Knowledge Bombs

Just 'cassse this is fun.



I agree with him on virtually everything.  Especially on revolvers.

Oh, I went out to my private range today and ran a couple of magazines from the 1911 on steel.  That big dot sight rocks!  I didn't miss a steel plate this afternoon.Just put that big dot on the target and press the trigger.

Gloom and Doom

Louisiana, oh, Louisiana.

In the midst of a national pandemic, Louisiana consistently ranks in the top tier of the worst infection rates in the country.  Our Governor, John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is doing his dead-level best to contain the disease.  The problem, is that no one knows what-the-hell they are doing, and Edwards is following the advise of "experts" who admit that they don't know what to do next, except for draconian measures that threaten the freedom and movement of our citizens.

I really believe that Edwards is doing his level best.  The problem for Louisiana is that his level best is simply mediocre.

Since April, it's been one executive order after another.  Edwards claims that his orders are based on science and the best medical advise.  The problem is that the medical advise keeps changing.  Louisiana, almost universally, is tired of it.  Tied of all of it.  And Edwards constant railing is not helping.

Louisiana has a Democrat governor and ad a (mostly) Republican legislature.  One of the facts of the law in Louisiana is that the legislature can over-ride an emergency order by a simple majority petition from either house of the Legislature.  One such petition is working its way through the legislature.

Rather than working with the legislature, and trying to help them see the reasoning behind the orders, Edwards is digging his heels in, saying "science".  He's also telling us that if the legislature over-rides his orders, he won't be able to issue emergency orders if we have a hurricane or tornado.  I think that's bullshit, and I'm calling it.  If the legislature over-rides a medical emergency, it should have no bearing on a weather emergency.

Edwards is fond of patting himself on the back, claiming that his actions are supported by Vice President Pence and the Trump administration.  When this is all over, history will judge the efficacy of his actions, but the one thing that everyone will agree on is that John Bel Edwards presided over the biggest contraction of personal freedom since Reconstruction.  That will be his legacy, and he should be eternally ashamed.

Lunacy

The New York Times makes the argument that musicians should be hired to maintain the ethnic makeup of the community they serve.

American orchestras remain among the nation’s least racially diverse institutions, especially in regard to Black and Latino artists. In a 2014 study, only 1.8 percent of the players in top ensembles were Black; just 2.5 percent were Latino. At the time of the Philharmonic’s 1969 discrimination case, it had one Black player, the first it ever hired: Sanford Allen, a violinist. Today, in a city that is a quarter Black, just one out of 106 full-time players is Black: Anthony McGill, the principal clarinet.

So what? Musicians are hired in what are called a "blind audition".  The musician plays from behind a screen, and the judges have no idea of the race, gender, ethnicity, of the musician.  All the judges hear is the music. All that matters is technical skill and talent.

If the musicians onstage are going to better reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, the audition process has to be altered to take into fuller account artists’ backgrounds and experiences. Removing the screen is a crucial step.

If the goal of an orchestra is to promote racial diversity, that makes sense.  If the goal is to hire the very best musicians possible, this is lunacy.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice.

Shooting Through Glass

What happens if you have to defend yourself  from within your vehicle.?  Jerry Miculek explores the question.



I doubt your insurance policy would cover the glass breakage.

Perspective

Stolen from PJ Media.

Over A Mask?

That video we showed last night, about the deputy fatally shooting a man wielding a knife is illuminating of a lot of things that happen in  police work.

This incident occurred on Tuesday, July 14th, evidently over an incident at a local store.  When the store employee told the man that he needed to wear a mask to remain in the business, ... well.

Police said Sean Ernest Ruis, 43 from Grand Ledge, was refused service by the store because he was not wearing a mask. During the argument, Ruis pulled out a knife, stabbed a 77-year-old man from Lansing and fled in a car, police said.

 An Eaton County Sheriff's deputy caught up with Ruis and stopped his vehicle around 7:15 a.m. The video released by Michigan State Police shows Ruis get out of his car while the deputy yells, "drop it, drop the weapon," repeatedly. Ruis repeats these calls, also saying "drop it" as he approaches the deputy.

Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said Ruis was armed with a knife and screwdrivers during an afternoon press briefing. "The deputy was backing up and the assailant kept on approaching her very quickly at the end there," said Reich. 

This was a good shoot.

In comments,  Termite notes something that police officers have known for years.

And the video looks a little.....odd. I'm not seeing bullet strikes.

Yeah, you won't generally see bullet strikes, especially when the target is wearing  a tee shirt. Many cops in fatal encounters report not seeing bullet strikes.  Try it sometime.  Take an old tee shirt to the range an put it over your target.

I'm glad that the old man who was stabbed, will probably recover, and that the deputy will probably recover.  But I'm flabbergasted that a mask edict turned into two lethal force encounters.

How Fast It Happens

A Michigan deputy pulls over a guy suspected of stabbing an old man in a convenience store.  Nice neighborhood.  Then it all goes sideways really fast.



Notice at about the 0:35 second mark, her weapon jams and she is able to clear it and continue to defend.  Notice also how she backs away, trading space for time.  Her assailant continues to attack until he finally goes down.  When he bends over, he's trying to pic up the dropped knife.

I don't know how many times she hit him, but she only stopped shooting when he assumed the universal "don't shoot" position when he became horizontal.

Sight Upgrade

In 2003 I purchased a Kimber 1911A1 for duty carry and used it as a duty pistol until 2008, when the Sheriff bought a bunch of pistols and insisted we use them.  I retired that pistol and it became a off0duty, or range gun. I'm an old 1911 fan.  While I see utility in other platforms, to include the current crop of polymer pistols, I still like the 1911 a lot.  I carried it in the Army, and have since used it for sport and recreation.

In 2017 I started noticing that I had trouble seeing the front sight of any o my pistols, and after a prescription change, learned that I have something called macular degeneration, a disease of the retina.  It poses challenges in many ways, particularly in seeing small detail in the exact center of the visual field.  We caught it early, and I'm doing what the doctor tells me, and I'm learning to live with it.  But, that problem in the center of the visual field is the exact spot I use to find the front sight on a pistol.  I needed a big, honking front sight.

A couple of weeks ago, I was casting about, looking for alternatives, and went to  the XS Sight System web page.  I started researching the system, and thought that it might be what I was looking for.  I ordered a set for the Kimber..  They came in earlier this week, so I set about installing them.

The video from XS was a big help.  I've installed sights in dovetails in the past, and it is important to remember to file the sight base, not the dovetail in the slide.  Fit the sight to the dovetail..  About 30 minutes with a set of jewelers files and I was done. 

Screen grab from XS video

I can see that front sight, and all I'm looking for is minute-of-goblin out to 25 yards or so. I think that this sight is just exactly what I need.  Next week I'll get out and do some range work,   If they work as well and I expect them to, I may have to pick up a set for my Shield.

Shipping Problems

I ordered several items last week.  Things I couldn't normally get from local merchants.  I used my normal vendors, and shipping is an issue.

One order, from Midway USA is still not in, after me being notified that it has shipped, and would be here last Saturday.  This morning, I got an email from Midway USA apologizing to their customers.

While we’ve projected estimated delivery dates as accurately as possible, there have been delays from our package delivery partners as they’ve experienced large volumes and Employee shortages. If your order didn’t arrive on time, or you received inaccurate tracking information, or both, we’re very sorry. If your order hasn’t arrived yet, rest assured it’s on the way. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience in allowing a few extra days before contacting us.

I'm going to give Midway USA the benefit of the doubt.  They've been up-front with me in the past, and I've been a customer for decades.   There's no telling how many of my dollars I've sent to Larry Potterfield.

Who do y'all trust for shipping 2A items?  I'm always looking to expand my catalog, and right now I'm looking for ammo inn 9mm Luger.

Riots? Who Knew?

It appears that Portland Oregon, is going through a phase.  A phase of riots.

According the CBS affiliate KOIN, there have been 46 consecutive nights of unrest i the city.

The riot was declared in North Portland in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Earlier, demonstrators had gathered in Kenton Park on North Brandon Avenue and then marched to the Portland Police Association Headquarters. Officers reported making arrests after protesters were blocking Northeast Lombard Street and other roads surrounding the building, refusing to leave the street after police attempted to clear the crowds.

Why isn't this in the national news?  No where does the report say "peaceful protesters".  They say riots. 

This will not end well.

Graduation

Belle and I graduated another one tonight.

Honor Grad, 3.59 GPA, with two academic scholarships.He'll be attending Louisiana Tech University in the fall.

Understatement

Yeah, I'd say that the gravel got loose.

Mask Mandte

Yesterday, Louisiana's petty tyrant, John Bel Edwards, ordered a mask mandate for all of Louisiana until further notice.  He said, on multiple occasions, that he has been very patient with us. 

With covid cases climbing, this seems to be the only course of action that he's willing to take.  Of course, he puts the onus on business, to enforce his mandate.  As he explained it, the business must insist that every customer wear a mask.  IF the customer reuses, the business will ask the customer to leave  If the customer refuses to leave, then the customer is trespassing.

He also closed the bars, because, you know, bars are evil dens of iniquity and purveyors of infection.

Truly, all he is doing is pissing people off.  Those of us who believe in masks war them.  Those who don't believe in masks don't wear them.  The governor, who uses the  unchecked, raw power of his office to force Louisiana into bending to his will serves no one.  The governor's use of his raw, unchecked power to favor one business over another does not serve the economics of the state.

Our petty tyrant says that his newest order, to limit gatherings to 50 people applies to churches, but he does not intend to enforce it on churches.  How very merciful of him.  Perhaps he should spned some more time reading the First Amendment.

John Bel Edwards is simply a petty tyrant, bending to the will of his liberal overlords. The legislature, to their eternal disgrace, does nothing to hold him in check.  They do not represent the people, indeed, they are toady's to power.

Nothing New Under The Sun

I was aimlessly clicking around You Tube this afternoon and came upon a Colion Noit video about the Army's new M-18 pistol, a variant of the Sig P320.  I wasn't aware that the Army was looking for a new handgun.  But, I never liked the M-9.

I was on active duty during Desert Storm when the Army took my 19111 nd gave me a bright, shine new Beretta M-9, right out of the box.  I wasn't impressed.  But, they told me to carry it, so I did.

Now it seems the Army has acquired a new pistol, and Colion was talking about the short slide and the regular sized frame, and said that people were asking him how it compared to the new Glock 19X.  19X? Whatthehell?  So I Googled it and found that the new Glock 19X combines the slide of the 19 with the frame of the 17, making it what they call a "crossover" pistol.  Shorter slide married to a full-size frame, and this is something new?

A shorter slide on a regular frame?  Where have I heard that before?  Oh, I remember, in 1950, Colt came out with something they called the Commander.  It has a 4.25" barrel, and they've been making it since 1950.  The revered Col Jeff Cooper (pbuh) found it eminently useful.

Oh, yeah, a short slide with a standard frame is new and cutting edge.  If you like 1950s era new.

Here's Colion's video if you want his take on the Army's new pistol.



I think I'll have another cocktail before bedtime.

Friday Sloth

Having spett all day at leisurely pursuits, and having not much to say about the current events, which I admit are out of the conversation of reasonable, thoughtful people, we spend the early evening working through You Tube, searching for intellectual entertainment.

We find ohn Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson discussing the Declaration of Independence.



Belle has declared Happy Hour.  Long may she reign.

Seen on Facebook

Consequences

I was taught as a child that everything I did had consequences.  Some good, some bad, but always consequences.  It's a central tenet of civilized life.  Thinkers have been telling us this fact for millennia.  David Crockett apocryphally said "Make sure you're right, then go ahead."  More recently, Jordan Petersen cautioned us to not try to change the world until we put our own hose in order. 

In this digital age, it's even more important to learn that actions have consequences.  The near-total infatuation with digital communication has certainly changed life in this century.  But, the old rules apply.  Actions have consequences.

Like most of connected America, I use Facebook.  But, I learned a long time ago that using it can be toxic, or it can be liberating.  It all depends on how you use it.  By and large, the digital giants (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) tend to chronicle life in ways that don't lend themselves to thoughtful discussion.  It's all instant and unfiltered.  In some ways this is good.  Instructional video is instantly available if you need to solve a particular problem. 

In other ways, it's bad.  The rights and privileges of our society holds some warning, not the least  of which is found in the Miranda warning.  You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.

Federal authorities are currently searching thousands of videos to ferret out looters, arsonists, and assailants. Perpetrators who are caught are shocked that the evidence that they once posted online in triumphant braggadocio is now being used to charge them with felonies.

It's a cautionary tale.  We live in complicated times, made more complicated by the technology that has revolutionized the way we communicate.  In every revolution there are casualties.

Spooking The Herd

There's this nice lady at church, who has been coming to our fast draw club for the past year or so, and she's getting better at the game.  She's been using one of Belle's guns, and that's fine.  We recommend that every new shooter to this game try several different revolvers because there are minute differences that make a difference.  She has finally settled on the Traditions Liberty model, and it's out-of-stock everywhere.

I found that odd, but I also find odd that used Glocks are out of stock.  Pre-pandemic, they were like gravel, you'd trip over them going into a gun shop.  Likewise, older Smith revolvers.

Instapundit links to an article by Tamara Keel, who reminds us that the American 2A enthusiast is a panicky herd animal who buys ammo in bulk when spooked.

The domestic commercial ammo supply is predicated on the average gun owner buying a box of pistol ammo every month or two to shoot up at the range and a box of long gun ammo once or twice a year for ditto. It’s not geared for everyone who owns a gun to run out and buy three cases at once.

Tam's right.  First-time gun buyers have an excuse.  The rest of us don't.   This demand shortage will be over when things calm down.  Might I recommend that if you're a gun owner that you keep, as a minimum, enough ammo for three range sessions plus whatever amount you might need for serious Bill of Rights work.

Carnge

Like many of you, I woke this morning to a Monday morning after the Independence Day celebrations, to be stunned by the amount of carnage on our city streets.  It seems that these protests have gone sideways, resulting in the deaths of innocent life, in many cases of children.



In Chicago, with 78 shot, including 14 killed, and some of those were children, we see Mayor Lightfoor is blaming guns, not the culture of murder that pervades that city.

In Atlanta, where an 8-year-old girls was shot while riding in her mother's car, the mayor says that we can't blame the police for this.

Policing the cities is the job of the mayors and governors.  President Trump says that he is willing to help, and has identified assets that can be used, if asked, to restore calm.

These Democratic mayors need to step up and get a plan to end the violence in their cities.

Heads Explode

It took me a couple or re-reads to get this article straight, but it seems like a white chick was blocking a freeway as part of a Black Lives Matter protest and was run over by a black guy driving a white Jaguar.   Yeah, let that sink in.

Summer Taylor was blocking the freeway with a small group of Black Lives Matter demonstrators on the southbound lanes of I-5, the main artery through Seattle, about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
A 27-year-old man was arrested. Police identified him as Dawit Kelete, and they say he was sober.

My first thought was : Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, but then we learn that the Washington State Police had set up a roadblock to protect the protesters.  Somehow,  Kelete got around the WSP roadblock to strike Taylor.

Wait, wait wait.  The Washington State Police were blocking the road?  Why?  It's not the state's job to provide safe-haven to protesters.

Well, as it turns out, the state police is re-thinking their policies.

Hours after Taylor succumbed to her injuries, the WSP announced it was changing its policies to arrest people who block freeways instead of letting them protest there.
The admission that official Seattle had apparently allowed the protesters to take over the freeway was met with incredulity from law-abiding folks, including one who rightly observed that “Seattle looks like a bunch of children learning not to touch a hot stove.”

Okay, so we're back to : Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

It should be both dangerous and painful to block a state highway (much less an interstate highway).  The police should be arrresting these protesters.

It Bears Repeating

I was stunned, stunned at the lack of available firearms at the local retailers this week.  I've bee buying guns, off and on, for most of my life, and I've never seen the shelves this bare.  I'm not the only one who noticed.

If soaring gun sales are a guide, millions of Americans are with the McCloskeys. This week the FBI announced a record 3.9 million background checks for June, the highest monthly total since the FBI began keeping the statistic in 1998. Adjusting to reflect checks only for gun purchases, the National Shooting Sports Foundation says this works out to 2.2 million, a 136% increase over June 2019. NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva says about 40% of these checks are for first-time gun buyers.

This correlates with what my local merchant told me.  People who, ninety days ago were anti-gun, or ambivalent,  are buying guns in unheard of numbers.  It's the first-time gun buyer who is driving the shortage.  Most of the rest of us have our guns.

We should remember on this Independence Day weekend, that we are  Americans, slow to wrath, but generally self-sufficient.  If it appears that society is going through an upheaval, then we take our safety into our own hands.  Not the law, which applies to everyone, but our own safety.

This is a warning to the Defund the Police movement about unintended consequences. The more progressives push policies that mean cops won’t be around when people need them, the more they are inviting Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves.

As Instapundit often says, "The police aren’t there to protect the public from criminals, they’re there to protect criminals from the public."

That is a powerful distinction, and those who would do us harm should remember it.

Independence Day

Independence Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Happy Independence Day.

The Holster Dance

With this new pistol, I'm obviously looking for holsters.  It's been a while since I bought a new holster, and I know that the technologgy has improved.  I know I want one good OWB and one good IWB holster.  I've settled on the OWB holster, a Safariland 6378, a holster I've used for years in other platforms.  It's virtually indestructible, has great retention when the belt loop is installed, and is a holster I am very familiar with.

The IWB holster is up in the air, and I admit that I don't have much familiarity with that type.  I'm also aware that the technology has advanced in the past decade.  A YouTube search led me to a bewildering variety of options, and I've also reached out to my son, who keeps tabs on this sort of thing.

Hickock 45 did a video about eight years ago, and while I trust his opinion, the video is eight years old.   Some videos lid me to Crossbreed holsters, and another led me to Alien Gear.  I like the Alien Gear modular system, but I'm not convinced that I'd use it  all.

What am I missing?  Some of you undoubtedly have a favorite IWB holster.  Give an old man some love and tell me what you think?

Breaking Records

The post below, where Piers Morgan whined about the number of guns sold in the US since March, is only part of the story.  US citizens are buying guns in record numbers.  In June alone, the FBI conducted 3.9 million NICS checks.  That is a record number.

I hit a couple of pawn shops today, places that normally have a nice selection of used Glocks, or Smith's or Sig's.  The shelves were virtually empty.  I later turned to one of my local merchants, Liberty Arsenal, just down the road from the house.  He deals in all types of firearms, and it's oe of those shops where you can sit and talk for hours, if you have the time.

He tells me that the last quarter has been an amazing time to be a dealer.  He's selling guns to people who, three months ago, were anti-gun.  He also tells me that NICS is backlogged to the point where if you are a fist-time gun buyer, you will probably get delayed, meaning that he has to wait three days to give you the gun.  He tells me that one 80 year old woman came in earlier this week to by an AR-platform rifle, the last he had in stock.  She will pick it up tomorrow.

I had been thinking about getting a handgun that fell between my 1911s and my Ruger LCP.  Something small enough to be unobtrusive, but with enough oomph to get the job done.  I had decided on either a subcompact Glock or a SW M&P Shield.

I carried a full-sized M&P in .45 as a duty pistol for several years, and really liked it.  I shot it well, and the hinged trigger on the M&P really doesn't bother me.  It is what it is, and I've learned to shoot it.

Today, at my local merchants, he happened to have two M&P Shields that his distributor had ust dropped off.  I quibbled a bit, then dropped a card on the table and asked for a 4473.  I was not delayed, and within ten minutes, I was out the door.

I can see, right now, it needs a sight upgrade.  And, I'll need to find some ammo, and a holster for it.

Seen On Facebook

I got out today, ran a few errands and hit a few pawn shops.  The handgun cases are positively empty.  One that I frequent had  several revolvers and one pistol in .22LR.  No Glocks, no Smiths, no Sigs.  No Rugers, for that matter.

The counter-guy told me that there has been a run on handguns, and he simply hasn't had time to re-stock.  He did have one old Webley in .455, marked at $1200.00.  I passed.

I came home and found this on my Facebook feed.

I did go over to his Twiter feed and find the post there before I put it here.  And, I'd like to tell Piers that if that depresses him, it thrills me.  Heretofore, we thought that Obama was the greatest gun salesman in history.  Now, we learn that Antifa and BLM have put him inthe shade.

USA!  USA!! USA!!

On Masks

On March 16, 2020, I encountered a woman (a middle-aged woman) wearing a mask in public.  I considered that odd, and kept an eye on her, in a retail establishment.

I am a retied cop, a senior white male with 37 years behind the badge, and with a working knowledge of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.   Masking is generally illegal in the State of Louisiana.  Depending on the circumstances, can get you three years in the Iron Bar motel.  There are exceptions.

But, for all of my 66 years on this planet, wearing a mask except at Halloween or Mardi Gras, was considered odd, eccentric, and maybe even criminal.  Today, it's a fashion statement.  Here in Louisiana we are exhorted to wear a mask as an act of being neighborly, to protect the community.

I've seen the arguments both ways, and I'm not going to debate them here.  But, I have come up with an accommodation that seems to work for me.  I bought a box of masks from Amazon, and carry one with me all the time.  If a store or venue asks that I wear a mask, then I'll comply, solely as an accommodation.  It's no skin off my back, one way or another. 

There are places that require masks, and I decide whether or not to patronize those places.  Asking me is one thing.  Telling me is something else entirely.  I don't play well when ordered to do something.

Our governor is begging us to wear masks to protect our neighbors, and I'm okay with the message and the governor begging.  Governors should beg; it should be their natural mode of communicating. Commerical places have property rights, and if they want to require a mask, then I get to decide if they get my trade.  That's the nature of voluntary commerce.

Wisdom

From the words of he master, Jeff Cooper

Fifty Years

Belle and I were sitting in the manse last night, she reading something on her tablet, me scrolling through YouTube, and she looked up and said, "Martin Luther King is probably spinning in his grave."

I took off my headset and looked at her carefully as she continued.  "All Dr. King tried to do was further civil rights ii this country, and he did it  all non-violently.  He worked to ed segregation and to fight white supremacy, often going head to head with racist governors, judges, and cops.  And he did it all in such a manner that no one could accuse him, or the movement, as violent."

She continued.  "These protesters today have st his movement back 50 years."

I pondered that for a minute, and she turned back to her tablet.

This morning, I see at PJ Media that Dennis Prager agrees with her. 

According to the make-believe world of the left, we are experiencing a great moment in American racial history. For the first time, the story goes, more whites than ever are coming to realize how racist America is, how racist cops are and how systemically racist everything in America is. Only now do many Americans understand just how racist Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, Ulysses Grant, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, “whitening” agents, meritocracy, Western culture, Christianity, jailing Blacks and the NFL are. The bestselling book in America is about alleged “white fragility” — the term for any rational response to the irrational charge that all whites are racist.

All this is supposed to be good for America’s Blacks. 

 But none of it is. In fact, it is all destructive.

The pendulum swings in both directions.  It swung one way for Bama and another way for Trump.  We're seeing it swing right now, and while many Americans feel that it may be swinging a little too far to the left, we should remember that it can swing back,  It always does.

Professor, Heal Thyself

I like Kayleigh McEnany, the president's press secretary.  She's combative, straight-forward, and doesn't play well with others.  I watch her every chance I get.

Yesterday a reporter asked if President Trump was glad that the North won the Civil War.  She told him that the question was absurd.  And, it was.

She has drawn the ire of journalists everywhere for refusing to legitimize stupid questions.  A quote from an article.  

According to a former top editor and Columbia Journalism School professor, the combative press secretary “is seeking to undermine the credibility not just of individual journalists or outlets but of journalism itself.”

No, professor, journalists, especially the liberal journalists have  undermined their own credibility.  Kayleigh is simply putting their lack of intelligence at center stage.  Most people understand that journalism has damaged itself significantly during the past couple of decades.

“Gamblers would call such an episode ‘the tell.’ McEnany demonstrated that her goal isn’t to respond directly to these questions, or even to engage in a dialogue about journalistic ethics. It is to throw up so much chaff into the media’s radar that even the most basic critique is deprived of meaning," huffed the professor.

Well, professor, I would maintain that if  journalists themselves engaged in a dialogue about journalistic ethics, that Kayleigh wouldn't have to keep calling it out.

Kayleigh didn't put the knife into the back of current journalism.  They did that themselves.  But she's really good at twisting it.

The St. Louis Couple

I'm sure that you've heard of the St. Louis couple who faced down a group of malcontents whle protecting their property with a rifle and a handgun.

Calm down, no one got hurt, but it sure shows how a singe middle-aged couple can turn away an angry mob who violate property rights. 

The conservative twins have added their comments, and I have to tell you, I love these guys.



The only thing I have to add is that the couple should really take the time to get some serious weapons training.  The muzzle discipline made me cringe.  But, it was effective.

Yeah!

Monday Musing

Whatever engineer designed the starter mounting on a Briggs and Stratton Intek engine should be demoted and forced to work in the shop parking lot.  With one set of wrenches and two screwdrivers.

It has long been my opinion that any consumer gasoline engine should be designed to be disassembled with any standard socket wrench set.  In this particular case, having a mounting bolt behind the bendix assembly is particularly evil.  Another particularly evil joke was putting a Torx-head bolt in that location.

I spent the morning replacing that starter when it should have been a ten-minute job.

Then I come inside and find that John Roberts has one again proved that he is a liberal.  He voted with the majority to strike down a Louisiana law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges in a nearby hospital. 

Roberts had dissented in the 2016 case and said in a concurring opinion that while he still believes that the past case was wrongly decided, he was ruling with the majority in the present case due to court precedent.

Roberts will turn backflips and jump through hoops to reach a liberal conclusion.  He was hailed as a true conservative when appointed by President  George W Bush, and he has given us Obamacare not once, but twice.  He's sided with liberals on abortion on several occasions. 

John Roberts is a complete disaster as a Justice.  If I ever have the opportunity, I intend to spit on his shoes.

Tension In The City

Rapides Parish is abuzz with news that seems to mimic  national news this weekend.  According to our local TV an officer was trying to make an arrest, and was knocked unconscious. 

After the first suspect was arrested, a second suspect resisted arrest, striking the officer multiple times and knocking the officer unconscious. At some point during the altercation the suspect, by his own admission, attempted to disarm the officer by taking the officer’s duty weapon from him. Bystanders, as well as backup police officers, intervened. The officer used a taser on the suspect, and all three suspects were taken into custody. The officer was treated for his injuries and released.

The officer, from all reports is recovering.

Rumors are buzzing, some fairly salacious.   Of course, our local TV station did what they could do to gin up controversy.  They interviewed a man from Los Angeles who helped the perp make bond.  It told one side of the story, but it contains all the buzzwords that you would expect in a situation like this..  Full interview at the link.

Talking with neighbors and friends, it seems that Alexandria is going the way of  the times.  I'm glad I retired when I did.  Our Sheriff, as of this posting, has been silent on the matter.  It probably hasn't even reached his inbox yet.  Of course, the investigation is continuing but we are not going to hear anything from the police perspective until it goes to court.

I was talking with a prominent local politician yesterday, and he said that he eels really bad for the police officers on the beat.  He went further, saying that he understands that they need the paycheck, but that he would not do the ob of a police officer in this political climate.  He's simply resign and find another way to feed his family.  I understand his feelings.

Defund (Some) Police

The movement to defund police departments started in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed in police custody.  Recently, the Minneapolis city council voted to disband their police department in favor of ... something else.

Now, we learn that members of the city council get private security protection that costs taxpayers $63,000.

The city has spent $63,000 on rent-a-cops for Jenkins and fellow councilmembers Phillipe Cunningham and Alondra Cano during the last three weeks after the three said they had received threats.
But an MPD spokesperson said that no complaints of threats against them had been filed.

The City Council gets private security, but the citizens have to fend for themselves.  That should tell you all you need to know about the progressive agenda.

Good Advise (NSFW)

Instapundit remarks that Chris Rock's old video about how not to get your ass kicked is very good advise and should be required viewing at every "woke" gathering.

For your edification, it is below.



It's Saturday afternoon, and I'm going to see if my gal wants to have a little fun.

How Far We've Come

Looking at all the latest news, it's easy to think that we are facing huge challenges that we must address immediately.  To a certain extent, that is true, but it's helpful to look in our collective rear-view mirror and see where we've been.  It's not like we just began having this conversation and race, or police power, or government.  We've been having this conversation for decades.

The Grouchy  Old Cripple reminded me of this fact, just this morning.  He led me to a YouTube video from 2013 that got me chuckling.



Clueless liberals haven't loarned a single thing in decades.

A Study

The Associated Press is reporting that Louisiana lawmakers  support a task force to study police use-of-force and bias.  The measure passed the legislature unanimously.  That is both odd, and heartening.  The Louisiana legislature normally can't agree on anything.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Amid a national conversation about law enforcement’s use of force with people of color, Louisiana lawmakers are creating a task force to study police training, misconduct and racial bias recognition.

The Police Training, Screening and Deescalation Task Force will make recommendations to state lawmakers about ways to ensure reporting of law enforcement misconduct, penalties for improper actions and removal of “bad actors.” 

You're going to name it the PTSD Task Force?  Really?  Y'all couldn't do any better than that name?  Couldn't make it any more cringe-worthy?

Louisiana has had for years, a board called the POST council. (Peace Officers Standards and Training).  Every bit of training I got for the past 30 years was approved and vetted by that council.  By-and-large, they did a good job in police training.  I wonder if this new task force is supposed to complement of supplant the POST council?

PTSD Task Force?  That's funny, right there!

Louisiana Covid Update - Governor's Edition

Our governor thinks we're idiots, and the legislature is goig along.  This today from his Facebook page.

Only 93% from community spread?  How else can we possibly get Covid?  Even those cases we attribute to enhanced testing, they probably got it in the community.

It's time to fully end the governor's health emergency and get on with living.    The legislature can do that with a stroke of the pen.  This entire debacle can be over tomorrow.  Louisianans are smart enough to know how to lie with Covid, and we're going to have to live with it until a vaccine is produced.

Saharan Dust

If this summer isn't weird enough, it seems that we have a visitor from Africa.  Saharan dust is clogging the skies.  According to the article, it happens occasionally,

The dust cloud inhibits tropical storms, reduces the amount of sunlight hitting the ground, and intensifies the redness in sunsets.  It also increases the risk of allergy problems.

Backlash

I"m just sayin'.

No Noose Is Good Noose

It turns out that Bubba Wallace's noose was not a noose at all.   The FBI determined that no crime had been committed. 

A noose that was found hanging in Black stock car racer Bubba Wallace's garage stall in Alabama was a pull rope that had been placed there in October, long before the stall was assigned to Wallace, the FBI announced Tuesday.

No crime.  It was a pull rope. 

But, Bubba himself claims he never saw it.  Which leads to some questions.  If he didn't see it, why did he fell a compulsion to talk about it?  Why did he immediately have to ump to victim status?  Was this a hoax designed to injure NASCAR?

NASCAR is about auto-racing.  It's about who comes across the finish line first.  It should not be about racial injustice, or perceived slights.  Wallace may have a good future in auto-racing, but he may not, either.  Time will tell.  He needs to focus on getting across the finish line before the other drivers.  Wallace is a NASCAR driver, with a team behind him, and now, they are laughing-stocks.  The source of mirth.

There are people in the world who are hyper-sensitive to various sensations.  Light-sensitive, touch-sensitive, taste-sensitive.  Hyper sensitivity is a disability.  Perhaps Wallace and his team should get serious psychological counseling, and offer heart-felt apologies to the sport that lets them make a living.  Otherwise, they are just assholes.

End Of CHOP?

It appears that the Mayor of Seattle has decided to honor her oath and return law-and-order to the zone that has been overrun with criminals. - - Naan, that's too harsh.

What she's actually done is told the unruly children to go home.

Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference that the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality. She said the city is working with the community to bring the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone to an end.

She has't offered a timeline, which is tactically sound.  There is no use letting an adversary know when you're coming.   Which begs another question.  How is she going to re-assert control?  I know how I would do it, but I wouldn't have let it go this far.

This may be interesting to watch.

Noose? What Noose?

NASCAR is a big deal in the South.   big deal in Talledega.  It has it's roots in the bootleggers of Prohibition, running souped-up cars while running from Revenue agents.

There is this driver, Bubba Wallace, who happens to be black.  He claims that he found a noose in his garage stall on Sunday.

On Sunday night, black NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace said he found a noose in his garage stall. Wallace had pressured NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag at events and placed a “Black Lives Matter” bumper sticker on his racecar. NASCAR did indeed ban the flag, sparking outrage and protests. NASCAR condemned the noose, and drivers expressed their support for Wallace.

NASCAR, of course, is horrified.

 NASCAR said in a statement on Sunday. “We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”

Funny thing, I can't find a picture of the noose.  A Google Images search for "Bubba Wallace Noose" turns up blank.   Lots of pictures of Bubba, no pictures of his noose.  Not that I care, really.  But, in this age of photos on the internet, you think that someone would have snapped a photo of the (alleged) noose.

NASCAR has backed themselves into a corner.  Someone will be eliminated from the sport.  It will be interesting to see whom that someone might be.

Seen On Facebook

Earle this afternoon, our Governor said that we'd be staying in Phase 2 for another 28 days.

They're blaming everything on the corona virus.

Police Work

The entire country is involved in a debate about the nature of police work, and how it affects the folks in the country.  How should government police the jurisdiction so that the people are safe?  It's an interesting question that bears on the society in which we live.

Police work today is very different than it was when I began policing in the early '80s.  At that time, for example, there were no cops in the schools.  or in airports.  As our society evolved, so did the nature of police work, and the police started getting involved in things on a gradual basis.  Sometimes as a result of an horrific event (Columbine, 9/11), but more frequently, simply on the basis is some well-thinking organization asking for help, and the police administrator simply trying to be nice.

This led to mission-creep, and police agencies got bigger simply because they needed more people to do those things that were considered necessary, but outside the realm of traditional police work..  Somebody is having an event.  They ask the police department to send a police officer.  The administrator sends a police officer.  Nothing happens.  The fact that nothing happens is taken as iron-clad proof that the police officer was necessary at the event, when there is no evidence to support that claim.  I used to have this argument frequently with my supervisors.

Me: "That was a total waste of time."

Supervisor: "But it made everybody feel better."

Me: "It was still a waste of time, energy, and resources.  There was no problem, no reason for me to be there."

Most police calls-for-service don't involved criminal activity.  And, I'm not even talking about traffic accidents, which are generally a prelude to a civil suit.  That's a whole 'nuther topic.  But, most calls-for service are not criminal in nature.  Let's take, for example, the incident involving Rayshard Brooks, the gy who was recently shot at the Weindy's restaurant in Atlanta.

Rayshard fell asleep in the drive-thru.  Someone called the police.  What happened next is a tragedy on so many levels that I won't go into it all here.  But, the question remains, why were the police called?  It certainly is not against the law to all asleep in a Wendy's drive-thru.  Would it not have been better for the manager of that Wendy's to go outside, tap on the window and wake him?  Why call the police?

If we accept that the police have a vital role to play in the maintenance of a free society, and we are going to have a debate about what the role of the police in maintaining that free society, then we also need to think about what role the police will pay.  When we talk about police work, I think we can all agree that the police need to be there for things like murder, rape, burglary, and yes, even traffic accidents.  But, should the police be called when some bozo falls asleep in a drive-thru?

That's not against the law?  It's simply an inconvenience.  The manager needs to trot his ass out there and see if he's asleep, or what the problem might be.

Monday Morning

Well, Of Course

It seems that arson investigators in Atlanta have issued an arrest warrant for the girlfriend of Rayshard Brooks, who got himself killed while resisting arrest at a Wendy's restaurant.

Atlanta police issue arrest warrant for Rayshard Brooks' 'girlfriend', 29, for burning down the Wendy's where he was shot and killed by cops.

Because the natural, rational thing to do when you are outraged is to burn down a restaurant that had absolutely nothing to do with the thing you are outraged about. (/sarc)

Maybe she can explain to the jury why she thought that arson was a good idea.  Of course, with the racist, corrupt, DA they currently have, it's a matter of claim if she will ever see the inside of a courtroom.

When Civil Order Fails

When civil order fails, something steps in to fill it.  That something that steps in is often less civil than what originally failed.  A report from Seattle's CHAZ/CHOP.

Lacking agreed-upon leadership, those who have naturally risen to the top have done so with force or intimidation. For example, rapper Raz Simone, real name Solomon Simone, patrols CHAZ on some nights with an armed entourage. Simone, originally from Georgia, has an arrest record for child cruelty and other charges. He usually conducts his patrols carrying a long semi-auto rifle and sidearm. Last weekend, a live stream recorded Simone handing another man a rifle from the trunk of a car.

 Not everyone in CHAZ recognizes Simone’s police-like presence, but no one is willing to stand up to him and his group. There have been consequences to those perceived as challengers or threats. Independent Los Angeles-based journalist Kalen D’Ameida recorded Simone and his crew in the early hours of Monday morning. He was spotted by one of Simone’s men, who manhandled him and demanded he turn over his mobile device. Simone’s team chased D’Ameida and tried to drag him to the security tent. He escaped by hiding in a construction site outside CHAZ until police responded to his 911 call.

This entire incident is a cautionary tale, and the leadership of Seattle seems both unable and unwilling to civil order in the area.

Parsing The Phrase

Occasionally, phrases come into the American political lexicon.  Some make sense, some bale me, and recently, the phrase "black lives matter" has entered the political arena. I admit I was rather baffled by this statement, thinking that it was self-evident, so startlingly apparent that it didn't need to be verbalized.  I was raised to believe that every human life is precious, so of course black lives matter.

Revently, the phrase has become  a political bell-weather.  If you don't verbalize it, you are immediately branded as a bigot, or worse.  This week, our Vice President, Mike Pence was cornered by  a reporter who asked why he wouldn't recite the platitude.

“Forgive me for pressing you on this, sir,” anchor Brian Taff said to Pence, “but I will note you did not say those words, ‘Black lives matter,’ and there is an important distinction. People are saying, of course all lives matter, but to say the words is an acknowledgment that Black lives also matter at a time in this country when it appears that there’s a segment of our society that doesn’t agree. So why will you not say those words?”
“Well, I don’t accept the fact, Brian, that there’s a segment of American society that disagrees, in the preciousness and importance of every human life,” Pence said. “And it’s one of the reasons why as we advance important reforms in law enforcement, as we look for ways to strengthen and improve our public safety in our cities, that we’re not going to stop there.”

I recall when I was a soldier, and aa police officer, and I had black friends, associates, and brothers-in-arms.  Some were black, some were white, some where Latino, some were indistinct.  Their lives mattered to me, very much.  The idea that a soldier's life mattered more or less depending on his race was abhorrent.

The phrase has become a "woke" mantra, and I'm not really good at mantras.  When the BLM crowd starts actually believing the words, adn acting on them, decreasing the crime and corruption in places like Chicago, and worrying about the huge number of innocent black lives that Planned Parenthood suffs out every year, then perhaps I'll start believing that they mean what they say.

Until then tey sould not ask me to mouth meaningless words just to placate the mob.

So, Which Is It?

When I heard that the officers of the Atlanta PD were experiencing a severe outbreak of "blue flu", I thought that there might be more to the story than I had heard.

It seems that several weeks ago, The Fulton County DA held a press conference where he explained the prosecution of several officers  resulting from an incident where tasers were used.  During that press conference linked above, at the 17:00 mark, he says "As may of you know, under Georgia law, a taser is considered as a deadly weapon."

Really?  A taser is a deadly weapon.  Okay.  You can believe that every police officer on the force heard that, loud and clear.

Fast forward to last week.  Two fine officers get involved with a drunk in a Wendy's parking lot.  The incident goes sideways.  The perp resists, grabs a taser and fires it at the officers.  The DA charges the officers with murder, claiming now that the taser posed no threat to the officers.

So, which is it, Mr. DA?  Is the taser deadly force only when used by police officers?  It magically loses lethality when used by a perp against police officers?  That seems mildly inconsistent, especially  when you have charged officers in both incidents.

The fact that the DA is now in a political race, and in the losing position may have affected his judgement.  He's pandering, and doing it in the most blatant manner possible.

It's no wonder that Atlanta has the blue flu.  The officers are not sure where the force continuum lies, but they know that if they choose wrong in a moment of crisis, they ill be fired and charged before the investigation is complete.

Commitment

The Atlanta Police Department is in serious trouble.

Hours after a fired police officer was charged with felony murder for fatally shooting a man in the back, Atlanta police officers are not responding to calls in three of the department's six zones, multiple sources within the Atlanta Police Department told CNN on Wednesday evening.

I'm surprised that Atlanta has only six zones.  A police zone is an area in which officers are assigned for patrol and other purposes.  You learn your zone like the back of your hand, and  work within that zone to keep the peace.  I know many small towns of less than 100K populatio who have more than six zones, but that is police trivia.  What is more troubling is that half of the zones aren't answering calls.

"There's a lot happening in our cities and our police officers are receiving the brunt of it, quite frankly," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN's Chris Cuomo. She said the city has committed to the officers through a big pay raise, and "we expect that our officers will keep their commitment to our communities."

Police work isn't about the pay.  I don't know any police officer, ever, who got into the service for the money.  It's nice to get a paycheck and everyone has to make a living, but the money is not the reason why a person puts on the badge.  The mayor should understand that.

And, it's not about the fact that an officer was charged with murder.  During my career, I was involved in the arrest of several officers who tarnished the badge.  We were doing our ob, policing ourselves as we policed the city.

It's about respect, and knowing that whatever happens on the street, that the supervisors will stand up and do the right thing.  If the rank-and-file officers thought that the charge was  righteous, they'd be at work.   Evidently, they believe that the charge is a knee-jerk reaction designed to calm the outraged, without a serious, sober review of the facts.

Police work is hard.  Sometimes an officer has to make a decision based on the facts on the ground without full knowledge of what might happen in the next second, or the next day.  That officer has to know that his actions will be judged solely on what is happening at that instant based on his training and understanding of the law.  Monday morning quarterbacking is not allowed.

The commitment runs both ways.  When the Mayor, or Chief of Police does not support the officers, the best paycheck in the region won't keep officers on the force.

The Graden

Eaton Rapids Joe asked for an update on the garden.  We have a small raised bed, roughly 4' x 8'.  Belle planted tomatoes, onions, and cayenne peppers.

It hasn't borne tomatoes, although we have harvested some onion tops and peppers.  The tomatoes are loaded with green fruit and we expect them to start ripening in the next few days.

Belle, near her tomatoes.

For scale, Belle stands five-feet-two.  The tomatoes are as tall as she is.  The raised bed gets the morning sun, but it shaded in the afternoon.  Hereabouts, we consider that perfect for raising tomatoes.

Tucker on BLM

Powerful message from Tucker Carlson.



This is tyranny of the mob.

Stupidity

Like many of you, I got up Saturday morning to read of "racial urest" in Atlanta over the killing of a black man by white police officers.  I rolled my eyes, and thought "Aw, crap, here we go again".

But, like most Americans, I had deadlines and commitments and got busy living my life.  It was Saturday, and we never know what really happened for a couple of days.  This morning, over coffee, I had a chance to look into the matter.  It seems that Rayshard Brooks, 27, was found asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle in a Wendy's drive-through.  Someone called the police and two of Atlanta's finest arrived to investigate.

Before it was over, Brooks was dead.  Dead mainly from his own actions.  Stacey McCain lays it all down, and you'd do well to read the whole thing.  In a nushell, the officers investigated, decided that Brooks was drunk.and placed him under arrest.  While being handcuffed, Brooks resisted (Resisting an Officer), scuffled with police (Battery on an Officer), snatched a Taser from one officer's belt (Disarming an Officer), attempted to flee (Resisting Arrest by Flight), then pointed the Taser at an officer (Aggravated Assault on an Officer).  He was shot for his trouble.  It's regrettable, but Brooks set the conditions for his own death.

Everything I have read says that the officers did everything right.  Brooks is dead, and that's sad, but he brought it on himself.

I'm a 37 year veteran of police work.  I've had all the training.  I have not delved into the minutia of the incident, but in a broad sense have some familiarity with what happened.  Because at several points, during my career, it has happened to me.  The cops are not at fault here, the training is not at fault here.  Brooks made some bad decisions that led to his death.  It's regrettable, but it's his own fault.

Of course, the local outrage mob in the neighborhood decided to compound the stupidity and burn down the Wendy's.  Arson is still a crime, and I'm sure that the authorities are working to identify the arsonists.

The Chief of Police has resigned in Atlanta, probably out of disgust at the stupidity of the mayor, who has called for the firing of the officers.

The officers did their jobs, and from what I've read, did it in the manner of their training.

Sunday Video

A week ago today we were leaving Amarillo, TX after five days of shooting Cowboy Fast Draw.  Our photographer, Miss E is starting to put out video of the events.

This is the first two days of shooting, the Southern Territorial Championship.



At 2:46 you can watch grandson Zach take a win.  He's the fellow in the red shirt, with the American flag motif on his belt ad holster.

It was a good time.

Pedicure

One day last week my daughter called.  I had been joshing about getting a pedicure, and she told me she was making an appointment.  did I want to go?  "Sure", says I.

Ohmigod, guys.  You gotta do this.  My feet hadn't had any professional care since induction physical into the Army.  This little lady washed trimmed, groomed, lotioned, and massaged my old broke-down feet.  At one point, she even took out a dremel tool.

That was the best $28 I've spent in a long time.  My boots even fit better.

I plan to put a pedicure on my regular grooming rotation.  Next time I may even get my nails colored.

The CHAZ

I am utterly bemused at the current situation in Seattle.  A group of anarchists set up a zone in downtown Seattle, and have erected border walls (which the left hates), and strict immigration controls (which the left hates), and are shaking down businesses with exorbitant taxation (which the left does routinely).  It's become a left-fringe freak show.

The mayor of Seattle, and the governor of Washington have utterly no clue.

I'll let Hannity explain it.



In another hour I'll go out to the shop, move some equipment, and set up for a club shoot.  A conservative celebration, if you will. 

The New Bolsheviks

That is what Ingraham is calling them.  Bolsheviks.  She's right.

I've been watching the news lately, The scenes coming out of Seattle, Chicago, Los Angels, and other bastions of liberal, progressive  power leave me stunned.  It shows, indisputably, that progressive power is a paper tiger.  If you are a "progressive" and allow a group to take over a section of your city, without taking it back, you really have no power.  The mayor of Seattle, and Chicago, and Minneapolis have shown, without exception that they do not control their cities. 

As a career police officer, with 37 years behind the badge, I was horrified at the scene of the cop kneeling on George Floyd's neck.  This had noting to do with the fake $20 bill ad everything to do with Floyd's refusal to get in the police car.  This was a routine arrest gone horribly wrong.  There is plenty of blame to go around, and some of it falls on Floyd himself.  The criminal justice system will sort it out, although I'm fairly certain that the charged officers will probably ask for a change of venue.

The riots that have occurred since are more than an over-reaction.  They are an opportunistic power grab by people who want to remake American society.  The people that the rioters are grabbing power from are not the conservatives, but some of the most "progressive" power centers in the US.  It's really interesting to watch, because those elected officials are responsible for the safety, security and order in those cities.  At every level, they have failed miserably.



I admit I am somewhat baffled.  The very people elected in Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, and other places like that have allowed their cities to degenerate into third world hell-holes.  If this is progressive, I want no part of it.

Non-Starter

The vicious, left-wing press asked Press Secretary Kayleitg McEnany what the President thought about renaming current military installations that are currently named for Confederate military commanders. 

Her reply:  It's a non-starter.

Good for President Trump.  Forts Benning, Bragg, Polk, and Hood, among others are part of our great military history.  Many units in the Army today trace their lineage back to before the Civil War and some of those units served in the Confederate Army.  One such unit, the 141st Field Artillery (Washington Artillery) has served in every American conflict since the War of 1812. 

Re-naming poss today is a non-starter with President Trump, and I agree with him. 

Defund Who?

While I wasn't paying attention this past week, it seems that the Left has lost it's mind.  There seems to be a call across some of the US to defund police departments.  The Minneapolis City council is planning to vote to disband its police department.

What the hell?

Police power is the power to arrest, detain and limit freedom for the public good.  Many times the police don't use that power, but work for the public good.  I spent a career as a police officer, serving all of my citizens without passion or prejudice.  I believe that every police department has problems, but that those problems can be fixed with good leadership.  If a police department has systemic problems, then a change of leadership is beneficial.

But, police power is power, and power will be replaced in a vacuum.  So, if we remove our police department, what will replace it?  And, I'm not hearing anything about who will control the power once the police department is disbanded.  What is the end game?

Power must be controlled, or anarchy results.  In a power vacuum, something will rise to replace it.

Thank God that we have a Second Amendment.

Honda Odyssey First Trip

About two weeks ago, I bought myself a brand-new 2020 Honda Odyssey.  It's the EX version, second from the bottom of their line, but it has a lot of bells and whistles that I was not familiar with and didn't know if they would be useful.

To set the stage, for my whole life I've bought used vehicles for myself.  I bought more than a few vehicles for the family ( translate: wife) but I drove used vehicles.  This time I decided that I wanted brad-new.  And, I wanted a few bells and whistles, but didn't need a moon roof.  I traded a 2015 Kia Sedona.  We got a lot of use out of the Sedona as a traveling vehicle.  To be a gunfighter means that we pack a lot of gear beyond luggage and the extra space in a van is wonderful.

It's not sporty, it's not stylish, it's a people hauler. 

Loaded for a gunfight

I had watched some videos about the safety features on this vehicle.  Since 2015, the various manufacturers have made great upgrades in technology, but let's talk about one in particular.

Adaptive Cruise Control.

My dad once said that he wouldn't buy  roller skate if it didn't have cruise control, and I understand his thought.  It's a great tool to set the speed and go, except when you are on a  crowded highway, like the interstates between cities, and you get stick behind a big truck who goes slower uphill and faster downhill.  You can fiddle with the cruise control, or just turn it off and use your right foot.  It's frustrating and tiring.

Adaptive cruise control lets you set a speed, and there is a radar on the front of your vehicle that senses traffic.  If you run up on a slower moving vehicle.  It maintains a set distance and when you feel that it is safe and convenient, you can go around the slower vehicle.  Once you change over to a clear lane, the cruise control brings you back up to your set speed.

When I left DFW metro yesterday, headed east on 1-20, I set the cruse at 80 and tried to put Texas behind me.  Before long, I came up on some trucks trying to pull up a hill, and the van settled in behind them, maintaining a safe distance.I never made 80 mph, all the way to Shreveport, but the vehicle kept us safe and we went with the flow of traffic.  Belle and I chatted, and I still had to drive the vehicle, but I wasn't constantly fiddling with the cruise control.

When we hit Shreveport, headed south on I-49, it was the same deal.  It was getting dark, but the radar sees things that we can't.  I believe that if I had rolled up on a vehicle without lights, the radar would see it and slow me down before a catastrophe.

Adaptive cruise control is da-bomb. Driving was a whole lot less stressful and when I got home after a sold eleven hours on the road, I wasn't exhausted.  Tired for sure, but not exhausted as I though I'd be.

We'l go over some of the other safety features later.  This van is just about as close to a self-driving vehicle as I'm liable to see.

Home, Safe

We rolled in about 10:00 last night, home safe after a week.

It was a great shoot, under trying conditions.  The organizers did a great ob, the host venue was very accommodating, but the Covid restrictions and current practices made it tough for everyone.  We're a gregarious bunch, and it's impassible to maintain social distancing in a tight venue.

The original, planned venue might have been easier to maintain distance, but the CDC wanted to set up shop in Amarillo and kicked us out at the last minute and the event organizers had to scramble for a venue that might accommodate us.  The Big Texan took us in, and did everything they could do to make us comfortable.  We were grateful for their space and made it work.

Texas is a bit ahead of Louisiana in the Covid recovery, and is making it work.  They are still in Phase 2, but the restaurants are open.  Every other table has a Covid marker on it, and is not being used, but the restaurant is open.  It was very nice to sit inside at a restaurant table, order a meal and enjoy it with friends.

We wore the "new" off the new Honda Odyssey.  This trip was a great shake-down cruise and I learned a lot about it.  There are still a few things that I haven't figured out but the technology i this vehicle is amazing.  More on that later.  After coffee and unpacking the van, I have to go get the dawg, who has been at a borders this week.

Friday UPdate

PawPaw and crew are still in Amarillo, involved in a huge Cowboy Fast Draw shoot.  Today, we shot the Texas State Championship.  PawPaw did okay, staying in for eight rounds and finishing well in the top half of the crowd.

Looking forward, Tropical Storm Christobal is heading our way in Louisiana.  Our governor is freaking out, like he does about everything, and is probably seeking federal emergency funds for the storm.

We're back in the hotel now, and PawPaw is having a cocktail.  In a short while, we'll walk to a convenient restaurant where a chicken-fried steak awaits.

Triple Crown - Day 2

We started the Southern Territorial Championship today.  I did not cover myself in glory, but I did manage to stay in until the 6th round.  Belle is out, and I am out, but Zach still has two Xs before he is out.  An X, for the uninitiated, is a loss during an individual match.

Belle, being out, went to look at the vendors, and bought a new fast draw rig, from Mernicke Leather.  It's a nice rig and I may think about strolling over during a lull in the shooting tomorrow.

We shoot brackets tomorrow morning.  Then finish the Southern Territorials.

Back at the hotel, I see that we have a new storm in the Gulf.  Tropical Storm Cristobal.  He's set to hit Louisiana, just about the time we get back on late Sunday.

Oh, Joy!  The hurricane season is ramping up.  2020, with impeachment, Covid, race riots, and now an early tropical storm, has not shaped up like I would have wished.

Triple Crown, Day 1

The shoot that we're calling the Triple Crown of Cowboy Fast Draw kicked off today, with registration and a Jackpot shoot.  Because of Covid-related problems, we are doing Texas State Championship, the Southern Territorial Championship, and the US National Championship in five days of shooting.  We are shooting at the Big Texan Steak House, in a building they have out back.

We were originally scheduled for another venue, but the Center for Disease Control tool it over and kicked us out.  The Big Texan was kind enough to offer the use of their space.  They must have thought it might be good for business to have us in the space.

That's not a sign you see every day

The main matches start tomorrow, but with so many gunfighters in a building, we had to have a match.  I didn't feel like shooting, so I volunteered as a range officer.

Belle, giving hugs to people we haven't seen in a while.

When the shooting was over, and the trophies were awarded, grandson Zach was in 2nd place.

That's Zach, second from the right, with his trophy and an envelope with cash in it.

After the shoot broke up, we headed down the interstate to Olive Garden for a celebratory meal.  We're back in the hotel room, and Belle has declared Happy Hour.

The Model 12 Shotgun

More information on an American favorite than you ever thought you needed to know.



I learned a lot watching this video.  The best part is when he reassembles it. So, I'm leaving it here in case I want to find it again.

Louisiana Moving to Phase 2

Our petty tyrant, John Bel Edwards, has decided that Louisiana can move to Phase 2.  That's damned nice of him, even if it is two weeks late.  Good for him.  He's holding the economy back, but that's his plan and the legislature doesn't have the balls to over-ride him.

In other news, I'm in Amarillo, TX, for the Triple Crown of Cowboy Fast Draw.  We left Louisiana yesterday, and in the past 24 hours, we've eaten in restaurants, driven across the state, and only saw one incident of Covid restrictions.  We stayed last night at a hotel in Wichita Falls and the hotel did not have a breakfast because of the Covid restrictions.  We got a quesadilla at a gas station, and it was wonderful.  For all you gourmands, out there, grab some gas station food when you get a chance.

The Triple Crown of Cowboy Fast Draw is Texas State, The Southern Territorials, and the US National Championship.  It will be held in Amarillo TX on Wednesday-Sunday this week. Five days of the fastest sport imaginable.  If you blink your eyes, you may miss it.

Belle and I are ensconced in the hotel, and have declared happy hour.  By design, there is an IHOP right next door, and we may walk over in a little bit and get our supper.  I'm hungry for pancakes.