Ben Shows His WOrk

 Ben Shapiro, in a huge Twiter thread, shows how the "science" has changed on Covid.

So once it became clear that covid was not in fact a pagan god visiting vengeance on the unwashed Trump voters alone, the media and Democrats are now willing to admit the following:

 1. Cloth masks are ineffective against omicron (Leanna Wen, CNN);

2. The vaccinated can spread and get covid;

3. The death rate is comparable to the flu (Chris Hayes);

4. Many people are entering hospitals with covid, not from covid (Fauci);

5. Natural immunity is a reason omicron hasn't been as virulent (Fauci);

6. We have to take into account societal needs, not just spread prevention (CDC); 

7. The asymptomatic should not be tested (NFL); 

8. We should focus on hospitalizations and deaths, not case rate (Biden);

9. Children are not at risk and schools should remain open;

10. Covid is predominantly an illness affecting the immunocompromised and elderly and we should not shut down society.

The OhMyGod variant is coming at us hard, and Louisiana is setting case records daily.  Of course,  the Louisiana Dept of Health is recommending that schools cancel all extra-curricular activities, and our petty tyrant governor is recommending, but not mandating masks. 

I Have A Better Idea

 It seems that there is a "queer agender" feminist physicist who wants to name NASA's new telescope after Harriet Tubman.  That is just silly, but I do agree that Tuman is worth remembering.  She was a gun-toting, black activist who delivered actual people from actual slavery at great physical risk to herself.  She was also a Republican.

We really should put her on the $20 bill.  I've said this before, and I really like this design.

I truly like the symbolism in that design.  A determined, Tubman, leading the way out of bondage, with a Colt's Dragoon to punctuate her dtermination.

Blue Norther

 It has been unseasonably warm around here for the past week or so.  According to the weather weenies, that is about to change.

That is a 50F drop in less than 48 hours.  From a high on Saturday of 80 to a low of 29 on Sunday.

It's not as bad as what happened in Montana in 1972, but it is still a fairly dramatic change.  Sunday may be a good time for a big pot of chili.  I have plenty of butane for the shop heater, so we'll be fine.

The "Noble" Lie

 The noble lie is not noble, it's just a lie.

NY health official admits the released that scary alert about increasing pediatric hospitalizations not because there's an actual issue, but just to "motivate" parents to vaccinate kids.  https://twitter.com/KeepSchoolOpen/status/1475893919422496775?t=IeEjEpZcEAe_jpZBaCkjLg&s=19

Fauci started this crap by making up shit abut herd immunity.  When you start fudging numbers to motivate people, you start destroying public trust. At this point, I don't trust any public health official with numbers.  Like a high-school sophomore, they need to show their work, with footnotes.

Just Like Epstien

 Ghislane Maxwell was found guilty of five counts of enticing minors into sex acts.

Just like Jeffery Epstein, she did not hang herself while awaiting trial.

She faces 65 years a sentencing..

This Is Good News

 Several sources are reporting that Harry Reid, the long-tie politician and former leader of the Senate died last night.  Like many career politicians, he lid, cheated, stole, and connived his way to the Senate leadership.  He was a thoroughly disgusting human being.

I can take him off my list of People I Will Hang If I Ever Get The Chance.  It's a short list, but he was prominent on it.

Studying

 I got a new book in yesterday, the last of my Christmas presents (thanks, Belle!), Kuhnhausen's manual on the Colt Single Action revolver.  It is quite a treatise.

One does not open a Kuhnhausen manual lightly.  There is more information in there than I can absorb.  It is like trying to drink water from a fire-hose.  I still have questions, and they are being answered one at a time.  It's like Mark Novak says, buy the book.  Do the research.

That Might Work

 In Push For Diversity, Military Canine Units To Give Equal Opportunities To Chihuahuas

Yeah, it's the Bee, but it might work.  Every Chihuahua I've ever met was meaner, pound-for-pound, than every German Shepherd I've known.  Our pastor at church says that he's not sure if dogs go to heaven, but he is convinced that every Chihuahua goes straight to hell.

I'm just sayin'.

Fauci Backtracks

 As he always dos.

On ABC’s This Week program on Sunday morning, Dr. Fauci said he’d be supportive of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for domestic air travel. Neither Joe Biden nor Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation, favor such a move. At least not yet. Fauci isn’t really so firm in his support, as it turns out. Just after he said he would support a mandate, he said one really isn’t necessary, given the mitigation measures already in place.

He would support it, but it's not necessary.

He's inconsistent on everything.  For example, this exchange where he talks about people coming into the country.  If you come in on an airplane you need to be tested, but if you walk across the southern border, not so much.  Really, doc?

Tony Fauci is a hack who should have been run out of government a decade ago.  

Lunch

 My buddy, Termite, normally brings Belle a quart of oysters, fresh from the Gulf, on Christmas, and this year was no different.   Things calmed down today and we broke our the oysters.  She broiled some in garlic butter, while I fired some with some little shrimp I had in the freezer.  Oh, my!

Didn't need any ketchup.  Just damn, my belly is "pooched-out" with good Gulf seafood.  It's what's for lunch.

Thanks, Termite!

AMA Goes Woke

 It seems that the American Medical Association has one woke.  They are putting out guidance on how to speak to people about health.  For Example..

Yeah, seriously.  Many more links, with attribution at Instapundit.

My next doctor's appointment is in March, and if my doc starts spouting this bullshit, I'll call him on it, with mockery and derision.  Wokeness deserves mockery and derision.

Why would you defend something that is evil?: John Lovell

Somehow I missed this earlier this week, but I going to leave it right here for later consideration.

24 Hours

 Belle and I left the house yesterday to travel t Jena (abut 45 minutes) to celebrate Christmas with her side of the family.  

Before leaving, we were in the shop gathering stuff we wanted to take.  I left my cell phone on the table.  After we had been driving for a few minutes, I realized I had left it, but continued.  Belle had hers, so we could communicate with the world, if necessary.

When we got home last night, we came into the house.  I haven' been to the shop, but will certainly be out there before noon.  My phone has been laying on the table fr nearly 24 hours.  And, it's fine.  I truly do not miss it.

My buddy Ternite, brought me Belle some oysters on Christmas Eve and we're cooking them today.  Some broiled, some fried, so I'll check the phone when we go out to c.  I spent the first 50 years of my life without a cell phone, and I have to remind myself sometimes that it is a convenience, not a leash.

Let's Go Brandon

 Even Joe Biden agrees.

On Friday, Joe and Jill Biden did a video call into NORAD to see where Santa is. After speaking with some kids, a father said to the Bidens: “I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas as well. Merry Christmas and Let’s go Brandon.”

 “Let’s go, Brandon. I agree,” Biden said in response.

Heh!  His saff isn't helping him much if he doesn't know what that means.

The immediate family (and some not so immediate) just left. It's been a great day, and we're in the house now in our slippers, having a cocktail.  Tomorrow we'll get up and do it all again, on Belle's side of the family.

Y'alll have a very Merry Christmas.

The Way He Thinks.

 Christmas music in the background.

Grandson:  "PawPaw!  What caliber was it?:

Me, looking confused:  "What caliber?"

Grandson:  "You know, the cartridge in the pear tree."

I like the way that boy thinks.

Merry Christmas, y'all.

Christmas Prep

 We are prepping for Christmas celebrations.  The immediate family are gathering here tomorrow for our usual Christmas Eve event, and we'll spend Christmas Day with Belle's siblings.

The immediate news this morning seems to be that the Supremes will hear try to clean up the disarray on the Biden vax mandate.  Arguments are scheduled for January 7th.  This should be interesting.

Here in Louisiana, our petty tyrant has once again extended the public health emergency.  I haven't read it, and don't intend to.  Like many free Americans, I'm over the idea that Covid is an emergency.  At this point, it's endemic, and something we are going to have to learn to live with.  The idea that an emergency should last 21 months is ridiculous.

But, this is the Christmas season, a time for thanks-giving.  My prayers this week will be for peace on earth, good will towards all.

Y'all have a very Merry Christmas.

Running Errrands

 I drove down the donut shop this morning to buy some kolaches and biscuits  It's been a while since I patronized them, and decided to give them another chance.  The kolaches were only okay, and they make the worst biscuits in the history of bad biscuits.

Now, I'm back, and planning my day.  I have four stops to make today.  I have to get fuel for the van so we can do he Christmas-day traveling.  And butane for the shop so that we don' run out of heat for Christmas gatherings.  A stop at the smoke shop and the hardware store.

Benji is settling in just fine.  He tracks Belle like a heat-seeking missile.

It's time to get busy.  I have propance botles to load and things to get done.

A New Dawg

 Y'all say hi t Benji.  Benji is a Lhasa Apso pup, born o October 11, 2021.  Belle and I drove to Channelview, TX yesterday and picked him up.

Benji is going to be the dawg in the house.  I'm sure that there will be a settling in period, but this ain't the first pup we've trained.

The Big Bad Wolf Strikes Back - how gun control works (Book Reading)

From Termite.  The Big Bad Wolf, redone.

One More Time

It seems I did it again.  Made anther trip around he sun. If my math is right, this makes 68.

Belle and I are taking a day-trip today to Houston.  We'll be back to sleep in our own bed tonight.

Light-Reading Sunday

 It's a cool, dreary Sunday morning in central Louisiana.  I'm out in the shop, cooking, and while the gumbo simmers, I got out some light reading to advance my knowledge while I stirred the pot.  If, like me, you are a gun tinkerer and watch videos on YouTube, you know that there is sometimes a scant amount of certain knowledge and it helps to go the written literature.

As Mark Novak says, "Buy the book."  One of the best series I've found is a series of books Jery Kuhnhausen produced.  You can find them on Amazon.

I got this one for Christmas, 2004 and it covers the entire range of Ruger Sing Action revolvers.  285 pages that covers the entire range of those revolvers.  Every serious tinkerer needs it on his bench.

The gumbo is assembled and is simmering quietly on the stove.  Before lunch, I'll make a pot of rice.

Y'all have a blessed Sunday.

Oversight

 You may remember the story a couple of weeks ago about the Dallas PD seizing a large amount of cash at Dallas Love Field.

It seems that the Dallas PD has an oversight board, and they are asking questions about how the Dallas PD can seize cash that is not part of a criminal investigation.

Now a member of the city's oversight board is demanding answers. "What I want to know are: What are the rules? And did this woman break them?"

It is good hat someone with oversight powers is looking into this.  I understand that several sate legislators are also drafting legislation to change he way hat civil asset forfeiture works.  Good for them. 

That Idiot

 President Joe Biden yesterday awarded a Medal of Honor to a recipient who was not only alive, but standing next to him, and announced it was a posthumous award.  I shit you not.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced that it was “posthumously” awarding a Medal of Honor on Thursday to a recipient who was not only alive, but standing right next to the president.

Can you say Cognitive Disorder?   

It's Time To Abolish Emergency Covid-19 Powers

 Glenn Reynolds writes an article at the New York Post, where he argues that it's time to end the Covid 19 emergency powers of he various Governors, and I tend to agree.

We have learned, during this great exercise in restricting civil liberties, that many Governors are loathe to relinquish power, or to use it judiciously.  For example, Louisiana is still under a public health emergency.  Our petty tyrant Governor, John Bel Edwards, issued an order on November 22, 2021, which will expire on December 22, 2021, unless he extends it, for whatever reason.  He cant help himself, he's simply nable to relinquish power.

Louisiana has been under a public health emergency since March, 2020, at 30 day intervals they have been modified, extended, renewed, or revised.  Many of us quit paying attention to the Governor in early 2021.  We were done with him, whether he realized it or not.  He has turned us into a state that routinely ignores government orders.  We just don't care anymore.

It's time for the legislature to end the public health emergency powers of the governor.  Simply repeal the law that makes it possible for the Governor to declare a public health emergency.  If the legislature is unwilling to take the necessary steps, then it is time to get a new legislature.

Tucker: This is not a good sign

Tucker is making a lot of sense.  When the Labor Force Participation Rate goes down, there is a huge underlying problem.  And, Biden isn't helping it be any better.

Nearly Surgical

 Regarding the post below, and the recent polls that show many voters fear that crime is getting worse, with no end in sight, it may be time to reevaluate our posture.  On an individual basis, it is wise to not be a victim.  Don't go to those places where crime is rampant.  Maintain your situational awareness.  When faced with an uncomfortable situation, depart.

But, I've been thinking about those merchants who find themselves faced with smash-and-grab mobs, and I've been thinking about the nearly surgical precision of a good marksman with a suppressed .22LR rifle.  Many stores have a small office upstairs, overlooking the sales floor, and that might be a good place to over-watch the sales staff.  If a mob enters with bludgeons to smash the display cases, or threatens the sales staff, our marksman might be justified in placing shots into large muscle masses, like buttocks or thighs, or shoulders.   Think of those shots as marking rounds.  The police could canvas local emergency rooms to find anyone so marked, then arrest them.

I'm sure that the lawyers would go stone-crazy when approached with such a plan, but we do have the right to use force to defend lives and property.  If a miscreant shows up with lethal force, the marksman inn over-watch would be ideally suited to deal with that as well.  I'm just sayin'.

This May Get Ugly

t seems ike the mayor of San Francisco has had enough of lawlessness.  Watch the first minute of this report for her comments.

How is she going to get back the hundreds of officers who have retired?  How is she going to establish trust with the police officers on the street?  How will she react the first time a use-of-force incident goes wrong?  What happens when emboldened criminals confront the police?

She has sown, and now she will reap.  This may get ugly before it gets better.

In The Barber Shop

 I drove down to the neighborhood barber shop this morning for my Christmas hair cut.  It's a #2 cut, like always.  The shop was packed.  The conversation was constant.  Who has mustard greens?  Where can a fellow find a rick of firewood?  How is Joe Biden doing?

The assembled men in the barber shop decry the job Joe is doing.  The mustard greens and firewood got more comment than Joe Biden, who is universally disdained in this part of America.

Didn't see a mask anywhere.  It may be that common sense has finally broken out in the US.  Interestingly, I was in the shop for over an hour, and no one even mentioned Covid.  Not once.  Like a bad divorce, or a crazy relative, no one brought it up. It's not a topic for polite conversation.  Nor even barbershop conversation.

So, Who Is Next

 I'm seeing a lot of speculation on who will run for president in 2024, and honestly, I don't have a clue.  I've been wrong so many times, and the future is so uncertain that there is no way I will hazard a guess, although most people don't care what I think.

If someone had asked me in 2013 who would be elected in 2016, Donald Trump would not have been in the conversations, but we all know what happened.in 2015.  In other words, it's too early to speculate.

However, if I had to place a hard bet on who the net president would be, I'd have to say Kamala Harris.  Actuarial tables are funny things, and Joe is on the downhill side of those tables.  I'm not wishing him any ill will in the mortuary sense, but facts are facts.

If somebody wants to run for president, come up with a plan to end spam and scam phone calls.  That plan should include public floggings for people found guilty of such crimes.  

Tornados

UPDATE AT 5:10 pm.  See Below 

A tornado is a random, violent event that happens to good people.  We have all heard about the tornado that hit Kentucky this weekend, and our hearts go out to those people.  This may be the most damaging tornado to hit the United States  It was certainly the worst tornado to hit those people.  They will be affected by it for years to come.

But, those of us who have lived longer than a decade can remember other bad tornados.  Just off the top of my head, the one that hit Brandenburg, KY in 1974.

Or, the one that hit Tuscaloosa, AL during 2011.  Belle has family in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, and it affected those folks in a huge way.

We are already hearing how Climate Change played a huge part, and I dismiss that analysis as flawed. A tornado is a random event, totally unresponsive to human interference.  In our grief over such events, we tend to want to blame something, or someone for the misfortune that befalls us, but in most cases the human frailty of wanting to blame outside forces is simply a coping mechanism.

UPDATE** As horrific as this storm was, another site pointed me to the great Tri-State tornado of 1925.  Total of 695 deaths across three states. The path was 219 miles and it traveled at 62 miles per hour.  It was on the ground for over three hours.

How About Fauci's House?

 It seems that Florida governor Ron DeSantis has a tongue-in-cheek plan for dealing with the migrant crisis.  

Governor Ron DeSantis wants $8M to fund a new program that will allow Florida to contract with private companies to transport “unauthorized aliens” out of Florida. He spoke about the plan in broad terms on Friday. This is the latest move in a continuing battle with the Biden administration over relocating illegal migrants away from the southern border.

DeSantis says, maybe with tongue in cheek, that if Florida bussed illegal migrants to places like Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard, the southern border would be closed the next day.

He has a point.  I'd drop a couple of bu-loads on the main mall in Washington.  A busload at Fauci's house.  Another in Pelosi's front yard.

Thanks, Joe!

 When I started cooking brisket 40 years ago, brisket was the cheapest cut of meat in the butcher's case.  Three things mitigated against brisket.  It was big, it was hard to cook and it took time.

Back in those days, a packer-cut briket would go for about a dollor a pound, sometimes less.

I bought a brisket last week to cook at a club event, and nearly stroked-out when i saw the price.

$4.55 a pound?  My Gawd!  Thanks, Joe!  You are putting Jimmah Carger to shame.

What's fer Lunch?

 What's fer lunch?  How about a simple alfredo sauce with fettuccini noodles?  Easy-peasy.

Belt a sick of butter in a large skillet.  While it's melting, start a pot of water for the pasta.  When the butter is melted, add some minced garlic, maybe a tablespoon to the butter and let it get tender.  Then, add a pinto f half-and-half to the butter.  Or heavy cream if you'd like.    When that simmers, add fresh parmesan cheese (I used a pound), and blended that in, then about a half-pound of sharp cheddar, simply because I could.

When the pasta is ready, drain then add it to the sauce.  Give it a good stir.

About 30 minutes, and most of that is boiling the water for the pasta.  Belle thought it turned out fine, and I did too.  Simple, quick, filling.  It's what's for lunch.

Smollett Convicted

 Juicy Smollett got convicted.  The good people of Illinois decided that they have had quite enough of a lying, cheating, sniveling brat who wasted their resources on a hoax.

The news is everywhere.  Google it yourself.  But, as I understand it, Jussie faces 20 years in jail.  I doubt he will get that much, simply because he is a first offender.  Were I the judge, he'd get thhree years and be eligible for parole after 18 months.  But I ain't the judge, so I'm spit-balling here.

But, the good news is that Juicy is now a convicted felon.  With any luck, he will get to ply his trade in the prison Christmas play next year.

Why Wait? Start Now, Joe

 It seems that Joe Biden has ordered the federal government to become carbon-neutral by 2050.  How brave, requiring your successor s to be carbon neutral at some point in the future.

I have a better idea, Joe.  Start today. Tell the Air Force to scrap Air Force One, and the Marines to scrap Marine One.  While you are at it, tell the Air Force to scrap that fleet of biz-jets that guys like Lloyd Austin and John Kerry flit about on.  They can fly space-A on routine Air Force missions, of fly commercial like the rest of us.

Quit flying illegal aliens around the country.  Make then walk back home.  That's how they got here, and should not wast valuable resources by being here.

If you don't start today, Joe, you are just another preening sonofabitch.  If you are serious about your carbon footprint, scrap Air Force One.  Or, STFU.

That's A Good Boy

 It seems that there is this dog, a trained working dog named Ballantine, who works for the Dallas PD, in their narcotics section, and is Dallas Love Field.  His job is to sniff out contraband in luggage.  By all accounts, he has an excellent sniffer.  Recently, though, he started a shit-storm when he sniffed out a bag and alerted his handler about contraband.

What was in the bag?  Cash.  Over $100K in cash.

The owner of the hag, a 25-year-old woman from Chicago, was not arrested.  By all accounts, she is not suspected of a crime.  Yet, her money was seized and may be subject to civil asset forfeiture.  Why?  It is not against the law to have cash.  It is not against the law to travel with cash.

I was a cop for a long time, and unless I could articulate a crime, I was unable to make a case.  My agency did not do civil asset forfeiture.

Unless the Dallas PD can articulate a crime that is tied to this money, they should return it to the woman with their abject apology.  Otherwise, they have committed a theft.

Oh, one final thought.  It's not the dog's fault.  He did his job.  Now, it's time for the Dallas PD to do the right thing.

New ID Cards

 Since I joined the Army in 1973, the Army ID Card looked about the same.  In differing colors to denote, active, reserve, or retired status, the retired ID Card was grey, an ironic color to denote being retired.  It looked something like this"

This past weekend, Belle mentioned that her ID card had expired, so this afternoon we went over to Camp Beauregard to get it updated.  Imagine my surprise when the took my ID Card as el and issued us two new cards.

I don't know how long the old ID Cards were used without substantial changes, but I know I carried one from 1973 until an hour ago.  Now, my ID card is changed, and I feel like it's the end of an era.

Feminist rips 'gender identity' as meaningless

I love women, I really do.  My mother ws a woman and my wife is a woman.  All my sisters are women.

I don't care what you do in the bedroom.  Your kinks are your kinks, and I don't want to bothered with them.  As long as it's between consenting adults, it's okay with me.

Last ear, Louisiana had an opportunity to pass a law requiring that male sports are for male athletes and female sports are for female student. The measure passed both houses, but our governor vetoed it, saying that such a law was simply mean to transgender students.

What is really mean is to let men compete against women in women's sports.  The very idea demeans women. It is bullying at its most base form. The very idea of a male athlete competing against a female athlete is repugnant to me, and no amount of transgender bullying will change my mid in that respect.

The Juicy Trial

If you are following the news, the Juicy trial is going on right now, and from what I am able to gather, it seems that Juicy is sticking with the line that he is some sort of victim. I don't know if the jury is going to buy that.

The best summary of the testimony I can find is a Dave Chappelle bit from August 2019.  The story hasn't changed much since then.

Culture Wars

Two things.  First, yesterday there was an article at PJMedia about liberals bemoan "random" violence in those same places where they want to defund the police.

Imagine that.  In a place where people are generally disarmed, the liberal governing class wants to defund the police, and are yet surprised when the criminal element finds a way to inflict "random" violence on an unsuspecting population.  I would argue that it is neither random nor unexpected, but rather a natural consequence of liberal policy.  

In my perfect world, students could feel safe while studying in a park on a sunny afternoon.  The criminal element would feel just a bit reticent about plying their trade, because enough of the population was armed that those predators stood a real chance of being met with resistance. In my perfect world, the criminal justice system would not release sociopaths to threaten stalwart citizens who are defending property during a riot, or wouldn't release a sociopath to run down people at a Christmas parade.  

Second, Colion Noir breaks it down for us.

In 2000 I made a decision that I would carry a gun everywhere it was legal for me to carry a gun.  Thus far I have been very successful in that pledge.  My experience may not be a prescription for everyone, but I find it comforting.  Yes, I had to make some small changes to wardrobe, and had to spend some money on gear, but in the long run, it was money I was going to spend anyway.

Do Not Attribute

 Generally, the simplest answer is the best, and we should not attribute to evil intent those things that can be more simply attributed to simple stupidity.

It seems that lots of people are sour on our current vice president, Kamala Harris.  I've been sour on her for a while, but that's just my bias about trusting an incompetent, conniving, manipulative harpy with the power that is one heart-beat away from the presidency.  I'm just saying.

Other folks are starting to notice.

It has been difficult to not notice that the frequency of the “Wow, Kamala Harris is kind of a train wreck…” articles has been picking up quite a bit lately. We’ve led the Briefing with that once in October and November, the most recent being around three weeks ago.  In reality, there is enough material to do a daily diary about this political nightmare, but we probably do need to keep focusing on her even bigger train wreck of a boss.

I'm not sure if Joe is a bigger train wreck than Kamala, but it's a near-run thing.  Creepy Joe backed himself into a corner when he promised to choose a minority woman as his running mate, and there stood Kamala in the wings, waving a small Biden flag.   Did Joe really think that Kamala would make a competent president in the event that he keeled over, or was he simply displaying his own base stupidity?

After watching Joe bungle the job for a year, I'm forced to go with base stupidity.

Weather

 It's an odd radar map, three distinct front lines.  I awoke this morning to the rumble of thunder off to the north, and it's still rumbling off to the north.

It looks like today is going to be a day to stay under cover.

Rich & Rowe - Santa's Gotta Dirty Job (Official Music Video)

Didn't Have The Ability

 Comedian Ron White has a great set where he describes being thrown out of a bar.  The police were called, and Ron says: "At that point I had the right to remain silent, but I didn't have the ability."

We saw much the same thing n display last week, when actor Alec Baldwin gave an interview on ABC news about the death on the set of the movie RUST.  A noted cinematographer is dead, another wounded, and Baldwin had the gun in his hand.  Baldwin states in the interview that he is not facing criminal charges, but for the life of me I cannot understand why Baldwin's lawyers let him sit down in front of camera and discuss this tragedy.

From the perspective of a criminal investigator, that interview is a gold mine.  Were I the lead investigator on that case, I would already have a subpoena being drafted for the full, unedited video of that interview.  With what Baldwin admitted in the published, edited interview, I can't imagine what riches exist in the unedited raw files. Watching it would be a criminal investigators wet dream.

All that aside, what Baldwin describes in the interview is what we in Cowboy Fast Draw call a "slip-cock"  This condition occurs when the hammer is not fully cocked and is release inadvertently by the shooter's thumb before reaching the full-cock notch in the hammer.  The gun WILL NOT discharge in a slip-cock unless the finger has depressed the trigger.  If the finger is outside the trigger guard, the hammer falls into the half-cock notch.

There are a set of mechanical conditions that might have combined to allow the gun to discharge as described by Baldwin, but those are so unlikely as to stretch credulity to the breaking point.  And, that set of conditions is so easy to check and routinely used that any rationally competent shooter should identify it when checking the gun.  If the revolver won't hold half-cock, it is unsafe to use and should be repaired.

The death of Ms. Hutchins was a cascade of unsafe conditions that would have been avoided.  While Mr. Baldwin may escape criminal liability, he cannot escape the fact that he killed her.  His handling of firears was unsafe and he is responsible for the discharge.  No amount of distraction will change that.

Mr. Baldwin has the right to remain silent.  He should stand on that right.

Ruger Blocks

If you are a fan, as I am, of Mark Novak's Anvil gunsmithing channel, you know that he uses tools to do a job, to make his life easier, and that he often makes tools for a specific purpose.  Sometimes a workman will have an idea for a specific tool that he needs to finish a job.  My grandfather and my dad were notorious for making tools.  My grandfather had a small collection of homemade tools that filled a specific function.  It might be a bent brazing rod with a loop of a hook on it, or it might be a screwdriver that he had ground for a specific purpose.

One of the tools I keep on my bench are a set of wooden blocks that I call Ruger block.  I call them this because when I built them, I was working on a Ruger revolver.  As it turns out, they fit Ubertis and Piettas just fine.  They are simply two blocks of red oak that I took from the firewood pile and put on the table saw.  I use them to clamp a revolver in a vise so that I can work on it without needing three hands.

They are marked with an R so not to be confused with scrap wood.

Of course, the first thing we do is check to make sure the revolver is clear and safe, then remove the cylinder.  Fit the blocks into the space where the cylinder was, then clamp it in the visse.

I clamp it like this for working on the bottom

Or, I clamp it like this to remove the backstrap.

The point is that these two wooden blocks, which cost me about an hour of my own labor, are invaluable when I am working on a revolver.  They are an extremely useful piece of my kit,  as important as a vise, or my bench, or a good set of screwdrivers.

Dobbs v Jackson's Women's Helath

 The left is going stone-crazy in the matter currently before the Supreme Court, Dobbs v Jacksons Women's Health.  We don't know how they are going to rule yet, and we probably won't know for six month.  Your guess is as good as mine, and while I know what I am hoping for, it's too soon to tell.  I've been disappointed many times by a ruling that comes out of Robert's court.

However it comes out, I'm certain that Justice Thomas' opinion will be a fun read.  Of all the people on the court, I really like the way his mind works, and he might be a major player in this decision.

It could come down to a 3-3-3 decision, which would be interesting to say the least.

It's too early to tell.  I might suggest to my friends that they not worry about what the decision might be.  They can do nothing to affect it.  If anywhere in the US, the elite, Ivory tower of the US Supreme Court will make up their minds in their own sweet time.

Gunsmithing Table

 I made a trek across the river to Harbor Freight to pick up a few items for the new gunsmithing table.  Mainly a good light and a pack of floor mats The floor mats were easily cut to fit the top of the table, and the light was installed.

This is better.  Cowboy Fast Draw is hard on guns, is as all of the sped sports.  Invariably when the club gets together someone needs work done.  This table will be set aside for such work, and as it is adjacent to the cleaning table, it is convenient, yet out of the way.  I'll put a set of pin punches and screwdrivers in the drawer and we'll be ready for whatever fixes are necessary.

The Chinese Sneeze

 Like many of you, I a watching with some small interest the various depictions of the politically=minted Omicron variant of the Wu-flu.  I say politically, because they skipped right over the Greek letter Xi in naming it.

It seems that this variant was first identified in South Africa, a country known for breakthroughs in medical science.  Educated readers may recall that the resounded scientist and physician  Christiaan Barnard conducted he first heart transplant in South Africa.  South Africa ain't no slouch, medically.

The doc from South Africa who identified this variant says that it's not much to worry about.

“Dr. Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who discovered the omicron variant of COVID the Chinese sneeze, released a statement telling the world to hit the Bat-chute on the manic panic response to the new variant. Especially England.”

Here in the United States, our homegrown bureaucrat and panic-merchant is telling us that the first identified patient is in San Francisco and recently returned from South Africa.  That patient was fully vaccinated, has a mild case and is recovering nicely.  His advice on this matter?  Get vaccinated.

So, who to believe?  On the one hand, we have a highly respected physician who is actually studying the virus and treating patients.  On the other hand, we have a career bureaucrat who loves Sunday morning talk shows.  For myself, the choice is clear.

Flyover at Titans Stadium

It seems that the Army has raised the ire of the FAA after a flyover at the Titans-Saints game a couple of weeks ago.  Not that the Army cares.

I'm no aviator, but I am a solder and I know that we routinely did dangerous things while playing with our toys.  Tans, f example, are designed to kill people and don't much care what people they kill.  It's all in the training.

I am aware that the FAA regulates civil aviation in the United States, but I don't think that Army helicopters are civil aviation.  The FAA is a huge bureaucracy, and you know how I feel about bureaucrats.

Regulatory Agencies

Representative Jordan is right.  Congress should remove power from the regulatory agencies.