Mud Bowl, part deux

Snapped some pics from this year's USPSA nationals - and yeah, it was pretty damn muddy.

Here's The Girl....



And JR....



And yours truly after the first stage, last day...

Now that's class

Looks like one of Dallas' own has stepped in the mierda once again.

In a video posted on YouTube, Howard is shown on a football field at a charity flag football game. As the national anthem plays in the background, Howard approaches a camera and says: “‘The Star Spangled Banner’ is going on right now. I don’t even celebrate that (expletive). I’m black.”

Yep, that's right, folks. The same America that has given this moron the opportunity to make millions of dollars playing basketball is the same America that he feels compelled to spit on.

What an asshole.

Nicholas

After a long day at work, one resplendent with hate, ignorance and stupidity, I was ready for someone else to serve my dinner. Of course, the restaurant I chose was packed and noisy. Most of the noise came from squealing children whose parents, equally as tired as I, were content to let them caterwaul at will.

During the course of the meal, I had glanced around, taking notice of the sociological experiment that is the restaurant. There was an Asian family there, the kids in elementary school, still enamored with Star Wars as evidenced by the light saber. Another family had a small child who didn't much care for his high chair, and was sharing his displeasure with everyone within earshot. There was an older couple, sitting with each other on the same side of the booth. I only noted in passing the three women and a little boy in a booth just behind and to my left. The little boy looked tired, resting on his mom's shoulder, and he had an abrasion above his left eye - it looked as if he'd fallen and bonked it pretty well.

Dinner went on, with the predictable botching of the order, constant aggravation of the noisy restaurant, the irritation at paying too much for food, the continual remembrance of the day's events; people acting mean, petty, and selfish. Grown men and women taking offence at the slightest thing, all adding up to what has too often become the norm: just wanting some quiet, away from the meanness and burdensome routine of the daily grind.

I paid my bill, and as I handed the check to the waiter, the 3 ladies with the little boy stood up.

I glanced, thought nothing, then heard, "what's your name?"

I blinked, taken aback, because the little boy on his mom's shoulder had raised his head, and looking at me, asked again, "what's your name?"

"My name's Jim. What's yours?"

"Nicholas." And he put out his hand to shake mine.

"It's very nice to meet you, Nicholas."

And that was it. Children are here to remind us that we're not as important as we like to think we are, and that more often than not, we need to stop and appreciate those around us, and take a moment to make new friends.

It's been a very good day.

Gone Fishin'

Several of us are off to Tulsa for the USPSA L10/Open Nationals. Wish us luck.

For those of you who are Twitterers, follow "jimbob_texas" for updates. I'll have my BlackBerry with me, and will provide Twitterberry updates as the days go by.

Hasta la vista!

Jesse at USPSA nats

Here's a nice little video of JR's favorite shooter!

USPSA nationals

Here is a great link to a local news story about the USPSA nationals in Tulsa going on right now.

In addition, here's another great resource for the biggest shoot of the practical shooting year.

Rev. Jesse Jackson hospitalized for stomach pains

Ladies and gentlemen, when you're chronically full of shit, this is what happens.

Home Run

I like me some Sarah Palin. After listening to her tonight, I was struck by how well she delivered the speech, likely written by a stranger, but delivered by her. She was nothing short of brilliant. She's an excellent public speaker, very graceful, yet disarming. She's honest to a fault, and has the family to prove it.

That was impressive, and pretty much seals the deal as far as I'm concerned. I'd drink a beer with her any time. Hell, I'd even buy it.

Even John McCain liked it. That was a great speech.

Someone

Has way too much time on their hands....

Gustav

Here's a little bit of advice to those folks livin' in NOLA.

Get the hell out of Dodge now. And just like Katrina, you've got no excuse if stay and take your chances...

Editor? We don't need no stinking editor...

Ah, the lovely folks at AP have screwed the pooch again. Check out this story just posted:


And the key error, right here:

The convention, a marquee event meant to send presidential candidate Dick Cheney into the fall campaign with a burst of energy and good feeling....

Cheney, huh? I didn't realize he was on the ticket!

And these are the same people we're supposed to trust with important details, eh?

Sarah Palin

The next Veep is a MILF, and so's his wife.

Gotta give John props with respect to the women in his life...

SUV kills 2 adults, 2 toddlers

From the other JR.

WEST, Texas — A man, woman and two tots are dead after they were hit and killed by a sport-utility vehicle on an Interstate 35 frontage road in Central Texas.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says the accident happened just before 10 p.m. Thursday about 15 miles north of Waco near the town of West.

They said the man and woman were walking with a baby girl and a boy, age about 2, after their car apparently stalled on the two-way frontage road. DPS Cpl. Charlie Morgan said a sport-utility vehicle apparently crested a rise and slammed into the family from behind, hurling their bodies about 100 feet.

The DPS identifies the dead as Brandee Thorpe, 20; Austin Fontenot (FAHN'-teh-noh), 2; and Kinzee Fontenot, 1; all of Hillsboro; and Gregory Howell, 25, of Robinson. Their relationships are unclear.

The driver of the SUV was interviewed, but no charges are filed.

Well, if this isn't from the WTF department, I don't know what is.

I guess SUVs are now stalking and killing people, not the drivers.

Look! A monkey!

Just for you, JR!

Obituaries - Vallejo Times Herald

The Aguilar family apparently has issues.

Dolores Aguilar
1929 - Aug. 7, 2008

Dolores Aguilar, born in 1929 in New Mexico, left us on August 7, 2008. She will be met in the afterlife by her husband, Raymond, her son, Paul Jr., and daughter, Ruby.

She is survived by her daughters Marietta, Mitzi, Stella, Beatrice, Virginia and Ramona, and son Billy; grandchildren, Donnelle, Joe, Mitzie, Maria, Mario, Marty, Tynette, Tania, Leta, Alexandria, Tommy, Billy, Mathew, Raymond, Kenny, Javier, Lisa, Ashlie and Michael; great-grandchildren, Brendan, Joseph, Karissa, Jacob, Delaney, Shawn, Cienna, Bailey, Christian, Andre Jr., Andrea, Keith, Saeed, Nujaymah, Salma, Merissa, Emily, Jayci, Isabella, Samantha and Emily. I apologize if I missed anyone.

Dolores had no hobbies, made no contribution to society and rarely shared a kind word or deed in her life. I speak for the majority of her family when I say her presence will not be missed by many, very few tears will be shed and there will be no lamenting over her passing.

Her family will remember Dolores and amongst ourselves we will remember her in our own way, which were mostly sad and troubling times throughout the years. We may have some fond memories of her and perhaps we will think of those times too. But I truly believe at the end of the day ALL of us will really only miss what we never had, a good and kind mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. I hope she is finally at peace with herself. As for the rest of us left behind, I hope this is the beginning of a time of healing and learning to be a family again.

There will be no service, no prayers and no closure for the family she spent a lifetime tearing apart. We cannot come together in the end to see to it that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren can say their goodbyes. So I say here for all of us, GOOD BYE, MOM.

It's gone from the obits page on the original link, but the Internet never forgets...

And you thought the beach volleyball girls were hot?

Wow - I can't wait for beach volleyball cheerleading to become an Olympic sport.

Ducks

If it smells like a duck, looks like a duck, flies like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a chicken.

Or at least that's what you would get out of reading this story.

Let's see, you have an alleged muslim.

You have an alleged pound or so of cyanide.

An alleged muslim using an almost identical name online allegedly threatened to kill non-muslims.

As a coincidence, I'm sure, the Democrat convention is going to take place just down the street from where the alleged individual allegedly died.

Yet somehow, we are not supposed to call a duck a duck.

Odd, isn't it?

FCC Commissioner: Return of Fairness Doctrine Could Control Web Content

I've had a series of posts recently on "when liberals are in charge"....

Well, here's another prime example.

There’s a huge concern among conservative talk radio hosts that reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine would all-but destroy the industry due to equal time constraints. But speech limits might not stop at radio. They could even be extended to include the Internet and “government dictating content policy.”

S.F. pushes legislation to promote good health

Let's nuke San Francisco. In addition to banning the sales of cigarettes in pharmacies, the nanny city has dictated more laws that are good for you.

The supervisors also voted to require chain restaurants to post nutritional information, including calories and fat content, on menus. This follows the creation of a program to recognize restaurants that don't use trans fats and an idea by Mayor Gavin Newsom to levy a fee on retailers of sugary sodas.

The board is also taking up legislation to dramatically curb where smokers can light up, including prohibiting puffing in taxis, lines for ATMs and common areas of apartment buildings. And Newsom wants to close some streets to cars on select Sundays so people can jog, hula-hoop and lay out their yoga mats on the pavement.

What's next from City Hall? A mandate to eat your broccoli and hit the treadmill 30 minutes every day?

Dirty Harry must really be pissed right about now.

Remember - liberals know what's best for you, and this is what happens when you let them run your government. California will destroy this country from within, mark my words. Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein are just the beginning. You Californians need to wake up, grow a set, and get rid of these granola-eco-yoga-cycle-green fascists before it's too late.

Severely burned man rescued from utility pole in Dallas

Here's one from the shallow end of the gene pool.

A man who climbed to the top of a utility pole today in an alleged effort to steal copper had to be rescued after he was jolted by a high-voltage wire and burned over 50 percent of his body, officials said.

I may not be a smart man, but I know what 7000 volts is.

Live TV coverage of the 1 1/2 -hour rescue showed the man's shirt in tatters, his jeans mostly burned away from his body. His skin looked red and he appeared to be in extreme pain as rescue personnel eased him down a fire truck's extended ladder.

That's a good summary: pain. Extreme pain.

I'm guessing Darwin will triumph sooner or later.

UPDATE: He died from his injuries.

Rhonda's Cans

Listen closely to the background comments, if you can hear around the insane cackling...

The concept of this stage was to have you place the appropriate color can on the same color stick. Watch what happens when she throws the green and yellow cans after they hit the ground....

Also watch the fingers of the RO who runs out of fingers for each penalty shot fired with the wrong color can on the wrong color post; which really got me giggling, as you can tell.

The Democrats doing what they do best

Looks like they're waving the white flag here in Texas.... Doing what they do best - cutting and running.

A husband's revenge

This guy has some big brass balls, for sure.

It's Not Easy Being Green

I have had it with "green."

Don't let the kids read this tirade. There will be bad language. I am 50 years old now, and I'm entitled to some swearing, an entitlement I will exercise in this post. If you don't like it, change the channel NOW.

I was just scrolling through my hundreds of FiOS channels in search of something worth my time, when I stopped on a show titled,

Emeril Green

where Emeril Lagasse, the erstwhile Boston Yankee so-called Louisiana chef, will teach you how to cook "green."

Yes, how to be a "green" cook. I am SO tired of the term "green," that it can't begin to describe the color of bile that I puke up when I see crap like this. GREEN cooking? What - has Emeril been grilling Bigfoot filets and Spotted Owl breasts over moon rocks for the last decade or so? Has he been cooking with coal or diesel fuel? Has he been cooking over a short-block Chevy engine? Has he used cattle methane straight from the ass to combust his truffles?

Break. I need a break. Green this, green that. I saw an ad for a "green" CAR DEALERSHIP the other day. They're "green" because they use recycled water for their landscaping. I plan to contribute to their efforts and poop on their grass one night very soon.

There's some moron in my very own neighborhood who's purchased a CONVERTIBLE Smarte Car. A car that 2 drunken teenagers could flip over barehanded. But these vehicles are cool now, because they're GREEN, in spite of the fact that a collision with a Harley would total those French POS-mobiles.

Naturally, politics have gone "green." Algore has repeated a lie often enough that some people, some companies, some communities have begun to actually BELIEVE that shit.

Let's be perfectly clear, people, and I need you to hear me five by five: "Green" is a marketing campaign. It's the latest bandwagon to get you to buy horse manure, snake oil, cold fusion. It's the latest gimmick to get you to buy garbage you wouldn't have bought a mere year ago, simply because it says "green."

It's religion, and an apostatic one at that. Do NOT fall for this nonsense. The dogma that you're being fed via the news, propaganda, marketing and politics is crap that's "greener" and better for your lawn than the truth. Yesterday's hippies are now capitalizing on their newfound legacy, and selling you crap because they're "older and wiser" and you kids have squandered our precious meager natural resources.

Emeril Green? Gimme a break.

Cimarron Canyon

Today at the range with temps at or near 100, I couldn't help but think of my lunch stop hiking up the Cimarron Canyon last week. Temps were probably only in the 70s next to this little waterfall and it was absolutely splendid. The water was crystal clear and cold and the solitude was marvelous.

Mt. Greenie

11,271 ft.

Highest point in New Mexico attainable in a vehicle. The trip up and down was quite a bit of fun, I've gotta say. And the view at the top was awesome.

5,000 gallons of molasses spill on Texas highway

Good thing this didn't happen in the winter. Bonus: it's in Sugar Land!

News Flash: D.C. Idiots Don't Understand English

Apparently the fools running DC can't understand a simple court decision.

Google Trends: ǝlƃooƃ noʎ ʞɔnɟ, Jul 13, 2008

I just noticed an interesting #1 Google trend (follow the link above). It says, "ǝlƃooƃ noʎ ʞɔnɟ." What an interesting trend, indeed.

Winning the Energy War

This is an expanded version of a little thing I sent in to Senator Cornyn's website; perhaps it will show up there as well at some point in the near future. In the meantime, here you go....

All that is required to win the energy war that has been raging in this country since the 1970s is to defeat the radical environmentalists.

Think about it.

Every policy, law and regulation that is keeping us from becoming energy independent has its origin with the environmental movement.

The United States sits on more resources than we could use in the foreseeable future in the form of oil, gas and coal deposits. Add nuclear and emerging technologies into the mix and our reliance on foreign governments that may or may not support the United States would be over.

Yet we are not allowed to mine the resources that we are in fact, sitting on, thanks to the environmental movement. Between the moratorium on offshore drilling that was signed into law in the 1980s, and President Clinton's proclamation in 1996 making 1.7million acres in Utah a national monument and therefore putting off limits billions of tons of clean burning coal - the United States is fighting the energy war with both hands tied behind its back.

Thanks to public reaction to the 1979 movie The China Syndrome, we have
limited the construction of nuclear power plants. Thanks to "do as I say, not as I do" liberals like Teddy Kennedy, we can't build windmills in areas that might ruin the cultural "viewscape." Environmental regulations make it impossible to build oil refineries to the point that we haven't had a new refinery built in the United
States in decades. It makes you wonder just whose side the environmentalists and their lackeys are on because clearly they are not on the side of the American people. It is crystal clear that we are on the cusp of a growing energy crisis yet we as a country are handcuffed at every turn as we search for either existing energy supplies or new sources of energy whether that is nuclear, wind, or water power. To an outside observer, it would appear that the environmentalists want nothing more than to return to the Jeffersonian ideal of an agrarian nation of yeoman farmers.

In order to regain our energy independence, we must turn back the tide of radical environmentalists who would have us believe in manmade climate change. Common sense should dictate that while climate change is real, man has nothing to do with it. Ice ages have come and gone without the internal combustion engine. Global warming is taking place on Mars and mankind has yet to set a foot there. More pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere during a large volcanic explosion than all of mankind's history, from day 1. Yet somehow, the radical environmentalists and their willing accomplices in the media will have us believe that in a little over 100 years, the internal combustion engine is to blame for any climate change we are currently experiencing.

Again, proving that common sense is not so common, let's think about this. We all know that weathermen can't predict with any degree of certainty what the weather will do this weekend. In fact, here in north Texas, we're lucky if they can predict what it's going to do this afternoon with any accuracy! Yet many of these same people who can't tell us what's going to happen 5 days from now will have us believe
that they know for certain what will happen 50 years from now. Am I the only one that sees a problem with this?

And let's look at the expense our economy is paying for "going green". Hybrid cars are great, right? No one ever seems to say anything (with the exception of Car and Driver) that after you pay the premium the dealerships are putting on hybrid vehicles, you'd have to own the car several decades to balance out the cost savings. No one points out that the batteries are going to wind up in a landfill
somewhere. Everyone knows that batteries, even rechargeable ones, die over time. What kind of environmental mess is THAT going to make?

The ethanol gas lobby that is forcing "green" ethanol down our throats adds additional expense to an already tight gasoline market for a gas product that performs at least 10-15% worse than a non-ethanol based product. So you end up using more gas and paying more for it at the pump all so we can feel good about the environment. Governmental entities across the country are spending billions upon billions of dollars to purchase "green" equipment that doesn't work as efficiently or as powerfully as gasoline powered equipment but hey, at least we can all feel good about ourselves, right?

What's the answer? I am surely not advocating strip mining or irresponsible drilling. There have been enough technological advances in the last 30 years that make both prospects environmentally conscious and safer than they were 3 decades ago. (Again, apply common sense. Do you really think that Exxon wants another Valdez? To do so would kill their company in today's climate.) Drill responsibly for oil and natural gas. Mine responsibly for coal. Build nuclear power plants. Develop new technologies that are economically feasible and practical. Deregulate the energy business to the point that they can work to explore and produce additional power supply for the country. Build new refineries. Think about what that would do to job growth alone, not to mention our energy woes! We're the United States of America for God's sake! We put a man on the moon in about a decade of trying, do you really think we can't solve our energy issues if we put our mind to it? But in order to do all of this, we need to stop the hoax that is the
environmental movement and refuse to be bullied by their tactics.

Take away the illusion that leftists are the only ones who *care* about the
environment. I am as avid an outdoorsman as any environmentalist I know. Unlike most of them, who only pretend that they can survive in the outdoors without their A/C and running water, I know (because I've done it many, many times) that I can survive and thrive in harsh environments from deserts to mountains to swamps, thickets and timber. I love to be outdoors and view the natural environment as something to be treasured and enjoyed. But I also understand that in order to
protect and support this thing that is the United States of America, we have to defeat the environmental movement that will have us believe that a field mouse is more important than the survival of our society.

Defeat the radical environmentalist movement, and we are well on our way to winning the energy war.

Survival of the Sudsiest

George Will has an excellent column that tells us civilization has depended on the creation of beer.

Like we needed to be told that.

To avoid dangerous water, people had to drink large quantities of, say, beer. But to digest that beer, individuals needed a genetic advantage that not everyone had -- what Johnson describes as the body's ability to respond to the intake of alcohol by increasing the production of particular enzymes called alcohol dehydrogenases. This ability is controlled by certain genes on chromosome four in human DNA, genes not evenly distributed to everyone. Those who lacked this trait could not, as the saying goes, "hold their liquor." So, many died early and childless, either of alcohol's toxicity or from waterborne diseases.

In other words, those of us alive today owe our survival to our ancestor's ability to drink beer!

So, go have a beer and celebrate humanity, will you?

Shock Bracelet Considered For Airline Passengers, Border Control -- Homeland Security

This has to be one of the most outrageous things I've heard of in quite some time.

In order to enhance the security of air travel and to help manage illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security has solicited a proposal from a Canadian security company to develop a passenger stun bracelet.
Like the pain collars featured in the classic Star Trek episode The Gamesters of Triskelion, Lamperd Less Lethal's electro-muscular disruption (EMD) bracelet is intended to incapacitate wearers on remote command.

I cannot even fathom that this would be legal, much less allowed by the public. It's being marketed as a tool to aid passengers in the airport, and as an anti-terrorist device. The potential for abuse is monstrous.

The stupidity of PC

In yet another sign of the coming Apocalypse, it's now considered to be racially insensitive to use the term "black hole". You heard that right folks, a scientific term that refers to "the invisible remains of a collapsed star, with an intense gravitational field from which neither light nor matter can escape" is now a rascist term.

Sadly, this little incident took place in Dallas County - which just again proves my point that idiots are running the County, but what do I know.

County commissioners were discussing problems with the central collections office that is used to process traffic ticket payments and handle other paperwork normally done by the JP Courts.

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."
That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

You can't make this stuff up, folks.

FISA set to pass, finally

Finally, the Dems running Congress are set to pass the FISA bill that has been stalled for quite some time. It has been held up over concerns the liberals had over being able to sue telecommunication companies that are assisting the government in tracking down terrorist activities.

Even though the Dems in Congress have finally come to their senses and are working on passing the bill, it would appear that Senator Cornyn's opponent still thinks its a bad idea. You've got to ask yourself just who Noriega is protecting. I think it's safe to say that since 9/11 we have had no other terrorist attacks on American soil, at least in part due to FISA working. Like his liberal bretheren in Congress, you have to wonder just who's side Noriega is on.

We've said it before and I'll say it again. Put liberals in charge of National Security and we all lose.

Back yard critters

Been reading Blackfork, Robert's blog, and all his pics of wildlife reminded me of this picture I snapped in our backyard on a wet day this past winter. Not the best picture in the world, but I was happy to get this big boy on film and had to run and find my camera to catch him....

When liberals rule the world - Clusterbombs, part deux

In May, JR wrote about a group of 3rd rate countries who'd all gathered together to ban cluster bombs.

A month later, we get another lesson on what happens when liberals are in charge.

Faced with growing international pressure, the Pentagon is changing its policy on cluster bombs and plans to reduce the danger of unexploded munitions in the deadly explosives.

The policy shift, which is outlined in a three-page memo signed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, would require that after 2018, more than 99 percent of the bomblets in a cluster bomb must detonate.

Limiting the amount of live munitions left on the battlefield would lessen the danger to innocent civilians who have been killed or severely injured when they accidentally detonate the bomb.

OK, I don't have too much of a problem with this. If the new guidelines don't interfere with the ability of our military to accurately and reliably deliver the bombs, then like I said, it doesn't bother me.

However, Senator leaky Leahy (D-Vt), is not happy. Apparently, he doesn't like the fact that the United States is the sole world superpower and would like to create a more even field for our enemies to fight on. Stating that the new policy is "a step back", Leahy goes on to say:

"Now the Bush administration's 'new' policy is to wait another 10 years," said Leahy, calling it "another squandered opportunity for U.S. leadership." He said that in wake of the international treaty agreement, the Pentagon's plan to wait another decade before requiring the 99 percent detonation rate cannot be justified.

So, you put liberals in charge of our national security and this is the kind of crap that happens - you can count on effective weapon systems to be killed off leaving us to fight with one hand tied behind our backs.

Have no doubt - when liberals run our national security, we lose.

Happy Birthday, U. S. A.

Plasma, LCDs blamed for accelerating global warming

Need a little pick me up on this 4th of July?

Read this tripe!


In the latest bit of global warming (or is it now climate change?) hysteria, your flat paneled TVs are now being blamed for a rapid increase in the deterioration of our environment.

A gas used in the making of flat screen televisions, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), is being blamed for damaging the atmosphere and accelerating global warming.

Wow, sounds serious!

But there's a catch. You see, just as with the rest of the global warming hysteria, there is not one shred of evidence that proves this ridiculous point.

Levels of this gas in the atmosphere have not been measured, but scientists say it is a concern and are calling for it to be included in any future emissions cutting agreement.

So, they have no idea how much of this gas is in the atmosphere, but they KNOW it's causing a problem.

The scientist (spit, hack, spit) who is raising the alarm about this new, powerful gas has this to say:

"We don't know what's emitted, but what they're producing every year dwarfs these giant coal-fired power plants that are like the biggest in the world...."

Now, I know I'm only a historian, but even I can figure out that if you DON'T KNOW WHAT'S EMITTED, then how in the hell could you know that *they* are producing more pollutants than a giant coal-fired power plant. Are we to be so stupid as to believe that plasma TVs - which are only in a portion of American households - are creating as a by product of their production, more pollution that coal power plants which can be found all over the entire world?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

What a retard.

And oh yeah, have a happy and safe 4th of July.

"We Won't Try to Pry Guns Away"

Some people just don't get it. Vis-a-vis Miss Lori Jefferson Foster of Dallas:

We won't try to pry guns away

Re: "Rejection of ban triggers new debate – Some use decision to fight other arms laws; others laud support for 'reasonable' restrictions," last Friday news story.

For those of us who believe that common sense gun laws can save lives, last week's ruling may have a very positive upshot. For years, the gun lobby has used fear to thwart efforts to pass sensible gun laws, arguing that even modest gun laws will lead to a complete ban on gun ownership.

Now that the Supreme Court has struck down the Washington, D.C., ban on handguns while making it clear that the Constitution allows for reasonable limitations on access to dangerous weapons, this slippery slope argument is gone. Life-saving proposals like requiring Brady background checks on all gun sales and limiting bulk sales of handguns can be debated without the distraction of: "You're trying to take away my gun."

We'll accept that gun bans are unconstitutional, but you'll have to accept that the Second Amendment now guarantees reasonable restrictions on guns.

Lori Jefferson Foster, Dallas

This, I'm afraid, is the next battle, one of inches. The gun-grabbers will now hyper-focus on nit-picking (wow, 3 hyphenated phrases in one sentence). I still don't know what a "common-sense gun law" really is, because if people had common sense, they'd leave the guns alone. Why are people like Ms. Foster demonizing guns ("dangerous weapons" - ooooh)?

I have an idea - let's make it illegal to commit murder, rape, robbery, theft, and other um, crimes. And let's make it illegal for felons and children to buy guns. What's that you say? All that's already illegal? Hmmm. Common sense dictates that it's not the weapons, it's criminals. What's a criminal? Someone who disregards the law.

Now, let's look at what criminals are willing to do: ignore laws, and break them while committing crimes against law-abiding citizens like you and me. What is a law-abiding citizen to do? I know - call 911! After all, in a life-or-death situation where seconds count, it's worth waiting several minutes for the police to arrive. After all, someone has to fill out a report, right?

Okay, so if the police don't follow you around all the time, seriously, what are you to do? Protect yourself? Heaven forbid! Say it ain't so, Lori!

Let's talk common sense. Why do you have a fire extinguisher in your house? Do you plan on burning your house down? No, you try your best not to start a fire in your home, but if you do, you'd at least have a fighting chance to stop it before you waited several minutes for the fire department to arrive, wouldn't you?

I don't carry a gun because I expect to shoot someone. I use common sense. I avoid places where I'm likely to have to defend myself, first. I'm aware of my surroundings, and I don't act or look like a target. However, if a criminal is still motivated enough to come after me or mine, I need to be able to prevent him from forcing his will on me. Common sense dictates that I be able to stop this criminal, and I have that inalienable right to do so.

This is the crux of the Second Amendment. I have a God-given right to protect myself, and no government may take that away. Moreover, the Second Amendment makes provision for me to protect myself with a firearm. I shouldn't have to defend that right.

Common sense tells me that more gun laws aren't going to help anything. Go find another windmill to tilt after, Ms. Foster. You're doing it wrong.

Feds consider euthanizing wild horses in West

OK, the mere thought of this, is one of the sickest things I could ever imagine.

Understand, I am not a horse person. I did not grow up on a farm. Nor am I a cowboy wanna-be. But the thought of some government-eco-nazi-bean-counter drafting a plan to take wild horses and put a bullet behind the ear is just repulsive and truly forces me to ask the question: Why?

We are talking about 33,000 horses. ACROSS 10 WESTERN STATES! Are you kidding me? Break out a map and look at the Western United States. Now imagine 33,000 any thing's there. You won't exactly be bumping into each other. Try 33,000 aircraft carriers? Nope, plenty of room left over. How about 33,000 skyscrapers? We could do that and another 100,000 and still not feel it. I know, think about this. How about 33,000 Mall of Americas? Still just a drop in the bucket. You have to get to the Grand Canyon size objects, to get close. I'm sorry, a horse is much smaller than that.

The state of Nevada is 110,000 square miles in area. That would be 3 horses standing on every single square mile of state. AND YOU STILL HAVE 9 MORE STATES!!! Are you starting to see a problem?

And yet, we have the bunny-huggers protesting deer hunting, sport fishing and Olympic archery. But hey, put one into ole' Trigger, pass me the shootin' iron, Tex!

This is simply killing for financial reasons. Don't ever say that deer hunting is somehow unfair and barbarian. The deer has more chance than a horse in a pen. An animal that acts more like a puppy than a man-eating lion. But hey, to save a few bucks, kill'em all.

And who is doing their books. It's costing the US Government 26 MILLION dollars to care for 30,000 horses per year? I need a job at that ranch. What kind of feed are they using? And remember, these horses are wild! They take care of themselves! All of this because the cattle ranchers have a lobby. Because ranching is big business and can afford to make us believe that 33,000 horses somehow represent a threat to our way of life and sure starvation.

Unfortunately, our history is repeating itself here. After WWI, the Army decided it was going to become a mechanized force and put down their faithful companions by the hundreds.

What's next, the Dept. of the Interior euthanizing Border Collies and Golden Retrievers because they shed too much? Because they pooped on your lawn? Gotta stop those pesky varmints before things get out of control. Is the BLM going to play "Whack a Mole" with every new litter of puppies? Think of how much money it would save the taxpayers.

This is disgusting! That's the only word that comes to mind: Disgusting.

Why I carry a gun

JR (the other one) points out just why we carry.

GRANITE CITY, Ill. — Police and FBI agents captured an ex-convict suspected of killing eight people in two states as he smoked a cigarette outside of a southwestern Illinois bar Tuesday night, a bar employee said.

Nicholas T. Sheley, who was the subject of a multistate manhunt after authorities linked him to the deaths of eight people in Illinois and Missouri, was arrested around 7 p.m. outside of Bindy's, a Granite City bar, said bartender Katie Ronk...

Said punk has been taking jaunts around the country randomly killing 8 people he came in contact with.

What the bulk of civilized society has yet to realize - or perhaps we should say, forgotten - there are bad people out there who don't conform to polite society and the only person who's going to save your booty is going to be you.

That sound you hear

is a pin drop. Otherwise known as the news media's unbiased reporting on the war. Seems to me the media's been pretty damn quiet about the war as of late. Seems to me I heard that the number of deaths in the war is approaching the number of deaths you'd see annually due to training accidents.

And yes - EVERY soldier killed is a tragedy, so don't give me any BS about not giving a damn.

Seems to me reports of suicide bombings are down. IED attacks down.

Why is it we don't hear of the good stuff I wonder?

Why don't we hear about things like this happening:



I know good and well why we don't see images like this from Iraq. And so do you.

Take this one and pass it on. Don't let the media's unbiased (and yes, I have to spit when I say that) reporting stop this story. Despite what we don't hear from the media, our troops are doing great things. Don't let that story go untold.

More on Heller

It’s really quite simple: gun control legislation did not reduce violence. Secondly, people started actually reading the text of the second amendment of the United States Constitution. Thirdly, ‘laws allowing concealed weapons proliferated - with no ill effects.’

To put it more succinctly; the idea that outlawing guns makes society more safe was proven wrong, this while Americans started to realize that, just perhaps, the US Constitution actually means what it says.

Who would have thought it could be that simple?

No comment from me required.... H/T to McBane for the link!

June 26, 2008

This is a great day for America.

Cops. Heh.

Had a great weekend of shooting fun. Wichita Falls Saturday for some USPSA action. DPC Sunday morning for some steel action. A little visit to the local cigar shop, and then a drive down into Dallas Sunday night for some IDPA fun. That's the way to spend your weekend!!!

Sunday night, at DFW gun range, we had a great turnout for the IDPA match. There were several brand new shooters there as well as some more experienced guys that have been around for awhile and then some folks somewhere in the middle, who have been out a handful of times and are starting to look familiar. After working the timer with one of the new shooters - a tiny young lady - and watching her struggle to control the pistol - I passed off the timer and took her over to the safe area to help her out.

I explained the fundamentals of the grip and stance and tried to get her a little more comfortable with the pistol she was shooting. I probably spent 10 minutes or so with her before I ran out of time and had to get back to work at the match. I had noted that one of the other shooters - a local cop - had followed us in to the safe area and was watching everything I was telling this young lady. I could tell from the look on his face that he disagreed with about everything that I was saying, but I just ignored him as I'd seen him shoot and wasn't really that impressed with anything he had done. As soon as I left, he took the opportunity to jump over to the gal and I suspected that he was busy spending some time telling her that I had no idea what the hell I was talking about since I was just a civilian and that she'd be better off listening to him. Whatever.

We finished the match, and I was back in the safety area with another new shooter - a young man this time - helping him with the same issues I had pointed out earlier. Since he was shooting a nice 1911, that was absolutely bone ass dry, I ended up spending some time with him about proper lube and cleaning of his pistol as well. About that time the young lady I had helped earlier walked in with her boyfriend and then another couple that had come with them to watch. We started talking about what kind of gun she should buy for herself since she was shooting a borrowed gun that night. I told her the same thing I tell all new shooters - buy a Glock, M&P, XD, or now even the new Ruger SR9 - whichever one fits their hands the best and is in their price range. The young lady told me that "the guy, that cop, had showed her his sig suey something" gun - to which I said, you mean a Sig Sauer??? Yeah, that was it - the cop let her fondle his Sig and told her what a fantastic weapon it was, that SWAT uses it, and SEALs use it blah blah blah and that the gun felt perfect to her.

I said, "hon, whatever you do, do NOT buy a Sig." To which her friend replied "told you, they're all going to say this that or the other is their favorite and no one will agree on anything."

I finally lost what patience I had left in dealing with this particular officer and just flat out told the girls - "look - why don't ya'll go look at the scores from tonight's match and tell me who you should be taking advice from, OK?" The room got pretty quiet all of a sudden and I just walked out to help with clean up after the match.

I usually don't ever talk that kind of smack to anyone but my friends. But this particular fellow touched a nerve with me. He displays the typical attitude that some (not all) law enforcement officers display. That they are the only people who know anything about firearms because they've been "trained". While us lowly civilians don't know squat because we don't have to go through a "rigorous" training program and annual qualifying.

The fact of the matter is - and this is based on a decade of watching - is that the vast bulk of law enforcement officers don't know jack about guns. They don't know jack about muzzle awareness. They don't know jack about trigger control. They don't know jack about how to shoot. In fact, if you come to my range and tell me you're a cop, I'm going to watch you like a hawk, and watch you closer than I'll watch a "civilian" because my personal experience has shown me that chances are, you're going to scare the hell out of me.

Now, there are a handful of officers that I've come across that DO know how to shoot - and bless them, most of those guys try hard as hell to get their law enforcement brethren up to speed - but the fact is, they are a very, very small minority in the police community.

And oh yeah - I kicked this guy's ass by 45 seconds in a 5 stage match. For those of you who aren't familiar with IDPA scoring, that's what you call an ass whipping.

MyFox Dallas | GRAPHIC VIDEO: 'F--- Victims' Families'

I don't even know where to start.

Some people (animals) require shooting. Some people (animals) require execution. Some people (animals) don't deserve to die with dignity. Here's a fine example of why public executions, lynch mobs, vigilante justice, vengeance and hatred all have existed. This is the very worst of our society, and these animals deserve to be killed slowly, painfully, and without mercy or remorse.

I'd feel no worse about shooting a rabid coyote. Check that - at least coyotes serve a purpose in the ecosystem. These shitbags are beneath contempt.

GI Bill

Lone Star Times has a good summary of the latest version of the GI Bill that was approved by the House.

Senator Cornyn was on the right side of the issue, insisting on transferability and voting against the bill in the Senate because of it. The Senator commented today on the House vote and called out his opponent to support the House Bill; after his opponent shamelessly used Memorial Day as a political ploy against Cornyn.

Folks, I think we have to come to the conclusion that the Presidency this election cycle is really not going to be all that good, regardless of who wins. In which case, we're going to need a strong conservative base in the House and Senate to foil the will of the next President on items like gun control, global warming, and liberty. Get out there and support your local conservative House and Senate members and let them know where you stand. Cornyn's a good guy and we need more folks like him in Washington to make sure that the next President can't destroy what's left of our individual freedoms.

What to Expect Next Week | SCOTUSblog

...Two opinions remain: Rothgery v. Gillespie and the case many of our readers our waiting eagerly for, DC v. Heller. Two justices have not yet written in the sitting: Souter and Scalia. As both of them have only written five total opinions thus far, it seems quite likely that these two are the outstanding authors, barring some sort of vote-switching. Based on the tenor of oral argument, it is widely expected that the individual rights view of the Second Amendment will prevail in the guns case, which means that it appears that Justice Scalia may well be writing the opinion for the majority, leaving Rothgery to Justice Souter. It remains a possibility, of course, that if Justice Scalia is the author, his opinion commands only a plurality.

Looks like next week it is, but the SCOTUSblogger cautions against trying to predict the court.

There is only one decision day next week on the Court’s official calendar: Monday, June 23, when the Court’s public session will begin at 10 am eastern. However, as the Court has done for the past two weeks, it’s certain that the Court will sit on one or more additional days later in the week. Based on past practice, if the Court holds one additional opinion day, it will likely be the Thursday (June 26) as it did last Term. If it holds two additional opinion days (which is more likely, given that ten opinions remain), the added days will likely be Wednesday (June 25) and Thursday (as it did in the 2005 Term).

(Of course, the Court isn’t required to finish by June 26, but it has concluded the Term before July every year for the last decade. Monday June 30 is also a possible last day, but is unlikely because the Court internally plans on finishing each Term during the fourth week of June.)

Boy Killed When Falling Shotgun Fires

I don't mean to diminish or enlarge the tragedy, but I'm afraid something doesn't meet the sniff test here.

Authorities believe the shotgun was standing in a corner when it somehow fell and went off.

Anyone familiar with a shotgun that goes off without someone pulling the trigger? The story doesn't say what sort of shotgun it is, so could a slam-fire have happened, or what?

Big John

Senator Cornyn came out with a light hearted and entertaining video at the GOP convention a week or so ago. Since that time, the libs have been attacking the video in one way or another. This proves my point once again that probably the worst thing about the entire liberal movement is that they don't have a sense of humor. At all. And who wants to be around someone who is perpetually outraged??

Second, this brings to mind the internet email that was passed around a while ago; and I think it's a valid point today - the libs don't like cowboys. They don't like what they stand for, they don't like what they'll stand up to, and they don't like the image of a man who can take care of things himself without having to rely on his mommy (or the government) to solve his problems. In part, that email went like this:

When I was a kid, cowboys were my heroes.

Well, I mean the ones in the white hats, not the black hats, who were usually the bad guys.

What were common attributes of these legendary cowboys?

Here are a few:

They were never looking for trouble.

But when trouble came, they faced it with courage.

They were always on the side of right.

They defended good people against bad people.

They had high morals.

They had good manners.

They were honest.

They spoke their minds and they spoke the truth, regardless of what people thought or "political correctness," which no one had ever heard of back then.

They were a beacon of integrity in the wild, wild West.

They were respected. When they walked into a saloon (where they usually drank only sarsaparilla), the place became quiet, and the bad guys kept their distance.

If in a gunfight, they could outdraw anyone. If in a fist fight, they could beat up anyone.

They always won. They always got their man. In victory, they rode off into the sunset.

In our new touchy feely era, men aren't supposed to be like this. They're supposed to be in touch with their emotions, their feminine side. And it's largely the reason we are in the mess we're in today.

While not claiming to be a cowboy myself - For instance, I don't own a cowboy hat, can't stand horses, and have no idea where my one pair of cowboy boots are - I think Washington DC would probably be a lot better off if more cowboys were in office than the career politicians that reside there today, but that's just me.

Man accidentally kills himself while trying to rob a Grand Prairie home

A little bleach for the old gene pool.

Cameron Sands, 19, of Fort Worth kicked in the door of the house and then shot himself in the stomach as he pulled a gun out of his pants to shoot the homeowner, Grand Prairie police said. The homeowner was not injured.

Ta-da!

We're on HDNews!

It's your humble bloggers, running around with guns in our hands.

Call of Duty - PAY ATTENTION.

There is much awesomeness in this video.

Boobies.

Four Teenagers Are Stabbed After Northeast Peace Festival

Peace on you.

Brought to you by Washington, D.C.

Market Hall Gun Show

After getting rained out at the match in Greenville yesterday - honest to goodness, SERIOUS rain at the range, high, hot and dry at home - JR and I decided to hit the Market Hall gun show. As we've posted here before, Market Hall has really dropped off as a great show. Compared to the big Reliant Center show in Houston, Market Hall is about 1/3 as big and there seems to be a preponderance of beef jerky and airsoft guns.

There WERE some interested things to see. Notably, JR and I both truly appreciate the attire most women seem to wear at gun shows. I don't know what it is, but ladies that go to gun shows are usually showing off their finer assets; and speaking for myself, I'm deeply appreciative.

There was one dealer who was selling NIB "overstocked" DPMS AR flat top carbines for $619 with a gas block in front and no front sight and $635 or so with a front sight. They were a good $275-$300 cheaper than other similar ARs at the show and I'm kicking myself for not picking one up. I did manage to pick up some mags for a rainy day, some AR mags (both .223 and 9mm) and a couple of 10 round McCormick power mags for my 1911 that I'll use next month at the big ProAm match in Tulsa.

Seems there were a bunch of hoodlums out as well in their gang colors or wearing shirts that said things like "gangster forever" on them. Why those turds are let into the gun show is beyond me - I know why they're let in - no one wants a lawsuit saying that said poor little hoodlum was discriminated against on the basis of his appearance, but still, I'd kick those cretins out in a heartbeat, lawsuit be damned.

It also seems as if there is more flat out disinformation fed to potential buyers by salesmen who have no idea what they are talking about. Dealers talking about this gun or that gun and given a minute, you can tell that they have no clue about what they're talking about and only know what they've read in the latest edition of Guns and Ammo - where no gun writer has ever met a gun he didn't like. My point is, if you're looking for a new blaster, and you aren't sure what you're looking for - ask someone who shoots. Alot! It's clear that there are "gun people" who can tell you every tiny detail about every gun ever made. And then there's those of us who shoot. When it comes to picking a gun - especially one for self defense or competition, pick carefully who you get your info from!

And I'll add a word or two on gun show etiquette. Take your stinking finger off of the trigger. Do not pick up guns off the table or carry guns around with your booger picker wrapped squarely around the trigger. I can't tell you how many guns JR and I had pointed at us either by passers by or folks at the tables with fingers squarely on the trigger with no thought given to where the gun is pointed.

I've seen 2 or 3 ADs at gun shows over the years with "unloaded" guns. I'd really rather not see one up close and personal because some idiot isn't paying attention to what he's doing.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 233rd birthday to the US Army!

Hulk Movie Suck.

Finally, a movie review that even Catfish can read.

Critic remember Ang Lee version. Ang Lee version slagged off. Yet rubbish new Hulk film make that look like Citizen Kane. Critic exit cinema miffed. Film take away two hours of critic's life. Critic not get time back. Ever. Rarrrrr.

Take a moment to read the whole thing. It's a hoot.

District of Columbia v. Heller

Well, another session of SCOTUS goes by today, but no news of the Second Amendment. We learned of the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the detainees at Gitmo, but not about DC v. Heller. Pity.

I think it's ironic that enemy combatants are enjoying Habeas Corpus, much like U.S. citizens, yet we sit here and wait to hear whether they'll affirm rights we were given over 200 years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm cautiously optimistic that the 2nd Amendment will be affirmed, and that an individual right to keep and bear arms will finally have the endorsement of constitutionality via the Supreme Court. Perhaps Monday, June 16, 2008 will be a very good day.

Cindy Sheehan, your 15 minutes are up. Go home now.

I just giggle every time I see this picture.

Rumor Confirmed! Cuisinart Ice-Cream Maker Includes Long Rumored Sprinkle Dispenser

Aside from (almost) buying 1000 bullets, I don't know if I can think of a better way to spend $84.31.

...the company has released the Ice-45 Mix-It-In Soft Serve Ice-Cream Maker that includes not one, but three different topping dispensers! (A move that even supposed ‘Cuisinart insiders’ didn’t see coming.) Of course while many users were also hoping for a built-in hot fudge reservoir on the new model, it seems those rumors were just wild speculation, and for the time being we’ll just have to settle with third-party solutions like a double-boiler on the stove.

I swear to you, I never knew such devices existed.

Gladiator Gay

This Academy ad from today's Sunday paper is gayer than Elton John's fanny-pack.
 

"C'mon, Tom - pull me!"

Unlikely sponsor for Big Brown: Hooters

Big brown hooters. Hmmm.

Convicted steroids dealer David Jacobs found dead in Plano home

Everyone try to act surprised that this happened.

ROBERT SCHENKKAN GETS INFECTED FOR 'THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN' MINI-SERIES

Since we're into movie reviews lately, I thought I'd chime in on the recent 2-night movie/mini-series event, "The Andromeda Strain."

Let's just say that after reading this interview with Robert Schenkkan, I've come to an inexorable conclusion: he's a tool. He's apparently a self-important screenwriter whose original thoughts and concepts are better left alone. He should've stayed with the original Andromeda Strain storyline, for example. I mean, after all, what do Michael Crichton and Robert Wise know?

iF: Did you speak with Michael Crichton at all during this process?

SCHENKKAN: If I had been offered that opportunity I would have done so but it never came up. I should point out that this is the very first time that Crichton has allowed any of his novels to be adapted directly for television.

I'd be willing to bet that Crichton now has serious regrets regarding that decision. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of the novel and the 1971 movie, directed by Robert Wise. It's a great story, with a great plot, and the screen version was every bit as good as the novel. Granted, the technology in the movie is dated by today's standards, but it's still very cool, and a large part of the movie's charm.

Schenkkan saw it once, as a teenager.

It's not so much that Schenkkan's story was "expanded" as it is that it went off on some insane tangent never hinted at in the original story. Wormholes, messages from the future, extinct viruses wiped out by deep-sea mining - ugh. What tree-hugging tripe.

As you read the interview, take note of the interviewers observations, and Schenkkan's responses. Several of the replies start out, "Actually that's not entirely accurate," or "Again, I disagree," or "I disagree." What the interviewer was pointing out was how poorly this adaptation captured the whole point of the original novel, and all Schenkkan can do is point out that apparently we're just not smart enough to get it. Let's combine that with unrelated storylines, bone-dry dialog, a complete lack of continuity, and what have you got? Something just awful. I fell asleep when I tried to watch it, and I tried to watch it a couple of times (A&E ran it over and over).

If you haven't seen it, don't bother. You didn't miss much.

But beware - Shenkkan has more projects, including a feature film depicting the march of the 10,000. All you history buffs will cringe at the very thought.

Senator having fun with guns....

Looks like Texas Senator Cornyn is having a good time shooting some shotgun action.

Now if we can only get him to come play with us with some handgun fun, that would be a blast!

When Liberals rule the world

This is what happens when liberals rule the world. Personal responsibility and accountability? What's that?? How's this for a news story?

Hillary Clinton in negotiations for Barack Obama to help pay off her debts

That's right, dear readers. You can rack up to 40 million in debt in a failed Presidential campaign, but if your opponent wants your support in the general election, he'd better pay up!

And if there was ever any question about what motivates the Clintons:

“It’s not about the vice-presidency or any other position she might get. It’s about the money – in particular the Clinton family money.”

Will anyone miss the Clintons?? God knows I won't.

Canadians crash out of Spelling Bee

It seems the Canadians will have to be satisfied with merely murdering English.

'Seven up, seven down,' said Pam Penny of Ancaster, Ontario. 'Very disappointing. Especially for Canadians to go down on French words.'

An unfortunate choice of words, n'est-ce pas?

Countries agree to cluster bomb ban

Apparently, a group of countries that don't have cluster bombs have decided to ban them. Here's what these geniuses came up with:

The countries agreed never to use cluster munitions or the explosive bomblets they contain, and they also agreed never to develop, acquire, retain or transfer cluster munitions, according to the official treaty document.

Just one teensy, tiny problem:

Some of the biggest makers and users of cluster bombs cited by human rights groups -- such the United States, Russia, China and Israel -- were not involved in the talks and did not sign the accord. Organizers expressed hope that those nations would nevertheless be pressured into compliance.

Hmmm...give up one of the best area denial munitions ever devised? Listen, we're just gonna have to, um, you know, pass.

Good luck on that whole "pressure" thing, too. Speaking of, there's nothing quite like a good thermobaric bomb, unless it's a whole cluster of 'em!

Indiana Jones…..

Let’s start by saying there are spoilers below!!!

I saw this movie yesterday and came away somewhat disappointed. On one hand, it was a fun action flick with a (partial) cast of familiar characters that I have enjoyed for the last 20 something years or so either on the big screen or at home.

On the other, I found the film to be completely predictable - I knew within a few minutes of meeting “Mutt” that Indy was his father. I knew once they cut open the mummy in the storehouse at the beginning of the movie that aliens were going to be involved; a theme that was only re-enforced throughout the film with the drawings and then the appearance of the crystal skull. Granted, in the other 3 films, you knew Indy would triumph at the end, but you had no idea how he would pull it off to win. In this one, there was no drama or suspense, you knew what was going to happen and just waited for the last scene in the church.

I think that in the first 3 films, you are along for the ride with Indy. It’s almost like you were there with him on the car chases and airplane rides and fist fights. In this film, you weren’t along for the ride, you were just an interested observer - and there’s nothing wrong with that, it just seems that in comparison, I preferred the style of the first 3.

The hand of George Lucas was all over this movie as well - from the opening scene, which evoked memories of American Graffiti to Harrison Ford stating “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”, which was in all 6 of the Star Wars movies and I don’t recall it being present in any of the previous 3 Indy movies. (JR has some interesting Lucas observations as well which I’ll let him add in the comments section if he’s so inclined). It’s not that I don’t like Lucas, on the contrary, I have enjoyed the Star Wars movies more than just about any other series of movies I can think of - it’s just that I don’t recall his hand being all over the previous 3 Indy movies as it was in this one; it just had a different “feel” to it is all I’m trying to say.

Perhaps my biggest issue with the flick was the ending. In all 3 of the previous movies, you are left with the message that there is a greater good. A God, a greater power than man. That good will always triumph over evil thanks to the hand of God and God’s guidance. In this flick, God has been replaced by ET. There is no greater good, no divine intervention, but instead, a flying saucer. And for that, I’m rather disappointed.

This is not to say I didn’t enjoy the movie, because I did. It’s just not what I expected out of an Indy movie.

There were plenty of giggles for me throughout the film - starting from when Indy knocks open the crate containing the Ark and running fairly nonstop throughout. Indy - named after the family dog if you recall - has a son who has chosen the name Mutt; another name for a dog. Indy yelling “this is intolerable!” during the escape from the Commie’s jungle camp; echoing his own father’s words from the 3rd film. Indy’s refusal to grab the snake to get out of the quicksand, hearkening back to his dislike of snakes in the first film. I’m about 90% sure that when interrupted in class, Indy gave his students the same reading assignment he gave his class when he was interrupted in Raiders; I’ll have to put in the DVD to be sure. All that was missing was one of his star struck female students writing “Love You” on her eyelids. You also see the same disdain for government agents in this flick as in the first. And, like the first 3 films, there’s clearly a “bad” guy, in this case, the Soviet Union and I didn’t detect any kind of moral equivalency given to the USSR and the USA, which I was happy to see. And finally, Indy’s patented method of throwing folks out of trucks continued in this film as well.

All in all, this wasn’t a bad film, it just didn’t meet up with my expectations.

I’d give it a B+.

Doin' it in the dark

Robert Porter, MD of the Double Tap Championship has to be one of the most creative stage designers in the world. The theme for this year's Double Tap Championship was "Survivor, Double Tap". As part of that theme, he BUILT a cave out of one of his berms.

At today's monthly Double Tap USPSA match, we got to shoot in the cave again. If anything, it was darker this time as there weren't any "tiki" torches lit up. Running from a clear bright Texas day into pretty much dark as night cave and trying to find the sight was, well, entertaining to say the least. And when you have to reload a gun in the dark, that's a whole different experience as well.

Regardless, I present you, shootin' in the dark at the DTR.

Memorial Day

Call me old fashioned or behind the times. But to me, one of the most wonderful sounds in the whole world is the sound of an American flag flying in the wind.

To the warrior who flew this flag in battle, thank you.

For the rest of you - ya'll be safe out there this Memorial Day weekend and remember the reason for the holiday.

Climate change spreads across solar system!

You can imagine how shocked I was when I tuned into my daily astronomical image only to discover that big oil has somehow managed to exploit Jupiter's oil and gas deposits.

That's right folks, climate change is taking place on Jupiter as we speak!

Jupiter's recent outbreak of red spots is likely related to large scale climate change as the gas giant planet is getting warmer near the equator.

Look forward to the Democrat controlled Congress to pass legislation immediately to mitigate this horrible problem.

YouTube - Pork and Beans - Weezer

I know - I'm not much for posting YouTube or Weezer videos, but this is a great music video. It pokes fun at a host of Internet memes, and even features the afro ninja guy (you'll know who I'm talking about). Yes, even Miss Teen USA South Carolina is featured (you know, "such as, the Iraq").
It's greatness, and a kick-ass commentary on the silly state of the web. If you don't recognize some of them, well - you don't spend nearly enough time on the Internets...

Senator talks about a variety of issues

I was fortunate today to participate in a conference call with Senator John Cornyn and a group of other bloggers.

It was pretty neat, actually. When I think of the United States Government, accessible is not one of the first things that comes to my mind. That is, until today.

Senator Cornyn came online and gave a brief opening remark that brought us up to date as to what was going on in the Senate today. He spent some time explaining why he voted against the war funding bill today, stating that he didn't agree with the additional spending for things like extending unemployment insurance and home heating oil subsidies. In addition, the Senator said he believed the President would veto the bill in which case they were wasting time trying to get funding for the troops on the front lines.

I was glad to see the Senator point out that Queen Bee (my words, not the Senator's) Pelosi's plan to relieve the pain at the pump is failing miserably. Senator Cornyn also discussed the lack of drilling that's allowed offshore, thanks to a 1982 moratorium on offshore drilling that Congress passed. In other words, it was refreshing to see a US Senator who understands that OPEC is not the problem, but that our own government is the problem.

After that, the floor was opened up for questions and the Senator handled a wide variety of questions that ranged from the GI Bill to ethanol subsidies to a question from me about gun control. He handled all of the questions quite well and as far as I could tell on my end of the phone, did so without having to consult his staff and was able to discuss at length each question without searching in vain for a cogent thought.

When asked, Senator Cornyn spoke of his love for hunting and that he was an avid supporter of gun rights for both recreational purposes and self defense. I was pleased to see the Senator make the distinction that most politicians don't seem to understand. My right to self defense is a human right and it has nothing to do with my right to hunt - and from what I could tell, that was what the Senator believes as well. Cornyn did mention that he believes the Supreme Court will rule to overturn the DC gun ban, which we have been watching closely here at the Tattler. Let's hope he's right!

I informed the Senator that I was frankly nervous about the upcoming election because each of the 3 candidates left in the race have varying levels of anti-gun beliefs and the writing on the wall says that the Democrat's numbers in both the House and the Senate are likely to grow.

While Senator Cornyn seemed confident in John McCain's defense of the 2nd amendment, I remain unconvinced. From McCain's own website (emphasis mine):

Background Checks at Gun Shows

At a time when some were trying to shut down gun shows in the name of fighting crime, John McCain tried to preserve gun shows by standardizing sales procedures. Federal law requires licensed firearm sellers at gun shows to do an instant criminal background check on purchasers while private firearm sellers at gun shows do not have to conduct such a check. John McCain introduced legislation that would require an instant criminal background check for all sales at gun shows and believes that such checks must be conducted quickly to ensure that unnecessary delays do not effectively block transactions.

Here's the problem with background checks at gun shows. If background checks are required of person to person sales at gun shows, there is nothing that says background checks are required of ALL transactions, whether it's at a gun show or not. For example, if JR and I wanted to swap out guns (which we've done once or twice, by the way), we would have to get Uncle Sam's permission to do so. There would be a record of that transaction. And absolutely NOTHING will get gun owners more hopped up than the thought of a national database over who has guns and who does not. As the saying goes, once they have the list, they know whose door to knock on. Don't think it can happen? Ask your buddies in Australia.

So, needless to say, I have a huge problem with McCain's position.

The call ended with another question on ethanol subsidies. Senator Cornyn pointed out the same thing that we've talked about here on the Tattler for awhile now that ethanol is less efficient than gasoline - 28% - and is creating scarcities in other crops. The Senator pointed out that in fact, thanks to the Democrat led Congress:

Energy legislation signed into law last year requires an annual increase in the amount of ethanol produced domestically, from 4.7 billion gallons in 2007, to 9 billion this year, increasing to 15 billion in 2015 and then 36 billion gallons by 2022.

So, you think it's bad now? Just wait.

All in all, the impression I got after the call was that Senator Cornyn is a pretty down to earth guy, knows the issues, and is willing to talk to us "normal" folk; something you can't say about all of our elected officials.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn

Hey, look at us being all political.

Bloggers for Cornyn

May 21, 2008

Today we added four new supportive "Bloggers for Cornyn" to our growing blogroll.

BeldarBlog, Lone Star Diary, Kevin Tracy, and Texican Tattler are worth reading daily and serve as great additions to our list.

Another blogger, Panhandle Poet, looks into a recent Op-Ed by the Senator.

If you have a blog and would like to join us online then please shoot an e-mail to vincent@johncornyn.com

Obama, the idiot

One of my favorite daily reads, Michelle Malkin absolutely rips the Obamamessiah a new one today.

Do you ever notice how when a conservative says something stupid, like Dan Qualye misspelling potato, the press harps on it for years. Hell, they still make fun of Qualye for that slip up. But when a liberal does or says something stupid (like when Algore got lost in the woods on a campaign stop and the Secret Service had to go in and find him; or when Algore failed to recognize the busts of Washington, Jefferson, Adams - you know, the founding fathers), the press either doesn't report it, or buries it on page D32.

Well, Malkin points out many of the Obamamessiah's "mis-statements" and frankly, it's damn funny:

Last May, he claimed that Kansas tornadoes killed a whopping 10,000 people: “In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.” The actual death toll: 12.

Earlier this month in Oregon, he redrew the map of the United States: “Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.”

Last March, on the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama, he claimed his parents united as a direct result of the civil rights movement:

“There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born.”

Obama was born in 1961. The Selma march took place in 1965. His spokesman, Bill Burton, later explained that Obama was “speaking metaphorically about the civil rights movement as a whole.”

Wow. What a moron. And this guy is supposed to be the savior of the Democrat Party?

This is what happens

when liberals rule the world.

Do what we want, or we'll sue. Going back to at least when Algore lost the 2000 elections, the Democrat mantra has been "agree with me, or I'll sue your ass."

Now they're after OPEC.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices....

In addition to completely ignoring the concept of supply and demand, this measure shows just how out of touch with reality the libbys are.

You want to lower oil and gas prices? The answer is easy. For starters:

- allow us to harvest the oil and gas that can be found within our own boundaries;
- stop the ridiculous ethanol subsidies that do nothing but create an inferior product that gets worse gas mileage than traditional gas and costs more;
- allow us to build more refineries;
- get rid of the insanity of letting the individual states determine what variety of gas they sell. I recall seeing that there are a few dozen different blends of gasoline that different states mandate.

All of this presupposes that we tell the eco-nazis to kiss off. We can mine oil and gas safely with today's technologies - for example, did you know that over 1000 oil wells were completely destroyed during Katrina - yet not a single one released any pollutants into the environment? Do these things and we become energy independent. Throw some nuclear plants into the mix and viola - you have a country that is not dependent on foreign governments for its energy needs.

Or you can do what the idiots in Congress have done and sue 'em. Let's see how far that gets us.

Scarier and scarier

The Obamamessiah is really starting to scare the crap out of me.

At a recent pep rally, the Obamamessiah stated:

We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK....

So, what's that mean to you and me?? Well, to me it says that the nanny state is going to hit full force in an Obama Presidency. Drive too big of a car - I'd bet there will be extra taxes in it for you for wasting energy. Spend too much on that steak dinner at the grocery store? There will be a penalty on it in the form of a consumption tax perhaps, or even a limit to how much you can buy at the store or restaraunt. And we've all heard stories about how the state of California is working on technology that will allow the state to see what your thermostat is set on and adjust it from a central control if you get too cool or too hot. In other words, a government that will control nearly every aspect of your life.

I'm still not at all thrilled over the prospect of a McLame presidency. But I'm beginning to think that just about anything is going to be better than Obama's vision of a nanny state...

Can't wait

for this to come out next week!

Give 'em a piece of your mind

You know, it's quite clear that the Republicans running things aren't listening. If they were, they would have figured out that their ass kicking in the '06 elections had little to nothing to do with Bush and the war, and nearly everything to do with a Republican party that is outspending the liberals, that is preaching to us about the bogus global warming/climate change hoax, that won't let us mine our own minerals, and won't defend our borders.

Here's an opportunity for you to give the Republican leadership a piece of your mind. Go here and leave a comment. Tell 'em you don't support the direction the party is taking and they had damn well do something about it.

Pass it on.

How you know when you hurt a liberal

Well, for starters, when they start crying and whining. I realize that's hard to differentiate between the regular behavior of liberals, but if you pay attention, you can tell when you've caught them right between the eyes.

"Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. "We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is—the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

This, dear readers, is what is known as historical fact. Yes, I know, highly inconvenient for today's liberal, but nevertheless, it's fact. Ask that great President, Jimmy Carter, what talk got him in trying to negotiate the release of the American hostages from Iran.

What did talk get Chamberlain? You can't talk with dictators. They are neither inclined or willing to listen to anything you might have to say. I realize that this may seem obvious to the bulk of our readers, all 2 of 'em. But still, it has to be said.

And to show you that the truth REALLY does hurt, listen to the whining here, here, and here.

Biden says

“This is bullshit, this is malarkey. This is outrageous, for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, to sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement.”

Queen bee Pelosi says that Bush's comments were 'beneath the dignity of the office' of President. The Hildabeast says:

President Bush’s comparison of any Democrat to Nazi appeasers is both offensive and outrageous on the face of it, especially in light of his failures in foreign policy.

Now where were these same spineless asshats when the worst President in the history of the United States, Jimmy Carter, made his little trip to Palestine not so long ago?? Carter met with Hamas. Carter placed a wreath on the grave of the first well known modern day terrorist, Yasser Arafat and not one of these scumbags said anything about it. Maybe that's what Bush was talking about?

Regardless, the President is right about terrorism, the liberals are wrong. C'est la vie.

That stuff will get you killed on the streets!

Great write-up from Mike Seeklander of USSA, breaking down why competitive shooting is good training for combat applications.

Why listen to me? Consider my background. Competitive experience: I am a card holding GM in USPSA, Master in IDPA, and a Master in the NRA classification system. I have done well in pretty much every major match and have more than 10 years competing against the best shooters on the practical shooting circuit. Combative experience: I am a former Marine with combat experience (if Desert Shield/Storm counts as combat!). I have local and federal law enforcement experience, including more than 10 years as a full time instructor or lead instructor a portion of which I was in charge of the Federal Air Marshal (FAM) firearm-training program during the FAM buildup after 9/11. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best Military and Law Enforcement Instructors in the United States, and I credit all that I submit to you in this article to folks I have worked with and learned from. What should this mean to you? It means I have done my homework in both arenas and can hopefully offer some insight into how “practical shooting” translates to quality training for combative purposes.

If you're one of those Tactical Tommy-types that doesn't believe that getting the gun out of the holster and putting rounds downrange isn't a tactic, click on the link above and read on. It's a PDF document.

Great tits cope well with warming

Well, tell me something I didn't know.

A little shooting fun

Here's some vids from today's match at Johnson County. Started a bit chilly, but warmed up to a pretty nice day on the range.

NPS taking public comments

If you spend any amount of time in National Parks like I do, you'll take advantage of the comment period offered by the NPS now.

SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, through the National Park
Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, proposes to amend
regulations presently codified in 36 CFR part 2 and 50 CFR part 27,
which provide guidance and controls for the possession and
transportation of firearms in national park areas and national wildlife
refuges. The proposed amendments would update the regulations to
reflect current state laws authorizing the possession of concealed
firearms, while maintaining the existing regulatory provisions that
ensure visitor safety and resource protection such as the prohibitions
on poaching and limitations on hunting and target practice.

Please take advantage of this opportunity and let the NPS know that you support this consideration.

Exploding Whale

Unintended consequences....