon to admonish you.  Consent is important.

Another example:  If I slip up behind my wife and kiss her on the neck, it's endearing.  But, if I try that with he clerk at the Dollar Store, the police will be along shortly.  It's all about Consent.

Laws vary from state to state, but pretty much everything that happens on a football field could be considered an assault, or a battery.  The simple act of suiting-up and stepping onto the field implies consent that you know you may  have the living-hell knocked out of you.  It's part of the game.  It has rules and it has penalties, and the players are disciplined for breaking the rules.

I don't watch much football, and especially not at the NFL level.  I believe that they are overpaid, pampered prima-donnas who generally spend too much time playing a child's game.   But, its a huge money-maker and I understand why some people like it.  I simply have better things to doon Sunday afternoon.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Louisiana Screws Itself

Louisiana has once again elected a Democrat governor, by the slimmest of margins.  The deep-blue urban voters came through to elect a governor that would be unacceptable as a Democrat in many areas of the country.  He's pro-choice, pro-Second Amendment, and claims to be bi-partisan.  We will see how bi-partisan he truly is, because our legislature is solidly Republican, with a super majority.  Hopefully, he won't do any more harm than the has already done.  Louisiana is shedding population, and precisely the population no state wants to shed.  The taxpayers are leaving at a prodigious rate.  I, personally, had two adult, tax-paying children leave Louisiana this past summer for better opportunities than they could find in Louisiana.  This outward migration has occurred thousands of times this year, to the tune of Louisiana population declining by some sizable percentage of the population this year.

But, the urban tax-grabbers want to elect another Democrat.


It was a close-run thing, but Louisiana should be ashamed.  Our only hope now is the Legislature.  With a super-maority, hopefully we can tamp down the excesses that the governor wants to foist upon us. 

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Peanut Brittle

We had a family gathering today, and while we were preparing, Belle whipped up a quick batch of peanut brittle.  She makes this treat occasionally, normally during the cool months, and today she had a sweet tooth.


This candy is easy, it really is.  It's all done in the microwave.  The recipe is here.

In Louisiana, it's a big voting day.  This is our general election, and were deciding our governor and a host of local races all over the state. 

Thursday, November 14, 2019

School Shooting Southern Cal

Evidently, there was a huge problem at a high school in southern California today.
The Santa Clarita Sheriff's Department just held a press conference and confirmed that two students aged 16 and 14 have died in the hospital. The shooter is alive but gravely injured and under medical care. The shooter's social media accounts are being investigated. The weapon used was a semi-automatic .45 caliber pistol. Thursday is the shooter's 16th birthday.
It's quite disturbing the number of laws that were broken there today.  By my calculation, it is quite illegal for a 16-year-old to possess a handgun without an adult around.   It's also illegal for a handgun to be on a school campus, and it's decidedly illegal to shoot someone with it.

I would also note, for the record, that once again, a mass shooting happened in a gun-free zone.   I haven't seen any reporting on how the shooter became wounded, whether by his own hand, or by other armed personnel.

Safety Tip

A winter safety tip from the Glen Rose (TX) Veterinary clinic.



That's good advise, and a cautionary tale.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Baked Mac and Cheese

My grandfather would make macaroni and cheese whenever he got a hankering.  Not that stuff in the box, no, this was baked in the oven.  He'd start digging in the cabinets, looking for pasta, and he didn't care.  Elbow macaroni, spaghetti, even lasagna noodles would go in the pot.  While that boiled, he'd grate whatever cheese he could find, mix it all in a bowl, and add mild, then stir in a little salt and pepper.

When the noodles were cooked, he would drain them, put them in a casserole, and add it the cheese/milk mix, stirring it together. Then he'd add enough milk so that he could see it was enough (Sorry about that) and put the casserole on a cookie sheet.  I asked him about that.

"When it boils over, it's done."  He'd take it out of the oven and let it rest on the stove top for a few minutes to firm up. 

That's what I cooked today.  Along with a standard green-ban casserole, and made a big honking meatloaf. 


The boys will eat when they get off the school bus, and later they can nuke a plate if they are peckish.  I'm done cooking today.  And, yeah, the mac and cheese boiled over when it was done.  Good thing I had a cookie sheet under it.

Hillary Dreams

Hillary evidently said on BBC: I Think About What Kind of President I Would Have Been All the Time'

I bet she does, which is why I'm very happy that Donald Trump is president.  Frankly, I"m tired of listening to her whine.  She's not the first person in America to lose an election.  (I know; I lost one last month.)

But, America moves on.  And we've done quite well without Hillary. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Cold

Global warmening has bit us in the butt.  The weather-weenies are telling us that a severe arctic front has descended upon us, stetting records all over the US.  Here is the weather-weenie graphic for central Louisiana.


Wut?  19 frigging degrees tomorrow morning?  Yeah, I ain't in the mood for that.  I"ll spend a goodly portion of the day making sure that our stuff is going to be okay.  I have seen 19F before, but I don't believe I've seen it in November.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Veteran's Day

I am not a hero.  I'm a soldier. 

I have known heroes and was privileged to walk beside some very heroic people.  To a man, they were always a bit surprised that people called them heroes.

I simply served the best way I knew how, based on the training and experience of my mentors.  Many of them didn't realize what mentoring meant, had never heard the word.  They were my superiors, and insisted on a rigid code of behavior and a firm reliance on discipline.   They didn't like me much, or at least never showed it, but they were always fair about what they expected of me because they expected the same things of themselves and the other people that they supervised.   We stood in the same mud and breathed the same dust.  They were there with the rest of us.

I had good duty, and crappy duty, but the duty I remember best was the duty that was the crappiest.  It was there I was the happiest.  In the field with other soldiers, doing soldier-stuff.  The absolute joy in a hot cup of bad coffee after a cold, wet, night.  The honor and privilege of commanding American soldiers.  When you tell a soldier to do something dangerous, and he looks you in the eye, says, "Yes, sir.", then picks up his rifle and walks off, trusting that you know what you are doing.

I'm not a hero, but I had the privilege of commanding heroes.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Convert Stroke to Torque

I wonder how long it took him to figure out that set of angles.  Of course, two 45s make a 90.

via GIPHY
It looks like the little gizos that were in my grandfather's shop..

Friday, November 08, 2019

Eleven Years

Has it been eleven years since Federal announced the development of the .327 Federal Magnum?  It doesn't seem like that long ago.  There is a nice article here about the development of the cartridge.

I've never been much o a fan o the .312 bullet, but Belle is.  She has always liked .32 revolvers and has a nice Colt D Frame in .32-20 as her car gun.  Several months ago, she saw a video on the new Charter Arms Professional and decided on the spot that she wanted one, to retire her antique Colt in favor o something more modern.



We started looking around, and finally found one at Grabagun.com.    They had them cataloged, but on back-order, so we checked the site often.  Earlier this week, they became in-stock, so Belle clicked the button and got one heading this way.  We got the call from the FFL yesterday and we'll pick it up this morning.

Belle is getting a new gat.