Gratuitous Gun Porn

I was posting on the forum over at The High Road and was looking through some pictures of my revolvers, trying to illustrate a point.

Two shots of a revolver I really like.



Then, a more traditional photograph.



I picked this revolver up from a hunting buddy several years ago when he just HAD to have a stainless steel revolver. I actually paid him more than he was asking, because I have to hunt with him and I told him that he was undercutting the price rather severely to move it.

I feed it a load that features a custom 180 grain RF bullet, with L'il Gun powder. That big bullet rolls out of the revolver at about 1200 fps, which is plenty good medicine for just about anything I might encounter in the local woods. That same load can be used in my Marlin 1894 at 1595 fps. When you touch it off, especially from the revolver, you know you've got a magnum in your hands.

Republican Pledge to America

I see that the House Republicans are about to unveil a Pledge to America, which looks a whole lot like a platform. Some of the key points:

Jobs:

- Stop job-killing tax hikes

- Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income

- Require congressional approval for any new federal regulation that would add to the deficit

- Repeal small business mandates in the new health care law.

Cutting Spending:

- Repeal and Replace health care

- Roll back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels before TARP and stimulus (will save $100 billion in first year alone)

- Establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending going forward

- Cancel all future TARP payments and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Reforming Congress:

- Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority

- Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote

Defense:

- Provide resources to troops

- Fund missile defense

- Enforce sanctions in Iran

That looks like a good start.

Now, if they'd make a few small changes.

-Abolish Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

-Abolish DOE

-Abolish BATFE

That would be a platform.

Fourteen months

This guy is blogging about carrying a firearm for fourteen months.

It is now a about fourteen months since, after receiving my second death threat, I started carrying a firearm almost constantly. This experience has taught me a few truths, some merely amusing but others with larger implications.

It's a good read. He talks about some truths.

The major lesson: people are amazingly oblivious to what they don’t expect to see. When I carry using a belt holster (not my only method), I watch peoples’ eye movements and facial expressions for this pattern: eyes going to my right hip, momentary startlement or an increase in tension. This would mean the shirt I’m wearing flapped over the pistol butt has ridden up and it’s exposed. But, in fact, with only one exception that I’ll get to, I have never seen this. On the other hand, there have been occasions when I’ve noticed by touch that the weapon was exposed, or my wife has told me it’s showing, and nobody around me gives any sign of having noticed.

That's been my experience too. Once you're comfortable carrying, no one seems to notice, even when the gun is inadvertently exposed.

I've been carrying for so long now that my children don't remember ever NOT carrying a firearm. It's something that I do every day. My wife doesn't remember me NOT carrying a firearm. It doesn't make me any stronger, or weaker, or better, or smarter, it's just part-and-parcel of who I am and what I do. Many of my friends don't know I carry. Most of my acquaintances don't know or care, because it's never an issue. They never see the gun so it doesn't exist in their minds.

When you start carrying a firearm regularly, you'll feel ill-at-ease in certain situations because you know you're carrying and you'll feel slightly tense, as if you're waiting for someone to notice. When you become more comfortable with the unaccustomed weight and forget about it, you'll find that the rest of the world doesn't even realize that you're carrying.

Playing with numbers

According to the AP, the evil Senate Republicans voted today to block key legislation that would have overturned the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy.

WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked legislation that would have repealed the law banning gays from serving openly in the military.

Oh, really? The way I understand it, that amendment is tied to the defense spending bill, which doesn't require the supermajority. Any 51 senators can write it into law, and the Democrates have 57 at last count. If they want to pass it, all they've got to do is bring the whole bill to the floor and have at it. But then, they couldn't blame the evil Republicans.

Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas sided with Republicans to block the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., also voted against the measure as a procedural tactic. Under Senate rules, doing so enables him to revive the bill at a later date if he wants.

Harry Reid himself voted against it. But it's the Republicans who are blamed in the article.

Here's the deal. The Democratic party holds majorities in both the House and Senate. If they want a bill passed, all they've got to do is to pass it. Especially a spending bill, which doesn't require 60 votes. The simple fact is that they haven't even passed a budget this year. They're afraid to pass a budget this closely to the upcoming elections. They're afraid that the electorate might hold them accountable.

And, the headline from the AP shows that they're still carrying their water. All the editors at the AP should be fired.

I'm holding them accountable regardless. The entire Congress is filled with quivering cowards and idiots. The simple math shows that the Senate and House both have enough votes to get this done. But they don't want to do it.

Pocket Litter

A meme from Say Uncle, which shows how terribly short of blog-fodder I've been lately.



That's my Model 60 on top of the pile, along with a a wallet, a checkbook, a badge-carrier, my cell phone, a memory stick, a pocketknife, cell phone, keys and loose change.

That's pretty much my standard walking-around load.

Long day

Even though it was only eight hours, they worked my butt off today. I probably walked five miles, broke a theft, recovered some property, handled a security problem or two, and caught up on office gossip. PawPaw's tired.

What I'd Say

Milady and I were driving down the road and this song came on the oldies station.

It's been a long time since I've heard it, and I've always liked it.



Enjoy.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Feigned indifference. I bet if I offered him a snack, he'd look at me.



He's the Not-Looking-at-PawPaw, Sunday Morning Dog.

Saturday catching-up.

Milady is at the auction, and I've been working on paperwork for the church. We've got a Charge Conference coming up, and the district has rather detailed instructions on how to complete the paperwork. It's a good review of all things that have to do with church administration, and I have a couple of questions for the pastor. We've got two weeks till the conference, so we're in pretty good shape.

At least everything is organized now.

Between scratching my head and wondering what the District wants, I managed to take the dog for a walk in the front yard. He was fairly enthusiastic, as he always is when I take down the leash.



Back to the paperwork.

Dry, Dry, Dry

The weather around here has been dry for the past several months. The grass is just about dead, and I refuse to water grass. I was doing tractor maintenance by the pond today and happened to notice the water level. It's lower than I've ever seen it, about three feet lower than normal.



See that spit of sand on the far side of the pond? That's normally in about a foot of water and bream bed on it in the springtime. That's where the grandkids and I do our cane-pole fishing.

Here's another shot, looking toward the spillway.



It's easily three feet lower than normal. I'm told that cattle are grazing on the flat bottom of Catahoula lake. That used to be a normal occurrence before they put in control structures to try to stabilize the water level, but you've got to have some water to stabilize it.

It's dry in Central Louisiana.

What a suprise

Tea Party backed candidates are doing well in Republican primaries, ahead of more entrenched Republican candidates. Delaware and New York come up in the upset category, where outsiders have defeated more established politicians. Add some other upsets around the country and we're seeing that conservative Republican voters can make a difference.

It will be interesting to see how this stacks up in the general election. Delaware is a true-blue state and the Republican candidate this morning is fairly conservative. Whether she can beat the Democratic opponent is still up for grabs.

There are some who question whether it's better to support a more middle-road candidate who stands a better chance of getting elected. In the Delaware election, Christine O'Donnell is not favored to win over Democrat Christopher Coons, but she wasn't favored to win the primary election either.

I myself have quit voting pragmatically in favor of voting my conscience. I'm going to vote for the person who best articulates my beliefs in limited government. During the last gubernatorial election in Louisiana, Bobby Jindal was the hands-down favorite and he won handily. I didn't vote for Bobby, because I thought that there was a better candidate. My candidate lost. So be it.

Still, the voters surprised the Republican party yesterday and they woke up to a whole new reality. That's the way it should work. We've got to remind them from time to time that they work for us.

In the Mail

In the mail yesterday I found some bullets from a poster at a gun forum, for the life of me I can't remember his login name, but he lives in Mount Hope, AL. I don't use real names here unless I have permission, so you'll understand if I don't name him.

They're cast lead, .45 caliber 185 grain truncated cone bullets. I happened to mention on that forum that I was thinking of trying some, so he emailed me and said he'd drop a double-handful in a USPS box and send them on. They're good looking bullets, with one grease groove and they've been tumble lubed.

No, I haven't weighed or measured them. I'm going to load them with Bullseye and try them next week. I've got to be at the range anyway, so I'll take the opportunity to try them out.

To my friend in Mount Hope, many thanks. I'll let you know how they shoot.

The New Dog

I took the new dog to the vet this afternoon to get his immunizations started and to make sure that he is healthy. The vet looked him over and proclaimed him to be just fine. We took some tests and he's wormy, but we've got medicine to clear that up. Started him on a heartworm preventative, got his rabies and distemper shots. The doc believes that he's about two years old, based on his size and teeth.

He seems to be a pretty good dog, but he's huge. Seventy-six pounds by the vet's scales. The vet believes he's a German Shepherd, and says that there is a line of white Shepherds in the area. He treats three or four of them on a regular basis.

Bonus Dawg

The boys and I went over to Momma's place yesterday to do some mowing and when we got there we found a dog. A big white Shepherd type dog, roaming the acres. We asked Momma about him and she said he'd just turned up at the place. He's a friendly enough dog, and played well with the kids. The boys and I finished our chores and we went our separate ways.

This morning at church, Momma told me that the dog was still hanging around the place and that while he's a good dog, she doesn't need a good dog. She had checked with her neighbors and doesn't seem to belong to anyone there. He's either a drop-off or a really lost stray. So, after church, Milady and I went over to see about him. He wound up getting in the car with us and coming home.



Barrett and I gave him a bath and he tolerated it well. He's seemed to make friends with Beau, and it looks like he's going to live in the backyard.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Chasing the ball.



Sometimes, you gotta keep your eye on the ball.

Where were you?

Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day.

Koran burning

Have y'all been watching this silly-assed story about the pastor of the tiny church in Florida who said he intended to burn a Koran on September 11th?

First, Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who set the world on edge with plans to burn copies of the Koran on September 11, said on Thursday that he had canceled his demonstration because he had won a promise to move the proposed Islamic centre near ground zero to a new location.

Then, he decides to not burn the Koran, and of course, the media is on scene to record his every utterance.

Then, hours later, after learning that the project’s leaders in New York had said that no such deal existed, Jones backed away from his promise and said the bonfire of sacred texts was simply “suspended”.

Then, the reporters in the hot sun outside the church snap when the pastor comes out to make another pronouncement.

“Are you just toying with us to get attention?” asked a sweaty woman in a suit, crouching near the hot grass to keep out of the shot of multiple cameras over her head…

“Why did you give this two-hour window?” came a shout from another side of the scrum.

“So will you say you’re going to burn a Koran anytime you want press coverage?” snapped a reporter with a German accent…

“You’re just using us! We should all leave!” someone yelled from deep in the media pack.

Silence – for a moment. “Yeah! Let’s all leave!”

Jones’s response: “Fine, we’re not press hungry, go!”

But no one moved, until Jones turned and shuffled back to the church.

This has got to be the most nothing story the press has ever followed. Who cares what some dumbass pastor in Florida might or might not do. The press made this story and it's grown legs all past its social relevance. Who gives a damn what he does? He's a nothing pastor in a nothing church in Florida. Yet due to press interference, he's had the Vatican weigh-in, he's had the President weigh-in, he's got the entire Muslim world inflamed.

It's just about the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. And it's the press' fault for picking up the story in the first place.

Remembering

Monday, September 10, 2001 was a regular day. I was a shift supervisor in the jail and my crew was on the night rotation. Mondays are normally pretty quiet nights with the offenders tired from the days work and the normal easy enforcement activity of a regular Monday, we didn't have many new bookings that evening. We got off at 5:00 a.m. and went home on Tuesday morning. I didn't realize I'd be awakened by the phone at about 7:45 central time and be told to turn on the television. I stumbled out of bed and turned on the TV, walked in to the kitchen to make coffee, then walked back to the TV in time to see the second plane hit the towers at 9:03 eastern time. I lay on the couch the rest of the day, in shock at what I had seen.

The Fireams Blog

If you're not a regular reader of The Firearms Blog, you should be if you like things gunny. There's no politics, no current events, except as they affect the shooting industry. Whether you like the latest tactical whatever, or the coolest new shotgun, or the best entry level rifle, you can find it all over there.

Today, he talks about a Ruger rifle in 7.62X39. American shooters haven't learned to love this round yet because it is the primary caliber of our historical adversaries, but it's a wonderful little round. Those folks I know personally that use it in the deer woods tell me that it's a devastating little cartridge that whacks deer as well as the old standby .30-30.

If you scroll down a little bit, you'll learn about a new edition of the Ruger 10/22, the Boy Scout edition.



It's basically your standard Ruger with a special stock. I bet they sell a bunch of them as presentation firearms to the Boy Scouts.



It looks like a fun little rifle.

Bourbon Street

When I go to New Orleans, I don't spend much time on Bourbon Street, unless it's crossing to get to another location. While Bourbon is an iconic location, the seediness just doesn't do anything for me. I don't mind seedy, but Bourbon Street takes it to a whole 'nuther level.

However, our brother-in-law wanted to get a drink at the Old Absinthe House, the site of Jean Lafitte's bar on Bourbon Street, so we wandered down there to get a drink. Absinthe is a green liquor that tastes like licorice. While it's not my preferred drink, they also pour bourbon whiskey, so that's what I had.



As we wandered the street with the drink in our hands, we stopped to watch a street magician. Of course, my camera tended to focus on young lovelies and somehow this lady got caught in the lens.



Before long, the crowd got too thick for our tastes, so we walked toward Jackson Square before heading back to the hotel.

The Mighty Mississippi

The Mississippi river is the major waterway in the South. It drains over half of the United States and when it reaches Louisiana it is hard to get away from the fact that it is an economic powerhouse. New Orleans sits on the east bank of the Mississippi, but because of a frivolity of nature and the way the river bends and meanders, the river actually flows north from near the French Quarter and when you're looking across the river, you notice that the morning sun is in your eyes. That's right, dear pilgrim, looking across the Mississippi from the Canal Street wharf, you're looking east and the river is flowing north.

Not for long, though, because it quickly changes direction and heads south toward the Gulf of Mexico. Still, it's jarring to look across the river and everything seems backwards. Go to a good map and look at the river. It doesn't make any sense, but there you have it.

Still, walking from Canal Street, onto the levee, you're jarred with how much river traffic moves along that vast waterway and the relative size of the vessels. For example, just this morning I watched this big freighter make the turn headed upstream. She was empty, judging from how high out of the water she seemed to be, bound upstream for the grain fields, or scrap yards, or who knows what she would be carrying.



Then, minutes after she had cleared the bridge, we find a jaunty little fisherman, headed downstream with nets in her rigging.



If you look beyond the little fishing vessel, you'll see lines of barges lining the west bank of the river, loaded with all manner of raw materials. New Orleans is an industrial port, and all you need do is walk up the levee from the tourist pits to see the raw power of his huge river. I could sit and watch it all day.

Home again

We just walked in the door from the New Orleans trip and as much fun as we had, it sure is good to be home.

I took a few dozen good pictures and we'll be reviewing the trip this week, but first, a couple of photographs for my buddy, Junior.

We'll start with a little barmaid we found at a sports bar on the Riverwalk. I know Junior loves red headed women and this one was nearly perfect.



She's a sweetie, with a wonderful smile and a steady hand when pouring beer. The fact that she's a freckled redhead made it all the better.

Then, today at lunch, we went into a bar near the Old French Market and found this little lady, who was also very friendly and gave us excellent service. Her kitchen makes a mean hamburger, also.



Her name is Jen, and she should get rich on tips.

Sunday Morning Dawg

We were cooking sausage last week. Ball Park franks for the kids, and some andouille and bratwurst for the adults. Of course, the dog had to have his share.



My sentiments exactly.

He's the eatin-sausage, Sunday Morning Dawg.

Friday afternoon

Milady's brother lives in South Florida. Pampano Beach to be more precise. He's coming up this weekend to visit his Mamma in Jena, but there's always a side trip.

No one loves oysters more than Brother Bill and he claims that you can't get good oysters in Florida. Lots of good seafood, but no good oysters. So, Brother Bill stops in New Orleans on every trip to Louisiana and spends a couple of days wandering the French Quarter and eating oysters.

So, Milady and I are leaving in the morning, heading to the Big Easy. We're staying at a nice place on Canal Street, directly across from the casino, within easy walking distance of most of the French Quarter. We'll be wandering the streets, watching the crowds, eating seafood and we'll probably even stop at Pat's for a Hurricane. I like eating at Felix's, but several people this week have told me that they're closed. The website is still active, but if Felix isn't open, Acme is just across the street.

Earl

Tonight, the residents of the Outer Banks are hunkering down ahead of Hurricane Earl. I expect the news will be spotty, with electrical outages and the normal news blackout when even the most dedicated weatherman finds a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

It's not so much that the wind is blowing at 115 mph, it's what the wind is blowing at 115 mph.

The Outer Banks is a personal favorite vacation spot. I can sit all day and watch the waves and the pelicans. And I have. The last time I was there, they still hadn't fully recovered from the pounding they took in 2003.

I'm sure many have evacuated, and I'm sure many more have not. If you're a praying sort, bend a knee for the folks on the Outer Banks tonight.

Coal Powered Cars

Some are predicting that the US will have more than one million low-cost or no-cost public charging stations for electric vehicles by the year 2015.

Y'all understand that most electricity is produced by burning coal, and that's what will be powering those cars? Clean coal.

Bulk Ammo

There's a guy, Steven Otterbacher, who emailed me personally yesterday. It seems that he's building a business, Bulk Ammo, and you can find it at the link.

I don't advertise on this site, but this email is from a reader who's trying to get started in business. He says that PawPaw's House readers can get an additional $25.00 off the first order over $200.00 by using the promotion code GrandOpening.

If any of you folks are buying ammo, give him a look and a chance to get your business.

Weaver Scopes

Once upon a time, there was a little scope company in El Paso, TX, the Weaver outfit. They made scopes for American hunters that were legendary in their time. Good, solid hunting scopes. The K4 and K6 were magnificent and the target line of scopes, the T36 and T24 were regarded favorably among the benchrest guys.

Then, the company passed, as all do eventually. Weaver scopes are today made in Japan, and they're good optics. My .30-06 Savage wears aWeaver K6, and I'm really pleased with that scope. There's nothing to tinker with, no power ring to use. The scope is a 6 power. It's been dropped from deer stands and it's been dinged around in pickup trucks and four-wheelers. It just works. It holds its zero really well, it has enough power for the shots I intend to make and it's rugged.

I own variable scopes. They're okay, but I've long preferred fixed power scopes. Recently, I find myself surfing Ebay, looking at old Weaver and Lyman scopes. There are some remarkably good prices on what were once considered top-of-the-line rifle scopes.

If I bid on one and win it, I hope I won't be disappointed in the quality of the optics.

Sunday Humor

My ole buddy David sent me some charts that seem to explain a lot of things.



That might be true for some guys, but when I do something wrong, I know about it right then.



For some folks, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know lots of Beatle songs.



That's the truth. When I hear a car alarm, I figure that some idiot set off his own alarm. Then I check to see if it's my truck.

Thanks, David.

Sunday Morning Dawg

I was walking around the school last week and found a small yellow ball. The dog likes to carry and play chase with little tennis balls, but I thought he might take to the little yellow rubber one. So, I brought it home and dropped it on the floor.



He's rather possessive of it. He gets rather outraged when I try to take it from him.

Abolish the Department of Education

Every Republican candidate in the next several years should adopt a platform plank to abolish several government agencies, starting with Education. Not reform it, not rename it, abolish it. Put all those bureaucrats out of work, via legislation.

I've been working in the school system for eight years and it's been my distinct impression that the DOE is mandate-driven and more concerned with grant applications than actually spending money to educated children. During the Bush era, the cry was No Child Left Behind and from all I can see, it actually set education back several years. I don't know if we'll ever recover from NCLB. I try to stay abreast of educational issues and this latest Race to the Top, sponsored by now Sec'y Edu Arne Duncan.

Heritage.org talks about this latest education initiative and how it seems to be more of a teacher-union protection scheme than anything else. One paragraph in particular strikes home.

Proven education reform leaders like Louisiana and Colorado also lost points and finished out of the money because their state’s chosen reforms threatened union priorities. Meanwhile Hawaii (which the Data Quality Campaign ranked 17th for education data systems, which the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools ranked 34th for the strength of their charter laws, and which got a D- from the National Council on Teacher Quality) finished third and will receive $75 million. Oh, but they had 100% “buy in” from the unions. So much for Secretary Duncan’s claim that RttT was committed to “putting the needs of children ahead of everyone else.”

So, Louisiana loses because we put education reform ahead of teacher unions, but Hawaii gets the unions to buy in and gets funded. Where does Obama hail as his home state? Amazing.

The Department of Education is a drain on our tax dollars and should be immediately abolished. That seems like a good priority for Republican candidates everywhere. Then we can begin abolishing other agencies, like the EPA, and BATFE

EPA Lead Ban - Nevermind

It appears that the EPA came to its senses and decided that they had no authority to regulate lead bullets used in ammunition.

Just two days ago, the EPA announced that they would take comments until the end of October as to whether they agreed that lead-based ammunition and fishing sinkers amounted to such a dire threat to the environment that the EPA should ban both. Looks like they heard enough comments, at least on ammunition:

I know that I, and a bazillion other folks had filed comments on the proposed ban. That's grassroots work at its finest. Some of the big players weighed-in too.

Agreeing with the position of the NRA and the firearms industry, the agency explained in a news release that it “does not have the legal authority to regulate this type of product under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).” Further crushing the hopes of anti-gun and anti-hunting activists, the release added: “nor is the agency seeking such authority.”

I bolded that last line, because I find it interesting that an government agency publicly says that they're not seeking to expand their authority.

Maybe the left-wingers in the government have decided that gun control is a battle that they don't want to fight. It's become a loser for them. However, the comment period will remain open until September 15th, while the agency tries to decide if it wants to regulate lead fishing sinkers.

If the EPA thinks they stirred up a hornets nest now, wait till they try to regulate the fishermen. That's got to be another losing battle.

Hat tip to Hot Air.

Where's Your Congressman?

I found this over at the Cripple's.



Good question.

Remember, Twain said America has no distinct criminal class, except Congress.

Harry Reid Endorsement

It looks like the NRA is withdrawing its endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

After careful consideration, the NRA-PVF announced today that it will not be endorsing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for re-election in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Nevada.

Oooh! Snap!

I guess that Harry pissed them off when he supported the Kagan nomination for the US Supreme Court.

Harry Reid and Sharron Angle remain locked in a tight race. It appears that many voters will be holding their noses because they like neither Reid nor Angle.

Hell, I know the way they feel. I like neither Vitter nor Melancon, yet that's what the polls are saying will be my choice.

Tomorrow morning is the primary election for US Congressional seats. As a Republican voter, I'm pulling the lever for Todd Slavant for US 5th district, and Chet Traylor for US Senate.

I've got to vote my conscience and Vitter seems to be a sleaze. He's been good for Louisiana, but his "great sin" doesn't make sense when you run on a family values ticket.

Hat tip; Say Uncle.

Graphs and Charts

It's easy to look at a graph and a chart and try to understand what's happening. If you look at this CBO chart, you'll find what the stimulus has cost us over the last several years. The red is the stimulus, the blue is the cost of the War in Iraq.



I lay the blame for that squarely on Congress' doorstep. They pass the budget. So why did the deficit spike in 2008? Simple! The Democrats took control of Congress.

There are Congressional primary elections in Louisiana this weekend, and I'm not voting for any incumbent. Not one.

Best Deer Rifle

Sometimes I get asked, what's the best rifle/caliber/bullet for deer hunting?

That's easy. Deer are fairly easy to kill. A good deer is about the same size as a good goat and I've killed goats with a knife.

The plain fact of the matter is that whitetail deer have been killed with virtually every caliber known to man. Whether it's a fast stepping .22 caliber, or a massive .45 caliber, you can kill a deer with it. Ethical hunters don't want to needlessly injure a game animal, so they try to pick calibers with enough power to do the job cleanly. Certainly, the old .30-30 is a capable deer cartridge, as are any of the .30 caliber cartridges. As are the 6mm calibers, the .25 calibers, the 7mm calibers and all the rest.

Deer are fairly easy to kill, if the hunter can place the bullet in the vital organs. So, the requirement is that the ethical hunter must be able to place the bullet where it will do the proper job.

It's late August and in most places the regular gun deer season will be opening in about eight weeks. It's time to tune-up our sights and make sure that we can hit the game properly for a fast, clean kill. In short, it's time to get to the range.

After a quick session on the bench to verify your zero, get away from the bench and practice with normal shooting positions. Standing, kneeling and sitting. If you can only afford one box of ammunition, use five to zero the rifle, use 10 to practice your positions, and keep the remaining five rounds for the game fields.

I bet you won't need any more ammo than that to bring home the venison.

EPA Considering ban on lead bullets

I talked about the petition a couple of weeks ago, and evidently the EPA is considering regulations that would ban lead bullets in the United States.

Remarkably, their commenting period ends two days before the Congressional elections in November. What exquisite timing. The remarkable thing would be to have the EPA ban lead bullets just before the elections, and during the hunting season. You've never seen a backlash like that would cause.

The odd thing is that they're considering this under the auspices of the Toxic Substance Control Act or 1976. In that legislation, Congress specifically exempted ammunition from consideration under that act.

The EPA is run by a woman named Lisa Jackson, a virulent anti-hunter. Personally, I think that a good dose of tar, feathers, and a long pole ride out of town would be good for Ms. Jackson.

The National Sports Shooting Foundation is all over this and there are links at the website where shooters, hunters and fishermen can go to leave comments. Be polite. Be firm.

Damndest Wreck I've Ever Seen

From WDTN Channel 2, we get this video of a one car auto accident caught on a cruiser's camera.

Damndest thing I've ever seen.



Thanks to Joe Hecksel.

Our Military

I'm a fan of our military personnel, especially those serving now. We've been embroiled in a war since 9/11 and the people who stepped forward are my heroes. Each and every one.

Desert Storm was my war, and when we whipped Hussein's Republican Guard at 73 Easting, and later when we ravaged his forces at the Highway of Death, I thought I had seen superlative military valor.

I was wrong. The men and women who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown valor beyond my altogether insufficient capacity to recognize it.

Say Uncle posts today on how some places exempt military personnel from the required training to obtain carry permits. He reports that Tam commented

There’s a different set of rules for shooting someone at West Town Mall than there is for shooting someone in Fallujah

She's right. There is a huge difference.

I am so very proud of our Armed Forces and I stand in awe of their accomplishments.

Bullets and Comments

Rivrdog and I were talking about the .243, and in comments he asked what bullet I was using for my favorite reload in that caliber.

A while back I was surfing the Accurate Shooter website and got on to their .243 page. One thing led to another and I started thinking about Reloder 22 and some Hornady blemished bullets I had bought a couple of years ago.

Because the bullets are blems, the seller wouldn't identify them by maker or number, but I got a few knowledgeable reloaders together and we looked at bullets, the consensus being that they are Hornadys and they appear to be the 6mm caliber, 100 grain boat tailed soft point with cannelure, #2453.

Understand, reloading is very variable, and each barrel is different. My load map may not be safe in your rifle, but the load I'm going to talk about is safe in mine. It shows absolutely no pressure signs of any type. If I'm not very sure about what I'm doing, I stick with published recipes. With that caveat out of the way, we can proceed.

My rifle is a bone stock Savage 10 Hunter model. It still wears the original tupperware stock. I haven't done anything to it except to mount a scope and shoot it. It turns in good accuracy with most ammunition, but when I combined the Hornady blem bullet and Reloder 22, something special happened.



This is not a cherry-picked target. This load will make a group like this every time I do my part. I like my hunting rifles to be sighted 2" high at 100 yards. When I looked through the chronograph and saw that the bullet was traveling over 3100 fps, I was floored. Combine that big-for-caliber bullet with that speed and we've got one heck of a hunting load.

I consider the .243 to be an overbore cartridge and it's my experience that the slow burners work good in overbore cartridges. Listed at #126 on the Hodgdon chart, I consider Reloder 22 to be a slow burner. It's good in the .243 and the .25-06. I also use it for some loads in the .30-06.

If you haven't tried Reloder 22 in overbore cartridges, you're missing a treat.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Sometimes the dog sits beside me with a disgusted look on his face, like I've forgotten something vitally important.



Food? Check. Water? Check. He just came in from outdoors, so I don't know what the problem is.

Sorry, pup! Until I figure it out, you'll just have to make do with what you've got.

Links and hits

A link from Say Uncle is good for about 800 visits.

He linked on Friday to a blog post on Tuesday and my sitemeter jumped about 800 visits.

I write this blog to amuse myself, to keep in touch with loved ones and to jot down stuff I might want to remember later. It's a journal of what's going on in my life. I check the sitemeter once a month or so from idle curiosity.

This little blog gets about 250 visits a day. When it jumps to over 1000, I start looking at the referral logs.

Interesting.

Wondering

Every so often, I get the hankering to build a rifle. When this muse gets under my skin, I know exactly what I want.

Savage short action, with a varmint taper barrel, chambered in .243 Winchester with a 1:8 twist. A good stock, probably a Bell and Carlson Duramaxx. Good trigger, probably an Accutrigger if I can find an action with an accutrigger, or a Timney or Rifle Basix if the action doesn't have an Accutrigger. Swift scope.

In short, a poor man's target rifle. What would I use it for? I'd like to lay on the line with the rifle mounted on a bipod and shoot targets 300 yards away. Or set it up on the bench and let the grandkids learn about such things.

The funny thing is, I've got rifles that will do all these things, but I want to build a rifle. I haven't done it yet, but the hankering keeps coming back.

Chicken Spaghetti

I'm on the hook for supper, and I've decided on a chicken spaghetti.

It's a simple recipe.

Onion
Bell pepper
Whole cooked chicken
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can original Ro-tel tomatoes
8 oz Velveeta Cheese
1 cup half-and half (I use fat-free)
1 pound spaghetti.

Peel the chicken from the bone and cut meat into small pieces. I generally just pull it apart with my hands.

Chop the onion and bell pepper and sautee in a little oil. Add chicken, Ro-tel, cream mushroom soup, cubed Velveeta cheese and the half-and-half. Let it simmer for a half-hour or so.

Boil spaghetti. Drain.

Mix everything together in a baking dish. Bake it until it firms up. About a half-hour or so, in a 350 degree oven.

Serve with garlic bread.

It's what's for supper.

Grilling

I love my big charcoal drop-box pit, but it's way too big for cooking a couple of steaks. The thing takes five or six pounds of charcoal to heat up the pit, and that doesn't make any sense for cooking two little ribeye steaks.

Last week, Milady was at the auction and found an outdoor George Foreman grill. This thing is electric, but I bet it'll cook a steak just fine. She got a heck of a deal on it, and I don't believe it's ever been used.



Sorry about the photo quality, it's so humid outside that when I brought the camera to the patio, the lens immediately fogged over.

However, inside, I have marinating two little ribeye steaks. They've been in a garlic/herb marinade for the past hour, and they're looking good.



When Milady gets home we're going to nuke some potatoes, crank up that little grill and see how it does. I'm betting it'll do just fine.

Gun Handling

Say Uncle embedded a gun handling video and when I watched it, I thought that the skills were pretty good. When I went to AR quals last week, we talked about magazine changes and they showed me a technique I'd never seen.

Of course, I haven't been considered an operator in twenty years, but some of the skills are still applicable to an old cop in his autumn years. The technique is fairly simple. When you experience a stoppage, push the rifle away from you and rotate it so that you can see into the ejection port. If the bolt's back, you've run dry, so engage the magazine release with your trigger finger and snap the rifle, rotating it clockwise. This flings the magazine out of the rifle, emptying the mag well for a fresh one. With practice, it's pretty quick and the video shows the guys making mag changes with expert speed.



The best of all worlds would be for the magazine to drop free as soon as the release is pressed, but with the AR platform, that doesn't always happen. With the nine magazines I currently have, only two of them will drop free. However, this little technique will eject the most stubborn magazine I've found.

The fact that the video is set to Johnny Cash is a double-added bonus.

Hat tip to Say Uncle.

Back to Work Monday

I went back to work today, prepping for the opening of school on Wednesday. I enjoyed the time off and still have a list of stuff that I would like to have done on my time off.

When I was a kid, we went to school on the Tuesday after Labor Day and were finished the Friday before Memorial Day, barring any unforseen events like snow or hurricane. Nowadays it seems fashionable to start school early in August. I'm not sure I understand why, but we've all go to live with it.

As we live through the heat of August, I am comforted by the fact that September and October approaches and in the great circle of events we have to live through August to be able to enjoy October. In just a few more weeks I'll start making regular treks to the hunting lease to prepare for the autumn hunting seasons.

I'm really looking forward to that.

Sunday Morning Dawg

It's hot outside and when I take the dog outside, he does his business quickly then waits by the back door.



With the heat index at 107F, it's too hot to stay outside.

Friday Maintenance

I just finished cleaning the AR I shot yesterday. If there is anything that gets dirtier more quickly than an impingement AR, I'd love to see it. I fired about 100 rounds yesterday and that machine was filthy.

No, I haven't tried a piston gun, and I'm not likely to. Mine works fine as long as it's clean and I've had years of experience cleaning an AR-15. I know what needs to be clean and what can use a quick wipe-up. The rifle is back in the bag now, ready for duty. The magazines are topped up with fresh ammo and I'm ready to carry it around for another year. With luck, I won't need it.

My son is going to be over this afternoon after work so that I can help him with a project. Hopefully that won't take more than three or four hours.

LaRue Tactical

While we were training today, a young fellow came out to the range to let us look at some new products from an outfit known as LaRue Tactical. They're based in Leander, TX, near Austin. I don't recall his name, but he was a nice guy, wearing a Combat Infantryman's Badge embroidered on his shirt.

Us old farts know that tactical isn't a piece of equipment. It's a state of mind, but he had some neat toys and he let us play with them. He gave me a cool piece of tactical equipment, and I told him I'd darned sure use it. There are those of you who remember that there are seven places on a GI .45 auto where it is possible to open a cold bottle of beer, and this product is in that spirit.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the LaRue Tactical Beverage Entry Tool.



You can click on the picture for a bigger photo. This thing is made of high-tensile steel, shaped like an armadillo (the state bird of Texas), and can open bottles or cans of your favorite beverage. It's all together fitting and proper that LaRue Tactical makes such a device. In the words of Willie Nelson,

When the gun smoke settles, we'll sing a victory tune
And we'll all meet back at the local saloon,
And we'll raise up our glasses against evil forces, singing
Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.

It is altogether fitting and proper that such a tactical devise exists.

Go surf the LaRue Tactical web site. If any of you Texicans would like one, they make it also in the shape of your Gret State.

If you order one, tell 'em PawPaw sent you. I'm probably going to order a half-dozen as small gifts.

Training Thursday

I've been agitating for a class for several years. It seems that before we can carry and use (I hope to God I never have to use it) a rifle, we've got to qualify with it, just like the pistol and shotgun. Okay, fine. When it came time to qualify with the rifle, the young scamp, high-speed-low-drag guy running the range, checked in his range computer. (Range computer.. that ought to tell you something), and told me I wasn't qualified to carry an AR-15.

"The hell you say." I fixed him with a steely gaze. "I've been carrying and using one of these since you were in diapers, son. I've probably got magazines in this bag that are older than you."

"Regardless," says he,"Even with your long service and ancient magazines, you ain't in this computer, and I can't qualify you until you've been through the course."

"Fine" says I, having long knowledge with idiot bureaucracies, "Schedule me for the next class.

So, after much agitation and aggravation, they scheduled a class for us old farts who had never had the class. On the front row of the class this morning were three old farts who had a combined law-enforcement/military experience totaling over 120 years. Like they're going to teach us something about the care and feeding of the AR-15 series of rifles.

We went through the power-point presentation and went to the range, to zero the weapons. I fished a magazine out of my bandoleer and flipped it to the range officer. "Check this magazine. It's got a date on it, and I bet it's older than you."

"My God," says he "this magazine is older than I am. How long has the ammo been loaded in it."

"I loaded that magazine after Desert Storm. I've been keeping it for a special occasion, like a fine wine, or a good bottle of Scotch. I intend to fire it today and take your ammo home as Fresh Stock."

"Fine," says he. "Shooters to the line!"

I am now duly qualified with my old AR. It doesn't have any fancy bells nor whistles on it, not even optics. I did it all with iron sights, 40 year old magazines and 25 year old ammo.

The AR series of rifles is like an adult Barbie-Doll. You can dress it up any way you like and one young warrior came out with a short barreled model with every known accessory mounted on redundant Picatinny rails. As usual, he had problems with it. My old AR, with ancient ammo, operated without a hitch.

I did learn that one of the latest and greatest things today is something called the Single Point Sling. This is the latest marvel in tactical gear and no one who is anyone would be seen without one. I marveled at it, knowing that good troopers have been using these things since the 1850s. They called it the Saddle Ring Sling.

It's funny how things come into and out of fashion. But, I'm now qualified with the AR-15 that I've been carrying for almost 40 years.

5th Congressional Race

I learned today that our Representative, Rodney Alexander, has a Republican challenger for the US 5th Congressional District in Louisiana. Sam Hannah had a pretty good editorial over a the Concordia Sentinel, and I googled the challenger, Todd Slavant of Ouachita Parish.

I like what I see. Just a small quote from his website:

Todd believes that the current leaders in Washington are too timid and unwilling to make the hard decisions that will put our country back on the right track. Appetites for frivolous earmarks, enormous entitlement programs, and stealthy special favors are problems that must be tackled.

Because there is not a regard for the limits on government, Todd believes the only solution is to place citizens in Congress with no agenda beyond defending the Constitution and clearly communicating the will of the people in Washington. It's time to fight the good fight, put forth a clear alternative to massive debts, uncontrolled borrowing, insolvent social programs, and the encroachment of freedom under the guise of fairness.

There's a program I can get behind.

Todd's got an uphill fight against incumbent Rodney Alexander. Rodney is the guy who loves pork projects and at a Tea Party meeting two years ago, defended his record, saying that he spelled the word PORC, or Projects of Regional Concern. We nearly booed Rodney off the stage. His latest ad says that he's a firm believer in the Constitution. I'm a firm believer that Rodney has outlived his usefulness.

There is no Democrat qualified in the race and only these two Republicans. This is a winner-take-all election, and we know that Rodney is going to pull out all the stops to make sure he's re-elected. It would be a shame to return Rodney to Congress.

I'm behind Todd Slavant, and that's who I'm pulling the lever for in August.

Hat tip to Nick Bouterie for the link.

Centerfire Wednesday

I went out to the Sheriff's office range this morning and shot hunting rifles. My Savage .30-06 and my Handi .308. I've got both sighted in for the loads they're going to use this hunting season, and they're sighted 2" high at 100 yards. The Savage is hovering around an inch at 100 yards and the Handi at about 2" at 100 yards. But, they're both shooting very consistently, so I expect that my technique could still use some tweaking.

These rifles won't be put back on the bench until spring, all my shooting from now till then will be from hunting positions.

While I was there, one of the department precision shooters came to the line to burn some powder. He's shooting a Remington 700 VLS in .308. As we shot, I noticed that he was shooting Federal Gold Medal Match ammo. We both finished shooting at the same time and started picking up our gear. I noticed the brass laying at his feet and asked what he was going to do with it. "Nothing", says he "You want it?"

You betcha. There was 30 pieces of brass laying there and I'm not so rich that I can afford to leave brass laying on the ground. Knowing it's truly once-fired brass, I can probably get four or five reloads from it.

Ban on Lead Bullets

If you read The Gun Nuts, you'll learn that the Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned the EPA to ban lead ammunition and fishing accessories in furtherance of their huggy-feely agenda. Never mind that lead is a naturally occurring element that is found all over the world. Never mind that hunting and fishing license fees and sales of ammunition, sporting goods and fishing implements fund the Pittman-Robertson funds that fund wildlife areas. Never mind that active shooters and sportsmen donate money to public and private organizations that preserve wildlife.

This is a back-door attempt to make life miserable for hunters and fishermen. And because some ammo crosses the line from hunting to target shooting, they want it all banned. All of it.

I've already written my Congressman, and fired off emails to the EPA guys. The EPA folks who need to hear from you are Jackson.lisa@epa.gov and Owens.steve@epa.gov . Be nice, but explain to them that we donate millions to wildlife causes and pay lots of excise taxes to fund wildlife restoration. Explain to them also that dozens, if not hundreds of companies make a living from lead ammunition and components and employ thousands of people nationwide.

A ban on lead sporting ammunition will cost the economy millions in lost wages and opportunity costs. This is a bad idea in good times, but in a down-turn economy, it is a catastrophic idea.

Rimfire Tuesday

Yesterday, grandson Ethan told me he'd like to go shooting, so I made arrangements to take him and his brother to our private range this morning before the temps got into the triple digits.

Ethan is 11 and his Quinton is 8, so I wanted to start them out with rimfire cartridges, specifically the .22 Long Rifle. I have a Stevens Model 62, which Savage originally marketed in Canada. In the US, it's sold as the Savage Model 64, a generic semiauto with a 10 round magazine.

After a brief safety lesson (the Four Rules are paramount), we set up the bench, talked about how to operate the rifle, and began shooting. I started the boys on the bench, for several reason, not the least of which is safety. Until they're a little more familiar with their gun-handling skills, PawPaw wants to control the muzzle very carefully. Of course, you can click on the photos for larger versions.



That's Ethan at the bench. We did some dominant eye work and Ethan seems to be left-eye dominant. He wanted to set up on the southpaw side of the bench, so here we are. Firing at paper, he did real well. Then Quinton wanted a chance, so we talked again about safety and set up Quinton on the other side of the bench. Turns out, he's right-eye dominant. Go figure.



We banged away happily at the paper for a while, switching brothers and sides of the bench as necessary. Then, I brought out my Ruger Mark II. Quinton was really impressed. According to him it looks like a pistol he's seen in a Star Wars movie.

Another safety briefing and a quick explanation about the difference between optics and iron sights and we were ready for the first pistol lesson.



That's Ethan trying his hand with the Mark II. After both boys had run several magazines through the pistol, we went back to the rifle, shooting steel targets that stay hung near our berm. The kids had a ball ringing steel and before you know it, we were out of ammo.



That last photo is looking downrange from about the 40 yard line. Two little boys can go through a couple of hundred rounds of .22LR pretty quickly. I'm going to have to get a couple of more bulk packs.

Lily White SPLC

The Southern Poverty Law Center is (probably) the world's leading civil rights watchdog. They track hate groups and use the power of law to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

The SPLC was formed as a small civil rights firm in 1971, they're based in Montgomery, AL and have been a leading force in civil rights legislation over the years.

I didn't know that the leadership is lily white. And, based on the salaries they're pulling down, there's not much poverty in the SPLC.

Interesting.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Milady left us on Friday morning, heading for a family reunion in Alabama. The dog is pining listlessly, wondering where Momma went, and if he'll be fed while she's gone. If I could speak dog, I'd tell him we'll be fine. I know where she hides the ice cream.



She'll be home this afternoon and everything will be all right with the world.

Same-Sex Marriage

Earlier this week I talked about same-sex marriage, and it seems that the internet is all abuzz about the federal judge in California who declared that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Here we have a Catch 22. Basically, the opponents of same-sex marriage declare that the federal government has no interest in defining marriage and should leave it to the states. But, when a state attempts to define marriage, they run the risk of being sued in federal court. Whereas the proponents of same-sex marriage seem to pursue their claims in the federal courts, and the Congress has no intention of getting involved in this quagmire.

The latest CBS poll that I've found says that most Americans are opposed to same sex marriage, but a plurality thinks that civil unions might the the way to go.

I don't care. I don't believe that same-sex marriage will be the downfall of our civilization. I'm becoming more and more convinced that the state, whether of the local political jurisdiction that we Americans know as states, nor the greater state that is defined as the Federal Government, has any business trying to define interpersonal relationships, except as it involves contractual relationships.

If I enter into a contract with a person, that's not the business of the government. If we fulfill the contract, that's also not the business of the government. If one party claims a default on the contract, that may or may not come to the attention of the government, purely through the civil courts.

It turns out that others are agreeing with me, and making the argument more cogently than I might make it.

Imagine if government had no interest in the definition of marriage. Individuals could commit to each other, head to the local priest or rabbi or shaman — or no one at all — and enter into contractual agreements, call their blissful union whatever they felt it should be called and go about the business of their lives.

I certainly don't believe that gay marriage will trigger societal instability or undermine traditional marriage — we already have that covered — but mostly I believe your private relationships are none of my business. And without any government role in the institution, it wouldn't be the business of the 9th Circuit Court, either.

Exactly.

As the debate stands now, we've got two groups trying to make their case, one through public opinion and one through the Courts. If marriage were not the province of the state, then the state wouldn't care who married who, and we wouldn't be having this debate.

Don't misunderstand. I consider marriage to be the most basic of human contracts, and when I married my wife, I made vows that I intend to keep for all time. I'm certainly not trying to make light of the marital contract. I just don't believe that it's any of the state's business.

New Computer

My old trusty laptop crashed earlier this week and I needed a new one. I bought a Toshiba Satellite C655 Series. Found the best deal at Office Depot, out the door for under $400.00.

I'm getting it set up and now I've got to recover bookmarks and lists. Some of the old ones will probably go away, but I've got a bunch of old ones I want to keep. There are friends on this internet that I've never seen in person but feel like we're old friends.

This machine screams, compared to my old one. I hope to keep it cleaner than the last.

Cannon Safe

There's a report from Baton Rouge about a gun safe that survived a break-in attempt. It's pretty impressive.

I've seen some comments on the various forums about one that Tractor Supply stocks. I'm not naive enough to believe that it will actually hold 21 long guns, but I might drop by their store and have a look at it.

Thunder

Gene Hill once said that thunder may be the oldest sound to reach the porches of man's ears.

I'm listening to pre-dawn thunder. I walked out into the dark yard and saw lightning to my east, south, and north. We are comfortable with late afternoon thunderstorms in these latitudes, but early morning storms are a rarity in this season. I went to the weather maps looking for a front line, but all that shows is an unse3ttled air mass above my parish. Nothing of a classic front signature, just an unsettled air mass.

Strange. With the heat we've been experiencing, any rain would be a blessing, but the afternoon promises to be hot, and now more humid than ever.

Straight marriage struck down

Not really, but I'm told that a district Judge in California has overturned the ban on gay marriage in that state. Everyone is sure it will go to the 9th Circuit on appeal, and maybe eventually to the Supreme Court.

Personally, I don't have a dog in this hunt. If I have any stance on the matter at all, I'd have to say that I don't believe that the state has any business sanctioning marriage at all. What business of the state's is it if I'm married or single?

My thoughts are not perfectly formed in the matter, but I've always thought it was silly to have to get a license to marry the person you love.

Dental work

I broke a tooth last week in Gatlinburg. Eating (of all things) spaghetti. I went to the dentist today and when I told him what I'd done, he laughed and told me that he sees more teeth broken on soft food than on hard food. He proceeded to poke around in my mouth and found another tooth that was close to letting go, so while I was in the chair, he deadened the gums and put temporary crowns in place. I go back in four weeks for the permanent crowns.

He didn't hurt me, but I'm sore from having my jaw jacked open. I think he had both hands and a knee in my mouth.

But, his cute dental tech told me I could eat whatever I want to eat, so I'm thinking about a big ole greasy hamburger, after a meeting at the church.

Crashed

My old laptop crashed today and I'm running on Milady's netbook. My computer guru brother-in-law and I talked computers last week, and now I'm in the market for a new laptop. I don't need much computer because most of what I do is fairly low-tech. I would like CD/DVD burner, because I can't burn CDs on this netbook.

They have gotten cheaper over the last five years. When I bought my laptop back in 2005 I paid over $1000.00 for it, and now better machines are under $500.00. Luckily, I've been in the habit of storing files on a memory card and I was able to get the files off the old machine before it completely crashed. I haven't lost anything important.

Milermore

Milady and I were heading toward town today and we heard a noise. She asked me what the noise was and I said that it sounded like a Milermore bird.

"What?"

"A little known species," I expounded, "a small bird, about the size of an English Sparrow. Drab in color, mostly brown and grey. Most people have never seen one."

"Oh, really?" says she.

"Indeed," says I, "they eat late season berries and seeds, but especially enjoy the small berries from the hackberry tree. But the berries give them gas, from whence we derive the name. When they fart, you can hear them for a mile or more."

She doesn't believe me.

Hot

All three weather services that I use agree that the outside air temps are over 100 F. It's hotter than a whatchacallit out there. I got outside early today and mowed the lawn. After a week in Tennessee, the yard needed a trim. Then I piddled around cleaning out old boxes that I've been carrying around for twenty years. Fifty pounds of paperwork and old files was reduced to a single pound of paper that I might have need of in the future. For this afternoon I'm going to surf the web for a little while, then take a nap.

Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon-day sun.

Videotape

There was a nurse who worked in a jail with me and from time to time I'd see her, hold my arm at an awkward angle and say "It hurts when I do this." She'd laugh and say "Well! Don't do that!" That's good advice.

There seems to be an interest and a question about whether it's legal to videoptape police interactions. We all remember the Rodney King tape and the role it played in police work. Today, almost everything we do is recorded. Jailers are familiar with being recorded and know that almost everything they do is recorded on the security videos that abound in jails and prisons. School Resource Officers know that almost everything they do is liable to be captured on video at some point. Indeed, most street cops use video increasingly in this digital age. If a picture tells a thousand words, a videotape tells a chapter.

The question seems moot, with more and more consumer devices being able to capture video. Technology is overtaking us all and smart phones, tiny cameras, security cameras abound. Yet, there are questions being asked in places like Instapundit and on Yahoo Questions and state laws vary. Indeed, some citizens have been arrested for videotaping the police.

Here in Louisiana, it's perfectly legal to videotape police interactions, so we've gotten used to it. For me personally, it's not a problem. In my opinion, if I'm doing the job the way I'm supposed to do the job, I fear nothing from videotape. It's a useful tool that documents my job performance, whether I control the camera or not. Because I work for the people, I have little or no expectation of privacy while I'm on duty, so I have no privacy to protect.

While I'm not adverse to being videotaped, I don't feel bad about seizing a tape that has evidentiary value. For example, I was called last year to break up a fight and after the carnage, I was able to watch a videotape of the festivities. I seized that tape and put it in evidence. I gave the camera-person a receipt for the tape and I suspect that he was able to claim it after the case had been prosecuted.

I don't mind being taped as long as the camera doesn't interfere with the way I do my job. I would recommend that the camera stay far enough away that it doesn't intrude into my active area. Moving in close for a dramatic shot may not be the best idea. There are statutes about interfering with an officer. As long as you're not interfering, I don't have a problem. I would suspect that most of my brethren don't either.

Sunday Morning Dawg

We got in yesterday afternoon, about 6:30 p.m. and the dog was anxiously awaiting us after a week on the road.

What does a dog look like when he first sees his people after a week?



He was very pleased we were home. I was pleased also. So, I shared a ham sandwich with him.