Civil Rights Violations in Loudoun County

 If you have been watching any news recently, you have certainly heard of the problems around the school board of Loudoun County, VA and their ongoing battle to silence parents.  It seems that new information has come forth that shows that the Superintendent violated the basic civil rights of parents.

Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler admitted he was “incorrect” to declare an unlawful assembly at a school board meeting in Loudoun County, Virginia, on June 22, at which Jon Tigges and Scott Smith were subsequently arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct, respectively.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution says:

 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It seems to me that the attorneys for the parents should immediately file suit in the nearest Federal Court for violating this most basic of our civil rights. 

Let's Go, Brandon!

Air Force to Test Micro-Reactors

 The Stars and Stripes is reporting that the Air Force is planning to test micro nuclear reactors at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.

The Air Force is planning to test a nuclear micro-reactor at a base in Alaska in coming years as part of the service’s quest for reliable energy sources on its installations.

Correct me if I"m wrong, bu hasn't the Navy been doing this for years on their  Nimitz class air bases?  And on most of he submarine fleet?  Seems like the Air Force could hire a couple of salty old master-chiefs as contractors and have this thing up and running in a couple of weeks.

Changing the subject a bit, I've always wondered why we don't have truck-mounted reactors that could be used to provide electrical power after a natural disaster.  This doesn't seem like much of a stretch.  Mount the damn ting in a shipping container, hook it to a truck, and take it where you need it.  I admit that I am totally ignorant about nuclear reactors, but it seems like we should have figured this out by now.

But, kudos to the Air Force.  This seems like a good idea.

Bonanza Down

 State Police are reporting that a small plane made an emergency landing on I-12 near Pumpkin Center.

HAMMOND, La. (WVUE) - According to Louisiana State Police, a small plane made an emergency landing on I-12 Westbound near Pumpkin Center.

While landing, the plane hit the side of a Ford pick-up truck.

No injuries were reported.  Local news video is here.

School Board Meetings

 My last assignment as a cop was as a School Resource Officer and during the last six years of that assignment, I was the school-house cop who looked over the school board.  It was quite an education in small-ball politics.  The school board would do something to aggravate the parents, and the parents would show up at the meetings and raise hell.

Sometimes the Superintendent would ask me if I thought they needed additional security at some of the meetings.  I'd always tell him NO, that the parents had an absolute right to raise hell, and if the Board would quit dong stupid things, the parents would quit coming to the meetings.

Occasionally, the Superintendent would go over my head and call my supervisor, (a loathsome, gutless individual) and I'd have a couple of hapless deputies at the meetings, wasting time, energy, and resources.

I see that the Sheriff in Loudoun county, Virginia has had the same problems.

Emails also show the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) rejecting what it said were "extraordinary" security requests – including an explosive sweep and undercover presence – by the superintendent for future school board meetings. The documents were initially obtained via public records request from Fight for Schools PAC, which has been fighting the school district's equity initiatives.

You can read about it all at the link, but the school board wanted  pre-meeting explosive sweeps and plain-clothes cops at the meetings.  Utter foolishness, and the Sheriff, predictably, said NO.

The very idea that elected officials, especially at the level of a county school board, should be insulated from their constituents by an overbearing police presence is and insult to democracy.  A school board member is a servant of the people, not an overlord.  If they feel that they need police protection, then it's time to resign.

Let's Go, Brandon.

Louisiana Constitutional Amendments

 Louisiana voters have three (3) constitutional amendments on the ballot in Novembers.  All three deal with tax reform.  The Public Affairs Research Council has put together an enalysis of the proposed amendments.  They normally do a pretty good job of giving a non-partisan overview of that each amendment will do.

I'm linking it here so that I can find it later.

Our governor is on-board with each of these amendments, which tells me that they are probably a bad idea.  These amendments are being hailed as a "good first step" to getting more accountability and a stable revenue platform so that the Louisiana government can better plan from year to year.

I'm probably just going to vote NO on everything.

Let's Go, Brandon!

It's About Time

 I see this morning that our petty tyrant, lefty governor has finally lifted the mask mandate for the the state of Louisiana.  He's abut ninety days late, but not many people are payin attention to his grandiose pronouncements these days.

I mention this in passing, and with no great joy, simply because most of us quit listening to him months ago.  Our governor has become like an annoying gnat buzzing round your head.  You know it's there bt don't really pay much attention,   Just another petty annoyance between coffee in the morning and Happy Hour in the afternoon.

Weather

 We have a pretty fair cold front bearing down on us, and it looks like it will get here about noon.

That is a classic radar signature, and it looks like we're in for a pounding at mid-day.  Then, the weather should clear and we'll have a nice weekend.  We have a busy weekend planned and the weather should be perfect.

CFIT

 Controlled Flight Into Terrain is an aviators term to describe something that has gone horribly wrong.  One exmpple might be an aircrft flying into a mountain.  Horrible fireball, no survivors.

This is not an aviation post, but I've come to accept CFIT as a metaphor for the Biden administration.  Unforced errors that cast doubt on the sanity of the appointing official (the president) and cast dispersions on the sanity of the Senate.

The latest example, Rachel Levinne, the first openly transgendered four-star  appointee.  Identifies as a woan, still has his nuts.

That is what we used to call a drag-queen.  A guy, with penis and testicles, parading as a woman.  And, now flagged as a four-star admiral of the Public Health something-or-other.  

A caricature of an officer, put forth by the Biden White House and confirmed by the Senate.  I would likk to thiink that the US Public Health Service Commissioned Officer Corps is more than just a costume party, but it appears that is what it has devolved into.

Un-Serious People

 With all the problems facing our country, inflation, supply chain issues, immigration, the pandemic, and others, our Vice President has been working on gender studies.  Yeah.

These are not serious people.  Out of touch, tone-deaf, and pandering to the base.

Tree Climbing

 A good friend of mine was out fishing, and saw something that made his get out his camera.  An American flag in the top of a tall pine tree.

That is a tall pine tree, and that American flag ain't no accident.  Someone did that on purpose.  So, he put the picture on Facebook, and sure enough, someone knew who did it.  He's a guy with the knowledge, equipment, stamina, and expertise to do such a ting.  That's just cool.

So, One Question

 Let's suppose that you are an executive producer, of a movie.  Let's suppose that it is a western, where they will use lots of revolvers.

Now, I'll admit, I've been in the bourbon, but it seems to me that if you're rehearsing with a revolver, it makes sense to remove the cylinder.  A revolver without a cylinder is simply a paper weight.  It still works like a revolver.  With the base pin installed, it can be cocked and fired, but the only way that an actor can hurt someone is if  you smack them with the barrel.

So, the question is: Why did I have to think of this?

I am available to be the safety guru on movie sets.  For the proper amount of recompense.

Weaponized IRS

 Like many Americans. we use Turbo Tax to do our taxes.  We have worked our entire lives and cobbled together a few piddling retirement accounts that add up to something that we can pay the bills with and have a little something left over to help the kids or have fun.  We're reasonably comfortable, but not wealthy by most standards.  Comfortably middle class.

Our total tax bite is in the low five-figures.  I normally write the IRS a small check on April 15th, and mail it that day because I understand the present value of a dollar, and they won't get their money until it is due.

Several weeks ago I got a notice from the tax sonsofbitches.  Evidently there had ben some mistake, and I owed them some more money.  Rather than fight it (attorneys cost money too), we decided to demure, and wrote then another check, which I mailed on the due date.

Last week, we got another notice from the tax sonsofbitches.  I got the notice last Tuesday, and it was dated the 25th (today, if you check your calendar).  The notice said that they hadn't gotten my check, and I owed penalties and interest.  A simple inquiry to the bank showed that our check cleared on the 19th.  I logged in to the IRS today, and my balance says that I owe them nothing.  I made record of the balance due, and filed the notice appropriately.

This morning I see that the IRS is going to go after our IRA accounts.  Evidently, we old retired folks have lots of money that the IRS wants a bite from.  

With a business degree, I am totally aware that IRA money is taxable when it is withdrawn.  I've known that for years, but it appears that now the tax sonsofbitches want to change the rules.  It's always "tax the rich", and they won't be happy until we folks who worked all our lives are penniless.  That seems to be the plan.

Shooting in Silsbee

 Our club traveled to Silsbee, TX yesterday to shoot with our parent club.  

That is the Louisiana contingent.  The rest of the shooters, abut 50 of us, were from all over Texas.  

No injuries, no problems, nothing but fun, fellowship, and camaraderie.  All while running "prop guns" as hard as we knew how to run them.

There was a lot of talk abut Alec Baldwin, and lots of talk about how to avoid such tragedies, which we do every time we meet.  Even our pre-teen shooters know more about gun safety than the members of that cast.  From what I'm reading this morning, the set was extremely un-safe.

Who is to blame for the Rust tragedy?  I'm sure that there will be a raft of incriminations, from the prop company to the gun wrangler, but ultimately, it is Baldwin himself.  He violated several universal rules f gun safety, any of which would have caused him to be ejected from our competitions.  Perhaps he should have taken a couple of days from his extremely busy, hyper privileged life and taken an NRA basic safety course.

In Louisiana, Baldwin might be guilty of a crime.  I canot speak for Arizona law.  Ultimately, his hand was holding the gun, his finger pulled the trigger.  This was no accident.  It was negligence, plain and simple.

Props or Not

 The 72 hour rule applies in the tragic shooting we read about this morning on a movie set.

It was a western movie, and I'm not sure what a prop gun is, but I know re-enactors, and they generally use black cartridges, either home made or commercial 5-in-1 blanks designed to be used in period firearms.

I know re-enactors who tell me that the safety protocols on their sets are very strict,, usually wit multiple layers of eyes on firearms and ammunition to make sure that there are no issues.  But, sometimes issues come up.

Last year in Kansas, a re-enactor was shot during gun play at a living history museum.

We'll be at a Cowboy Shoot tomorrow, and I'm sure that this incident, and others will factor into the palaver around the cleaning tables.  They call them plays (screen play, stage play), but sometimes the guns are real, owned by prop companies. Fully capable of firing standard ammunition.

Belle and I play the Cowboy games, but we also love shooting standard ammunition.  Belle is a .32 caliber aficionado, and I love them all, but we made a decision when we started playing Cowboy games.  We would only use .45 Colt revolvers and we would never  buy any standard ammunition in .45 Colt.  If the sons or grandkids want to shoot standard ammunition, we can take them out an shoot everything from .22LR to .44 magnum, but never .45 Colt.

It's too easy to make a mistake, and impossible to undo that mistake.

Prop Gun??

 It seems that Alec Baldwin is producing a film, "Rust" and someone was killed on the set due to what the media is calling a "prop gun".

Sounds to me that something went terribly wrong.

The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” the prop gun that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the set of the Western feature film on location in New Mexico.

Wow!  Accidents happen.  Early reports are often wrong, and it would be futile and insensitive to speculate at this time.  All guns are dangerous.  Hollywood has a long history of using guns on a set and I'm sure that there are many safety rules, with multiple people responsible for the safety f the crew.  But, ultimately, the responsibility lies with the person who was holding the gun at the time.

All guns are always loaded.

Readiness

 The US Military readiness ebbs and flows, like any other organization.  Based on the leadership culture, it flows from the generals and admirals to the privates and seamen.

I was in Jimmy Carter's army.  The leadership climate sucked. Carter wasn't concerned with military strength, and the leadership climate from the top amplified that fact.  Small unit leaders did what they could, but when you don't have fuel to run tanks, or enough ammunition to conduct training, it's hard to keep any unit trained.  Lack of purpose erodes readiness just as surely as a raging stream erodes it's banks.

The Heritage Foundation gives an annual assessment of military strength.  This year's assessment isn't pretty.  It seems that readiness under Biden is starting to look like readiness under Carter.  It sucks.

The article is behind a paywall, but you can download the full report from the Heritage Foundation.

The Fat Electrician Reviews: Tankers & M1 Abrams tank

Joe sent me this via email.  Thanks, Joe.  Warning - F-bombs are frequent.

Crunchies.  Not a term we use in polite company.

Small Arms of World War I

 CandRsenal has a series of great videos about the small arms of World War 1.

I was surprised to learn that Winchester had two iconic lever guns adopted by foreign powers for use during that war.  And no, I'm not talking about the Russians

Britain adopted the Winchester 1892 for naval duty.

France adopted the Winchester 1894 for rear-echelon duty.

Amazing.  And fascinating.

Plane Crash Near Houston

 It seems that an aircraft was on the takeoff roll and something went terribly wrong.

No one was seriously hurt when an airplane bound for Boston ran off a runway and burned Tuesday morning near Houston, authorities said. The McDonnell Douglas MD-87 was carrying 21 people when it rolled through a fence and caught fire while trying to take off from the Houston Executive Airport in Brookshire.

I'm glad no one was seriously hurt,  I doubt that when the pilot left the runway, the idea of taking off had long ago left the agenda.

I bet that the last 100 yards was truly exciting.

SCOTUS Upholds Qualified Immunity

 Qualified Immunity is a legal term that protects government officers when the are doing their job in accordance with established law.  Qualified immunity is especially important to police officers  who are often required to do things that might otherwise open them to monetary damages in the course of their employment.

Obviously I'm no lawyer.  I am a retired cop, and my definition above may not stand up to highly technical legal scrutiny, but it's close enough.  Sometimes cops are called to do things that the average citizen would not be called to do.  If they take an action that is legal under established law, and in accordance with their agency policy and training, then generally, thy can't be sued for taking that action.

Over the past several years, we have sen various actors and organizations trying to change the way that police officers do their jobs.  This is a valid process, and during my 37 year career as a police officer, I saw many changes in the way that policing was conducted.  Most of these changes were for the better. But, if an agency trains an officer to do a job, and that officer comports themselves within the limits prescribed by that training, th law should not hold him liable when something bad happens.

Yesterday, SCOTUS upheld qualified immunity in two separate cases

In two unsigned opinions Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of police officers seeking qualified immunity from allegations of excessive force.

In both cases, the justices overturned lower court decisions that went against the officers.

This was an unsigned decision, with no justice filing a dissenting opion, which tends to indicae that it is a unanimous decision.  That is good news for street cops, who these days are under great pressure from outside actors about the way they do their job.

This is a big win for street cops.

Headline One-Liners

 Canada Bans Public Employees from Using 'Let's Go Brandon'

Well, Canada doesn't have a First Amendment, so what do you expect.

Colin Powell Dies of COVID Complications

I hear that he was battling cancer, but he was one guy I might have voted for if he ever decided to run for President.

Will Biden Blow It for McAuliffe in Virginia?

We can only hope so.

1 dead, 7 hurt in shooting during Grambling State University homecoming event

That is a damned shame, on several levels.

Southwest Pilots

 Stolen from Wirecutter.

That's funny, right there.

Haiti Outlaws

 I just saw a report that a Haitian gang has kidnapped 17 Americans, including children, who were in the country building an orphanage.

I am outraged.

If we had a president who was not cognitively  challenged, something might be done about it, but I hold no great anticipation in that regard.

If I were running the show, I'd have a division going "wheels-up" within 24 hours.  They could stage out of Guantanamo.  I'm thinking 101, or maybe the 10th.  Or both.

But this president?  Haaah, ain't gonna happen.  He's doing the best he can to emulate, and under perform in the manner of Jimmah Carter.

Sunday Coffee

 It's the first real cool snap of the season, a dry front that rolled in early Saturday morning, and has finally settled in over my acre.  At daylight, it was 43 degrees out there, and I will put on a flannel shirt before I go out to the shop.  It's supposed to warm up into the mid 70s later today.

We have people coming for lunch, and Belle is cooking her signature Chicken Fried Steak.  With white gray, mashed potatoes, and lima beans.  I need to proof some yeast rolls, and they'll go in a warm oven shortly.

I suspect I'd better get at it.  Y'all have a wonderful Sunday.

Lunch

 Belle was steak-hungry, so she sent me down to Guillory's for some beef.  I had them cut two little filets, about 8 oz each,   I brought them home, put some potatoes in the oven, and abut the time the 'taters were done, I fired up the griddle.  I seared them off on the griddle, then finished them in melted butter.

Medium rare, of course, With a Shiner Bock to wash it down.  It made a nice little lunch, and it's such a beautiful day, I think I'm going to open another beer and sit in the open door of the shop and watch traffic. Ain't no sense spoiling a day like this by being productive.

Clips: Was this always a double action?

Single or Double action?  Othias breaks it down for us.

Irish Democracy

 An interesting New York Post column about the public's response to irrational Covid restrictions.

If regular democracy isn’t doing so well, maybe it’s time to fall back on “Irish Democracy.”

That’s what Yale political scientist James Scott calls the passive resistance of a society that doesn’t like what its rulers are doing to it. In his book “Two Cheers for ­Anarchy,” he writes, “One need not have an actual conspiracy to achieve the practical effects of a conspiracy. More regimes have been brought, piecemeal, to their knees by what was once called ‘Irish Democracy,’ the silent, dogged resistance, withdrawal and truculence of millions of ordinary people, than by revolutionary vanguards or rioting mobs.”

As it turns out, most of Louisiana has been practicing Irish Democracy for over a year.  Last year, when they were begging us to stay home for Christmas, we had a great Christmas.   Since then, we have routinely ignored our governor, who desperately wants to be a petty tyrant.

Last week, I wandered into a store, on an errand from Belle.  An employee at the door asked me if I would like to wear a mask?  "Not particularly" I replied, and kept walking.  No issues, no problems. Had the employee insisted, I would have simply trued and gone down the street.  Other merchants exist to provide alternatives.

I took the government at their word, when they said a year ago that if we got vaccinated, we could return to normal.  I consulted with my doctor, decided that the jab was worth the risk, and then returned to normal.  We have learned since then that those pronouncements were a hollow sham.  The vaccine really doesn't provide immunity, that the vaccinated can still succumb to the virus, and that this whole exercise is more about the power of bureaucrats than it is about immunity.  

I choose freedom.

Deer Down

 Grandson Brett tagged his first deer today on the family lease, a middling doe, taken with a Ruger American in 7mm-08,

His dad claims that Brett did it right.  Took his time, squeezed the shot, and  dropped the deer in her tracks.  Very good job,

The Biden Scorecard

 Pore ol' Joe.  Everything he touches turns to shit.  Let's take a look, shall we?

Military - The US Military just suffered a humiliating defeat in Afghanistan.  Worse than Saigon, where at least we kept shooting the enemy as we left.  Let me be clear:  I have great faith in the fidelity, honor, and bravery of our troops, it is the flag officers that I question.  No one has been relieved over this debacle, which leads me to believe that they were "just following orders", (a defense that died at Nuremberg).  If so, it's Joe's fault.  All his fault.

Public Health - Laughable at best, yet tragic nonetheless.  The states that ignore Joe are doing better than the states that comply with idiotic rules.  His chief covid guru is regarded as unreliable by over half the US population.

Economy - The economy continues to stutter, plagued by high unemployment and low jobs numbers.  We can't decide if we are in inflation or stagflation, but neither is good.  Fuel prices are up, even though we were a net exporter of energy 18 months ago.  Joe continues to cripple drilling and exploration.

Transportation - The transportation sector is a shambles, from airline travel to container ships.  Mainly based on Joe's vax mandate.  This is causing a ripple effect through the economy.  I could not buy milk at a DOllar Store yesterday.  The shelf was simply bare.

Justice - Our Justice Department has decided to target parents who raise hell at local School Board meetings, declaring them domestic terrorists.  The catch-and-release policies of the left are casing a massive crime spike in many cities, and Hillary still walks free.  The FBI is a laughing-stock.

Foreign Policy - China has more problems than a pregnant prostitute, and is looking at Taiwan.  No one believes that Joe is willing, able, or interested in stopping them.  His Se State, Blinken, is so clueless that he believed anything the Taliban told him.

Immigration - Teh border is an unmitigated disaster, by design.  His border czar, the bitch Harris, wants nothing to do with it.

Yet, Joe is completely secure in his presidency.  The folks who could remove him are in his cabinet, and they are aware that a Harris presidency would be even worse.

That is the state of the nation as I see it.  We have a year until the next congressional elections, and we should not get cocky.  We need to elect strong conservative leaders (not RINOs) into the next Congress.

Fauci's Credibility

 It seems that Dr. Anthony Fauci is suffering a well-deserved loss of credibility.  I say well deserved, because his messaging is inconsistent, and it it has become plainly obvious to everyone with a brain that he preens for the camera and seeks out limelight.  Instapundit links to an article:

COVID-19 czar Dr. Anthony Fauci’s credibility is down to an all-time low after he raised doubts about families gathering for Christmas.

In the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, 54% of likely voters agreed that he has lost “all credibility.”

As a civil servant, Dr. Fauci has a requirement to account for his time.  He is not an elected official and works for the people.  While one might argue that when he is being a talking head on CNN, he is performing his job to educate the public, it is hard to argue that participating in a documentary for Disney is part of his job.   If anyone believes that he participated in the production during those hours when he is not required to be at work, then we do live in a dream world.

I would argue that a civil servant who is responsible for the government's response to a pandemic during a surge of that pandemic does not have time to make a documentary edifying himself.  Were I his supervisor, I would want to see leave records during each and every time he consulted with Disney during the production of that ego-trip.  He is still a civil servant, and work rules apply.

All that aside, he has caused irreparable damage to the profession of public health.  When I quit listening to Fauci, I also quit listening to those who parrot his prescriptions.  Those thousands of dedicated public health officials are now considered reliable.  If they parrot Fauci, they live in the same cage he inhabits.  That is a shame.  I suspect that some of them may be good people, just unwilling of unable to think for themselves.

Fly The Friendly Skies

 It looks like this Southwest thing is taking off.  According to PJMedia, this is a coordinated effort by pilots, attendants, gate agents, and other folks to protest vaccine mandates.

“They’re all going to look like fools soon,” said the insider. That would be nothing new for the fake news media. But it’s not just Southwest Airlines employees who have conscientious objections to mandates. According to the source, there are 22 airlines, along with truckers and other transportation employees represented in their ranks and more disruptions are to come. The employees are all joining FreedomFlyers.org, a website that was set up a few weeks ago to connect like-minded people and to fundraise for the effort of fighting against mandatory vaccines. They released a video that keeps being removed from social media but can be seen on their website. 

The Freedom Flyers website is here, and there is more information at the link. 

If, like me, you have been noticing shortages in the stores, one wonders if this is catching on?

Let Freedom ring!

Early Migration

 We're supposed to get a cool front through this weekend, sometime Friday, but one harbinger of cooler weather is geese, and we have them.

The geese arrived early this year.  We normally have a half-dozen in the home gaggle, but there are at least 20 in this photo, taken ten minutes ago in my front yard.  I used to spend lots of money, time and effort hunting these things, and I don't begrudge my youthful enthusiasm, but nowadays if I want a goose, all I need is a quiet moment, a good .22 rile, and I can get one out of the yard.  

It's not technically legal (in fact, it's technically illegal), but I would claim age, senility, and protection of property.  Plus, I don't think that the game wardens would even slow down to investigate.  These thigs are like winged rats around here in the winter.  

Southwest Offers Free Flignts

 I understand that Southwest Airlines is offering free flights to select customers who fit a particular set of criteria.

The successful passenger must 1) be fully vaccinated, 2) hold a current ATP certificate, and 3) be type-rated on the aircraft.  Passengers meeting those simple criteria can fly for free, just as soon as they find some flight attendants.

Oh, wait, that's the Bee.  Never mind.

The Airlines

 The airlines have been all over the news today, especially Southwest Airlines, which seems to be leading the pack.  Airline companies are huge, complex companies that deal in routing theory, or as we called them in business school, transportation models.  If an airplane leaves from A ad goes to B, then back to A, it needs to make money both ways.  If a pilot doesn't sow up, or if maintenance problems crop up, then eventually you won't have assets i place where you need them when you need them.

It seems that crews are in turmoil over the vaccine mandate, and they're making their turmoil known.  I'm hearing that the FAA controllers are in turmoil as well.  You don't move aircraft without pilots, crews, and controllers.  Some people are saying that it is about freedom.

One pilot put out a video, and I'll try to link it here.

There seems to be a lot of John Galt in the industry, and it's making its weight be felt.  You don't hire pilots, or mechanics, or crews in one day.  Or truck drivers, or nurses, or lots of people who are very important to the economy.  Perhaps personal freedom is starting to assert itself.

Asked and Answered

 Juval, in comments, asked a few questions about my jambalaya recipe

How many does that recipe feed?

Four to six, depending on appetite, or if you serve it with sides. That is a hard question to answer.  We usually serve it as a one-pot meal without sides, but some folks like a salad with it.  There are no rules in Cajun cooking.  Yesterday's recipe was 1.5 chickens, three pounds of sausage, and six cups of uncooked rice.  I fed  ten people, and we had a bit left over.

If I were cooking a small batch, I'd use two boneless chicken thighs, a half pound of sausage, and two cups of rice, a bell pepper, and maybe a half-stalk of celery.

How well do leftovers do for follow up meals?

It does pretty well.  It will stay in the fridge three or four days.  Just take a serving out and put it in the microwave to heat it.  I've never tried to freeze it.   It generally doesn't last that long.

It's just me and the missus and I don't want to waste food.

I hear you, brother.  I don't like to waste food, either.  But with a teenage grandson in the house, that's never a problem. 

ATC Walkout?

 I'm seeing news reports of hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed over the weekend because of "staff shortages" and bad weather.  Reports are starting to trickle out that the "staff shortages" might be related to Biden's vax mandate.

Passengers flying to and from Jacksonville International Airport during the weekend faced flight cancellations and delays amid widely circulating rumors on social media of a sickout or a walkout of air traffic controllers at the Traffic Control Center in Hillard.

The Federal Aviation Administration denied the rumors — sort of — in a Sunday afternoon statement.

Instapundit has information that the ATC personnel either walked out, or had a sickout. 

When your air traffic controllers walk off, there is a staff shortage, no doubt about that.

PJMedia says that the issue might not be air traffic controllers, but Southwest pilots.

Jambalaya

 It's getting that time of year again, when cool mornings and warm afternoons put us in the mood for good, filling food.  Plain fare.  We have people coming over for lunch, and I'm in the mood for jambalaya.  Some old, dead chicken, some good smoked sausage, onion, bell pepper, and celery.  Some Tony's seasoning, and you have what you need.

Everything is prepped now, and I'm waiting another hour before I add the rice and chicken broth and slip it in the oven until the rice is tender.  My step-by-step recipe is here.

Two motorcyclists shot while riding on I-4 in Polk County | Press Confer...

Evidently there was a shooting in Polk county last night.  Sheriff Grady breaks i down for us.

This has Florida Man written all over it.

Buying Her A Pistol

 A lady, a longtime friend of Belle came over yesterday afternoon for a visit.  She showed me a pistol that her husband had bought for her.  It was a compact 9mm from a reputable manufacturer.  The brand doesn't matter.

She could not operate it.  She didn't like it, she didn't want it.

What she wanted was a small revolver.  But, her husband bought the pistol that he thought was best for her.  It was a nice gesture, but totally unworkable from a self-defense standpoint.  

From long experience, I 'have learned that if the lady wants to have a handgun, she should be intimately involved in the purchase.  She needs to pick out her pistol, and what you think is not part of the equation.  I would no sooner tell my lady what handgun to carry than I would tell her what underwear to wear.  The choice of personal firearm is almost that personal.

Don't do it, guys.  If you lady wants a personal handgun, let her pick it out.

Best Caliber for Armadillo

 Armadillos are endemic to Texas, Louisiana, and many other southern states.  The little buggers dig tunnels, and root in flower beds.  Not a huge nuisance, but aggravating at worst.  However, they are capable of carrying leprosy, and we don't want them in our yards or pastures.

When I lived in southern Natchitoches Parish, we had quite a population, and would dig huge tunnels in my pasture and yard.  Through experience, I learned to shoot them with a .22LR hollow point.  The little bullet would penetrate the shell, get up in the vitals, and cause massive injury.  The armadillo would run to his hole, crawl in, and expired.

After learning to use the .22, I never had to drag off a dead armadillo.  They were self-burying, and that was the proper answer.  The less we have to handle armadillos, the better.

Busy Wednesday

 0730 at the Honda dealer for warranty work.  About halfway home, Belle texts me that she left her purse in my van.  The fellow giving me a ride would be late for work if we back-tracked, so I had him drop me at hone, then took the truck a half-hour to the dealership to retrieve Belles purse, which I dropped off at her office.

Then she asked me to pick up a few things at the Dollar Store and take them to a disabled friend. All on the way hone, not two parking lots out of my way..  I got that done, then came home, folded laundry from the trip last week.  Now, I'm out in the shop trying to make sense of the stuff we took to Nevada.

The guns need a thorough cleaning, a basic clean, inspect, check screws.  I still have lunch to cook, and I have a friend coming over at 1300 who needs help with a gun.  She is a fellow gun enthusiast, who texted me yesterday saying that she has a .44 revolver that is loaded and needs to be unloaded.

This lady is a CFDA shooter, and is thoroughly familiar with single action revolvers, completely capable of loading and unloading those.  So, I admit that I am a bit intrigued at her request.  It may be anything.  But, we'll unload it, inspect it, and probably clean it for her.  I'll try to teach her how to safely load and unload.  I admit I am intrigued, it may be something special, it may be something a common as a Redhawk.  We'll see.

**UPDATE**.  It was a Smith 29 with the 8" barrel.  The classic "Dirty Harry" gun.  It has lived in her lingerie drawer for the past 10 years and she needed it to whack an intrusive armadillo. The revolver had stiffened up from lack of use and dried oil.   When I first picked it up, it was locked up tighter than a bank vault.  Just a little gentle manipulation, and we got the cylinder open, unloaded her spent cart cartridges and gave it a good cleaning and some oil.  We gently cycled everything, and now it runs like a sewing machine. I let her manipulate it until I was convinced she could operate it safely.  The gun is fine, safe, and fully operational.  She is on her way.

Before she left, we did discuss the appropriate calibers for armadillo.  It is my considered opinion that while effective, the .44 magnum may be a bit much for armadillo.  She also owns a .38 and a .22.

The Case Of Lt. Col Scheller

 You folks might remember the case of Lt. Col Scheller, a Marine battalion commander who infamously posted a video demanding accountability following the disastrous rout of Kabul.  Many of us agreed with him that the evacuation was handled poorly, and that senor civilian and military leaders should publicly account for the worst military disaster since Saigon.

Lt. Col Scheller is in jail today, preparing for a hearing to determine if he should face a courts-martial.

The case is complex, and requires an understanding of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is decidedly different from civil law.  

 John Lucas provides an over-view of the case at The Federalist.  It provides a balanced view of the case to this point, and deserves a thorough examination.

This case of a rebellious, yet previously honorable officer may not be as simple as it appears on the face.

Despicable

 Early reports are that US General Chris Donahue, the Commander of the 82nd Airborne, kicked our allies off a transport plane sho that he could brig hoe war trophies.

Donahue allegedly booted 50–100 American allies off the cargo plane so he could load a Taliban souvenir — an “inoperable Taliban-owned Toyota Hilux with a fully operational Russian ZU-23 anti-aircraft auto cannon mounted in the bed” — to bring home.

 Not only did this violate standing orders against taking so-called war trophies, but those left behind have been or likely will be killed by the Taliban due to Donahue’s actions.

If true, Donahue violated standing orders and put allies lives at risk.  If true, he should be court-martialed, stripped of rank and pension, ans serve some time peeling potatoes at Leavenworth.  Of course, he is a Trade School officer and  will not be held to account.

 

Tired

 We woke at 4:00 am so that we could leave the hotel before 6:00 am to catch a flight at 8:00.  We loaded on the airplane at RNO (Reno-Tahoe International) for DFW and went wheels down at 1:15 pn, Central.  It was a 2 hour flight, but we crossed a time zone.  We successfully navigated DFW and got to our gate, got some lunch, and learned that we had a gate change.  Not far, thankfully.

Caught the little plane (Embraer 140) and taxied out to the runway.  We had a really interesting takeoff.  Just abut the time we left the ground, the plane rolled at about a 30 degree angle, both directions.  The pilot recovered, and we climbed out successfully.  If she hadn't recovered (yes, our PIC was female), I would not be writing this post.  (Y'all wold be reading about it on the news, and I'd be defunct.)

The rest of the flight was uneventful.  We hit the tarmac at AEX at 6:00 pm, grabbed our luggage and headed home.  I'm dong laundry right now, while enjoying a pleasant cocktail.  In anther hour I'll be in bed, and we'll sort out the debris tomorrow.

Brackets

 We shot brackets this morning.  Brackets are based on the 2nd fastest time that a shooter posts in the main match, and they distribute the shooters into brackets based on that speed.  The brackets are Master Gunfighter, Gunfighter, Sheriff, and Deputy.  Best three winning shots wins a match.  If you lose two matches, you are out, done, finsished.

Grandson Zach was in the Gunfighter. These guys all shoot in under half of a second, generally from 0.400 to somewhere about 0.500. Zach is known all across the nation as a friendly kid with a quick draw and during his second match, Zach drew Ol' Bucker, a shooter from California.  He and Zach were joshing on the line, and Zach got one hit on him.  On the next light, Zach hit a 0.401.  Ol' Bucker told Zach that his next shot shouldn't count unless Zach could pull a "three".  On the next shot, Zach pulled and hit a 0.394.  Zach put Ol' Bucker out of the match with his second elimination.

In the next bout, Zach drew Gentleman George, another nationally known shooter with many trophies and accolades.  Five shots later, Zach had put George our of the match. Go clean your gun, George, you are done.

Zach got put out himself in the next round.  But, he showed good sportsmanship, a friendly demeanor, and accepted the loss with grace.  It was a very good match, and has nothing to be ashamed of.  He was simply outrun.

It's been a great weekend, and we catch a plane early tomorrow morning for home.

Still Shooting

 It's midnight, depending on which time zone you're in, and we're still in Fallon, shooting with the Cowboy Fast Draw Association.  One more day of shooting, then we will point it toward home.  We will catch an airplane on Monday morning and be home Monday afternoon.

It's been a hoot, the whole thing.  As one shooter explained it to me several years ago, it's like going to a family reunion, with people you actually like.

We will shoot one more match tomorrow morning, then help with the finals.  One more night in a hotel, then a day in modern commercial air travel.  Our connections are pretty good though.  From Reno, one hop to DFW, a pretty fair layover, which will give us time to navigate the terminal, then a short hop home.  I love flying, I really do, but I detest terminals.