Old Dominion Rocks

 Did y'all hear about this Aloha Akbar mother****** who wandered into a classroom at Old Dominion and started shooting? He shot the instructor, a retired military officer, but the cadets took things to the next level.

Students in the classroom reacted quickly once the shooting began. Authorities say several ROTC cadets confronted the gunman and physically subdued him before police arrived. Officials later confirmed that the suspect died during that confrontation and that he was not shot by the students who intervened. Investigators have not released details about the exact cause of death while the investigation continues. 

He died during the confrontation but was not shot.  I wonder how he died?  Regardless, that is one less enemy combatant we need to worry about.  It also sets the bar for others who have to deal with such nonsense.

Good Job, Old Dominion!

For True and For Certain

 If there is one thing I know for true and for certain, it is what this guy is telling me right here.

The best ones were married to a 4-speed manual transmission and a granny gear.  Want to haul a cattle trailer to the sale barn with a load of heifers?  No problem.  Need to get an overloaded hay trailer out of a field?  No sweat.  Oh, there was sweat in the hay field, but the engine could handle it.

The Ford 300 cubic inch straight six was a beast.  Bulletproof, reliable,  It was the perfect engine for a pickup truck.  Your do-it-all, around-the-farm rig.

My son has one in his barn, promising to rebuild it and put it in a clunker. I can't wait to see it growl back to life.

Little Mo

 As I eat lunch, listening to the news, I hear that the new Supreme Leader of Iran has made a statement, telling us all that he is going to close the strait of Hormuz.

I also hear that he is in a coma, having lost a leg in an Israeli attack.

I wonder why the mullah council in Iran would pick a comatose leader, but then I recall that the entire US population picked a semi-comatose president for the last administration.

So, Little Mo has threatened the two unforgiveable sins of the past 80 years.  1) he's threatening to touch bots, and 2) he wants to increase the price of oil. Those are sins that tend to skew the mortality tables.

Busy

 Busier than hell, lately.  Momma did in November and it's time to break up the estate.  My sister is handling the money.  Dad left Momma in fairly good shape, financially.  I'm handling the real estate.  Lawyers, appraisers, lists of heirs and the accompanying negotiations.  It's a busy time and I think I have turned the corner.  Everyone agrees and no one's feelings are hurt.

Of course, this is also the competition season for CFDA and I'm involved in that.  Just another layer of complexity.

Like many of you, I am  also watching this whole Iran thing.  I don't understand why the IRGC hasn't surrendered yet, or simply deserted.  They cannot win this fights.  The only question is what they can salvage.

Daylight Saving Time

 Here we go again in Louisiana.  At 2:00 am, some of our clocks jumped forward to 3:00.  Lots of folks are going to be late for church this morning.  As for myself, I'm wandering around, changing the old-fashioned clocks.

At this point, the twice-annual change is simply tradition.  I am convinced that none of the reasons we started this are valid today.  It's tradition, the ay we've always done it.

4.9 Magnitude

 

News reports are telling us that north Louisiana experienced a 4.9 magnitude earthquake in Red River parish.

LINKY HERE

We don't normally consider Louisiana to be earthquake country, but the times, they are a-changing.

I went out to tun errands this morning and saw that the car is covered in y3llow pollen.  The pine trees are shedding pollen.  Spring is just around the corner.

Bombs Away

 Cool video here about what purports to be an F-16 dropping munitions on an MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System). Personally, I have no clue what an F-16 cockpit looks like.  He could be flying a Beechcraft for all I know.

CLICK HERE

Still, it's cool video and that MLRS site ain't a threat anymore.

Spring Shower

 Iran the air conditioner in the shop today. Came in the house and turned the thermostat from heat to cool.  Looked outside and noticed that a little shower had popped up. I wasn't expecting that.

Looking at the news, I see that the Navy's Mark 48 torpedoes seem to be working.  First time since WWII that a submarine has taken down a ship with torpedoes.  I bet that crew was pumped!  Years of maintenance and training comes down to one good war shot. The Iranian frigate Sulemani is now on the bottom of the Indian ocean.

Elections

 Texas held their congressional primaries yesterday, and I see that Jasmine Crockett lost her bid to become a US Senator.  Republicans John Cornyn and and Ken Paxton are headed for a runoff in May.

We're going to miss Jasmine.  She gave us some incredible sound bites.

The Hercules

 Surfing tonight, I came across a video about an airframe that is beloved by the Army.  As a young trooper in 1973 we sang songs about it during our morning run.

"C-130 rolling down the strip,  Airborne Daddy gonna take a little trip."

That was back in 1973, and while I never went to parachute school, the C-130, while owned by the Air Force, is beloved of the Army.  It is out Uber, carrying us where we need to go, and it is our Door Dash, bringing is the 3-Bs (beans, bullets, band-aids).

The more I thought about it, the more I was impressed with the longevity.  I was a rookie in 1973 and the Army was already singing songs about it.

So there ya go.  It's a grand old airframe that has been around for a long time.  Long live the C-130.

TellingOnMyself

 I had a productive day.  Belle and I came in the house at about 4:00 and Belle declared Happy Hour. She poured herself a glass of wine, and I stayed in the kitchen to finish up a phone call. The kitchen was dark, no lights on.  I finished he phone call and found my cocktail glass to pour myself a drink.

The kitchen was late afternoon dark.  No lights on, just the diffused light from the window. I filled the glass with ice, poured a healthy shot of bourbon, the grabbed the Coke bottle.  Filled it, took a big sip, and spit that nasty taste across the kitchen. Gagged.  What the hell?

I turned on the light, looked again and found that I had poured myself a bourbon and Worcestershire sauce.  Who put that bottle over there?

I got out the mop and told Belle what had happened.  She collapsed in a gale of laughter.  I can't blame her, that is funny, right there.

I like Wash-your-sister sauce, I do.  But it is no good in Bourbon.

Meme

 A meme I've seen recently.

America:  I'm your huckleberry

Iran: Fights not with you, America.

America: I beg to differ, sir.  We started a game we didn't get to finish. "Death to America", remember?

Iran: I was just fooling about.

America:  I wasn't.

Epic Fury

 Watching news this afternoon, we learn that at least five US service members have been killed as a part of the ongoing operations against Iran.  We mourn their loss.

Part of the problem, as I see it, is that the freedom-loving Iranian patriots have nothing to fight with. How difficult would it be to gather a bunch of AKs, load them into gun cases with a couple of magazines, and "leaflet drop" them in areas where freedom-loving Iranians might find them. Sort of like what we did with the Liberator pistol in World War II?

I do mourn the loss of American service members and pray for their souls and that their sacrifice bears fruit.

Khamenei Dead

 The Iranian bully Khamenei is deceased.  It's about time.  I understand that Israel is claiming that  one of their planes dropped this particular warhead on him.

It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  I wonder how many of the other top leaders got taken out?  I'm sure that we will learn more as time goes on.

That whole "Death to America" crap should have conse1quences.

Daylight Raod

 It looks like US forces struck Iran in a daylight raid while we slept last night.  I awoke this morning to news of the raid. Iran stuck back, sending missiles to Israel and Bahrain.

It will take time to asses the damage, but it appears we struck more than military targets. One reporter was saying that the Iranian parliament and the Judiciary was hit as part of the raid. Other reporters were talking about the number of air assets we have staged in the region.  It's a fairly hefty force.

On the home front, I've been busier than a cat in a sandbox lately.  Lots of stuff going on. None of it worth reporting here.

Boosting the Signal

 Victor Davis Hanson is a renowned historian and he gives us some good perspective on the buildup in the seas around Iran.

There is a lot to consider.

Primers

 In our CFDA club, we go through a lot of primers specifically 209 shotshell primers.  Sourcing them can be problematic, so I let the internet handle the problem. A couple of years ago, I bought some primers at a shoot that were packaged, not in those nice little 100 packs, but in a much larger  box where each tray held 1000 primers.

Handling them in bulk became an issue, until I stumbled on to these little plastic containers that easily hold 1000 loose primers.  They are stackable and the club members are comfortable with them now, rather than the little 100 primer trays.  As in all things, buying bulk saves a few cents and I get these primers in the door at lees than 5 cents per shot.

My vendor is CAC Associates, out of Ebensburg, PA.  If you need primers, put them on your list.

Loader

 The loader is an indispensable part of a tank crew.  He is responsible for keeping the main gun fed and keeping the coaxial machine gun cranking. When not engaged, he is responsible for providing security on his side of the tank. Sometimes his hatch will have a machine gun mounted, sometimes not.

The loader is generally very junior enlisted.  Sometimes an E-3 or maybe an E-4.

 The video is here.  I wish YouTube would let me embed shorts, but they don't.

It appears that the ammo he is loading is service HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank). It's a shaped charge round that works good on lots of stuff. It's a general purpose "Fuck You" when the Tank Commander doesn't want to use up his sabot rounds.

Chaos in Mexico

 We awake this morning to find that Mexican officials undertook an operation that killed a high-ranking cartel leader. Violence erupted.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  CNN reports that the Mexican government had assistance from the US, but no details on the type of assistance.

Shop Heaters

 Ever since we built the shop, we've heated it with propane.  For several years w4 used those little round heaters that sit atop the propane bottle, and they did okay, but had some flaws.

Those did okay, threw a lot of heat, and sucked hard on a propane bottle. Normally, after three 8-hour days, they would suck a propane bottle dry.

I wanted an upgrade, so I went searching on Amazon and found this one.

It has three panels that can be turned on or off, it lights easily, and it is on casters.  Additionally, the propane bottle sits on a shelf in back.  We've been using it for a week now, and Belle really likes it.  It throws good heat, she can adjust it for more or less heat, and it seems to be pretty frugal on propane.   We've been using it for a week, and it is still on the same bottle we set it up with.

If you are in the market, click on the link above.

Crawfish Season

 It's officially crawfish season in Louisiana.  Today, I went to the local boiler and got five pounds with potatoes and corn.  Belle and I feasted on that for lunch.

It's also competition season in the CFDA.  In March, we get started in earnest, and that means loading ammo.  One of the rules of CFDA is that the host club furnishes the ammunition for sanctioned matches. This ensures that every competitor is shooting the same ammo.

I'm taking 10K rounds of loaded ammo to Texas State in late March.  They will use my brass, reload it, and bring it to Louisiana State in late May.  Loading CFDA ammo is completely different from standard ammo.  Technically, the only tool you need for CFDA ammo is a thumb. I can load, comfortably, about 500 per day.  I loaded 650 today before my thumb got sore and I decided to call it off.  I have about another 4K to load. It'll get done.

DC DEI Spill

It appears that our nation's capital just suffered the biggest raw sewage spill in the country's history.  Fromm reports, this happened in January and it dumped millions of gallons of raw sewer into the Potomac River. That ain't good.

They are trying to figure it out.  It seems that some of the blame can be laid at the feet of the chair of the Water Board, who is neither an engineer nor a water systems operator.  No, she's a DEI hire. Instapundit lays out the case.

Dr. Unique N. Morris-Hughes is a DEI bureaucrat, non profit “educator”, grant disperser of taxpayer money, & former asst head of a boys charter school

I'm sure that Dr. Morris-Hughes is a charming, educated person, but it this who the residents of Washington DC want running their water system?  Water systems are large, complicated, dirty infrastructure that is the backbone of modern civilization. Getting clean water into a city and dirty water out is a highly technical job. Just because someone has a PhD in Some Unrelated Bullshit, doesn't mean that they are a good candidate to run a water system.

Rest In Peace, Cowboy

 I see that one of my favorite actors died today.  Robert Duvall, at age 95.

He was one of my favorite western actors.  Many know him for his role in The Godfather, and he did a great job there, but I liked him better in western movies. My absolute favorite is Broken Trail, a movie based on a true story.  Of course, many people remember his role as Gus McCrae in Lonesome Dove.

Rest in Peace, Robert.

Sunday Music

Y'all have a great Sunday.

Beignets

 Beignets (ben-yay) are a New Orleans pastry, popularized by the Cafe DuMonde in New Orleans.. Normally eaten at breakfast with a cup of hot coffee, If you can't make it to the Big Easy, you can buy the mix on store shelves or from Amazon.

Or, you can make beignets yourself with what you have in the fridge.

Get a can of whop biscuits.  You know, the kind in the cardboard roll.  The kind you whop on the counter to open.  Yeah those.  Cut then into quarters, then drop them in hit oil until they are golden brown.  Drain on a rack or a paper towel lined tray and sprinkle confectioners' sugar across them.

Serve warm.  You are welcome.

Belts

 I used to own a number of belts.  Duty belts, dress belts, gun belts, casual belts and everyday belts. This morning, I was down to two.  A dress belt I used on dressy occasions, and an everyday belt that held the Model 60 on my waist.

That dress belt was bought, as I recall, sometime around 2004.  It hasn't been worn since I retired in 2019.  All the other belts that own, (excepting the competition rig that carries my Colt holster), went away over the years.  So, I'm down to three belts.  The dressy one, the everyday rig, and the competition rig.

Today, I had to go to a funeral.  I put on slacks and got out the dress bel.  Put it on and when I went to tighten it, broke that sumbitch in half. It had dry-rotted.  Just damn.  I put on the everyday belt and went to the funeral.

I need to go buy a dress belt, something that looks better than the plain, old everyday rig I normally wear.  And that pisses me off to no end.  It's just aggravating.  Now that I think about it, my everyday belt is about five years old.  It might use an update too. I guess it's time to go down to Boot Barn or Cavender's and see what they have hanging in the racks.

And that's where I am with that.

Harbor Freight

Referencing some recent comments on the previous post. 

Harbor Freight, or as I call it, Hobo Freight, is a constant in my shop.  I buy a lot of Harbor Freight tools, because they work.

My buddy, Jay, who died in December, had his A&P license and ran a small manufacturing business where he made tools for the helicopter maintenance trade.  Jay didn't mind spending money on tools, that is how he made his living.  His machine shop had big lathes, mills, all the high-dollar stuff.  In the welding room, I happen to notice one day that every bench had a cheap, Hobo Freight angle grinder on the bench.

I asked him about it.

"They work," he said. "And when they quit, I go buy another one for $15.00."  He appreciated high quality tools but realized the value in a cheap angle grinder that would work for him for two or three years. Sometimes there is value in cheap tools.

Twenty years ago, I didn't trust battery tools.  If I could find a plug and string an extension cord, I could work all day.  Nowadays I don't care to work all day.  When the battery needs a recharge, I take a break.

I can still do a full days work, it just takes me most of the week.

Any man who is 70 and works as hard as he did when he was 35, didn't do much when he was 35.

Mini Chainsaw

 I've run a bunch of chainsaws since my teens.  McCullough, Poulan, Husky, Stihl, Echo, you name it, I've run it.  As I approach my dotage, I am loathe to crank a gas chainsaw. I'm no longer felling timber or cutting firewood, I'm pruning trash trees on my little acre.

Battery technology has improved over the past decade, and the era of plug-it-in-the-wall power tools is about over..  I have gone almost solely to batter operated tools, and I use the yellow-black brand..  All my batteries are yellow-black.

Last week, I needed to do some pruning, so I stated looking around.  As it turns out, Amazon sells chainsaws.  Little handy saws that run on batteries and don't need pull ropes.  I did a little research and bought this one.  It's a no-name Chinese knockoff and uses those familiar yellow-black batteries.

The only thing that didn't come in the box was a syringe to put bar oil into the reservoir.  A quick trip to the feed store solved that problem.  This morning I filled it with bar oil, put in a fresh battery and went out to hairlip a little tree that is in the way.  Thirty minutes later, I wondered why I had waited so long to get one. The little tree is on the burn pile, the battery is on the charger and the saw is back it its case.

This little saw is On Time.  It may not last as long as the branded saws, but it proves the concept.

Weird Weather

 I'm out in the shop right now, with no heat on.  It's the middle of February and unseasonably warm.  The weather-weenies are predicting that the temps will be in the mid-70s this weekend.

The weather is teasing us.  Winter isn't over yet. It's not yet time to put away the propane heaters.

Belle and I are going to make a run to Sam's Club in a bit.  We need entertaining supplies, like paper plates and plastic flatware.  Later today, if Amazon cooperates, I'll be working on a project that should increase the comfort in the shop.

In short, it's just a standard Tuesday around here.

Tea Leaves

 This guy is reading tea leaves and it's interesting.  Watching military air traffic across the US and world.

Signals intelligence comes in many forms, and these days, air flight data can tell you a lot about what is coming. Or, he could b all wrong.

Nationals

 The Cowboy Fast Draw Association is shooting their national championship this weekend in St. Augustine, FL.   This championship moves around, and this is the first time it has been on the east coast.  About 150 shooters from all over the country are enjoying Florida weather and testing their skills.

Belle and I didn't make it this year, for a variety oof reasons.  It just didn't fit into our schedule.  We've pared our schedule back some this year.  We'll do Texas in March, Georgia in April, and we are hosting Louisiana in May.  We plan to go to Kentucky in September.

I'm told that there is some trifling football game tomorrow.   I don't follow football as much as I used to, but the Super Bowl was one game I always watched. I met Belle at a Super Bol party in 2001.   Back then, the big game was the last Sunday in January.  Sometime since then, it has moved to February.

More currently, today is Saturday and I have things on my list.

Quandry

 So I'm hearing about this kidnapping in Arizona and I admit that it is a compelling tale. The woman who has been abducted is in her 80s, and that simple fact alone puts this outside the standard bell curve. The locals and the Feds are working the case.  From what little I've seen of the local Sheriff, he seems to be straight-arrow.

Hopefully, they will find this lady and bring her home safely.

Newspapers

 Newspapers are a relic of a bygone era.  In the 20tth century, every town had a newspaper.  It's where we got the news, weather, and sports.  Classified ads and legal notices.  My hometown paper, the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, exists as a pale shadow of its former self. The press is gone; I'm not sure if they print anything at all. At one point, it was being printed in Lafayette, but now I'm not sure at all.

Other newspapers hang on, grimly.  The news earlier this week was that the Washington Post was eliminating positions and laying off staff.  That seems to be the trend in the newspaper business these days.  However, those journalists still have employment opportunities.

That's funny, right there.

Wednesday Wondering

 There is an old saying about "death and taxes" So far I've cheated death, but once again it is time to deal with the IRS. I despise those sonsofbitches.

Some ignorant twat I've never heard of was talking shit at the Grammys last weekend.  Something about illegals and stolen land.  Turns out, her house is on stolen land.

I can take the moral high ground here.  My land isn't stolen.  When this area was first colonized, a guy named Fulton bought a huge chunk of land from the Choctaw. Land north of the river was considered worthless, fit for nothing but pine trees and brambles.  Fulton bought it and started selling homesteads. The Choctaw are still around.  They own a casino north of here. That same tribe has a small reservation near Jena, LA.  When that area went dry, they opened a package liquor store.  That pleased the Baptists to no end.

Busy Monday

 I hit the ground running this morning.  Good stuff.  Got a lot of stuff done, made progress in a number of projects.

I have our annual state shoot in four months, and it's time to get busy on that. The only problem is that we can't start promoting it until we nail down some details and we simply could not nail then down in January.

The weather was beautiful today, the best we've had in weeks.  The weather weenies tell me that we're in for another cold snap. Maybe we are about to turn the corner for spring.  I think I saw the scouts for the local purple martin flock yesterday.  On the other hand, I have heard that our friends in Florida are having "falling iguana" alerts.  So, it's cold in Florida.

Winter ain't over yet.  We still have February to live through.

Renunion

 A bunch of guys I went to high school with showed up at the shop on Saturday to renew old friendships.

Food was consumed, cigars were smoked, and they hit the whiskey.  My bottle of Stranahan's is now defunct.

Friday Prepping

 I have a bunch oof high school buddies coming over tomorrow, some I haven't seen in 20 years.

This morning, I got a call from a CFDA shooter.  He's in town, enroute to a big shoot and wants to see my range.  He and his lady will be over this afternoon. He's retired Army, an old cavalry scout.  When we get together, no telling what is likely to happen.

I'm prepping a big gumbo for tomorrow, and i intend to violate the Ten Commandments of Gumbo. I am going to add shrimp to chicken and sausage.  Bless me Father, for I have sinned.

I will spend this afternoon and tomorrow entertaining. There will be laughter, lies told, and whiskey consumed. I have two very amusing American Single Malt whiskeys for those who choose to consume. There may be cigars, We'll see.

Right now, the chicken is boiling for stock.  Belle has gone to the grocer for last minute stuff.

Y'all have a very pleasant weekend.

Niche Cartridges

I've always had a fondness for niche cartridges. My very first centerfire rifle was a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington.  I preferred the 200 grain Remington load, and I carried that rifle for two decades.  It was my go-to choice for whitetail deer in central Louisiana. That rifle wore a 2.5 scope and was hot medicine for deer in our piney woods and hardwood bottoms. I never had to shoot a deer twice with it.

Ron Spomer talks about another niche cartridge, the 338 Federal.  It's nothing more than a .308 Win necked up to 0.338.  It throws big bullets.  Not far, but hard. It's not in the same category as the .338 Win Mag, nor the .338 Lapua, but it is not meant to be.  It's a cartridge for inside 200 yards.  Truth be told, that is where most North American game are taken.

Before Junior Doughty died, he and I talked about the 338 Federal.  At that time it was a new cartridge.  We thought that a good 200+ grain cast bullet would be the bees knees in this thing.  With hard linotype metal and a gas check, you could push it to 1900fps and get plenty of thump on the other end. In a short action, light bolt gun with a low powered scope, it would take anything we might point it at.

I'm glad to see that Ron highlighted this cartridge.  It is not for everyone, but niche cartridges never are.

Gumbo

 We successfully dodged the bullet of the ice storm.  Awoke this morning to clear skies and cold temps.  Belle said that she wanted some kind of soup or stew for lunch, and I started diffing in the freezer.  I found two partial packs of good Gulf shrimp that we could cook, so I chopped some onions and bell peppers and decided to make a shrimp gumbo.

Seafood gumbo is not my forte.  I am much more comfortable with a chicken/sausage gumbo, but I gave it a shot anyway. Toward the latter part of the process, I knew it needed something, but my palate would not give me the clue.  I had Belle taste it and we decided that a bit of red pepper flakes would help it.

Wehn the rice is done, we will get a bowl.

Monday Morning

We seem to have dodged the arctic bullet that is the Great Ice Storm of 2026. We lost power for all of abot four minutes The pipes are okay, and the roads are relatively clear.

Not so for our neighbors to the north. I understand that Oxford, MS took a major hit, with substantial damage to the electrical grid. Those folks are in a bind.

Drinking coffee with Belle this morning, we were talking about being cold, and the lessons we have learned over the years.  Both Belle and I grew up in the '60s and '70s.  I remarked that back in those days, girls would sometimes wear clothes that exposed a bare midriff. I seem to recall a universal trait, that when I would touch an ice cube to an exposed belly button, the lady would object.  Sometimes violently.

Moving to another survivor of the '60s, we come to the Air Force fleet of aging bombers, the old B-52.  During the '80s I was assigned to a unit in the Army Reserve.  Our headquarters building was just off the north end of the runway at Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA.  Barksdale is a major hub for the B-52.  They were aging machines in those days, but it seems that the service life of those airframes may be 100 years.  The earliest of them were delivered in the 1950s and may still be flying in the 2050.  Incredible.

Ice

 We're getting a little ice, but the ground is not frozen, so it is not sticking.  The power is on, so we are warm and have light.  I've talked to all my kids and they are okay.  We are weathering the storm.

The weather radar has lots of pretty colors.

We're hanging in there.  This too will pass later today.

So It Begins

 We shot our January monthly match at the clubhouse today. Yes, there is a winter storm coming, but it ain't hare yet.  We decided to have some fun.

We had eleven (11) shooters this morning, not a bad turnout when you figure the weather.

The worst of it is supposed to roll in here later today, mainly in the form of ice and sleet, not so much snow. Many of the churches are closed tomorrow, and the news is saying that the state will close the Interstate (I-49) later today, mainly because so much of it is elevated across Alexandria.

Belle and I are hunkered down, with everything we need to ride this thing out.

Prepping Friday

The big news this weekend is the winter storm that is going to hit us over the weekend.  Yesterday there were lines at gas pumps and propane filling stations.   From all accounts, we are going to be on the southern edge of the storm, so how bad it may get is a matter of which weather app you are using.

The temps are all predicted to get into the mid-to-lower teens, so the temps will be there.  The question is how much precipitation we are going to get, and in what form. Snow, sleet, freezing rain are all in the mix.

I think we are ready, though one never really knows.  The gas cans are full, the generator is ready, the propane tanks are filled. Now it's just a matter of how closely the reality matches the forecast.

We will see.

Just Wednesday

 The big news is the Ice-mageddon we are going to get this weekend.  Lots of folk in panic mode.

For myself, younger son came by this morning and we went to Academy to look at scopes.  Picked out a nice Vortex Crossfire for the Winchester.  Mounted it, life is good.  We didn't go shoot simply because it rained all day, and I'm not ford of being in the rain.  When I was in the Army, the mantra was "If it ain't raining, we ain't training", but I'll wait for less precipitation.

The weather-weenies are prepping us for a huge ice storm this weekend.  I'm ready, but I am not yet convinced.  What concerns me is the insanely low temperatures they are talking about.  Louisiana does not need temps in the teens.  It ain't right.

Tomorrow, it is supposed to rain some more.  The menu in the shop tomorrow will be chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and cream gravy.  I may heat some english peas to go with that.  We'll see.

Optics

 My younger son came in for a visit today.  He'll be here for a week.  Belle and I picked him up at the airport and his brothers met us at the shop.

Stories were told, lies were explored.  At some point the conversation turned to optics.  I happened to have a rifle in the rack with an old Bushnell scope.  It will be upgraded tomorrow.  the boys took that scope off the rifle and began to disassemble it, exploring the mysteries of the internals of common optics.

That was interesting, and we concluded that young Philippine grills are better qualified to disassemble cheap scopes than middle aged rednecks from Louisiana.  They probably have specialty tools.  At one point, a pipe wrench was used in the disassembly, probably not something we would find in a technical manual. This was redneck gun-smiffing of the worst kind.  No alcohol was involved in this evolution.

For the record, the reticle was found in the second focal plane.

 We'll go get a new scope tomorrow and see how the rifle shoot.  It's a push-feed Winchester Model 70 in 257 Roberts.  More to follow.

Free Expression

 Just for giggles, let's take a look at the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

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.

That is fairly broad and well stated. 

Turns out, a bunch of Somali backers invaded a white church in Minnesota on Sunday, protesting and raising hell.  Nobody got hurt, but it disrupted the service.  Don Lemon, the disgraced CNN guy was there with a camera crew, supporting the disrupters.  So, what we have is a collision of free speech and free exercise of religion. It's a good question where the boundaries lie.

You can see Don interviewing the pastor here.

Interestingly though, there is this thing called the FACE Act, a Clinton-era law that makes it illegal to 

"intentionally injuring, intimidating, or interfering with, or attempting to injure, intimidate, or interfere, any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship."

Oops.  Don and all those protesters may be in violation of federal law.  We note that journalism is also protected under the First Amendment, and this should further complicate an already complicated legal exercise.

A Fifth

 Those of us who grew up in the 20th century knew what a fifth of whiskey was.  One fifth of a US gallon.  A US gallon holds 128 ounces, so a fifth was 28.6 ounces. Nowadays we buy our hooch on the metric system, and a 750 ml bottle, we still call a fifth, but that holds only 25.36 ounces.

A jigger of whiskey was commonly known to be 1.5 ounces.  One of the legends ascribed to the game of golf was that the course standard of 18 holes was based on the fifth of whiskey.  If a gentleman limited himself to one jigger per hole, he could finish the course with fifth, retaining a wee bit to toast the course after the game.

Lately I have seen some of the online whiskey gurus saying that they didn't know why a 750 ml bottle is sometimes called a fifth.  Now, the education is complete.

You are welcome.

Greenland

 I haven't really been following it, but I have been noticing this whole Greenland kerfuffle.

President Trump seems to think that it is strategically important, Denmark owns it, and President Trump is making noise about buying it.

It seems that a NATO military contingent has gone to recon it.

LINKY

Thirty-seven (37) is barely an overstrength platoon.

Insurrection

 Should President Trump use the Insurrection Act to send federal troops into Minnesota?  I think not.

Better to use US Marshals.  The oldest civil law enforcement in the US, successfully used in many such cases, where the local authorities don't want to bend to federal law.  Like Lyndon Johnston used them to break Jim Crow.

The US Marshals are a better fit.  They are civil law enforcement, and you don't run into Posse Comitatus.

Record Breaking Tuna

 Oh, c'mon.  This is funny.

LINKY.

I bet that was a fine boat ride.

Fantasy

 I saw this meme earlier and didn't believe it.  It was too inane, too fantasy-driven, too problematic to be anywhere close to the truth.  Turns out, it is probably true.  As it turns out, the first words scrammed by the passenger in the vehicle of the woman shot by ICE, screamed, "Why did you have real bullets?"

Did she think that this was some play-action fantasy?

The problem with these folks is that they cannot differentiate between Instagram reels, TikTok shorts, and the real world.  In the fantasy of holding ICE accountable, everyone goes home safe.  In the fantasy of video gaming, there is a reset button.

This gal who was killed is not some "white chick George Floyd", as I've seen her described.  She is not a martyr to a cause.  She is just the latest example of a lethal force encounter going very bad, very quickly.

For my entire police career, as I was getting ready for my shift, I'd look in the mirror and ask myself if I were willing to take a human life that day.  We do a job in the real world with real consequences.  Thankfully, I never had to take a life.  I drew my weapon only four times in the line of duty.  I never had to fire.  For that I am thankful.

Today's "protestors" don't seem to understand lethal force. That is unfortunate, because the cops understand it very well. There is no reset button.  It is forever.

Justification

 I see that the news is awash with the tragic tale of a gal in Minnesota who was recently killed in an altercation with federal ICE officers in Minneapolis.

It's tragic.  The death of anyone is tragic.

In 37 years behind the badge, I was regularly trained on Use of Force during my yearly training.  It has become stenciled on my brain.  Louisiana law mirrors the law in much of the country.  Let's take a look at the law, shall we?  Louisiana Revised Statute 14:20 says in part:

A.  A homicide is justifiable:

(1)  When committed in self-defense by one who reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of losing his life or receiving great bodily harm and that the killing is necessary to save himself from that danger.

There is nothing there that talks about the intent of the deceased. We cannot know what she was thinking, nor the state of her mind at the time of the incident.  All that is necessary is the perception of the officer that he was in danger of great bodily harm or death. 

Her death is tragic, no doubt. We will never know what might have happened if the officer did not use deadly force.  It is a question we need not ask. You might note that in Louisiana, at least, there is no difference in the law between a sworn officer and a common citizen.  The justification is there for anyone to use.

I'm just saying.

Upgrade

 When I built this shop back in the winter of 201-2018, one of the things I built of scrap lumber was a temporary table that we could use as a cook prep area and to use as a serving table. Built from scrap 2x4s and plywood, it was never meant to become a permanent fixture, but it is so damned useful that it keeps being used even today.

That old table has served us well, but lately, Belle has discovered warming mats that we can plug in to keep food warm while we entertain, and we wanted to upgrade the table.  I searched around and found a butcher block tabletop that would add a few inches to the table and give me some room to add a power strip underneath the table edge so that she could plug in those mats.

Today, elder son and I installed the new tabletop.

I think that looks a little more finished and gives me room to add the power strips. Belle comes home on Thursday.  Belle approved the upgrade before she left and when she gets back, the project should be compete.

Iran

 Have y'all been watching the crap going on in Iran over the past couple of days? It's hearting up and it looks like the people might overthrow the mullahs.

I'm sure that the violent spasms are not over yet, but it seems that the Iranian people might get their country back.

Let Freedom Ring

Road Trip

We went to Shreveport this morning to pick up Belle's daughter at the airport.  She's going with them on the cruise.  

We stopped in Natchitoches for a bit of history and a bite for lunch. Belle's favorite restaurant is closed this week for a thorough cleaning and remodeling.  We went around the corner to another restaurant and ate po'boys.

Front street in Natchitoches.  Momma's Restaurant. They make a passable shrimp po'boy. The girls will leave here tomorrow, heading for Galveston. They should have a lot of fun.

Full Proof

 Bourbon has a number of criteria that must be met before it can be called bourbon.  At least 51% corn, distilled in the US, aged in new oak barrels, barreled at no more than 125 proof. Straight bourbon is two years old.

Many of you know my fondness for Evan Willians Bottled in Bond.  It's my bouse whiskey, aged at least four years, bottled at 100 proof.  It's good hooch.

I also like Buffalo Trace.  One of the products of that distillery is Benchmark.  It's a bottom-shelf, straight bourbon whiskey.  Over the years, I have consumed my share.  I was in the liquor store today and found a bottle that they call Full Proof.  Bottled at 125 proof, this hooch is not watered down.

For $25 out the door, not a bad deal.  I brought a bottle home and we'll try it on in a little bit. If nothing else, it should be a good mixer for cocktails.

Nick Shirely Drops Another Video

If you've been watching Nick Shirley's expose of the corruption in MInnesota, it seems that it is just getting bigger.

The lesson here is that we have to keep an eye on welfare services, or the thieves will wreck the system.

I'm just trying to boost the signal.

Disaster Averted

 I walked out into the carport this morning and saw a little water on the floor near the carport door.  I wasn't really concerned, thinking it was condensation dripping from the humid weather and heavy dews we have had lately.  Looked closer and wasn't convinced, so I went inside and looked at the hot water heater. Found a drip, a very small drip, coming from the lie that brins hot water to the house.  Well, hell. Verdigris corrosion, that line was about to fail.

A trip to the lumber yard and an hour later, everything is fine.  Disaster averted.

Belle is prepping for a cruise.  She has an old friend, Sue, who recently won a cruise.  Sue's husband didn't want to go.  Belle knew Sue before she met me.  Old friends. So, Belle is going on the cruise with Sue.  Five days out of Galveston.  They'll drive to Galveston on Friday, spend the night in a motel, then meet the boat Saturday morning.  

I'm going to stay home and keep the dawg out of trouble.  I have no motivation to go on a cruise of any kind.

I don't even like to say the word "plumbing". Can't live without it, never learned to like it.  Maybe I'm done for this calendar year.  Hope springs eternal.

UN-Care

 Other than the usual Democrat handwringing about President Trump's flawless warrant sweep this weekend, the only thing that I see is that Tampon Tim is dropping out of the Minnesota governor's race.

Normally I would not care who the governor of Minnesota might be.  I just don't give a shit.  And now that I think about it, I really don't care.  It's just not something that gets on my radar. The only reason I know who Tampon Tim is, is because he ran a disastrous race with whatshername in 24.

Kudos to our folks in the Caribbean.  They did a bang-up  job this weekend.  No casualties in a very complicated evolution. Lots of aircraft moving around in hostile skies, and everyone came home safe.

Tweaker Geographic

 This guy makes tweaker shorts, funny as hell.

Like this one.

Or this one.

I like the accent.  

Hmmm

 It looks like President Trump gave the green light to capture Maduro last night. Kind of like when we captured Noreiga in 19889.

I bet that the politics in Caracas is interesting this morning.

UPDATE** Nick Freitas makes some good arguments on both sides of the question.

Cheeseburger

 What makes a great cheeseburger?  That's rather subjective, but people still try to rate them. For example, these guys think they have found the world's three best cheeseburgers.

I recall, in the latter years of the last century, there was a place in Derry, LA called Ruby's Cafe. Miss Ruby was a widow who ran a lunch place.  She served local, grass-fed beef that she had butchered to her specifications.  Her steaks were great, but her cheeseburgers were top notch as well.  She made something she called a Ranch Burger, and they were to die for.  I think she put a little ranch dressing powder in the burger mixture.

North of there about 15 miles was a place called the Rite Way Grocery. It was a convenience store with two gas pumps out front. Owned by John Gibson, he had a guy named Howard who did the sweeping and the stocking and anything else that needed doing.  Howard also manned the grill during the lunch rush. Howard made a magnificent cheeseburger.

Both Ruby's Cafe and the Rite Way Grocery have passed into the pantheon of places gone forever.

Today, if I'm looking for a great cheeseburger, I go to The Pelican in Pineville. It's right across the street from MacDonalds.  Run by a Korean family, they have an eclectic menu, but I'm convinced that their cheeseburger is the best in the parish..  And, it is less expensive than a Big Mac from across the street.

The search for the worlds greatest cheeseburger is never done.