Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those recipes that is either loved or reviled.  For ourselves, we've played with the recipe and it is still under advisement.  But, we're still playing with it.

For today, we made a bacon wrapped stuffed meatloaf.  Five (5) pounds of 80/20 chuck, we added onions, bell peppers, bread crumbs, egg and milk.  Salt and pepper, o course, Then we laid parchment paper on a cookie sheet, laid macon on the paper, then covered the sheet in a layer of our meat concoction.  Then , covered it in cheese.  You could use mushrooms, sausage, or other yummies.  We only used cheese.  Then, roll the whole thing into a loaf

It went in the smoker an hour ago  I'm running the smoker a little hot, at about 300F and it will be ready in a couple of hours, in time for lunch.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go out to the barn and boil some potatoes for Ouida potatoes.

An Argument for Octagon Barrels

I've been trying to learn to produce low-cost, YouTube videos.  It's a lot harder than it looks.  A little 8-minute video on the argument for octagon barrels took me seven hours.  You do not want to see the out-takes.  But, I feel pretty good about it.  Lots of editing.


Time for a stiff drink.

Dr. Ford's Coast-to-Coast

Hot Air is reporting that one reason Dr. Ford wants to push the hearing back (aside from the obvious delaying tactic) is that she doesn't like airplanes.  Well, okay.  I love airplanes, but I don't like commercial flying because TSA has made it a cattle-herd process complete with squeeze chutes and cattle prods.  Flying commercially these days sucks.

Driving across the country is always an option  But, I learned years ago that driving across the country in as little as 50 hours.  That's right.  50 hours.  Two days.  I learned this interesting fact back in the late '90s when I was doing long-distance motorcycle riding.  The Iron Butt Association documents those rides.

It is entirely possible for Dr.   Ford to start her journey in CA o Friday night, and be in Washington on Sunday night.  Check into a motel, get a few hours sleep, and be at the hearing on Monday.  The question is not whether it is possible, many have already proved that the journey is possible.  The question is whether Dr. Ford is willing to make the effort.

The Iron Butt Association requires that a rider make the whole trip in command of  the motorcycle.  In Dr. Ford's case, it would be easier.  She could have a co-driver help her across our great country.  But, it's entirely possible to leave California on Friday and be in Washington on Sunday. 

Let's Have Some Fun

If you're tired of politics (and who isn't?) lets have some fun with riles.

Courtesy of the Gunny.



Now, don't you feel better?

Veritas Update

Project Veritas is getting air time and the administration is taking it seriously.  From Fox News:



I'll be at the football field in another hour, but I'm happy that O;Keefe is on the job.

TGIF

The political wold has gone batshit crazy over this Kavanaugh thing and the news has descended almost into parody.   Feinstein's office says that they've been receiving some really nasty phone calls and emails.  I bet so.  Others are calling for her censure, which makes a better case than just calling the office and giving her a good cussing.  Her handling of this entire matter has been despicable.

But, it is Friday, and we have a local football game.  So, I'll be in the stands tonight, cheering on the home team and talking politics with some of the other curmudgeons who attend.

Go Panthers!

Well... Just Wow!

The decapitated corpse that was found on a judge’s doorstep in Aurora, Illinois has been identified as belonging to a notorious pedophile who was recently allowed to walk free on bail by the judge, according to reports.

Sounds like someone is sending several messages.

Hat tip; Say Uncle.

The Big News

The big news, obviously, is all Kavanaugh, all the time.  It's interesting that we're supposed to believe a woman who is sure what happened, but is not sure when or where or who was there.

I've been a sex crimes investigator,(and recently got in-serviced on sex crimes)  and I generally want to believe a woman when she tells me that she has been abused.  But, she has to help me build the case.  In the context of Dr. Ford, I feel that she's a pawn of the Democrats, a convenient foil for their ambitions, which is despicable. 

In this particular case it's been... ~35 years?  I'm sure that no physical evidence is left, and so we're left with witness corroboration, which so far appears to be slim.  35 years is a long time to re-visit the crime scene, even if we knew where it was.  So, we're left with the talking heads and endless speculation.  I did watch one video that was pretty good,



Give it a watch.  They bring up some good points.  But, in the end, I'm left with the feeling that Dr. Ford is an unwilling pawn of the Democrats, which makes then especially despicable.

Kavanaugh's Accusers Crumble

Some stunning developments.  It seems that even after Chuck Grassley bent over backwards to give Dr. Ford a chance to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she has now declined.  Byron York, over The Examiner gives a good timeline of the events from the past week.

Evidently, Dr. Ford thinks that next Monday is too early to testify.

Banks suggested Ford is simply not emotionally ready to appear. "Since coming forward, her life has been turned upside down," 

Just exactly what did she think was going to happen?  Dr. Ford is a PhD professor of psychology, so she should at least have an inkling of the processes involved.  Also, she's 51 years old, so she should have had time to process whatever incident may or may not have occurred.  I mean, c'mon.  You make the accusation at the last minute, and you're not willing to testify about it?

 Senator Feinstein, of course, is a complete piece of work.  Now, she's complaining about a rushed process and questioning the veracity of the accuser.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee who has known about the Ford allegation since July, complained of a "rushed process." But Feinstein fed an atmosphere of uncertainty Tuesday when she said of Ford's allegation: "I can't say everything's truthful. I don't know."

This is looking more and more like a Democrat kerfluffle to delay the appointment of an esteemed jurist simply because the Democrats don't like his judicial philosophy.  Others are calling this despicable tactic as being reminiscent of Berea and Stalin's tactics, but I don't go that far.

Uncle Joe Wrecks It Again

It looks like goofy Joe Biden may be thinking about a 2020 run at Presdent Trump, and while that might be amusing, it certainly seems like a waste of time and money.

He thinks Trump supporters are "dregs of society".



Yeah, we've been downgraded from deplorables to dregs of society.   Good luck with that, Joe.

Lyman 17

I bought a Sharps reproduction in 2002, and got familiar with it over the course of a couple of years.  Wrote about the foibles of loading black powder here.  After a couple of years, my interest moved to other things, so the Sharps got put in the cabinet and became a safe queen.

Last weekend, younger grandson was asking questions about rifle actions, so we went to the safe and took out some samples.  I grabbed the big Sharps, and during the intervening discussion, I was holding the rifle with the barrel vertical and felt something hit the back of my hand.  The Lyman 17 globe sight had disassembled itself.

We found the sight insert and the locking sleeve and attempted to put it back together again, and found that the locking sleeve is stripped and won't hold tight.  It looks like it's time to order another Lyman 17.  The rifle came out of the box with a nice, silver blade sight, but it really needed a nice globe sight for the best accuracy, and the Lyman fit the bill.  The next time I make an otder from Brownells, I'll have them drop one in the package.

Birds Head Grips

The era of the 1870s-1890s was a remarkable period on many levels, not the least of which was the rapid progression of firearms design.  I've been doing a little bit of research, and found some interesting stuff.  The first one is here:

The 1877 Colt Double Action Revolver
by Ed Buffaloe

Most likely, the Colt Double Action revolver of 1877 was a response to the introduction of the Webley Bulldog pistol in 1872, which was already being imported into the U.S. by late 1873.  The Webley was a double action pistol with a two inch barrel, the original version of which held 5 rounds of .44 center fire ammunition.  It was well received in the U.S. because it was well made, reliable, concealable, and relatively cheap compared to a Colt or a Smith & Wesson, plus it was “self-cocking,” advertised (in later years) as being able to fire five rounds in three seconds.  This gun almost demanded a response from the premier American gun manufacturers.

More at the link.

But, there is a post over at The Firing Line forum on poinnt, and one user, Mizar,  posts an interesting revolver with the following quote:

"Colt Single Action Army manufactured in 1880, and inspected by David Clark, and thus stamped with DFC on frame, bbl, and cylinder. No US markings found, and were thus most likely obliterated." Quote from the Facebook post.

If that is true, we know of t least one example of a Colt 1873 that had birds head grips.   This topic certainly bears more study.

Asked and Answered

Is Dianne Feinstein the Most Corrupt Senator in the United States?

Probably, but that is a pretty high bar.  You realize that we're talking about Democratic senator?

I didn't realize until early this morning, but this whole Kavanaugh debacle smacks of the Anita Hill allegations about Clarence Thomas.  History may not repeat itself, but it surely rhymes.  This is straight out of the Democratic palybook.

Feinstein sat on that letter for months, had plenty of  opportunity to bring it up, and waited till the 11th hour to make the stunning revelation.  The accuser is a piece of work as well.  She also had plenty of time to make those allegations.  From what little I've read, the woman in question is a PhD professor of something-or-other at a California university.   She is certainly educated enough to know that there is a time limit on everything.   In most wedding ceremonies that I've attended, there is an admonition to the witnesses to "speak now, or forever hold your peace".

I understand that some survivors of sexual assault need time to process the injury and indignity of the assault.  It takes time.  Make the complaint as soon as you are  comfortable.  But, know that in the public eye (and in the law) there comes a time when that complain expires.  It's over and done.  We've moved on.

But, regarding Senator Feinstein, she may not be the most corrupt Senator in the US, but she's certainly in the running.  Personally, I find her despicable.

Leadership Matters

Leadership matters.  In the military, in civil politics, in corporate life,  it's all about leadership.

In natural disasters, leadership is especially important.  Getting the electricity turned on, getting the stores re-stocked, and getting people back to work.  That takes leadership.  One recurring success story is the ability of Waffle House to be up and running as soon as possible, to feed people who are hungry, and to restore a sense of normalcy to a situation that is decidedly not normal.    That's leadership.

The CEO of all Waffle House is IN Wilmington. All 5 are open and he has been personally serving 1st responders & thousands of customers. That is how leadership works! Can your boss do your job and would he/she be willing to do it? Let's all eat there soon! 

They've brought in generators to restore service to the stores, they've gotten the people back to work, and they're serving customers and first responders who might not have a hot meal available.   Trust me when I say that in a natural disaster, when the power is out and you're working to help people who desperately need help, it's comforting to know that a hot meal is available.  That Waffle House is able to get up-and-running so quickly is a testament to the quality of the leadership of the organization. 

Sunday Lunch

Yesterday, Belle said that she was craving red beans and rice, so when we ran e errands, we picked up two pounds of good Camellia red beans ad three pounds of Conecu sausage.  Last night we put it all i the crock pot, covered it with water, and let them bubble all night.

Today, we made a pot of rice.

Before we gathered for lunch, Belle made a big cornbread, and the dog took a nap on the shop floor.

After lunch, grandson Lucas said that he'd really like a root beer float for dessert.

That's how we spend Sundays at PawPaw's house.  Cooking, eating, and hanging out.  Now, it's late Sunday afternoon.  Belle is doing laundry and I'm enjoying a vodka tonic.

Why I Carry

There is this piece, over at The Week, where the author opines that police officers in America should not carry guns on a routine basis.  The article sounds like parody in places, but I believe that the guy is serious about his hypothesis.  Or, at lest he believes that he is being serious.

What would happen if American police officers carried whistles instead of guns and dressed in old-fashioned blue uniforms instead of outfits that make them look like they are about to ask us how long we've had these droids? Would the country descend instantly into a chaos of looting, arson, and mass murder? Or would we just go on with our lives, commuting to jobs, raising children, watching sports, whatever — the same routine, albeit with a little bit less of the low-key anxiety that comes with seeing cops with weapons?

He goes on to detail a tragic, police-involved shooting in Dallas,   It was a tragic, bizarre set of circumstances where an officer shot a man who is by all accounts, an innocent bystander.   The officer has been charged, and jailed, and the incident, though regretful and horrific should not be used for any policy discussion.  You can read about it at the link above.  Even from the author's perspective, the facts are strange and likely to not be repeated.  Here's the link, again.

We carry guns because bad guys shoot at is.  The most common officer-involved shooting follows what is basically the rule o 3-3-3.  That is 3 shots, 3 yards, in under 3 seconds.    It's so very fast that sometimes we fail to appreciate that we are in a gunfight until it is over.

One of the best illustrations of this phenomena might be this video, produced by the Los Angeles Police Department as part of an officer Use-Of-Force investigation.    It shows very graphically what a gunfight looks like and the speed at which events unfold.  It also shows the thoroughness with which most agencies conduct their investigations.  Spoiler alert:  this video is graphic and not for the faint-of-heart.



Thus is why the police carry guns.  This is why I carry a gun.  This is also why cases like Heller and McDonald are so vitally important.  The Framers got it right with the 2nd Amendment.  We as Americans have a right to defend ourselves, and this extends to the police.  Gunfights are short, brutal and deadly.  We have the right to protect ourselves, and that's why I carry a gun every day.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to the shop to play with a recipe I've been looking at for a while.

Basic Rifles for Self Defense

Good advise from Clint Smith.



I'll just leave it here, in case you  need advise.

No Wonder They Passed.

I'm sure that many of you noticed that Senator Diane Feinstein (hank, spit), the Democrat from California (that doesn't narrow it down much, there are a lot of moonbats in California), sent a letter to the FBI that someone else sent her, regarding some alleged misconduct regarding Brett Kavanaugh, in the dim past.  As details trickle out, it seems that this is about some very vague allegations. 

The FBI passed, and referred the matter to the White House, probably for a raft of very good reasons.  We learn this morning that one of those reasons might have been that Feinstein (hack, spit) redacted the name of the woman before she forwarded the letter to the FBI.

I've been a cop for many years, and I was an investigator in past assignments.  If  an investigator doesn't have a complainant, he doesn't have anything.  If you don't have a victim to interview, you have nowhere to start.  Feinstein gave them nothing.

I suspect that this whole accusation is a huge nothingburger.    From the very instant I learned of it last week, I questioned if from an investigator's standpoint.  What is smacks of is a despicable political hack job trying to derail the nomination of an esteemed jurist from his nomination to the Supreme Court.    I've noticed that over the course of the past several years, these unconscionable tricks are often without merit.  I'll reference the Duke lacrosse team case, and the University of Virginia article in Rolling Stone, just for starters.  Juicy, salacious media events that turned out to be totally without merit.  I'll put this one in the same category.

Feinstein is despicable.  This is nothing but twardry politics.  She couldn't derail Kavanaugh's nomination in committee, she won't he ale to stop it in the Senate, so resorts to a cheap smear campaign. 

Another Harbinger of Autumn

Mowing grass this morning, at the base of the white oak out front, I noticed a red spider lily trying to bloom.

So far, we've had a wet September.  It has, in fact, not rained o this acre o two days of this month.  This day, the 15th, might be the third day this month that we haven't gotten rain.  But, today ain't over yet, so we'll see.

However, spider lilies are a sign of the season, and mine are jumping up.

Finally Friday

Tonight is the home-game opener of the local high school.  They've been on the road for the past three Friday nights, and grandson Zach is a trombone player in the band.    I'll be heading to the stadium shortly.  It's Friday Night Football!

Thankfully, the temps are fairly moderate, at least for Louisiana.  At kickoff, it's predicted to be 87F with 75% humidity.  Not a bad night to sit in the stands.

Several years ago, when I was working as Resource Officer at my alma mater, I spent a lot of nights in the stadium that were much worse.  One night, we had a tropical depression overhead and the coaches declined to call it off.  It was 90 degrees and raining sideways.  Sometimes it would rain from the east, sometimes from the west.  I turned my security detail loose early, simply because, except for the teams, we were the only ones in the stadium.  All of the spectators had wisely un-assed the stadium for drier locations.  Gawd, it was miserable.

Friday Night Football.  I"ll guarantee that no one will take a knee when the band plays the national anthem.

Science

Reproductive hormones related to how attractive a woman smells.  Imagine that!

Researchers at the University of Bern demonstrate that some women smell better to men than others—namely those who are "fittest" for reproduction.

So, there is a difference between men and women, and gender does matter.  Imagine that.    I would also speculate that perfumes or other  artificial scents are designed  to level the playing field.

More on Florence

Hurricane Florence is going to be bad, guys.  Take it from someone who has watched these things his whole life.  This is going to be horrible. 

Having said that the weather weenies are trying to give everyone the worst case scenario, and maybe they are over-blown maybe not.  This is a very dangerous storm.



They're still not sure where this storm is going after she stalls, and the next 24 hours should prove definitive.  She's a bad one, and the Carolinas are in for a whupping.

Stay, Or Go?

Stay or go.  That is always the choice a person makes when faced with a violent weather disaster, like it appears that Hurricane Florence is shaping up to be.  The latest tracks are getting interesting, from a survivors perspective.  Hot Air has all the news.

 At this point, the computer models project that the storm will stall right off the coast and then drift slowly south before turning inland. That means the Carolinas could be facing literally days of winds above 100 mph combined with storm surge and inland flooding at deadly levels. There is a mandatory evacuation order in place for more than a million people. (ABC News)

Faced with this (and we all hope it is not as bad as predicted), the folks in charge are telling everyone to get out.  And, they're telling folks that the first-responders may  not be able to help them.

This brings up the question we wind up dealing with every storm season. How much of an obligation do our first responders have to risk their own lives in an effort to save people from their own stupidity? 

 I've done it both ways, literally stood in the eye of the storm as both a first-responder  and as a willing participant.  And, if we've learned anything from major storm disasters over the past decade, it is these two lessons.  1) First responders may nit be able to get to you.  It may be simply impossible to get to you.  and 2).  Don't expect any help for three (3) days AFTER THE WIND STOPS BLOWING.

If you want to ride out the storm, that is your absolute right, but the practical realities of doing so may put your life at risk.  We're sorry, we really are, but we may not be able to help.  It's a sad reality, but it's something we learned during Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and most recently, Harvey, last year.    Help is not always available, and may in fact be three days away.

Lest We Forget

I was working the night shift at the parish jail, came in and went to sleep.  Phone rang about 9:00.  I didn't get much sleep the rest of the day.

Dumplings

Belle made dumplings for church tonight.  She starts with a chicken, and a bag of all-purpose flour.  If anyone knows anything about dumplings, it's Belle, and she can't tell you the recipe.  She just makes them.  Thin, light, lovely dumplings.

We took a big ol' crock pot, and they didn't last long.  But, they never do.  I don't ever have to worry about leftover chicken and dumplings, there simply is  no such thing around here. 

They didn't last long at the church, but Baptists are a hungry lot.

Three Hurricanes

I don't think I've ever seen a National Hurricane Center map like this one before.  Three hurricanes churning in the Atlantic at the same time.

Florence has been churning out there for a while, but those other two are fairly new.

We'd best keep an eye on this .

Heroes Indeed, Heroes All

It seems that the PC bunch in Texas is recommending that the word "heroic" be struck from the curriculum when Texas students study the Alamo.

A panel advising the Texas State Board of Education on curriculum is recommending that the word "heroic" be dropped from study materials that describe the defenders of the Alamo.
The reason? Apparently, the panel believes that the word "heroic" is a "value-charged word."

It is indeed, a value-charged word.  And entirely appropriate for those brave men who gave their lives in support of freedom.  None of them wanted to be there, but all of them knew it was necessary.  The men of the Alamo knew what awaited them, but intended to stand to the last, to give Houston time to build an army.  That is heroic.

"Many times the Alamo gets boiled down, as it often does in movies, to the Mexicans are the bad guys and the good guys are good Anglos in coonskin caps," Buenger said. He noted that many Mexicans fought alongside Texans in the siege.

Only cursory students of the Texas Revolution would believe that.  In fact, many patriotic Hispanics fought with the Aglos to free Texas.  One of the most prominent was Juan Seguin,   Seguin was at the Alamo during the seige, then was chosen to carry a message to Houston.  After delivering the message, he tried to return to the Alamo, but found that it had already fallen.  He t hen led a cavarly company screening Houston's retreat during the Runaway Scrape, and fought with Houston at San Jacinto.  Juan Seguin is truly a hero of Texas, and deserves to be remembered as such.

The men who fought and died at the Alamo, and the others during the Texas revolution are all heroes, and striking that word from the curriculum is political correctness run amok.

Steak and Gravy

Grandson Lucas told Belle that he wanted steak and gravy for lunch today, and as that was the only request, Belle honored it.

Round steak, seasoned with salt and pepper then cooked overnight in brown gravy mix.  It was fork-tender, served over rice, with creamed corn and yeast rolls on the side.  Belle also made a peach cobbler for dessert served with or without ice cream as you please.

During the peach cobbler phase of the operation, I introduced Lucas to a beverage called a root beer  float.  He considered that an interesting combination of two of his perennial favorites.

The kids have gone home now, the dishes are washed, and we're settling in for the remainder of Sunday afternoon.  I hear thunnder off to the northeast.

Talking Heads

If like me, you've been watching the Kavanugh hearings, you've seen an interesting circus.

I really liked the time that Senator Graham spent in front o the cameras, pointing out the political hypocrisy of the various parties.



Brett Kavanaugh is probably going to be a pretty good associate justice, but you can never tell from the confirmation hearings.

We thought that John Roberts was a conservative, and a rational thinker, but we were wrong about that.

At The Auction

Belle heard that the local auction had a couple of trombones on the block, so we went to look.  With two grandsons who play the 'bone, it seems like a good idea to puck up a horn when the price is right.  We scored both of them tonight, a King 606 and a Conn Artist, for $120.00 cash.  Even for used trombones on Ebay, I think we did really well.

We brought them home to Zach, and he seems pleased.  He's playing the King right ow and likes the slide action very much.  It sounds like a good horn.

We also picked up some old cast iron cookware for the shop.  A large Dutch oven and two 12" skillets.  About $70.00 fr the cast iron, and I think that we did pretty good.  Old cast iron is a joy to work with, even if I have to re-season it.    When I opened the lid on the old Dutch oven, I smelled old oil, which is a good sign.   I've been cooking in cast iron for 50 years and I still don't own enough of it.

We're home now, enjoying a toddy, and it won't be long before we're in bed.

Booker is a Democrat

If you've been paying attention (even peripherally) to the Senate Judiciary hearing on Brett Kavanaugh,  you've seen Senator Corey Booker (D-Not-from-here) expose his disdain for rules and his understanding of Robert's Rules over and over.  It's apparent that he is running for President.

In my experience, people who are having an “I am Spartacus” moment don’t typically have to announce that they are having one. In reality, Booker was transparently jockeying for position in the already-begun invisible 2020 presidential primary.

Booker's problem is that he views everything through the lens of race, and he is convinced (along with the rest of his Democrat colleagues) that Kavanaugh is a stone-racist.  So, Booker makes this big pronouncement that he is releasing a document that  is marked "confidential" to make a point.

Interestingly, the information Booker claimed to break the rules to release only proved that Kavanaugh is, in fact, not a racist. Booker didn’t actually break any rules because the documents in question had already been cleared for release. His stunt backfired.

Yep, the document hasd already been released, and it didn't show that Kavanaugh is a racist.  Quite the opposite.   Because, you see, Corey Booker is a Democrat.

Here in the Deep South, the Democratic Party used to me mainstream, but many folks who know how to think independently left the Democratic party when it became apparent that it was the party of the plantation.  Another appellation of the south is the term "Bless his heart" which we reserve for folks who do silly things.  One that I've heard lately down here is "Oh, he's a Democrat" , which means that the things a person says or does may not necessarily conform to reality.

Bless Corey's heart, I believe that he is a Democrat.

We Already Do That

Seen over at Wirecutter's.

We 'do that.  It's called the Social Security Number, which you'll need come tax time for the child care credit.  Of course, I'm pretty sure that Social Security requires a gender identity before they will assign a number.

Oh, and gender is decided at conception.  It is not subject to interpretation.

Finished POST Training

This year, the Louisiana Council on Law Enforcement (LCLE) mandated that every certified officer in the state of Louisiana complete online courses on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.  Four (4) units of sexual assault, and five (5) units on domestic violence.  These are mandatory in Louisiana to maintain POST (Peace Officers Standard Training) certification this year.

Over the past three days, I completed them all.    It was a good review, even if it had a certain amount of academics thrown in.  Academic thought is useful to practitioners, ad this was geared to street cops.

In the mid-90s I ran a sex offender unit for the state Division of Probation and Parole.  I was responsible for all the sex offenders in a five parish area of northwest Louisiana.  This training, while useful, brought back a lot of old, sad memories that I really wish I could forget.  During the last session this evening, I mixed a stiff drink.  Now, it's done and I'm once again fully POST certified, even if I feel just a bit soiled.  Dirty, as it were.

Now, to bed.  Tomorrow morning I"ll pull on my boots and do it all again.

Aw, C'mon, Levi

Levi Strauss, that is.  The giant of the denim industry, (and who's pants have covered my butt for many decades) has teamed up with Bloomberg, seeking "sensible" gun initiatives.

American denim giant Levi Strauss & Co. announced Tuesday that it is launching a series of new initiatives to benefit groups working to prevent gun violence.

I wonder how that is going to play out for them? I know how it plays out for me.

 Levi Strauss’s CEO and President Chip Bergh wrote in Fortune on Tuesday that the company “simply cannot stand by silently when it comes to issues that threaten the very fabric of the communities where we live and work.”

Belle and I were looking at my wardrobe the other day, and she mentioned that it was time for me to get a couple of pair of new jeans.    I'm tough on jeans, and I'm losing a little weight, and it's time to pick up several new pair. 

It wasn't so long ago that Levi Strauss supported the Second Amendment, even going so far as to include a gun in its advertisements.



I guess I'll be wearing Wrangler jeans from now on.

This Is A Very Bad Idea.

Mixing meth and wasp spray.  Yeah, really.  It's a horribly bad idea.

AKRON, Ohio (WHBC) – It’s called “wasping” or “hot shot”.
It’s cutting hornet and wasp spray with meth to make for a “combination high”.

In my experience, folks who do meth ain't the brightest bulbs on the tree, but mixing it with wasp spray must kill brain cells at an astounding rate.

I'm just sayin'.

Questions in Comments

Dave asks, in comments:

How does it compare to the big grill/griddle in an Army chow hall?

Honestly, I had those griddles in mind when I bought this one.  I don't recall the actual dimensions of those griddles, but I think this one compares favorably.  I bought the 36" Blackstone, which has 720 square inches of cooking surface.   I'm still learning to use it.  Those four burners throw a lot of heat and this thing gets hot really quickly.  Generally, if I fire it up, and set all the burners on LOW, then in about 10 minutes I'm ready to cook whatever I want to cook.

I remember a cook at our Bde DFAC when I was an LT, he could effectively cook as many omelettes and fried eggs as he could fit on the cooking surface. And he was just a PFC.

Yeah, me too.  Not the same PFC, but one like him.    What I call the Standard Army Breakfast was a wondrous thing to behold, and probably some of my fondest memories.  Eggs-to-order, hasbrowns, SOS, pancakes, bacon, sausage, ham, french toast, fresh fruit,  the list was endless, and a soldier could have any or all of it.

That memory was one of the main reasons I bought the griddle.  Now, I just have to learn how to use it.

Ask Why

Seen on the Book of Face

That's a question I've asked myself repeatedly. 

Gordon, Huh?

That storm is spinning up in the Gulf, and they've named it Gordon.  This thing bears watching.

We;ll keep a weather eye on it.

Monday Training

Because I'm not physically at work today, I decided to spend it cleaning up a bunch of online training I'm responsible for.  Louisiana POST council certifies training for peace officers in the state, and more of that is done online lately, except for some things that can't be done online, like firearms training and defensive tactics practicals.

I got started this morning and spent about seven (7) hours online. exploring such topics as Ethics, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, and several modules on Domestic Violence.    I think that I'm through, but I'll have to cal the training gurus at my agency tomorrow and make sure that I've done everything that is required of me.

During lunch, Belle and I went out to the shop, heated up the Blackstone grill and made some Spanish Omelets.  Three eggs each, with ham, cheese, and salsa inside.

That big grill cooks omelets in a hurry.  You'd best have all your ingredients at hand when you get stared, or you'll run out of time in a hurry.

After lunch, I came back inside ad finished the ordeal of online training.  It's not much of a labor day holiday, but it was raining outside, so at least I made use of the time.

Potential Cyclone Seven

It appears that there is a disturbance in the slot between Cuba ad Florida that the NHC is watching.  It isn't a storm yet, but these things have a way of spinning up quickly.

It looks like it might run right over us.  We'll keep an eye on this thing until we can determine its intent.

Sunday, Blessed Sunday

Cool ad wet this morning, it's a glorious, rainy Sunday.  Temps are in the low 80s  I'll take that over temps approaching 100. 

Yesterday afternoon Belle and I were talking about what to cook for Sunday lunch and I mentioned that I was hankering or white beans.  We soaked a couple of pounds of great northern beans and found the ham-bone from Easter still in the freezer.  A little salt, and the crock-pot ad they cooked all night.

In another hour, we'll make a pot of rice and some cornbread.  Belle wanted a slice of ham to go with her beans so I'll put some ham steaks on the griddle just before she's ready to eat.

Finally PC

It seems that I'm finally politically correct.  After years of dumb, uneducated, deep South redneck hick, stubbornly clinging to my Bible and my guns, it seems that the language police have come around to my way of thinking.

I shit you not.  The southern second-person-plural "y'all" is now the gender neutral preferred term for indicating a group of people.  Yeah, really.

I’ve heard that people weirdly hesitate to use the word because they would feel like culture vultures, appropriating either black slang or the language of the South. And yet this is one of the only words where that kind of hesitation seems to hold any sway... If anybody gets defensive over white northerners using  y’all, it’s most likely because those same white northerners teased them for using it in the past.

So, look, I"m glad y'all are finally coming around to my way of thinking.  It's for us for generations.  You're welcome.

September 1st

Dawn broke cool (relatively speaking) in central Louisiana this morning.    As I type this, it's only 80 degrees outside, with a cooling breeze.  I saw a flight of teal early this morning, which is the harbinger of cooler weather.   Teal are the first migrants to come down.  They were headed toward Catahoula lake, a big mecca for migrating ducks and the fellows who chase them.

Also, while mowing grass this morning, I saw the first spider lilies.  Several years ago I found some white ones, and transplanted them along the fence line. 

The red ones under the oak tree should be coming up in another couple of weeks, which are a more reliable indicator of autumn, and it is only September 1st, so the weather might be bluffing us, but I did see teal ad spider lilies on the same day. 

Eat Meat, Be Immortal

Well, not exactly, but there is some evidence that red meat is good for you.

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that people who scarf down higher levels of red meat and cheese are likely to live longer.

People who had three portions of dairy and 120 grams of unprocessed red meat per day benefited the most, the research team found...

 Those eating the most dairy and red meat saw their chances of early death fall by 25 percent and fatal heart attack decreased by 22 percent, according to the researchers, who in their methodology accounted for differences in wealth and education, as well as other health habits.

That works for me.

An Interesting Experiment

It appears that California is about to conduct a vast experiment in criminal justice reform.

California will become the first state to let people leave jail before trial without having to post bail, under a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday that largely leaves pretrial release decisions up to local judges — a change praised by legislative and judicial leaders but condemned by some criminal defense advocates.

Posting bail has long been a way to make sure that persons accused of crime stay around to apppear in court.  If the judge requires a bal amount, then the defendant has incentive to appear.  Of course, poor folks may not be able to afford the bail amount.

 More than 48,000 county jail inmates in California — two-thirds of the jail population — have not yet been convicted of a crime, and most of them are being held because they are unable to post bail, according to a recent state study.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  Of course, that's one of the benefits of our great republic.  One state can conduct an experiment and the rest of us can watch and see how it works.  In this case, I don't have any great expectations of success.    In this case, I predict utter failure, but I'm willing to be convinced.

Sale

Someone told me today that Super One was having a sale on pork butts.

I stopped by on the way home ad bought four of them.  All the had in the rack.  We use pork butts quite regularly for pulled pork and other things.  I haven't seen pork at 77 cents per pound in a long time.  I'll check back with them again tomorrow.  I don't mid filling the freezer with pork.

The Bane Drill

An interesting article over at Shooting Illustrated.

Hangun shooting is hard, probably one of the harder skill sets   I've maintained for a long time that handgun shooting skills erode very quickly if not practiced regularly.

The Bane drill focuses on two shots, as I see it.  A body shot at 50 yards, and a head shot at 25.   There is no time limit, nor even a position requirement.  Barricade, kneeling, even prone, it's up to the shooter.

Every shooter has to know their limitations, and shooting at longer ranges with a handgun will show you the limitations of  your equipment.  The coordination between hand, sights, and gun is important, and if you find yourself struggling with trigger or sights, then maybe it is time to consider an upgrade.  Handgun shooting is about trade-offs and sometimes we make compromises that limit our options.  I understand that.  I've made compromises and know that I have limitations.

But, stretching out your handgun, getting beyond your comfort zone, and knowing your limitations is a good idea.

The Clinton Emails

Liz Shield, in her morning brief at PJMedia, details a story that I hadn't heard about the Clinton email server that Comey refused to prosecute.

A Chinese-owned company operating in the Washington, D.C., area hacked Hillary Clinton’s private server throughout her term as secretary of state and obtained nearly all her emails, two sources briefed on the matter told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Chinese firm obtained Clinton’s emails in real time as she sent and received communications and documents through her personal server, according to the sources, who said the hacking was conducted as part of an intelligence operation.

The Chinese wrote code that was embedded in the server, which was kept in Clinton’s residence in upstate New York. The code generated an instant “courtesy copy” for nearly all of her emails and forwarded them to the Chinese company, according to the sources.

Just to recap; Clinton had a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State, ostensibly as a go-around for the responsibility to keep public records.  There was classified information on that server.  The Chinese obtained it in real time.

Why is Hillary Clinton not being prosecuted?

Bad Lip Reading

This is funny as hell, I don't care who you are.

Monday, By God

It was Monday, all day.  Nothing much to talk about.

We did have a shoot this weekend, ad I have a couple of nice pictures to share.

That's one of our new shooters, Bailey Boy.  He's been shooting for about six months, and he's coming along strong.  If he keeps practicing ad improving, he'll be a contender.

That's Whiplash o the left, coaching Brother Fred on the fine points of holster placement.   Whiplash is a seasoned competitor and a champion in his own right  He is a past Texas state champion and a past Louisiana state champion.  He's a great competitor and an all-around solid guy.  With his coaching, Brother Fred lopped a tenth of a second off his times, which is huge in this game.  We're normally a game of milliseconds.

We told the visitors from Texas that we intended to feed them heartily, to slow them down and make them sleepy.  They normally eat all the food and take home the trophies, but this weekend, we managed to keep the trophies at home.

The ladies winners were Two Step Cookie, of the Peacemakers, Squirrel Girl, of the Peacemakers, and Pistol Pearl, of the Red River Gunslingers (Shreveport).

Men's winners were Big Mark of Thorn Valley (Oakdale), Moon, of the Peacemakers and Cajun Greg of the Peacemakers.

It was a great weekend, even if Monday did suck.

Sunday Night Music

Bob Seger and Jason Aldean



I'm older now, and still running against the wind.

Yeah, That's Pretty Much Me

Seen elsewhere.

I believe all those things.  Things that have worked to advance civilization for thousands of years.

I do find it interesting that the feminists believe in labeling everyone.  Whereas we conservative (or libertarians, if you prefer), simply categorize people into broad categories:  Male, female, adult, child

But, anyone who believes that these things denote the male as supreme has never been in a loving, growing adult relationship..  I call those relationships "marriage".

The Free State

Several days ago, I posted a tongue in cheek post about Louisiana that included this map.

That No-Man's-Land (or neutral ground, or the Sabine Free State) has an interesting history.  Designed in the early 1800s as a buffer between French/Spanish/Anglo Louisiana and largely Spanish Texas, the agreement was never formally endorsed by either central government, but was an agreement between the military commanders to avoid encroaching on each other.  That neutral ground had no government protection and so was populated by brigands, ne'er-do-wells, and other unsavory characters, along with a population of folks who just wanted to be left alone.

It's an interesting history,  An attempt by two local commanders who wanted to keep hostility to a minimum, and it made an indelible stamp on the people that persists even now.   Local folks are proud of that history, and revel in it.

A Sad, Cautionary Tale

Maybe you've heard of the American couple who decided to bicycle around the world, and for their trouble, got murdered by ISIS.  Evidently, they bought in to the left's concept that evil is relative and that Islam is peace.

Evidently, they began their journey and made it as far as Tajikistan, wherever they were captured and murdered.  Because Islam is peace and evil is a made-up concept.

From the New York Times:

A grainy cellphone clip recorded by a driver shows what happened next: The men’s Daewoo sedan passes the cyclists and then makes a sharp U-turn. It doubles back, and aims directly for the bikers, ramming into them and lurching over their fallen forms. In all, four people were killed: Mr. Austin, Ms. Geoghegan and cyclists from Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Two days later, the Islamic State released a video showing five men it identified as the attackers, sitting before the ISIS flag. They face the camera and make a vow: to kill “disbelievers.”

The left doesn't believe that we should take at face value the threats that come to us.  They have watered-down the meaning of words like Nazi, and Fascist, and   They believe that borders are outmoded concepts and that nation-states are relics of another era.    Unfortunately, they paid with their lives for their naivete. 

It's a sad tale, and a cautionary one.  There is evil in the world, and not everyone is peaceful.

Collusion?

So, Cohen pled guilty to paying off trollops.

And, Manafort was found guilty of several counts of tax fraud, hiding bank accounts and bank fraud.

So, where's the Russian collusion?

That's The Question

So, the Professor talks about "what if", in the event that a blue wave rolls over Congress during the midterms.

SO WE AREN’T THERE YET, but we may reach a point at which the question has to be asked: Trump or Pence? It’s not Trump or Hillary as it was in 2016. The alternative to Trump now is Pence.

That is something that the Dems might not have considered. 

If the Democrats would have gone along with the Republicans in 1998, and impeached President Clinton, removing him from office with a Senate conviction, we wold have been left with President Al Gore, who might have been a shoo-in for re-election in 2000.   History may have changed, and the Democrats wouldn't be in the bind they are in now.  It's an interesting hypothetical. 

Hillary isn't even in the equation.  And, she certainly should not consider running in 2020.  She's a badly flawed candidate with a history of losing against at least two flawed opponents. 

So, the question become:  If you remove Trump, who are you left with?  The answer is Mike Pence.

14 Hours

It was a fourteen hour day today, with the finale of a School Board Meeting.  Local politicians who actually believe that they're doing something, and it's like watching paint dry, or grass grow.

So, in lieu of actual content, I'll give you an other Jerry Clower story.



That's funny right there, I don't care who you are.

Just Because

If you've never heard Jerry Clower tell a story, you're i for a treat.



I grew up listening to Jerry Clower, a fertilizer salesman from Yazoo, Mississippi.

Seen on the Book of Face

ADVICE FOR ANYONE MOVING TO LOUISIANA 

1. Save all manner of bacon grease. You will be instructed later how to use it.
2. Just because you can drive on snow and ice does not mean we can. Just stay home the two days of the year it snows.
3. If you do run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in the cab of a four wheel drive with a 12-pack of beer and a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way. This is what they live for.
4. Don't be surprised to find movie rentals & bait in the same store.
5. Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive.
6. Get used to hearing "You ain't from around here, are you?"
7. If you are yelling at the person driving 15 mph in a 55 mph zone, directly in the middle of the road, remember, many folks learned to drive on a model of vehicle known as John Deere, and this is the proper speed and lane position for that vehicle.
8. If you hear a redneck say, "Hey, y'all, watch this!" Stay out of his way, these are likely his last words ever.
9. Get used to the phrase "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". And the collateral phrase "You call this hot? Wait'll August."
10. There are no good delis. Don't ask.
11. In conversation, never put your hand on a man's shoulder when making a point, especially in a bar.
12. Hot dog chili does NOT have beans in it.
13. Brisket is not 'cooked' in an oven.
14. Don't tell us how you did it up there. Nobody cares.
15. If you think it's too hot, don't worry. It'll cool down-in December.
16. We do TOO have 4 Seasons: December, January, February, and Summer.
17. A Mercedes-Benz is not a status symbol, a Chevy, Dodge, or Ford is.
18. If someone tells you "Don't worry, those peppers aren't hot" you can be certain they are.
19. If you fail to heed my warning in #18 above, be sure to have a glass of milk and some bread handy. Water won't do it.
20. Rocky Mountain oysters are NOT oysters. Don't ask. DON'T GOOGLE IT EITHER! It's worse than regular oysters!
21. If someone says they're "fixin" to do something, that doesn't mean anything's broken.
22. Don't even think of ordering a strawberry daiquiri. What you really mean to say is 'Margarita.'
23. If you don't understand our passion for college and high school basketball just keep your mouth shut.
24. The value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but the availability of shade.
25. If you see a slower moving vehicle on a two lane road pull onto the shoulder that is called "courtesy".
26. BBQ is a food group. It does NOT mean grilling burgers and hot dogs outdoors.
27. No matter what you've seen on TV, line dancing is not a popular weekend pastime.
28. "Tea" = Sweet Iced Tea. There is no other kind.
29. Everything is better with Ranch dressing.
30. DO NOT honk your horn at us to be obnoxious, we will sit there until we die!
31. We pull over and stop for emergency vehicles to pass.
32. We pull over for funeral processions, turn our music off and men remove hats or caps. Some people put their hand over their heart.
33. Most of us own at least one gun.
34. "Bless your Heart" is a nice way of saying you're an idiot.

Oooh!

This cost somebody a lot of money.

Just damn!  Hat tip, Wirecutter.

The Powderhon Ranch Vaquero

I wrote about this earlier, and gun that I had won in a raffle.  Beautifully executed engraving by one of the masters of the craft.    I've tried to photograph it, but my photographic skills don't seem to be up to the task.

For the record, the revolver in question is a Ruger New Vaquero, in .45 Colt with the short-spur hammer.  It is entirely suitable for Cowboy Fast Draw.  Or any of the other Cowboy shooting sports.  The serial number reveals that is a -513- series, of new construction.  It is made of stainless steel and has rosewood grips.

Left side of the frame.  Of course, you an clink for lagter

The butt of the grip, with PHRR engraved.  The PowderHorn Ranch Regulators is a Cowboy Fast Draw Club.

The Top Strap, with beautiful scroll engraving.

I've been ogling it, admiring it s one would admire a piece of art.  Art is is, but I don't have a feeling of ownership.  It hasn't "spoken" to me yet.  And, it might not ever truly be mine.

I have sold exactly two guns in my lifetime.  And, I've regretted selling those guns.  But, I've given away a couple of dozen, and felt good about each and every one.    Of those guns I've given away, I feel like they went where they needed to be.

So, the question about this particular gun, is where does it need to be?  The PowderHorn Ranch Regulators is an old, venerable club from Mitchell South Dakota.  They have hosted the South Dakota State Championship for 15 years and this gun commemorates that.  The lady who called me hen I won it, Bonnie, told me that if I ever want to sell it, sh would like to make an offer.  I told her that I understood and that I would giver her first refusal.  That's only air.

Belle and I are considering options.  We have been entrusted with this revolver, and it falls to us to do the right thing.  The challenge is to find the proper place for this revolver and put it in the hands of people who will properly   It's a beautiful gun and I can appreciate the artwork, the craftsmanship and the sentiments that caused it to be created.  But, it's not truly mine, and it probably never will be.

Belle and I will ponder this for a while, and come up with a proper solution.

Friday Happy

Got home from work today and decided to clean revolvers, so I went out to the shop, sat down ad gave the CFDA revolvers a good cleaning.

Then, started thinking about a project that's been bugging me.  I want some wire racks to display handguns during club shoots, so that novices can try several without digging through bags, and Brownells sells them, but that incurs shipping costs, and they seem fairly simple.  Besides, homemade is better than factory-bought.  And I did have some 4-gauge copper left over from another project (building the shop).

Belle comes out to the shop with a Friday afternoon cocktail.  "What are you doing?"

"Making revolver stands."

"Why?"

I take a long pull on a very well  constructed vodka and tonic.  "Why not?"

That ain't half bad, ad if soft copper wire hurts a barrel, then we have no business shooting jacketed bullets through it.

Butt-Hurt Intelligence Officials

It seems that a bunch of officials from the intelligence community have issued a butt-hurt statement on President Trump's decision to yank John Brennan's security clearance.

Twelve senior intelligence officials issued a statement late yesterday butt-hurting (I just made that verb up) about Trump's decision to yank the security clearance from MSNBC star and Twitter celebrity John Brennan.

These twelve fools better be careful.  I once had security clearances, and I know that intelligence is disseminated on a need-to-know basis.  Brennan is a former official, and has no need to know.  I'm surprised that his clearance wasn't revoked the minute he left a position with a need to know.

“The president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances — and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech,” the statement reads.

 These fools are are amazing.  If a person has a TS clearance, they specifically CAN NOT talk about it.  Free speech is immediately curtailed with a clearance.  If I were their bosses, I"d yank their clearances too, for being to stupid to hold sensitive information.

Free speech, my aching ass.

Double Oak

At the grocers yesterday, making a wine run for Belle, I saw an interesting bourbon on the liquor aisle.  (Yeah, inn most places in Louisiana, we can buy hooch at the grocery store.)

Jim Beam, Double Oak.

I was intrigued enough to bring a bottle home.  Evidently, it's been matured twice, in two different oak barrels.    I have consumed enough Jim Beam over the years to know that it is a very workman-like bourbon.  I take mine, generally, with cola, but this little bottle might be good with just a splash of branch.

Responsible Fatherhood

In keeping with the post below, we come to an article (a link to a link) where a feminist professor at Cal State-Fresno claims that responsible fatherhood. reinforces "hegemonic masculinity".

A feminist professor at California State University-Fresno recently published an article lamenting that federal programs to promote "responsible fatherhood" among vulnerable men in fact perpetuate "patriarchy," "gender norms," and "hegemonic masculinity."

I don't think that's a bad thing.  In fact, if we want to break the cycle of generational poverty in the US we need responsible fathers to stand up and take charge, along with their wives, to raise children into responsible adults.

In the post below, we talk about the three things that a poor, disadvantaged youth can do to break the cycle of poverty and join the middle class.  1) Finish High School.  2) Get a full-time job, and 3) delay child-bearing until 21 and married.    There are other studies (Google is your friend) that claim that children in two-parent households have a better chance of doing those three things than children raised in a one-parent family.

It may be true that responsible fatherhood promotes "hegemonic masculinity".    That's a good thing, and we as a society should strive for it.    It also decreases poverty, reduces criminality, and reduces the cycle of dependency.  Hooray for responsible fathers!

Breaking The Cycle

As Americans, we're all concerned with lifting people out of poverty.  Since the '60s and LBJs war on poverty, we have spent untold billions of dollars on trying to help people who are struggling with poverty.  While these programs have helped some people get a leg up and avoid long-term poverty, the simple fact is that too many people become dependent on the assistance and fail to take the steps necessary to become independent.

The Brookings Institute has published a study on the point of breaking the cycle of poverty in the United States, and they find that it is pretty simple.  Even redneck like me can understand it.  The findings are fairly simple.  If a disadvantaged youth wants to break out of poverty and join the middle class.
They are:
1.  Finish high school.
2.  Get a full-time job
3.  Delay child-bearing until you are 21 and married.

That's it!  Do those three things and you are statistically almost certain to join the middle class, avoid jail, and become a productive member of society.   Don't do those things and your chances of joining the middle class decline precipitously. 

Is it possible to break the cycle of poverty without those three things.  Yes, anything is possible, and rags to riches stories can be found anywhere, but long-term success for the teeming masses basically depends on these three things.

The most interesting theing about this is that these choices are made in the early teen years.  Choices made early in life do affect you for the long tern.  Every parent, teacher, pastor, and administrator should be preaching this message to every teen they see.

Finish High School
Get a full-time job.
Don't have children until you are 21 and married.

Wednesday Weird

The amount of weirdness I had to deal with today was simply incredible.  I'm surprised that my IQ survived.

To take intellectual refuge, I went to YouTube and spent some time listening to Ben Shapiro videos.    I use Ben's snark like a whetstone, to sharpen my own.

On the way home, I stopped by what is going to be a new gun store, not three miles from the house. Liberty Arsenal, LLC.  I talked to the proprietor, who is cleaning out a building so that he can set up shop.  A gun store o the road to the house is a good thing, and I'm sure I'll be a frequent visitor.

Came home and signed up for a cowboy shoot next month, the Kentucky State Championship.  Belle and I have been attending for ...  this will be our third year.  We really like that shoot, and I need a road trip to maintain my sanity.

Now, I"m going to pour a vodka tonic and settle in for the evening.

Cowboy Church

CC asks in comments:

I'm curious - what exactly is a Cowboy Church?

I can't speak for all of them, but we are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.  A cowboy church is a Christian fellowship that celebrates the Good News of Jesus Christ from  a perspective of the rancher, the farmer, the country folk.  It's a way of worshiping that  seems to be growing.  I know that there are several Cowboy Churches within a hundred miles of us, and some of them are associated with different denominations, but the basic similarity is that we tend to reflect a cowboy philosophy.

The largest part of our physical plant is a rodeo arena.  We use it regularly, something multiple times per week.  For example, this Thursday night, we have what we call Prayer and Practice. We'll open the arena about 6:00 and horse trailers will start arriving.  We'll set up barrels and let the girls practice their barrel racing.  We'll work with new equestrians and help them along, and abut 7:00 we'll have a short devotional.

On Friday night, we'll have our monthly rodeo.  We rodeo normally on the third Friday night of the month and minister to whomever shows up.    We also make the best hamburger in the area.

Cowboy Church is a place where folks who like boots and chaps and cowboy hats can share the Good News with like-minded souls.  We're going to love everyone who shows up, and we hope that we can share our faith with them.  Not everyone who rodeos with us attends church, but it's a good outreach for the community.

The Real Scandal

If you click on any news outlet, mainstream or internet, you've probably hard about Omarosa, the former celebrity show participant and former aide to President Trump, who is writing a tell-all book and who recently revealed that she was taping conversations in, among other places, the Situation Room at the White House.

She was taping conversations in the Situation Room.  Full Stop.  That should be enough to get anyone fired, and it should be enough to get someone prosecuted. 

But, from all available evidence, she was planning to write a book all along.  She's a celebrity, after all, and has a deep need to keep her name in the newspapers.  The real scandal is not not that she was fired, or that she wrote a book, or that she tape conversations in what is arguably the most secure location in the United States.  No, the real scandal is that she was hired at all.

She's a celebrity and couldn't stand to be a faceless functionary in the highest halls of government.    The folks who do the hiring at the White House should have seen this coming.  As much as I support President Trump, a bad choice was made even letting her get a foot in the door.

At Church, Tonight

Our church is a Cowboy church.   Our ministry is leading people to Christ, but we focus on the Cowboy Way.  We do rodeo, and Cowboy Fast Draw, and our unofficial motto is: "We're going to love you and there's nothing you can do about it." 

They are a great congregation, and I love everyone who worships with us.  We worship on Monday might, because rodeo cowboys might be riding in some rodeo on Saturday night, and have trouble making it to church on Sunday, so we worship on Monday night.  The Lord doesn't care.  We keep the Sabbath in our own way, and some of us are coming home from a rodeo of a cowboy shoot on Sunday.

I've talked to our pastor, and our elders, and they're okay with me coming to services strapped.    Several o our members come to church with individual weapons.  This is post-911 America.

Someone noticed my gun this evening.  "Are you expecting trouble?"

"No," I replied.  "If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought a shotgun."

The congregant laughed, and walked away..   I love these people with all my heart.

Just Another Day

Just another day at the office.  Not mine, but President Trump's.  It seems that the nation's newspapers are upset with him for calling them "enemies of the people".  The Boston Globe is leading the charge.

The Boston Globe named itself America’s protector of the free press and is coordinating a day designated for newspapers across the country to run editorials declaring war on President Trump’s labeling of the press as the enemy of the people.

The nation's press, by-and-large, are still butt-hurt that they couldn't wheel Hillary across the finish line.   Instapundit calls them "democratic operatives with bylines", and that's not far from the truth.  Reading the nation's newspapers has been interesting, in that they seem to parrot the same line of outrage.  The editor of the Globe wants everyone to write their own editorial.

The newspaper’s request suggests editorial boards take a common stand against Trump’s words regardless of their politics. “Our words will differ.

It will be interesting to compare a few and see if the words do indeed differ, or if the sentence structure is similar enough that we might call it plagiarism.  In many instances, the nation's press (especially the largest metro dailies) have quit being reporters of facts and have instead opted to become arbiters of political correctness.

It will be interesting to see what happens on the 16th.  I wonder if each of the nation's papers can craft an original sentence?

Rain

Rain tonight.  That's not out o the ordinary, although it is the new normal.  So far, it has rained every day in August, which is decidedly weird for Louisiana.  Normally by now we're i the dry season, but this month has been nothing, if not wet.

Doing laundry on Sunday afternoon, Belle informs me that the dryer is out.  It's not heating, only blowing cool air.  Which ain't good.  The dryer is fourteen (14) years old, so I guess it has served honorably.  A quick search of parts and some research at YouTube tells me that replacing a heating element isn't that big a deal.  I'll stop by Appliance Pats on the way home tomorrow and pick up a replacement element.

Technology makes it easier to do these things.  I have the model and serial number in a photo on my cell phone, and YouTube will teach a fellow just about anything.  I bet you could learn how to do an emergency appendectomy if you searched long enough on YouTube.

There is nothing I can do about it, one way or the other, so I've defaulted to whiskey.  I'll go outside, sip my whiskey and watch it rain.