Fifty Years

Belle and I were sitting in the manse last night, she reading something on her tablet, me scrolling through YouTube, and she looked up and said, "Martin Luther King is probably spinning in his grave."

I took off my headset and looked at her carefully as she continued.  "All Dr. King tried to do was further civil rights ii this country, and he did it  all non-violently.  He worked to ed segregation and to fight white supremacy, often going head to head with racist governors, judges, and cops.  And he did it all in such a manner that no one could accuse him, or the movement, as violent."

She continued.  "These protesters today have st his movement back 50 years."

I pondered that for a minute, and she turned back to her tablet.

This morning, I see at PJ Media that Dennis Prager agrees with her. 

According to the make-believe world of the left, we are experiencing a great moment in American racial history. For the first time, the story goes, more whites than ever are coming to realize how racist America is, how racist cops are and how systemically racist everything in America is. Only now do many Americans understand just how racist Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, Ulysses Grant, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, “whitening” agents, meritocracy, Western culture, Christianity, jailing Blacks and the NFL are. The bestselling book in America is about alleged “white fragility” — the term for any rational response to the irrational charge that all whites are racist.

All this is supposed to be good for America’s Blacks. 

 But none of it is. In fact, it is all destructive.

The pendulum swings in both directions.  It swung one way for Bama and another way for Trump.  We're seeing it swing right now, and while many Americans feel that it may be swinging a little too far to the left, we should remember that it can swing back,  It always does.

Professor, Heal Thyself

I like Kayleigh McEnany, the president's press secretary.  She's combative, straight-forward, and doesn't play well with others.  I watch her every chance I get.

Yesterday a reporter asked if President Trump was glad that the North won the Civil War.  She told him that the question was absurd.  And, it was.

She has drawn the ire of journalists everywhere for refusing to legitimize stupid questions.  A quote from an article.  

According to a former top editor and Columbia Journalism School professor, the combative press secretary “is seeking to undermine the credibility not just of individual journalists or outlets but of journalism itself.”

No, professor, journalists, especially the liberal journalists have  undermined their own credibility.  Kayleigh is simply putting their lack of intelligence at center stage.  Most people understand that journalism has damaged itself significantly during the past couple of decades.

“Gamblers would call such an episode ‘the tell.’ McEnany demonstrated that her goal isn’t to respond directly to these questions, or even to engage in a dialogue about journalistic ethics. It is to throw up so much chaff into the media’s radar that even the most basic critique is deprived of meaning," huffed the professor.

Well, professor, I would maintain that if  journalists themselves engaged in a dialogue about journalistic ethics, that Kayleigh wouldn't have to keep calling it out.

Kayleigh didn't put the knife into the back of current journalism.  They did that themselves.  But she's really good at twisting it.

The St. Louis Couple

I'm sure that you've heard of the St. Louis couple who faced down a group of malcontents whle protecting their property with a rifle and a handgun.

Calm down, no one got hurt, but it sure shows how a singe middle-aged couple can turn away an angry mob who violate property rights. 

The conservative twins have added their comments, and I have to tell you, I love these guys.



The only thing I have to add is that the couple should really take the time to get some serious weapons training.  The muzzle discipline made me cringe.  But, it was effective.

Yeah!

Monday Musing

Whatever engineer designed the starter mounting on a Briggs and Stratton Intek engine should be demoted and forced to work in the shop parking lot.  With one set of wrenches and two screwdrivers.

It has long been my opinion that any consumer gasoline engine should be designed to be disassembled with any standard socket wrench set.  In this particular case, having a mounting bolt behind the bendix assembly is particularly evil.  Another particularly evil joke was putting a Torx-head bolt in that location.

I spent the morning replacing that starter when it should have been a ten-minute job.

Then I come inside and find that John Roberts has one again proved that he is a liberal.  He voted with the majority to strike down a Louisiana law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges in a nearby hospital. 

Roberts had dissented in the 2016 case and said in a concurring opinion that while he still believes that the past case was wrongly decided, he was ruling with the majority in the present case due to court precedent.

Roberts will turn backflips and jump through hoops to reach a liberal conclusion.  He was hailed as a true conservative when appointed by President  George W Bush, and he has given us Obamacare not once, but twice.  He's sided with liberals on abortion on several occasions. 

John Roberts is a complete disaster as a Justice.  If I ever have the opportunity, I intend to spit on his shoes.

Tension In The City

Rapides Parish is abuzz with news that seems to mimic  national news this weekend.  According to our local TV an officer was trying to make an arrest, and was knocked unconscious. 

After the first suspect was arrested, a second suspect resisted arrest, striking the officer multiple times and knocking the officer unconscious. At some point during the altercation the suspect, by his own admission, attempted to disarm the officer by taking the officer’s duty weapon from him. Bystanders, as well as backup police officers, intervened. The officer used a taser on the suspect, and all three suspects were taken into custody. The officer was treated for his injuries and released.

The officer, from all reports is recovering.

Rumors are buzzing, some fairly salacious.   Of course, our local TV station did what they could do to gin up controversy.  They interviewed a man from Los Angeles who helped the perp make bond.  It told one side of the story, but it contains all the buzzwords that you would expect in a situation like this..  Full interview at the link.

Talking with neighbors and friends, it seems that Alexandria is going the way of  the times.  I'm glad I retired when I did.  Our Sheriff, as of this posting, has been silent on the matter.  It probably hasn't even reached his inbox yet.  Of course, the investigation is continuing but we are not going to hear anything from the police perspective until it goes to court.

I was talking with a prominent local politician yesterday, and he said that he eels really bad for the police officers on the beat.  He went further, saying that he understands that they need the paycheck, but that he would not do the ob of a police officer in this political climate.  He's simply resign and find another way to feed his family.  I understand his feelings.

Defund (Some) Police

The movement to defund police departments started in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed in police custody.  Recently, the Minneapolis city council voted to disband their police department in favor of ... something else.

Now, we learn that members of the city council get private security protection that costs taxpayers $63,000.

The city has spent $63,000 on rent-a-cops for Jenkins and fellow councilmembers Phillipe Cunningham and Alondra Cano during the last three weeks after the three said they had received threats.
But an MPD spokesperson said that no complaints of threats against them had been filed.

The City Council gets private security, but the citizens have to fend for themselves.  That should tell you all you need to know about the progressive agenda.

Good Advise (NSFW)

Instapundit remarks that Chris Rock's old video about how not to get your ass kicked is very good advise and should be required viewing at every "woke" gathering.

For your edification, it is below.



It's Saturday afternoon, and I'm going to see if my gal wants to have a little fun.

How Far We've Come

Looking at all the latest news, it's easy to think that we are facing huge challenges that we must address immediately.  To a certain extent, that is true, but it's helpful to look in our collective rear-view mirror and see where we've been.  It's not like we just began having this conversation and race, or police power, or government.  We've been having this conversation for decades.

The Grouchy  Old Cripple reminded me of this fact, just this morning.  He led me to a YouTube video from 2013 that got me chuckling.



Clueless liberals haven't loarned a single thing in decades.

A Study

The Associated Press is reporting that Louisiana lawmakers  support a task force to study police use-of-force and bias.  The measure passed the legislature unanimously.  That is both odd, and heartening.  The Louisiana legislature normally can't agree on anything.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Amid a national conversation about law enforcement’s use of force with people of color, Louisiana lawmakers are creating a task force to study police training, misconduct and racial bias recognition.

The Police Training, Screening and Deescalation Task Force will make recommendations to state lawmakers about ways to ensure reporting of law enforcement misconduct, penalties for improper actions and removal of “bad actors.” 

You're going to name it the PTSD Task Force?  Really?  Y'all couldn't do any better than that name?  Couldn't make it any more cringe-worthy?

Louisiana has had for years, a board called the POST council. (Peace Officers Standards and Training).  Every bit of training I got for the past 30 years was approved and vetted by that council.  By-and-large, they did a good job in police training.  I wonder if this new task force is supposed to complement of supplant the POST council?

PTSD Task Force?  That's funny, right there!

Louisiana Covid Update - Governor's Edition

Our governor thinks we're idiots, and the legislature is goig along.  This today from his Facebook page.

Only 93% from community spread?  How else can we possibly get Covid?  Even those cases we attribute to enhanced testing, they probably got it in the community.

It's time to fully end the governor's health emergency and get on with living.    The legislature can do that with a stroke of the pen.  This entire debacle can be over tomorrow.  Louisianans are smart enough to know how to lie with Covid, and we're going to have to live with it until a vaccine is produced.

Saharan Dust

If this summer isn't weird enough, it seems that we have a visitor from Africa.  Saharan dust is clogging the skies.  According to the article, it happens occasionally,

The dust cloud inhibits tropical storms, reduces the amount of sunlight hitting the ground, and intensifies the redness in sunsets.  It also increases the risk of allergy problems.

Backlash

I"m just sayin'.

No Noose Is Good Noose

It turns out that Bubba Wallace's noose was not a noose at all.   The FBI determined that no crime had been committed. 

A noose that was found hanging in Black stock car racer Bubba Wallace's garage stall in Alabama was a pull rope that had been placed there in October, long before the stall was assigned to Wallace, the FBI announced Tuesday.

No crime.  It was a pull rope. 

But, Bubba himself claims he never saw it.  Which leads to some questions.  If he didn't see it, why did he fell a compulsion to talk about it?  Why did he immediately have to ump to victim status?  Was this a hoax designed to injure NASCAR?

NASCAR is about auto-racing.  It's about who comes across the finish line first.  It should not be about racial injustice, or perceived slights.  Wallace may have a good future in auto-racing, but he may not, either.  Time will tell.  He needs to focus on getting across the finish line before the other drivers.  Wallace is a NASCAR driver, with a team behind him, and now, they are laughing-stocks.  The source of mirth.

There are people in the world who are hyper-sensitive to various sensations.  Light-sensitive, touch-sensitive, taste-sensitive.  Hyper sensitivity is a disability.  Perhaps Wallace and his team should get serious psychological counseling, and offer heart-felt apologies to the sport that lets them make a living.  Otherwise, they are just assholes.

End Of CHOP?

It appears that the Mayor of Seattle has decided to honor her oath and return law-and-order to the zone that has been overrun with criminals. - - Naan, that's too harsh.

What she's actually done is told the unruly children to go home.

Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference that the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality. She said the city is working with the community to bring the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone to an end.

She has't offered a timeline, which is tactically sound.  There is no use letting an adversary know when you're coming.   Which begs another question.  How is she going to re-assert control?  I know how I would do it, but I wouldn't have let it go this far.

This may be interesting to watch.

Noose? What Noose?

NASCAR is a big deal in the South.   big deal in Talledega.  It has it's roots in the bootleggers of Prohibition, running souped-up cars while running from Revenue agents.

There is this driver, Bubba Wallace, who happens to be black.  He claims that he found a noose in his garage stall on Sunday.

On Sunday night, black NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace said he found a noose in his garage stall. Wallace had pressured NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag at events and placed a “Black Lives Matter” bumper sticker on his racecar. NASCAR did indeed ban the flag, sparking outrage and protests. NASCAR condemned the noose, and drivers expressed their support for Wallace.

NASCAR, of course, is horrified.

 NASCAR said in a statement on Sunday. “We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”

Funny thing, I can't find a picture of the noose.  A Google Images search for "Bubba Wallace Noose" turns up blank.   Lots of pictures of Bubba, no pictures of his noose.  Not that I care, really.  But, in this age of photos on the internet, you think that someone would have snapped a photo of the (alleged) noose.

NASCAR has backed themselves into a corner.  Someone will be eliminated from the sport.  It will be interesting to see whom that someone might be.

Seen On Facebook

Earle this afternoon, our Governor said that we'd be staying in Phase 2 for another 28 days.

They're blaming everything on the corona virus.

Police Work

The entire country is involved in a debate about the nature of police work, and how it affects the folks in the country.  How should government police the jurisdiction so that the people are safe?  It's an interesting question that bears on the society in which we live.

Police work today is very different than it was when I began policing in the early '80s.  At that time, for example, there were no cops in the schools.  or in airports.  As our society evolved, so did the nature of police work, and the police started getting involved in things on a gradual basis.  Sometimes as a result of an horrific event (Columbine, 9/11), but more frequently, simply on the basis is some well-thinking organization asking for help, and the police administrator simply trying to be nice.

This led to mission-creep, and police agencies got bigger simply because they needed more people to do those things that were considered necessary, but outside the realm of traditional police work..  Somebody is having an event.  They ask the police department to send a police officer.  The administrator sends a police officer.  Nothing happens.  The fact that nothing happens is taken as iron-clad proof that the police officer was necessary at the event, when there is no evidence to support that claim.  I used to have this argument frequently with my supervisors.

Me: "That was a total waste of time."

Supervisor: "But it made everybody feel better."

Me: "It was still a waste of time, energy, and resources.  There was no problem, no reason for me to be there."

Most police calls-for-service don't involved criminal activity.  And, I'm not even talking about traffic accidents, which are generally a prelude to a civil suit.  That's a whole 'nuther topic.  But, most calls-for service are not criminal in nature.  Let's take, for example, the incident involving Rayshard Brooks, the gy who was recently shot at the Weindy's restaurant in Atlanta.

Rayshard fell asleep in the drive-thru.  Someone called the police.  What happened next is a tragedy on so many levels that I won't go into it all here.  But, the question remains, why were the police called?  It certainly is not against the law to all asleep in a Wendy's drive-thru.  Would it not have been better for the manager of that Wendy's to go outside, tap on the window and wake him?  Why call the police?

If we accept that the police have a vital role to play in the maintenance of a free society, and we are going to have a debate about what the role of the police in maintaining that free society, then we also need to think about what role the police will pay.  When we talk about police work, I think we can all agree that the police need to be there for things like murder, rape, burglary, and yes, even traffic accidents.  But, should the police be called when some bozo falls asleep in a drive-thru?

That's not against the law?  It's simply an inconvenience.  The manager needs to trot his ass out there and see if he's asleep, or what the problem might be.

Monday Morning

Well, Of Course

It seems that arson investigators in Atlanta have issued an arrest warrant for the girlfriend of Rayshard Brooks, who got himself killed while resisting arrest at a Wendy's restaurant.

Atlanta police issue arrest warrant for Rayshard Brooks' 'girlfriend', 29, for burning down the Wendy's where he was shot and killed by cops.

Because the natural, rational thing to do when you are outraged is to burn down a restaurant that had absolutely nothing to do with the thing you are outraged about. (/sarc)

Maybe she can explain to the jury why she thought that arson was a good idea.  Of course, with the racist, corrupt, DA they currently have, it's a matter of claim if she will ever see the inside of a courtroom.

When Civil Order Fails

When civil order fails, something steps in to fill it.  That something that steps in is often less civil than what originally failed.  A report from Seattle's CHAZ/CHOP.

Lacking agreed-upon leadership, those who have naturally risen to the top have done so with force or intimidation. For example, rapper Raz Simone, real name Solomon Simone, patrols CHAZ on some nights with an armed entourage. Simone, originally from Georgia, has an arrest record for child cruelty and other charges. He usually conducts his patrols carrying a long semi-auto rifle and sidearm. Last weekend, a live stream recorded Simone handing another man a rifle from the trunk of a car.

 Not everyone in CHAZ recognizes Simone’s police-like presence, but no one is willing to stand up to him and his group. There have been consequences to those perceived as challengers or threats. Independent Los Angeles-based journalist Kalen D’Ameida recorded Simone and his crew in the early hours of Monday morning. He was spotted by one of Simone’s men, who manhandled him and demanded he turn over his mobile device. Simone’s team chased D’Ameida and tried to drag him to the security tent. He escaped by hiding in a construction site outside CHAZ until police responded to his 911 call.

This entire incident is a cautionary tale, and the leadership of Seattle seems both unable and unwilling to civil order in the area.

Parsing The Phrase

Occasionally, phrases come into the American political lexicon.  Some make sense, some bale me, and recently, the phrase "black lives matter" has entered the political arena. I admit I was rather baffled by this statement, thinking that it was self-evident, so startlingly apparent that it didn't need to be verbalized.  I was raised to believe that every human life is precious, so of course black lives matter.

Revently, the phrase has become  a political bell-weather.  If you don't verbalize it, you are immediately branded as a bigot, or worse.  This week, our Vice President, Mike Pence was cornered by  a reporter who asked why he wouldn't recite the platitude.

“Forgive me for pressing you on this, sir,” anchor Brian Taff said to Pence, “but I will note you did not say those words, ‘Black lives matter,’ and there is an important distinction. People are saying, of course all lives matter, but to say the words is an acknowledgment that Black lives also matter at a time in this country when it appears that there’s a segment of our society that doesn’t agree. So why will you not say those words?”
“Well, I don’t accept the fact, Brian, that there’s a segment of American society that disagrees, in the preciousness and importance of every human life,” Pence said. “And it’s one of the reasons why as we advance important reforms in law enforcement, as we look for ways to strengthen and improve our public safety in our cities, that we’re not going to stop there.”

I recall when I was a soldier, and aa police officer, and I had black friends, associates, and brothers-in-arms.  Some were black, some were white, some where Latino, some were indistinct.  Their lives mattered to me, very much.  The idea that a soldier's life mattered more or less depending on his race was abhorrent.

The phrase has become a "woke" mantra, and I'm not really good at mantras.  When the BLM crowd starts actually believing the words, adn acting on them, decreasing the crime and corruption in places like Chicago, and worrying about the huge number of innocent black lives that Planned Parenthood suffs out every year, then perhaps I'll start believing that they mean what they say.

Until then tey sould not ask me to mouth meaningless words just to placate the mob.

So, Which Is It?

When I heard that the officers of the Atlanta PD were experiencing a severe outbreak of "blue flu", I thought that there might be more to the story than I had heard.

It seems that several weeks ago, The Fulton County DA held a press conference where he explained the prosecution of several officers  resulting from an incident where tasers were used.  During that press conference linked above, at the 17:00 mark, he says "As may of you know, under Georgia law, a taser is considered as a deadly weapon."

Really?  A taser is a deadly weapon.  Okay.  You can believe that every police officer on the force heard that, loud and clear.

Fast forward to last week.  Two fine officers get involved with a drunk in a Wendy's parking lot.  The incident goes sideways.  The perp resists, grabs a taser and fires it at the officers.  The DA charges the officers with murder, claiming now that the taser posed no threat to the officers.

So, which is it, Mr. DA?  Is the taser deadly force only when used by police officers?  It magically loses lethality when used by a perp against police officers?  That seems mildly inconsistent, especially  when you have charged officers in both incidents.

The fact that the DA is now in a political race, and in the losing position may have affected his judgement.  He's pandering, and doing it in the most blatant manner possible.

It's no wonder that Atlanta has the blue flu.  The officers are not sure where the force continuum lies, but they know that if they choose wrong in a moment of crisis, they ill be fired and charged before the investigation is complete.

Commitment

The Atlanta Police Department is in serious trouble.

Hours after a fired police officer was charged with felony murder for fatally shooting a man in the back, Atlanta police officers are not responding to calls in three of the department's six zones, multiple sources within the Atlanta Police Department told CNN on Wednesday evening.

I'm surprised that Atlanta has only six zones.  A police zone is an area in which officers are assigned for patrol and other purposes.  You learn your zone like the back of your hand, and  work within that zone to keep the peace.  I know many small towns of less than 100K populatio who have more than six zones, but that is police trivia.  What is more troubling is that half of the zones aren't answering calls.

"There's a lot happening in our cities and our police officers are receiving the brunt of it, quite frankly," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN's Chris Cuomo. She said the city has committed to the officers through a big pay raise, and "we expect that our officers will keep their commitment to our communities."

Police work isn't about the pay.  I don't know any police officer, ever, who got into the service for the money.  It's nice to get a paycheck and everyone has to make a living, but the money is not the reason why a person puts on the badge.  The mayor should understand that.

And, it's not about the fact that an officer was charged with murder.  During my career, I was involved in the arrest of several officers who tarnished the badge.  We were doing our ob, policing ourselves as we policed the city.

It's about respect, and knowing that whatever happens on the street, that the supervisors will stand up and do the right thing.  If the rank-and-file officers thought that the charge was  righteous, they'd be at work.   Evidently, they believe that the charge is a knee-jerk reaction designed to calm the outraged, without a serious, sober review of the facts.

Police work is hard.  Sometimes an officer has to make a decision based on the facts on the ground without full knowledge of what might happen in the next second, or the next day.  That officer has to know that his actions will be judged solely on what is happening at that instant based on his training and understanding of the law.  Monday morning quarterbacking is not allowed.

The commitment runs both ways.  When the Mayor, or Chief of Police does not support the officers, the best paycheck in the region won't keep officers on the force.

The Graden

Eaton Rapids Joe asked for an update on the garden.  We have a small raised bed, roughly 4' x 8'.  Belle planted tomatoes, onions, and cayenne peppers.

It hasn't borne tomatoes, although we have harvested some onion tops and peppers.  The tomatoes are loaded with green fruit and we expect them to start ripening in the next few days.

Belle, near her tomatoes.

For scale, Belle stands five-feet-two.  The tomatoes are as tall as she is.  The raised bed gets the morning sun, but it shaded in the afternoon.  Hereabouts, we consider that perfect for raising tomatoes.

Tucker on BLM

Powerful message from Tucker Carlson.



This is tyranny of the mob.

Stupidity

Like many of you, I got up Saturday morning to read of "racial urest" in Atlanta over the killing of a black man by white police officers.  I rolled my eyes, and thought "Aw, crap, here we go again".

But, like most Americans, I had deadlines and commitments and got busy living my life.  It was Saturday, and we never know what really happened for a couple of days.  This morning, over coffee, I had a chance to look into the matter.  It seems that Rayshard Brooks, 27, was found asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle in a Wendy's drive-through.  Someone called the police and two of Atlanta's finest arrived to investigate.

Before it was over, Brooks was dead.  Dead mainly from his own actions.  Stacey McCain lays it all down, and you'd do well to read the whole thing.  In a nushell, the officers investigated, decided that Brooks was drunk.and placed him under arrest.  While being handcuffed, Brooks resisted (Resisting an Officer), scuffled with police (Battery on an Officer), snatched a Taser from one officer's belt (Disarming an Officer), attempted to flee (Resisting Arrest by Flight), then pointed the Taser at an officer (Aggravated Assault on an Officer).  He was shot for his trouble.  It's regrettable, but Brooks set the conditions for his own death.

Everything I have read says that the officers did everything right.  Brooks is dead, and that's sad, but he brought it on himself.

I'm a 37 year veteran of police work.  I've had all the training.  I have not delved into the minutia of the incident, but in a broad sense have some familiarity with what happened.  Because at several points, during my career, it has happened to me.  The cops are not at fault here, the training is not at fault here.  Brooks made some bad decisions that led to his death.  It's regrettable, but it's his own fault.

Of course, the local outrage mob in the neighborhood decided to compound the stupidity and burn down the Wendy's.  Arson is still a crime, and I'm sure that the authorities are working to identify the arsonists.

The Chief of Police has resigned in Atlanta, probably out of disgust at the stupidity of the mayor, who has called for the firing of the officers.

The officers did their jobs, and from what I've read, did it in the manner of their training.

Sunday Video

A week ago today we were leaving Amarillo, TX after five days of shooting Cowboy Fast Draw.  Our photographer, Miss E is starting to put out video of the events.

This is the first two days of shooting, the Southern Territorial Championship.



At 2:46 you can watch grandson Zach take a win.  He's the fellow in the red shirt, with the American flag motif on his belt ad holster.

It was a good time.

Pedicure

One day last week my daughter called.  I had been joshing about getting a pedicure, and she told me she was making an appointment.  did I want to go?  "Sure", says I.

Ohmigod, guys.  You gotta do this.  My feet hadn't had any professional care since induction physical into the Army.  This little lady washed trimmed, groomed, lotioned, and massaged my old broke-down feet.  At one point, she even took out a dremel tool.

That was the best $28 I've spent in a long time.  My boots even fit better.

I plan to put a pedicure on my regular grooming rotation.  Next time I may even get my nails colored.

The CHAZ

I am utterly bemused at the current situation in Seattle.  A group of anarchists set up a zone in downtown Seattle, and have erected border walls (which the left hates), and strict immigration controls (which the left hates), and are shaking down businesses with exorbitant taxation (which the left does routinely).  It's become a left-fringe freak show.

The mayor of Seattle, and the governor of Washington have utterly no clue.

I'll let Hannity explain it.



In another hour I'll go out to the shop, move some equipment, and set up for a club shoot.  A conservative celebration, if you will. 

The New Bolsheviks

That is what Ingraham is calling them.  Bolsheviks.  She's right.

I've been watching the news lately, The scenes coming out of Seattle, Chicago, Los Angels, and other bastions of liberal, progressive  power leave me stunned.  It shows, indisputably, that progressive power is a paper tiger.  If you are a "progressive" and allow a group to take over a section of your city, without taking it back, you really have no power.  The mayor of Seattle, and Chicago, and Minneapolis have shown, without exception that they do not control their cities. 

As a career police officer, with 37 years behind the badge, I was horrified at the scene of the cop kneeling on George Floyd's neck.  This had noting to do with the fake $20 bill ad everything to do with Floyd's refusal to get in the police car.  This was a routine arrest gone horribly wrong.  There is plenty of blame to go around, and some of it falls on Floyd himself.  The criminal justice system will sort it out, although I'm fairly certain that the charged officers will probably ask for a change of venue.

The riots that have occurred since are more than an over-reaction.  They are an opportunistic power grab by people who want to remake American society.  The people that the rioters are grabbing power from are not the conservatives, but some of the most "progressive" power centers in the US.  It's really interesting to watch, because those elected officials are responsible for the safety, security and order in those cities.  At every level, they have failed miserably.



I admit I am somewhat baffled.  The very people elected in Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, and other places like that have allowed their cities to degenerate into third world hell-holes.  If this is progressive, I want no part of it.

Non-Starter

The vicious, left-wing press asked Press Secretary Kayleitg McEnany what the President thought about renaming current military installations that are currently named for Confederate military commanders. 

Her reply:  It's a non-starter.

Good for President Trump.  Forts Benning, Bragg, Polk, and Hood, among others are part of our great military history.  Many units in the Army today trace their lineage back to before the Civil War and some of those units served in the Confederate Army.  One such unit, the 141st Field Artillery (Washington Artillery) has served in every American conflict since the War of 1812. 

Re-naming poss today is a non-starter with President Trump, and I agree with him. 

Defund Who?

While I wasn't paying attention this past week, it seems that the Left has lost it's mind.  There seems to be a call across some of the US to defund police departments.  The Minneapolis City council is planning to vote to disband its police department.

What the hell?

Police power is the power to arrest, detain and limit freedom for the public good.  Many times the police don't use that power, but work for the public good.  I spent a career as a police officer, serving all of my citizens without passion or prejudice.  I believe that every police department has problems, but that those problems can be fixed with good leadership.  If a police department has systemic problems, then a change of leadership is beneficial.

But, police power is power, and power will be replaced in a vacuum.  So, if we remove our police department, what will replace it?  And, I'm not hearing anything about who will control the power once the police department is disbanded.  What is the end game?

Power must be controlled, or anarchy results.  In a power vacuum, something will rise to replace it.

Thank God that we have a Second Amendment.

Honda Odyssey First Trip

About two weeks ago, I bought myself a brand-new 2020 Honda Odyssey.  It's the EX version, second from the bottom of their line, but it has a lot of bells and whistles that I was not familiar with and didn't know if they would be useful.

To set the stage, for my whole life I've bought used vehicles for myself.  I bought more than a few vehicles for the family ( translate: wife) but I drove used vehicles.  This time I decided that I wanted brad-new.  And, I wanted a few bells and whistles, but didn't need a moon roof.  I traded a 2015 Kia Sedona.  We got a lot of use out of the Sedona as a traveling vehicle.  To be a gunfighter means that we pack a lot of gear beyond luggage and the extra space in a van is wonderful.

It's not sporty, it's not stylish, it's a people hauler. 

Loaded for a gunfight

I had watched some videos about the safety features on this vehicle.  Since 2015, the various manufacturers have made great upgrades in technology, but let's talk about one in particular.

Adaptive Cruise Control.

My dad once said that he wouldn't buy  roller skate if it didn't have cruise control, and I understand his thought.  It's a great tool to set the speed and go, except when you are on a  crowded highway, like the interstates between cities, and you get stick behind a big truck who goes slower uphill and faster downhill.  You can fiddle with the cruise control, or just turn it off and use your right foot.  It's frustrating and tiring.

Adaptive cruise control lets you set a speed, and there is a radar on the front of your vehicle that senses traffic.  If you run up on a slower moving vehicle.  It maintains a set distance and when you feel that it is safe and convenient, you can go around the slower vehicle.  Once you change over to a clear lane, the cruise control brings you back up to your set speed.

When I left DFW metro yesterday, headed east on 1-20, I set the cruse at 80 and tried to put Texas behind me.  Before long, I came up on some trucks trying to pull up a hill, and the van settled in behind them, maintaining a safe distance.I never made 80 mph, all the way to Shreveport, but the vehicle kept us safe and we went with the flow of traffic.  Belle and I chatted, and I still had to drive the vehicle, but I wasn't constantly fiddling with the cruise control.

When we hit Shreveport, headed south on I-49, it was the same deal.  It was getting dark, but the radar sees things that we can't.  I believe that if I had rolled up on a vehicle without lights, the radar would see it and slow me down before a catastrophe.

Adaptive cruise control is da-bomb. Driving was a whole lot less stressful and when I got home after a sold eleven hours on the road, I wasn't exhausted.  Tired for sure, but not exhausted as I though I'd be.

We'l go over some of the other safety features later.  This van is just about as close to a self-driving vehicle as I'm liable to see.

Home, Safe

We rolled in about 10:00 last night, home safe after a week.

It was a great shoot, under trying conditions.  The organizers did a great ob, the host venue was very accommodating, but the Covid restrictions and current practices made it tough for everyone.  We're a gregarious bunch, and it's impassible to maintain social distancing in a tight venue.

The original, planned venue might have been easier to maintain distance, but the CDC wanted to set up shop in Amarillo and kicked us out at the last minute and the event organizers had to scramble for a venue that might accommodate us.  The Big Texan took us in, and did everything they could do to make us comfortable.  We were grateful for their space and made it work.

Texas is a bit ahead of Louisiana in the Covid recovery, and is making it work.  They are still in Phase 2, but the restaurants are open.  Every other table has a Covid marker on it, and is not being used, but the restaurant is open.  It was very nice to sit inside at a restaurant table, order a meal and enjoy it with friends.

We wore the "new" off the new Honda Odyssey.  This trip was a great shake-down cruise and I learned a lot about it.  There are still a few things that I haven't figured out but the technology i this vehicle is amazing.  More on that later.  After coffee and unpacking the van, I have to go get the dawg, who has been at a borders this week.

Friday UPdate

PawPaw and crew are still in Amarillo, involved in a huge Cowboy Fast Draw shoot.  Today, we shot the Texas State Championship.  PawPaw did okay, staying in for eight rounds and finishing well in the top half of the crowd.

Looking forward, Tropical Storm Christobal is heading our way in Louisiana.  Our governor is freaking out, like he does about everything, and is probably seeking federal emergency funds for the storm.

We're back in the hotel now, and PawPaw is having a cocktail.  In a short while, we'll walk to a convenient restaurant where a chicken-fried steak awaits.

Triple Crown - Day 2

We started the Southern Territorial Championship today.  I did not cover myself in glory, but I did manage to stay in until the 6th round.  Belle is out, and I am out, but Zach still has two Xs before he is out.  An X, for the uninitiated, is a loss during an individual match.

Belle, being out, went to look at the vendors, and bought a new fast draw rig, from Mernicke Leather.  It's a nice rig and I may think about strolling over during a lull in the shooting tomorrow.

We shoot brackets tomorrow morning.  Then finish the Southern Territorials.

Back at the hotel, I see that we have a new storm in the Gulf.  Tropical Storm Cristobal.  He's set to hit Louisiana, just about the time we get back on late Sunday.

Oh, Joy!  The hurricane season is ramping up.  2020, with impeachment, Covid, race riots, and now an early tropical storm, has not shaped up like I would have wished.

Triple Crown, Day 1

The shoot that we're calling the Triple Crown of Cowboy Fast Draw kicked off today, with registration and a Jackpot shoot.  Because of Covid-related problems, we are doing Texas State Championship, the Southern Territorial Championship, and the US National Championship in five days of shooting.  We are shooting at the Big Texan Steak House, in a building they have out back.

We were originally scheduled for another venue, but the Center for Disease Control tool it over and kicked us out.  The Big Texan was kind enough to offer the use of their space.  They must have thought it might be good for business to have us in the space.

That's not a sign you see every day

The main matches start tomorrow, but with so many gunfighters in a building, we had to have a match.  I didn't feel like shooting, so I volunteered as a range officer.

Belle, giving hugs to people we haven't seen in a while.

When the shooting was over, and the trophies were awarded, grandson Zach was in 2nd place.

That's Zach, second from the right, with his trophy and an envelope with cash in it.

After the shoot broke up, we headed down the interstate to Olive Garden for a celebratory meal.  We're back in the hotel room, and Belle has declared Happy Hour.

The Model 12 Shotgun

More information on an American favorite than you ever thought you needed to know.



I learned a lot watching this video.  The best part is when he reassembles it. So, I'm leaving it here in case I want to find it again.

Louisiana Moving to Phase 2

Our petty tyrant, John Bel Edwards, has decided that Louisiana can move to Phase 2.  That's damned nice of him, even if it is two weeks late.  Good for him.  He's holding the economy back, but that's his plan and the legislature doesn't have the balls to over-ride him.

In other news, I'm in Amarillo, TX, for the Triple Crown of Cowboy Fast Draw.  We left Louisiana yesterday, and in the past 24 hours, we've eaten in restaurants, driven across the state, and only saw one incident of Covid restrictions.  We stayed last night at a hotel in Wichita Falls and the hotel did not have a breakfast because of the Covid restrictions.  We got a quesadilla at a gas station, and it was wonderful.  For all you gourmands, out there, grab some gas station food when you get a chance.

The Triple Crown of Cowboy Fast Draw is Texas State, The Southern Territorials, and the US National Championship.  It will be held in Amarillo TX on Wednesday-Sunday this week. Five days of the fastest sport imaginable.  If you blink your eyes, you may miss it.

Belle and I are ensconced in the hotel, and have declared happy hour.  By design, there is an IHOP right next door, and we may walk over in a little bit and get our supper.  I'm hungry for pancakes.