BHO's first presser

Well read and written speech to kick it off - most of it is rubbish, but he sounds good anyway.

But dear God is he sucking ass on the questions he's been asked so far. Absolutely hideous and I think if I said "deer in the headlights" it would be appropriate.

So far he's managed to seriously insult Iran by stating that they "attacked", and then clarified with "funded" terrorist attacks. He's basically said that disagreeing with him and his policies, debating what he wants to do is a "bad habit" that has to be fixed!

He's stated that "unequivocally there is not one, not one earmark in this bill", referring to the stimulus package. Hmmmm, wanna bet?

Several times now he's blamed Bush on the current economic crises... without recognizing that a Democrat run Congress has had the reins the last two years....

All in all, his Q&A is sounding much like a rube in the woods.

So much for walking on water.

Edited to add:

hmmmm. Just noticed that he's reading the reporter's names off of a sheet on the podium for the questions that he's going to take. I wonder if he was made aware of the questions ahead of time and picked the reporters accordingly??

Also, did he just admit that the "worst crises in our history" was created by the housing market failing by giving out bad loans? Funny that he didn't point the finger at his Demo pals in the Congress! The Dodds and Franks of the world who refused to make any regulatory changes in Fanny and Freddy....

Speaking off the cuff now... it's like watching a train wreck, I can't take my eyes off it!

Spending question - mentions Treas Sec TG - but doesn't mention how the market tanked when TG didn't submit the White House's economic plan on time - will be laying them out in "great detail" tomorrow.

7:37pm - shots of the press corps and they all look bored as hell. Has Obama lost the press already?

"unprecedented crises"? You mean, we've never had a recession before? Huh?

Another foreign policy question - Afghanistan now... "Can we see the flag draped coffins now?" Oh, how special! Let's make it a media circus!

BHO's answer a waffle - basically that "we're evaluating that policy..." Dude, you're the President of the United States! Make a decision!

"Rooting out safe havens" in Afghanistan for the terrorists will be a "success"... Wasn't that what we've been doing in Iraq? Was not Iraq a safe haven for terrorists? Does that mean that Bush's policy in Iraq was a good one???

Again, the press corps almost looks like they're on lithium or something.

Major Garrett hits him between the eyes - "30% failure"? BHO has a nervous laugh, echoed by many in the press corps.... What's an "unprecedented problem"? We've had recessions before, we've had the Great Depression, we've had wars, so what exactly is unprecedented? Still not answering what the 30% was in reference to....

A question about A-Rod? You've got to be shitting me. What a moron.

No "shortcuts"?? Isn't this what he's trying to do with the stimulus??

God Helen Thomas looks like death warmed over. "So called terrorists?" What a dumbass. Do any countries in the middle east have nukes?? Let's see - Pakistan, India and Israel? Great question, Helen! Dumbass.

Keep Pakistan a stalwart ally? Didn't BHO suggest bombing the shit out of Pakistan during the camgpain?

If we reduce OUR nukes, then everyone else will follow suit! Oh splendid. Blew off Helen's secondary question. Watch your back, BHO!

If there's clear instances of wrong doing, people should be prosecuted... (in reference to the Bush admin). So, does that mean Tom Daschle and our new Sec Treas will face the piper for dodging taxes... just like you and me, right?

Another "old habits are hard to break", in reference to what can he do to work better with Republicans.... Submit!

Yes, the Republicans were brought in early and then told to piss off! "I won, so I'll trump you on that!" Submit!

Awww, working in DC on the "fixes" is hard. Poor baby.

Gotta admit, he's spot on in smacking the spendoholic Republicans in running up the current deficit.

Bad teachers should be fired? Ohhhh, now he's pissed off the teacher's unions! Watch your back, BHO!

Pretty lackluster performance, really. I think we're really in deep doo doo.

Orion, part II

Compare this photo of Orion, taken at the Big Bend, with my post of 1/29.... Light pollution? We don't need no stinking light pollution...

Go ahead, click it!

Big Bend

Made what's becoming an annual pilgrimage to the Big Bend last week. I've been to the National Park at least a dozen times, going back over 20 years.

This time, we decided to try out the Big Bend Ranch State Park as well. Two days at the National Park and then 2-3 days at the State Park. All I can say is that I think I've found a new place to hang out.

The State Park is rugged (you've got to drive down a 27 mile dirt road just to get to the Park Headquarters inside the Park; there are two other entrances along Hwy 170) and as isolated as you can get. It's made up of 300,000 acres of mountains, valleys, mesas, canyons, cliffs and ridges, and while we were there, we saw a grand total of 2 visitors in the Park and a handful of Park Ranger types congregated around the interior headquarters. Compared to the National Park, which is rapidly becoming crowded as hell - even in the backcountry campsites - the absolute quiet is stunning at the State Park.



Can you find the deer?



I'll definitely be back.

By the Way, We Still Shoot Guns

Here are a couple of pics from our carbine class we conducted this past weekend. It's a new type of course that teaches the new carbine owner the fundamentals of the AR operating system, basic care and feeding, sighting in, shooting positions, movement, safety, safety, and safety, and other fundamentals. We figure that with all the new carbine owners on the market, they might actually like to learn how to use them. So far, so good!

Official: Performance czar withdraws candidacy

Daschle is out, now Nancy Killefer is out. Does anyone pay taxes in Obama's administration?

Good riddance to both of 'em.

No wonder Democrats don't mind raising our taxes. They apparently don't pay any.

Michelle Malkin » Bend over: Here comes Holder

Michelle Malkin nails it. Bend-over Republicans that voted for Holder's nomination as AG:

Here are your 19 Bend Over Republicans who voted yes on Holder. Some disappointing names on the list in addition to the usual suspects:

Alexander (R-TN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Chambliss (R-Ga)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Sessions (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Voinovich (R-OH)

I'm pleased to note that our 2 Texas Senators, Cornyn and Hutchison voted no. Thank you, Senators.

I'm sorely afraid that too many of our elected representatives have grossly underestimated the damage that this man will bring to the country.

Time to stock up on high-cap mags, folks.

Just curious

I seem to recall that whenever a natural disaster took place when Bush was President he was lambasted as being insensitive or out of touch if he didn't get on Air Force 1 and make a visit, showing folks how much he cared.

I also seem to recall him being crucified for FEMA's incompetence during several natural disasters.

When, I wonder, will the same thing hold true for the messiah??

MURRAY, Ky. (AP) - Utility crews renewed work in subfreezing temperatures Saturday in their effort to put the power back on for nearly a million customers left in the dark by an ice storm that crippled parts of several states this week.

Thousands of people in ice-caked Kentucky awoke in motels and shelters, asked to leave their homes by authorities who said emergency teams in some areas were too strapped to reach everyone in need of food, water and warmth.

Local officials grew angrier at what they said was a lack of help from the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In Kentucky's Grayson County, about 80 miles southwest of Louisville, Emergency Management Director Randell Smith said the 25 National Guardsmen who have responded have no chain saws to clear fallen trees. He said roads are littered with fallen trees and people shivering in bone-chilling cold are in need.

"We've got people out in some areas we haven't even visited yet," Smith said. "We don't even know that they're alive."

Smith said FEMA was still a no-show days after the storm.

"I'm not saying we can't handle it," Smith said. "We're handling it. But it sure would have made life a lot easier."

Well,

anyone who didn't see THIS coming, you must have voted for the messiah.

US President Barack Obama's offer to talk to Iran shows that America's policy of "domination" has failed, the government spokesman said on Saturday.
"This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed," Gholam Hossein Elham was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.

Welcome to Jimmy Carter, part deux, my friends!

Springsteen calls Wal-Mart deal a mistake

Continuing a theme of suck ass halftime shows, this year's halftime sing-in is by what has to be one of the worst "big names" I've ever heard in my life.

It's completely insane to me that Springsteen is as popular as he is, for as long as he's been popular. I think the guy sucks. Bad. In my entire life, I can't remember being able to listen to one complete song of his at any time, even when I've been drunk.

During the half time at the Super Bowl party over at Sgt. Dave's, you can rest assured that we're leaving the house and going outside to partake in some cigars and bourbon, 'cause we're sure as hell not going to sit inside and listen to some left wing, pompous piece of crap like Bruce Springsteen.

And now that Bruce has surely made millions off his deal with Wal-Mart, he's bashing that deal, according to the article, because he's a "long time supporter of worker's rights and Wal-Mart has faced criticism for its labor practices."

Is that called having your cake and eating it too? I wonder if Bruce will be sending the money back?

Regardless, just another arrogant, pompous entertainer who I won't be supporting - not just because of his idiotic political views, but also because his music sucks.

New Camera

Ok, I'm experimenting with taking pics of the stars.... I've got a trip out west planned soon and want to capture the milky way, which of course we don't get out here in DFW.

Here's an image I snapped tonight from my front yard.



Camera used is a Canon G10, set on "P" and auto, used a tripod of course.

Any of you camera guys out there (Robert, hint, hint...) got any advice?

I've got no desire to do the realllllllll long exposures that create trails across the image. I just want a nice, crisp image of the milky way and the landscape at night if I can catch a mountain or two in the way.

What the hell?

For the first time in years, the Republicans in the House grew some cojones and stood up to out of control spending. I'm hoping this is the first step in a long road of opposition to out of control government. I only wish they would have started 6-7 years ago, in which case we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today; both politically and economically.

I got one, too!

Springfield XD M in .40. Picked it up last weekend, ran a few rounds through it. I'll update again after it sees some action at a match. I put the larger backstrap on the grip (they're interchangeable), and it feels pretty good. The ergonomics of the gun aren't perfect, but it's nice enough. I think the trigger reset is a little long, but maybe I can find someone who does trigger jobs for these guns, now that they're so popular. It seemed to be pretty accurate, but I need to black out those white dots on the rear site, for sure.

A nation of

pussies. Clint Eastwood, in a recent interview, stated that.

We live in more of a pussy generation now, where everybody's become used to saying, "Well, how do we handle it psychologically?" In those days, you just punched the bully back and duked it out. Even if the guy was older and could push you around, at least you were respected for fighting back, and you'd be left alone from then on.

Well, proving Eastwood right, a local girls basketball coach, whose team won 100-0 recently, got fired.

Back when I was a kid, the coach who lost 100-0 would have been fired for being an incompetent idiot. The team would have been broken up, starters benched and the school would be doing everything it could to make sure that kind of ass whipping wouldn't happen again.

But not in today's society where winning is to be punished and losing is to be idolized. It's not the job of the winning team to back off. It's the job of the losing team to stop them. Plain and simple. This "pussy" behavior has polluted our society to the extent that the vast bulk of our fellow citizens are sheep, afraid of their own shadow. A number of these characters walk the halls of Congress, staying with the herd and hoping that the predators don't find them.

It's disgusting, it really is. What lessons are we teaching when we fire the winning coach; and the losing team, and how they handled the stress of losing is the story du jur?

I remember many moons ago sitting in one of my classes at college that was supposed to be teaching me how to teach kids. The teacher was going on and on about making games for your class.

You must be careful when you create a game. You must take steps to create a game where there are not any winners. Because where there are winners, there are losers. And children cannot handle the stress of losing without serious emotional consequences.

I will remember those words until the day I die because I think that was the first day that I realized that I was a conservative. The first day that I realized the jibber jabber that I was learning in school was just that. Crap.

20 something years later, that nutjub of a teacher is getting her way, and it makes me want to puke.

Tax cheat in charge of IRS

Well, ain't that grand? If you or I, peons that we are, neglected to not only pay our taxes, but report income - it's quite clear. We'd (the peons) would be in a lot of trouble.

But hey, in the new era of go along to get along, we now have a tax cheat (not to mention someone who has had an illegal nanny on his staff...) running the Treasury Department.

Sad to say, my favorite Senator voted in favor of the tax cheat, which I find rather dissapointing.

For the good, though, at least not all of the Republicans in the Senate are kissing the messiah's butt:

A Cult of Personality

is what we've got here folks, plain and simple. From everyone's favorite web encylopedia:

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships.

A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship, except that it is created specifically for political leaders.

Tell me that's not what we have going on in these United States of America.

I got to listen to the welcoming presentation for Hillary Clinton, Madame Secretary of State, this morning while I was stuck in traffic on my way to work. Frankly, I nearly vomited listening to the happy little drones welcoming in the new Queen. A bit of searching (not much, really) and I was able to find the complete video of the entire sordid affair.



Kindly note the rock star groupies that await the new Secretary from the start of the video to about 3:45 in. Dignified, indeed.

At 4:50 on the video, I am shocked to learn that the State Department is busy combating terrorism (great!), poverty (well, OK, someone's gotta do it I suppose), climate change (WHAT? The Department of State is busy combatting an unproven THEORY? WHAT?) and HIV/AIDS (crikey). That's right folks - the Department of State is hard at work combating the evil that is..... global warming. Is that disgusting, or is it just me? To hell with combating dictatorships across the world. To hell with fighting radical islam - a religion that abuses it's women and maintains control through intimidation and execution. To hell with stopping the flow of illegal immigrants flooding across our borders. No sir, Skippy!! We're fighting global warming!!

If you can make it through the rest of the video, you'll notice something that's missing. And frankly, I didn't notice it myself till about 7:10 in the video. At that point, the camera pans through and over the crowd of admirers (quite large, actually) and the viewer gets a glimpse of an impressive lobby, with flags from around the world proudly on display. And then it hit me.

At no point in the video do you see an American flag. Anywhere. Not on the make shift stage Madame Secretary is standing on. Not in the lobby or atrium. Not in front of the building when Madame Secretary steps out of her Caddy. It struck me as quite odd, actually. Now, I'm not saying that there was not an American flag to be found in the building. I'd really like to think that there is. But from what I saw on the video feed, no American flag.

Madame Secretary herself goes on to state:

And as you probably already know, we are expecting the President and the Vice President to be here in the State Department this afternoon. (Applause.)

Cult of Personality, indeed. Hero worship anyone? Now everyone behave, or you'll get sent to the Principal's office!

Among the many conversations that I've had with the President and with the Vice President, over years, but certainly much more astutely and in a concentrated way in the last weeks, we want to send a clear and unequivocal message: This is a team, and you are the members of that team.... We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America.

Now, I'm sure that Madame Secretary is not referring to her own ability to sow discord and divisiveness, right? She was a stalwart supporter of the last President, all on the same team, right? I'm sure she would never say that she and her party and their allies in the media would ever sow, what was it she said, this kind of divisiveness?

Frankly, only 2 days in to this obomination of a Presidency and I'm disgusted already. I gotta find some of that purple cool aide they're drinking at State because at this rate, my head will truly explode before the mid term elections.

You can find the entire text of Madame Secretary's speech, as well as the embedded video above here.

Barack and Michelle Obama do WHAT together?

T.M.I.

He's at it already

Obama has post his "Urban Policy" to the White House web site. Scroll on down to Crime and Law Enforcement.

Address Gun Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

It was nice while it lasted.

New police chief's head left at station

I hear there's a job opening in Ciudad Juarez. Aye, Chihuahua, indeed.

The city, which lies just across the border from El Paso, Texas, in the state of Chihuahua, has one of the highest homicide rates in Mexico. El Universal reported that Martin Castro Martinez was one of 15 people killed execution-style in 24 hours.

I read this week that Mexico is one of the countries that our military believes is poised for collapse. The drug cartels have pretty much taken over in many areas of Mexico, and gangs are striking with impunity against their rivals, including the military and police.

That's not good.

We are poor

little lambs. Who have lost... our way. Baaaaa baaaaa baaaaa.

Abandoning any pretense of balance, MSNBC's Inauguration coverage will be quad-anchored by four left-wingers: the network's three night time hosts -- Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow -- plus regular analyst Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post. has finaPlugging the team at the end of the 7 PM EST Hardball on Monday night, Matthews trumpeted how "this is one of the great opportunities in journalism to cover history in the face" and declared "it's going to be the honor of our lifetimes."

Is there anything President-elect Barack Obama's very aura cannot make better? Apparently, he has eliminated road rage -- and even honking. ABC's David Muir, over video of stuck traffic followed by the sound of singing, in a Monday World News story on the crowds coming to Washington, DC: "So many of the streets are closed those that are open are clogged. But there were no car horns, no shouting. Instead, the San Francisco Boys and Girls choruses practicing for their Inaugural moment on the steps of the Capitol."

On Monday's Good Morning America, co-host Robin Roberts chose to tout only Democratic politicians in a piece honoring the civil rights movement and those "warriors" who made Barack Obama's election as president possible. Not a single Republican was mentioned or featured in the segment. Roberts began by announcing, "And on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we thought it would be appropriate to look back at all the warriors, black and white, who made this moment where we are today possible." All the warriors? The piece went on to feature clips from eight Democratic politicians: Harry Truman, Hubert Humphrey, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Barbara Jordan and Barack Obama, in addition to a number of non-political civil rights pioneers. Republican Abraham Lincoln went unmentioned, so did New York Governor Thomas Dewey who signed one of the nation's earliest civil rights laws in 1944 and President Ronald Reagan who made Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in 1983.

There's more here.

Big John

Kudos to Senator Cornyn. He's fighting the rising tide of the Obama machine.

The confirmation of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state will be held up for at least a day due to the objection of a single senator. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he wanted "a full and open debate and an up-or-down vote on Sen. Clinton's nomination.

While I'm sure Clinton will get the nod from the Senate eventually, it's nice to see that there's at least one Senator out there with the cojones to stand up to Obama and those that blindy support him - including a multitude of Republican Senators who are afraid of their own shadow.

On the first day of what's going to be a very, very long 4 years; Cornyn has made me proud to be a Texan.

The Obama Love-in continues....

While reading this article, titled Americans giving Obama extraordinary support: polls and trying hard not to throw up all over my keyboard, this little play on words caught my attention:

Of those surveyed, 79 percent were optimistic about the next four years under Obama, the highest level of goodwill attained by any of the past five incoming presidents.

Followed by:

Most Americans told The Times that they did not expect real progress in improving the economy, reforming the health care system or ending the war in Iraq -- three of the central promises of the Obama campaign for at least two years.

So, 79 percent of "us" are optimistic about his 1st term, but most of us don't think Obama is going to deliver on 3 of his "central promises"? Sorry, but that doesn't sound like extraordinary support. But maybe that's just me.

STI to make ARs

I need another AR like I need a hole in the head but then again....

What you missed at the SHOT show

Well

that didn't take long.

H.R.45
Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

Purposes- The purposes of this Act and the amendments made by this Act are--

(1) to protect the public against the unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with the unrecorded sale or transfer of qualifying firearms to criminals and youth;

(2) to ensure that owners of qualifying firearms are knowledgeable in the safe use, handling, and storage of those firearms;

(3) to restrict the availability of qualifying firearms to criminals, youth, and other persons prohibited by Federal law from receiving firearms; and

(4) to facilitate the tracing of qualifying firearms used in crime by Federal and State law enforcement agencies.

Amendment to Title 18, United States Code- Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(36) The term `qualifying firearm'--

`(A) means--

`(i) any handgun; or

`(ii) any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device

Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(aa) Firearm Licensing Requirement-

`(1) IN GENERAL- It shall be unlawful for any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to possess a qualifying firearm on or after the applicable date, unless that person has been issued a firearm license--

`(A) under title I of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, which license has not been invalidated or revoked under that title; or

`(B) pursuant to a State firearm licensing and record of sale system certified under section 602 of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, which license has not been invalidated or revoked under State law.

Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by section 101 of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(bb) Unauthorized Sale or Transfer of a Qualifying Firearm- It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer a qualifying firearm to, or for, any person who is not a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, or to receive a qualifying firearm from a person who is not a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, unless, at the time and place of the transfer or receipt--

`(1) the transferee presents to a licensed dealer a valid firearm license issued to the transferee--

`(A) under title I of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009; or

`(B) pursuant to a State firearm licensing and record of sale system certified under section 602 of Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 established by the State in which the transfer or receipt occurs;

Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by sections 101 and 201 of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(cc) Universal Background Check Requirement-

`(1) REQUIREMENT- Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer a firearm to any person other than such a licensee, unless the transfer is processed through a licensed dealer in accordance with subsection (t).

So. If you want to own a handgun, or a rifle with a detachable magazine, you have to sign up for a Federal License to own said weapon.

And if you were to purchase a firearm from a friend or acquaintance, and didn't present your new Federal license, and a licensed dealer was involved in the transaction.

Just what, exactly, that has to do with reducing crime is beyond me because as you know and I know, criminals don't fill out paperwork.

Needless to say, call your Congress people. Let them know this is unacceptable. The Messiah isn't even President yet and 2009 is only a few weeks old and we're getting hit with firearm registration already. Get used to it folks, it's gonna be a long four years.

CHANGE

we can believe in, right? Isn't that what we were promised during the election?

Well, how's the old saying go? The more things change, the more they stay the same? Or, to quote the Talking Heads, same as it ever was? Or maybe even The Who - we won't get fooled again, right?

The Chosen One hasn't even taken office yet and already his Cabinet smacks of the same ole, same ole issues that Washington politics seem doomed to repeat.

First, his choice for Commerce Secretary bows out. Seems there might just be some improper business that was conducted in New Mexico under his watch. I mean *ahem* some alleged improper business.

Next, we find out that the Messiah's choice to head the Treasury Department has a minor issue of not reporting income to the IRS and owing $34,000 in back taxes. And, oh yes, I had an illegal immigrant as a nanny too. No biggie, though, as it's apparently an "honest" mistake. Riiiiiiight. How long would MY jail term be if I made an honest mistake like that?

And now we're treated to the spectacle of the Secretary of State designee dancing around the issue of foreign countries donating money to hubby's foundation. I'm sure, no, I'm outright 100% positive that no foreign country would seek to receive favorable treatment from the United States of America by donating money to the various Clinton initiatives. After all, Senator Clinton herself states:

that under the agreement, foreign government pledges will be submitted to the State Department for review. She said it was unprecedented for a former president to agree to the disclosure her husband has, and that she was confident the current arrangement would avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest.

Am I the only one who notices that having the State Department (which Hillary will be in charge of, by the way), review donations for possible conflicts of interest is somewhat like having the fox guard the hen house?

Change we can believe in?

Heh.

Look

what showed up in the mail today:







Range report to follow shortly....

And people ask

why I refuse to ever travel to California or do business with a company based in the People's Republic of California.

Read this list for a good start as to why.

The most hated woman in America

Alaska gov Palin sounds off after the election.



Interesting perspective from the interviewer as well.

How to fix the mess we've found ourselves in

Robert has some outstanding ideas; now wouldn't it be nice if it could happen??

Skier Suffers Exposure

In a bizarre incident that will surely lead to litigation (or an out-of-court settlement), a skier at Colorado's ritzy Vail resort was left dangling upside down and pantsless from a chairlift last Thursday morning.

Sorry, but I actually, physically laughed out loud. Follow the link for the rest of the story and the photos (taken by "fellow skiers").

Tools

It never fails to crack me up.

At some point at a shooting class when I'm teaching, someone will ask something to the point of "will this or that holster wear off the finish on my brand new blaster?"

At which point I look at them with that special look I reserve for silly questions and show them this:



This gorgeous 1911, an STI Lawman, saw use last year from around May through September. It was brand new when I got started. In roughly 5 months, I flat wore out the finish off this pistol.

And that's the way it should be, boys and girls.

A pistol that looks brand new is a pistol that hasn't been shot. A pistol that hasn't been shot is one that you are not proficient with.

Anyone who shows me a brand new, pristine pistol... well, frankly I feel a little bit sorry for 'em.

Some New Year's craziness

Great Googly Moogly.

Happy New Year

We're so conservative. Let's get behind 2009!

Two questions

that will never get asked:

1. How much did it cost; and

2. Who paid for it and what have they asked for in return??

Well, so much for what the "experts" say...

Cowboys in the Super Bowl, eh?

Man that sucked.

Merry Christmas

What we're celebrating today, just in case it's escaped notice. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Lawsuit from cheerleader's mother: Carrollton-Farmers Branch schools didn't punish bullies enough

Extra bonus: this story got greenlit on Fark.com. Check out the commentary.

The mother of a former Creekview High School cheerleader has filed a federal lawsuit against Carrollton-Farmers Branch schools, arguing the district did not sufficiently discipline cheerleaders who she says bullied her daughter.

The lawsuit, brought by Liz Laningham, argues that the district discriminated against her daughter and "turned a blind eye" to the harassment. The lawsuit could result in a jury trial.

This is the same batshit-crazy woman who tried to have MY daughter thrown off the cheerleading squad because my kid kissed her little snowflake's boyfriend. Dramatic, but not a valid reason for being kicked off. When the normal process of appeal inside the school system bore her no fruit, she went on the RADIO and told her side of the story. Needless to say, I was not the happiest dad in town.

It sounds awful, but I'm thankful my daughter didn't make the varsity squad 2 years ago.

Fast forward to last Spring, and this woman's little snowflake didn't (*gasp*) make the team. I'm here to testify that shit happens, and girls don't make the squad sometimes. They're sad, then they get over it. It's one of life's hard lessons.

Unless your mom is a Texas Cheerleader Mom ©.

"The girl did not make cheerleader this year after being fairly judged, and we believe that's the basis of this lawsuit," said the district's attorney, Don Henslee. "We issued the discipline we felt was appropriate every time it was brought to our attention."

The girl's mother maintains her daughter did not make the squad because of the harassment that led up to tryouts and possibly unfair judging.

The lawsuit refers to a group of cheerleaders dubbed the Six-Pack. The nickname echoes that of the notorious Fab Five cheerleaders of McKinney North High School, whose exploits led to national headlines two years ago and a recent made-for-TV movie.

I've got my popcorn ready.

And why all the fuss? I think this summarizes it:

Before filing the case, the mother lost an appeal to the district asking that staff members of the high school be replaced, the cheerleading tryout be investigated, and that the daughter be reinstated to the cheerleading squad.

School board members denied the appeal at a special meeting on the parent's complaint on Aug. 21.

The family has since moved out of the district.

Great work there, Mom. I'm sure you've taught your daughter an important lesson. What it might be is anyone's guess.

Uncle Ted Rocks!

All I can say is that I'm glad someone else caught this on video, because my phone video of it sucks!!

JR procured some great tickets to last week's Cowboys/Giants game and Uncle Ted rocked the house down with the National Anthem.

I always get goose bumps when the National Anthem is played, and listening to Ted wring it out on his guitar was no exception.

Bush, Cheney comforted troops privately

Mr. Bush, for instance, has sent personal letters to the families of every one of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in the two wars, an enormous personal effort that consumed hours of his time and escaped public notice. The task, along with meeting family members of troops killed in action, has been so wrenching - balancing the anger, grief and pride of families coping with the loss symbolized by a flag-draped coffin - that the president often leaned on his wife, Laura, for emotional support.

I'm sure most people didn't know that about the man.

Climate Change hits!

Will Canada see its first white Christmas since '71?

SEVERE COLD WAVE TO HIT EUROPE

Beijing's coldest December day in 57 years

Severe Cold Blasts Midwest, East

And a nice, balmy 28 degrees here in the Metroplex...

More California lunacy

Let's face it. Politicians, particularly in Californina, are petrified of guns. Aboslutely positively petrified.

Terrified enough, in fact, that not only have they already banned the eveil .50 caliber rifle, Los Angeles has now banned .50 caliber ammunition.... I guess they don't want anyone throwing a 700 grain bullet at your car as you drive by.

What a bunch of turds.

Why anyone in their right mind would want to live in that crazy ass state is beyond me. JR's visited there before on business. Tells me that the bulk of the folks he met are largely conservative and center-right - but that no one gives a damn and apaathy is rampant when it comes to politics.

I'm sure there's a lesson there somewhere.

Wii puts 10 people in hospital every week

Others have a ligament injury dubbed Wii-knee which some have blamed on the popular Wii-Fit game.
Dr Mukerjee said: “People who are double-jointed are most likely to suffer from Wii-knee — and in extreme cases the knee cap can be dislocated or can even pop out.”

I think I speak for all of us when I say that nobody - and I mean nobody - wants to be diagnosed with Wii-knees.

The next Batman

You know, they're coming out and saying Eddie Murphy is set to be the next Riddler for the upcoming Batman flick...

I say, who the hell cares?? What I can't wait to see is this:

Meanwhile, Brit RACHEL WEISZ is said to be up for the Catwoman role.

Meow!

Oil Tumbles below $40 a barrel

So.

If it's George Bush, Dick Cheney and big oil's fault that oil was up to $4 a gallon earlier this year, do they get credit for lowering prices to below $40 a barrel?

And people wonder why....

McCain lost.

“I think that the Obama campaign should and will give all information necessary. You know, in all due respect to the Republican National Committee and anybody — right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy stimulus package, reforms that are necessary. And so, I don't know all the details of the relationship between President-elect Obama's campaign or his people and the governor of Illinois, but I have some confidence that all the information will come out. It always does, it seems to me.”

Now that's the level of opposition I'd expect from McCain. Absolutely pathetic.

Again, just as in the 2006 elections; the Republican party moved left. And lost. Badly in '06 and absolutely terribly last month. McCain is the perfect example. Nothing about the man is conservative. And his kumbaya attitude towards the new "boss" (same as the old boss...) only reflects the weakness that is the Republican party today.

No taint seen on Prez-elect, but Rahm Emanuel gave a wishlist for Senate

Some headlines just write themselves, don't they?

I think they're just not looking in the right place.

14 December, 1702

47 of them gathered on 14 December 1702 and, after donning the armor and taking up the weapons from the cache, they set out on their revenge on that same snowy night. Once at Kira's Edo mansion, they divided into two groups and attacked, with one group entering through the rear of the compound while the rest forced their way through the front, battering the gate down with a mallet. Kira's men, many of whom were killed or wounded, were taken completely by surprise but did put up a spirited resistance (one of the ronin was killed in the attack), though ultimately to no avail: Kira was found in an outhouse and presented to Ôishi, who offered him the chance to commit suicide. When Kira made no reply, Ôishi struck off his head with the same dagger that Asano had used to kill himself with. Kira's head was then put in a bucket and carried to the Sengakuji, where Asano was buried. After Ôishi and the others had given the bloody trophy to the spirit of Asano, they turned themselves in.

The rest of the story can be found here.

Thanks, Santa!

Okay, I know I said last time that my journey to the Dark Side was complete. I got a call from Darth Vader himself, and he informed me that while I was close, it wasn't really there yet. So, today, that got fixed. I now have an Aimpoint Comp C3 scope resting naturally on the top of my AR. I'm sure there will be other tweaks to the system, but this looks like the right platform. I'll be sighting it in tomorrow after shooting the USPSA match in Greenville. Range report to follow.

PS: Catfish will need to emote as well.

Pmag issues

Interesting item of note to my fellow gunnies out there. As most of ya'll probably know, one of the fastest growing up and coming "black rifle" companies is Magpul. Magpul started out making an attachment you could place on the base of your AR mags to make them easier to draw out of your mag pouches. From there they've branched out to all sorts of cool accessories, including the Magpul Masada, which was bought out by Bushmaster as a 21st century combat rifle.

Their Pmags have been all the rage this year. I know a lot of folks of the tactical mindset, guys that get paid to get shot at (and shoot back) and they've told me nothing but good stuff about these mags.

So over the past few months I purchased 8 of them. Ran one through my Bushmaster, and it worked just fine. Kept the others tucked away for a rainy day until I tried running the one mag through a DPMS rifle. While the mag seated fine, it wouldn't drop free. Tried the mag out in an Olympic Arms rifle. No go. Not only would it not drop free, I couldn't even get the mag to seat properly.

Got me thinkin'.... So I took out the other mags and discovered the following:

The Bushy liked every one of them; each of them loaded properly, dropped free and locked the bolt back on an empty mag.

The DPMS was hit or miss. Coupla of the mags worked fine, but the rest would not.

The Oly was even worse. I couldn't get any of the mags to seat without beating the snot out of them - and who wants that??

So, word to the wise. If you bought a bunch of the Pmags this year, and stashed 'em, check to make sure they function 100% in your rifle(s).

Obama: Don't stock up on guns

As gun sales shoot up around the country, President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that gun-owning Americans do not need to rush out and stock up before he is sworn in next month.

Yep. And it's only a cold sore. Not to mention, the check's in the mail...

Lest we forget

Rivalry games

Ahhh, nothing like rivalry games.

Too bad the Army guys couldn't make it a closer game, but that's a helluva good prank.

I imagine Navy's response next year is going to be pretty good.

New rule eases ban on firearms in national parks

Excellent news indeed.

An Interior Department rule issued Friday allows an individual to carry a loaded weapon in a park or wildlife refuge — but only if the person has a permit for a concealed weapon, and if the state where the park or refuge is located also allows loaded firearms in parks.

My Journey to the Dark Side is Complete

That is, until I find something else I really need (want). Check out the MagPul MOE stock. It's the mil-spec diameter stock and 5-position buffer tube. I also picked up the one-point sling, which I like a lot. I had to replace the stock receiver end plate for the hook, and that might needs some filing since it rides up on my right thumb knuckle a little. In spite of that, I think it's just about right. Hmmm...that vertical foregrip is kinda plain, isn't it?...

Market Hall Gun Show

I was too bored for words yesterday, so I took a chance and went to the Market Hall gun show. I met our pal Max there, so I had someone to visit with, at least. It took 20 minutes to get in the place. The line at noon stretched all the way to the parking garage (about 200 people deep). It moved quickly.

Crowded, but not uncomfortable. Too many kids and other non-buyers blocking access to tables, but a good backhand comes in handy.

Prices for anything AR/AK-related were outrageous. Even PMAGs were up to $27-30. ARs were going for $1400. Romanian WASRs for $700. Both were plentiful in supply, but various parts/accessories were scarce. I had no problem finding a sling for my AR. .223 ammo prices appear to be coming down, but everything else was stupid. $18.50 for 50 rounds of reloaded .40. Not really much different from past gun shows, come to think of it...

A couple of the obligatory gang-banger types were there, fingers wrapped firmly around the trigger of their unholstered 9mm shiny guns, but the crowd was mostly respectable. I saw a LOT of camo.

I'll be interested to see what prices do after the hysteria dies down a little. Assuming, of course, there's no good reason for all this price-gouging. I suspect folks that buy right now will largely be sorry for spending so much on a rifle. It's kind of ironic that Obama has been single-handedly responsible for such a boom in gun sales. People that had once been fence-sitters are now out buying. All in all, not a bad thing from that perspective.

I hear a lot of talk from people that are afraid the government will kick in their doors and seize their guns, and most are people who really didn't care that much before this election. It's an interesting set of dynamics. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Hey, look, I'm famous....

Toodling around the internets tonight, I stumbled upon the GSG-5 website. I bought one of these cool little rifles earlier this year and have just had a blast with it.

Seems that my video is featured on their "media" page!

I guess that explains why that particular video has been watched 34,000 + times...

So I present to you, my 5 minutes of fame, such as it is.... LOL.

Great googly moogly

Got my Midway catalog in today... Right on the front page there was an add for Stoner AR mags, 20 and 30 rounders for $9.99. Having seen mags go upwards of $25 and climbing I figure that I just might need a handful of those puppies.

I call up and place my order.

Oops. Appears that Midway recieved a shipment of these mags (30,000) on Monday. And they're sold out by today. Still had about 2500 of the 20 rounders, or should I say 2497 after I placed my smallish order tonight.

Good God but that's a lot of mags sold in a few days.

Asked the guy on the phone if they'd been busy lately and as you guessed it, ever since November 5, they've been selling stuff hand over fist.

Oops: Member of SWAT team forgets rifle near scene of standoff

'It's a terrible mistake,' Salt Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Levi Hughes tells the paper. 'For this to happen one time is unacceptable. The public expects more out of us than this. We're going to take every step possible so that this never happens again.'

I think they should give the rifle to the jogger that found it.

Yeah, we need a voting test

In response to a commenter's statement that voting tests discriminate against blacks, I give you this:



Michelle Malkin points out that:

[The video reinforces a nationwide poll that] surveyed over 500 self-professed Obama voters and has an MOE of 4.4%, with 55% having a college degree and over 90% having a high-school diploma. It asked 12 multiple-choice questions; only 2.4% got at least 11 correct. Only .5% got all them correct.
57.4 could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)
81.8 could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)
82.6 could NOT correctly say that Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)
88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)
56.1 % could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).And yet…..
Only 13.7% failed to identify Palin as the person their party spent $150,000 in clothes on
Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter
And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her “house,” even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

I don't give a damn what color you are (or gender for that matter) if you're too damned stupid to vote, you shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Some shooting goodness

Yeah, all doom and gloom make for a boring day! So, I present you some shooting goodness.

First up, just playing around with the GSG-5. 6 shots in well under a second.



Next, I bring you an eviel (in my best Obi-wan voice) AR-15. Bill Drill - 5 rounds on target at about 10 yards. Again, in under a second.



And, for those of you curious abuot just what an Open gun is, and what's the deal with the comp and all that other stuff, I present you my new Open blaster. Note the lack of any muzzle flip...



For compare and contrast, here's JR's SV Limited gun. JR's got a good grip on the pistol but there's still a bit of muzzle flip, especially compared to the Open blaster.



There, I feel better already. How 'bout you?

SEALs Kick some ass

Bet you haven't heard about this fantastic story:

“They knew who was who,” the engineer said. the SEALs quickly demonstrated that, aiming their silencer-equipped weapons to shoot and kill the kidnapper in the room before he could fire a round. The engineer said he heard the sounds of the operators shooting and killing a guard posted outside.

The SEALs turned to the now former hostage and told him they were there to take him back.

“I was in favor of that, 100 percent,” he said. “I was very surprised, very amazed and very happy.”

A successful mission behind enemy lines, snatching an American businessman right out from under the tango's noses and not a peep from our media.

Tragic.

H/T to Outlaw 13.

11/11/08

Thanks to all.

The strangeness continues

First, we were introduced to the darling little children singing the praises of the great leader:



Then we learn about a schoolteacher basically creating a nice little cadre of Obama supporters, complete with boots, camouflage pants and a nifty little rap, pledging allegiance to the fearless leader:



And now we've got this:

Plans are being made to promote a national holiday for Barack Obama, who will become the nation's 44th president when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20.

Good God man.

How long before the gulags, I mean, re-education centers open up!?? If it weren't so freaking wierd, it'd be funny as hell.

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

What the....??

I have been inclined to sit back and see what Obama does as President before I start heading for the hills.... But I have to admit - I saw this picture of his first presser and couldn't believe my eyes:



You'll note, of course, the seal on the podium. It says "The office of the President Elect".

There's one little problem here, dear readers. And that is, there ain't no such office as created by the law of the land, that is, the United States Constitution! So we have the President Elect - with no Constitutionally mandated authority until he is sworn in - holding a presser, announcing the creation of a new official office, and then telling Congress that he wants them to pass his economic stimulus package before he takes office!

That is taking egomania to an entirely new level, my friends; and it is shaping up to be a very long 4 years.

To Vote or not to Vote...

This week precipitated a running discussion on a couple of websites regarding voting. One position I've seen and struggled with is the one of non-participation. "I refuse to vote, because it's a corrupt system," etc. I've always held voting to be a privilege and even a responsibility. Even if you think your vote doesn't count for something like President, I believe it certainly does count for things at the local, county, state, and federal level. Don't believe that? Look at the results for local elections, bond votes, alcohol sales, etc. I saw a local ballot decided by 3 (yes, THREE) votes this week.

But the ones who actively refused to vote are adamant, even though I've argued that they're merely rationalizing their civic laziness.

The folks who've chosen not to vote have posited that it's their choice - it's a free country, after all. And they're right! We've got freedom of speech, the freedom to express ourselves as we see fit. My counter to that has always been that if you don't vote, you don't get the right to complain. Upon further consideration, I realized that's just not true. You can complain all you want - it's your inalienable right. Just don't expect someone like me to give your complaints any credence. My first question to you will likely be: what did you do about it? If you can't answer that question, I've no obligation to listen to you. If you were content to let others make decisions on your behalf, you got what you deserved.

What do you think? What does voting mean to you, and what's your take on not voting as a form of protest? Use the comments to discuss - I won't moderate unless it gets out of hand.

You have got

to be shitting me....

Gun Pr0n

When I get depressed about...oh...stuff, I like to work on guns. Catfish and I went to the very fine Fort Worth gun show this last weekend, and I picked up some various accessories for my scary black rifle. Note the new grip, the flip-up rear sight, tactical charging latch, the PMags and the rail accessory foregrip. I won the light kit at a match this year - I forget where. Put it all together, and I've got a pretty sweet goblin gun.

I believe Catfish will want to chime in with his purchases from the show...

Embrace the Suck

Well.

Some random thoughts here....

Part of me is happy that McCain lost. I truly hope it leads to a rebirth of the Republican Party. I hope that his loss sends a message to those in power that we will not vote for a man who is a Republican in name only. A Republican who believes in amnesty. A Republican who believes in global warming. A Republican who created the biggest assault on the 1st amendment with his ridiculous McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform. A Republican who is just as likely to vote with Democrats as he is with Republicans.

I'm hoping that as was the case with Carter, we get a Reagan in 4 years. Not a Huckabee, not a Romney, not a Guiliani. A fiscal conservative. Someone who will make government smaller. Someone who will put our country's defense first and stop pandering to dictators large and small across the world. Someone who will respect and protect the Constitution.

I'm also hoping that the Democrats will not kill us all in the next two years. I believe that they will push a hard left agenda very hard before the next Congressional elections. God help us if a conservative judge leaves the Supreme Court between now and then. Buy your high cap mags and AR's now, as I know there will be another round of gun laws coming down the pike. At the very least high demand due to fear and panic buying is going to drive the price up up up.

Radical Islam can not help but see this as a victory. I truly hope Obama is prepared to make the tough decisions that are going to wind up on his desk in the coming years. I doubt very much that he will, but there's always "hope", I suppose.

I strongly suspect that Israel will strike Iran before Obama takes office. I would if I was in their shoes because they know that the United States will not support them after Obama's elected. And their back is seriously up against the wall. They simply cannot afford to have a nuclear Iran on their doorstep. I wish them well because they truly will be alone in the world with an Obama administration.

And a final thought.... Now that we have a black president, does this mean that racism in this country is over? Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton be out of the race baiting business? Can we do away with quotas and affirmative action? Will hate crimes decrease? Will dogs and cats finally be able to get along once Obama waves the magic wand?

Obama and the Democrats are about to learn that governing is significantly harder than running for office. The ball is now in your court, fellas. Try not to drop it.

And to you, my fellow gun nuts, conservatives, libertarians, friends... Embrace the suck.

Xavier Thoughts: Vote

Xavier Thoughts: Vote

This has a makings of an Internet meme that will symbolize this election. I never realized how much I respected John Adams until I watched the HBO series bearing his name. He was a true rebel, and while he was a Federalist, he was strong-minded enough to disagree with his party. He represented the British soldiers who committed the Boston Massacre, and 6 of them were acquitted. He helped to draft the Declaration of Independence, and more importantly, fought to gain support for it. His unique beliefs actually led to the idea of "checks and balances." He refused to own slaves. His son became the 6th President of the United States. He died on the 4th of July, 1826, the same day as his friend Thomas Jefferson.

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."

--Samuel Adams

All I can say is....

Hail to the Redskins, Hail to the Chief....

Come on guys, beat the snot out of the Steelers.

17-1 is a helluva lot better prognosticator than anything else I've seen on TV.

You're welcome!

When JR and I had the opportunity to visit with the Senator last week, one of the things he mentioned was how drastically different running for election this year vs. the last time was. It's nice to see someone not only embrace the new technology that's out there, but be on a quest for new and better ways to get the news out.

I do believe the Senator even mentioned he Twitters, which made JR quite pleased....

Now get out Tuesday and VOTE, people!

Lunch with Senator John Cornyn

None other than Catfish and yours truly with Senator John Cornyn. We had lunch with him today at Denton County GOP Headquarters. I found him to be a genuinely likeable, very approachable guy. We already know about his politics, so it was nice to meet him in person.

Now go vote!

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?

Please read this column by Orson Scott Card, a Democrat and a journalist.

What is a risky loan? It's a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.

The goal of this rule change was to help the poor, which especially would help members of minority groups. But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can't repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can't make the payments, they lose the house, along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

Well, heck. That sounds like a bad idea. If I were a person of integrity, I'd probably try to stop such a plan.

Furthermore, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were making political contributions to the very members of Congress who were allowing them to make irresponsible loans...

Wait. What?

Isn't there a story here? Doesn't journalism require that you who produce our daily paper tell the truth about who brought us to a position where the only way to keep confidence in our economy was a $700 billion bailout? Aren't you supposed to follow the money and see which politicians were benefiting personally from the deregulation of mortgage lending?

I have no doubt that if these facts had pointed to the Republican Party or to John McCain as the guilty parties, you would be treating it as a vast scandal. "Housing-gate," no doubt. Or "Fannie-gate."

Instead, it was Sen. Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, both Democrats, who denied that there were any problems, who refused Bush administration requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting subprime mortgage loans almost up to the minute they failed.

Where's the outrage? If this were Sen. John McCain, there'd be hell to pay, wouldn't there?

As Thomas Sowell points out in a TownHall.com essay entitled "Do Facts Matter?" (http://snipurl.com/457to): "Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President. So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury."

These are facts. This financial crisis was completely preventable. The party that blocked any attempt to prevent it was ... the Democratic Party. The party that tried to prevent it was ... the Republican Party.

Yet when Nancy Pelosi accused the Bush administration and Republican deregulation of causing the crisis, you in the press did not hold her to account for her lie. Instead, you criticized Republicans who took offense at this lie and refused to vote for the bailout!

What? It's not the liar, but the victims of the lie who are to blame?

If you're not angry now, you should see what else has gone on. As Mr. Card points out, following the money presented some very uncomfortable facts for a pro-Obama press. The solution? Just ignore it.

But right now, you are consenting to or actively promoting a big fat lie - that the housing crisis should somehow be blamed on Bush, McCain and the Republicans. You have trained the American people to blame everything bad - even bad weather - on Bush, and they are responding as you have taught them to.

If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth - even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.

Card calls the media to task, and he's none too kind about it:

So I ask you now: Do you have any standards at all? Do you even know what honesty means?

Is getting people to vote for Barack Obama so important that you will throw away everything that journalism is supposed to stand for?

You might want to remember the way the National Organization of Women (NOW) threw away their integrity by supporting Bill Clinton despite his well-known pattern of sexual exploitation of powerless women. Who listens to NOW anymore? We know they stand for nothing; they have no principles.

That's where you are right now.

But he's not just being critical - he's offering solutions:

It's not too late. You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices.

Then you will print them, even though every one of those true stories will point the finger of blame at the reckless Democratic Party, which put our nation's prosperity at risk so they could feel good about helping the poor, and lay a fair share of the blame at Obama's door.

I'm not a betting man, but I will bet that we won't see this happen.

But we will see the consequences of it not happening.

Read the whole thing.

Yeah....

This is who I want leading the free world.

The Mainstream Media Isn't Always Right

I'm just sayin'...

Submit!

Once again, the Obama campaign cuts off those who don't agree. As I pointed out a few posts ago - either you submit to the Obama myth or you will lose access. Frankly, I'm surprised as hell to hear not one, but two interviews bringing up Obama's Marxist philosophy.

What keeps Obama safe could protect the rest of us

Okay, this isn't really fair of me to do this, but Mary Mitchell makes it SO EASY. I've blogged on dear Mary before, because, well...she's insane. As in syphilitic insanity, as in stark-staring, raving, foaming at the mouth, bug-eating mad. But I digress.

Let's examine the backdrop - the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Barack Obama.

When I pulled up near Obama's house, though, I immediately noticed a drastic change in the neighborhood.

Concrete barricades now guard both ends of Obama's block, while metal barricades, like the ones used to hold back crowds during parades, are lined up on Hyde Park Boulevard.

Whatever you do, keep moving.

Secret Service, sheriff's deputies, Chicago Police officers and plainclothes officers are scattered throughout the area.

Sounds like Checkpoint Charlie, doesn't it? Here's where the fun begins:

Frankly, I felt like I had just entered the safest zone in America.

For the first time -- in a long time --while on the South Side, I didn't worry about leaving my car parked on the street or about walking back to it several hours later in the dark.

Obviously, law enforcement is doing what needs to be done to ensure a presidential candidate's safety.

But it does make me think.

Obama's neighbors have been forced to give up certain of their personal freedoms in order to ensure his safety.

Here's the scary part, now: she's okay with this. She is willing to give up YOUR freedom for HER safety. Isn't that nice?

There's no telling how many guns would be taken off the street in gang- and drug-plagued neighborhoods if police were to set up roadblocks and search everyone going into those areas.

For those of you who argue that what I am proposing violates basic civil rights, forget it.

Okay, enough picking on Mary, because she's not the one who scares me. I mean, we know she's a lunatic already. What's really scary for me this Halloween week is this: it's how many otherwise rational, sane people agree with her. Granted, it's not a majority by a longshot, but it does demonstrate a well-worn maxim: some people will believe anything. What's worse, some of these people are voting, some of them for the first time in their lives. You need to get up off your complacent butts and vote, people. Do it now, or you'll have people like Mary Mitchell making decisions for you.

Pass it on, Obama in his own words

So.....

Turned 40 today. Have I achieved dirty old man status yet, or am I still a lowly pervert?

You will be assimilated

And if you don't toe the "Obama as savior" line, you get cut off from future interviews and contact with the candidates.

It would seem that the Obama campaign has no room for the tough questions...

In this interview, Biden gets asked some legitimate questions. Notably, the reporterette asked Biden if he thought that Obama's "spread the wealth around" comment was Marxist in any way.

Instead of answering the questions, Biden dodged. And after the interview,

Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife.

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.

So much for freedom of the press, eh? Either you agree with the Pravda line, or you're cut off.

Say what you want about the Bush administration, but I still recall seeing that hag Helen Thomas at Bush White House briefings.... Not to mention the rest of an overly hostile press.

I wonder if that's the kind of change we all want?

Taking aim at Obama's stance on gun control

If Obama were the true messiah we're led to believe by the traditional media, I would still never vote for him due to his lack of respect for the 2nd Ammendment.

Any policitian who would disrespect the 2nd Ammendment will disrespect the rest. We already know that a Congress controlled by Pelosi and Ried would bring back the fairness doctrine, effectively butchering the 1st Ammendment. Is there any doubt that a Democrat controlled Congress would push for more limits on the 2nd Ammendment with a liberal Democrat in the White House?

John Lott offers some insight into Obama's gun control past and if for no other reason, we simply cannot afford to have Obama as the next President of the United States.

No major-party presidential nominee has ever had as strong and consistent an anti-gun record as Obama. Here is a politician who supported a ban on handguns in 1996, backed a ban on the sale of all semiautomatic guns in 1998 (which would encompass most guns sold in the country), and advocated banning gun sales within five miles of a school or park in 2004 (a virtual ban on all gun stores). He also served on the board of the Joyce Foundation, the largest private funder of anti-gun research in the country.

This evidence should be sufficient, but I have yet another reason to be skeptical. I knew Obama during the mid-1990s, when we were both at the University of Chicago Law School. Indeed, when I introduced myself to him, he said, "Oh, you are the gun guy."

I responded, "Yes, I guess so." His response, as I recall it, was, "I don't believe that people should be able to own guns."

When I said it might be fun sometime to talk about the question and his support of Chicago's lawsuit against gunmakers, he simply grimaced and turned away, ending the conversation.

Raccoon 'burglar' evades Dallas police, wreaks havoc in Kessler Park home

With the raccoon only three feet from him, Officer Ek fired his Taser. The stun gun's prongs struck the raccoon in the back, and Officer Ek held the trigger for several seconds to deliver the voltage.

But the raccoon kept running, past Officer Ek and back toward the front of the house. Finally, it darted into the living room fireplace and up the chimney, apparently where it had first entered the house.

That'll learn him.

Crime in the big city, folks.

Hunters and Shooters Give the NRA an "F" | American Hunters and Shooters Association

The American Hunters and Shooters Association has recently come to my attention. I read the article I've linked to in the title, and responded with a comment. It's interesting to note that none of the articles I've seen on the site have any comments. When I submitted mine, I got this:

Your comment has been queued for moderation by site administrators and will be published after approval.

I'm holding my breath. And my feedback for this pack of liars? Let's just say that I expressed to them that I remained unconvinced that Barack Obama has the best interest of gun owners at heart. Here's their stance on the Second Amendment:

Under the Constitution and laws of the United States, gun ownership is a protected right. But it is a right that when exercised requires the utmost in responsibility and vigilance.

In formulating AHSA legislative policy the AHSA Board of Directors will always weigh the common sense interest of hunters and shooters against basic safety and security interests of our community at large. In this way a rational, well thought out approach to firearms policy will be developed and promoted.

Hmmm. "Common sense" gun laws. Where EVER have I heard THAT before? Moreover, they want to ban the .50 BMG "sniper" rifle (their words, not mine), give the FBI access to NICS, and close the "gun show loophole."

But they're pro-gun. Riiiight. They're completely anti-NRA (whom I hold little allegiance to, but at least they're mostly honest with their protection of gun rights), and spend too much time trying to discredit them. Hmm. One of the most powerful pro-gun lobbies in Washington is a bad guy? It's almost like the Brady Campaign isn't even trying to hide their motives anymore.

It walks and talks like a duck, folks. Quick, better shoot it!

Aliens to appear tomorrow

I guess I can tear up those credit card bills now. Apparently, we're going to be visited by aliens at noon tomorrow, according to Blossom Goodchild. Apparently, Blossom's mommy and daddy ingested lots of dangerous narcotics before giving birth to her.

I thought I'd share the website, because I love to see the follow-ups after ET fails to show up.