Training Day

I spent the day in my school, helping the SWAT team train in a school environment, walking them through problems, helping them solve issues.  I quit doing SWAT work in 1991 when I realized that I had lost a few steps, gained a few pounds, and realized that it was time to lay down my gear in favor of the younger guys.

It looks all fun-and-gun when you see it on TV, but the plain truth of the matter is that SWAT work is heavy, tiring, sweaty work.  I hoisted one of the vests they wear today, and with all the comms, the fancy toys, and the armor, the darned thing probably weighed 40 lbs.  Their new helmets are nicer than the Kevlar pots we wore, and much better than the steel pots before that.

Still, I'm glad that the young'uns are the ones carrying all that gear and I don't envy the few perks they get from the job.  I'm glad we've got them.

Pasta-Jambalaya

Last week, traveling home from vacation, we stopped at a TGI Friday's in Alabama for an evening meal.  I tried something called their Cajun Shrimp and Chicken Pasta, which the waiter described as a jambalaya.  When he brought it out, I noticed that it had sausage in it as well, and after a few minutes, he asked me how I liked it.

"It doesn't suck." I replied.

We began talking about regional foods and I thought that I could do better, so when I got home I started looking for recipes.  It seems that Emeril Lagasse has one that he calls Jambalaya Pasta, and I'm sure it's great, but it's got a lot of parts.  Good cajun cooking is about simplicity, using what's available to make a filling meal. 

So, I started with Milady's basic fettucini sauce and went from there.

Pasta-Laya

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 T minced garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can original Rotel tomatoes
8 oz Velveeta Cheese
1 cup fat-free Half & Half
2 T vegetable oil
1 rotisserie Chicken
1 lb link sausage, cut into round pieces.
1 lb pasta.  I used rigatoni, but anything would work; spaghetti, macaroni, fettucini.  This is supposed to be a simple dish.

Cut sausage into pieces.  Chop onion and bell pepper.  With 1 T oil, sautee onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the onion is translucent.  Remove and set aside.

Cook pasta in salted water.  Drain, set aside.

Brown sausage in black iron pot with 1 T vegetable oil.  Remove, set aside.  De-bone chicken.  Set aside.

In black iron pot, combine onion, bell pepper, garlic, cream of mushroom soup, Rotel tomatoes.  Slice Velveeta into cubes and add to the mix, stirring until the cheese is melted and mixture is creamy.  Add sausage, chicken and cook on low heat while you wash all the dishes you've used.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Get out a casserole dish, spray with Pam cooking oil.  Add pasta, add sauce/meat mixture. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Milady and I ate this for supper this evening, and we agree that it's a really fine meal.  If I made a double-batch, with garlic bread and a salad, it would feed a regiment.  Next time we might want to use a little less pasta, or a little more liquid, but it turns into a fine meal.

Here's your Problem

Between chores this morning, I googled to ask if the theater in Aurora was a gun free zone.  In 0.13 seconds, I got 750,000 results.  Turns out, Cinemark Century Theaters is in fact a gun free zone.  The company, standing firmly on property rights, has a policy that no one can carry a gun in their theaters.  So, while the red-headed sonofabitch knew that Colorado is a concealed carry state, he also probably knew that the theater didn't allow law-abiding citizens the right to protect themselves from murderous evil.

So, while Roger Ebert wonders why no one shot back, the answer is sparklingly clear and Roger would have known this if the took 0.13 of a second to Google it.  No one shot back because the law forbid it.  The theater is a gun-free zone and law abiding citizens check their freedom at the door.

There's your problem, right there.

Odious

Glenn Reynolds links to an odious article in the New YorkDaily News. This is the gun-controls best effort at swaying opinion and it is so full of inaccuracies and false hyperbole that it deserves mention if only to deconstruct it.

Standing at Holmes’ side as he unleashed an AR-15 assault rifle and a shotgun and a handgun was Wayne LaPierre, political enforcer of the National Rifle Association.

The first hyperbole is patently false. I'm sure that the NRA wasn't in the theater that night and it's despicable to blame 8 million lawful citizens for the actions of one unhinged man. But, let's not stop there. It gets better.

Standing at Holmes’ side as he sprayed bullets and buckshot into a crowded movie theater were Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, a President and a would-be President, who have bowed to the NRA’s dictates and who responded to the slaughter Friday with revolting, useless treacle.

Now it's our President's fault, but I'm pretty sure that he wasn't there either. The Secret Service doesn't like it much when someone comes near the President with a firearm. Governor Romney was elsewhere, I'm sure.

Standing at Holmes’ side as he murdered 12 and wounded 59 were the millions of zealots who would sooner see blood flow and lives end than have to check a box on a gun registration form.

Every time I buy a gun (several times per year) I have to check a block on the Form 4473. That's the law.

Because they made sure that virtually everyone, Holmes included, has unfettered legal access to heavy weaponry. And they made sure he was permitted by law to drive to the kill scene with a fully loaded arsenal.

What? We're supposed to stop people from driving? And, aside from the simple fact that he had no heavy weapons, that last sentence smacks of desperation. It's one thing to be desperate, it's another entirely to get the basic facts wrong, andthe Editorial Board of the New York Daily News gets it wrong, over and over again. The red-headed sonofabitch had no heavy weapons.  Not one.  He drove to the theater legally, and I'm not familiar enough with Colorado's laws nor with Aurora's ordinances to know if he violated any laws before he opened fire, but the last time I looked at the statutes, murder is still against the law.

What the New York Daily News fails to appreciate is there is evil in this world and the red-headed sonofabitch is the latest permutation of that evil.  This was a senseless act and it is futile to try to make sense of it.  I mourn for the dead, I pray for the families, and I beseech a loving God to protect us, but I cannot explain it, nor can I condone the media dancing in the blood.  The opinion piece by the New York Daily News is odious, inaccurate, reflects failed policy, and would be disastrous to their intent if either party adopted their views.  Gun control is a failed experiment and should be consigned to the dustbin of history.

The Aurora Killer

I understand that the red-headed sonofabitch has had his first court hearing and is back in jail. Good. I understand that our President will not speak his name, and I agree with the President on that single issue. There is no reason to know the name of evil and the red-headed sonofabitch is evil.

I was reading Victor Davis Hanson, and I agree with him (and the President) that our focus on the perpetrator should be simply enough that we try him, convict him and punish him.

I don’t care a whit whether the Aurora killer was a loner. I don’t care if he was unhappy or if he was on medication. Millions share such pathologies without killing a mouse. I don’t even know whether giving him swift justice will deter the next mass shooter. Yes, give the suspect expert legal counsel; call in all the psychiatrists imaginable; sequester the jury; ensure the judge is a pillar of jurisprudence; but if he is found guilty, I would prefer the gallows and quickly so, to remind us that we live in a civilization that prefers to remember the victims and to remember nothing at all of their killer.

The sooner the red-headed sonofabitch is convicted and punished, the better for all of us.

Insane Is as Insane Does

Wandering over to Tam's Place, I read a post, then click over to the New York Times, and an opinion by Roger Ebert.

That James Holmes is insane, few may doubt. Our gun laws are also insane, but many refuse to make the connection. The United States is one of few developed nations that accepts the notion of firearms in public hands. In theory, the citizenry needs to defend itself. Not a single person at the Aurora, Colo., theater shot back, but the theory will still be defended.

I haven't yet heard anyone opine that Holmes is insane, although his attorney will probably research the claim and medical professionals will debate it. That's a question of medicine and law. However, our gun laws are the result of careful deliberation, lawful legislation, and executive agreement. To opine that any act of the legislature is insane... well, insanity is as insanity does.

 What the gun banners don't get is that the tide is turned. Gun control is a losing proposition to elected officials, and the Courts have held that the 2nd Amendment has meaning. Whether the press likes it or not, the 2nd Amendment is the law.

 Now, as to why not a single person in that theater shot back, I'd have to look at the demographics, the laws in Aurora, Colorado, and the rules posted in the theater. If the local laws and the rules of the theater conspired to disarm the audience, then the words of Cesare Beccaria (from 1764) ring ever more true. Does not the execution of this law deprive the subject of that personal liberty, so dear to mankind and to the wise legislator? Laws designed to disarm the people tend to disarm the law-abiding citizen, while leaving the predator untouched.

This is Ebert's strawman: Because no one shot back, the right is worthless.  I guess that the same thing could be said of speaking, or voting, or those other rights that are protected in our constitution.  More likely, this thinking is accurately described by Tam. 

...or so says Roger Ebert. And believe me, if anybody knows "insane", it's Roger. He's personally trod every square foot of that terrain.

Heh!

Home at Last

We pulled into the driveway at 2:00 p.m., local time.  I was amazed at the height of the grass in the lawn.  The only question now is if I want to mow it, or contract it for hay.  It's nice bahia, but I don't think they could get a full trailer of hay.  Probably not worth the effort; I'll mow it.  Later.

With a full SUV, we looked like a traveling gypsy show, my apologies to the travelers.  Folks who pack and travel long distances on a regular basis probably have their act together. We did not.

Luggage strapped to the roof, luggage on the rack, the inside full of six souls.  I took this picture somewhere in Alabama yesterday.  I bet that we were a sight, rolling down the road.

Sometime tomorrow, I"ll start posting something that looks like regular content.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Lately, I've been trusting the dog off his leash, and he's responding well.  Last week, we explored the lot next to the house and the dog enjoyed his exploring.

A classic pointing pose, although he's not a pointer and there were no birds in sight.  I think he was simply walking up the hill.

I'm not sure what was under that log that riveted his attention.  It may simply have been the pond water, or there might have been a critter under there.  We'll never know.

We should be home late this afternoon, and pick the dog up from the groomer tomorrow morning.

Traveling.

I've been traveling all day and am now ensconced in a hotel just east of Tuscaloosa, AL.  I'm seeing lots of flags at half-staff, so our President must have ordered it in memoriam of the Colorado tragedy.

Getting my computer running, I'm seeing folks calling for more gun regulations in the wake of this senseless tragedy.  The whole thing about a senseless tragedy is that you cannot make sense of it.  It just is and we've got to deal with that.  However, we can look to our strengths and we can look to our history, and be reminded of what Cesare Beccaria wrote in his Crimes and Punishments when talking of disarming private citizens.

The laws of this nature are those which forbid to wear arms, disarming those only who are not disposed to commit the crime which the laws mean to prevent. Can it be supposed, that those who have the courage to violate the most sacred laws of humanity, and the most important of the code, will respect the less considerable and arbitrary injunctions, the violation of which is so easy, and of so little comparative importance? Does not the execution of this law deprive the subject of that personal liberty, so dear to mankind and to the wise legislator? And does it not subject the innocent to all the disagreeable circumstances that should only fall on the guilty? It certainly makes the situation of the assaulted worse and of the assailants better, and rather encourages than prevents murder, as it requires less courage to attack unarmed than armed persons.

It is interesting that I look to Beccaria when I'm looking to find a quote. My favorite, which has been taped to the inside of my briefcase since before I was commissioned in 1975 is thus:

every act of authority of one man over another, for which there is not an absolute necessity, is tyrannical.

We'd all do well to remember that.

Last Night Together

Here's the picture of our crew, taken outside the restaurant where we all ate supper tonight.

We're all leaving in the morning, so as soon as this is posted, I'm going to pack this computer.  The Sunday Dawg is posted and we'll be on the road tomorrow.  I hope to make Birmingham before stopping for the night.

Colorado Tragedy

I understand that there was a shooting tragedy in Colorado last night as we slept.  It's too early yet to know many details, but reports emerge that as many as 12 were killed, with as many as 50 others wounded.

Let's not rush to judgement, I'm sure we'll learn more as the investigation continues.  Some of the usual suspects are already calling for an assault on the Second Amendment.  I agree with Instapundit that those calling for stiffer regulation suffer from a mix of opportunism and an unwillingness to confront evil.

Let's maintain calm, and see how this shakes out.

Matt's Run

My son, Matthew, is a NASCAR fan, as is almost every redneck in the free world.  His wife did some research and found that there is a race track at Myrtle Beach.  She reserved some track time and he was able to drive a race car under the NASCAR Racing Experience.  They gave him a safety briefing, fitted him in a suit and helmet, and turned him loose in a car.  The car was governed to 100 mph, but he managed to post a lap time of 98.3 mph.  Those cars are "chipped" for amateur drivers but it was a fine experience nonetheless.



It's a five minute video, so watch at your discretion.  PawPaw was taking the video, did the editing, and made the graphics.  Blame the lame graphics and poor editing on me.

Millage Rate: Zero

I've known about this for a week or so, but I've been keeping it quiet until it hit the papers.  The town of Pollock, LA has decided to not collect property taxes this year.  It seems that the town is on a sound financial footing, so the mayor and town council decided to let the residents keep their money in their pockets. 

With a nearly debt-free town, Scott asked the town council to consider not asking for the 7.52 mills of annual property tax from its citizens. The town collected more than $13,000 in total property taxes last year.

"This money is the good citizens of Pollock's anyway, and we're in a good enough financial state to leave it in their pockets," Scott said. The council unanimously voted July 9 to not send out property tax notices this year. The town reserves the right to send out notices in the future if necessary. This does not affect parish or state taxes.

The very idea! A town decides that it doesn't need tax money to operate, so it doesn't collect it. This is revolutionary.  Talk to your local officials about NOT collecting tax money this year.  With good management, they shouldn't need it.

On Lawyers, Generally

If you're a regular reader of Instapundit, you've probably read about the legal education bubble, and how it's a lousy idea to get into law school right now, and how law students are burdened with heavy student loans and how lousy the job market is for attorneys right now.  Oh, boo hoo hoo.  I am heartily tired of listening to lawyers and law students whine.

Lawyers have generally one advantage that the rest of us don't have and that is their self-policing profession that limits entrance into it.  Most of the lawyers I've known aren't that bright, many of them having spent three years learning a trade that in the past was simply a self-study opportunity.  Any lawyer who passes the bar can hang a shingle that announces; Attorney-At-Law, and go into business for himself.  It's really that simple.  These days anyone with a computer has a law library and any student of college age that can't type has no business in any profession, so these days, lawyering can pretty much be a one-person office.

I don't know any lawyers who were forced to go to law school, and I don't know many lawyers who are starving.  It's a living, a better living than many people have.  The bar association, like many trade unions, inhibits competition by limiting the number of people who can enter the trade, much like the plumbers union.

What it true is that the lawyers union, unlike the plumbers union, hasn't kept pace with the technology.  I can go online and learn to take care of my own plumbing, and I can go online and make my own will.  The plumbers applaud the first, and the lawyers deplore the second.  Get over it.  Plumbers actively seek good applicants for the trade, and help young plumbers succeed.  Apprenticeships, mentoring, and short-term courses help new plumbers learn the trade. Continuing education, on-the-job experience and steady pay make a new plumber into an experienced professional, a credit to his profession and a valued member of the community.

Lawyers would do well to emulate the craft-trades model.  Taking a kid out of high school and teaching him the trade over the course of four or five years might make better lawyers at a lesser price.

But, whatthehell do I know?  I do enough reading to know that what they're doing now ain't working.  Perhaps it's time to think outside the box and get away from that whole three years of graduate work.

Brookgreen Gardens

We went to Brookgreen Gardens this morning, to see sculpture.  Very well done, extremely calm, lovely botanical gardens with scuplture everywhere.  Small sculpture, large sculpture, heroic sculpture, bronze, granite, limestone. 

They have one in the children's section, Frog Baby, that I've seen before, twenty years ago.  He's simply as captivating now as he was then. 

Finally, here's Milady sitting on a bench next to a fellow reading a newspaper.

If you find yourself near Murrell's Inlet, SC, this place is worth a second look.

Arriving at the house in the afternoon, I find my sisters making tacos, nachos, and burritos.  I may have to pour myself a drink.

Beignets

The beignet is a Louisiana donut.  It's fried and rolled in powdered sugar, but we don't put a hole in ours.  Ours are square and sometimes flat.  The corners are chewy and the powdered sugar makes a mess, but oh, they're good.   Made famous by Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, many consider them to be a New Orleans delicacy when the truth is that they're easily made with any good yeast bread dough. 

Here in Myrtle Beach, Momma decided to make beignets for our breakfast this morning, so the ladies set up an assembly line.

Rolled in powdered sugar, they look like this.

Really, they're simple.  Take any frozen yeast roll you find at the grocers, pat it flat and square, fry it in oil, then roll it in confectioners sugar. 

Ferris Wheel

Zach, Milady and I went out this afternoon, plundering about, looking for a diversion.  We found it at the Ferris wheel.  Here's Zach looking down the beach.

A view looking out the other side of the gondola.

We came home to a dinner of jambalaya, salad, and banana pudding.  I think I'm going to go walk on the beach.

Vacation

Living with the whole extended family under one roof is interesting, fun, enjoyable... really.  I'm having a ball.  Getting to know neices and nephews that I see only infrequently is a big draw, and being the curmudgeon I am, when it gets too noisy or crazy, I'm free to withdraw.  We're cooking huge evening meals, designed to feed 50 people.  Last night was chicken 'n dumplings, tonight will be a big jambalaya, and tomorrow night we're cooking meat pies and dirty rice.

That's one of the sisters working in the kitchen, and regular readers will see Milady in the background.

There's the newest member of the clan, napping on a quilt.

We're having a ball. 
 

Vacation Pictures

Taking pictures at the Beach House.  First, my sister raising hell at me for getting a camera near her.

Then, a picture of my mother, looking at my sister raising hell at me.

Then, a picture of Milady, watching my sister raise hell at me.

Can anyone detect a pattern here?

Vacation Day 3

We all closed on Myrtle Beach yesterday.  There are about 48 of us in the house, four generations from 8 months to the late 70s.  We're cooking breakfast right now, and if I were a betting man, I'd bet that the beach will be on the agenda before another hour is finished.

For myself, I intend to rest today.  The remainder of the week will be fairly hectic.  I want to go see Brookgreen Gardens, which is just south of here, but other than that my schedule is flexible. 

More later.