Arctic Blast

 As we turn from watching the train wreck of politics and the Biden administration, we watch the weather.  It is February, after all, and purportedly winter.   Today on the back porch, it's foggy and in the 60s.  The daytime temps are supposed to climb into the 70s.

But, the weather-weenies are telling us that an arctic blast is on the way, and are still in disagreement about when  it will get here and the severity, and the precipitation.

Here is a GFS ap that purpoorts to show the front line on Thursday morning.

This could get real interesting, real quick.  The models disagree on the speed of the front, some tell us that it will be here on Sunday, others that it will slow down and get here on Tuesday.

I have guns to clean, so I'd best be getting after it.

Break My Will?

David Ismay is a Massachusetts climate official who believes that it is the government's responsibility to "break their will" when it comes to climate change.  

“60% of our emissions that need to be reduced come from you, the person up the street, the senior on a fixed income, right? There is no bad guy left. At least in Massachusetts to point the finger at or turn the screws on and break their will so they stop emitting. That’s you. We have to break your will.”

Don't believe me?  Watch the clip below.  It comes from a Zoom meeting. 

That's the goal of climate change now, to break my will.  

Dave says that he can't say it publicly, but I bet that the MA officials are having some very interesting meetings this morning.  Hopefully, they will break Dave Ismay's will, and let him join the ranks of the Biden unemployed.

Putting Together a Lower

 A buddy of mine showed up today for lunch with a mostly-stripped lower, and a complete parts kit.  I've never put one together, but I happen to have a grandson who eats at my table, ad is a school-trained Small Arms Repairer, MOS 91F.  It took a bit over an hour, and there was a learning curve.  It appears that in MOS school, they never started with a stripped lower.  But, we got it all together.

There seems to be a problem wit the bolt hold-open.  My buddy believes that he got a defective part in the kit.  I don't know.  But, we put my upper on it and ran three rounds though it.  It goes bang, and that's done.

I wished I had taken pictures, but I didn't think about it unit the chore was over.

I see that there are some tools that would have made the job a bit easier, so I went over to Brownells and ordered the kid an Armorers Essential Kit. and a set of screwdrivers.  He's worth it, and it would have made this job a whole lot easier.

That's how I spent my Sunday afternoon.  

Be Careful What You Wish FOr

 Marjorie Taylor Greene is a freshman Republican Congresswoman out of Georgia.  She has made some incendiary statements in the past, and was still elected by her district to represent them.  Last week, she was stripped of her committee assignments by the Democratic majority.  You an make of this what you will.  Some are arguing that our lawmakers in Congress should express sound political thinking, and that stripping Greene of her committee assignments was the proper thing to do.

But Greene is an elected member of the House of Representatives, an elite lawmaking branch of the U.S. government. There are only 434 other people in the country who hold this position. If it’s wrong to punish her for the views she expressed on political subjects, then democracy itself is wrong: Picking and choosing leaders who have sound opinions is the whole point.

Fair enough, if that's what he believes, bu everyone should remember that political power is a tenuous thing, and that it ebbs and flows over time.  Others of us are taking notes on how that power is wielded.

“He wanted Democrats to do what he was too afraid to do — remove Greene from committees — and a political boogeyman to blame so it wouldn’t fall on him, which is what he got,” he said. “And he wanted the precedent so that he can exercise the same power without any limitation or reservation if he ever has a Speaker’s gavel.”

I hope that Kevin McCarthy got what he wanted - for the Democrats to strip Greene of her committees.  We know that some Democrats are known for making outrageous statements about politics   He should be taking notes  Power ebbs and flows, and one day he might be the Speaker.  As my mother used to say, "Turn about is fair play."  Democrats may rue the day.

What's Fer Lunch, PawPaw

 Grandson Quinton and I decided to play on the griddle today, so I cut up some chicken, bell peppers and onions to make fajitas.  Quinton made something he calls a "southwestern sauce" with Ranch dressing, sriracha sauce and bacon bits.  After the chicken and vegies were cooked, he put the sauce over the chicken and let it cook down with the chicken, then added sharp cheddar cheese to melt across the whole mess.

We ate it with flour tortillas, washed down with soda pop.  My belly is full now, and I have to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of the day.

Questions

 So, this column in the LA Times seems just a little bit sad.  Perhaps it deserves a response.

Oh, heck no. The Trumpites next door to our pandemic getaway, who seem as devoted to the ex-president as you can get without being Q fans, just plowed our driveway without being asked and did a great job.

And?  He's being neighborly.  He doesn't expect anything except a thank-you.

 But I can offer a standing invitation to make amends. Not with a snowplow but by recognizing the truth about the Trump administration and, more important, by working for justice for all those whom the administration harmed. Only when we work shoulder to shoulder to repair the damage of the last four years will we even begin to dig out of this storm.

So, the question becomes: Who did the Trump administration hurt?  I'm not asking about hurt feelings, I'm asking about quantifiable harm?  I'm happy to stand with anyone and demand redress, but first we have to define the harm.   From my perspective, I can show that the Biden administration, through acts of intent or neglect, have harmed more people in two weeks than the Trump administration harmed in four years.  I'm willing to be convinced otherwise, but I need specific evidence 

But, in the fianl analysis, your neighbor doesn't want to make amends.  He has done nothing wrong.  He only plowed your driveway so that you could get into your "pandemic getaway", which happens to be net to his home.  He's a nice guy, let's leave it at that.

Football?

 I hear-tell there is a football game tomorrow.  I haven't watched the NFL in abut five years.  Not because I care about much of anything that they do or don't do, but simply because I often have better things to do on a Sunday afternoon.  I'm not anti-NFL, I'm just supremely indifferent to it.

The one memorable Super Bowl I remember happened on January 28, 2001.  One of my favorite Honky-Tonk's was hosting a Super Bowl party, and I didn't have anything better to do, so I went to shoot pool, drink beer and hang out with rednecks.  I met Belle at that party and my world changed. Belle and I consider Super Bowl weekend an informal anniversary, even though they've move it from the last Sunday in January.

Y'all enjoy the game.  

Lunch On The Road

 Belle and I were out, plundering around today in the Shreveport area, checking out hotels for Louisiana State.  After we had done our quota, we headed over to Bossier City for a little refreshment.  Ralph and Kakoo's is an old restaurant on Old Minden Road in Bossier City, just down the road from Barksdale AFB.

During the '80s and '90s I ate there frequently, while I was doing Reserve duty.  But, I hadn't been back sine circa 1994.  Belle had never eaten there.  But, they were open, and nothing much had changed.  I had the catfish and shrimp plate, and she had the crabmeat-stuffed shrimp.

We're back home now, about to declare Happy Hour.  Y'all have a wonderful Friday.

I LIke My Senator

My favorite Senator, John Kennedy of Louisiana was on Carlson talking about the "Tuna Tartar" crowd and how to lead by example.  As one wise man once said, "When the elite starts acting like it's a problem, I'll start to believe that it's a problem."  To miss the opening monologue, skip ahead to 7:45.

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Even Snopes

 Even Snopes is calling AOC a liar over her "near death" experience during the Capitol riot.

AOC reminds me of several chicks I've known over the years.  Drama Queens, who would rather climb up a tree to shout a lie, rather than just stand on the ground and tell the truth.  As it turns out, the riot didn't have anything to do with her.  She wasn't even in the neighborhood.  She was down the street in her office

Some folks have to be the center of attention, and when they're not, they make up shit. And tell lies.

And, as every raconteur knows, there is a difference between embellishing a story for the sake of a good laugh, and telling a lie that hurts other people.  AOC tells lies for political gain.  She should be censured by the House.  But that ain't going to happen, because they are all guilty.

Trump Won't Testify

 Everyone is reporting that former President Donald Trump won't testify at the show-trail next week.

During my years in the criminal justice system, I learned a couple of things about trails.  First, a defendant has the right to remain silent.  Any good that might accrue from testifying is overshadowed by the fact that the state has an opportunity to cross-examine.

Second, there is a jurisdiction issue.  It appears from a plain reading of the Constitution that the Congress has no jurisdiction over a private citizen.

Third, many Americans believe that this is a show trail, ginned up by the Democrats, who seem to be morphing into Stalinist era tactics to suppress opposition.  Government is becoming more Orwellian by the day.

Not Likely, Guv'nor

 Our idiot governor is challenging all Louisianans to download an app on the phone that will tell you if you have been around someone with Covid.

From his Facebook page:

Today, I am challenging my fellow Louisianans to download the COVID Defense app, an anonymous tool that notifies you of potential COVID-19 exposures. Protect yourself and protect your community. Are you up for the challenge? COVIDdefensela.com #lagov

Not likely, asshole.  I don't trust you when you tell me you want to put a tracking device on my phone.

I have a better idea.  Why don't you start figuring out how you are going to re-start Louisiana's economy after the disaster that was 2020?  You have wrecked the tax base, caused massive out-migration, and made Louisiana solely dependent on Federal money.  Your buddy, Creepy Joe Biden is threateing to wreck Louisiana's oil and gas industry, and you don't have a plan for that, either.

I think that John Bel Edwards is a scurrilous scoundrel who intends to wreck Louisiana completely before his tern is over.

Psaki Phones It In

Like most of the White House, the daily press briefing has changed dramatically since the new group took over.  I really liked the style of Kayleigh McEneny, President Trumps last press secretary.

This new chick, Jen Psaki (the P is silent), seems to be calling it in.  She isn't ready for her press briefings, and I doubt if she thinks much about it after she leaves the rostrum.

Psaki (the P is silent) took flak earlier this week for wanting the questions from reporters submitted in advance, but evidently even with that request, she is not well prepared for the presser.  Below, she mocks a question about whether or not Biden was going to keep the Space Force.

It's a valid question ad deserves a valid answer.  This administration is even more far-left than the Obama administration, and I doubt that the military will fare well under their tender mercies.

Six More Weeks

 With all my running around this morning, doing leg work for Louisiana State, I failed to notice that Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow this morning.  He probably does as well as the weather-weenies, so I guess we're in for six more weeks of winter.

Of course, I linked to CNN, and I normally don't trust them to know the alphabet, or the color of the sky, but I suspect they got this story right.  We'll see.

I have a leadership meeting at the church tonight, so I guess I should get ready for that.

The Republican Crisis (Not So Much)

 Reuters is reporting that some Bush-era officials are leaving the Republican Party because Trump.  They claim that the party has changed so much that they can't support it any longer.  It's too Trumpy.  Well, bye!

But, I think it is instructive to look back at your humble scribe's voting record to see what motivated me to vote the way I did.  I wasn't always a Republican, switching over during the Carter administration.  So, let's start there.

1976 - Carter/Ford.  Gerald Ford didn't stand a chance.  He pardoned Nixon, probably for all the right reasons, but a lot of folks held it against him.  Including me.  I voted for Carter 

1980 - Carter/Reagan.  By  1980 I thoroughly despised Jimmy Carter.  He wrecked the Army I loved, presided over an energy crisis, high unemployment, high inflation, and said that he lusted in his heart.  I didn't know much about Reagan, but I despised Carter.

1984 - Reagan/Mondale.  By 1984 I really liked Reagan.  He said the right things and seemed to love America.  His challenger, Mondale (who?) never seemed to resonate with anyone. I voted Reagan.

1988 - GHW Bush/Dukakis.  At the time, I thought that Bush had done a creditable job as Reagan's VP, and ho had ever heard of Dukakis?  I knew that Bush had some foreign policy experience  Bush was an easy pick.

1992.  GHW Bush/Clinton.  I wasn't thrilled that Bush raised taxes after saying that he wouldn't, but I never trusted Clinton  He seemed to me to be a standard Southern Democrat.  He'd say anything to get elected, and didn't care who he hurt on the way up.  I voted for Bush because I didn't trust Clinton.

1996 - Clinton/Dole/Perot.  This was the year of the three party ticket.  Ross Perot didn't think that Bob Dole represented the working class, so he ran on the Reform ticket.   Yeah, that was a disaster. America elected a serial sex offender.

2000 - Gw Bush/Gore.  I liked Bush, because I so liked his Dad.  I thought I'd give the boy a chance.  The election boiled down to a knife-fight in Florida, and Bush narrowly won.  I do think that he was the right guy to be in charge during 9/11.  Al Gore went on to make millions as a snake-oil salesman pmping Global Warming.  Many on the left consider Gore to be a prophet, and they're still selling climate change even today.

2004 - Bush/Kerry.  John Kerry is such a monumental sleaze that his own shipmates didn't want anything to do with him.  They even questioned his last Purple Heart.  I learned a long time ago to trust a guy's battle-buddies.  If they don't trust him, I don't either.

2008 - Obama/McCain.  America was ready fora black president, and McCain couldn't overtake the momentum that Obama built.  Obama represented the globalist view of the cultural elite.  Suave, debonair, he sold out America for a globalist agenda.  Under his watch, China thrived, Iran thrived, and America didn't.

2012 - Obama/Romney.  Obama enjoyed massive support for his policies, although I'll never understand why.  Romney was Republican-lite.  Romney enjoyed the support of the Republican elite, but he never resonated with a base that.... well.... he never had a base.  He was ust the other guy running.

2016 - Trump/Clinton.  Donald J Trump came out of New York a successful businessman and reality TV star, saying what a large part of America wanted to hear.  Clinton represented the corrupt wing of the Democrat party.  America decided to take a chance on Trump, and the political establishment hated him for it.  They immediately set abut trying to destroy him.  His first term brought a record economy, low unemployment, and a revitalization of the middle class.  Yet, his abrasive and combative political style made the opposition howl.

2020 - Trump/Biden.  This was the damnedest election I have ever seen.  Biden campaigned from his basement, but Trump had so pissed off the Democrats and the Republican elite that only the base of Americans despised by those who want to be the ruling elite voted for Trump.  Yet,he garnered more polar votes than any Republican candidate had ever earned.  

So, if the Bush-era guys want to bail on the Republican party because it isn't the party they remember, that's fine.  It is no longer the party of Bush, or Romney, or McCain.  The Republican party is no longer the class of the country-club set.  It's the party of the working stiff, the middle class businessman, the farmer and the rancher.  Many times we voted Republican as the lesser evil.  And, if you're the lesser evil, you are still evil.

The Veil Is Lifted

 I'm sure that we will be hearing more of this in the coming days, but it appears that House bill 127 is a doozy of  a gun control wet-dream.  Authored by Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), it contains just about everything that the Left has been pumping for decades.

What do they want?  I'll let the FPC explain.

Summary: Establishes a nationwide gun registry that is searchable by the general public, mandates licensing to own or possess a firearm and requires a psychological evaluation prior to obtaining such a license, and institutes magazine & gun bans. 

That's just the summary.

Gun bans, magazine bans, mandatory licensing 

A gun registry that is searchable by the general public. 

Then, it goes full Orwell.  Ninety days after the effective date of the legislation every firearm in the US must be registered.  There is no grandfather clause.  That's right, 2A advocates.  Give made/model/serial numbers to the government.  All of them.  Within 90 days.

About that mandatory license you're going to need.  You'll need a psychological evaluation, and you will pay the government $800 for insurance.

The Democrats currently control the House, the Senate, and the White House.  If you thin that this can't pas, you are wrong.  Creepy Joe would sign this in a heartbeat.  The Democrats don't care one whit for the Constitution, and they are showing us every day.

The Upcoming Impeachment

 Last Sunday, I asked the rhetorical question, What will John Roberts do?

Turns out, he'll do exactly as expected. He's punting, but probably on Constitutional grounds.  The Constitution requires the Chief Justice to sit on an impeachment of the President, but Donald Trump is no longer the president, so it falls to the the President pro-tempore of the Senate to preside over the trial.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is tagged with that chore.

So, if Leahy is presiding, he can't vote, and if Commie Harris ain't there, the Democrats don't have a majority.  Isn't it amusing what a 50-50 Senate can do?

Grenadier

 Where to begin?  The Army has this thing called theM203 grenade launcher, a direct off-shoot of the older M79 grenade launcher.  The M79 is a stand-alone weapon and the M203 is an accessory for the M16.M4 platform.  They both launch 40mm grenades.

I can train a monkey to use one of these things, and anyone can become competent, but some folks really shine with it, able to put those grenades exactly on target every time.  They have a knack for it, and those are the guys you want on the grenade launcher.

Grandson Quinton is a PFC in the National Guard.  He has drill this weekend, and crashes with us when he's at drill, because his unit is just a couple of miles down the road.  He came in last night and told me that he spent the day on a 203 range, as range support.  After they had trained the unit they were assigned to train, they switched sides and got to qualify with the M203, and burn up excess ammo.  I asked him how he did.

"PawPaw", says he, "I hit everything I aimed it at.  Qualified expert the first time out."

I told him that a good grenadier could put a grenade through a 12" window at 150 yards.

"Yeah", he says.  "I did that easy."

Hun!  Quinton is a grenadier.  How about that?

Linked

 The first time I ever heard about some guy named Mas Ayoob, I was a young cop in Natchitoches, LA, back during my early career.  He wrote an article in some long-lost magazine about the infamous 1986 Miami shootout.  For you youngsters out there, law enforcement changed after that shootout.  Everything we did was re-examined.  It is hard to underestimate what a tsunami that encounter spawned.  

Ever heard of the .40 SW cartridge?  It was a direct result of that shootout.

Massad Ayoob is still at it, writing and taching, and he writes at Backwood Home Magazine, where he keeps a blog.  And, he linked to my piddling blog.  That's cool.

But, before I get a swelled head, the dog is reminding me that I need to go cut up some tasso to put in the lima beans we're having for lunch.  We have people coming over in a couple of hours, and it's time to get busy.

To any readers of Ayoob's blog, welcome.  Pull up a chair and get a cup of coffee.

Etoufee is easy

Roberts commented:

 I had some crawfish a few years back when I visited the Big Easy for a company meeting . My but it was delicious . I believe they called it Etouffee . Can't figure out why folk up here in the Buckeye can't get it . Crawfish are all over this state in every creek and pond 

That's easy.  You can make it at home and make it the way you like it.   

You can make it with shrimp, or crawfish, or crab-meat.  Belle's basic recipe is at this link.

Right now, I have to go out to the shop and start making salmon patties.  We're heading to see Belle's mother and she loves my salmon patties.  It's time to get cooking.

What Happened?

 Greed is not necessarily a bad thing.  Greed is what moved Thomas Edison to invent the light bub,, Henry Ford to produce the Model T, and Willis Carrier to invent air conditioning.

But, greed can be a bad thing.  It's one of the seven mortal sins, and decried in literature and from pulpits.

Earlier this week, a group f common investors decided to stick it to the big boys.  They drove up the price of a stock and caused a huge upheaval in the markets.  Some of the small investors got rich, and some of the hedge funds lost billions.  They exploited the greed of the hedge fund managers based on the perceived value of a single share f common stock.

Common stock is relatively easy to value.  in any company, total assets over total liabilities will give you the value of the company's total portfolio  Divide that by shares of stock outstanding, and you should have a good idea of the book value of one share of common stock.  Any deviation over the book price of a share of stock is a perception of the market that a company is worth more, or less than the book value.  The players on Wall Street play against this perceived value.  

That's an over-simplification, but you get the idea.  The stock market uses certain tactics to achieve short-tern profits.  Selling short, of selling long, or the use of derivatives is all part of the tool bag for people who want to maximize profit.  It's a betting game based on knowledge of the market, and the tools are widely available.  Since the proliferation of computers, these tools are immediately available to everyone.

The big boys got hammered this week, by a bunch of folks trading in the market, playing by the rules.  The same rules that everyone else plays by.  The big boys let their greed get the better of them, and a relatively few little guys saw what was happening, and moved to profit from it.  Now, the hedge fund managers are whining about it.  Suck it up, buttercup.  You played the game and you got hammered.  

Any regulation in the financial markets should be to protect the individual investor and provide a stable market so that everyone can benefit from free trade.  Any time you see the hedge fund guys calling for more regulation, that they are actually calling for is for the rules to be set to protect them.  And that is not what a free market is all about.

Crawfish Season

T'other day, Belle had to travel down 107 and noticed that our local crawfish boiler, Tom's Seafood, was open.  It looks like it's crawfish season in Louisiana.

She's running errands right now, but she tells me that on her way home, she is going to pick up some crawfish. Generally this time of year, we eat crawfish on Friday afternoon, and start happy hour a little bit early.  That's fine with me.

The dawg and I are awaiting her return.  It's Five O'clock somewhere.

Gun Confiscation Can and Has Happened in America - Katrina 2005

Colion Noir put up a video this morning, concerning firearms confiscations that occurred inn New Orleans, LA following Hurricane Katrina.

Yep, the city went door-to-door confiscating firearms.  I remember it.  

To our local sheriff's credit, at the time my agency had officers assisting in New Orleans following Katrina.  When Eddie Compass gave that infamous order, our sheriff pulled our local officers from the City, tellinng them to head home, and in no circumstances to confiscate any weapons.

In the aftermath, the voters of Louisiana made possession of firearms a fundamental right, subject to strict scrutiny.  The text of the Constitutional amendment is as follows:

§11. Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Section 11. The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms is fundamental and shall not be infringed. Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.

The legislature followed up on that amendment by making it illegal for a peace officer to confiscate any weapon during a declared emergency.  That text is as follows:

§738. Emergency powers do not extend to confiscation or seizure of lawfully possessed or used firearms, weapons, or ammunition; exceptions

            A. The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms is fundamental and shall not be infringed. Nothing in this Chapter shall authorize the seizure or confiscation of any firearm or ammunition from any individual who is lawfully carrying or possessing the firearm or ammunition except as provided in Subsection B of this Section.

            B. A peace officer who is acting in the lawful discharge of the officer's official duties may disarm an individual if the officer reasonably believes it is immediately necessary for the protection of the officer or another individual. The peace officer shall return the firearm to the individual before discharging that individual unless the officer arrests that individual for engaging in criminal activity, or seizes the firearm as evidence pursuant to an investigation for the commission of a crime.

Colion is right when he says that confiscations of firearms happened during this century in a major city in the US.  I think that Louisiana  demonstrated that this type of activity is possible, even today.  I think that the people of Louisiana took those steps that make this type of power-gab more unlikely.

Playing Craps

 Craps is a game played at casinos across the United States.  Players roll the dice and make bets based on the numbers that they expect to see on the dice.  The house (the casino) has a statistical edge in the game.  If a player bets the pass line, the house edge is about 1.4%.  I like playing craps.  I understand the risk, and I've made some good bets on craps tables.  I've both won and lost, and that is the how betting works. Every casino has house rules, and once you understand the rules you can make educated decisions about how to play the game.

In the financial markets there are also rules.  Those rules are available to everyone, and players in the finance markets can make educated decisions based on those rules.  There are winners and losers, and yesterday we saw a bunch of day-traders, (retail traders) make a bet against the hedge funds and win huge.

I used to work with explosives, and I know that once it detonates, you hear the boom, and it takes some time for the debris to fall out of the sky.  Rhetorically, the debris from the Robinhood/ Gamestop play hasn't fallen out of the sky yet, but this group of day traders has revealed a fundamental flaw in the way the big boys manipulate the markets.  In a stunning move, Robinhood (a broker), shut down trading during a huge play, to protect the hedge funds.

In a craps analogy, it would be like the casino suspending play because a particular player was hitting too many points.  The players at the table would be outraged, and rightfully so.  

A brokerage is not supposed to favor one trader over another.  Our free market is based on the idea that anyone can play.  We invest our money on a particular stock, believing that over time we will make money from assuming risk.  The potential always exists to lose money, but but overall, we expect to make a profit.  That idea blew up yesterday, and it will be interesting to see the debris fall from the sky.

Isn't It Incredible?

 Isn't it incredible, just one week into the Biden administration, that blue state mayors and governors want to reopen their economies?  It's like the China virus suddenly receded now that Donald Trump is gone. Instapundit noticed too:

Given how incredibly political this pandemic has been from the beginning, many people smell a rat. Is it really the case that the reopening of the American economy, particularly in blue states, is so perfectly timed? Do the science and politics really line up so well?

Color me just a little bit cynical.  I'm sure that they are all listening to the science, and have been all along.

The Role Of Science

 I see, in the continuing train-wreck of the Biden bullshit, that he has ordered a sweeping review of government science integrity policies.  That would be great.  We want our scientists to have integrity.

They could start by running off Dr. Anthony Faucci.  I've seen his "science" change many times during the past year.  From no masks, to wearing masks, now to wearing two or more masks.  Google it yourself.  It's plainly been his advise since the pandemic began.  We are really not sure what is science, or what is his desire to preen for the camera.

I understand that science changes over times.  Galileo was tried for his insistence that the Earth rotates around the sun.  Even Einstein admitted that he blundered from time to time.  There is some settled science, but we should always be aware that scientists are fallible, and that scientific thought changes over time.  There are a few immutable scientific facts, laid out mostly by Euclid, Archimedes, Newton, and yes, Einstein.  But, there are also scientific questions that don't have hard answers.

I know a few scientists, and it is really refreshing to hear them tell me that they might not know the answer to a particular question.  When I hear a scientist say "We used to believe this, but now we think that ....", I know that they are telling me the truth.

What would really be refreshing is to hear politicians admit error.  Not all policies are grounded in fact, and sometimes do more harm than good.  When the science seems to be changing on a weekly basis, and the politicians are making changes based on those shifting sands, it doesn't engender confidence in their policies.

Environmental Equity

 I was listening to John Kerry's monologue during the press briefing yesterday, and was struck by some terms I haven't yet been exposed to.  Environmental Equity, for example.  So, I st abut looking for a definition.  I found one, at this link.

Environmental equity means both protection from environmental hazards as well as access to environmental benefits for all, regardless of income, race, and other characteristics. Climate change is expected, in general, to disproportionally affect low-income communities least responsible for climate change emissions. Yet with strong action, these same communities could disproportionately benefit from strategies to address and adapt to climate change.

 Silly me.  I always thought that the sun shown equally on both the King and the dog's ass.

So, maybe this is a new buzzword, a dog-whistle of academia, designed to make the rest of us feel less educated, less aware, less woke.  So, what is the intent?

A nearly $1.5 million grant from the Strategic Growth Council to LCI supports multiple studies of heat-related climate impacts, the factors that make populations and communities vulnerable, and opportunities to build resilience. Climate change could exacerbate inequalities, and this project will result in tools to help government agencies target responses and empower communities.

Breaking out the buzzwords, we learn that the $1.5 million rant was designed to help government.   That's what I suspected, and it is entirely the wrong reason to spend money.

Stick With What You Know, Sweetie

 Evidently, there is a professor at UC-Riverside that needs to do a bit more research.

A University of California-Riverside professor spoke out against heterosexuality, calling it a "tragedy."

Maybe the way she does it, it is a tragedy.

She listed several reasons for her assertion, including that it encourages men to objectify women.

Done properly, it causes a man to worship a woman. To endow her with all his worldly goods.  Even, to write hot checks.  But, then, as Wirecuttter says, there are the psycho chicks  We've all had 'em, and I suspect that this chick is one to stay away from.

So, What Do We Call It? The Wu-Flu?

 With all the work before him, Beijing Joe has decided that we should not call a virus that  originated in Chin, the China Virus.  I shit you not.  Evidently, he says that the gubbmint can't use that term.

Beijing Biden believes that Chinese viruses that originate in China should not be accurately described as China Viruses. As such, he has used his first moments in office to sign an executive order barring the term China Virus when describing the China Virus.

He might be able to keep the government from using the term, but he can't stop me from using it. 

More Biden Bullshit

I keep watching this bullshit, and keep thinking that it can't get any more surreal, and then I turn to the the daily White House press briefing, and up walks John Kerry.

Kerry, you may remember, is a failed presidential contender, universally reviled by those who served with him in Vietnam, and a failed Secretary of State, eclipsed in his abject incompetence only by Hillary Clinton, who used the State Department as a personal enrichment machine.

Now, Creepy Joe has named him as some type of international climate envoy.  Then, as I listened, I hard them talking about "climate equity", and "climate justice", and realized that this particular part of government is totally dedicated to Orwellian bullshit, twisted around a Kafka novel.

This is what the government is going to be spending money on?  We are so screwed.

Biden Slams Oil and Gas

 The news today is that the Biden Administration is slamming oil and gas leases in the US.

If you like cheap gasoline, plentiful electricity, and warm houses, get ready to make some adjustments.  Of course, this is all couched in terms of climate change and green energy, but it's going to hurt.

Louisiana is going to lose jobs.  Texas is going to lose jobs.  New Mexico is going to lose jobs.

Everywhere in the country is going to feel the impact.  Some more than others.  If you voted for Biden, you voted against the economy.  If you voted for Biden, you voted against jobs.  Elections have consequences, and I sincerely hope that I live to see the end of the Biden presidency.   Many of us won't.

The Tubman $20

 I've been hearing rumors that they are finally going to put Harriet Tubman on a $20 bill.

A WaPo columnist thinks that conservatives are distressed over the idea.  Not this conservative.  If they used this design, I think it would be cooler than hell.

I think that would be a fine design that captures her spirit.  I think it's a capitol idea.

Andrew Jackson is okay, but Harriet Tubman is cool  Especially with that Colt revolver.

UPDATE** Below is the design the progs want to use.  Not as cool and the one above, but they certainly can't have her with the welcoming hand while the other holds a revolver, ready for use. I bet Harriet would be disappointed with the one below.

That one is altogether too staid for Ms. Tubman.

Manually, In-Peson

 Watching a video from the Epoch Times, and I grabbed this as a screen shot.  Amazon is facing a union election in Alabama and is resisting mail-in voting.  Evidently, Amazon believes that the best way to conduct an election is with manual, in-person voting.

Isn't that special.  I wonder why Amazon is insisting on in-person voting over mail-in ballots?

Joe Biden Lifts Transgender Ban

I wondered this morning what indignities he might put us through, and it seems that he has lifted the ban on transgenders in the military.

Now, I guess we know.  I served during Clinton's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, but I'm not quite sure how I'd react to this.  I had no problem serving alongside females in the Army, and respected them for their expertise.  Bit, this would just be confusing as hell.

I always considered Major Payne to be a romantic comedy, not a how-to manual.

Not The Bee

 The headline says it all.  (Not the Bee)

Husband stabbed repeatedly by his wife after she finds photo of him with young skinny girl, turns out it's an old picture of her.

Yeah, evidently he was out in the yard working, and his wife picked up his phone and was looking through old pictures.  Jealousy erupted when she saw photos of her husband with a hot, attractive woman.   So, of course, she grabs a knife and stabs him several times before he can get the knife away from her.

Turns out, the photo was of her from several years back, when she was both hot and attractive.

I'll never have that problem.  I still think that my wife is hot and attractive.  She's smokin'.

It's Monday, Now What?

It's Monday and I have some things to do today, working on the club and the state match I'm planning for April.

Yet, I wonder, five days into the Biden presidency, what indignities he is going to foist on us today?  Immigration?  Taxation?  The re-trenching of the Deep State?  Erosion of personal liberty? All of the above?

Ben Shapiro asks a couple of pertinent questions, about how to define unity and peace.

Here in Louisiana , it looks like we are in for another rainy day.  Thankfully, my work today wil be indoors.

Surely, You Jest

 I just saw this on Tucker Carlsson and had to take a screen grab.

It appears that Amazon is facing a union vote in Alabama and doesn't want the employees to be able to use mail-in voting.

Surely, you jest.  Amazon doesn't like mail-in voting?

What Will John Roberts Do?

 As I understand the kabuki theater that has become the Congress, soon we will be treated to the drama of yet another impeachment trial that has no chance of arriving at conviction.

As I understand the process (and I am not an attorney, although I do have  a working knowledge of the English language), the only penalty is removal from office, and n this case, the defendant is not a public officer of the United States.  Hence, he is a private citizen and cannot be removed from office.

Alan Dershowitz, a noted constitutional scholar, says that the Senate lacks jurisdiction in this case.

So, the question is: What will John Roberts do?  Will he shatter the dignity of the US Supreme Court by participating in this farce, or will he follow the plain language of the Constitution?

This may be interesting to watch.

Bigfoot Hunting Season

 A legislator in Oklahoma has proposed a Bigfoot hunting season.  Yeah, really.

What I think is hilarious is the response form the OK Wildlife dudes.

Micah Holmes, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, which oversees hunting in Oklahoma, told television station KOCO that the agency uses science-driven research and doesn’t recognize Bigfoot.

Well, okay.  Let's talk about that.

Back in the early '80s I saw a panther on my place and talked with a wildlife guy about it. 

"What do you mean by panther?", he asked.

?Big cat, about six feet long, chocolate brown.  Long tail.  I saw it out behind my pond last week, just abut sundown.", I replied.

He looked at me calmly.  "There are no panthers in the state of Louisiana."

"Yeah, okay." I responded.  "So, if there are no panthers then it wouldn't hurt if I popped him.?"

I never shot that panther and saw or heard him for several years after that.  The last time was early in 2002.  So, I know that there was a breeding pair in the Wildlife Management Area behind the house. 

The Oklahoma Wildlife dude's rejection of the idea, virtually assures me that Bigfooot is alive an well in Oklahoma.

Salute The Marines

This is making the rounds this morning.  Our dumbass C-in-C was entering a building where a Marine Honor Guard was posted.  Evidently, Creepy Joe was wearing an earbud and someone told him to salute the Marines.  So, he said, "Salute the Marines."

Cognitive dissonance, anyone?  I thought perhaps that a Biden presidency would be hilarious, but I never voted for cringe-worthy.  The man is an embarrassment, but he's a hell of a lot better than what is waiting in the wings.

Two Sources

 The bullshit is coming so fast and furious out of the Biden administration, that I cant believe everything  I'm hearing.  Like John Brennan today,  said that the Biden intel pukes are coming after libertarians.

Here's the quote:

@JohnBrennan: Biden intel community “are moving in laser-like fashion to try to uncover as much as they can about” the pro-Trump “insurgency” that harbors “religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians”

PJMedia is reporting th same thing. 

So, here's the deal, Brennan.  I'm right here.  Really.  Anytime you want to talk, just come on by.  We'll have coffee, and I'll read the Constitution for you.  But, John, if you're looking for fascists, just read the definition out of the dictionary, then look in the mirror.

But, if you want to keep an eye on a libertarian, I'll be right here.

Biden's Hypocrisy

 I probably won't be able to point out ever single act of hypocrisy of our Creepy-in-Chief during the next four years.  (Of course, many don't think that he is going to be there for four years).

I learned as a new officer that I should never give an order that I was not willing to follow.  Set the example.  Lead from the front.

So, Creepy Joe signs an executive order mandating masks on federal property, and hours later we see this at the Lincoln Memoria.

Yep, no mask.  After ordering them for everyone.  As the troops might say, "What an asshole."

WHO (and CDC) Updates Testing Policy

 I notice that within an hour of the Biden Immaculation, that the WHO and CDC update it's Covid testing policy.  You can go read the whole thing, but basically what I got from it is that the tests are picking up a lot of false positives, and asymptomatic spread may not be as bi a threat as originally thought.

Timing is everything, even the timing of the end of the Trump presidency.

Pray for Joe

 As Christians, it is our duty to pray for our leaders.  I don't necessarily consider Joe Biden a leader; that term means something to people who have actually led other people.  Joe is more like a government functionary, but that's not the point.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 we learn:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I will pray for Joe Biden, so that I might lead a quiet life, Godly and dignified in every way. Others have noted, as have I, that his vice president is waiting in the wings, probably pulling the strings, but also knowing that her path to power lies through Joe.  It is in our best interests that Joe remain healthy, and marginally sane, so that we will not be  imperiled by a Harris presidency.

I'm sure that dr. Jill is pumping him with vitamins and supplements and healthy food.  Doing everything she can to keep him alive.  This is a good thing.  I am also sure that this morning, all over the country, office pools are springing up, regarding the dark thought that pervades our dreams.  The nation's newspaper of record, reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Shortly after being sworn in Wednesday, Joe Biden looked down and saw his shadow, predicting just six weeks of being president of the United States.

Let us pray. 

C'mon, Joe

 I didn't listen to Creepy Joe's speech today, I had important things o do.  Whatever I might be doing, clipping my nails, taking a nap, is ore important than listening to Joe Biden.  But, I did read the transcript.

And, one piece of complete and utter bullshit caught my eye.

A cry of survival comes from the planet itself, a cry that can’t be any more desperate or any more clear.

The metaphor doesn't work, Joe, not on any level.  The planet doesn't care about you , or me, or anyone else.  All we are in the final analysis is protein to feed the worms.   This planet looks upon us with supreme indifference and starts trying to kill us from the moment we're born.  The planet is not desperate, nor does it tell us what is going to happen next.  The only thing that mankind can look forward to with any certainty is extinction.

Don't feed me your bullshit, Joe.  It's not presidential.

Climate Change Is Racist

 According to Joe Biden's picks for climate change, climate change is racist.  Really.

A pair of top incoming White House environmental aides has blamed "systemic racism" as a driver of climate change in an attempt to justify a government-led economic overhaul.

 President-elect Joe Biden named progressive policy adviser Maggie Thomas as Office of Domestic Climate Policy chief of staff and climate advocate Cecilia Martinez as "senior director for environmental justice" on Thursday. Both Thomas and Martinez have cited racial inequality as perpetuating climate change, arguing that the Biden administration's environmental policy must be centered on "racial and economic justice."

This is complete and utter bullshit. 

Listening to Rush

 I was listening to Rush Limbaugh yesterday, and in one of his sidebars, he talked about a fellow named Mark McKinnon.  I've never heard of him, but evidently he's a mover in Republican circles.  According to Rush, he was the media buyer for the George W Bush campaign.  Evidently he is a behind-the-scene guy 

Mr. McKinnon emailed Rush, and said, in part: " And the project I referred to only has to do with getting the facts out about what actually happened during the election, which, unfortunately, many on conservative media got wrong or distorted.”

So, there is a project in Republican circles to get out the truth about what actually happened during the election.   I'd be glad to see it.

End Of An Era

 It wasn't long enough, but today ends the Trump presidency.

His accomplishments were legendary.  Too long to list here, but some are trying to get them all on paper.

I don't know if there was ever an American president so reviled by his critics.  The media detested him, the Democrats vilified him.  As far as I know, he never hurt anyone.

Three years of a booming economy, and one year of pandemic pandemonium.  By the time I eat lunch today, Joe Biden will be the president of the country.  I hope he can read the prompter long enough to repeat the oath of office.

Do I think Joe stole the election?  No, I think it was a perfect storm of pandemic pandemonium and a small number of places who didn't take election integrity seriously.  It may not have made enough difference to matter, but the idea that there was no fraud is patently ridiculous.  So, if we start off with the theme of patently ridiculous,  Joe Biden is the perfect person to install in the office.

I hope that Joe makes it through all four years.  The idea of a Kamala Harris presidency is problematic at best.  If she wants to be president, she should run for the office.  Oh, wait.  She did.  And lost.  To Joe Biden.

Wow

 I didn't see this coming.  When a member of the Squad gets concerned about civil liberties, maybe the other Dems should take notice.  Link here.

Jus' Sayin'

 I stole this from Wirecutter, who stole it for somewhere else.

This is a show of power.  They call in over 25,000 troops and don't even billet them properly.  Of course, 25K is a lot of warm bodies and beds.

Yet, we can plainly see what they think of the troops.  The officers should be outraged.  I made my troops sleep in some crappy places, but I always tried to do better for them than I did for myself.

Approval Ratings

 This is interesting.  The Real Clear Politics  approval rating for President Trump is now set at 40%

By contrast,the approval rating for George W Bush for 2008 was 30%.

President Obama's approval rating for his last year was 50%

Joe Biden is entering office with a 44.5 approval rating.  You wold think that if over half the country voted for him, they would approve of him.  I guess the RCP sample didn't include dead people.  Or fictitious people.  Or any of those other voters who we are not sure were really voters. 

Nothing Says Commander-In-Chief

 Nothing says Commander-in-Chief like being afraid of your own troops.

FBI vetting Guard troops in DC amid fears of insider attack.

And, they want us to believe that this election was fair and transparent.  But'

 And nothing says “normal, legitimate election” like a swearing-in behind 12 feet of razor wire and 25,000 troops that you’re not sure you can trust.

Everything I'm hearing, DC is an armed camp right now, but the troops don't have ammo in their weapons.   Fences and razor-wire around the Capitol.  They are really acting like they're scared.

These are not good optics.  And, the media isn't asking a lot of questions.

LTG Russell Honore to Conduct Capitol Security Review.

I see that Nancy Pelsi has asked retired LTG Russell Honore' to conduct the review of the security problems during the Capitol protests.

Good choice.  Although, General Honore is not noted for suffering fools gladly.  I hope that San Fran Nan is ready for his review.

If you don't remember General Honore', he was tapped by President Bush to take charge of the relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita following  the initial disjointed effort.  He took charge.

Below, some of his more colorful  repartee that is fit to put on YouTube.

Stuck Cartridge

 Second son called me today.  He had a cartridge stuck in the chamber of his Ruger M77.  I told him I wasn't busy, to bring it by.

Several drops of Breakfree CLP down the bore and let it sit for a few minutes.  Then used a cleaning rod to slide-hammer it out.  Not hard, just dropping the rod down the bore.  After a few whacks, it came out, easy-peasy.  After the cartridge turned loose, we gave the chamber a good scrubbing, then cleaned the bore for good measure.

Sometimes a bit of grit gets stuck between the chamber wall and the brass, and ties things up.  That's done and the rigle is back in service.  Now, to get on with my other chores.

Armed Protests?

 So, I'm seeing all kinds of bullshit about armed protests in the run-up to the inauguration.

It's a bad idea, guys.  Don't do it.  For all kinds of reasons it's a horrible idea.

We're not in charge right now, and they intend to enact some form of gun control.  Camera are everywhere, and anyone who shows up armed will simply add more incentive to their plans.  Don't do it.

There used to be an old adage, "Don't bring a knife to a gunfight."  These days the adage should be, "Don't bring a gun to a camera fight".  Don't become the poster-boy for their evil plans.  Our best tactic at this point is to ignore them.  Let them have their party.  I don't give a good screaming damn if Biden intends to hold a good, old-fashioned Roman triumph down Pennsylvania avenue.

Lets fight them in the court of public opinion.   Let's start, all over again, making the argument for a strong Second Amendment.  Let's talk about energy independence.  Let's talk about immigration policy and good border security.  Let's talk abut fiscal restraint, good education, and federalism.  For that matter, we need to talk about a strong First Amendment.  They are going to give us plenty to talk about, and they are going to over-step.  

We're in a war of ideas, not a revolution.  For myself, I intend to ignore their little party.  Let them revel.  This may be their high-water mark.  The American Left is stronger right now than I have seen them in n my lifetime.  Today they are drunk on power, but by Thursday, they start the hard work of governing. Let's not help them, but stand ready to point out every flaw, every misstep, every failure.

Let's take the House and the Senate in 2024.  Make Joe Biden rue the day that he held us in contempt.

Red Beans

 It doesn't get much better than this.  We put them on last night, in the slow cooker with good country sausage.   They've ben going all night.

A bit later, we'll put on a pot of rice and bake a cornbread.

Zip Ties

 Evidently, there is an editor at the New York Times who doesn't know any "regular" human beings.  During the aftermath of the Capitol riots last week, she famously asked the question, "Do regular humans actually buy zip-ties? Have you ever bought a zip-tie? If so, what did you use it for?”

Hilarity ensued.  After she had been smacked around like a rag doll, she followed up with this gem.

I literally had no idea that there were this many people passionate about the legal use of zip ties

— Lauren Wolfe (@Wolfe321) January 13, 2021

Have I ever bought a zip tie?  No, honestly, I don't think I've ever bought a single zip tie.  I normally buy them by the bag.   And, like most regular humans I know, I' not really sure how many I own right now.  There are several bags of varying sizes and strengths in the shop.

We shouldn't be too hard on her.  The editors at the New York Times don't generally know any "regular humans", which is why no one takes their editorial opinions seriously.  They really do need to get out more and associate with "regular humans".  The fact that Lauren admits that she has "no idea" may well become the guiding motto for that rag.

NRA Channels Crockett

 The National Rifle Association, long the premier 2A organization in the United States, is moving to Texas.  Long domiciled as a New York corporation, the NRA is moving it's domicile to Texas.

David Crockett, a politician from Tennessee, famously told his constituents in 1835, "You can all go to hell.  I'm going to Texas."

Honestly, I thought the NRA was domiciled in Virginia.

At any rate, it sees that the news that the NRA is bankrupt is simply a part of it's legal maneuver to get out of New York.  I can't blame them one bit.

We've Seen This Before

 This is how it started in 1930s Germany.

Harvard Students Launch Petition to Revoke Degrees of Trump Supporters in Government

Next, they will want us to wear yellow Trump patches on our shirts.

I will not comply.

Was the Election Stolen?

 The Democrats really don't want this drum beaten, so I'll keep whacking it.  And, I see that John Hinderaker, at Powerline, is beating it as well.

Democrats are making extraordinary efforts to suppress all discussion of whether Joe Biden actually won the 2020 presidential election. In fact, they go even farther: they want to suppress all discussion of the extent to which voter fraud occurred. That naturally makes me want to write about voter fraud, and who really won the election.

There is no doubt tat there was fraud.   That is plainly in evidence, and whether or not there was enough fraud to steal the election is a matter of question.

Even greater doubts about the election arise from the deliberately loose procedures that governed voting. Something like 69 million mail-in votes were cast, and until two months ago, everyone agreed that mail-in voting is highly susceptible to fraud. But the laxity in 2020 went far beyond the risks inherent in mail-in votes. I put it this way: I don’t know whether the Democrats stole the 2020 election, but I do know that they tried hard to steal it.

Go read the whole thing.   

I do know that in the case o Louisiana, we routinely try to catch and prosecute those who attempt voter fraud.  We recently identified and arrested one such scoundrel.  But, the Democrats don't even want to talk about election integrity.  You have to ask yourself why.

Average Uneployment

 An interesting graphic, found at Instapundit.

It will be interesting to see if they can fix the damage caused by the pandeic, or even if they want to.

I do note that the Chicago mayor, Lori Lightweight, and the New York Governor, "Granny-killer" Cuomo want to open bars and restaurants as soon as possible.  They did what they had to do to ake President Trump look bad, and now, they would like to get their towns opened back up.

Ad Bots are Ignorant

 We've all done it.  Clicked on somethinng we we were interested in, and for days you see those ads pup up on your screen, across a number of platforms.  Like this one, for example.

The only problem is, I bought a pair of those earlier this week.  They'll be in next week.  This ad money is totally wasted.

Gasoline Prices

 I am reminded that when Donald Trump took office, a gallon of unleaded gasoline cost $2.38.9

Today, as I passed my favorite gas station, the price of a gallon of unleaded was $1.99.9

That ain't bad for four years.

I generally judge the success of a president on the basis of unleaded gasoline.

Anyone care to predict what the price of gasoline is going to do under the Biden administration?

Thanks, AP Style Guide

 It seems that last week, there was a riot.  Other sources  called it an insurrection.  A threat to democracy.

Some of us wondered if, after the riots last summer, when cities burned, if the AP had suddenly found a riot that they liked.  Tongue-in-cheek, we wondered why when cities were buring acorss the country, literally on fire, they were called protests, and when other folks broke intothe Capitol and stole the Speaker's podium, that was a riot.

Well, they cleared it up for us.

Uh oh. Here we go. Reporters apparently need to be careful when using the word riot if there’s any chance that non-White people might be involved.

So, let me get this straight.  IF a bunch of rowdy white folks get together and steal the Speaker's podium, that's a riot.  Or an insurrection, but if a bunch of non-white people get together and burn down a police station, that's a "mostly-peaceful" protest:.

Got it.  Only white folks can riot under the AP Style book.

And they wonder why we laugh at them.  The Emperor has no clothes.

Stippling

 Glocks, the brainchild of Gastonn Glock are ubiquitous in the law enforcement community.  Long hailed as utterly reliable, solid, dependable firearms, they were also ugly.  I'm not hating on Glock here, it's the plain truth.  A decade or so ago, folks started stippling the grips to make then easier to hang on to.  Back in the day, kitchen-table gunsmiths attacked the grip of their Glock with every known implement.  I've seen guys use Dremel tools, hand drills, and for all I know, butter knives.  

Some of those jobs were fairly horrific.  The Wiley E Coyote School of Gunsmithing was strong with sone of those folks.  Occasionally, you'd run into someone who did good work, and those guys turned their efforts into a cottage industry, picking up spare change for a stippling job.

Younger son is a cop in north New Mexico, and he sends me some photos of a recent project.  He dicided to stipple one of his personal Glocks.

The Before Shot.  You've all seen a Glock frame

I'm not sure which tools he used, maybe he'll chime in, in the Comments, but I think it turned out really nice.

The After shot.  I think that looks pretty durned good.

Yessir, that's a nice stippling job  It has a nice border, and he blended the backstrap into the pattern.  Very nice indeed.

Thursday

 

Busy, Busy

 I'm busy doing the ground work for the Louisiana State Championship f Cowboy Fast Draw to be held in Shreveport on April 9, 10, 11, at the State Fairgrounds in Shreveport, LA.

This is the first year that we've taken the state championship to Shreveport, and it looks like it's going to be a good one.  The local folks are excited to have us coming, and we hope to introduce our shooters to the city.  

The building is simply beautiful.  And huge.  Plenty of space.

That's Belle down there in front of the doors in the blue shirt.  The building is huge, and the support folks who run it are simply magnificent.  We're really looking or ward to putting on a first-class event.

Why Joe Biden Just Declared War On the 2nd Amendment

I'm just going to leave this right here so I can find it later.

I wonder if Crazy Joe is going to declare war on the ACLU to defeat the First Amendment?  It looks like that is what his proxies are doing.

Apps Come, Apps Go

 With the brouhaha going on in social media right now, many folks are searching for alternatives.  I recall, back in the day, about the turn of the century, there were some apps I used that have since fallen by the wayside.  Belle and I met online, using a social app, and we were early adopters of the online dating scene.  For us, it worked out, and lots of those sites have fallen into the dark side of personal interaction.  It worked for us, but not for others.

So, this morning things change.  Oh, I'll still be posting here as long as Google doesn't get too interested in my traffic, but one of the organizations I like has added a new social media app, Me We, so that members can stay connected in case Facebook goes South on us.  I never used Twitter, or Linkedin, , or Instagram, o many of the apps that many folks rely on.

I am reminded that apps come, and apps go, and when a company starts ignoring or actively hurting the people it relies on to do business,  it often suffers.  We may be seeing a shake-up of social media that will affect those companies in the long run.

Pay Attention, Joe

 Joe got out of the basement long enough to show a remarkable amount of ignorance.

Here's the problem with that, Joe.  It's illegal.  You really should have paid attention during all those years you were in the Senate, and passing laws against discrimination.  I'm glad you appointed Merrick Garland as your attorney general, maybe he can help you out on obscure points in the law, like the one that says the federal government cannot discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or national origin.

I thought you were in the Senate when they passed that law?  Is your memory slipping, Joe?

Big Tech Flexes It's Muscle

 It's fascinating to watch Big Tech shut down free speech.

Parler, which emerged as a Twitter alternative for conservatives, officially went offline on Monday after Amazon Web Services refused to host the site any longer. Following the Capitol riots on Wednesday, Apple and Google removed Parler from their app stores, claiming the site had refused to take down posts inciting violence. On Saturday, Amazon announced it would follow suit after employees pressured the company to remove Parler.

Other vendors are following the tech giants, leaving Parler without a host for their platform.   This is cancel culture writ large.  It certainly seems to be a form of obstructing competition

Rush Limbaugh made the point earlier today that in watching this repression of conservative speech, it is entirely fair to wonder if these same companies or their subsidiaries were involved in the repression of conservative votes?  It's a valid question, and deserves  valid answer.

She's Scared

 San Fran Nan, the wicked witch fro the West, is still pushing impeachment, with only 10 days left in the Trump presidency.  She's afraid that he might run again.

“There is a possibility that after all of this, there’s no punishment, no consequence, and he could run again for president,” Stahl said.

“And that’s one of the motivations that people have for advocating for impeachment,” Pelosi responded.

Last week was in interesting week.  The Democrats found a riot that they didn't like, President Trump is again under threat of impeachment, and Big Tech is silencing conservative voices.  Conservatism and the Bill of Rights is under attack like it has never been in my lifetime.

The Democrats should be very, very careful in how quickly they change the rules of political engagement.  Power tends to change hands in a democracy, and at some point, the Dems will be out of power.  They may not like to play minority party under the rules they've set as a majority.

And, I'd be very careful about invoking the 25th Amendment lightly.  As many on our side suspect, our new vice-president elect is a very ambitious person.

Snow-pocalypse

 Two of my grandchildren, both born in 2002 and living within miles of this acre, didn't see snow until they were 11, in 2013.  Here in central Louisiana, snow was a rate event for many decades.  It's still unusual enough that it it is noteworthy.

Yesterday we knew that there was a significant chance of snow.  Schools promptly announced their closings.  This is what I awoke to this morning.

A light dusting, less than an inch.  Schools are closed, and Belle's employer text her this morning, saying hat they would open the office at noon.  Such is our response to a winter storm in Louisiana.  We don't do snow or ice in sub-tropical Louisiana.  We just don't.

Wintry MIx

  The weather-weenies told us to get ready for a "wintry mix", and they weren't lying, by God.

Here's a screen shot of the weather map, right now.

I'm right in the middle of that map, and and we're getting rain, sleet, and snow, all at the same time.

The house is warm, and we're in no distress, but the cats are a bit concerned.  The dog is laying beside the bed in the bedroom, and he ain't coming out until spring.

Earlier today, Belle said that she wanted to keep a "close eye" on the weather, so I put a chair out in the yard.  She failed to see the humor in that maneuver.  Back in my younger days, I lived in Kentucky through  three winters, so I"m familiar, and Belle lived in Missouri for several winters, so she's aware, but that's why we both live together in Louisiana.

Quoth For Truth

 

A Quandary

 This question may be better suited to a scholarly paper than a blog post, but here goes.

Big Tech is banning President Trump on Twitter and other platforms because they don't like his message. He tends to violate "community standards" that they have laid out, and that require a degree in corporate law to understand.  Some say that these policies violate free speech that is regarded as absolutely essential toa free society.

I get it.  Free speech is molecularity tied to the American experience.  So are property rights, and that is where the tension is based.  Jack Dorsey is the big boss in a company called Twitter.  Many Americans (but not me) have an account on Twitter.  Likewise Facebook, although I do have an account on Facebook.  It lets me keep up with the kids and grandkids, and my friends in the Fast Draw community.  Yet, I know folks who have been suspended on Facebook (Facebook jail) because they violated some obscure standard in weird communication.

At one point before the Army, I worked for an outfit called the Bell System.  A huge corporation that controlled the telecommunications industry.  They heartily resisted intrusions on their business model, yet over time, they were broken up by the federal government because their business model was both crucially essential to the national defense, and also an absolute monopoly.  In the '50s and '60s, if you worked in the telephone industry, you worded for the Bell System, or one of it's subsidiaries.  They owned the telephone poles and the wires and the phone in your kitchen.

Now, here in early 2021, we learn that Twitter can control the communication of everyone, including the President of the United States.  If you are going to use their platform, you have to play by their rules.  And, those rules change from week to week.  And, what most people don't realize is that even if you have a Twitter, or Facebook, or Instagram account, you are not a customer.  Customers pay for a service.  These accounts are free.

Twitter gives away a lot of free accounts, yet we learn from Google that Twitter had 2019 revenues in excess of $3 billion.  Whomever is writing those checks is the customer.  Those with free accounts are the product being sold.

Did Twitter do the right thing in banning President Trump?  It's his business.  Is Apple within it's right to ban the startup platform Parler from it's app store?  It's their app store.  At what point do property rights become subservient to free speech?  It's a quandary.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go out to the shop ad set up the range to celebrate another American liberty.  The club is meeting this morning and they will expect coffee.