Is Afghanistan Shades of Vietnam?

Over at PJMedia, Rick Moran argues that the Taliban has no intention of abiding by the peace deal they recently signed.

"They have no intention of abiding by their agreement," said one official briefed on the intelligence. NBC News reports that two other officials described the intel as explicit evidence shedding light on the Taliban's intentions.

Of course they don't.  They'll say whatever they need to say to get the US forces to leave, then they'll do what they intend to do.  Take over the country.  We've seen this before in other regions.  Folks like the Taliban are fighting the long war, and they'll do what is necessary to achieve their long-term goals.

The question is whether or not was should be there.  We can argue whatever we like, but the simple truth is that the United States doesn't like long wars.  And, we've been in Afghanistan for a long time.  Long enough for the government there to stand up.  If they are incapable of governing themselves, it's not the fault of American treasure and blood.  At some point, it's on them.

I'm no expert on the country, but I've talked to guys who served over there.  By all accounts, it's pretty much a shithole.  I know why we went over there, but I can't figure out why we're still there.  It's time to declare victory and come home.

On This Day

On this day, in 1836, by all accounts, shortly before dark, Santa Anna ceased the harassing fire that had plagued the defenders of the Alamo for the past twelve days.  The Texian defenders in the mission had been nearly sleepless for twelve days.

The attack would come shorty before daylight.  Santa Anna planned that the defenders would fall into a deep sleep and would be hard to wake when he threw his assault force at the walls of the fort. 

The Water Buffalo

Also known as the M149 Tailer, Water, 400 gallon, was used to distribute potable water to troops in the field.  It is one of the few pieces of equipment that survived my entire military career, from 1073 to 1998. It was there when I was in basic, and it was there when I retired.  IT may still be around, and I've head rumors of something called the M149A2, which had a stainless steel tank.

At any rate, I saw this pic today on Facebook.

M149 Trailer, Water

That one is a blast from my past, done in the old woodland camo pattern so beloved of troops until the Desert War, where we started painting everything some variant of tan.

But, yeah, I've drank out of those.  Thousands of gallons.

UPDATE** Yeah, that's a typo, above, but I keep telling you guys that I'm two days older than dirt.  I was a road-guard for the Three Wise Men, and pulled KP at the Last Supper.

Rough Day

Wednesday started out fine.  I was supposed to do some cooking, then host two of my out-of-town sisters who were passing through.  I did the cooking and was awaiting my sisters when Belle called.  She was in town, hand bumped a curb, and knocked the tire of the rim.

I went to rescue her and ran into problems.  The lug nut wrench didn't fit the lug nuts.  Luckily, an auto parts store was just down the block and I was able to fun up the street and get a proper wrench.  Changed the tire, put the donut on, and we went to our tire store to get a new time.

Sisters called.  They had passed through, and were heading out.  They'll try to catch up with me on the way back though town.  When we got home from the tire store, we went to the shop, whee the food was, had a cocktail and supper.  Belle went i the house while I cleaned the shop kitchen.  She texted me, "Bring the shop vac,"  What the hell?

I grabbed the shop vac and went to the house.  Laundry room flooded.  We started vacuuming and mopping, and after an hour or so, I decided that the water heater had turned loose.  Oh, joy!  This will be the second I have replaced in this house.    I shut the water heater down, said the hell with it, and went to bed.  This morning after coffee, I'll do some more more vacuuming (it leaked during the night) and yank it out.

Exit question:  Should't a water heater last longer than 12 years?

The Colt New Army

Below, a fascinating review of the Colt New Army, basically a review of Colt service revolvers fro 1873 to 1917.  The video is almost an hour long, so get a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage.



We all know that the US 1911 played a huge part in World War I, but many people don't realize just how may revolvers made it into the trenches, including two different versions of the Model 1917,   One by Colt and one by Smith and Wesson.

As late as Operation Desert Storm, we were still issuing revolvers to some personnel, primarily female soldiers.  I recall having a few stainless Ruger Security Sixes to female MPs at Fort Polk.  They could opt to carry the 1911 or the revolver, purely personal preference.

Lunch-Time Throw Together

I was out running errands this morning and stopped by the grocers on the way home.  I didn't even get out o the produce aisle.

I got home, found some sausage and cut it up, dropped it in a hot skillet.  While it was sauteing, I cut up half of an onion and a bell pepper and dropped those in the skillet as well.   Said what-the-hell, cut up some little roma tomatoes, and some summer squash, added them to the skillet, put a lid on it and turned the heat down low.  After about twenty minutes I took the cover off.

Grabbed a bowl, and a fork.  A glass of iced tea, and lunch was done.

Palace-Court Drama

This morning we are watching a huge power play.  Whether the populist communist Bernie Sanders will prevail against the entrenched in the Democratic party.  There are only four candidates now, and it looks like the institutional Democrats are coalescing behind Joe Biden, while the young upstarts are aligning with the aging socialist from Vermont.

We will learn more after the polls close tonight, but the struggle is real and the battle lines are forming.  What interests me is that it is almost exactly the same dynamic that played out four years ago in the Republican party.  Then, we had a field of institutional Republicans led by Jeb Bush aligned against a rebellious realtor from New York.  The party wanted the solid, respectable Jeb Bush and the people wanted the pugnacious Donald Trump.  Of course, we know how that turned out.  Trump went through the field of candidates like a shredder being pulled behind a John Deere tractor.  He clear-cut everything.

I've never understood why the Democrats let Bernie Sanders run as a Democrat.  He's not a Democrat,   If they wanted to stop him, they could have simply not allowed him to run as a Democrat.  But, they didn't.  Today they have a choice to make, and it may well be out of the hands of the institutional politicians.

As Nigel Farage said recently, "There is a reason why populism is so popular."

That's Really Rude

The world has gone crazy.  I heard on Rush Limbaugh today that some nations approach to the corona virus is not quite as humane as the US response.  As reported:

The story appears in the Singapore version of the International Business Times website, headlined "North Korea's first confirmed Coronavirus COVID 19 patient shot dead: report", saying that the country's leader Kim Jong-un "sanctioned the execution of the first North Korean patient tested positive for the deadly strain of the virus".

I bet that keeps them out of the emergency room.

In other news, I see that Amy Klobuchar has suspended her campaign and is endorsing Joe Biden.  As did Mayor Pete earlier.  Exit question?  What happens to the dozen votes those two got in early voting? 

Monday

Yeah, it's Monday again.  Although, as a retiree, it doesn't affect me nearly as much as it used to.  Zach is out the door, and Belle will be getting ready for work soon, and I'll be left to my own devices.  There is work to do in the shop, and other chores inside, but nothing that causes much concern.

I see that Mayor Pete dropped out of the race after his dismal showing in South Carolina.  Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, and they'll start dropping like flies in the run-up to the convention.  The one guy I can't figure out is Mike Bloomberg.  He doesn't have any delegates yet, and even Liz Warren has some. He's running ads, but he wasn't on the ballot in South Carolina.  I suppose he'll be on the ballot tomorrow, ad may pick up a few delegates, but it appears that his candidacy is just a big money-sink.

Some wags are saying that the Democrats are going to have a brokered convention, and I guess we'll know more after Tuesday, but in the mean time it will be interesting to watch.

The Sunday Paper

For many years I enjoyed the Sunday paper with my coffee, a ritual that gave me great comfort.  Several years ago, our local birdcage liner devolved to the point where a subscription was simply an extravagance that I could no longer justify, and the internet had become my preferred news gathering media.

So, nowadays I get up, get a cup of coffee and click on trusted links to get my news.  I see this morning that Crazy Uncle Joe won the South Carolina primary, with almost half the vote. He thoroughly trounced Bernie, which means his campaign is good for another three days.

Super Tuesday happens in three days, when fourteen states (IIRC) hold their presidential primary.  Some of the heavy-hitter states are in the lineup, and we'll see who comes out of that contest with a viable candidacy.

The Louisiana presidential primary comes on April 4th, which is still a month away.  I, personally, have been drafted to take a bigger part in my local party committee, and I'm standing for election on that day, although I have not campaigned as vigorously as I did when I was running for Sheriff.  It's a small, unpaid post, and I'll happily serve if elected.  Others are campaigning for a ticket of conservatives, and I think that act bodes well for the local committee.

Lazy Saturday

Belle had a craving flung on her today and asked me to make salmon croquettes.  That sounded like an altogether great idea, so we got the stuff together and I whipped some up for her.

The recipe is easy-peasy, so I'll link it here.

This morning, I got my chore-list done early, so I have time to goof off this afternoon.We have a busy Sunday ahead of us tomorrow, so having a lazy Saturday ain't a bad deal.

New Study

Evidently, Michael Bloomberg, the virulent anti-gunner who also happens to be a billionaire, gave Johns Hopkins University a metric butt-ton of money to conduct a study for him.

Who'd a thun, but the study determined that there is no evidence that assault weapons bans have any effect on mass shootings.  Wow!  No we know, assault weapons bans don't do anything.  Except violate the rights of freedom-loving people.  That's it, guys, the science is settled.

The Winchester Model 67

Belle came home from her mother's house the other day and took a rifle out of the car.  A Winchester Model 67.  It had belonged to her step-dad, and before that, it had belonged to a family friend.  For the past decade or longer, it had languished in the family gun case.

The Winchester 67 is a bolt action, single shot rimfire rifle, chambered in .22 Short, Long, or Long Rifle.It was the "value-priced" line in the Winchester family, selling for the exorbitant price of $5.50 when first produced in 1934.  It stayed in production until 1960 when it sold for $18.95 MsRP.

The Model 67 was produced without serial numbers, which makes dating it a little sketchy, but it shows a nickeled bolt, a nickeled safety, and a finger-gtooved for-end.  From what I have learned about the little rifle, I believe that it was manufactured sometimes between April, 1934 and December 1935  After that, they discontinued the finger-grooved stock.

It needs to be cleaned and oiled, and in time it will be fed appropriately ad used to train new shooters.  Belle asked what it is worth today.

I told her, "It's probably still worth $5.50."

Plumbing and Woods Cruising

I went to Jena today at noon to help my mother-in-law with a plumbing issue.  My brother-in-law met me at her house to assist.  Surprisingly, within ten minutes we were done.  Plumbing jobs don't often go that smoothly.  So, we had time to run out to a patch of woods on the outskirts of town that brother-in-law has leased for deer hunting.  It's small, as leases go, and it's on the outskirts of town, so we have to be really careful about shooting directions.

But, this little patch of woods is full of suburban deer.  They're everywhere if the sign is any indication.  I haven't been on a deer lease since 2015 o thereabouts, so this is going to be a lot of fun.

Mission Creep

With the corona virus devastating China ad the threat of pandemic, what do you think that our CDC (Center for Disease Control) is worried about?

Interpersonal violence?  Really?  That's the biggest threat on the disease control matrix?  Bullshit.  They should really be concerned about pandemics.

The medical researchers should run the behavioral scientists smooth up the road.  The CDC really needs to get its priorities straight.

Monday Mardi Gras

It's the Monday before Mardi Gras, a school holiday in parts of Louisiana, including our local schools.  Most government offices and businesses are open today.

I'm watching grandson Lucas, while his parents work.  This is a good thing and we'll spend most of the day running errands of various sorts.  We need to go to the DMV, the grocers and a metal supply shop.  I need a stick of half-inch square tubing for a project.

It's time to pull on the socks and get started.

Cooking Conversations

Conversation last evening.
Belle:  What are you cooking for lunch tomorrow?
Me: Beef Tips and rice with baked rolls.
Belle:  What vegetable are you serving?
Me: Rice.
Belle:  Rice is not a vegetable.
Me: If my high school biology serves me, it is neither animal nor mineral, it must be a vegetable.  It grows in flooded fields.
Belle, cutting her eyes: You will serve either corn or English peas.

So, that was the menu today.

Insurance

About six months ago, I added a gandkid to my auto insurance.  What a whack that was to my checkbook, but we did what we had to do.  He left in January to begin a career in the Army, so he's off my insurance and the premiums went down to something that approaches rational.

Just an hour ago, I added the second grandson to the insurance.  He's been living with us for the past two years and it's time for him to start driving.  My insurance is whacked again.

Louisiana reportedly has the 2nd-highest insurance rates in the US.  Yet, having a teenager on your policy sure does put a dent in the checkbook.  He'll be 18 in August and off to college, so we'll get him his own policy and transfer his ride over to him.  Hopefully, my premiums will revert to something approaching reasonable.

But, Louisiana still has the 2nd-highest insurance rates in the US.  Out legislature needs to enact tort reform and give us all a break.

Watching Politics

Biden is making sh*t up.

The socialist is being helped by the commies.

This election is getting positively weird.

Crawfish Friday

It's crawfish season here in Louisiana, ad we eat mudbugs every Friday evening.  Of course, he dawg is handy and demands his ration.  Belle peels them for him, and I can't tell if he likes them or is just being polite.



I think he likes them.  T omorow is ou clubs monthly match ad I'll be involved in that from coffee-time until it's over. 

The .25-06 Remington

Sitting here in a rainy Thursday between errands, I stumbled across a video about one of my favorite cartridges, the .25-06 Remington.  It's an old wildcat, designed by Charles Newton back in 1912, and standardized by Remington in 1969.  What it suffered from in those days was a proper powder.  It needs a slow burning powder.  What it suffers from today is that it is an old cartridge, overshadowed by the newer whiz-bang cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmore.  This guy is a fa, and seems to enjoy shooting the old standby.



He uses 7828, which I suppose is a fine powder.  My pet load for that cartridge is 50.0 grains of Reloder 22 with a 117 grain bullet.  My chronograph registers 2971 wit that combo out of a Ruger 77.  Not quite the magical 3000 fps, but I doubt that any coyote or whitetail deer could tel the difference.  It throws them all into 0.8" at 100 yards with boring regularity.

I guess I'd better get the keys to the truck and run into town.  I need butane, and I'm thinking about cooking a big pot of spaghetti.  Zach told me on his way out the door that it's been a while since we had spaghetti, and it seems like a good day to make some.

Ludicrous

SO, I use a CPAP mask.  Love the damned thing.  I sleep better and my wife sleeps better, and like any piece of mechanical equipment, it sometimes beaks.  Belle was commending that I need to upgrade, so I went to CPAP.com and ordered a mask.  They asked for my doctor's information, because a prescription is required, so I gave them my doc's information.

I got an email back that the doc wouldn't sign the script.  Evidently, I needed an appointment.  SO, I called my doc, raised hell.  Why do I need a prescription to buy a plastic mask?  They mumbled something about insurance, and I told them I was using cash money.  My insurance need not be involved.  They told me that if I didn't need insurance, they';; sell me a new mask, no questions asked.

So, I looked at my bank statement online and saw that CPAP.com had already done a pre-authorization on my account, so I called them to cancel.  Talked to the nice lady there.  She told me that if I ordered the new mask disassemble (a kit), it didn't need a prescription.  It comes in two parts, the mask and the headgear.  And, it's cheaper.

So, if I order the mask online, I need a prescription.  But, if I buy the mask from my doc, I don't need a prescription, and if I order the mask as a kit, I don't need a script, but it's cheaper.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the unthinking idiocy of the whole scenario.

Monty Walsh

I'm just going to leave this right here, in case anyone wants to watch it.



I have errands to run.  See y'all later.

USA! USA!

While I wasn't paying attention yesterday, President Trump opened the Daytona 500 and took a lap in the Beast.



The race will finish today, after being called for a rain delay.  But, Tump showing up is pure showmanship, and pure American.

EU Complaining?

It seems that the European Union is upset with us.  They think that we pay to little for their defense.  The French president is feeling miffed:

“There’s an American policy that started several years ago and not just under this administration that includes a certain kind of withdrawal, of a rethink of its relationship with Europe,” Macron said.
“We cannot be the United States’ junior partner,” he added. “I’m impatient for European solutions.”

Really?  We pulled the collective French ass out of the fire in both WWI and WWII.  France has always looked on us for their defense, and was so arrogant as to throw us out of France in 1966.

The Germans are likewise feeling butt-hurt.

In his opening remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the United States would put its own interests first at the expense of allies.

Does Germany not put its own interests first? Of course it does, and for the past 70 years has piggy-backed its social programs over the on the convenience of having America defend its borders.

Europe doth protest too much.

Article 2, Section 2

Article 2, Section 2 spells out the duties o the President, and in part, includes:

he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

There has been some comment about the President tweeting about a case involving his friend.  This is all politics.  We know that Obama protected his friends and allies from scrutiny,intervening when necessary, and the Democrats never said a word.

Just for the record, here is a little graphic to remind you how Obama put his thumb on the scales of justice.  And that's okay, because Article 2, Section 2 gave him that power.

It's the double standard that bothers me more than anything.

First Crawfish

First crawfish of he season, and Belle got hers on Valentine's Day.  She loves crawfish better than anyone I know, and our local boiler does a great job.

She loves them, she does.  Now, crawfish will be a constant on Friday nights.  Until the season is over.  And we'll wait patiently for the seasons to roll around again.

First Ride

We all remember our first ride.  Mine was a 1960 Ford Falcon that I got about 1969.  Today, grandson Zch got his first ride.  My mother had been driving a Toyota sedan for about 15 years and decided to upgrade to a newer model.  She passed down the car to me, for grandson Zach.

Zach lives with us, for lots of reasons, and he's a senior in high school.  He doesn't ask for much, and we do what we can for him.  He doesn't have a driver's license yet, but is in driver's ed  He'll get his license next month after he completes the course.

The car in question is a 2004 Toyota Camry.  It's fairly bare-bones, but was top-of-the-line in 2004.  It has A/C, the heater works, it has a radio and a cassette tape deck.  I wish that it had a standard 4-speed, but the transmission is automatic.  He seems to like it.

It's fairly low-mileage for a 16 yea old car, and I believe that it has another 100K on the drive train if he takes care of it.  I know that it has been cared for.

Sometime around the 1st of the month, my insurance is going up.

Selective OUtrage

It seems that the liberal media is now outraged that ... I dunno, something about President Trump tweeting, and AG Bar making a recommendation, and one career prosecutor resigning.  It seem seems that the Roger Stone case is the basis of all this faux outrage.  Evidently, Roger Stone is a fried of President Trump and was caught up in the RUSSIA investigation, and is facing sentencing over lying to Congress and obstruction.

Yeah, you can watch this report from See BS.



Those talking heads don't seem to recall when Obama's AG, Eric Holder famously bragged that he was Obama's wingman.  Or, when the DOJ declined to look into the IRS targeting conservative groups and Lois Lerner very publicly took the 5th in front of Congress, or when then-AG Lynch declined to prosecute Hillary Clinton for mis-handling classified documents. 

Under Obama, the DOJ, FBI, and IRS was weaponized against conservatives.    It was outrageous then, but i didn't hear many of the lib media complaining about it.  Now, it's outrageous that they find it outrageous.

Dead Soldier

Belle was making cocktails and mentioned that the one bottle was a "dead soldier".  I got her another bottle and my memry went back to the summer of 1976.

I was a shavetail lieutenant, a fantastic example of military manhood, and a platoon leader in the 4th Battalion, 37th Armor at Fort Knox.  My platoon Sergeant, "Big Al" Senese, was an E-7 recently out of Germany, but had entered the service from The Bronx, New York.  His military bearing was exemplary, and his grasp of profanity was graduate-level.  At this particular time, he was "going off" on the hapless crew of my 25 tank.  I heard the term "dead soldier", and my interest was piqued.  I was sure that if there was a corpse in the tank, my company commander would probably want a name.  Sergeant Senese fixed me with a baleful glare, a snappy salute, and informed me that this particular dead soldier was in the form of an empty pint gin bottle, that he had found in the driver's compartment of the tank.  This offended his military decorum and he truly wished that I would go away so that he could take remedial action.

I spun on my heel and left Big Al to his remedial action.  I had work to do in the company, and he seemed to have this well in hand.  Sergeant Senese was the first of a long line of stellar NCOs who taught me more about the military than all the books ad Army regulations could ever teach a young officer.

Getting Fired

It's been interesting to watch the horror show of LTC Vindman being relieved of his duties at the NSC.  The libs act like it's some act of retribution, and that Trump is some sort of grouchy old meanie to fire that heroic veteran who has shed blood for his country.

Yeah, not so much.  Vindman had orders to the US Army War College.  He's going to Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania to further his military education.  This is a rather prestigious posting for senior field-grade officers.  Not everyone gets to go.  He will be out of his high-stress White House job, furthering his education.

On the other hand, he was relieved from his duty at the White House, I suspect primarily because he testified against the Commander in Chief.  I'd love to see his Efficiency Report.  I bet it is spectacular with verbiage about lack of judgement.  Vendman, in the lingo of such things, "stepped on his own dick, in spectacular and public fashion.  The Army doesn't keep officers who do that.  I suspect that as soon as the news cycle loses interest, Vindeman wil be told that his retirement date is approaching rapidly.

And that's okay.  Every officer knows that day will come, and it's nothing personal.  Step aside for the good of the service.  He'll draw a nice retirement, and probably launch another career, just like many retired officers (myself included) have done.

Socialism Doesn't Work

Socialism doesn't work.  That is no secret, it's the message writ large across the history of the 20th Century.  Even Chris Matthews agrees.



He also likes Amy Klobuchar.

Flight Fights

If you're not following Chad and Sarah over at It's Bourbon Night, you're missing a sure bet.  They live in Kentucky and follow the bourbon scene.  They've recently finished a series where they evaluated the best bourbons under $30, and it was a great finale. 



I haven't tried their winner, Knob Creek Small Batch, but I am a fan of their second place, Evan Williams Bottled in Bond.  That's my go-to house bourbon, and I'm drinking it right now, mixed with Coke for a Friday night cocktail.  Locally, I can get a 1500 ml handled of Evan Williams BIB for under $30.00, which makes it one heck of a deal.

Buyback

The Mayor of Alexandria, LA, Mayor Jeff Hall is announcing a gun buy-back to be conducted in February.

This idea is horrible on so many levels, and has failed everywhere else it has been tried, so it doesn't surprise me that the City of Alexandria wants to try it.  Of course, Mayor Hall is a democrat, so we really can't expect things like fully staffing the police department, or making life tough for criminals.  Just buy their guns, no questions asked. 

Trophies

At Louisiana State, we're going to give away some 60-odd trophies.  It's always a hassle, and I've had some aw-shit moments during the events I've put on in the past.  This is my fourth state shoot, and I've gotten a little bit smarter.  This time I went and talked to a guy who makes a lot of trophies.  We scheduled the wok for a slack period in his shop, and got them done early.  I went today to pick them up.

That's a sample of five boxes of trophies I picked up today  That's done, and I can mark that off my list.  Louisiana State is 58 days out, and I think that this one is going to be the best one yet.

Shot, Ove

Courtesy of Strategy Page, we get this photo of soldiers firing a mortar in Afghanistan.

Soldiers from the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team fire their mortar system in support of operations in Laghman Province, Afghanistan March 5th, 2019

Commanders call mortars "hip-pocket artillery".  Most military formations have a mortar section assigned to the unit, a little bit of indirect fire that they can put into the fight quickly while they coordinate bigger guns.  Hooray for the mortar crews.

Petulant Pelosi

I didn't watch the SOTU last night, but listened to it on the radio.  I missed this little visual of petulant Nancy Peolosi ripping up her copy of the speech.



Nancy, Nancy, we know you're having a bad week.  The impeachment you never wanted collapsed ignominiously.  The Iowa caucus is a continuing dumpster fire.  Trump gave a magnificent speech, and later today the Senate will acquit him.  It's a bad week for the Democrats, and most of it is your own making.

You really should try to present a more calculated response.  Grace, charm, and style might be better suited than petulance, childishness, and bitterness.

Mini-Mike Speaks

Thank God this guy didn't win in Iowa last night.



He is so clueless on guns that his ideas are dangerous.  Somehow, he conflates hunting with the 2nd Amendment.    I'll say it again.  The Second Amendment is not about hunting.  THe Second Amendment is about shooting tyrants.

Kerry Speaks

It seems that John Kerry, the ailed presidential candidate, a veteran who is universally loathed by his shipmates, but parlayed his opposition to Vietnam, his marrying into money, and a lackluster stint under Obama into name recognition, has been campaigning for Joe Biden.  And, he has it wrong once again.

I’m a hunter. I’m a gun owner. Been that all my life. But I got news from you. I’m the furthest…there’s not a veteran here who would take an AR-16 with a long clip to go out and shoot a deer or shoot anything. There has no business.

If there is one failing of the 2A proponents is that we have let the Anti-2A guys push the fallacy that the 2A is about hunting.  Sure, lots of us hunt, but that is just one facet.  Originally, it was about shooting tyrants.

Like John Kerry.  If John Kerry is on Joe Biden's team, then that is simply another reason not to vote for Quid Pro Joe.

The Winner In Iowa

As of this writing, 0550 on 02-04-020 it's unclear.  I awoke this morning, got m y coffee, ad sat down at the computer.  Who won in Iowa?

No one knows.  It appears that the system crashed and there are no official numbers available to guide us in our question.

It's not like they didn't have four years to get ready.  And, I note with some small mirth that the Dems have had quite a week.  First, their impeachment effort augurs-in, then their first caucus crashes and burns.  Complete and total disaster seems to be their continuing modus.  Some are claiming that their app was hacked, others are claiming that their whole party has been hacked.

Joe Stalin once said that it didn't matte who voted, what mattered was who was counting the votes.

I have never understood the caucus system, but shrugged off my lack of understanding.  Let Iowa do what Iowa will do.  Now, I've come to believe that Iowas doesn't understand it either.

The big winner?  Donald Trump and the GOP.  The Democrats have now tainted this entire process and voters are sure to take note.

Get Involved

There is a huge threat to the 2nd Amendment looming on the horizon, currently being played out in Virginia, but soon to be played out across the nation.  Mini-Mike Bloomberg is gearing up for a big push.

Everytown for Gun Safety, the Bloomberg-created gun control group, announced Monday that it plans on spending $60-million in the 2020 elections in a bid to do to the United States as a whole what the group did to Virginia in 2019: give Democrats complete control of the executive and legislative branches of government.

It can't happen in you state?  Think again.  If you don't vote, you can be assured that the other side votes. It happens regularly.  A complacent citizen is busy with life, raising kids, keeping the house propped up, doing all the things that life requires.  Then, one day, that citizen finds out that the legislature has done something that affects him personally.  It happened in California, and New York, and New Jersey, and now is happening in Virginia. 

You have to vote.  You have to be involved.  You have to pay attention.  Go to town hall meetings, keep tack of what is going on in your city council.  Talk to your neighbors, your family.  It's inconvenient, but not nearly as inconvenient as finding out you are a felon for owning a box with a spring in it.  Or, for owning a rifle that you legally  bought last year.

Pay attention.  They want to control you.

Apple Pie

Belle was making chicken pot pie for lunch.  Good, fresh chicken and veggies, stewed down and put in a pie crust.  I decided that dessert would bi in order, and I decided to make pie too.  Apple Pie.

Two good Pillsbury pie crusts, two cans of Lucky Leaf pie filling, a tablespoon of vanilla extract, some ground cinnamon, and a #8 cast iron skillet to give it a place to bake.

Was it good?  Darned right it was good.  Now, we're kicked back on a Sunday afternoon.  I hear that there is a football game at 5:30, but I'm not even interested enough to watch. 

Groundhog Day

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. With Puxatawney Phil in the morning, and the Super Bowl tomorrow afternoon, it should be an auspicious day.

I got a big kick out of watching the Democrats melt down on the impeachment stage.  I understand that they are in deep mourning now, and in the nature of reconciliation, I'd like to offer this little graphic to entice a chuckle and make them think about other things.

Heh!

Cycles

A club member came over yesterday.  His Colt clone was broken.  It's a Cimarron PP410, a very nice revolver.  He bought it last year, before Louisiana State in April.  I recall helping him shortly after the pistol came in, replacing the stock main spring with a Wolff reduced power mainspring. (Brownell's 969-322-850WB).  Wolff makes very nice springs; they are a staple of gunsmiths everywhere, both amateur and professional.

A quick diagnosis, the hammer was flopping around, and I suspected that the main spring had turned loose.  We removed the grip frame, and sure enough, there's your problem right there.

I keep a couple of those springs handy, but we removed the bottom grip frame and gave the inards a good cleaning before we installed the new spring and re-assembled the gun.

Springs fail through cycles of use.  With just a little detective work, we decided that this particular spring had somewhere north of 9,000 cycles before it failed.  That is NOT the springs fault.  Cowboy shooters put a lot of stress on their guns, simply through the nature of the game.  We snatch on them pretty hard, and sometimes springs turn loose. 

Before we decry the flat mainspring in the Colt reproductions, we have to understand the nature of the game.  The Ruger New Vaquero is a very robust handgun, and a favorite in the Cowboy games, but I've seen them break, too.  We put a lot of stress on our guns, even if we are firing very light squib loads.  In the past several months I've replaced a fair number of springs in both Colt repros and Rugers.  It's part of the game.

Grammy's Lemon Icebox Pie

When I was a mere stripling youth, my paternal grandmother made a lemon icebox pie that is simplicity itself.  She claimed that she got the recipe from a can, but she never told me what can.  But, I ate a bunch of this pie over the years.  It was a staple around her Sunday table.

Grammy's Lemon Icebox Pie

Ingredients:
2 cans (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate
2 tubs (8 oz) ready-made whipped topping (Cool Whip)
2 store-bought graham cracker crusts

Instructions:
In a big bowl, mix sweetened condensed mild, lemonade concentrate, and whipped topping.  Mix until smooth.  Divide mixture into the two graham cracker crusts.  Chill until firm.

Seriously.  Mix, freeze and eat.  There is nothing to this pie, and it's a crowd-pleaser, which is why it makes two pies.

Peppers and Sausage

I wanted something savory on a rainy Monday.  Peppers and sausage.

Ingredients
1 lb good smoked sausage
4 big bell peppers
1 large onion
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
Olive oil
1 T minced garlic
Salt, pepper

Cook it.
Chop onions and peppers into strips.  In a large skillet, brown the sausage and set aside.  Put olive oil, peppers and onion in the skillet, turn fire to medium-low, and cover the skillet.  The peppers and onion will start to "melt down".  Add browned sausage.  Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a hoagie bun, or over rice, or just put it on a plate and eat it. 

Legal Arguments

A compelling legal argument from professor Alan Dershowitz on the legal standard for impeachment.  It's an hour, but if you enjoy a vigorous legal argument, well worth the time.



As I understand the argument, it boils down to simply that an impeachment is based on a crime as defined in law.  What Trump may have done might be despicable, but not a crime defined in law.  All the rest are political arguments that can be made for consideration at the ballot box, but those acts don't rise to the level of an impeachable offense.

God Bless Rednecks

Our Missouri grandson, Louis, woks on an itinerant crew, maintaining cell towers.  They work all over a four-or-five state area, and he let us know that he would be passing through town.  In a crew cab dually, pulling a 32-foot gooseneck.

We live on a parish (county) road off of a major state highway.  Our road feeds several subdivisions, so while it's bot really busy, the traffic is regular.  When Louis got here, his crew tried to back that trailer into the driveway in front of our ship, and promptly pu the truck into a ditch, high-centered, stuck.  Completely blocking the road.

I heard them stick it and walked outside to survey the problem.  Yep, it was stuck.  That truck wasn't going anywhere without help, and they had managed to block my truck in so that I couldn't get out to help them.  But, I was not worried.   We live in redneck-central, and I knw that someone would be along shortly.

Sure enough, inside of five minutes a guy pulled u in a one-ton crew truck, asking if we needed help.  He needed to get past us, and we needed to get the truck out o the ditch, and in just a minute, he had turned his truck around and we had it rigged to pull.  Easy-peasy.  In less time than it takes to type this sentence, we had the problem solved, the truck out of the ditch, the trailer out o the travel lane, and we were drinking beer in the shop.

I didn't even get the name of the fellow who pulled it out.  But, I'd do the same for him, ad have many times for other folks.  Rednecks live for stuff like this.

Busy Weekend

Yesterday, we hosted the shooting club for our regular Monthly Match.  We love this game and the people associated with it, and had a ball shooting yesterday.

Toady, we did our normal Sunday lunch, but got word this afternoon that a Missouri grandson was passing through from one job  to another.   We made a jambalaya ad re-heated the crawfish etoufee and bed his crew late this afternoon.   Belle got to spend an hour with him and was mighty pleased to see him.

It was a great weekend.  I'm going to hit the shower and get ready for Moday morning.

Lake Peigneur

An interesting bit of Louisiana history.  When an oil rig penetrated the Diamond Crystal salt mine on Lake Peigneur.  I didn't see it, but I watched it on the 6:00 news.

The Merlin Engine

Jay Leno owns a Merlin engine..



That's just cooler'n hell.

The Primary Election

Louisiana's primary election, for both Democrat and Republican will occur on April 3, 2020, and out Secretary of State has published the sample ballots for that election.  I am surprised to find that a number of people have qualified to run as Republicans in the presidential primary.

Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente Republican

"Bob" Ely Republican

Matthew John Matern Republican

Donald J. Trump Republican

Bill Weld Republican

Interesting.  I've never heard of most of these guys.  Trump I've heard of, and I'll pull the lever for him.  I wonder what those other guys are thinking?

The Schiff Show Continues

Pencil-Neck Schiff continues his assault on the American republic.

Now, he's claimig that we can't possibly allow President Trump to stand for re-election because we can't be sure that the election will be fair.

Really, Adam?  What do you consider fair?  Massive voter fraud?  Illegals voting?  As long as the Democrats win, it's fair?

I recall Hillary Clinton asking Donald Trump is he would respect the results o the election.  And, since the election, the Democrats have been throwing a monumental hissy-fit because they lost.  It was Russia!  It was Ukraine!

No, Pencil Neck, it was the Electoral College, the greatest bit of political genius that the Founders put into the Constitution.  It was designed to work precisely the way it worked.  That's the way we elect Presidents.

Schiff deserves censure.  More importantly, he deserves ridicule.  He, along with Nadler, Schumer, and Pelosi deserve the contempt they have so richly earned.

Wintry Mix

They're telling us that we're liable to get a wintry mix of precipitation in another hour or so.

Oh, Joy!  I'd best get cracking on my errands before everything turns to s*it.

Sharing What The MSM Won't

Notes on the Virginia Rally

Some notes on a remarkable rally in Virginia today.

The tyrant Northam put peaceful citizens in cages.

The State Police supervised those citizens in the cages.

Many thousands of citizens who refused to go into the cages were heavily armed,  Arguably, more heavily armed than the State Police. (I even saw one Barrett M85 being toted about.).

No one was injured, no one was harmed.  Peaceful citizens exercising both the 1st and 2nd Amendment.  Yet, the tyrant Northam wanted to put them in cages.

Virginia deserves better.  And the message is clear, We Will Not Comply.

Errands

The boys needed to swing by Wally-world, and I needed fuel,so I dropped them off at the front door and swung around to the Murphy Station adjacent.  They recently remodeled, and I haven't stopped there since the remodel.  I was surprised to find that they offer ethanol-free fuel.

I don't mind burning ethanol in my vehicle, all the new ones are set up for corn, and whatever you think about the moral imperative of burning corn in a vehicle, it is ubiquitous.  Those of us who want ethanol-free in our small engines have to seek it out, and now I have one other place to get it.

After the Wally trip, I took the boys to a local lunch place for a calzone.  These two were born within 6 months of each other and have been close cousins their whole lives. 

The one on the left graduates from high school in May.  The one on the right graduated in December and leaves for Fort Jackson tomorrow morning.  This may well be the last time they are together for a while.

All Eyes On Virginia

All eyes are on Virginia today.  It seems that the tyrant Northam, has been sending out police officers to question citizens about their intent for Lobbying Day that will commence in a few hours.

These two cops are in a bad situation.  But, it's a situation of ther own making.  At some point, every police officer needs to determine where his loyalty stands, even at the risk of his paycheck.



I am sure that these two cops think they are "just doing the job".  Likewise, I think that that the poor infantryman who marched out of Boston that beautiful morning in 1775 were just doing their jobs.  Just following orders.  Yet, before the day was over, their regiment was decimated and they had ignited a firestorm that consumed a continent.

Northam doesn't have any "regulars", but he does have his police officers.  Those fine young men and women should keep their heads abut them this morning, and remember their oaths.  If things go horribly wrong this morning, it won't matter who is signing their paychecks.  All that will matter is how the free world assesses their conduct.

Poor Ol' Harry

I'm not one to follow the travails of the Royal Family in Britain, but you'd have to be blind not to see that young Harry, beloved grandson of the Queen, has crapped in his own mess-kit.

This dude, an elite only by virtue of his birth, had the world by the nuts.

This time a year ago, Prince Harry had the world at his feet. He was a handsome prince with a beautiful wife and a healthy male heir on the way, plenty of money, a free, five-bedroomed ‘cottage’ in a piece of England’s finest real estate, a dashing war record from two tours in Afghanistan, bags of honorary titles — including Captain General of the Royal Marines — all the cachet of being a senior player in the world’s grandest Royal Family but little of the responsibility (his big brother William is heir to the throne, so the pressure is off there), with plenty of spare time for frequent private jet jaunts round the world to hang out with celebrity chums like Sir Elton John.

Now, he's pissed off grandma, been booted out of the royal family, and owes the taxpayers of Britain, 2.4 million pounds.  He's in his mid-30s, relatively healthy, and moving to a new country.  He'll be fine.  Lots of folks have started over at that age, and I wish him the best of luck.  He's going to need it.

Little Ribeyes

Grandson Quinton is shipping out for Basic Training on Tuesday.  He's been living with us since August, and we're going to miss him when he goes.  We've been spoiling him a little bit this week.  He told me that he wanted a good steak before he left, so yesterday I went to the butchers and had him cut some nice little 20 oz ribeyes.  Seasoned them up good, let them come to room temp, and dropped them on a very hot iron griddle.

Of course, we had to saute some mushrooms.  And keep some herbed utter close by to assist in basting.  Belle had baked some potatoes.

One plate for the steak, one for the potato

 He's heading to Fort Jackson, SC for basic, thence to Fort Lee, VA for training in MOS 91F (Small arms repairman).

Dialect

It's how we talk, and certainly we talk differently across regions of the US.  From the wonders of the intertubes, we come upon a neat little quiz to determine where your particular dialect is centered.  Go here to stat the quiz.

I took the quiz, and the results put me squarely in Louisiana, which isn't much of a stretch.

Red, more likely.  Blue, less likely

It's interesting, some of the choices they give you.

Liberal Hacks

I saw this exchange yesterday and found it unremarkable, but lots of folks are remarking on it, so what the hell.  This reporter tries to ambush Senator McSally in the halls of the Capitol, and she shuts him down.



The reporter in question is known for doing hit pieces to make conservatives look bad, while ignoring the antics of of Democrats.  But, the larger question is if McSally insulted him?  Probably not.  He knows he's a liberal hack and revels in it.  Where is the insult?

I tend to agree with Instapundit.

Personally, I think it’s okay to talk to reporters any way you want. I’d call them whores, but that’s an insult to the professionalism of prostitutes.

CNN is fake news, and this guy is the worst of the lot  He asks stupid questions, trying hard to break a non-story.  There was a time, thirty years ago, when I trusted CNN.  It was playing in the common area of the Provost Marshall's station the entire time I was assigned at Fort Polk.  I haven't trusted CNN since the beginning of George W Bush's term.  They really turned the corner during the Obama era, carrying his water at every opportunity.  They're hacks.  The whole bunch of them.

Dear Virginia

I see that there is a big 2A rally planned in Virginian on Monday, Jan 20 to protest planned gun control efforts in that state.  I also see that pro-gun goups are cautioning their folks to be on the lookout for agitators.

In an alert sent by one of the groups leading the “lobbying day” effort, supporters were advised to look the other way should counterprotesters challenge them.

 “If someone tries to provoke you, smile and walk away. There is probably someone secretly recording the interaction, with the intent of capturing some kind of inappropriate reaction on your part. Don't take the bait. It's not worth the bad press,” said the alert from the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which has conducted annual lobby day events peacefully since 2002.

We have to be on our best beavior, folks, we don't want to give the tyrants any excuses.  We're using the 1st Amendment on Monday.

I see that the governor has declared a state of emergency.  How very prescient for his tyrannical plans.



If you're going to the protest, be on your best behavior.  Don't give them any reason to over-react.

Thursday Morning Connectivity

Over the past several days, we've been having problems with internet connectivity.  It drops of-line several times a day. My personal, teenage grandson tech support suspects that the problem is the internet modem, which we've had for about eight years.  With two teenagers in the house, who each drag hard o that modem, I suspect that my tech support is correct, but before I spend the money, I want another opinion, so I call the company tech line.  The conversation goes like this:

Them: "Thanks for calling.  What's the problem."
Me: "Internet connectivity."
Then: "Let's reset the modem."
Me: I've done that four times today."
Them: "Let's do it again"

We reset the modem.

Them: "It looks good from here."
Me: "Okay, if my modem is fine, why does my internet keep dropping?"
Them: "The modem is fine."
Me: "Okay, if the modem is fine, is the problem on your end, or my end?"
Them: "The modem is fine."
Me: "Great, let me speak with your supervisor." 
Them: "We don't have a supervisor here."
Me: :You don't have a boss?  Am I speaking to the CEO?"
Them: "No, I am not the CEO."
ME: :Great!  You work for someone. Put him on the horn."

Needless to say, I didn't speak to a supervisor.  But I'm retired now and my internet provider (Suddenlink Communications), has a business office/plant operation just a few miles up the street.  My plan this morning is to drop by and give the lady at the front desk an opportunity to trot the manager out and let him explain to me what the problem is.

LSU Wins

Our beloved LSU Tigers took the national championship last night in the NCAA Championship game against Clemson.  President Trump attending the game with the First Lady.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

It was a rousing championship game to end a phenomenal season. 

All of Louisiana is celebrating today. 

Monday Morning Notes

It's a rainy day here in central Louisiana.  I've pushed the grandson out the door for school, and Belle will soon begin her routine to leave for work.

The entire state of Louisiana is cocked and locked for a football game tonight.  The LSU Tigers meet the Clemson Tiers at the Super Dome tonight for the championship game.  The betting line (depending on who you watch) shows LSU winning by a touchdown.

Anyone who thinks that Iran general Soleimani was beloved of the Iranian people is either daft or a damned liar.  From what I've read, that huge funeral crowd was lashed into the street by the theocracy and their henchmen.  Many Iranians didn't give a flying flip about him and most of the others actively despised him.

Pelosi continues her derangement.  While I agree that RUSSIA tied to meddle in the election, it seems that they backed the loser and Trump won against their best efforts.  She can't stand it, so she lashes out.  It's a poor example for a Speaker of the House, but it is certainly amusing.

I have quite a laundry list of things to do today (including laundry), so I'd best get started.

Iran Fesses Up

It seems that Iran has admitted that their air defense forces shot down the Ukrainian jet liner earlier this week.

Iran finally admitted Friday night to the incontrovertible evidence that it had shot a Ukraine jetliner out of the sky less than two minutes after it took off.

I was horrified when I heard the initial reports,  It seems that a whole bunch of Canadians were on board, and I admit that mystified me.  What the hell were they doing in Tehran?  And, what was the pilot thinking?  Didn't he know that he was flying in what seemed to be contested air space?  How did the ground controllers let him take off in the first place?

Somewhere outside Tehran, a young officer had a crew at a missile site.  They were expecting an American response to their missile launches into Iraq.  This young officer saw a bogey on his screen and launched a missile.  The missile did just exactly what it was designed to do.

It's a tragedy, but it seems to be a cascading chain of events that lead this Ukrainian jet to be over a missile site that was cocked-and-locked for incoming air traffic.  A blip on a screen, and war has begun.

New ATF study

It seems that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and whatever else, EIEIO, is conducting studies trying to figure out how many firearms and how much ammo is in the hands of law-abiding Americans.  My first reaction was that the ATFEIEIO guys have more to do than tally numbers, but if they are doing that, they aren't abusing good Americans.  THey are wastinng tax money, but we've come to expect that.

My second reaction is that their numbers are abysmally low.

Newly released figures from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shows that there are now a whopping 422.9 million guns in the hands of Americans. The number equates to 1.2 guns for every person in the country.

 The figures also reveal that the most popular firearm in the country is the much maligned sporting rifle, often mis-identified as an “assault rifle”, the AR-15 being one of the more popular models.

They also estimate that 8.1 billion rounds of ammo were produced last year.  I have no idea about that, but I bet that they didn't take into account the hundreds of thousands of us who produce our own ammo.  I suspect that the amount of ammunition in private hands exceeds their numbers by a significant margin.

Disclaimer:  I can't attest to the veracity of the linked article, only noting it for the purpose of discussion.

Thanks, Termite!

My buddy Termite works in the Gulf i the oil field.  He is a recovering professional aviator turned amateur, but we've been shooting together for years and we've done some trading and swapping.

Yesterday he called and told me that he had some good, fresh Gulf shrimp for me.  Five pounds, head on.  He brought them over and later I processed them.  It isn't hard to process shrimp, and these were beauties.  In less than an hour, I had a gallon zipper bag full of fresh, Gulf goodness.

Belle is already plotting what to do with them.  I suspect that they won't be in that bag by nightfall.

Thanks, Termite!

Our Justice System

I learned a long time ago as a cop that it wasn't my job to try and convict criminals.  It was my job to arrest and provide evidence.  I couldn't get my feelings hurt, if for whatever reason, the District Attorney chose not to prosecute.

That's the nature of our system, and Nancy Pelosi is learning that.  The Constitution is clear.  The House begins the impeachment process and the Senate finishes it.  The Speaker does not get to negotiate the rules.  Her job s finished when she sends the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.  Mitch McConnell made that perfectly clear yesterday.

"If the Speaker continues to refuse to take her own accusations to trial, the Senate will move forward next week with the business of our people," he said. "We will operate on the assumption that House Democrats are too embarrassed to ever move forward."

That seems fair to me.  If SanFranNan doesn't send the articles over, the Senate can't try them, and should move forward as if they never existed.

Thursday Morning News

We awaken Thursday to a mixed bag of news.

First, the weather.  It looks like east Texas, central Louisiana, and parts of Arkansas are in for another round of hateful weather over Friday and the weekend. Oh, joy.

In national political news, it seems that the Democrats are disappointed in Trump's reaction to the Iranian temper-tantrum.  It seems that they actually wanted him to bomb Tehran, which seems odd.  Certainly, they didn't want a new war simply for crass political concerns did they?  It seems that SanFran Nan was all set to vote on a war-powers resolution.  But now, there is not going to be another war and she is deflated.  I swear, Pelosi and Schumer are so far behind the power-curve, they will never catch up.

In another heart-warming item, it seems that the youngest son of the presumptive Den candidate has been named the father of a child born to an ex-stripper.  Of course, stepping-up, taking responsibility and doing the right thing is not a trait that Democrats normally exhibit, so the young lovely had to take him to court.  DNA is a thing, and the courts have decided that Hunter Biden is the biological and legal father of the child in question. The infant will get a new birth certificate, and baby-momma will get child support.  As is right an proper. The young lady should have learned a life-lesson.  Never mate with Democrats.

All that aside, PawPaw has a busy day today.  Lots of stuff happening on several fronts and I'd best finish my coffee and get busy.  Y'all have a great Thursday.

Catamount

They're called various things.  Lions, panthers, cougars, catamount.  They are damned big cats for this part of the country.  The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries acknowledges that they exist, but cautions that they are rare ad protected.  Everyone talks about "black panthers", but they are not black.  The three I've seen range from tan to a chocolate brown.  A dark panther at night might look black, but I doubt it.

Whatever the color phase, their vocalizations are quite distinctive.  Below is a video that purports to capture a panther scream.  In my opinion, this one is hoarse.  The one that lived behind my house in the '90s was much more clear and disturbing.  It sounded like a woman in extreme distress and would make the hair stand on you head.


Hearing that on the way to the barn to feed horses in the pre-dawn would make you pick p your step and turn on all the lights.

Iran Calls The Thunder

It appears that the Iranians have lost their damned minds, and are attacking US bases in Iraq.

From senior US military source in Iraq:
“Under missile attack from Iran. These are either cruise missiles or short range ballistic missiles. All over the country.”

Other tweets indicate that this is revenge for the lawful, battlefield killing of whatshisname.

 Fars News agency in Iran says this is video of a missile attack that has been launched in Al Assad airbase in NW Iraq. Home to Iraqi and U.S. forces. In their own words  "Start of Iran's vengeful US retaliation / Moment of Iranian missile firing at US base in Ain al-Assad"

They may have called the thunder, but I bet that they are not willing to reap the whirlwind. 

Here we go.

Good For The Goose, Good For The Gander

It seems that majority leader Mitch McConnell has the votes to use the same rules for the Trump impeachment that the Democratic Senate relied on when it tried President Bill Clinton.

That seems fair to me.  Why should the rules of an impeachment trial change just because the players have changed?

Nancy Pelosi  wanted the change the rules to suit their own narrative and desires.  They want to make up the rules as they go along.  But, that ain't the way it works.

Maintenance

It's the New Year, and even though we are in the depths of winter, the mowing season will be on us soon.  So, we decided to do maintenance this morning.  Take the deck off of the lawn mower, give everything a once-over, change the blades and put everything back together.

Grandson Lucas happened to be here (he's practically nine, you know) ad was a big help, fetching tools, holding stuff, turning a wrench.  When it was over, I took him to Wendy's for lunch.

There is this sandwich called a Baconator.  It's a bacon double-cheeseburger,  Big honking sandwich.

He made short work of it.  That sandwich didn't stand a chance.

Quote For Truth

Lindsey Graham, the esteemed senator from South Carolina, appeared on Fox News yesterday to talk about the Iranian dynamic.  He also responded to criticism from an infamous has-been, washed-up football player who can't seem to keep his footing, especially during the National Anthem.

It's brutal.  But fair.

"He’s a loser on and off the field," Graham said Sunday on Fox News during an interview about the death of Qasem Soleimani. "He’s a racist. If you’re looking for racism in America, Mr. Kaepernick, look in the mirror."

Oh, snap!

Welcome!

We have a new CFDA Club-In-Te-Works.  This designation is an affiliate who isn't ready for full affiliation, but wants to be recognized as a club who has a plan for full affiliation with the Cowboy Fast Draw Association.

Based in Jonesville, LA in Catahoula parish, we wish them well and hope that we can partner with them to grow CFDA in Louisiana.  Their Facebook page is here.

Short Memories

Remember back when Obama famously said that eh had a "pen ad a phone"?

Remember the Iran deal where Obama shipped over US currency by the pallet-load without congressional approval?

Former national security adviser Ben Rhodes, the architect of the Iran nuclear deal, purposely structured the JCPOA as a treaty that was not a treaty because he and his boss, President Obama, had no intention whatsoever of doing with the JCPOA what the Constitution mandates for all treaties, which is to obtain the approval of two-thirds of the Senate. Rhodes and Obama simply rammed through what was in effect a treaty without seeking the approval of even one Senator.

Well, President Trump has a pen and a phone now, and the Democrats can't stand it.   They are truly pissed that he didn't seek Congressional approval before whacking that Iranian whatshisname. 

Democrats are flailing and weeping that Trump's action was a dangerous escalation and that Iran will become more dangerous to American interests.   Well, for damn sure, ol' whatshisname isn't a danger anymore.

Democrats don't like it much when someone else plays by their rules.

Louisiana State

The planning is already well advanced, and it is time to start checking lists and make sure that everything is in its place. Ninety days from today, we kick off the 4th annual Louisiana State Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw.

Big changes this year, we're making sure that it will be the best event ever.  The City of Pineville has partnered with us, allowing us to use the Main Street Community Center in Pineville.  This is a beautiful facility, in downtown Pineville, and for the first time, we won't have to worry about rain nor wind.  Nor heat nor cold.  We're indoors.

Here we go!

Soleimani? Who?

If you've never heard of him, don't worry about it.  Qassem Soleimani was a top general in the Iranian military.  He came up (militarily) in the Iran-Iraq war and the proxy wars that followed.  He was tight with the mullahs, and festered terrorism across the region, often behind the scenes.

He came to Baghdad recently to stir up shit, and was fostering the demonstrations there against the US embassy.  Donald Trump remembered the destruction of the US embassy in Benghazi several years ago and decided that he had smelled just about enough of this particular brand of bullshit.

In a targeted airstrike by US forces, Soleimani, along with several henchmen, bit off more than they could chew, and have now achieved room temperature.

You can read all the background here.

The killing of Soleimani will surely lead to a response from Iraq, and the good folks in US Intelligence need to keep their ears to the ground.  This isn't over by any rational estimate, but surely the mullahs get the message.

Only the Police Should Have Guns?

That's Michael Bloomberg's take on the White Settlement church shooting.  He doesn't believe private citizens should have guns.  He says so himself. "We just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place."



Colion breaks it down better than I could.  Bloomberg has made a lot of money in the financial world, but he doesn't know squat about guns, or freedom, or the 2nd Amendment.  The American voter should reject his campaign as idiotic.

Colt Bringing The Python Back?

TTAG is announcing that Colt is bringing back the Python. - Really?  Cool.

Colt was, for decades a leader in wheel gun technology.  But, as I recall, Colt decided at some point that revolvers were too expensive to build; the gun-buying public wouldn't spend the money.  And, I suppose, their 1911s and AR-15s were making the company plenty of money and those military contacts were important.

But, some time ago, they resurrected the King Cobra.  I haven't seen one yet, but I understand that they are out there.

For the past several years I have focused my attention on single-action revolvers.  The Colt is still a thing, it trades on the secondary market,and several of us watch the prices, and a fellow can still order a Colt SAA new-in-box, but he'd have to put down a healthy deposit and wait a year or more before his revolver is delivered.  They are all custom-shop jobs, and the waiting period is what it is.  Or, a fellow can pay double o triple on the secondary market.

Evidently, Colt has decided that the revolve market is still worth mining.

Happy New Year

Belle and I were engaged on New Year's Eve 2003.  So, New Year's Eve is a kinda-sorta anniversary for us.

We went out tonight, had a little fun, and came home before midnight.  I'm quite sure that the local constabulary would be out in full force, and as much as I like those guys and enjoy the opportunity to talk with them, New Year's Eve is not the night to do that.

We're starting 2020,, and this year I resolve to make no resolutions.  I'll take it as it comes.