ALERTS TO THREATS IN EUROPE:

by John Cleese - British writer, actor and quite tall person

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.
Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's Get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain:
"Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level.

(from The Hobo Brasser, via Email)

“It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”

From John Farnham's DTI QUIPS (H/T "GMan")

My friend Gary the T-Man subscribes to John Farnham's DTI QUIPS, which is a newsletter version of his website daily posts.

Mr. Farnham's writings are confrontational and very opinionated.   Not like mine, at all.  But I appreciate his thoughtful insights, as he challenges us to revisit our private opinions.

This is one of Farnham's recent articles.  If you found it thought provoking, you can go to his website to read more

This article is available here.

"Sorry Honey, you asked the wrong person the wrong question"

From a Private Email (FWD: FWD: FWD: etc .... you know how it goes)

This is spot on.
XXXX
"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane"

Every "FED UP" citizen from the West needs to watch this.
http://ozziesaffa.blogspot.com/2014/06/i-bet-she-regrets-asking-her-question.html

(or just CLICK THIS LINK)

This is a  controversial video.  Racist?  Maybe.  And the blogspot ... Racist?  Maybe.

But one man's Racist is another man's "Sojourner Truth".  When we're unable to speak out about our personal world view, if we worry about how our words will be received, if we take counsel of our fears ... then the world will never know how our treatment leads to resentment.   Sojourner Truth spoke out about her treatment, and voiced her resentment.

We're here to talk about politics and culture as much as about competition and ... well, rights.

One thing I have always tried to make clear is that I make no distinction between the First Amendment and the Second Amendment.  Unpopular opinions are no less valid because they aren't shared by "the majority", or (in other words) by the .....

 "... Seventy Percent of Americans  ...."

• believe in Sadaam Hussein / 911 link
• are Emotionally disconnected at work
• are Addicted to, or on Prescription Drugs
• (of American Politicians) are On The Take
• are IDIOTS!
• are STUPID!
• want the American Dream!
• were stupid enough to fall for Bush Propaganda about Iraq
• want local cops to 'randomly' stop people to ask for Citizenship ID
• In December 1993, just days after the Brady Bill was signed into law, 70% of all Americans supported stricter gun control. By 1995, that number had dropped to 59%, and by early 1996 it had fallen to just 48%, the lowest level in CNN polling.

So you see ... it's easy to be less interested in what "Seventy Percent of Americans" think.

Perhaps it is wiser to be more interested in what the thirty percent (or perhaps even the 'three percent') think.

Comments invited.

The Smallest Minority: R.S.P.E.C.T for and the Rule of Law

The Smallest Minority: R�S�P�E�C�T for and the Rule of Law:
(Sunday, March 23, 2014)


If it is not your common practice to read Kevin Baker's blog ("the smallest minority on earth is the individual ..."), I don't know why.   But in that case, you probably are unaware of the "Uber Post" he published over the weekend.

In it, he discusses respect for the law on three levels:   Respect by The People, Respect by The Judiciary,  and Respect by The President.

The president will not enforce the law.   Prosecutors are not infrequently allowed misconduct in the cases they bring to trial, and the judges allow them to get away with it .... or they are subject to losing their bench because the prosecutors ask that the judges recuse themselves from the cases.   And judges may decide judgements which are either not based on the facts presented, or the applicable laws.

Which puts the lie to the belief that in America we are governed by "the Rule of Law, rather than "the Rule of Man".

In that case, The People also lose respect for the law.  

Another popular belief is that a man may be found guilty of breaking a law of which he was not aware, because "Ignorance Is No Excuse!"   Which is true, and at the same time almost inevitable.    The fact is, nobody know what the law is;   they are too numerous for even the Federal Government to be capable of making the full body of Federal Law available to The People, to the Lawyers, to the Prosecutors, to the Judges, to the Legislators or to The President (who now makes his own laws, modifies them on whim, and chooses which laws he will enforce on a daily basis).

Baker elucidates our concern that we are reaching, or have already reached, the "Tipping Point" beyond which both the America Economy and the American Society will no longer be viable.

The Bottom Line of the commentary?

But if they haven't broken us to the State by the time all those spinning plates start falling off their sticks, well, as I've said before, our "austerity protests" are going to be SPECTACULAR.

So put on your tinfoil hat, secure it to your head with a roll of Duct Tape, pour yourself a healthy measure of your favorite beverage and RTWT!

▶ INSANE Russian Counter Terror Confidence Drill

▶ INSANE Russian Counter Terror Confidence Drill - YouTube:

 VickersTacticalInc
 470,970 hits: [Like 2,661 Dislike 83]
 Published on Mar 15, 2014 
You've never seen anything like this!!!

Courtesy of "The Gun Wire", my newest addition to my "Read Every Day" list.


Here's the full video on the "GUN WIRE" video page.


Here's the direct video download on YOU TUBE:

.50 BMG sniper

This is from the History Channel, and having watched it I must say that it is too professionally edited to be realistic.

But if you are interested in Sniper Action in Combat, this will appeal to you. (G0 to the link to see the video in full-page format.)



H/T to Guest "Randomly Hitten' Witten"

TEOTWAWKI

Four Great Preparedness Myths, by Dan B. - SurvivalBlog.com
From Guest/Friend "Randomly Hittin' Witten" comes this link to SurvivalBlog.com ("The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times").

The thrust of the article, coming from one who knows and thinks about TEOTWAWKI *, is that "survivorists" or "Preppers" (Prepared For Survival) tend to adhere to one or more of four belief systems which just may be nothing more than "wishful thinking"

1. "You can defend yourself against the horde" (the folks who haven't prepared for world-wide disaster, and want to take your 'stuff' away from you);
2. "Stock up on the ammo you'll need to defend yourself with" (you're gonna need lots of ammo to defend yourself against the horde);
3. "I only need X number of days of food" (surprisingly, the author states that most "preppers" only store a couple of days of food --- then what? They're gonna make a trip to Safeway?)
4. "TEOTWAWKI will be fun!" (What? Watching your friends and family die horrible lingering deaths will be fun? Your own life will not be ""solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short"?)

I think the man has a point. Well, four points. His arguments are persuasive, that, for example, without a functional infrastructure a "lone survivor" will be readily identified by his neighbors and ultimately overwhelmed by them ... no matter the Butcher Bill. After all, they're all starving to death anyway, and everybody has to sleep SOMETIME.

Personally, I'm not into "End-Of-Days" preparedness. And I think some of those who only stock two days worth of food have that same expectation ... if we civilized folks have to live more than two days without an infrastructure, then there is little use in trying to be self-sufficient if Obama won't appear in a sort of Deus Ex Machina last-minute rescue. We're all gonna die anyway, aren't we?

As I said, I'm certainly not a practitioner of "survival preparedness", although I do have the three levels of 'stuff'' to meet emergencies:

1. What I have in my pockets (knife, flashlight, lighter, etc.)
2. What I have in my car (clothes, blankets, food, water, tarp, bigger knife, firearm & ammunition, etc.)
3. What I have in my house (see #2, but more of it, kerosene lamps and a lot of camping equipment)

But heck, that's just basic stuff for getting caught out in the rain, stranded beside the road, the electricity goes out for a few days in the depth of winter.

I don't know ... and I don't much care ... what you have done for your own personal 'emergency preparedness But I suspect that, practically speaking, you may look around and find that you are almost as appropriately prepared as the "Preppers" for TEOTWAWKI".

Oh yeah. Almost forgot.
TEOTWAWKI stands for "The End Of The World As We Know It".

If you don't know that, you can't survive. I'm pretty sure it's in a book somewhere.

Scary, ain't it?

The Old Jarhead: I'm Tired

(Hat Tip to John 'BigDawg" )

The Old Jarhead: I'm Tired

I received a (slightly changed in a few words) in an email today. It's an editorial on the Robert A. Hall blog from February of 2009. Briefly, Hall is a retired Marine (4 years, Vietnam, Khe Sanh) who served in the Massachusetts State Senate.

It's a commentary from the conservative viewpoint of current U.S. Liberal policies.

It took only 5 minutes to track down the original, so I'm including the link to his exact words for the sake of accuracy, and to give him credit (and the traffic).

Links to this article include The Infidel Blogger's Alliance (March, 2009), Mommy Life (February, 2010), and a short rehash in an extended article ("Political Digest February 23, 2010") by Hall himself.

While I don't exactly agree with everything Hall says, I certainly sympathize with his growing concern for the direction in which the current administration is taking this country.

Actually, not everything he has to say is specifically directed to the administration per se, but rather to the increasingly liberal trend of the people whom we have chosen as America's Leaders. My personal take on the article is that the trend is disturbing; Obama has only served to spark an increasingly sharp upturn from the path of Liberalism to the path of Socialism.

Yesterday's "Yae"vote in the House should, and likely will, be the final nail in the coffin for America's chance to see the two ruling parties work together on future policies. Even if the Senate somehow, miraculously, kill the bill (and I have no more expectation of that happening than I did that the House would kill it), there is now a deep wound in American political thought which won't heal for decades. If then; and at best it will leave an ugly scar on the body politic.

Two of the three branches of government -- the Executive and the Legislative -- have been bullied and bought to serve the ambitions of Obama and Pelossi. What you really want, and what I really want, don't mean as much as a bucket of warm spit.

That's what you get sometimes, with a Republic. And it's our fault for letting it happen. French Philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, who marvelled at America's "great experiment" (democracy), said two things about us.

• America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.
• In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve.

And Alexander Fraser Tyler said, speaking in 1770 of the Cycle of Democracy:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses.

Are we now in that deadly downward spiral?

I hope not. And I'm too old -- I hope -- to be around when it hits bottom. But as Hall said:

" I'm just sorry for my granddaughter."

Walt's Glock 20

I received a helpful email from Walt (see: "Glock Talk ... HERE?" from Sunday, March 07, 2010).

Jerry, just saw your blog about my visit and the Guncrafters 50 cal. Very nicely done.

Here are a few pictures of the GLOCK 20 (10 mm) which I have 22., 40, 10 mm, and the 50 barrels for. Walt

Less talk, more pictures.


Stack 'em up.

Three Calibers

.50 caliber 230 grain bmp

Phishing

My friend Walt (Demonstrator on last week's "Introduction to USPSA" class) enters here with a "Guest" post about Phishing:

To all my friends. DO NOT respond to an e-mail from Bank of America.

Their e-mail address is officesecurity85@bankofamerica.com
[The address is deliberately rendered "non-link" for your safety. jB]

Mine said that they were having problems with my ON-LINE ACCOUNT.
I have not had an account with BofA for over 40 years.

If you open anything in the e-mail, who knows what you will let into your computer.

I called BofA and was told that I had received a fraudulent e-mail. It DID NOT come from BofA. They are well aware of the problem and HOPEFULLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Be safe, Walt

There is nothing new about this, but it serves as both a reminder that The Bad Guys are still out there, and also they're still trying to (a) get your personal information; or (b) dump a virus on your computer; or (c) all of the above.

Thank you, Walt, for keeping us aware.

And for all of us --- be careful out there.

Be aware of the links that show up, and remember that banks and other financial (and governmental) institutions almost NEVER send you an email except in response to an email which you have sent to them.

If in doubt, contact your institution by phone or, if its someone with you have an established relationship, go to their home website (do NOT click on links you find in the email!) and follow up on their "Help" or "Support" link.

And always, ALWAYS report an apparently 'bogus' email ... again, by going to their official website. Most have a link specifically designed to "report suspicious email" or similar wording.

Texas SASS

The Hobo Brasser is Snow-Birding in Texas again. I received this email from him a couple of days ago. The say that" Old Dogs can't learn New Tricks". That may be true, but anybody who's a shooter knows that any excuse to shoot somebody else's guns is a good excuse.

Well last Sunday it was either drive 320 mi round trip to Corpus Christi @ 2.79/gal or shoot Cowboy in McAllen. There is a local small, but very active cowboy group here. I know all of them, because they all shoot speed steel and some shoot IPSC. Three of them offered to let me use their guns. A no brainer huh?

They had four stages and in all it took about the same length of time as an IPSC match. Each stage had 10 rifle, 10 pistol and 2-4 shotgun. The guns I borrowed were a Marlin model 1894, two Ruger Bisleys and a model 94 shotgun with a short barrel. The rifle and pistols were in .38 spl. I supplied my own ammo.

On all stages the course description called for one on each and repeat with the pistols. My very first pistol target, I double tapped for a procedural. Old habits don't die they just surface at inopportune times. Cowboy scores time+ so I had 15 seconds added to my time for this and a miss I had on another stage. I finished 3rd overall out of 14 shooters and was 7 secs behind 2nd place. 27 behind first place.

It was a lot of fun. Cowboy requires you to remember things like how many shots on each target and a sequence to shoot them. I got a shotgun target out of sequence, but was not penalized when several people pointed out that the walkthrough was not specific enough.

I'm not rushing out and buying new guns and lord knows I cannot afford the clothes, but all said, I will be doing this again next month.

Talking to the shooters, all friends from other disciplines, I learned some interesting things about cowboy guns. Most, if not all, cowboy guns do not run smoothly off the shelf. They have to be tuned. Even double barrel shotguns. Uberti rifles are way over priced. Two people have them and said they had to tune and polish and keep working on them. On guys said he will not have another one. The most popular rifles are Marlins and the pistols are 90% Ruger's of one model or another.

Next month I'll wear my cowboy boots and maybe get a cheap hat (I left my good one at home-in Oregon). Ah well, next Sunday is speed steel and at the end of February I will drive to Corpus for the Texas State Carbine Championships which I will shoot with my CX4.

There's more there than I ever wanted to know about SASS, but it appears that the Good Ol' Boys in Texas aren't too proud to let a Dude shoot with him. Suppose he wore his Air Jordans to the match?

Cemetery Escort Duty

I received this in an email today from an old friend, Bill S., whose son Adam just recently returned from his (second? Third?) tour of duty in Iraq.

I can claim nothing about the content. It looks like fiction. At best, it's apocryphal; unsubstantiated and the author is unknown.

But it reads good, and I admit I admire the emotional content.

So I include the entire text of the email, including the few statements at the end, which are not directly related and seem excessively jingoistic.



On the other hand, I prefer jingoism to its exact opposite, which we see far more these days than we need.

Cemetery Escort Duty

I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 1655. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever--the heat and humidity at the same level--both too high.

I saw the car pull into the drive, '69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, Looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace. An old woman got out so slow I thought she was paralyzed; She had a cane and a sheaf of flowers; About four or five bunches as best I could
tell.

I couldn't help myself. The thought came unwanted, And left a slightly bitter taste:
'She's going to spend an hour, and for this old soldier, my hip hurts Like hell and I'm ready to get out of here right now!' But for this day, my duty was to assist anyone coming in.

Kevin would lock the 'In' gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along, We might make it to Smokey's in time.

I broke post attention.
My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and The pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight: Middle-aged man with a small pot gut and half a limp, In marine full-dress uniform, which had lost its razor crease About thirty minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.

I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman's squint.

'Ma'am,may I assist you in any way?'

She took long enough to answer.

'Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days.'

'My pleasure, ma'am.' Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.

She looked again. 'Marine, where were you stationed?'

' Vietnam , ma'am. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71.'

She looked at me closer. 'Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can.'

I lied a little bigger: 'No hurry, ma'am.'

She smiled and winked at me..
'Son, I'm 85-years-old and I can tell a lie from a long way off. Let's get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name's Joanne Wieserman, and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time.'

'Yes, ma 'am. At your service..'

She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the flowers out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone.. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC: France 1918 .

She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek. She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X.Davidson, USMC, 1943 .

She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley J.. Wieserman, USMC, 1944.

She paused for a second.. 'Two more, son, and we'll be done'

I almost didn't say anything, but, 'Yes, ma'am. Take your time..'

She looked confused. 'Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way.'

I pointed with my chin. 'That way, ma'am.'

'Oh!' she chuckled quietly. 'Son, me and old age ain't too friendly.'

She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman, USMC, 1968, And the last on Darrel Wieserman, USMC, 1970.

She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out.

'OK, son, I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home.'

Yes, ma'am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk?'

She paused. 'Yes,
Donald Davidson was my father,
Stephen was my uncle,
Stanley was my husband,
Larry and Darrel were our sons.
All killed in action, all Marines.'

She stopped. Whether she had finished, or couldn't finish, I don't know.
She made her way to her car, slowly and painfully.

I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin, waiting by the car.

'Get to the 'Out' gate quick. I have something I've got to do.' Kevin started to say something, but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.

'Kevin, stand at attention next to the gatepost. Follow my lead.' I humped it across the drive to the other post.

When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's voice:
'TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!'

I have to hand it to Kevin; he never blinked an eye--full dress attention and a salute that would make his DI proud. She drove through that gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send-off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing duty, honor and sacrifice.

I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.

Instead of 'The End,' just think of 'Taps.'

As a final thought on my part, let me share a favorite prayer: 'Lord, keep our servicemen and women safe, whether they serve at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us..'

Let's all keep those currently serving and those who have gone before in our thoughts. They are the reason for the many freedoms we enjoy.

'In God We Trust.'

Sorry about your monitor; it made mine blurry too!

If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under!




In the words of President Teddy Roosevelt, "We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."


--
Remember, the government cannot give anything to anyone that they have not first taken away from someone else.

I'm from the government, and I'm here to help

Today's Email Of The Day:

To the Congress of the United States(both sides of the isle):

The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you have had 234 years to get it right.......... it is broke.

Social Security was established in 1935 - you have had 74 years to get it right;...............it is broke.

Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you have had 71 years to get it right;........it is broke.

The "War on Poverty" started in 1964 - you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor";.......it hasn't worked and our entire country is broke.

Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you've had 44 years to get it right............they are broke.

Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you have had 39 years to get it right..........it is broke.

Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the "Stimulus", the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009... none show any signs of working, although ACORN appears to have found a new source: the American taxpayer.

And finally, to set a new record:

"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress' generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments..

So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that "services" you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system?

20% of our entire economy?

With all due respect,

Are you crazy?

(H/T: The Hobo Brasser)

Hitler Banned at Brian Enos forums.

From Youtube, courtesy of USPSAnonymous:
"Hitler's persistent picking at the IDPA, Revolver, and Airsoft crowd has forced the banhammer on his head at the Enos forums. He is not taking it very well..."

Many cleaver Geeks have picked up on this all-german-language movie scene and have provided their own running sub-titles, but this is the first I've seen which is centered on IDPA/IPSC/USPSA/Revolver/Glock subjects. And a fine job it is, as well.

This is the only video post to date on YouTube from USPSAnonymous, but I do sincerely hope he/she finds reason and opportunity to continue with this delightful start.

I can't list all my favorite lines here ... there are too many. But it's a fine start. (Kind of reminds me of "IPSC Haiku", only the 21'st century version and from a single source.)

I got here from a YouTube email telling me that "YouTube user theknightoflight2000 has just subscribed to your videos! YouTube Subscriptions allows a user to be notified when another user adds new videos." I went to the webpage and found that the subscriber content seemed to have little to do with IPSC/USPSA/Competition Shooting (etc.), and that he had only one video (Japanese martial cartoons, I can't even remember the correct terminology) and two subscribers. The second was USPSAnonymous. As soon as I get done writing about this, I'll go check out the other subscriber.

You might try that too. Its good to try new things. Even if you decide it doesn't suit your personal taste you will know something you didn't know before.

As as one of JerryTheGeek's Aphorisms go:
"It's Better to Know, than Not To Know"

Selling Firearms Seized by Police - Yay or Nay?

IPSC List member Stan P. notes that Colorado Springs Police May Sell Seized Firearms.

Apparently, some police are seeing budgetary crunch as a rationale for
selling confiscated guns rather than destroying them. Guns would be sold/auctioned to licensed firearm dealers, which means their re-entry to the public would occur through normal channels.
These guns were not used in crimes, AFAIK, as those weapons would be retained as evidence in the criminal proceedings.

Here's a bit of what the article offered:

The Colorado Springs City Council is expected in coming weeks to approve the final details of a program that would allow the Police Department to sell confiscated firearms to federally licensed gun dealers. Police have already stopped melting down the hundreds of guns they collect from crime scenes, drug houses or civilians who don't need them anymore.

The sales are projected to bring in about $10,000 a year, only a slight dent for a city that faced a deficit of one-quarter its $200-million annual budget this year. But it still helps, said Vice Mayor Larry Small, who proposed the gun sales.

Colorado -- especially the Denver/Boulder area -- are notoriously Liberal in their politics. And Colorado Springs tucks in nicely south of the Denver/Boulder area, both Politically and Geographically.

Still, the article points out that:

... Scott Knight, who helped formulate the association's [International Assn. of Chiefs of Police] policy on gun sales, said, "We understand, particularly in this economy, that some departments need to recoup budget losses.
Knight's police department, in Chaska, Minn., about 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis, is one such agency. The department upgraded its rifles recently and the only way to pay for the guns was to sell the old ones to licensed firearms dealers."

Among the reasons for citizens, Municipal Leaders and Police Departments to deplore this decision are:

• it may return guns to the hands of criminals;
• "... the small amount of money they could bring in is outweighed by the risk that a gun sold by the city could one day be used for a crime."
• "There's all kinds of ancillary issues, one of which is the politics of being in the gun-selling business ... The other is not introducing another weapon into the community." (Colorado Springs PD Lieutenant)
  
• the small amount of money the (city) could bring in is outweighed by the risk that a gun sold by the city could one day be used for a crime. (Colorado Springs dissenting City Council Member.)
  

Still other American Cities have been reselling confiscated firearms for some time, with little or no down-side in terms of "Gun Violence".

Whether or not this decision to resale confiscate firearms may lead to an increase in "Gun Violence", one thing is sure:

The department upgraded its rifles recently and the only way to pay for the guns was to sell the old ones to licensed firearms dealers.

There is a balance between budget, assets, resources and politics. In this city (375,000 citizens), the decision might help criminals to re-arm themselves, although the guns will only be sold to licensed dealers who are required to use the NCIS system to vet customers.

But it will definitely help the Colorado Springs Police Department to replace it's ageing weapons inventory with newer, better, more reliable weapons to support the CSPD in their imperative "To Protect And To Serve".


H/T: Stan P.

Often Underestimated

Many have underestimated the will of the American people

Captain Jeremy Fresques

I recently received an email from a friend ("Bill S.") commenting on a 2005 event where-in a 'local resident' (living near an U.S. Air Force base) complained about a fly-over at low altitude near a residential community.

The entire story is told here.

The original complaint was:

"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated."

Cranky? Yes, but understandable.

The response (from a U.S. Air Force member) was:

On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby of F-16's from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt Jeremy Fresques.

Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.


A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom.

We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?"

The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.


Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
CO 63rd Fighter Squadron
Luke AFB

It's not uncommon for those of us who are not members of the military to misunderstand the arcane things they do. In this case, the original complaint performed a service to the community, which was not expected. (The writer of the complaint also provided an apology, which was perhaps not entirely necessary .. but still, I'm sure, gladly received by both the Military unit which performed the fly-bay, and Captain Fresques' family.)

Although this story is somewhat dated, still it serves the purpose of explaining that, while some of the things which the Military does are often incomprehensible, our military continues a centuries-long tradition of respect to its fallen members.

Perhaps we too need to make an effort to honor their sacrifices.
_________________________________

My personal thanks to Bill S., one of whose sons served two tours in "The Sandbox" as a combat medic, bringing his family much honor. Bill sent the basic information in an email, and I'm grateful for his intention to high-light the difficulty of communication between the Military and we Civilians.

And of course a special appreciation to the memory and family of Captain Jeremy Fresques.

Maxine for President!

BAIL EM OUT!

Back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country and our banking system to the same nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling whiskey.

Economic Stimulus Payment Scam

This comes from The HoboBrasser, who can be relied upon to know a scam when he sees one:

From: Internal Revenue Service [mailto:stimulus.payment@irs.gov]
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 8:16 AM
Subject: Please submit your Stimulus Payment form

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a Stimulus Payment.
Please submit the Stimulus Payment Online Form in order to process it.

A Stimulus Payment can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To submit your Stimulus Payment form, please download the document attached to your email.

Note: If filing or preparation fees were deducted from your 2007 Refund or you received a refund anticipation loan, you will be receiving a check instead of a direct deposit.

Regards,
Internal Revenue Service

If you receive an email similar to this one, it is a good idea to NOT reply to it.

And for goodness sake, don't click on the psuedo-link (which has been de-activated) with the expectation of getting free money from the Federal Government!

Remember the old canard: "We're from the Government, and we're here to help you."

Any time you hear that phrase, or a variation of it (see above), your best chance is to run, don't walk, to the nearest exit.

It's a lie.

Have A Ball

video courtesy of John "Big Dawg", who writes: "I am in awe!"

I agree with him, I wouldn't have believed it was possible for a person to be so ... perfect.

A similar video is also available on YouTube.

Same performer, same venue, same costume. Probably the same date.

I'm not going to compare the two performance; they may be the same. Either way, they're both incredible but perhaps you will have the time and initiative to research the topic. The two performances look the same to me.

The all-too-brief intro reads:
XIV Campionado Europa
Torino, 5-6-7 guigno 2008
FINALI JUNIOR CHERCHIO
Boyanka Angelova
www.beatricavivaldi.it

You can find similar performances here ... or not. The website is a detestable pink, and I don't read Italian so I didn't spent any time trying to research the topic further.

Thanks for pointing me to this, Dawg. Yes, I'm just as impressed as you were.