Dry Week

It's Dry Week.  My readers know that I like my whiskey, and enjoy sampling various distilled spirits from around the world and the US.    But, I follow the Magnificent Bastards at the Whiskey Tribe.  One of the things they do is to establish a Dry Week, one week per quarter where  we abstain from alcohol.  It gives us a chance to rest, to give our liver a break, and allows us to double-check, just to make sure there is no problem. 

I started Dry Week at 1800 hrs, this past Saturday.  However, we're planning a party for this Saturday to celebrate Election Day.  We'll have supporters in the shop, where Belle is planning a scrumptious repast, and we'll enjoy each others company as we watch the election returns.  My bourbon collection is respectable, and we will have an assortment of wines.  I have a bottle of Jameson's for those who might like Irish, but my Scotch collection is rather shabby.  I have an old bottle of J&B that someone left over here, ad a bottle of Monkey Shoulder, but I wanted to pick up a single malt.  Scotch prices locally are a bit higher than bourbon.  I can pick up a variety of very nice bourbons in the under-$30 range, but yo'd best add $20 to that when we start considering Scotch.

However, I was lunkiing through the aisles yesterday and found a bottle of Glenmorange that seemed rather nice, and found it at the $30 point.  Reviews from the Whiskey Vault ad from Ralfy seem to indicate that it is a very respectable Highland malt.  10 years old, bottled at 43%, I'll have it on the whiskey cart for the party.

Because it's Dry Week, I can't sample it.  Indeed, I haven't even taken it out of the box.  I think I only have one Scotch drinker coming to the party, and he normally drinks bottom-shelf swill, so there is that.  My Dry Week is over at 1800 hrs Election Night, and I believe I'll start with a dram of this, just to see what Highland Scotch is all about.

Computers - Gaah!

Several months ago I bought a computer for the shop.  Something to edit videos on, to keep books for the club, and as a general record-keeping system and a place to keep match scores.  I bought a little solid-state device, brought it home, updated it, and took it to the shop.

I went out this morning to input some scores, and Excel wouldn't accept input.  It worked last week, but this morning, it won't work at all.  So, I brought it inside to see if I could get it to work.  Evidently, Windows needs to check in with the mother ship once in a while.  Now, it's going through some sort of interminable update cycle.

There are a very few of us who don't acre if a particular device ever connects to the internet.  We might want to take it to the woods to download game-cam photos, or to keep in the shop for light record-keeping.  Someone should make a nice little computer that can be a stand-alone device that does't feel an  overwhelming compulsion to update every time a new feature comes along.

I am coming to despise the connected world.  I don't want the cloud, or whatever OneDrive is.  I simply want to store things on a flash drive and update records occasional.

A Tale of Two Skillets

I've been cooking on cast iron for as long as I can remember.  I learned at my Momma's knee, who learned at her Momma's knee.  It's versatile, holds heat well, and is basically non-stick.    There is a lot to love about cast iron.

I've never owned a Griswold or Wagner, although when Belle and I married she did bring some old Birmingham Stove skillets into the collection.  I used to have a pretty good selection of Lodge skillets and other cast iron goods, but between moving, a divorce, helping launch kids and the travails of life, I don't have nearly the collection I used to have.  Still, I have enough. 

Belle and I started out with a collection of smallish skillets, but as the grandkid population grew, we needed a bigger skillet, so we bough a new Lodge 12" skillet.  It was "pre-seasoned" and felt like pickup truck liner.  But over the course of several years we managed to get the surface to a point where we could actually cook in it.  (Yes, I know the sand-it-down trick, but never got that motivated.)

Last year, Belle asked me what I wanted for Christmas, ad I told her that I wanted a really nice cast iron skillet, so she bought me a 12" Stargazer.  She ordered it, and the company had hell scaling-up.  I finally took delivery in May.  Yet it has become one of my go-to skillets, the other being that bi Lodge.  We used both of them today.

Belle wanted to cook chicken fried steak with cream gravy, so I used the Stargazer while she used the Lodge.

Belle dropping steaks in the Lodge, my cream gray in the Stargazer on the right

At this stage of the game the difference between the two is the difference between eenie and meenie.  At this point, we've had the Lodge a decade longer, but the Stargazer is holding up its end of the bargain.  The question becomes; s the new skillet worth the additional money?  Well, I have pride of ownership and that's one thing, but they cook exactly alike and cooking in each of them is a joy.

Lodge, left - Stargazer, right

I have it on good authority that the Field skillet very closely approximates the weight and handiness of the old Wagner skillets, but at $125, I don't know if I'll be buying any more high-end skillets.

However, there is a large cast iron chicken-fryer at the flea market I've had my eye on. 

Saturday Night Music

Haunting melody, profoundly sad song.



And yeah, I passed on the official video.  I like this rendition better.

Opening Day

I slept in until 7:00 this morning, not having the interest or compulsion to go to the squirrel woods.  Belle was already moving around, so I grabbed some coffee and walked outside to greet the day.  We live in a subdivision near a wooded area.

As I sipped my coffee, I watched two squirrels come out of the wooded area, cross the road, and climb a Bradford pear tree in the neighbors yard.   The tree is still in full foliage, and the squirrels disappeared immediately. 

Well Done, fellows.  You're safe until dark.  Hang out in the Bradford pear and you should be fine.

Squirrel Day

Tomorrow is the opening day of squirrel season.  Traditionally in Louisiana it marks the beginning of the upland game season in Louisiana.  Many times, the weather has moderated (but not this year) and the hunters are ready to get out in the woods.  School administrators know about this tradition and work with it, often with good humor. 

My grandson, Zach, goes to Buckeye High School, and they had their traditional Friday night football game The Squirrel Bowl, last night.  Yeah, on Thursday.  This morning, I find that the student council put up a video explaining Squirrel Day in a humorous way.



Happy Squirrel Day, everyone.

Absolute Silliness

I see that the city of Portland has banned urinals in a remodel of a town building.

The City of Portland has banned urinals in the $195 million remodel of the Portland Building, which houses administrative offices for the city. While urinals use less water than toilets, they are a relic of a bygone era when men and women were recognized as biologically different.

On reflection, Belle and I own four gender-neutral bathrooms.  One in the master suite, one in the hallway, on in the little pool house and one in the shop.  I built two of hose (pool house and shop) with my own hands, drawing inspiration from Belle's sense of style and function, but I don't own a single urinal.

Still, in public buildings, urinals save space and water.  They are efficient.  If the city of Portland wants to embrace inefficiency, that's on them.  They are the government, after all, and governments are not known for being efficient.

But, there are only two genders.  Men and women are different, and I applaud that difference every day.

Biden On Gun Control.

He's gone fill left-wing liberal.  Lets not worry about the guy who wants you to shoot the shotgun off the porch, Lets's worry about the guy who wants full-scale registration.  They're the same guy.



He's talking licensing and registries.  He's talking about extending the NFA to include semi-auto firearms.  He is an existential threat to the 2nd Amendment.

That $15 Minimum Wage

One of the dearest dreams of the socialists is to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour.  Like most socialist dreams, it's proving disastrous.

Gabriela’s isn’t alone. In a survey of 324 full-service restaurants, the New York City Hospitality Alliance found that 76.5 percent of respondents cut staff hours and 36.3 percent eliminated jobs, including whole layers of middle management, in response to mandated wage increases.

You can read the whole thing at the link, but wage controls cost everyone money, not just the management.  People lose jobs, businesses close, and cities lose tax revenue.  The newly jobless are a burden on programs already stretched thin.

Irish Drinking Irish

I suppose if you were going to make a video about drinking whiskey, you 'd actually get people who liked whiskey.  Not so much these folks.



That is not your standard whiskey review.

Public Health

My son, who now lives in Los Alamos, NM, sends this photo.

With the caption; "This was in our yard this morning."

I told him that Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are real things, and he'd best watch out for ticks in the yard.  He agreed.  Hunting is not allowed within a certain distance of residences, but deer in the yard ain't a good idea
either.

Still, I believe that if I saw hat in my yard, I'd be mighty tempted to poke it with a sharp stick.  You know, like comes with an 80 lb compound bow.  Those sharp sticks are very sharp.  But that's just me, and I taught my boy to comply with all game laws.  I'm just saying.

That Dallas Case

You may or may not have heard of the case in Dallas where a police officer goes home, mistakenly thinks she is in her apartment (but she is not), and shoots the resident of the apartment in the mistaken belief that he is a burglar.

The jury heard the case and came back with a verdict.  Guilty.

A Dallas jury has found former police Officer Amber Guyger guilty of murder for fatally shooting a neighbor who lived in the apartment directly above hers last year. She had testified that she entered Botham Jean's unit after a long day at work, thinking it was her own home and that he was an intruder.

That's probably the correct verdict.  Guyger was relying (as I understand her defense) on the Castle Doctrine, and I though that was a stretch.  How do you walk into an apartment and not immediately realize that what you are looking at is not your furniture?

The jury took five hours to decide Guyger had committed murder, rather than a lesser charge of manslaughter. Jurors were to begin considering sentencing options Tuesday afternoon. Guyger faces a possible punishment of five to 99 years in prison.

By all accounts, the victim was sitting in his apartment on his couch, eating ice cream when Guyger came i the door.  The mind boggles.

Paying Attention

I admit that I haven't been paying much attention to national politics recently, immersed as I have been in local politics.  I am running as a local candidate, after all, and most of my attention has been focused there.  But, reading the papers this morning, I am a bit confounded at the news that Speaker Pelosi has decided to move forward on impeaching the President without a formal House vote to do so.

It’s also true, however, that Mrs. Pelosi has no precedent for what she has done, and by eliminating a House vote, she has denied the House minority the opportunity to be heard before Congress begins exercising its most formidable constitutional power short of declaring war: the process of removing an elected president.

I would think that before moving forward, Madam Speaker would first get a feel for the actual vote, but I'm sure that she has vote-counters on her staff.  I would like to know how individual Congress-critters voted.  Still, this sounds like an awfully fascist move on the Speaker's part.  Impeachment by fiat can't be a good idea.

I also see that Mr. Douthat, in another paper, is imploring Republican senators to go along with this farce.

That competition would be the next phase of our fast-forward: With Trump gone, everyone from Haley and Carlson to Marco Rubio and Josh Hawley could jump into an accelerated primary campaign against the unloved Republican “incumbent,” Mike Pence. The result would be, in effect, the 2024 G.O.P. primary four years early — with the possibility of either pre-empting a President Elizabeth Warren or preventing a Trump second term’s likely demolition of the G.O.P…

The thought of a Trump second term scares the living hell out of these people.  Just like the thought of a second Obama term scared the hell out of me.  Yet, we lived through it and I'm sure that the Democrats will live through a Trump second term.  They won't like it, but by-God, they'll get over it, and perhaps not field a candidate in 2024 that isn't bat-shit crazy (which is what the current crop of Democrat wannabees is shaping up to be).

Not one of their smears has taken hold, not one.  And, they are becoming increasingly strident in their demand that something, something, must be done to save the country.  Yet, not many of us out here in flyover country are interested in being saved.  We're simply content to lead our lives ad go about out business.

The Democrats have still not accepted the fact that Donald Trump won the election, fair ad square.  They are simply livid that they failed to resonate with huge chunks of the American people.

10 Best

I know, it's still in the 90s here, but hope reigns eternal, and before too many more weeks, we'l be able to make a bowl of chili, so I'm going to link this right here so I can find it later.

It's the 10 Best Texas Chilis,  Oay, fine.  Although I'll pass on the turkey chili.  I do notice that they are all red chili,   This may not be Texas chili, but Belle makes a fine white bean chili..  And, we YouTubed it last year, so here goes.



I notice that Belle is wearing her fleece togs, so I'll bet that it was cool in the shop when we were cooking.  I probably had a propane heater going to keep her feet warm.

It's almost chili season, and I can't wait.

Weather Change

Sitting on the back porch this morning, I saw a flight of ducks.  Big ducks, not teal or scaup, but either mallards or pintaails, flying west by northwest.  They were headed either for Catahoula or the Saline/Larto complex.  Two huge duck havens that have been hunted for waterfowl for hundreds of years.

We're still sweltering under high 90s temps, but if the ducks are moving, there is a weather change afoot.  I notice my Facebook buddies telling me that Montana is having a blizzard, which is okay for them, I guess.  It's still too early to break out the flannel shirts here.

I cooked burgers today on the griddle, but I'd rather have been cooking a chili, or a gumbo, or any of the cool-weather foods.  I'm jones-ing to break out the big stew pots.

But, I have to wait.  I have switched over from hot weather vodka tonics to cool weather bourbon.  I'm finding that I enjoy the more highly proofed versions, and right now I'm working on a bottle of Eva Williams Bottled in Bond.  Very nice 100 proof whiskey.

I'll just have to wait for cooler temps, but October will be here next week, and the ducks are moving, so there is hope.

We Voted

Early voting started today, and after a monthly gunfight at the club, and after going to a funeral for a family member, Belle and I took the opportunity to participate in democracy.  We voted.

It was the first time I had ever seen my own name on a ballot so I went ahead and voted for myself.  I'll have to check the precinct totals after the primary election to see if Belle voted for me.  She says she did, but she was in the voting booth alone.  Primary election day is October 12th, but early voting is really easy.  The voting commissioner there tells me that they've had a steady stream of people coming through all day long.

Politicing

I was invited to an event today, a Women in Business conference sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce.  I went and made nice with the conference, talked about my plans as Sheriff.  I was well received, got a few laughs from the audience and maybe a few votes.  It was a good thing.

However, I knew that just a block away was a little downtown pub, Finnegan's Wake.  They were reported to have a pretty good selection of Scotch whisky.  So, I asked Belle to meet me down there for a cocktail after the conference.  After the conference, I walked down to Finnegan's Wake found Belle, ( who had already been served) and asked the barkeep about Scotch.  She poured me a wee dram of something called Bownmore 15.

It's a single malt, 15 year old Islay whiskey.  I'm not sure what I was supposed to taste, but the range of flavors that came out of that dram was amazing.  I know my way around a bourbon bottle, but I was not expecting what I found in that little pour of Scotch.  I still don't know if I like it or not, but it was not unpleasant, quite the contrary.  I believe I may have enjoyed it, but it was way outside my wheel-house.

However, talking politics with the patrons, I learned that I was the first candidate for Sheriff that had darkened their door and the patrons were quite welcoming.  I believe I may have picked up more votes at the pub than I did at the conference, which makes it a double-win.  I got some votes, and I started learning about single malt Scotch whisky.

I'm A'gin It

I have, in the past been critical of the penchant of people to name things after living Americans.  If you want to name a road or bridge after someone, wait until they are deceased and let their legacy be fairly judged. 

There has been a rush, lately, to name things after Barack Obama, and I caution discretion.  As heroic as he is to many Americans, it simply has been too soon to fairly judge his legacy.  However, there is one city in California who is rushing to name a road after Obama, and while I  think it is tongue-in-cheek, I still caution discretion.

Last week in the state of California, the Milpitas City Council voted 3-2 to rename Dixon Landing Road to Barack Obama Boulevard. As much I think the "Put-Obama’s-Name-On-Things" movement is inappropriate because of his terrible record, this latest effort actually is very fitting. Why? Because the road in question leads to the Newby Island Landfill, a recycling and composting plant notorious for causing a "putrid stench" in the area. 

Putrid stench, indeed.  Still, discretion.

Alfredo Sauce

Belle has an Alfredo sauce that goes well with anything.  It's fairly simple.

Alfredo Sauce

Small package chopped onions
Small package chopped green peppers
Tablespoon minced garlic
Small can Original Rotel
Half pint half-and-half
Small can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz standard Velveeta
vegetable oil.

In a cast iron dutch oven, heat the oil, then add onions and green peppers and let them saute.  Those frozen veggies have a lot of water in them, so let then sautee for a a while, and cut your velveeta cheese into small cubes.  About the time the wather is boiled out and the vegies are tender, add the Rotel and let them simmer for a bit, then add the mushroom soup, give it a stir, then the half-and-half, and add the velveeta, stirring to melt it.

That's the basic recipe.  You can add anything to it.  Chicken, seafood,  or tonight, I added some pre-packaged meatballs.  We served it with fresh french  bread as sandwiches.

The boys seemed to enjoy it.  I didn't get any negative feedback.

Basically, all I could hear was chewing.  We could have boiled some pasta ad served it over pasta, but we decided that sloppy sandwiches was the way to go tonight.

Even the old dawg got a ration.  A couple of cut-up meatballs and some sauce, and he licked it clean.    That's how we roll around here at Pawpaw's house.

So, Anyway...

So, it seems that a bunch of school kids has filed a suit in the UN to .... i dunno.... make the climate play nice?  It seems rather odd to me.  But, I guess the old truism applies; you can sue anybody for anything.  Good luck with that.

I note, with some reliance on science, that these kids, who hail for 12 countries, got over here to file suit, and I wonder what the combined carbon footprint was of their travels?  If they had stayed home they would have made a bigger contribution.

And, according to Insty, some publication that calls itself The Conversation is trying to diminish conversation.  That's 5-star irony, right there.

I again note, with some reliance on science, that human beings are carbon emitters, breathing oxygen ad expelling carbon dioxide.  Perhaps these tedious tyrants should just hold their collective breath and see if that makes any difference in the weather.  It would be a start.

In other news, this is officially the second day of Autumn, which doesn't mean a damned thing here in Louisiana.  It's not quite as hot as it was in last week, but it's not nearly time to break out the flannel shirts yet.

Gloom and Doom

Well, folks, it's been a good ride, but it looks like it's over.  We have now screwed up the planet so thoroughly that it will never recover.  We may have 50 years left.  I doubt I have 50 years let, so I won't be around to see it  That's better than the 12 years that AOC gave us.  I may have 12 years left.  I'm glad that we adopted the Green Nude Eel.

I note, as have others that the gloom ad Doom crowd is often wrong.  Maybe that's overly generous.  According to this, they're 0-41.  Nothing they've said yet has come to pass.

The one that makes me laugh, though, is this little gal.  Someone snatched her up from her lessons, brought her to a studio, and gave her a script.  She nailed the outrage.  In another few years, she'll be a proper little leftist.



Whoever gave her that script should be charged with abuse.

Making Likker

I used to watch my Daddy make moonshine, and while we never made it in the woods, the process was the same.  Corn, sugar, yeast, to make the beer, then distill the beer in a homemade still.  We ran a small still, about fifteen (15) gallons at a time, and generally two runs a year.  We were making it downtown, in an abandoned paint booth in an auto body shop  Hundreds of customers walked past that paint booth without knowing a moonshine still was within feet of them.



Moonshine is un-aged, white spirit made from grain, on which the tax is not paid.  If you've paid the tax and have a license, it is called White Dog.  If you age it in a barrel for a period of time it's called whiskey.

These days one can go into a good, specialty store and buy something that's called moonshie, but Dad would tun his nose up at that crap.  Generally, it's flavored and under 80 proof.  It's okay as a neutral mixer, but it's proofed-down to below what comes off a proper 'shie still.  Dad's was somewhere north of 150 proof, cleear as glass, and had absolutely no flavor.

Saturday Afternoon Music

Saturday Sloth

Belle and I have run our errands and are just hanging out today.  Not much going on, and we can do nothing with the best of them.  The one problem with doing nothing is that you're never really sure when you're through.

I do note this report coming out of the Middle East, via Insty:

There are new reports from devout Muslims living in the most repressive and intolerant corners of Islam of appearances of Jesus.

Evidently, something bizarre is going on.  Staunch Christians  are an endangered species in some parts of the Middle East, and reportedly, this is exactly where our Lord is showing up. 

“God is moving inside the Middle East with dreams, visions, and personal visitations,” Yazim told Platt in a voice disguised to protect his anonymity. As an example, Yazim described a Middle Eastern man who claimed to have received an extremely unusual visitor:

This is Good News, indeed.  Hiw will be done.

Gun News

My Facebook feed lit up this morning with news that Colt's Manufacturing has stopped producing rifles for the civilian market.  My first thought was a big yawn.  I have mine, and I'm sure that you have yours.  There is no shortage of ARs in the market.  But then I noticed that the folks celebrating the news are all diehard liberals, so I decided to dig a little further.  I found Colt's official statement: (clipped for brevity).

The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity. Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future.

Yep, there is no shortage of manufacturing capacity for modern sporting rifles. Everybody is making them.  I have several Colt's firearms in the inventory, and that fact of the matter is that the only other one I'd like to have is simply out of reach.  I'd really like a NIB Peacemaker in .45 Colt, but I'm not willing to pay gouging  prices when so many other manufacturers are making them.

So, it's back to the big yawn.  If you want a modern sporting rifle (or a 1911, or a Peacemaker), there are lots of other options.  Let the banners express their glee; this is simply a marketing decision by Colt.

Fajitas

This morning before school, I asked the boys what they wanted for supper.  Fajitas!  Okay.  I went to the grocers today and picked up some chicken and other goodies that we needed.  Then came home and sliced the chicken ad marinated it in a good fajita seasoning that grandson Quinton recommended.  Put it in the fridge to marinate.  When the boys got home from school today, we sliced the veggies (onion, peppers, and tomatoes), sprinkled them with that same seasoning, then dropped them on the griddle, along with the chicken and some good local venison sausage.  Then, we drizzled everything with lemon juice and let it fester on that hot iron.

When everything got cooked, we pushed it op to the top of the griddle and started laying out flour tortillas.

Just damn!  That turned out.  I had never used this particular seasoning.

They turned out pretty damned good.

Editing Video

I have learned a lot about video since beginning my political campaign.  Those seemingly effortless videos we see on ouTube and Facebook are a lot harder than they appear to produce.  I'm doing it all myself, from the set to the script, to the editing, and I've found, roughly, that it take and hour to complete a minute of video.

I've been playing with a five-minute video all morning, and I'm still not sure that I have it right.  My quality control (Velle) will e home this evening, so I'll have her watch it and get her opinion and feedback.  I don't post anything online that she doesn't approve before-hand.

Goblin Down

News out of Conyers, GA from yesterday.  It seems that three masked teens tried to rob a man during the early morning hours Monday.  At least one of the teens fired on him, but he was a better shot.



So, three young men lost their lives yesterday, involved in what everyone agrees was a criminal episode.  It's tragic, but not nearly as tragic as if they had succeeded.  The law worked.  What is remarkable about this event is that the homeowner did something that the liberal media tells us is never done.  He used an AR in defense of home and family.  From everything that I've read, it was precisely the right tool for the job.

Warthogs At The Trough

A great photo from Strategy Page:

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES08.27.2019 - A KC-135R assigned to the Utah Air National Guard's 151st Air Refueling Wing conducts air refueling operations with A-10s assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group, Moody Air Force base, Georgia. The A-10s received fuel during their cross-country flight enroute to Nellis Air Force base, Nevada. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. John Winn)

This aircraft, more than any other, is the one that soldiers love to see  loitering.  The other fast-movers may have their place, but there is nothing quite as comforting as Warthogs overhead.

Ban Vending Machines

It's a specious argument, one that is readily dismissed.  But, it seems that vending machines kill nearly as many Americans as AR-15s do, on average, every year.

Again, analysis regarding the AR-15 — the so-called “weapon of choice” of mass shooters — produces less-than-impressive numbers. Between 2007 and 2018, 173 people were killed by mass shooters using an AR-15, according to a New York Times analysis — roughly, 15 per year. (For perspective, 13 people die per year from vending machines falling on them.) The fearmongering regarding this weapon becomes even more apparent when one considers the estimated 8 million AR-15s currently in circulation — the vast majority of which will never be involved in a crime.

Go, as they say, and read the whole thing, linked above.

Campaigning

That was an interesting forum tonight.  It went way over-time, and the Sheriff's candidates were the last ones to be questioned.  In lieu of a closing statement, they asked us each to encourage our opponents.  They gave us 90 seconds to praise and exhort  our opponents to public service.   I was fourth in line.

The thing about this race is that we all know one another.  We have been co-workers and associates for many years.  It's been a clean race, with very little back-stabbing.  We've all taken the high road.

The first three candidates gave very generic encouragement to all of us to serve the public, take care of the little guy, and live up to the oath.  Then it was my turn.  I walked to the podium not knowing exactly what I'd say, but I launched into the standard rhetoric about service before self, a higher responsibility to the citizens, that sort of thing.

Then, I turned to address the candidates directly.  "How can I encourage my opponents? ... Gentlemen, after this election, I will need to hire a Chief Deputy.  I would like to encourage each of you to apply."

The laughter and applause erupted around the room.  I blew the rood off the place.  It felt very, very good.  There is one other forum before early voting starts on September 28th.  God's will be done.

The Problem

The Democrats have a huge problem, and it begins with that ignoramus O'Rourke, continuing with that bozo, Booker.  Their plan is to have a "mandatory buyback" and the idea that Americans will simply line up and comply.  The evidence suggests otherwise.

In recent years, states including Connecticut, New York, and California have passed laws mandating that assault weapon owners register their firearms. Each has faced extremely low compliance rates: reportedly around 15 percent in Connecticut, and below 5 percent in New York and California. Tony Guglielmo, a Republican state senator from Connecticut, told The Hartford Courant that many assault-rifle-owners were flatly ignoring the law.

They don't have a plan, they have a pipe-dream, and reality has a way of dealing with pipe-dreams.   Booker doesn't even understand the law he talked about in the link above.  He believes that fully-automatic weapons are illegal.  Those of us who know better immediately spotted the inaccuracies in his clip.  I personally know several Americans who legally own full-auto weapons.    They are expensive, and there are regulatory hoops to jump through, but they are legal.

The Democrat plan at this point seems to be:
1. Pass a law banning something they don't like.
2. ???????
3.  Gun Free America

That's not much of a plan, and point #2 is where they are going to run into Murphy's law.  With a low estimate of 12 million affected firearms in circulation in the United Stat es, who do they think is going to pick up all these guns?  Local law enforcement?  Don't count on it.  The National Guard?  Not likely.

What they have done is to excite the base.  And, not the base they intended to excite.  These two fellows have set back gun control for fifteen or twenty years. 

As for myself, not one more law, not one more regulation.  They've gotten all they are going to get from me.  They've unveiled the dream, and I don't share it at all.

More on Beto's Gift

Beto (that ignoramus) O'Rourke, gave America a huge git on Thursday night.  He dropped the veil on the Democrats wet dream.  Confiscate all the AR-15s in the country.  Other Democrats are starting to notice.

Sen. Chris Coons said while he appreciates former Rep. Beto O'Rourke's passion on the issue of guns, it remains to be seen if O'Rourke did more harm than good when he  said he was going to confiscate AR-15s during Thursday's Democratic primary debate.
Coons told CNN on Friday he does not support mandatory confiscation of AR-15s.
"And I, frankly, think that that clip will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying, 'Democrats are coming for your guns,'" Coons said of O'Rourke's comment.

No, Senator.  Beto said it, and we're not trying to scare people.  We're simply reporting what was said at  Democratic national debate.  We're not trying to scare people.  We are just accurately reporting on what was said.  You want to see the clip, Senator?  I happen to have it archived.



We're not afraid of you, Senaotor, we're disgusted at you.  We think, generally, that the Democratic party over the past ten yeas has become despicable.  You have allowed the fringe to take over what was once a great party.  Nowadays, Democrats are generally laughable.

But, you're right.  I intend to play this clip every chance I get.

Two New Ads

The first, a GOP ad showing the face of socialism..



The second is an ad I cut today, dinging on Beto's rant last night and drawing my "conservative" Democrat opponents int the fray.



Mine may not be as slick as the GOPs professional ad, but I hope that it resonates with voters.

Pancakes

The boys wanted pancakes for supper, and that's no problem.  A little flour, milk, baking powder, and egg, and we have pancakes.  With sausage, choice of syrup, and get a beverage out of the fridge.

Belle, working the griddle.  That thing cooks a bunch of pancakes, fast.

When we turned the boys loose on them, it didn't take long to gnaw through the pile of pancakes Belle had made.

Yeah, he's putting peanut butter on those pancakes.  With cane syrup made locally down the river.

The belly is full, and I'm enjoying a cocktail to aid the digestion.  Tomorrow is another day.

Democrats Selling Guns

The national Democrats are the very best thing that the gun manufacturers can hope for.  They sell guns like crazy.  The Washington Examiner reports that gun sales spiked in August after the national Dems called for more gun control and an expansion on background checks.

Analysts said that it might be the start of a 2016-style buying binge. Then, calls by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton for gun control and an assault weapon ban led to the highest yearly sales and background checks ever.

Yep, those were heady times.  With the combined assault of Obama, Holder, Lynch, Clinton, et al, to abrogate the 2nd Amendment, Americans bought a hell of a lot of guns.  Now Schumer and Pelosi are driving sales.  They should be on commission.

Regular readers may recall that PawPaw hisself picked up another example in August.  One of my teenage grandsons remarked yesterday that we need to take it to the range to sight-in.  He's right, and we'll take care of that very soon.

Campaign Finance Reporting

When you run a political campaign, finance reporting is a requirement, and the Louisiana Board of Ethics has certain dates that are set in stone.  Don't miss it.

I haven't missed a report yet, but it's something I have to stay on top of.  Along with everything else.  I'm just saying.  If I'm reading the literature correctly, I have three more reports to tun in by the end of the campaign.  The election date is October 12th.

Brenda Potatoes

Forty years ago, my good friend Brenda gave me a recipe that I'd forgotten about.  It was a staple around the house for twenty years, then I forgot about it.  Today, I was out in the shop, casting about for something to cook with a meatloaf, and thought about Brenda Potatoes.  Oh, it's good with meatloaf.  Potatoes and onions baked in butter and cheese.

Brenda Potatoes

5 lb russet potatoes,washed and scrubbed.
1 large yellow onion
Salt, pepper
Margarine (tub butter)
2 cups grated cheese.  Your choice.

Prep

Scrub those potatoes and cut them into circles.
Peel the onion and cut it into rings.
In a large Dutch oven, coat the inside liberally with tub butter.
Layer potatoes, onions, seasoning between layers.  Continue until you're finished, then add the cheese across the top.   Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake at 375 for one hour.

Bon apetit!

The Wal Mrt Brouhaha

Like many of you, I've followed the brouhaha over Wal Mart deciding not to sell certain guns and ammunition.  I think that it is silly and short-sighted, and don't believe that it will help business, quite the contrary.  However, that's their business and I have nothing to do with that.  I shop at Wal Mart infrequently, simply because it is inconvenient to shop there.

There are several large chains where I shop regularly that doesn't sell guns or ammo.  I spend a lot more money at the Dollar General down the road.  They don't sell guns or ammo.  My local auto pars house doesn't either.  For that matter, I don't recall seeing ammo on the shelves at my favorite grocers.

None of my readers doubt that I am a fervent 2nd Amendment supporter.  I believe in the whole Bill of Rights.  I believe that I have certain rights, regardless of where I live, whether in rural Louisiana, a suburb of a large city, or (God forbid) in downtown Manhattan.  But, I also believe that any business has the right to do business the way they see fit.  There are still stores in town that sell ammo, and I know where they are.  There are also online stores that sell ammo, and they are only a click away.

let Wal Mart do what Wal Mart will do.

Ralph Sets Them On Fire

My congressman (LA 5th District).  We love Ralph here in central Louisiana, because he is a veteran, an aviator, a veterinarian and a medical doctor.  He hasn't been in politics long, but he's making waves.  He's also running for Governor.

One of his ads has twisted the LGBT crew into knots.  They're calling him incendiary.  But, let's take a look at the ad and judge for ourselves.



Personally, I don't see anything remotely "incendiary" in that ad.  It sounds to me like plain common sense.

Converstions Over Lunch

Sunday lunch around here is quite entertaining.  Belle and I invite friends and family, and today, was quite enjoyable.  The menu was pork chops with rice,  purple hull peas, okra and tomatoes , and cornbread.  Assorted soft drinks.

Today, in addition to the children and grandchildren, we had a Registered Nurse, an old cop, a PhD educator, and a pharmacist.  Oh, and a prison correctional officer.  An eclectic group.

After lunch we were talking about past jobs, and bar tending came into the conversation.  I told them about a cocktail I used to make at the country bar where I bar tended.  The Colorado Bulldog.  Of course, the ladies demanded that I get up and make a round.  Because... cocktails.

COLORADO BULLDOG

1.5 oz vodka
1.5 oz coffee liqueur
1.5 oz Irish cream
Milk
Coca-Cola.

In an 8 oz cocktail glass, add ice and the booze.  Fill nearly to the brim with milk, then add a skim of Coca-Cola to the top.  Shake or stir.  Be advised that this is a three-shot drink, so pace yourself.

The Hunt Continues

According to the Army Times, the service is looking at next-gen replacements for the M4 and M249 SAW.

Chambered in 5.56mm, the M4 and SAW has a lethal range of about 300 meters, service officials have said.
The new rifle and automatic rifle must be able to engage targets out to 600 meters, industry insiders say.
“This is a weapon that could defeat any body armor, any planned body armor that we know of in the future,” former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has said. “This is a weapon that can go out at ranges that are unknown today. There is a target acquisition system built into this thing that is unlike anything that exists today. This is a very sophisticated weapon."

The M16 was first adopted in 1964 and the variants of that system are familiar to anyone who humped a rucksack since then. The platform in the semi-auto version arguably one o the most popular rifles in the US.  I grew up with it and my grandson is learning to use one.  THe rifle has been in service for 55 years.

I wonder what they're going to come up with?

Dog Days

Here in hot, humid, Louisiana, we are in the dog days of summer.  It's hot.  And, don't let the fact that it is dry convince you that the humidity is low, quite the contrary.  With the heat, the lakes, bayous, rivers and swimming pools are evaporating.  Late afternoon humidity runs about 80%.  Here is the weather screen for today and tomorrow.

With temps in the triple digits, we'll do well to stay indoors during the worst of the afternoon.  It's hot, by Gawd, and as Belle is apt to say. "Let's go inside.  It's cool in there, and we pay extra for that."

That Candidate Forum

On August 27th, the realtors association hosted a forum for Sheriff's Candidates.  It's a little long, but I wanted to capture it.  LINKY HERE:

When my tech support gets a few minutes, I'll have him save it.  But, anyone who wants to watch it is welcome to click the link.  It's two hours.

Arrow v Armor

Great video of archaic weapons v archaic armor, vis a vis Agincourt.



I figured the arrows would have penetrated, but I'd be wrong.

Lying, or Just Stupid

Ol' whatshisname, Smollette is back in the news.  Evidently the city of Chicago is billing him for his failed excursion into racial politics.

Look, when he made his preposterous claim, even I didn't believe him.  When the news broke, I did a shallow dive into the available coverage, and was like: "WTF?  That didn't happen!"   The story just didn't add up.  As the investigation (ad the media coverage) ground on, it soon became apparent to anyone with two firing synapses that the only person guilty of anything was Smollett himself.

Now, it seems, the city of Chicago is suing Smollett for the cost of the investigation.  His defense?  He didn't now that the city would actually investigate.

But the latest court filing contends even if Smollett did make a false report, there is no way the city can assert he would have known the city would investigate — and investigate it to the extent cops did.

C'mon, Jussie.  Everyone knows that the police were going to investigate.  Fire your lawyers, pay the fine, and get on with your life.  At this point, you're a laughing stock, even to Dave Chappelle.



It's over, Jussie.  It was a bad idea then, it's a bad idea now. 

San Fran Goes Bat Guano Crazy

According to recent reports, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has declared the NRA a domestic terror organization, and says that the NR incites acts of violence.  I shit you not.

The resolution, which passed Tuesday and says the U.S. is “plagued by an epidemic of gun violence,” accuses the NRA of using “its considerable wealth and organization strength to promote gun ownership and incite gun owners to acts of violence.”

 This is ludicrous.They need a bogey-man and the NRA is a convenient target.  I understand that the NRA responded to this shameless slander against five million patriots.

"This ludicrous stunt by the Board of Supervisors is an effort to distract from the real problems facing San Francisco, such as rampant homelessness, drug abuse and skyrocketing petty crime, to name a few,” the statement said, according to  KTVU. “The NRA will continue working to protect the constitutional rights of all freedom-loving Americans."

The Board of Supervisors just slandered me.  I am the NRA.

Weather

While the east coast is focused on Hurricane Dorian there is a lot going on in the Atlantic basin.  Three named storms are rumbling around, and each bears watching.

Dorian is whacking the east coast, while Ferdinand is going ashore in Mexico.  Gabrielle is ginning up in the mid-Atlantic.  September and October are the height of the hurricane season and we will continue to watch this map closely.

Locally, it's hot and dry.  Very hot, very dry, and we'll adjust our routines accordingly.

Okay, You're Crazy

David Cicilline is the Dem rep out of Rhode Island.  He does the tweets and shows that he's an idiot.

Everybody is calling him crazy.  I haven't been following it, but I understand that the Odessa shooter was a 2nd felony offender, who bought his AR at a private sale.  It's regrettable, but it shows that criminals don't obey gun laws.

And, that David Cicilline wants us to call him crazy.

Jameson

Wandering through Sam's Club today, I happened upon the liquor aisle, and looked at a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey.  I've never sampled Irish whiskey, but I know that Jameson is supposed to be the gateway to the type.  At 40% ABV, it's not an especially strong whiskey.  While I do drink 80 proof, I prefer something with a bit more heft.  Still, I dropped it in the buggy and took it to the checkout.

The bottle I brought home was the big one, not the 750 ml, and I reckon that if I don't like it, I can always serve it with ginger ale.  But, getting home, I poured a wee dram into a glencairn.  Light and sweet on the nose, I detected a hint of sweet-bread cookie.  It stayed light on the tongue and went down easily.  Not at all complex, but very friendly.  Very nice indeed.  I've heard that folks like it with ginger ale, and I can imagine that it would be almost effortless.

It's not nearly as complex as some of the bourbons I keep in the cabinet, but it doesn't rough-you-up like some of those bourbons do.  I wonder why I wanted so long to pic up a bottle?

Osprey Rappel

Rappelling is a technique  of vertically traversing a distance by using rope.  Below, a Marine departs an Osprey using this technique.

AUG 19, 2019 A U.S. Marine with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion rappels out of an MV-22 Osprey during helicopter rope suspension technique training at the parade deck on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan

I learned to rappel in the '70s when I was playing with the Air Cavalry.  I've never departed an Osprey, but I have departed from Huey's using this technique.  It's a very cool way to get out of an aircraft when for some reason, the aircraft can't actually land.

Labor Day

Labor Day used to be a big deal.  First recognized in 1894 as a holiday celebrating the American labor movement, it was a day off for workers.  In this modern era of 24/7 commerce, Labor Day is mainly a day off for government workers.  Some government workers.  Police, fire and public safety professionals are working today.

I was surprised this morning to see the garbage-men working.  But, around here, the waste company is a private concern, not beholden to government. 

Back in the '50s my dad was a union hand, and some of my earliest memories are at the huge barbecues the union threw on Labor Day.  I probably drank my first Nehi Grape at a Labor Day barbecue.

I'm off today because I am retired, and the grandsons are still abed because it is a school holiday.  So, today is just another day.  Belle happens to be off today, and we'll spend it puttering around.

Fascinating Conversation

It's long, but it's really interesting.



This is good stuff.

Love a Happy Ending

From the Virginian-Pilot.

He walked into a Virginia Beach 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp. He ended up shooting 2 robbers, killing 1.

This guy, who was down on his luck, but working through it, did everything right.  He ended a potentially horrific robbery,  protected the clerk and other customers, and did his best to secure the scene.  Then the realization set in.

“You just shot and killed somebody in 7-Eleven. You just told these people to call the cops and they’re coming. You got to stand here and wait for them. Of course, you can’t be standing here with a gun in your hand. You’re a black man with a gun. You’ll probably get shot.”

 “I said to the clerk, ‘Look man, I’m removing the ammunition from my gun,’ and I made sure he knew where all the guns were.

“He was like, ‘Man, you’re my hero. You need a Gatorade or anything? Anytime you come in here, you’re good.' And I was like, ‘Thanks, but the cops are here now and we got to put our hands up.’”

Our hero was not charged.  He was released by police after a round of questioning.   It's a cautionary tale:  If you have to shoot someone, you will probably be detained and questioned.  It is part of the process and you need to understand that.

Busy, Busy

Thursday, Friday, Saturday.  Busy as hell.  I haven't forgotten about you guys, but I've been busy, either at a forum, or editing video, or responding to constituent messages, it's quite exciting being an announced candidate.

And, Belle and I were talking earlier today.  We're really pleased wit the way the campaign is going.  I feel like we've picked up momentum this week precisely at the right time.  This is a lot of fun, and it's exciting.

Lunch

Nothing fancy, chopped some onions, bell peppers, yellow squash, and tomatoes.  Dropped them on a hot grill.  Cut up some sausage, likewise.

Added salt and pepper.  After they had sauteed for a bit, I dropped a couple of tortillas on the grill to warm.

Not bad at all for a throw-together lunch.  A little later, we have another candidate forum, this time at a smaller venue.  It should be a lot of fun.

Polling Data

The Sheriff's race continues apace, icing up steam, and I've been out and about, talking to folks, shaking hands, and making my case.  I'm running this campaign on a shoe string, with a tiny budget.  And I'm okay with that.  The campaign finance laws apply even to a local sheriff's race, and I'll have to report the money I spend.

But, somebody has money to hire pollsters, and I'm having a lot of fun with the machine polls that I"ve been getting on my phone.  Before I was a candidate, I'd tend to hang up on polls, out of sheer aggravation.  Nowadays, I stay o the phone for a few more minutes ad see if I can help the pollster with his data.

It amazes me that people today trust polls.  I recall that every competent poll showed Donald Trump lagging behind Hillary Clinton, right up until the moment that Trump won Wisconsin.

Last night, I participated inn a machine poll.  I identified as a young, African-American woman with moderate political views.  I had a very favorable opinion of myself.  I don't know which of my opponents commissioned the poll, but they should mistrust the data.  The only poll that matters will occur on October 12th.

Say What? - UPDAYED

Children of US Service members born overseas are no longer considered US citizens?  Am I reading this right?

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just issued a new policy guidance stating that the federal government "no longer considers children of U.S. government employees and U.S. armed forces members residing outside the United States as 'residing in the United States' for purposes of acquiring citizenship." The new policy statement also "clarifies" that "temporary visits to the United States do not establish U.S. residence."

I thin that somebody just stepped on his junk with track shoes.  The idea that the child of a service member born overseas is no longer considered a US citizen is the height of stupidity.

When I originally posted this story, that was the story.  Belle came in from work and we began our afternoon activities.  I didn't look at the blog until this morning, when I notice that NBC had a terrible day yesterday.  The updated story is here.  Here is the headline:

[UPDATED] NBC Bungles Report on Children of U.S. Military Members Born Overseas

I guess all those layers of editors and fact-checkers at NBC were asleep at their desks.  Or, NBC is so invested in Trump Derangement that they will pubish anything.

Dorian

While I wasn't paying attention, a tropical storm (two, actually), ginned up i the Atlantic.  Dorian and Erin.  Right now, it looks like Erin will affect shipping off the east coast, but Dorian is expected to plow into Florida.

Per Accuweather.

We will have to keep a weather eye on this oe.

The Debate

Tonight is the big debate.  Hosted by the local realtors and the chamber of commerce, all the Sheriff candidates will be on stage a the biggest debate of the campaign.

I've been going over my message all day.  This is going to be a lot of fun, and I hope all the candidates are on their game tonight.  We have gotten one round of questions that we'll be asked, but we don't have all the possible questions that might be thrown at us.  In a few minutes, it will be time to start getting ready.  I'm picking Belle up from work at 4:30 and will be at the Coliseum by 5:00

The Sunday Show

If you like philosophy, and wisdom, and intellectual challenge, you are missing a sure bet if you don't want Ben Shapiro's Sunday Show.  I've become enamored with it recently simply because of the breadth and depth of the conversations.

For example, here he's interviewing Dave Ramsey:





Each interview is about an hour, so don't get in a hurry.  Get a cup of coffee, or a glass of fine wine and savor the conversation.

Mondays

Liberal Wet Dream

From PJMedia.

"Mandatory gun buybacks" is an imported idea that Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke supported after the mass shooting in El Paso. The idea comes from Australia where the government instituted a mandatory buyback program following a mass shooting in 1996.

 Liberals swoon at the results: suicides and homicides plummeted. But in addition to the mandatory buyback program, there was radical gun control legislation, making it much more difficult to own any kind of firearm.

Nevertheless, gun confiscation is no longer a scare tactic used by Republicans to get elected. It's here. And it's real.

They're playing with civil war.  They sow the wind, they're liable to reap the hurricane.

Sunday Morning Music

Peacemakers Monthly Match

We hosted out monthly match this morning.

For the ladies, Blue Eyed Belle was the only participant, so she drew 1st place by default  However,she insisted on shooting with the men. 

She did well for several rounds, then fell out.  However, she continued to help run the range, work the score-board, and egg us on.

Men's match winners,1st, Bailey Boy - 2nd, Big Bill - 3rd Major D.

The August monthly match is in the record boos.

Make Assumptions, Fail Miserably

So, it seems that there was this journalist who wanted to buy a gun from Wal-Mart to show how easy it is to get a gun.  In doing so, she completely collapsed the anti-gun narrative.

Upon returning a couple of days later, a woman was able to help sell the gun to Peterson. She walked Peterson through the process, had her pay $2 for her background check fee, and began filling out the paperwork. Peterson was stopped almost immediately, however, as her address didn’t match up the one displayed on her driver’s license:

It's a compelling story, and I have to say that I was mildly amused at the number of times she went to the store before she finally gave up, concluding that it is incredibly difficult (her words) to buy a gun from Wal-Mart.

I have bought guns from the past in Wal-Mart and it is no harder there than it is from anywhere else, except for the limited selection.  But, I've bought guns before and I now how to navigate the background checks.

Yer Doin' It Wrong

Seen on the Book of Face.

Two Genders

Here in Louisiana, we have a governor's race going on.  Two good Republicans are running against out incumbent Donk (Don't get me started!)  The main contender is Dr Ralph Abraham, who is currently my US Rep.  I'd hate to see him out of Congress, but he is certainly stirring things up.



It might take a while to load, because the LGBTQ-EIEIO crew is going completely and totally ape-shit.  There are only two genders?!?  Horror!

I'm voting Ralph Abraham for Governor of Louisiana.

Pizza, Something

I have to launch some grandchildren in another year or so, and one of my missions is to teach them the basics of puttering around the kitchen,  Earlier today I had stopped at the grocers and picked up some french bread and a small pack of pepperoni.  When Quinton got home from school this afternoon, he met me in the shop and we made an after-school snack.

Slice that french bread length-ways and slather on some good garlic butter, then run it under the broiler to toast.  After it toasted, drag it out, add some leftover spaghetti sauce, some pepperoni and grated cheese that we always keep on hand.  Back in the broiler until the cheese melts and everything looks toasty.

I

I don't know what you call it, but it's good.  He ate half, and put the rest back for later.  And, we have another loaf of bread if we get peckish later on.

Utter Nonsense

It seems the news from the past couple of days is trying to tell me I have my thermostat set wrong.  Really.

To keep your home cool with central air conditioning while also optimizing energy efficiency (and therefore cost), keep the temperature at 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

The suggestion comes from Energy Star, a federal program managed jointly by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency that provides information to consumers about energy efficiency practices that not only save consumers money, but also improve air quality and protect the environment.

Uuuh no.  The temp at my house is set by a long and well established compromise between Belle and I.   Whether the temperature outside is 100 F, (like today), or bone-chilling single digits (which hardly ever happens in Louisiana), the temperature is set at 72 degrees.  Most times, the only thing that we do, seasonally, is slide the button to Heat or Cool.  If I buy a new thermostat, we wouldn't even need to do that.

That's where it's set, and that's where it will stay.  The Fed.Gov can kiss my butt.

Satire

There's This: Portland Police: 'We Wish There Were Some Kind Of Organized, Armed Force That Could Fight Back Against Antifa'

Then This: Bernie Sanders Arrives In Hong Kong To Lecture Protesters On How Good They Have It Under Communism

It's the Babylon Bee, guys.  It's hard to write satire whenn what you write so closely approximates the truth.

Tuesday Night Music

Conversations

Noticed one of the teenage grandsons had scratches all over his arm.  "What the hell happened to you?

"I was petting a stray cat, then I tried to pick it up, and it went off on me."

"You couldn't turn it loose?"

I was trying to turn it loose."

Valuable life lesson.  Sometimes you want to pet something, and find out it's almost impossible to turn that thing loose, as bad as you want to.  This time it was just a stay cat.  Net time it might be something more dangerous, like a psycho-chick.

That's a valuable life-lesson, right there.

Consequences

Like many of you, I've been following the continuing saga of Jeffrey Epstein's suicide in a Manhattan lockup.  I've never been a Federal prison guy, but I have been the watch commander of a local lockup, and I know that you do not want to be the guy who has someone commit suicide on your watch.  Nothing good comes from it.

Attorney General William Barr has removed the acting director of the Bureau of Prisons from his position more than a week after millionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein took his own life while in federal custody.

Evidently, that facility has problems that are ongoing, ad the big bosses didn't do anything to correct it.   I've read over the past week that various prison officials tried to cover up instances of dereliction of duty.

This story bears watching fairly closely.

Ouida Potatoes

Belle has a good friend, Ouida, (Wee-da) who gave us this recipe, and it has become a favorite.  It's quick, easy, and a big hit at gatherings, whether in the shop at a church gathering.  It gets rave reviews, and is easy-peasy.

Ouida Potatoes.

3 lbs red potatoes. Green onions, chopped for garnish. Bacon bits. Regular bottle Ranch Dressing. Grated cheese, any type.

Wash those potatoes, and cut them in bite-sized pieces.  Boil them till they're fork-tender.  You've done all the cooking you're going to do.

In a casserole dish, put the drained potatoes, hot.  Add ranch dressing till they're covered.  Garnish with green onion and bacon bits, then cover it all with grated cheese.  Set aside.  In about five minutes, the heat from the potatoes will soften the cheese.  Serve.

Seriously, that's all there is to it.  If you can boil potatoes and cut up green onions, you have this covered.   Don't make it any harder than it is.

Saturday Night Music

.350 Legend?

I got my American Rifleman today and saw a picture of a new cartridge from Winchester, the .350 Legend.  I'm a big fan of .35 caliber cartridges, ad I must say that my curiosity is piqued.  Evidently, it's based on the .223 Remington cartridge, blown out to .35 caliber, and is a straight-walled case.

It was designed, evidently, as a niche cartridge for those folks who cannot use bottleneck cases for deer hunting, but it throws a 300 grain, .35 cal bullet at 1800 fps.  My first thought was ' "Big Deal!  I have a 45-70 load that throws a 405 grain bullet at 1800."

But then I started thinking; This is based o the .223 case.  It might fit through an AR.  Or, a really small bolt gun.  Either way, it would make a dandy cast-bullet rifle.  If Junior were still alive, he'd be on this thing like a duck on a june bug.

Right now, it's a new, niche cartridge, but I can see the potential.

Local TV Interview

My interview with the local TV station this afternoon.  KALB is Live at 5.

Swing Bearing

Grandson Quinton is driving my pickup truck to school for his final semester of high school.  He came home yesterday and said that it was making a funny noise.  My truck is an '01 F150 with something over 210K miles on it.  I've taken care of it, and cranks and starts and goes and stops ever time I turn the key.  The AC is still cold and the radio works.

I went outside, we drove it, and sure enough, it's making a funny noise.  I  thought it was the rear end, but we took it over to my son's house, where he has a lift in his shop.  Put it on the lift.  Swing bearing.  A whole lot less expensive than a rear end.  Some parts houses call it a center shaft bearing.

In another hour we'll be installing a new swing bearing.  He let me drive an old beater jeep today that he keeps around the place.  It has a little 4-banger and a 5 speed manual.  I haven't driven a manual transmission in, probably, fifteen years, but I certainly haven't forgotten.  I taught all my kids how to drive a manual transmission, but I thin that is a dying skill set today.