The Drive-In

 There is this place out in the swamp east of Holloway, LA.  Holloway is a crossroads, and not much of one.  One red light, one gas station, a Dollar General, a Family Dollar, and a Sheriff's substation.

A couple of miles east of Holloway, is a little drive-in restaurant.  The locals call it AW's, because the fellow who built it was AW.  The sign out front said AW's Drive In, but AW retired, and a storm blew the AW off the sign, so now it's just Drive-In.  It's a place where you order from outside the building through a little sliding window.  They have an indoor dining room, and picnic tables outside.  I personally know that someone has ben cooking there since the '60s.

Belle sent me to AWs today to get a couple of fish plates.  We called the order in, and I knew it would be ready when I got there.  As I drove up, I noticed a fellow looking at the big menu in the window, so I asked him, "First time here?"

"Yeah," he replied, "First time in Louisiana.  I live in Maine."

"Well, it's all good." I waved at the menu.  "What brings you to Louisiana?"

"Visiting my brother," says he.  "He's stationed at Fort Polk, near Leesville.."

As I was paying the gal for the fish plates, the fellow asks. "Is it always this hot here?"

"In July and August it is."  I gathered our lunches and wished him a good day.

As I type this, he should be getting close to his brother.  I hope that the heat doesn't injure him.  Outside right now, it's a balmy 95F with a heat index of 110.

The Governor Barks - LA Covid Update

 Today, Louisiana's petty  tyrant held a bark-a-thon press conference.  It seems that Louisiana once again leads the nation in Covid infections.  He's thinking about a mask mandate for everyone. Even fully vaccinated folks.

Lets look at the numbers shall we?  This is from today's LA Covid dashboard.  They are his numbers, not mine.

First, the main dashboard, where we get an oerview.

Next, the stats for the vaccinated folks.

These charts tell us a couple of things.  First, we have 1,716,161 fully vaccinated folks in Louisiana.  Those fully vaccinated folks account for 10% of the new cases.  That means we have 531 of the new cases are vaccinated.  That tells me that the chance of a vaccinated person getting Covid is 0.000030.  That tells me that the chances of a fully vaccinated person getting Covid is 3 thousandths of 1 percent.

That's pretty good odds.  I have a better chance of dying in an auto crash, but not quite as much chance of being struck by lightning.  I don't know what he is freaking out about.

The Noble Lie

 There is a piece over at Slate that talks about the lies we were told during the pandemic,   Noble lies, designed to protect us, to keep us safe.

There is a piece at Not The Bee, deconstructing the Slate article.

There are no noble lies,there are just lies.  Lying will destroy the trust between people, between spouses, between the public and governments.  Lies are destructive.  There is noting noble abut lying.

I don't trust Anthony Fauci.  He lies.  He had demonstrably lied to us in the past, and for all I know he is still lying to us.  I have no trust in him whatsoever.   By extension, I have no trust in the agencies he represents. Certainly not the CDC, or any of the other public health agencies.  I also have no trust in state and local officials who rely on his guidance. He is a liar.  He has proven to be a liar.

Anyone who listens to the expertise of the liar should remember what my father said about experts.  "An "ex" is a has-been, and a spurt is a small drip under extreme pressure."

Spit-Balling

 I'm spit-balling here, thinking out loud.

This country is a mess.  We're divided on a broad range of domestic issues, coming out of a pandemic, our economy is half-stepping, and the border is a damned mess.  We know, on the border, that among that wave of humanity crossing into the US, that many nationalities are represented.  It ain't just Mexicans looking for a better life.

We are coming up on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a date that will live in infamy.  Anniversaries are important.  They tend to focus the mind.

Does anyone else see a problem?  I spent a lot of years in what the Army calls Operations.  The intel shop was just down the hall from mine, and we spent a lot f time trying to connect dots. And I'm wondering right now what September is going to bring us?

Keep It Going

 In the midst of the latest surge in the pandemic, we truly need to know what the Biden administration is doing to mitigate this disaster. As it turns out, they are importing infected people and letting them roam free.  It's almost like the Biden boys want to keep this pandemic going for as long as possible.

A manager told the officer they wanted the people to leave the establishment because they were making everyone inside “uneasy.” When the officer approached the migrants, they said they had tested positive for the coronavirus and had been apprehended by Border Patrol agents several days prior before being released.

As I read the story above, it appears that a group of illegals crossed the border, were apprehended by Border Patrol, tested positive for Covid, and were released into the general population.  Am I missing anything?  We know that the Biden Boys are transporting illegals all across the country, and now we know that many of them are positive for Covid. That is one way to keep a pandemic going, and we have to wonder how evil a bureaucrat has to be to implement such a policy. 

Congratulations, Lieutenant!

 Some good news coming out of the Tokyo Olympics.  It seems that Amber English, who is a US Army officer, has won the gold in Women's Skeet.

English, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic shotgun teams, prevailed by one target over the reigning Olympic champion Diana Bacosi of Italy. She set an Olympic record by hitting 56 of 60 targets in the event.

International skeet differs from American skeet in that the targets are a tiny bit larger, and they fly a bit faster.  The course of fire is also different, in that more doubles are shot, and there is no "option" shot in International Skeet. In International Skeet, it is entirely possible to drop a target simply because you didn't see it.

A round of skeet is 25 shots.  This indicates to me that the match was two rounds, plus a soot-off.

My first game in the shooting sports was American Skeet.  I shot it as a striping youth at the old McBride Rod and Gun Club at England AFB, LA.  I was employed there as a skeet boy at age 12 for the princely sum of 50 cents per hour.  At the end of he day, the skeet boys were allowed to shoot one round of skeet, free of charge.  It was part of our salary.

Skeet has been eclipsed these days by 5-stand and Sporting Clays.  You can find a layout of a skeet field here.

ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill, Dead at 72

Rest in Peace, Dusty.

The Big Vax Push

 It seems that we are in a third (or fourth?) wave of the Wu-flu and the push to get vaccinated is on.  

From the CDC, to the Veterans Affairs, to your state and local government, the push is on.  They are trying to make it a patriotic decision, or a civic duty. The simple truth is that it is a medical decision that should be made with the consultation of your personal physician.  There may be a multitude of reasons for a person to get vaccinated or not.  No one but your personal doctor should have any input on this decision at all.

There is a push to get us masked-up again.  It's also time for Americans to resist.  The mask (or face diaper, or whatever you wish to call it) has become a virtue-signal, a visible outward manifestation of submission.  If the Governor says we should mask, that's enough for the submissive.  Based on my readings, the question remains about the effectiveness of cloth or paper masks to reduce the chances of infection, so the mask becomes a political statement.

For Louisiana, as in many blue states, or Governor loves the pandemic and is loath to give up the power it represents.  I am becoming convinced that the emergency powers given to the Governor to declare a pubic health emergency is too much power to entrust to one man.  The blue-state governors have proven that they are unable to resist using the power that we entrusted to them.  In nearly every case, they have restricted religious freedom, freedom of assembly, freedom to conduct commerce, just to name a few.  It was all done with what I believe are good intentions, but it was done nevertheless.  That power is simply too powerful for one person to wield.  It should be removed by the legislatures at the earlies possible tome.

Obit For A Dog

 Beau came to live with us thirteen years ago.  A fuzzy little shih-tsu, he was a constant companion and a loyal friend.  He helped us raise many of our grandkids, and followed Belle like a shadow.  He took care of us,and we took care of him.  During the last couple of years, cataracts took his eyesight but he knew his way around the house, knew where his water bowl lay and kept track of Belle.

He loved going out to the shop with me, and he spent a lot of time out there with  me, and with family.  Over the last couple of weeks, we've noticed that he was losing a steep, getting disoriented, but we chalked it up to his eyesight.  We had a vet look at him and she found some lung issues, but he seemed to have gotten over it.  This morning, I took him out to the shop, and it seemed that his breathing was labored.  I made meatballs, and he wasn't interested in eating.  I piddled around in the shop for a bit, then brought him in the house, and noticed that he wasn't getting any better.  I called Belle and she said that she would meet me at the vet's office.

At the vet's they found masses on his spleen and his liver, and coupled with the respiratory problems, the vet said it was time to make the call.  Belle and I went outside, caught our breath, cried for a bit, and went back in to consult with the vet.  We made the call.

Belle was holding Beau as he drifted off to sleep.  Tomorrow morning I'll dig a hole out by the pond.

He was a good dog, led a good life, and showed a lot of love and faithfulness.It's hard to tell him goodbye, but Belle and I feel that we made the correct call

Airventure/Oshkosh 2021-Gear Collapse.

This is the beginning of AirVenture 2021, the big EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, WI.  For a week of so,this airport becomes the busiest in the world as aviators from all over the world bring their aircraft to Oshkosh to enjoy the companionship of like-minded people.

Accidents happen, and Termite points us to a video where things did not go exactly as planned.  

I'm no aviator, but from what I've heard, this was a good landing because they walked away from it, but it wasn't a great landing, because they cannot use the airplane again.  Oh, they might be able to use it after several tens of thousands of dollars, but it ain't going to fly this week.

The Border Mess

 Joe Biden's mess at the border is coming to a town near you.  The Dead Pelican is linking to a Breitbart story about busloads of illegals being dropped off in Louisiana.  Local officials say that they were not notified of the impending arrivals.

According to WAFB 9 News, border crossers were bussed to Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Natchez, and Monroe, Louisiana, after they were released by DHS thanks to the Biden administration’s expansive catch and release policy.

 Most recently, the Biden administration used Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas to fly nearly 800 border crossers into the U.S. interior.

I bet it's a lot more than 800.  There is a video at Monkey Werx US that talks about the US Government flights carrying illegals across the US. It sounds like conspiracy-theory stuff, but lately we've learned that conspiracy theories are generally spoilers for stories that will break in the coming weeks.

New Speak Meme

 From online:

Also, when you hear "conspiracy theory",think spoiler alert.

When we are accused of "misinformation", we know that we are over the target.

Biden Wants To Ban Handguns.

 Last week, Crazy Uncle Joe did a town hall on CNN and said that he wants to ban handguns  Yep,that's what he said. Full story here, but the applicable quote below.

“The idea you need a weapon that can have the ability to fire 20, 30, 40, 50, 120 shots from that weapon — whether it’s a — whether it’s a 9-millimeter pistol or whether it’s a rifle — is ridiculous. I’m continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things…”

It looks pretty plain tome.  Joe said, in plain words that he wants to ban 9mm pistols and rifles.  He actually said the quiet part our loud. 

I am beginning to believe that the Founders had more foresight than we give the credit for.  They said, and these are their words, not mine.  "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."  That sounds to me to be fairly absolute.

Comedian Claims He Defeated Every Argument Against Gun Control - Part 1

I had seen this yesterday, and Termite reminded me it was there.    I figured I ought t to go ahead and embed it.

Many folks comment that the 2nd Amendment is not absolute, but I don't see the words "shall not be infringed" anywhere else in the Constitution.

Those Lawnmower Blues

 That verdampt lawnmower I talked about earlier this week.  IT's something int he starter solenoid.  I cn jump across it and run the mower.  It's a brand-new solenoid, but I suspect that I mis-wired sortieing when I put it in.  I'll get my mech to look at it tomorrow when he comes over for lunch.

But, at this pint, Belle has declared Happy Hour.  Y'all have a nice Saturday.

House Votes to Evacuate Afghan Helpers

 Hot Air is reporting that the House has voted to allow the evacuation of those Afghan citizens who helped the US military during the 20-year struggle in that country.  They served as translators and in other capacities, and some of them were vital to our operations.

Now, they are being hunted like animals and deserve our help in getting our.  It's the right thing to do.  We can debate whether or not we should ever have been engaged in that country, but to abandon our allies to their fate would be the ultimate cruelty.

Lawn Mower Blues

 My damned lawnmower.  It's causing me to have the blues.  One small strip of grass left to ow this morning, and it dies.  Just dies.  No warning, it's like someone turned off the switch.  And now, it won't even try to start.  It's like it got tired and said "The Hell With It."

I don't know what I'm going to do with that damned thing.  I'm inside cooling off now.

Facebook Frivolity

 It seems that the Biden administration has asked Facebook to crack down on unwanted social media posting, which means postings that they don't like.  This has led to some interesting frivolity.  A gardening  group was discussing implements to week a garden, and the monitors cracked down on it.

Facebook flagged the word hoe in a gardening group.

Of course, every gardener should be familiar with a hoe.  Sometimes we use a spade for prep and a hoe for maintenance.   And what do we use to maintain both the spade and the hoe?  Why a flat bastard, of course.

I can play these games all day.

Meet The Senators

 Meet the senators in Louisiana who voted against their constituents wishes and went with the Governor on Constitutional Carry.

It was a brazen ploy.  They voted for the bill in the regular session, suspecting that the Governor would veto it, but they could go home and tell their constituents that they voted for it, and make the Governor the bad guy.  But, the people of Louisiana demanded a veto session, and the Constitutional Carry bill failed by two votes in the Senate.  We will never know if it would have passed int he House, because these Senators voted against it.

I don't know why Louie Bernard voted against it, but I always thought that he was a stand-up guy.  I know now that I was seriously wrong about him.

Judas John , on the other hand, didn't even bother to show up for the vote.  He had knee surgery a couple of weeks ago and claimed that his doctor wouldn't let him attend.  That is a flimsy excuse.  What we do know, and was confirmed by the Governor, is that he is the lead candidate for the State Gaming Board.  Judas Johns should remember that he has to be confirmed by the Senate, and he has pissed off a bunch of Senators.

These five guys are despicable.

Louisiana Republicans Fail Again

 The Louisiana Republicans had an opportunity to succeed today,and once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.  With an overwhelming majority in the House, they failed to swing two Democrats in voting to protect little girls from playing sports against men.  Really, it was that simple.

Once again, the Republican leadership failed, which casts derision on the entire Republican party.  Failure is their byword.

I have expressed my displeasure with my elected representative, whom I now consider a laughing-stock.

Veto Session

 The Louisiana State Legislature meets today to commence a veto override session after Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed a number of bills after the legislative session. Many outlets are calling this an "historic" session, but it is historic only because it is the first one we've ever had.  The Constitution requires it if the governor vetoes a bill, but the legislators can vote to skip the session.  In the past, they have done so.

The Louisiana legislature is heavily Republican, but many of those are RINO Republicans.  Governor Edwards calls himself a moderate Democrat, but I call him a patty tyrant who does the bidding of the DNC.

Two vetoes that pissed off everybody are the driving force behind this session.  One bill that protects our daughters and grand-daughters from competing against males in sports, and another that acknowledges our God-given right to bear arms.  The grass-roots outrage over these vetoes was so loud that our legislature could not ignore the cries for justice.

However, the Governor has huge power to withhold money for pet projects and he has projected considerable influence to try and derail this session.  He did not succeed, but his minions are making back-room deals to try and derail the votes on individual bills.  By the end of this week, we will know which legislators stood firm and which could be bought.  We'll know which are patriots and which are unspeakable pond scum.

Drive-Thru Daiquiri

 The kids were in last week, and evidently they forgot about a quaint custom we have here, the drive-thru daiquiri shop.

Here's how it works.  The business gets a liquor license and buys the equipment.  The customer drives up and orders.  The bartender makes it up and puts it in a container with a lid. At that point it is package liquor. The customer gets a straw as part of the package.  As long as the straw is not in the lid, it is not an open container.  What happens after the customer leaves the parking lot is between their conscience and the local constabulary. You are on the honor system.

In the photo above, that's my daughter-in-law rediscovering the joys of a drive-thru daiquiri shop.  These things are all over Louisiana and do a thriving business. Even at 1:00 on a Wednesday afternoon.

Weekend WrapUp

 It was a busy weekend here on PawPaw's acre.  We hosted a birthday party for Belle's mother, who successfully made it to 100.  A whole century.

While we were partying, it seems that some of the Texas Democrats who fled Austin to perfect malfeasance in Washington DC, came down with gonorrhea Covid.  Coincidentally, after meeting with those same Texas Democrats, our Vice President had a cautionary visit to Walter Reed.  Purely routine, I'm sure.  I bet that they gave her a gonorrhea Covid swab while she was there.

On the other coast, the LA cops (those who are left), finally got a gut-full of silly-assed Antifa protesters and opened an old-fashioned can of Whoop Ass.

But, the big news around here this weekend was the Century birthday party.

I had one good friend keeping a headcount and she came up with 70 attendees.  There was lots of food,lots of neck-hugging, and lots of good-natured enjoyment.

This was the largest crowd we've had in the shop since we built it, and I'm pleased to say that the air conditioners held up just fine through the whole affair.  It was a very festive event.

Today, the main focus will be converting the shop from a party house back into a working wax bullet range.  I'm in no particular hurry, but we do have a club shoot this weekend.

Opposition? Not So Much

 Yahoo News is asking how Republican opposition to the Covid vaccine got to this point?

And this past week, Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee successfully pressured health officials to stop outreach to children for all vaccines. The guidance prohibits sending reminders about the second dose of a COVID vaccine to adolescents who had received one shot and communicating about routine inoculations, like the flu shot.

I can't speak for all Republicans, but I do believe that the vaccination effort has become extremely politicized, and I believe that a child's medical treatment,including vaccines should be a decision between the parent and the family doctor. 

For the record, both Belle and I have gotten the vaccine.  Many of our friends and neighbors have likewise gotten the vaccine.  Some have not, and that is okay,to.  It's a personal decision that each adult should make.

So, to all my liberal friends out there, we get it.  The vaccine is readily available and free for the asking.  However, the FDA has not yet approved it, and in fact it is still under an emergency use authorization.  We will learn abut its safety and effectiveness in the coming years, and the decision to get it should be between each adult and their physician.  

Quit making it about politics.

Aviation

 Grandson Elyas is in for a visit.  He and his folks live in Los Alamos, NM, and cane in for a week to see family.  Elyas has expressed an interest in aviation.  My buddy Termite is an aviator, so I asked Termite if he would show Elyas around.

The weather wasn't conducive to flight, but we did get to hang out in the hangar and explore Termite's Cessna 172.

It was time well spent.  Elyas got to ask a bunch of questions, and explore a small airplane.  He wiggled the yoke and waggled the rudder petals, and went over all the instruments on the panel.  It was a morning well spent.

Thanks, Termite!

Why"

 It seems that the US Surgeon General has been flagging Facebook posts for moderation.  Why?

The Biden administration has been "flagging" content for Facebook to remove, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.

This unholy alliance between Big Tech and the Biden administration should stop immediately.

The Reverse Cuban Boat LIft

It looks like a bunch of folks are ignoring the Cost Guard warning, and loading up their boats to help the Cuban people.  I don't know what they realistically intend to accomplish, but they're making an effort.

Cuba Libre!

Hanging Out

 Younger son is in for a visit, and we're hanging out this week.  Not much caring abut the news or political outrage, other folks can take care of that.

I'm hanging out with family.  My boy will be heading home on Saturday, and that same day we're hosting Belle's mother's 100th birthday celebration.  I'm going to be busy right through Saturday.

The Taliban is Winning

 Joe Biden is exactly the wrong guy to have in the Oval Office.  If he steps down, (or falls down) Kamala will be even worse.  Foreign policy is a thing, and with a surging China, civil unrest in Cuba, and a resurgent Taliban in the "Stan, Crazy Joe has been wrong on just about everything.

Even the woke bureaucrats in the Pentagon are noticing.

A new report out is saying that our Navy's surface fleet is suffering from an overload of diversity and cultural training at the expense of warfighting capabilities.

“I guarantee you every unit in the Navy is up to speed on their diversity training,” said one recently retired senior enlisted leader. “I’m sorry that I can’t say the same of their ship-handling training.”

The United States is experiencing huge challenges in foreign policy, and we have un-serious people in charge of our military and our White House. 

Cuba Libre!

 I'm seeing a lot of stuff coming out of Cuba, and it looks like the freedom fighters are gaining raction.

Joe Biden is absolutely the wrong man for tis moment, and his administration is showing complete incompetence.  

I'm drinking bad Dominican rum tonight, in solidarity with the Cuban freedom fighters.  The little bit of news coming out of Cuba is confusing and disjointed.

Orwell Redux

 Evidently, the FBI wants you to rat our friends or family.

George Orwell's 1984 was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not and instruction manual.

Edwin Edwards Dead at 93

 The Baton Rouge Advocate is reporting that former governor Edwin Edwards of Louisiana has passed away at age 93.  Rest in Peace, Eddie.

He was colorful, no doubt about it.  Even his adversaries gave him credit for  being the consummate Louisiana politician.  He served two terms, then was term-limited, then served two more terms.  Then, he served again, but this time in a federal pen for corruption.  Edwin Edwards was quite a character,  a ladies man, and a king-maker for most of his life.  Stories abound, and many of them are quire humorous.

One such story (If I recall correctly).  Late in life, Edwin married a much younger woman.  While discussing it with his doctor, the doctor told Edwin that such a marriage might be dangerous.

Edwin replied, "Well, if she dies, she dies."

Edwin Edwards is gone, and Louisiana politics will be a lot less colorful without him.

Voter Fraud

 With the disappointing results of the 2020 election, we are seeing a push for voter integrity and an accounting of what may have happened during the pandemic election.  Arizona is conducting an audit, and it seems that there is a push to conduct an audit in Pennsylvania.

To be clear, whatever the audits find, it will not change the results of the election.  Joe Biden is president.  But, those audits may shine daylight on what happened and may serve as a catalyst to preserve election integrity in future elections.

Personally, I blame the various legislatures on the sad state of affairs.  In the Constitution, the legislatures are responsible for setting the rules of a presidential election before the election, and certifying the results after the election.  In the case of the 2020 election, some governors, or secretaries of state, or the Courts got involved in modifying the rules of the election  Afterwards, the legislatures met and certified an election that was held outside their rules.   They should have stood firm and rejected the results,not because of who won or didn't win, but because the election was not held according to the rules that they set forth.  The certification of an election should not be a rubber-stamp, but a confirmation that the election was held according to the rules set forth by the legislature.  The legislature is supposed to be a bulwark against such shenanigans.  

Elections are too important to allow shenanigans.  Each registered voter should have one vote, cast in a proper manner.  While audits into the process will not change the results of the past election,they may serve to shed light on the failures that occurred, and and also shed light on prosecutable activity that occurred.  It is right and proper to conduct such audits,

Bears

 The black bear is becoming more and more of a common sight in the area where we live.  I went to pick up a buddy for a meeting, and as we made our way back tot he house, we spotted a young black bear in a semi-rural area less than two miles from the house.

The bear was stalking a trash can when he saw us driving closer, and turned and ran back toward the rear of the property.  I'm not overly concerned about black bears.  I've lived for years in a very rural area and moved the suburbs later in life.  I think that they are beautiful animals, but know that when bears and the suburbs clash, it is normally the bear who comes out the loser.  

Still, it was neat to see the critter this morning, and I wish him well.  

Friday Prepping

 I spent the morning in the shop, prepping for a club meeting tomorrow morning.  I'm giving a Range Officer class to those who might want it. In the CFDA, training Range Officer sis the responsibility of the individual club, and the CFDA supplies the course material.  I've been going over the latest material to make sure that I'm ready to answer questions.  Safety is the by-word, and although the rules are not terribly complex, sometimes the contestants find themselves in situations that take some head-scratching.to apply the rules consistently and fairly.

Just as soon as we're through tomorrow, I'll start breaking down the range.  Next Saturday, our range will host a birthday party.  Belle's mother is celebrating her 100th birthday and I have to convert the shop to an event center. It's going to be quite the celebration, and I have a week to get ready for it.

Belle's sisters have been communicating about things distaff, such as colors and themes and decorations.  I'm sure that it all will be quite festive.  I'm also sure that when it is over, I will be tasked with disposing of the debris.  

Watching the Tropics

 It appears that Elsa has made her way into the Carolinas, where she will continue to be a nuisance for a couple of more days.  Nothing much going on in Hurricane Alley frright now, and we'll take that as a good men.

Yesterday, second son came over, and we completed the installation of a generator in the shop.  My shop is a refuge inn more ways than one. It's a place where Belle and I entertain, and it is set up fr hospitality.  It's more of a party house than a traditional work shop, and we use it a lot.  The best part is that I can power the whole thing (except the electric range) with a 5kw generator.

Now, with the generator wired, is is simply a matter of flipping the main breaker off, flipping the generator breaker on, and plugging the generator into a four-wire outlet on the outside of the shop.  I can run lights, and AC, and the fridges.  The generator won't pull the electric range, but I have propane options for cooking.

Because we are ready, we might not need it, and that would suit me just fine..

Who Shot Ashli?

 If you recall the January 6th escapade at the Capitol,you will recall that the only fatal shooting that day was a veteran,Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by a Capitol police officer.

In every agency I have ever been involved with, and officer-involved shooting required reams of paper work from the officer to justify the use of deadly force.

Real Clear Investigations has been looking in to that shooting.  We still don't know the name of the officer who shot Ashli.  This should have been as simple as a FOIA request.  But, the Capitol police doesn't play by the same rules as other police agencies.

For the past six months, as Congress has proposed legislation to reform  police departments across the country, the Capitol Police has stiff-armed government watchdogs, journalists and even lawyers for Babbitt, who have sought the identity of the officer and additional details about the shooting. The USCP still refuses to release his name, in stark contrast to recent high-profile police shootings around the nation.

Someone is covering for the officer who pulled the trigger and caused the death of Ashli Babbitt. But, the investigation may be closer to providing us with a name.

Byrd appears to match the description of the shooter, who video footage shows is an African American dressed that day in a business suit. Jewelry, including a beaded bracelet and lapel pin, also match up with photos of Byrd.

 In addition, Byrd’s resume lines up with what is known about the experience and position of the officer involved in the shooting — a veteran USCP officer who holds the rank of lieutenant and is the commander of the House Chamber Section of the Capitol Police.

Go read the whole thing.

The Search Is On

 The search is on for a missing Burmese python that escaped its enclosure at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The missing 150-pound python reportedly escaped from its enclosure early Monday morning, according to a spokesperson at the St. George Fire Department.

 

I bet that will make shoping a whole lot more interesting.

Questions

 I've seen this meme on the Book of Face, and I an wondering about its accuracy?

I often refer to electric vehicles as "coal powered" because much of the electricity in the US is generated by coal, or natural gas.  

How accurate is this meme?  Asking for a friend.

Haiti President Assassinated

 Everyone is reporting that the president ofHaiti was assassinated last night at his personal residence outside of Port-Au-Prince.

Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise was shot and killed last night at around 1 a.m. local time. First Lady Martine Moise was also wounded in the attack on their home in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Unidentified gunmen burst into their home, stating they were members of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and opened fire.

They worked for the DEA, huh?  Yeah, right.

The DEA website gave Haiti a Level 4 DO NOT TRAVEL restriction on June 16 due to dangers, including kidnappings, crime, COVID, and civil unrest.

There are a lot of places on my travel bucket-list, but Haiti ain't one of them. 

White House Pursuing Door-To-Door Outreach To Get Americans Vaccinated

Ronald Reagan once said that the sariest words in the US where "We're from the government and we're here to help."

Yet, Jen Psaki, (the P is silent) says that government agents may go door-to-door in an attempt to get more people vaccinated.

This sounds like a recipe for disaster.  And, simply because it is a recipe for disaster it does not surprise me that the Biden White House may consider it as an option.

Can't Keep Up

 TTAG is reporting that the FBI says that the NICS system is having trouble keepinng up with background checks for gun purchases.

In recent years, the FBI — which manages the system that vets gun buyers — processed an average of 8.6 million gun background checks annually, according to historical data analyzed by FiveThirtyEight. But last year, the bureau processed 12,761,328 background checks, according to FBI data obtained by FiveThirtyEight through a public records request.

 Gun sales have surged since April 2020, thanks, at least in part, to the pandemic, protests last summer for racial justice and the election of President Biden in November. The FBI data shows how the background check system has struggled to keep up. And, at this point, it’s unclear when the problem is going to get better.

They can't keep up with what they have now.  You notice that in the last several months, the rhetoric about "universal"" background checks has died down.  Americans are buying lots of guns, and that is a good thing.

Tuesday Slow Day

 Running a couple of errands, waiting on an AC guy.  No problems with the AC, but I want him to look at it before we have a problem.

I finally got the lawn mower in the ditches yesterday.  It's rather late for them to dry  out, but we did have a wet spring.  With better than a 50% chance of rain today, I'm glad I got that done yesterday.

We're still watching Elsa.  She is absolutely no threat to us, but we like keeping an eye on the tropics this tie of year.  I hope that the folks in Florida are hunkered down.

We have a leadership meeting at the church this evening, and I"d best start prepping for it.

Monday Wakeup

 Wakening on this Monday, the 5th of July, we return to the workaday world and sip our coffee as we browse the intertubes.

Tropical Storm Elsa still churns,although her track has shifted slightly to the west.

Weather aside, it appears that the local fireworks stands had a good weekend, if the level of celebratory artillery is any indication.  It seems that Chicago had a rough weekend,with at least ten dead and 45 people wounded.

Of course their mayor, Lightweight as she is, blames sexism and racism for her woes.  Chicago is setting new records for mayhem this year, and Lightfoot falls back on tired canards.

Happy Birthday, USA!

Happy Birthday USA!

 When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

Belle and I are having a quiet one, but that doesn't mean that we aren't celebrating.  Beans and ribs on the smoker.  Many of the kids are off doing their own thing, and I have one project I'd like to get finished today. 

Y'all have a happy and well-fed 4th, We'll take up the fight again tomorrow.

Extremist Content

 It seems that the Book of Face has been doing some re-writing of their policies on dangerous or extremist content.  I've been reading about folks who get pop-ups telling them that they may have been exposed to extremist content, but for the life of me, I can't figure out just exactly what they mean by the term.

A buddy of mine got such a notice.

I know this guy, he is a staunch conservative, and active 2A enthusiast and a local leader in his community.  He proudly posted this message and considers it a badge of patriotism.

There is some strange, weird, lefty shit going on at Facebook.

Still Watching Elsa

 The cone is starting to firm up for Hurricane Elsa, which is expected to hi the southern tip of Florida late Monday or early Tuesday as a strong tropical storm.  People who have never been in the path of a tropical storm don't realize how huge these things are.  A typical storm might have tropical-storm-force winds 50 miles from the center of the storm.  A simple calculation gives the area affected, which can be over 7800 square miles, and it's moving constantly.

We will continue to keep a weather eye on this thing.

Making Meat Pies

 Younger son is coming in for a visit next week, and he asked for meat pies.  So, today we got together to put together a couple of batches and freeze them until it's time to heat up the frying oil.

Meat pies are a staple in Natchitoches and many recipes abound.  Belle has about the best recipe I've ever tried, and you can find it in the blog archive.  A recipe will make about 18 meat pies, depending on how big you cut the crust.  Belle uses a coffee-cup saucer, and today we made 38 pies.

Meat pies are traditionally served with dirty rice, which is also in the archives.  Make a nice tossed salad and maybe a cold beer, and you have supper.

Watching Elsa

 Hurricane Elsa is gaining strength, and we're watching her.  She is the fifth named strom of this season, and the first to get much attention.

That's the five-day tropical wind outlook and it bears watching closely.  This thing will change over time, and by Sunday afternoon we should have a better idea of who might be affected.

Dead of Night

 It seems that the US forces have pulled out of Bagram Air Force Base in the dead of night.

“It shouldn’t be too surprising that we left in the dead of night without coordinating our exit with the locals. While American officials have traditionally hated to admit it, our Afghan allies in both the local government and the military are rife with spies and saboteurs who coordinate with the Taliban against us. If we had coordinated our exit with them, the Taliban might have been ready to launch an attack on the departing forces. Still, this likely won’t be going down in the history books as one of our proudest moments.”

Operational security and force protection are important, but I agree that this is probably not one of our proudest moments.

Full article here. 

Schism

 Mark Tapscott writes of a coming schism in the Southern Baptist Convention.  The Southern Baptists are the largest protestant denomination in the US.  I'm not going to say that Mark is wrong, because he pays closer attention to such things than I do, but I will observe that such rumors have come before, and didn't pan out.

Mark's argument is that some of the leadership of the church have succumbed to "wokeness".  That may be, and if in fact they have strayed from the Gospel, they are on sinking sand.  Any Christian church that strays from the Gospel and Good News of Jesus Christ is in danger of being irrelevant.  

Our little church is non-denominational by its charter, but we follow in the tradition of the Southern Baptists.  Our last two pastors "grew up" as Southern Baptist, and our current pastor serves two churches.  His other church is a Southey Baptist church.  Ours is not.  "Wokeness" plays no part in either congregation.  

As our pastor said in a recent sermon, he is Christian, but not particularly religious.  He teaches the Good News of Jesus Christ without regard to a particular denomination.  "If a little Christian church across town starts healing the sick and raising the dead, you won't see me here on Sunday morning.  I'll be across town with them."

I don't worry about the Southern Baptists.  All I'm concerned about is my discipleship.  Once we cross to the other side, denomination will be left behind.

First Fruits

 It was a wet spring, and we were late getting the vines planted.  For a while, I did't think that the ground would dry out enough to plant.  But, we finally got them in the ground.

One little tomato and three bell peppers, but the season is finally here.  The vines are loaded, and it looks to be a good year.  Belle told me to pick up a loaf of fresh bread today. She intends to eat that tomato for supper.

Watch: Flying car completes historic first inter-city flight

Okay, this is cool.  Evidently BMW is working on a flying car.

Old law enforcement joke:  What is the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?

With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.