Gerrymander

 Gerrymandering has been in the news lately, with good reason.  I happen to live in a Gerrymandered district where my congress-critter lives across the state from me and does not reflect my political persuasion.

It appears that the Supremes did something recently.  Honestly, I'm not sure what they decided, but it evidently affects my district.  Pair that decision against the very soon upcoming primary election, the first party primary to he held in this state in decades, and we have an opportunity for absolute chaos.  We start early voting on Saturday, and governor Landry is considering postponing the election to redraw the congressional map.

Linky Here.

From what I understand, Governor Landry is proposing that we suspend the congressional primary to give the state legislature a chance to redraw the map.  The huge irony in this fever-dream is that the legislature could have redrawn themap at any time.  Our past governor, John Bel (hack, spit) Edwads redrew the map during his term, specifically to give his long-time crony, Cleoo Fields, a safe congressional district. Cleo is the virtual poster-child for affirmative action, DEI, NAACP, and SPLC.

The one saving grace is that the US Senate primary will go forward.  This is the first closed primary in the state in decades and it is our opportunity to send RINO Bill Cassidy into retirement.  I look forward to doing that.  Louisiana's early voting begins on Saturday.

Heartwarming

 Taking a break between chores, I flipped over to the YouTube and found this heartwarming nugget.

Linky Here.

It seems that if you conspire with your boss to hide criminal activity and your boss gets a preemptive pardon from the president, you can still be charged with a crime.  There is the cautionary tale: if the boss asks you to commit a crime, you are under no obligation to do so.  Quite the contrary, it is your obligation to report it.  It may set back your career, but you won't have to spend time in Club Fed.

Tuesday?

 Is it Tuesday?  I swear, I've lost track. The calendar tells me it is Tuesday, so it must be.

Today started off weird enough that it threw my schedule behind.  I started off wanting to do one task and had to do something else first.  Little piddling tasks that threw me minutes behind.  A five-minute task wound up taking 30 minutes.

Over the weekend, President Trump survived the latest assassination attempt.  Some say that this is the 3rd attempt, others say that it is the 7th.  It depends on what we call an actual attempt.  Either way, political violence is not the answer.  Yet the Democrats double-down, claiming that their thinly veiled references are not an actual call to arms.

This last guy seems to have been motivated by a total immersion in a lefty echo chamber. 

Yesterday, the meeting with King George III seems to have gone well. Somehow, the lefties refrained from holding a No Kings rally when confronted by actual royalty.  Odd, isn't it?   It seems that they tolerate an actual generational monarch better than they tolerate a duly elected President.

I have other chores, so if you will excuse me.

Sunday Afternoon

Belle and I went today to see a play, a matinee, that supports our local theater group, the City Park Players.  It was a lot of fun, and something to do on a Sunday afternoon.

If you have a local theater group, support them by buying a ticket from time to time.

I see that President Trump wants to bring back the firing squad in federal death sentence cases.  I support that, but don't think it goes far enough.  Bring back hanging, too. Some people aren't worth the powder it would take to shoot them.  At least the rope cam be put to good use afterwards.

But that is just my opinion.

Ma Deuce Rules

 One of the most beloved machine guns of all time is finding new life in the fields of Ukraine.  As it turns out, it is a useful, low-cost alternative when shooting down drones.

Linky Here

Imagine that, a partial belt of .50 cal is cheaper than using a missile.  Who'd a thunk it?

Another Wednesday

 I started today with a routine eye exam.  Nothing much changed, but they dilated my eyes.  Crap.  I walked around blurry for most of the day.

I see that the Southern Poverty Law Center got indicted.  It couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch.  The SPLC was founded in the early '70s to combat racism.  Over the past 20 years they have become a far-left organization that tries to stretch the definition so that they can still be relevant.  Over the past decade they would put out lists of "hate groups" that included the Catholic church and Turning Point USA.

Over in Iran, it appears that the IRGC has taken over what little remains of the government.  The Gay Ayatollah is only a figure-head and the IRGC is running the place.  Vance and crew didn't leave for Pakistan because no one really knows who is in charge and the negotiators from Iran are a little squirrely.

Today is just Wednesday.  Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow.

Barriers

 In the early years of manned flight, many considered the sound barrier to be a hard barrier, until Chuck Yeager became the first man to exceed Mach 1 in 1947.  Nowadays, we routinely fly faster than that.

Likewise, in running, the 4-minute mile was considered a hard barrier until Roger Bannister crossed the line in 1954. The 4-minute mile is still a laudable goal, but not considered a hard barrier in human performance.

This past Saturday in Georgia, I watched Jiles Wright, a shooter from Arkansas, set a new worlds record in CFDA shooting. Jiles hit a standard CFDA target in 0.278/secod in sanctioned competition. The CFDA has strict rules for recoding a world's record, and Jiles met all the criteria.

The CFDA considers a worlds record to be unattainable at anything faster than 0.267. (CFDA rules, page 25).  This is based on testing done in 2021 based on human reaction time and draw speed. I understand the reasoning and the intent.

I also understand that barriers are meant to be overcome and that records are meant to be broken. The CFDA may want to reconsider a hard barrier to human performance.

Congratulations to Jiles.  I was honored to be there to watch him set a new world's record.

While I Was Gone

 So I understand that while I was gone to Georgia this weekend, a US Navy ship pumped a couple of 5-inchroundsintotheengineroom of an Iranian motor vessel who was trying to run the blockade.

I don't often say this, but Go Navy.

From what I understand, this particular vessel was a Bad Actor in the supply chain for Iran's WMD program.  Not that I care what this particular vessel, nor any Iranian-flagged vessel is carrying.  The US Navy is conducting a blockade. Any vessel trying to run it should be 1) warned, and 2) sunk.

It is time that Iran get themessage.

This N' That

We started Georgia State today. In a suburb of Atlanta.  I didn't cover myself in glory, but I didn't embarrass myself either.  Belle and I are now ensconced in the hotel, and she has declared Happy Hour.

Two bits of wisdom I heard today.

1.  In Atlanta, you are not IN traffic. You ARE the traffic.

2,  Violence is not always the answer, but it is always in the lesson plan.

Tomorrow begins the main match.  I hope to be fully rested when we begin.

3rd Place

 Belle and I were on the road today, passing through Talladega when the phone rang. It was grandson, Lucas.   Lucas shoos in the 4H shooting program, specifically, three position rimfire. Today, he competed in the Louisiana State competition.

"PawPaw", Lucas says, "We just got through shooting. I got third place, rimfire 3-position.  For the whole state of Louisiana."

Belle and I whooped it up.  Lucas is the 3rs best rimfire shooter in the state.  And we can prove it.

Belle and I will shoot tomorrow in the Georgia State competition, CFDA.   All I can think about right now is how proud I am of Lucas, and I'm wondering what upgrades his rifle needs for next years competition?  Can the checkbook stand it? Do I even have a choice?

Let's Talk

 Let's talk about Eric Swalwell, the California congressman who is recently the subject of an intense sex crime investigation. I believe that five women have provided evidence to the police recently.  Last week, Swalwell was the leading candidate in the California governor's race. Now, he has resigned from Congress and has dropped out of the race.  How quickly we fall from grace.

I would remind everyone that he is accorded the same presumption as any other accused.  He is presumed innocent until convicted in a competent court.

I would also remind everyone that I worked with sex offenders during the 1990s Everything I have heard this far fits a standard pattern.  Sex offenders are always serial offenders. If someone is convicted of only one offense, it is because the prosecutors can only prove one offense. This far Swalwell has five accusers.

But, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

2026 HurricaneSeason

 Over the past several days, the usual contenders have issued their annual hurricane forecasts for the2026 season.  This year is supposed to be less active than normal with maybe nine (9) named storms and up to three (3) major storms.

We'll see.

The thing to remember about hurricanes is that it takes only one to completely screw up your weekend.

For those of you who take procrastination as seriously as I do, tax day is upon you.  This is the first year in many that I have not yet picked our my BAG day gun.  Perhaps because I already have my guns.  I have heard good things about Springfield Armory's clone of the Browning Hi Power.

Points, Plugs

 Someone commented on points, plugs, and condenser in an earlier post.  It took me down memory lane. When I started driving, that was considered a basic tune-up and I learned it at my grandfathers knee.

Every six or seven thousand miles, we would find a convenient shady spot, crack open the distributor and make sure that the points were okay. In my grab-and-go tool bag, I kept a small screwdriver and a point file. You could pick them up anywhere and in a pinch, your lady's emery board would suffice. File the points, set the gap, clean the rotor and inspect the contacts in the cap.

The first electronic ignition I ever owned was on q 1975 Ford that I bought new to go on active duty.  That car was never right, Ford simply had not figured out how to do electronic ignition. That car had a pre-ignition ping that simply could not be tuned out.  From that car and others I have known since, I became convinced that most of the cars from that era were simply pieces of shit. The cars from the 60s were pretty nic and the cars from the 80s were starting to get better, but the cars from the 70s suffered from a number of ailments fueled by rapidly changing technology that was launched too early.

Nowadays even my Briggs lawnmower has good ignition.

Beef Tallow

 I was hosting a lunch yesterday (chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, fried green beans, yeast rolls).  Talking with friends as I cooked the meal, one of my buddies said that his doc was trying to get him away from seed oils and go to more animal fats.

When I was growing up, my mom used white canned Crisco.  Grandma used lard. I keep a little bacon grease around for making roux.

We started talking about lard, and the flavor that it brings to fried foods, then talked about beef tallow.  I have no experience with beef tallow, but I have heard good things. My buddy, JT,  says that he can get it from a wholesale grocer, but has to order 50 pounds.  We decided to split a 50 pound order three ways. He is getting it for $1 a pound,  which seems like a pretty good deal.

If any of y'all have any experience with beef tallow, let me know.

Right To Repair

 John Deere, a giant in the ag sector, was having problems with technology.  Deere did not want to share the diagnostic software to repair their machines, which meant that farmers and third-party mechanics had to load the equipment on a trailer and take it to a dealership.

This caused huge problems for farmers.  Equipment has to run, and repairing it in the field is a lot easier than dragging it to the dealer.  Time is money.  Weather waits for no one.

Evidently, they reached a settlement in the long-running civil suit.  That is good news for everyone involved.

Raisin' Caine

 The Charman of the Joint Chiefs gave a briefing this morning, talking about the Iran mission.  He highlighted some states.  He said that during this operation (and I'm paraphrasing here) US forces consumed "950 thousand gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine". 

Those of us who have served, know that the military runs on caffeine and nicotine. It was true when I was a young tank commander, and I'm gratified to know that it is still true.

Hyperbole

 A lot of people are freaked out about President Trump's Truth Social post from earlier today.  I admit that it seems a bit harsh.

I wish that he had been a little more circumspect.  Threatening to kill an entire civilization in  one night seems a bit over-the-top.  It's dark over there now, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Distraction

 That logistical flex we talked about on Sunday may have been a distraction, designed to draw ground forces away from the main mission of collecting our lost aviator.

We had boots on the ground, no doubt, trying to bring our guys out of harms way.

One story I'm hearing is that at the site of that distraction, US forces left two mementoes for the Iranians to find.  One, a case of MREs, and second, a pair of American flag boxer shorts.

Is that true?  Hell, I don't know, but it makes a great story.

A Fresh Look

 A fresh look at an old friend.  I drank it during college, and it is still a staple on many shelves across the world. How they can produce this bourbon at this price point still confounds me.  It's nothing special, nothing exotic, it simply falls squarely where it should.

I have to go into town tomorrow, and I need to pick up a bottle to put in the shop cabinet.

Flex

 I found this over at Instapundit this morning.

Evidently, the US is building a temporary runway about 50 km from the Iranian city of Isfahan. Ostensibly to fly out the Iranian nuclear material once the US takes possession of it. Isfahan is a large Iranian city, with about 2.2 million population.  The fact that the IRGC can't challenge it is a huge testament to their current ineffectiveness.

This is a huge logistical flex. To build a usable runway while under an active bombing campaign. If the US really wanted to flex against them, they would park a working Burger King on the end of the ramp. Next to the NCO club, with a stripper pole.

Artemus

 We're headed back to the moon, after all these years.  The ship launched on Wednesday, with a crew of four, to circle the moon and come back, testing systems along the way.

You can track the mission here.

Godspeed, Artemus.

In other news, today is Good Friday, a huge day in the Christian calendar.  Fasting and reflection is the order of the day. Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection, the fact that all of Christianity is based on.

Y'all have a great and blessed weekend.  Celebrate Easter in your own style, and chick on those brave astronauts who are crewing a tiny spacecraft in a vast universe.  They are going only to the moon, but we have to start somewhere.

Pin Oak and Crepe Myrtle

 We have this huge pin oak tree in the front yard.  Some call it a white oak, others call it a water oak, but around here, it's a pin oak.  It's a beautiful tree, but it drops acorns.

When Belle and I moved into the house, we wanted a crepe myrtle in the front yard, so I planted one.  Crepe myrtles are odd, decorative, flowering trees.  When they are young, or when they are stressed, they are spindly.  Some old-time growers would weave the spindly trunks together.  Others would choose the strongest trunk and cull the others.  It's a choice.

Back to my plight.  The pin oak was close enough to the crepe myrtle that acorns would fall amongst the spindly trunks of the crepe myrtle.  Some took root and over the past several years, the oak saplings grew into the crepe myrtle, choking it out.  It looked like hell, and I needed to get a handle on it.  But, I have elevated procrastination to an art form.

Yesterday I hooked the utility trailer to the lawn mower and got out that little chainsaw that I bought in February. Went out in the yard and started doing surgery on those oak saplings. The utility tailer is a 4X10 and over the next hour or so, I loaded it with oak saplings.  I dragged it over to the burn pile.  I was amazed at how muck oak I had cut our of that crepe myrtle.  The trailer was stacked five feet high.

I was also amazed at how capable that little 6" chainsaw proved to be. That little saw had plenty of power and I could wield it like a scalpel. No complaints whatsoever.  The crepe myrtle is unharmed, and the pin oak is feeling decidedly unwelcome.

If you are looking for a little battery chainsaw, click on the link above. This link will take you to the Amazon page.  If your preference is for another type of battery, they have them for Milwaukee, or others.  just use the appropriate search terms.