Tick, tick, tick...

Ghost-Riding: Brake-Dancing With Zip Under the Hood

My college-age son introduced me to the phrase "ghost-riding the whip" a couple of weeks ago, and explained to me all the intricacies of how the Bay-Areas hip-hopsters made this all the rage. In a nutshell, your car is stopped, but not in gear, and moving at an idle. You jump out of the car, and "get stupid" (yes, using quotes like that makes me feel really old). A "whip" is a car, btw. I tried explaining this phenomenon to my friends a week or so ago, but it got mostly mangled in the translation. Imagine my elation that the Washington Post has decided to report on this.

To ghost-ride, the driver climbs out of the car while it's moving at low speed. The ghost-rider then busts a move around and on top of the vehicle, usually accompanied by a thumping soundtrack from the car (or "whip," in urban slang). What they're attempting is to make the dance steps as gaudy and elaborate as possible and to stay outside the car as long as possible.

At least the Post is as uncool as I am.

The origins of this whole thing has its roots in the "hyphy" movement. Yeah, that's what I said, too. Here's the Post's explanation:

Hyphy (derived from "hyperactive") is also bass-heavy hip-hop music that celebrates things such as "thizz" (the drug Ecstasy); "scrapers," which are large, late-'80s domestic makes like Buick LeSabres and Oldsmobile Cutlasses; and oversize sunglasses, called "stunner shades."

All of that is referenced in the hyphy anthem, "Tell Me When to Go," by the Oakland rapper E-40 (sample printable lyric: "Ghost-ride the whip / Now . . . Scrape / Put your stunna shades on / Now . . . Gas, brake, dip, dip"). The song was on the album "My Ghetto Report Card," which topped Billboard's R&B and hip-hop chart this year.

Is it stupid, dangerous, and a waste of time? Bet yer ass it is. That's why it's popular.

"It's a fantastic waste of time, and it's really funny," says Andy Shields, a college student from the Chicago area who tried ghost-riding with some classmates this month. The stunt was in an empty school parking lot in Casey, Ill., during a recent road trip. As a buddy rolled tape, Shields car-surfed at about 3 mph atop a friend's Chevy Suburban.

Shields enjoyed the ride so much he's hoping to repeat it -- on a combine or a cement mixer.

I suppose we should thank the hyphy movement for helping to thin the herd. Darwin would be proud.

Woman Accidentally Shoots Self At Gun Range

A woman at a range in Oklahoma City was practicing her shooting, when a hot shell casing fell down the front of her shirt. The Girl can testify to the wisdom of NOT wearing a V-cut shirt to the range. So, she did what anyone would do in her situation:

She jumped as the hot metal touched her skin and reached for her chest. Police said that's when she accidentally shot herself in the leg.

Oh, wait - no. That's actually the wrong thing to do, huh? Of course, the range owner was quick to point out that this sort of thing was pretty mundane:

"Of course, we train for this, but unbeknownst to us, we had a gentlemen on the range who was a trained EMT. (He) took care of it immediately, and even though it was a shooting, it was actually very minimal," said H&H Gun Range owner Miles Hall.

Hall said the woman was embarrassed more than anything else.

Yeah, and he doesn't want to be sued more than anything else. Just a minor shooting, nothing to see here, move along...

Santa Brought Me Bullets!

These are some rounds I made with the .40 180g Hornady Action Pistol bullets (also pictured) that Santa brought. They're over 4.3g of TiteGroup, and using Federal small pistol primers in recovered brass/nickel, with an overall length of 1.135". I understand these bullets were very popular with the USPSA crowd until some competitors came along (Zero, Precision Delta, etc.). The HAP bullets cost $101/1000 rounds, whereas the Zero and company come in around $80-85/1000. I got gift certificates to Midway USA, so I decided to try the HAP. It's a nice jacketed hollow point, without the expansion cannelures that many of the other (similar) bullets have. They claim that expansion is pretty silly on cardboard, and this makes them more accurate. Whatever - as long as I can make holes in the targets. I also like that there's no lead exposed on the base - it's fully jacketed, which means less lead and smoke.

I'll be trying these out on Saturday at our match, and I'll follow back with a report.

Finally - I can make video again...

Here's a redux of our Waco weekend shooting.

Gun Porn

Took some Christmas cash and picked up this little dandy today... Ruger 10/22 from Academy; Tasco 3x9x40 scope with mil-dots; Butler Creek carbon fiber bbl; and Hogue overmolded stock. The bipod is an old one that's been layin' around in a box somewhere for a few years... All in all, I'm in for what promises to be a tack driving machine for right around $500. The scope is probably the weak link at the moment, but at under $60; and considering what I'll be using this rifle for (fun!! squirrels...) it'll do just fine.

Now I guess I need to start working on the little project as to how I'm strange for Porta's Cat....

Merry Christmas

On behalf of all of us here at the Tattler, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Yeah, I know it's old, but it's still a cool video.

The Kids are Home from College

The boy's home from OU, and all his other friends are in town, too. He asked if he could have a few friends over. There were about 20 when I went to sleep last night.

Pictured is the aftermath. There was a note promising clean-up, whenever he woke up. So...about 3pm, I expect. Personally, I think they're vampires.

Parachutist survives fall

And tell me again why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane??

Ever think if you wanted to give parachuting a try, like these blokes?

His ordeal was witnessed by John Siddles, a local man, and his 18-year-old son, Adam. The pair were at a nearby lookout watching the parachutists to decide if they wanted to try it themselves.

Great timing, don't you think?

“We drove to the site where the skydiver landed and asked if we could help, but fellow skydivers had landed nearby and had things under control. It was a bit yucky. We decided it’s not for us.”

Terror alert for England

As if it weren't bad enough that the muslims are blowing themselves up during Ramadan. Now we've got to worry that they're going to be blowing themselves up during Christmas too.

This report seems to go hand in hand with Newsweek's article on the "12 brothers" that have been training with AQ in Pakistan.

Luckily for us though, the Democrats are just about officially in power in Washington and they'll keep us safe and sound.

Flu pandemic could kill up to 81 million people

Just in time for the holidays, MSNBC resorts to fear-mongering and hysteria. Why report on an influenza pandemic? Because the threat of one currently exists? Nah. Just because - it's a slow news day. Here's some more hard-hitting journalism:

One surprise in the new study was the huge variation in how different countries would be affected by a pandemic. The study estimates that 96 percent of the deaths would occur in the developing world. Murray and colleagues noted there was a 30-fold or more variation in mortality.

Okay - everyone that's surprised by this factoid, please raise your hands. Noboby? Yeah, I thought so. That's because mud-eating hut-dwellers don't have access to simple things like basic sanitation, running water, and medical care. Here's some more research from Doctor Obvious and company:

Another question is the impact a flu pandemic would have on those infected with HIV. Seasonal influenza exacts a heavy toll on those with weakened immune systems. So, in the case of a new pandemic flu, Murray’s estimate might be optimistic.

Wait - do you mean to tell me that SICK people are more prone to dying from influenza? Shocked, I am.

And what's the referential disease in this article, the main reason for this needless "don't panic!" article? Why, the well-known, deadly H5N1 bird flu, which has killed...um...tens of people. In third-world countries, where chickens live in the same domiciles as those infected.

What a waste of my time to blog this. Sheesh.

Basic AR operation

Cute little video; good for showing a brand new shooter how the AR works.

Plus, she's really cute!

Fool me once, shame on you...

Is anyone surprised that the same Secretary General of the UN that oversaw the oil for food fiasco has been mooching off the taxpayers of New York for decades?

The questions multiply. Did Kofi Annan ever give up the lease on his old Roosevelt Island apartment? If he did, how did it end up in the possession of his brother's family? Why does the nephew appear to be the chief occupant today of an apartment that under Mitchell-Lama guidelines is meant for a low- to moderate-income New York family of between 5 and 6 people?

Kofi Annan's former dwelling is not the sole source of Roosevelt Island's Mitchell-Lama mysteries. The enclave is known for its heavy concentration of U.N. staff, many of whom receive U.N. housing allowances on top of whatever savings they might enjoy at the expense of New York state taxpayers.

The questions about the Annan apartment are not the first about various Annan family ventures to have emerged only to go unanswered.

The secretary-general misled the press for years about the nature of his son's business involvement with the Oil-for-Food program. When asked at a press conference last year about a Mercedes that his son shipped into Ghana in 1998 under false use of the secretary-general's name and the U.N. seal, Mr. Annan ducked the question by accusing the reporter of being a bad journalist.

All of this from a holier than thou crook who should be tossed out of the United States on his ass at our earliest opportunity. Hopefully soon to be followed by the remainder of the UN...

Chamberlain, part deux

Classic.

You want shooting video? Here ya go.

YouTube is pissing me off. So here's some shooting video I stored over at Viddler.

Okay - now Viddler's about to get fired. To see the videos, use the link above. Sheesh...technology.

Nice antlers!

Here's the Trixonator shooting her (LOUD) open gun on a field course this weekend.

Nice holiday touch, by the way...

Dutch women's breasts getting bigger

Dutch women are getting bigger breasts and 32 percent of them now have a D-cup or bigger compared with 20 percent five years ago.

This is one of the most fascinating articles I've read in a long time.

Hermaphroditic deer with seven legs ‘tasty’

Rick Lisko hunts deer with a bow but got his most unusual one driving his truck down his mile-long driveway. The young buck had nub antlers — and seven legs. Lisko said it also had both male and female reproductive organs. "It was definitely a freak of nature," Lisko said. "I guess it's a real rarity.”

Note to Rick Lisko; STOP HUNTING NEAR THE NUCLEAR PLANT!

"And by the way, I did eat it," Lisko said. "It was tasty."

Mmm mmm good!

Runner Fails Gender Test, Loses Medal

An Indian runner who won a silver medal in the women's 800 meters at the Asian Games failed a gender test and was stripped of the medal. Shanti Sounderajan, 25, took the gender test in Doha, Qatar, after placing second.

One Doctor was overheard saying, "Wow, she's got a pretty big set of balls for a chick."

Man Strangles Grandmother With Christmas Lights

You know, there's nothing like the holidays for families to get together, and kill each other with decorations.

DFW gun show calendar

If you're like me, you're always wondering when the next gun show's going to be. This handy little site has what looks like a pretty complete calendar of local DFW shows...

Enjoy!

Ya'll in Houston be careful now!

PC, DC etc - ya'll be careful down there!!

Weekend shooting

Here's a quicky little stage from our DAPS match at Elm Fork yesterday. Good stage for me, Limited stage win, taking down a couple of GMs and one M class shooter...

M240 vs M134

Oh my!

Where can I get one?

Nintendo to Recall Wii Straps

Click on the link above, and gaze upon massive stupidity. It's a picture of a broken 37-inch LCD screen. It's bleeding. Why? Because its owner has a Wii. In case you haven't seen the Wii controllers, they can be waved around in the air to create action on the screen when playing games. According to this article:

Baker cracked her LCD screen during a particularly spirited round of Wii bowling after snapping the controller's wrist strap and sending it into her flat-screen TV.

So, because people are STUPID, Nintendo is recalling the controller wrist straps.

Rosie Ching Chong O’Donnell (with subtitles)

Michelle Malkin tears Rosie O'Donnell a new one. HI-larious.

Know your enemy

30 rules to live by for wanna-be Taliban punks.

Here's a few that caught my eye:

19) Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair onto the battlefield or into their private quarters.

hmmm, could we ask Lawrence of Arabia about this one, eh?

24) It is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. True Muslims should apply to study with a religiously trained teacher and study in a Mosque or similar institution. Textbooks must come from the period of the Jihad or from the Taliban regime.

Heaven forbid Afghan kids learn about things like reading, writing and 'rithmatic. Come to think of it, Heaven forbid that Texas kids learn about stuff like that...

25) Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must recieve a warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the district commander or a group leader must kill him.

And again, coming soon to a school near you! Especially if you live in England...

The most honest Congress in History

Well, I guess we'll soon see if Pelosi follows through on her claims to wanting to clean up corruption in DC, won't we??

People ask what's wrong with our government? Well, for starters, crooks seem to find a home there. I'd like to say this kind of thing only happens in NOLA, but I think we all know better.

Guilty pleas by aides and associates who admitted to bribing the congressman and the revelation in court documents that FBI agents had found $90,000 in marked bills stuffed into Jefferson's freezer had put the scent of blood in political waters.

But really, can you concieve that a Republican Congressman would be re-elected under similar circumstances? I seem to recall Repubicans running their crooks out of office lately - ala Foley and Duke Cunningham.

However, if you're a minority and a Democrat, then apparently that kind of stuff is ok. There's enough blame to go around to the Republicans, too - good ole Denny Hastert jumped all over the FBI for raiding Jefferson's offices; just one more nail in the Republican election of '06.

Don't Shoot Your Eye Out!

Those guys at Office Max have way too much time on their hands.

The best I could do was to shoot my eye out twice.

Armed Forces Bowl

For those of our regular readers here in the Metroplex, check out Outlaw 13's blog today - some neat information on the upcoming Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth on 12/23/06.

Charlie Brown Christmas - Performed by the Cast of Scrubs

Humorous.

Glock offer targets police homebuyers

Let's face it - a free Glock isn't really going to influence whether someone buys a $150,000+ home - but it don't hurt.

The only thing about this: why the focus on police? You know, other people like Glocks, too.

Except Dan.

Clients: A Contractor's Right to Choose?

Whatever happened to "no shirt, no shoes, no service"??

Once upon a time, a business owner could decide who he or she did business with.

There's a stink going on in Houston where a contractor refused to do business with a gay couple, and they're catching hell from the usual suspects.

First they tell business owners that their clientele cannot smoke in their own establishment. Now they are telling the business owners who they should be doing business with.

Where does it end?

Like It Was Yesterday

It is strange how the mind works. Sometimes I can’t remember what happened last week, and there are some major events in my life that I have no real recollection of details. Then there are things that happened 20 years ago that I remember like it happened yesterday.
It was 26 years ago today. My Mom, Dad, and I had just finished decorating the tree. My Dad and I returned to the den to watch the rest of Monday Night Football, when Howard Cosell told us of “an unspeakable tragedy”. John Lennon had been shot and killed outside his apartment on the west side of New York City. I remember the feeling I got when I heard it. It was this hollow feeling mixed with sadness and disbelief. As young as I was, I knew this was a huge loss. It was tragic, as Howard Cosell said. I didn’t really understand or even know very much about the controversies that surrounded John Lennon and his politics, anti war activism, and drug use. All I knew was I was a big fan of his music.
It was the first time I had ever uttered a curse word in front of my Father. It was an uncontrollable reaction. I said “shit”. Realizing what I had said, I looked over at my dad, and all he said was “Don’t let your mother hear you talk like that.” Although my Dad only listened to Country and Western music, and probably really disliked John Lennon because he was a hippie, pot smoking, rock and roller, he let the slip slide under the radar because he knew what an impact John Lennon’s death had on me as well as many other people in the world.
That night will forever be burned into my memory.

GO ELF YOURSELF!

Check out The Girl!

Pearl Harbor - 9/11

Robert Spencer has an excellent piece at Jihad Watch reminding us all (at least those who are paying attention) just what the stakes are.

Five years after Pearl Harbor, the war was over. The Third Reich was kaput. The Japanese were vanquished as well. But five years and counting after 9/11, there is no victory in sight. There is not even much clarity about why we are fighting, or whom we are fighting. Some of the most important victories in this shadowy twilight war have come in the form of arrests of those who were plotting attacks even more heinous than 9/11, but these arrests have an unfortunate side effect: they perpetuate the illusion that we are not seriously threatened, that there is nothing to be particularly concerned about -- after all, they haven't struck since 9/11. They probably can't. They probably just got lucky on that day.

One main reason, meanwhile, why the war is so poorly understood and controversial: the enemy is not a nation-state but an ideology, an ideology which has been spread throughout the world and can now be found in practically every nation on the planet. Because of the religious derivation of this ideology, analysts are generally reluctant to identify it properly or fully. They don't wish to examine how this ideology is advancing through peaceful means. They refuse to consider the ways in which it threatens American society, laws, and mores. And multiculturalism dins into all our ears that all value systems and belief systems are equal, and that only "bigots" oppose one or another, or dare to examine how one may be contain incitements to violence and supremacism.

Read it all.

Ultrasonic Ringtones

Ultrasonic Ringtones - The new ringtones that only kids can hear!

Okay, when I was much younger, I could hear the ultrasonic frequency motion detector systems that were popular in department stores.

A few rounds later, I don't hear those tones. Apparently, kids still do, and now they've figured out how to use that to their collective advantage with ultrasonic ringtones. Pretty cool, actually.

However, I'd like you old farts to go to this site, and tell me (in comments) what was the highest frequency you could hear. Me?

You're not a hoopy frood

You thought you were really with it and in with your younger colleagues but they just laugh at you because you can't hear beyond this! The highest pitched ultrasonic mosquito ringtone that I can hear is 14.1kHz

Find out which ringtones you can hear!

What's that, ya say, sonny? Get off my lawn!

Off with their heads!

Quotes from the executioner:

"Every person is worried when he starts a new job."

"On the personal level, I'm very normal."

"I finish the job and go home. It's all very normal."

Yep, these are the folks the Iraq study group wants us to sit down and come up with a regional plan for peace!

H/T Lone Star Times

Muslim boys urinated on Bible

Religion of peeese, indeed!

Somalia Town Threatens to Behead People Who Don't Pray 5 Times Daily

Religion of peace indeed!

Cluck

Merry Christmas - this is a hoot.

Changing of the Guard?

After many years of shooting Glocks, I decided this year that it was time to give a 1911 a try. I have been competitively shooting pistols since 97, and shooting only Glocks since late 98.

But which one? I was very leery about throwing down over 2 grand for a full on custom. Although several of my friends are/were trying to lead me there and assuring me I won't be happy unless I dive in. But I was just unwilling to take that plunge.

So as luck would have it, a series of events landed what I feel was a terrific opportunity to try it out. A friend picked up a used Para-Ordnance P16 Todd Jarrett model and was looking to resell it quick. So I jumped on it before JR could make his move. This was in July. So I thought I'd give my impressions of it for you.

Above you can see the old and the new. Glock 35, Vanek trigger, Dawson sights, Dawson basepads, skateboard tape - out of a Ghost holster and CR Speed mag pouches. It has been a truly terrific setup and I would happily recommend one just like it to any new shooter.

The Para comes out of the box setup really nice, Dawson front sight and magwell included. The only things I've done to it are burner grips from Jerry Barnhart, a few Dawson basepads and a new CR Speed holster. Suddenly I am in the 1911 world.

This pistol has been FANTASTIC! It is exactly what I was looking for. In 1911 terms it is relatively inexpensive. You can buy them new for about $1300. I got mine for less than that with a few extra mags.

First off, this gun is heavy. I am no longer holding a featherweight Glock. But this has really tamed the recoil of Major pf ammo. As a matter of fact, because this gun uses a standard dust cover with a metal frame most of the weight is down low in your hand, so I've had no trouble with transitions between targets due to the heavier weight.

Reliability - this was my major area of concern. The Para has been flawless! I now have run about 4000 rounds through the gun, both major pf and minor pf without one single failure. And that's using my jacked up reloads. I just started reloading on my own press this year, but that's another story. But the reliability of this gun has been outstanding, I simply cannot say enough about it. Since I'll be using this gun for USPSA, it has to be able to get through some very large stages and it hasn't let me down. I am all smiles.

Point of aim. OK, I'll say it now I must be a freak. Everyone says you should not go from a 1911 to a Glock, or from a Glock to a 1911. Well I've been doing that for a while now with no problems. I'm shooting my Para in USPSA matches and my Glock in IDPA matches. Will that change the more I shoot the Para, I don't know but until then. Keep it simple, when you see the front sight, pull the trigger. Which brings up the next subject...

Trigger. Well this is one area that still needs improving. It seems after shooting Glocks for so long I am not getting the most out of my new trigger. The Para comes in with a very respectable trigger. No I don't have a trigger gauge, but it is very nice. It's of course got that nice crisp 1911 trigger, I'm guessing in the 3 to 4 pound range. Is it a 2 pound SV trigger, no. But it didn't cost as much either. What I'm doing is not working the trigger correctly by only letting off the trigger enough to reset, but am cycling my finger just like I do on my Glocks fast and furious. So I have some dry fire work to do there. Gives me a goal for this winter.

The mags have been great, requiring little maintenance during a match. This is a major bonus if you ask me. Most of the problems I see at the range are mag related. I wipe them off with a rag to get the dust and dirt off and just reload them for the next stage. When I get home, I clean them up for the next match, sometimes. And at $50 new, they're not a bad deal.

Problems. There have been very few. Mostly centered around my grip. I shoot with my thumbs forward, with my weak hand thumb pressing the frame. On a Glock, there is a thumb pad that is built up so it is even with the side of the slide. But on the Para, the frame is actually lower (more narrow) than the slide. So I have caught myself shooting with my thumb in the air not pressing the slide, and you guessed it, my accuracy went out the window. When I concentrate and press my thumb to the slide, things are great. But it is a training issue that I will need to cure this winter also. Second item is reloading. On a Glock, my fingers are just right to be able to work the mag release and slide release without changing my grip. On the Para this is a no-go. So I have to remember to change my grip, press the control, and regrip the gun before I shoot. Not a big deal and I'm mostly out of the woods on this one.

I know I have only scratched the surface of this gun, only having it for a few months. But if this is an indication of future function and reliability, I am sold on Para-Ordnance. We will see how it holds up to a year or two of constant use and see what 10 or 20 thousand rounds do to it. I've read a lot of info on the net about them, some good, some bad. But my experience with them has been good. Very good!

If anyone out there is looking to give Limited/Limited 10 class a try using a 1911, check out the Para-Ordnance.

Flatulence, not turbulence forces plane landing in Nashville

For a minute, I thought our very own Pimp Daddy was responsible for this traumatic experience.

Cricket fan is caught with 'lethal' ball

Mr. Hurd claimed that he had been merely holding the ball as he rode the escalator at Baker Street station in London when he was stopped by a female British Transport Police officer and subjected to a ten-minute inquisition and allegations that he was carrying "a very hard object", which he should not have done in public as it was a potentially lethal weapon.

Thank goodness that England is safer now. First guns, then knives, and now...hard objects. Seems to me that half the heads there would be illegal.

BTW - Crickets got balls?

The MEMRI Blog

Great site for documenting what our enemies are saying.

As Sun Tzu has said, know your enemy....

That man's nuts!

Police say a tipster may have helped them crack a nut-nabbing syndicate.

Grab 'em!
Seems that the price of nuts has risen in California, and criminals are doing what they do. Quick, pass some legislation! Think of the children! Ban the nut-robbers!

Nut-nabbing. heh.

Ahhhh, the joy

Yeah, right. Here at the Tattler, we talk about all the glory of practical shooting. The trophies, the prize tables, the ultra fast splits, the awesome stage runs etc. etc. etc.

What we have yet to discuss is what I consider to be the bane of shooting 20,000 rounds a year.

Yep, making those 20,000 sucks. Bad. I don't believe that I enjoyed a single solitary thing about making them except for one thing that makes it truly worth it. I can make a box of 50 180g JHP .40SW rounds for somewhere between 4 and 5 bucks. The same, or similar box of 50 would cost somewhere in the realm of 20 bucks. I could probably buy a box of Winchester white box or Blazer in the $12-15 dollar range but even that is significantly more expensive than my handloads.

I've got one of the best handloading presses out there, a Dillon 550 (eclipsed only by it's big brothers the 650 and 1050), but I still hate every minute of it.

I've heard some people talk about how much they enjoy handloading, but all I can say is that I think they are full of poop.

New Rules Make Firms Track E-Mails, IMs

You thought Big Brother was watching you before?

U.S. companies will need to keep track of all the e-mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees thanks to new federal rules that go into effect Friday, legal experts say.

Now companies must archive all IM and email transmissions, so they can be avalaible for subpoena in the eventuality of litigation. Big deal, you say?

James Wright, director of electronic discovery at Halliburton Co., said that large companies are likely to face higher costs from organizing their data to comply with the rules. In addition to e-mail, companies will need to know about things more difficult to track, like digital photos of work sites on employee cell phones and information on removable memory cards, he said.

Are you kiddin' me? This is going to suck.

Caught cheatin' ... on ethics test

The only thing that makes this story even better is <...drumroll please...> that they're journalism students. Looks like the NYT recruitment program is in full swing.

The course, which includes such issues as "Why be Ethical?" and "Tribal Loyalty vs. Journalistic Obligation," is taught by New York Times columnist Samuel G. Freedman, who could not be reached yesterday.

Michelle Malkin: The Texas Taliban

Just doing the job Americans won't do.

MP40 update

Well, I've had the MP40 about a month or so now and I've been able to sneak some rounds through it when the 2011 wasn't looking. I've gone through somewhere around 300-400 rounds of various ammo, both full power and the infamous "40 light", truncated cone and hollowpoint, jacketed and moly coated.

Not a single failure to fire that I can attribute to the pistol. I DID have one failure to fire last night, but that was a bad primer, and no fault of the gun. I haven't yet cleaned the gun or done anything to it, other than blacken out the two dots on the back sight. Word on the street is that Dawson will soon have a new front sight out for the MP, which I will purchase as quickly as I can. The stock one is simply too damn fat.

The MP40 shoots very very soft, is extremely ergonomic in the hand and I am overall very impressed with this pistol. I will likely shoot it until it jams, or until I just can't take the filth anymore, whichever comes first. As it stands now, it has almost made my minimum requirements of being able to shoot 500 rounds without cleaning. Right now I'm running a combination of FP10 oil, mixed with some heavy synthetic motorcycle oil - and a fairly light coating at that. Once the pistol gets properly broken in, I'll likely only run the FP10 through it.

As the pistol comes with 3 grip inserts (Small, Med., Lrg.), allowing you almost tailor fit the pistol to your hands, I put the large inserts in and it fits just about perfect. The stainless mags are awesome - they drop free quickly, and there's nothing in the mag well to mess you up as you're doing a speed reload.

The trigger is very good - for a plastic gun - with no spongy slack like you'll find in a Glock, and the trigger breaks remarkably clean for what it is. No, it's nothing as good as the trigger on my 2011 - nor do I expect it to be. For a plastic gun, it's damn good and I won't be doing a thing to it, other than shoot it and dry fire - which will smooth the trigger out even more.

If the MP turns out to be dependable and reliable (word on the street is that several PDs have run 10,000 rounds through with no failures - so I see no reason to think it won't be...), then Smith has a serious and potent contender to the dominance that is Glock.

The pistol has proven to be spot on accurate with my hand loads - keyholes and silver dollar sized groups of rapid fire at 10-15 yards are very (and easily) doable.

If you're a lefty, then Smith has really helped you out with this pistol - it comes standard with ambi slide releases, and you can easily change the mag release button to the other side of the pistol.

About the only downside at this time is that things like holsters and mag pouches are still a little hard to find, but can be found (I converted an Uncle Mike's kydex Glock 21 holster with very little effort) and the price of mags is pretty expensive, about $35-$40 per mag.

I'd be willing to bet that next year, once some of the "new gun" hubbub has died down, you can pick up an MP for under $400, which again, would put a serious crimp in Glock's style; and I expect that as time goes by, holsters will be readily available and the price of mags will come down as well.

Coming soon to a city near you

Well, considering that we're usually a few years behind what the folks in Britain find acceptable, I suppose it won't be too long before the same sort of thing happening here stateside.

Maybe I should make a trip to England before it's no longer the country I remember. I mean, if the Taliban would destroy statues of the Buddha in Afghanistan that dated back to the 3rd century AD, what would keep them from destroying things like Stonehenge or Hadrian's Wall??

FREEZING COLD TEMPS HIT CANADA!!

Had to broadcast this one in all caps. Lord knows the media won't mention it. I'd be willing to bet the folks in Calgary woul like to see a little global warming right about now...

To wit:

The arctic deep freeze trapping Calgary is on track to break a 110-year-old weather record today, but the bitter cold is expected to ease in the coming days.

With a forecast low of -31C today, Calgary could break the -27C record
set on this day in 1896.

Terrorists in our midst

These two morons don't need to be put in jail. They need to be hung by the neck until dead. At least, that's what we used to do to traitors.

H/T to Lone Star Times.

How the imams terrorized an airliner

Strange behavior #1:

Witnesses said three of the imams were praying loudly in the concourse and repeatedly shouted "Allah" when passengers were called for boarding US Airways flight 300 to Phoenix.

Strange behavior #2:

Passengers and flight attendants told law-enforcement officials the imams switched from their assigned seats to a pattern associated with the September 11 terrorist attacks and also found in probes of U.S. security since the attacks -- two in the front row first-class, two in the middle of the plane on the exit aisle and two in the rear of the cabin.

Strange behavior #3:

Three of the men asked for seat-belt extenders, although two flight attendants told police the men were not oversized. One flight attendant told police she "found this unsettling, as crew knew about the six [passengers] on board and where they were sitting." Rather than attach the extensions, the men placed the straps and buckles on the cabin floor, the flight attendant said.

Strange behavior #4:

... witnesses told law enforcement that the men spoke in Arabic and English, criticizing the war in Iraq and President Bush, and talking about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

Strange behavior #5:

The imams who claimed two first-class seats said their tickets were upgraded. The gate agent told police that when the imams asked to be upgraded, they were told no such seats were available. Nevertheless, the two men were seated in first class when removed.

Strange behavior #6:

A flight attendant said one of the men made two trips to the rear of the plane to talk to the imam during boarding, and again when the flight was delayed because of their behavior.

Ok, so what we have here are not 1, not 2, not 3, but SIX different actions that these fools took before and after boarding their flight. If it looks like a duck, flies like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a cougar if we are to believe the terrorist apologists at CAIR.

Another item of concern to me is that not a single currently employeed airline employee or air Marshall would comment on the record. Now, why would anyone be scared to say anything that can be percieved as being negative towards muslims? Couldn't be because they're all afraid of losing their jobs, right?

It strikes me as being VERY similar to this article, which claims that police officers are more afraid of being sued than being killed. If true, it's a very very sad state of affairs. All we can do is call out the terrorist apologists whenever they open their mouths and let them know that we're not buying what they're trying to stuff down our throats.

MP 45??

Nice looking blaster. I actually kinda like the addition of the thumb safety. I'm so used to shooting a 19/2011, that when I pick up a plastic gun without a thumb safety, I have a hard time getting a consistent grip from time to time....

UT professor works to save Texas German dialect

As one of the German-descended bloggers here, I found this article pretty interesting. My family is from the so-called German Coast of Louisiana, where a very large German community settled. The Germans were readily absorbed into the very eclectic South Louisiana society, and little remains (except for boudain - local Lousiana junk stuffed into a sausage casing - a German invention). I think it's commendable that this UT professor is working to preserve the dialect of Texas German.

Still the German spoken by immigrants across Central Texas differed widely from town to town, even family to family, because the immigrants came from different German regions and spoke a variety of dialects. Many had limited knowledge of standard German, either spoken or written.

Over time, immigrants adapted their language, their children studied standard German in school, and they traded vocabulary with other dialects.

Texas Germans also borrowed from English, coming up with phrases such as der cowboy, or der fenzposten, "the fencepost."

NYT wrong. AGAIN

When will the morons running the New York Times get it?

Apparently not happy with tipping off terrorists that they are being monitored by the government, the people in charge of running the Times into the ground also refuse to recognize that self defense IS a human right.

...in a perversion of monumental proportions, the battle to extend that right has largely succeeded in co-opting the language of the Civil Rights movement, so that depriving an American of the right to carry a gun in public sounds, to some, as offensive as stripping him of the right to vote.

Newsflash to the Times: you're wrong. Again.

Take the Gloves off

I have been asking myself this a lot lately: Why are our politicians intent on making our troops fight with both hands tied behind their backs? As Victor Davis Hansen reports, the inability of our troops - hamstrung by their ROE - to target a Sadr, to kill Iranian and Syrian insurgents crossing the borders, or target "civilians" in the act of setting out roadside bombs is not helping our cause or making Iraq any more secure.

The world knows how deadly our military can be when it's unleashed. The question is, why is that leash on, and who's controlling it?

I can't help but draw a comparison to the fall of the Roman Republic. The battle of Pharsalus, in 48 BC, effectively ended the domination of the Roman Republic, and ushered in an age of dictators and emperors. Julius Caesar, waging a civil war against the Republic was on his last legs. His army was decimated and on the run. On the other hand the Republic's army, led by Pompey, was well fed, well armed, rested, and outnumbered the remnants of Caeser's army by about 2-1. All Pompey had to do was wait out Caeser's army and go in and pick up the pieces as it starved to death.

However, the politicians traveling with Pompey were weary of war and succeeded in convincing Pompey that they needed to deal Caeser a crushing defeat and be rid of him once and for all. Pompey's ill advised attack cost him the battle as Caeser annihilated the Republic's forces.

Now, we have all seen what happens when politicians wage war. They lost the battle for Rome, they lost the battle in Vietnam and their insistence on fighting a politically correct war - a war that gives the enemy more rights than our own troops - may very well cost us this one.

I have every bit of faith in our troops at home and overseas. They are the best of us. But our politicians scare me to no end.

Random Thanksgiving Day posts

First, happy Thanksgiving - I hope that you're all eating till you can't eat and are surrounded by friends and family. Special Thanksgiving wishes out to Outlaw 13, who's out there protecting our sorry asses while the rest of us are sitting fat and happy watching football and visiting with our respective clans.

In this excellent article, we are reminded that we are indeed involved in a world war. And unless we wake up and pull our heads out of our collective asses, we're in for trouble.

This is the nature of our times. We are at war and those who warn of its dangers are being systematically silenced by our enemies who demand that nothing get in the way of our complacency with our own destruction.
If journalists, intellectuals, social critics, authors and concerned citizens throughout the world do not rise up and demand that their governments protect their right to
free expression and arrest and punish those who intimidate and trounce that right, one day, years from now, when students of history ask how it came to pass that the Free World willingly enabled its own destruction, they will have to look no further than the contrasting fortunes of Al-Jazeera and Dyab Abou Jahjah on the one hand and Le Figaro and Robert Redeker on the other.

Read it all, and then send it to your Congress critters.

World Net Daily tells us that at least one of the "humiliated" imams kicked off that flight in Detroit has ties to Bin Laden and Hamas. I'm sure that any relation is merely anecdotal and unimportant. Or at least I'd bet that's what CAIR would have us believe.

On the SKY IS FALLING front, the global warming quacks are going to have a hard time explaining how Florida is recording unseasonably cold temperatures, and has even seen snow fall in Orlando. Speaking of, just how WAS that hurricane season?

Finally, my lovely wife and I went to the new Bond flick last night and I've gotta say - especially after we've been busting the new Bond's balls here at the Tattler - this was one of the best Bond flicks I've ever seen. A good return to the action and adventure without all the fluff of computer animated graphics or special effects. The new Bond stays in touch with all the previous Bonds - there's a hot 1964 Aston Martin that makes an appearance; we learn where James gets his penchant for martinis "shaken, not stirred"; learn why he's always aloof with the women he conquers; see how Bond and Felix Lighter meet for the first time, etc etc etc. Good stuff for that holiday escapism...

Now, back to football, family and food. Have a safe Thanksgiving everyone.

6 Imams Removed From Twin Cities Flight

All I can say to the holy imam is: You're an idiot. If you are as educated as you claim to be, you would understand why folks in America would be a little freaked out over 6 arabs praying allah is great on an airplane (or at the airport, depending on which story you read). You would also understand why people get freaked out when the 6 arabs get on the plane separately, and then congregate together.

You were embarrassed?? Tough shit. Why don't we take a brief, and I do mean brief look at the history your fellow muslims have accomplished when it comes to hijacking airplanes.

1968
7/23 - first hijacking by the PFLP of an El Al flight
12/26 - PFLP attacks another El Al flight in Athens

1969
2/18 - Palestinian terrorists attack another El Al flight in Switzerland
8/29 - PFLP terrorists attack an American airliner for the first time, hijacking a TWA flight

1970
2/10 - Palestinian terrorists attack a bus at a West German airport
2/21 - PFLP splinter group bombs two airplanes in flight
7/22 - PFLP hijacks an Olympic Airways flight
9/6 - PFLP hijacks Pan Am, SwissAir, and TWA flights
9/9 - terrorists hijack a British BOA flight flying from Bahrain to London

1972
2/22 - terrorists (believed to be associated with PFLP) hijack a Luftansa flight
5/30 - 3 members of the PFLP open fire in an Israeli airport

1973
12/17 - an airport terminal in Rome is attacked and a Pan Am flight is hijacked

1976
6/27 - an Air France flight is hijacked by the Bader Meinhof and PFLP

1982
August - Pan Am flight over Hawii bombed by a Palestinian terrorist

1984
12/3 - Kuwaiti airline hijacked by Islamic Jihad

1985
6/14 - TWA flight hijacked by Hezbollah
11/23 - Egypt Air flight hijacked by Abu Nidal
12/7 - Abu Nidal group attacks airport check in counters in Rome and Vienna

1986
4/2 - bomb planted on TWA flight by a unit of the Arab Revolutionary Cells

1988
8/8 - bomb explodes on a C-130 in Pakistan
12/21 - Pan Am flight 103 blows up over Scotland

1994
12/11 - PAL flight 434 bombed by Abu Sayyat
12/24 - Air France jetliner hijacked in an attempt to fly into the Eiffel Tower

2001
9/11 - American Airline flights 11 and 77 and United Airlines flights 174 and 93 hijacked and crashed into the WTC, the Pentagon, and 93 crashes into Pennslyvania farmland.

So, to the dumb ass imam who can't seem to understand why on earth anyone would be remotely paranoid about his actions - I'll say - those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it and I'm damned happy that the passengers and crew took the initiative and booted your sorry ass off the plane.

Anti-War Activists Plan 'Global Orgasm For Peace'

You know, I thought at first this idea had some merit, but then I read the 2nd paragraph and see that the couple leading this charge are a combined 130 years old.

Ick.

Germans Probe 6 in Alleged Airline Plot

Not until the 9th paragraph do you even catch a glimpse that muslim terrorists like to blow up planes out of the air.

I'm sure the 6 "people" under investigation have absolutely nothing to do with islam. But then again, what do you expect from the AP, or as Michelle Malkin calls them, Associated (with terrorists) Press.

Shootin'

Quick vid from stage 5 at today's DAPS match.

Great day at the range, wonderful weather indeed!!

Windows Vista!

I just had to be the first kid on my block to download and install Windows Vista on my computer. I had a little issue last week - my main hard drive died, and I pretty much lost my OS and a few files. I went out and bought a new 400GB SATA drive, and installed a fresh copy of Windows XP on it. Last night, Vista was released to manufacturing, and I downloaded and installed it.

It's a thing of beauty. The upgrade was painless, although it took a couple of hours. Visually, it's really nice. Easy on the eyes, intuitive, good navigation. There are beaucoup new things in Vista, especially if you have the Ultimate version (which, of course, I do).

If you have the opportunity, upgrade. It's very much worth it (so far).

Airport Arrest Turns Up Nuclear Info

Nothing to see here folks, move along.

I wonder if Mr. Dinssa is muslim. The fact that he's from Dallas gives me warm fuzzies too...

Iran soon to take "final step" in atomic plan

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, says it only wants to harness nuclear power to generate electricity.

Two words: my ass.

These people are a threat to all mankind, and will destroy their enemies with what they create. If they want electricity, they can generate all they want already. They want fissionable material to make nuclear weapons. The UN is useless and powerless, and will do nothing to stop this nation of maniacs, always granting them the benefit of the doubt.

Gee, I wonder who will stop them?

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills Messy Divorce

Paul McCartney's messy divorce from Heather Mills have been the butt of many jokes going around. Here are just a few.

News reports have confirmed that Paul McCartney has separated from his wife Heather Mills-McCartney. Mrs Mills-McCartney is said to be distraught over the split. "He has been my crutch for so long!" She said in an earlier briefing, "I have no idea why this has happened, I'm really stumped"

Paul has said that Heather is extremely unstable.

"She's running around in circles", according to a close friend, "she will need all the support she can get. It's not like its easy to walk out on a relationship like this"

After his break up with Heather, Paul was asked if he would ever consider going down on one knee again. Paul said he would prefer it if we called her Heather.

It is not known whether a pre-nuptial agreement was signed prior to the marriage. Paul McCartney is one of the richest men in the world, and if an agreement has been signed it is believed that she won't have a leg to stand on.

Paul never could accept the fact that her favorite music is hip-hop.

Many have attributed this to a problem which started with the present that Paul bought her prior to the wedding. He gave her a new prosthetic leg for Christmas, but that was just a stocking-stuffer.

Others believe the trouble started when rumors of her being a high priced call girl surfaced earlier in the year. It was said one of her clients was a millionaire arms dealer.
It's a shame it wasn't a legs dealer.

Beyonce to star in lesbian flick with Eva Longoria

Outlaw 13, this one is for you pal.

USPSA in action

If you wanted to see what USPSA is about, this little video hosted by Jim Scouten is pretty good.

A little too much focus on open guns at the beginning, but it's pretty dang good nonetheless.

JR, maybe link this up on the DAPS page?

Desert Classic 2006 - Stage 3

Check out this fun looking stage from the big Area 2 match this past weekend...

Damn we're going to have to figure out how to do something like this...

We have the Britney Spears Honeymoon Sex Tapes!

That's what the headline would be if we actually had them, which we don't. Sorry - it was a cheap trick to make you look. Made you look!

According to this questionable article, Cletus has threatened to go public with their sex lives. All four hours of it.

Meanwhile a pal of Britney said "She is absolutely furious with Kevin, and knows a full-on sex video could almost certainly ruin her chance of a career come-back. They were made for the couple to watch in the privacy of their home. She never thought that he'd threaten to sell them."

To watch in the privacy of their home? Ruin her comeback? Yeah, it killed Paris Hilton's career.

Anyway, let me see if I understand. He says he wants 16 million pounds (what's that in real money?) to NOT show it, but stands to make 26 million pounds if he does? That is one shrewd businessman.

Thank you Veterans

WWI ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 and the day became known as Armistice Day in the United States. By 1938, Armistice Day was a national holiday, and on June 1, 1954 Armistice Day became Veterans Day to honor veterans of all of America's wars.

I was fortunate to participate in a Veterans Day ceremony yesterday and was able to hear a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient speak. One of the things he said that rang true was that November 11th shouldn't be Veterans Day. Every day should be Veterans Day.

The capper of the day for me was visiting with an old timer after the ceremony was over. He walked up to where I was passing out food and drinks and I teased him about his Airborne cap, which had an 82nd Airborne pin proudly displayed on the front. I asked him who in his right mind would jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

"Hell, when I signed up in 1941, times were hard and when I saw they offered $100 extra bucks a month for jump pay, I took it. Had no idea what the hell jump school was but I needed the cash." Said he'd backed out of the Navy, because they wanted him to fly as he had a college degree - told me that he hated the damned airplanes and wanted nothing tod o with them. When he found out what jump school was he told me, "next thing you knew I was stuck back in a damned plane!"

I learned how he was deployed into North Africa, jumped into Sicily, jumped into Salerno, fought his way across Italy, jumped into Normandy, jumped into Holland, fought at the Bulge and then wound up in Germany at the end of the war protecting the border from the Russians. He took part in all 4 combat jumps of the 82nd Airborne during WWII. All. Four.

During our conversation, I was able to recall the names of the different operations - Husky, Overlord/Neptune, Market Garden - and he was surprised, and quite pleased that someone actually knew of what happened. I shudder to think why he was surprised that anyone would remember and I was more than content to sit there and listen to this man, this piece of history, tell me about his WWII experience.

When it was time to leave, we shook hands, and I left humbled by this man's sacrifice and the sacrifice that all of our veterans do for us. I began to think that the moniker The Greatest Generation was indeed true - and not just for the troopers that were fighting, but for the people that were at home, supporting the war.

The people on the home front who accepted massive, astounding losses without calling for the head of the Secretary of Defense; without whining "not in our name"; without barganing for more 'humane' treatment of the enemy; without harping at every negative turn of events and calling for an immediate return of our troops.

The 8th Air Force had missions in the early part of the war where they suffered over 70% casualties. 70%. During the Battle of the Bulge, 80,000 of America's bravest men were either killed, captured, or wounded in a matter of days. Yet the American public continued to support the war, and equally as important, to support the troops.

The current crop of Americans at home could learn a lesson from our parents and grandparents. It's clear to me that our troops protecting us now are doing their part to make our generation the next Greatest Generation. Now if only the people on the home front could show the same stamina and resolve of the WWII generation.

In this small way, I will do my part. Will you?

Thank you Veterans.

Happy Birthday Marines

General LeJeune's 1921 Marine Corps Birthday Message

On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Since that date, many thousand men have borne the name Marine. In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the Birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history. The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history. During 90 of the 146 years of it's existence the Marine Corps has been in action against the nations foes. From the battle of Trenton to the Argonne. Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home. Generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security. In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term Marine has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the Corps. With it we also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.

I believe that it is fitting that it was announced today by the President that a young man who shared a birthday with the Marine Corps will recieve posthumosly the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions above and beyond the call of duty in Iraq in 2004.

For details of Corporal Jason Dunham's heroic actions, go here and make sure you sign his guestbook here.

Semper fi Marine.

Some election afterthoughts

Been listening to a lot of pundits and talking heads today. The reason for the Republicans' loss today has varied from one end of the spectrum to the other.

One thing I have not heard, but think is worth some thought is that there are striking similarities between George HW Bush's loss in 1992 and the Republican's loss yesterday.

HW Bush had been riding the Reagan wave, and the quick and relatively painless Gulf War I had him at incredibly high approval ratings. Yet he lost the election. Two reasons have been sited for his loss:

1. "Read my lips. No new taxes." And then he raised taxes.
2. In 1989, HW Bush signed into law the Assault Weapon Ban.

Both of these acts disenfranchised a massive part of the Conservative base.The now defunct Republican Congress that has ruled since 1994 has also disenfranchised a massive part of the Conservative base.

1. Amnesty for illegal aliens.
2. Massive, out of control spending.
3. Many Republicans (ala John McCain) have done everything they possibly could to weaken our position on the ongoing war and refused to do anything about securing our border. In fact, many Republicans have been Republicans in Name Only and have pretty much bent over backwards to kiss the ass of any liberal idea that flew in their office door.

By not acting like Republicans, the party has squandered an opportunity that has rarely presented itself in American politics. Instead of setting an agenda from a position of power, they have done whatever they thought made them seem "accommodating", "understanding", or "compassionate" to a liberal Democrat Party that could care less about anything other than getting back in power. As a result, the Republican base, who sent people to Washington to minimize the size of government, control spending, fight a war like you want to win it, and protect our borders has sat on its hands this election day.

Add in to the mix the Tom Delay, Duke Cunningham, and Tom Foley scandals and you create a perfect storm, if you will that caused the silent majority to stay home or vote with their feet.

The pundits are claiming that this election was everything to do with the people wanting change.

I don't buy it.

This election was about an incensed Conservative base who stayed home.

I hope the Republicans learn their lesson, go home and lick their wounds, and come out fighting next year; and fighting to win control back in '08.

In case they aren't sure what they need to do, the list is simple:

1. Win the war by any means necessary. Stop acting as if someone's opinion in some shithole 3rd world country matters one bit when it comes to our own security.
2. Cut taxes. Permanently.
3. Lower spending.
4. Protect the Border.

Britney Spears Files for Divorce - TMZ.com

Since I'm on a roll with K-Fed, I thought you should know. Let the apocalypse resume.

Cowboys lose

What a horrid game. A last second go-ahead field goal blocked. Facemask. 15 yards and one more play. And the 'skins win.

That's what you get when you get over 150 yards in penalties, a defense that looks more like Swiss cheese than a steel curtain, and a 10 million dollar wide reciever who drops a perfect touchdown pass.

On the bright side, Romo played pretty damn good. Too bad the rest of the team let him down.

Hot for martyrdom

Another update on the religion of peace.

Interesting read - and directed at our media and leftists - too bad they're not listening.

I've heard this poverty nonsense time and time again from Western apologists for Islam, most of them not Muslim by the way. There are millions of passive supporters of terror who may be poor and needy but most of those who do the killing are wealthy, privileged, educated and free. If it were about poverty, ask yourself why it is middle-class Muslims -- and never poor Christians -- who become suicide bombers in Palestine."

"Stop asking what you have done wrong. Stop it! They're slaughtering you like sheep and you still look within. You criticize your history, your institutions, your churches. why can't you realize that it has nothing to do with what you have done but with what they want."

This about sums up the American left in a nutshell. It's never the fault of the "other guy", whether it's a convicted death row rapist or an out of control religion. It's always "our" fault, even if we had nothing to do with the problem other than turning our back on it.

Cooking with JR - Chili

It's been a dreary, cool weekend, and devoid of shooting, so I decided that today would be a good day to cook some chili. Please note that Texas chili does not have beans or other ghastly filler that you see in most variations of what people call chili. It's essentially meat and spices, with some onion and garlic. I've got a recipe that's won a number of competitions, and has been used for a couple of decades. It comes from the other JR, whose family has spawned a number of state and world chili champions. I've modified it a bit, but here goes.

First, you need some staples. Beer is mostly for the cook, but a spritz in the chili never killed anyone. You need pot to cook in, and some fundamental ingredients:

Chili powder, comino (cumin), cayenne pepper, salt, paprika, oregano, onion and garlic will cover most of what you need.
A couple of jalapenos are good for flavor, and I'll show you how to use them properly. A beef bouillion cube, a small can of tomato paste, and a couple of cartons of chicken broth (low sodium) will round out your ingredients. I don't use water in this recipe, but if you can't find broth, just use water.

Let's cook. First, mince about 1/2 a large yellow onion, as fine as you like. The onion will break down in the cooking.

Also, you need about 2 tablespoons of minced garlic (I buy mine pre-minced in a jar). Saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Now it's time to brown the meat. When I'm cooking for competition, I get a good cut of meat, trim it by hand, and cube the pieces into about 3/4-inch cubes. Screw that for cooking at home.

I just bought 3 lbs of chili grind. Yeah, it breaks down into little pieces of hamburger-like meat, but that's okay for eating. Try to get a lower fat grind, so you don't have to mess with draining after browning. Dump the meat in, and brown it with the garlic and onions. Drain if needed. Smells good, don't it?

Now it's time to add the first round of spices and stuff. 1 TBSP Chili powder, 1 TBSP Comino, 1/2 beef bouillion cube, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper, 1 small can of tomato PASTE, a few dashes of Tabasco Chipotle (I did this on a whim, and it's really, really good), and one jalapeno. Just drop the whole pepper in the pot.Cover the whole thing with chicken broth, and let it simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Beer time.

Next, get one of those little strainer thingies, fish the pepper out, and put it in the strainer. Use a spoon to squish the juice out. Discard the pulp, and replace with a fresh pepper. Now we add more spices, and things start to take shape. Add 6 TBSP chili powder, 2 TBSP comino, 1 TBSP paprika (it's for color, ya know), 1/4 tsp of oregano (don't overdo this, unless you like spaghetti sauce), and cover with chicken broth. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, or a couple of beers.
At this point, you'll notice your chili taking on a beautiful red color, with a shimmering golden sheen on the top. This is a sign of goodness to come.

I'm usually a little woozy at this point, but we're close to the end. After more simmering, squeeze the juice out of the last jalapeno, add another 1-2 TBSP of chili powder and comino, another 1/2 tsp salt (taste it first, of course), and then cook it until you can't stand waiting anymore (about another 30 minutes or so, depending on the meat). Your preference on the thickness of the chili will determine how long you cook it. Remember, chili will thicken as it cools.
Chili is best served as a lone dish, and at this point, I don't care what you put in it - just don't tell me about it. I prefer a little chopped onion and grated cheese on mine. Chili stores great in the freezer. I like to fill a few freezer bags with some, and store it. Next time you have guests for a football game and burgers and dogs, break out a bag, nuke it, and be a hero.

A note on ingredients. You can spend a LOT of time and money looking for just the right chili powder, comino, etc. Yes, you can get fresh onion and garlic. But for cooking at home, go with the bargains. Use powdered ingredients - big deal. Make sure your chili powder isn't full of comino, but if it is, cut back on the comino. By the way, the chili is almost always better the next day. Enjoy.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Paris airport faces strike threat

It can't be that the French are finally developing a spine? I mean, who would be uncomforatble with a muslim fundamentalist loading baggage onto airplanes??

Telegraph | News | Strong yet sensitive, introducing the Bond that bleeds

How sweet. A Bond that cries and bleeds.

And, this article has it all wrong. It lists the debate between the best Bonds as one between Roger Moore and Sean Connery.

No doubt Connery should be in there - but I think I'd have to add that Pierce Brosnan has pushed Moore out as the #2 spot.

I'm probably going to go to the movie, but I think I might be laughing most of the way through.

To recap:
- Boat rides scare the new Bond.
- He chipped a tooth in his first fight scene.
- He's afraid of guns.
- He can't drive a standard.
- He can't handle the sun.
And now,
- he's in touch with his sensitve side.

Joy.

National Ammo Day

National Ammo Day

I just stumbled upon this site and it seems like a great idea for me. Who doesn't like buying ammo? And now I don't need an excuse, it is required to support National Ammo Day!

And you know, ANYTHING that will piss off the anti's is my favorite thing to do.

Bring it on! Now Catfood doesn't have any more excuses for not buying 7.62x39 ammo.

Let's see, I need:
.40 S&W
9MM
.223
.280
.22 long rifle
..........

Arlington man shoots intruder

Now this is a nifty little story. The WBAP article was the only one I could find online - but it was making the rounds all day on the radio.

Seems wanna be crook breaks into the house while the couple is sleeping early this morning. They wake up, find him stacking up his loot, and the husband pulls a .38 on the burglar and orders him to cease and desist. The burglar chooses instead to charge the husband, who shoots at the thief, hitting him a couple of times. One story I heard says he was shot in the neck and chest. The WBAP story says it was in the head. Regardless, said burglar didn't feel like giving up the fight, and refused to obey further commands from the husband. Said thief then leaves the house through the backdoor.

Shortly therafter, same guy is back at the FRONT door, begging to be let in. Homeowner, for some ownknown (to me) reason, lets the guy BACK IN, tries to subdue the turd one more time, and then the crook makes a break for the back door and tries to hide in the woods where he's subsequently caught by the police.

This story has so many wierd things in it that I don't know where to begin.

Why the homeowner didn't continue to pump rounds into the turd until the turd was assuming room temperature is beyond me. Why the homeowner let the guy back in the house is beyond me.

I'm glad that the guy and his wife got out of this without any scars. But it strikes me as rather irresponsible in the defense of his family to knowingly LET someone back in his house that had been robbing you a minute before, and had already taken a shot or two in the process.

Odd.

Back from the dead

Long story short, Charter communications sucks. Bad.

Regardless, I now have Verizon FIOS and it rocks!! So, all's well that ends well I suppose.

I've got some catching up to do blog wise, but it's nice to be back.

Amazon.com: Reviews for Playing With Fire: Music: Kevin Federline

K-Fed's latest (c)rap album is out, and the reviews are rolling in. Here's a sample:

Three seconds in the microwave, and what a lightshow! Thanx, K-Fed!

Would've gone with another star or two, but "Playing with Fire" doesn't end up looking as good afterward as rewritable CDs.

And another:

The sheer cacophony that this album exhudes is a declaration of war against all which is good and pure in this world. Skies will rain blood, virgins will be spontaneously defiled, and there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The drum machines in this necronomicon of pain are wrought from the realm of Baalzebub himself, their metallic drone bores holes within the eardrums - sweet mercy comes from this.

The unholy union between K-Fed and music television will ensure that this demon seed is poured forth upon the masses, burning them with unescapable torment.

It must be stopped.

And those are the good reviews. I'm thinking this will not be the album of the year.

Trigger Treat!

Gunfire broke out between two groups at a massive Halloween street party in the city's Castro district, wounding at least 10 people, including innocent bystanders, police said Wednesday.

Wait, aren't handguns illegal in San Francisco? Looks like they're gonna new about a dozen new laws.

When are those liberal morons going to learn?

Trick or Treat?

I tried to find you all something so horrible, so terrifying, that I dare not even directly link the video on this page. You have been warned.

Boo.

SLAMRAAM Boom!

Grouchy Media's got a fair collection of military videos, including this most appropriate use of the Hummer (hint: it's not taking the kids to homecoming).

Traitor?

If this story comes out as being true, then fat assed Teddy Kennedy needs to be tried, convicted, and hung for treason.

And this guy is a leader in the party that wants us to trust them when it comes to foreign policy?
Thanks, but no thanks.

H/T to the LawDog.

Sexy is the new scary

"Looking sexy is now considered normal, feminine behavior for a woman, so on a day like Halloween, women will take it as creative license to wear revealing clothing and no one can call them a tramp that day," said Donna Gough, an assistant professor of women's studies at Cal State Fullerton. "And for men, it's a day where they can openly stare at and drool over women in such attire without being called a chauvinist pig."

Apparently, Halloween puts people in California in some alternate universe where they actually believe this sort of crap.

At Santa Ana-based Halloweenshop.com, owner Rick Tuinenburg said sales of skimpy costumes have spiked in the past few years and the best-selling costume for women so far is, "basically anything with a short skirt." Of course, no sexy outfit is complete without the mandatory thigh-high stockings and garter belts.

"The message being sent for a woman is that you have to wear these costumes to fit in and be normal and be considered attractive and appealing to men," said Gough.

The male part of me says, "YEAH, BABY!," but then reality sets in. For example, if I were to suggest that The Girl wear a nice school girl outfit to our Halloween match, I'd probably get a punch in the pants. Girl - these people are professional scientists and costumers. They know what they're talking about. So get that pleated skirt out, and starch that white blouse. Nothing says "Happy Halloween" like dressing slutty!

Man dismembers girlfriend in Quarter; cooks body parts

Here's the understatement of the year.

The couple seemed happy at first, he said, though that would soon break down.

Yeah, I'd call it a bit of a breakdown:

A suicide note in the pocket of a man who jumped off the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel late Tuesday led police to the grisly scene of his girlfriend’s murder, where they found her charred head in a pot on the stove, her legs and feet baked in the oven and the rest of her dismembered body in trash bag in the refrigerator, according to police and the couple’s landlord.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

US full of Internet addicts study

Most disturbing was the discovery that some people hid their Internet surfing, or went online to cure foul moods in ways that mirrored the way alcoholics use booze, according to the study's lead author, Elias Aboujaoude.

"In a sense, they're using the Internet to self-medicate," Aboujaoude said. "And obviously something is wrong when people go out of their way to hide their Internet activity."

Sounds like crap to me. Let's look closer:

"Pornography is just one area of excessive Internet use."

I see. Obviously a flawed study.

Nearly six percent of the respondents felt that their personal relationships suffered as a result of their excessive Internet use.

I decided to check with some friends, and I think this summarizes what they had to say:Now leave me alone. I have some anti-social behavior that I need to nurture.

School bans tag, other chase games

Sweet merciful crap. An elementary school has banned tag, touch football, and other sports at recess.

Recess is "a time when accidents can happen," said Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.

Well, no shit, GAYlene. What kind of children are we raising? I remember almost killing myself when I tried to see how high the swing would go, then jumped out at the apogee, and had my fall broken by a small tree. You gonna tell kids they can't be stupid, can't have fun, can't knock each other down? I tell ya, it's the apocalypse.

Yes, this is the same township that wanted to ban dodgeball a few years ago. What a bunch of milk-drinking, cake-eating pansies. Before you know it, we'll have a nation of girly-men, but at least they'll have great self-esteem. Until they actually try to accomplish something on their own, that is.

Only in Arkansas...

"It was a drive-by crossbow shooting," said Gilgenbach.

Oookay. That's different.

A man who allegedly shot a crossbow at a motorist after being on the receiving end of an obscene gesture has been charged with committing a terroristic act.

But wait, there's more!

Wayne Allen Dierks, Jr. 26, was arrested Sunday and is also charged with possession of an instrument of crime, driving while intoxicated and driving with a suspended driver's license.

And there was drinking involved?? I'm shocked.

A police report said that Gilgenbach admitted to making an obscene gesture at Dierks, but the motorist on Monday said he could not recall that incident.

Hmmm, no recollection of the event, huh? What IS it with people from Arkansas? At least he didn't ask for a definition of "obscene".

Gun control bill's co-author helps kill it

California politics, and in particular, San Francisco politics crack me up. Consider the ridiculous AB352, proposed by Paul Koretz of West Hollywood, which would have required that semiautomatic handguns leave a microscopic ID on the back of shell cases they fired. Nevermind that the technology is sci-fi, and nevermind that criminals would easily circumvent this future tech, Leland Yee of San Francisco was not be dissuaded by such trivialities in his support of the bill. He voted FOR it THREE separate times.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to the Assembly floor. Yee apparently changed his mind. Sort of.

As the acting speaker when the bill came up for consideration, Yee had the power to manage the pace of bills being voted on. When this bill came up for a vote, the "yes" voters weren't on the floor. Yee zoomed right through the process, and it came up 3 votes short, after Yee himself abstained. The kiss of death.

Here's the kicker:

Under Assembly rules, since Yee wasn't the deciding vote, he was allowed to go back after the bill had died and change his vote to "yes." Which he did.

Thus, Yee can still brag that he officially voted for the bill -- even though his actions helped kill it.

How's that for politics?

Works for me.

Unthirsty - Find your happy hour.

Finally, technology that works for me. Looks like we could use some local support in adding happy hour locations. Get busy!

Taliban official warns of Ramazan attack on US

PESHAWAR: The head of the Islamabad-based Al-Quds Media Centre has received an audio message from a senior Taliban leader in which he asked Muslims living in the US to leave the country as soon as possible "because God’s punishment would fall on America in the month of Ramazan."

Give me a call, and I'll help you pack. Buh-bye. Thanks for coming.

I swear, anything can make the "news" these days. Now we have some mud-eating, hut-dweller's wishful thinking being translated into "Top Stories." But I agree that they should all leave the U.S.

Gun Report S&W M&P40

Picked up a new S&W M&P40 last weekend and was able to shoot it at Wednesday night's match. Ran about 100 rounds through the gun with no issues, other than my own brain farts. The rounds I shot were a mixed bag of either 180g FMJs from Precision Delta, or 185g moly coated Precision bullets. Either way, the rounds were making about 145-147pf.

Initial impressions of the M&P40 are good. I like the trigger, and with the large grip insert, the pistol feels like my Rock Ranch 2011 on the backstrap and like a standard 1911 on the front strap. It points like my 2011 and feels good in the hanb. Unlike my XD40, which I sold off to finance another project, the M&P40 fits my hands just about perfectly, and I can get good contact on the grip with my left hand.

Controls are where you think they should be - and if you're a lefty there is a built in slide release on the right side of the gun as well as the standard left side; and you can reverse the magazine release button so that it's on the right hand side as well.

About the only negatives to this point that I can think of are the sights - which are the dreaded 3 dot, or should I say, now just one dot because I blacked out the rear dots. The notch isn't as wide as I'd like, but that will be remidied when I put a new narrower front sight.

The other negative is the pistol came with a magazine disconnect - which means you can't pull the trigger unless a mag is in the gun. Needless to say, I'll be disconnecting the disconnect because for shooting matches, it's a pain in the ass to unload and show clear when you have to put a mag back in the gun.

All in all, if the pistol proves to be reliable and functions properly in all conditions, I'd say that the M&P is a keeper. So far, I lubed the pistol when I got home from picking it up, and won't give it a cleaning until it starts jamming up.

We'll see how long that takes.

(side note - my broadband went down and I'm in dial-up hell which is not letting my upload any images. As soon as broadband comes back up I'll post something)

Looks like proof of global cooling to me!

In a fascinating article, Reuters tells us of a new discovery:

a short-necked plesiosaur, a prehistoric marine reptile the size of a bus, that they believe is the first complete skeleton ever found.

The 150 million year old remains of the 33-foot ocean going predator were found in August on the remote Svalbard Islands of the Arctic, the University of Oslo announced.

How cool is that?

Speaking of cool - you'll note of course that a prehistoric Reptile was found in the Arctic, right?

Anyone else see the irony here?

More climate hysteria

Here's a lovely article thanks to our good friends at the AP on how the Northeast is going to turn into a sweltering desert in the next 100 years if we don't do something!! Anything!! Now!!

Scientists Issue Global Warming Report Wednesday, October 4, 2006 8:52 PM
EDT
The Associated Press
By LINDA A. JOHNSON TRENTON, N.J.

(AP) - Global warming could strain the Northeast's power grid, farms, forests and marine fisheries by the next century unless carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 3 percent each year, according to a report released Wednesday.

Keep in mind dear reader, that human contribution to carbon dioxide emissions constitute a whopping .1 of 1 percent. And that's world wide - not just in the Northeast!! You'll notice, of course, they didn't associate an actual COST with reducing emissions, we are supposed to cut back...

The climate in the nine states - from New Jersey and Pennsylvania up to Maine - could become like that of the South with longer, much hotter summers and warmer winters with less snow, the report by the Union of Concerned Scientists said.

Wow, so growing seasons would be longer and more food could be produced?

"This has enormous implications for human health. It puts a lot of stress on the energy system. It could lead to blackouts," said Katherine Hayhoe, an associate
professor of geosciences at Texas Tech University and a lead author of the two-year study.

Golly. Blackouts. If the eco-nazis would let us build more power plants to handle the increased demand, then do you really think blackouts would be an issue? Hmmmmm?

If power plant and auto emissions of carbon dioxide - considered the main culprit in global warming - continue unabated, average temperatures in the Northeast could rise between 6.5 degrees and 12.5 degrees by the end of the century, she said.

A shift to cleaner, renewable energy sources would cut that increase inhalf, she said. The study said Boston could see its number of 90-degree-plus summer days jump from one to 40 if no changes are made. New York City could have 70.

Yeah, right. 70 days over 90? It seems that we had about that number of days down here over 100!! And look, we somehow managed to survive. Why don't you ask the folks out West how THEY manage to survive!

Doug Inkley, senior science adviser at the National Wildlife Federation, said the report was done by top-tier scientists and backs up his group's research showing a warmer climate in the Northeast will push out temperature-sensitive species from sugar maple and northern pine trees to songbirds and trout.

"This report is yet another wake-up call we cannot ignore," Inkley said.

The National Wildlife Federation?? Yet another unbiased source. Great job AP!!

The report targeted the Northeast because it is the world's seventh-largest source of emissions, behind the U.S. as a whole and five other nations, and because the region's leaders have taken steps to reduce emissions and could spur efforts elsewhere.

Mike MacCracken of The Climate Institute, a former head of the interagency group that did climate assessments under a Clinton-era research program, called the report "a high-quality job" that gives "pretty reliable indications of the amount of change."

Source #2 for this great piece of work is a Clinton hack?? No bias here!

John R. Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center at University of Alabama-Huntsville, said regional analyses he's done indicate the latest climate models can't predict well for a region, especially for rain and snow.

He said the report's recommendations - mostly centered on replacing or upgrading buildings, cars and appliances with more energy-efficient ones - won't
have much effect on the total amount of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere, partly because energy demand will keep growing.

Holy crap Batman!! Two whole paragraphs dedicated to a contrary point of view! It's a new record!

--- On the Net: Union of Concerned Scientists report: http://www.ucsusa.org/

You'll note, dear reader, that there is no alternative website listed where a concerned reader could go find information to counter the sky is falling propoganda from the eco-nazis. You'll also be happy to find, if you were to go to their sage website, that not only are they worried about climate change, but Bush dropping a nuke on Iran!

Teachers and Guns?

Vote now!

A Kalifornia TV station is currently hosting a poll to decide if we should arm school teachers or not. Right now it's at 52% yes, 48% no.

More surprising (or not) to me than the poll results in Kalifornia, was the Democrat add running right across the top of the screen. I guess that's the news media at work for ya right there.

Camp Crawford (?) is in Town

Omigosh - we got hippies! This looks to be part of the stupidity that Michelle Malkin warned us about.

This is what was going on right around the corner from my office, on Northbound I-35 in Lewisville today. I got a call from Catfish, who was heading home, and got caught in the traffic that these folks were manufacturing. Being the enterprising blogger I am, I grabbed my trusty digital camera and went to get a first-hand look.

Catfish said that bus looked familiar, like the one at Cindy Sheehan's gang at Crawford. Sure enough, I had a young man from the Crawford newspaper ("the" paper, or "a" paper? Beats me), approach me and ask who I was and what I thought. I shared that I am but a humble blogger with the humble Texican Tattler, and I thought that they were creating a traffic jam on OU/Texas weekend. "That's not until tomorrow," says he. "The Norman campus closes on Friday," quoth I. "But, that's not until tomorrow," reiterates he. "And therefore, the students, including my son, are coming home today," I explained.

Furthermore, it was unfathomable to him that holding such a protest in such a pro-Bush, pro-Republican stronghold would create any type of consternation for anyone. I asked him if he thought those horn honks and middle fingers were symbols of support where he came from. I think that sums up the depth of thought process of the worker bees in this organized "protest." I had to spell "Texican" for him twice.

However, let's step back and look at what the organizers have managed:

A traffic-stopping protest in a major metropolitan area, in a high-traffic zone, on a very high-traffic day. There were handlers that descended on the police when they arrived to keep tabs on things. My suspicion is they had some sort of legal training. There were drinks, well-made signs (along with some hand-made ones, to be fair), and a shameful, disrespectful display of American flags flown upside down and draped on their bodies. Note the couple of guys wearing BDU/camo pants.
A well-equipped bus, with mirrored tint, propane power sources, satellite dish, air-conditioning, professional paint job and looking to be in very good repair. It appears it may be a rental from the Texas Pop Festival (more hippie evidence!). Note the "Texas" flag with a peace sign, displayed over the entrance. It's backwards, and smacks of a lack of familiarity with the State of Texas. Or maybe they did it just to be contrary. Either way, it tells me something. Just like Catfish before me, I suspect that the organizers ain't from around here.

In any event, I'm sure it'll be on the evening news and/or the newspaper. People like this don't really care about their cause - they care about the sentiment they generate, and they don't care who they make angry doing it.

That's right - the people driving north on I-35 were NOT giving them peace signs in return.

Pimp Daddy sums it up well: if you really want to convince me of your commitment, show me some Jim Jones action. Don't just make the Kool-Aid, drink it!