PLEASE PROVE THAT YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT!

I've seen a lot of these comment approval gimmics showing up the last few months (usually on BLOGGER .. this is an improvement?)  And I just want to know?

Am I the ONLY one who can never correctly interpret th image-based text that you have to write in order to enter a comment?

I'm half blind and entirely clueless, and I think this is a monstrous conspiracy against the Farsighted Community.  Perhaps the OldAsTheHills Community, and certainly against the Clueless Community.

And I'm so tired of my computer saying "HUH?"

Luddites of the world, rise up!

When Pigs Fly: An 850 Round Burst From An M60 - The Firearm Blog

It's late at night in the jungle.

A column of patriots walk single-file down a jungle trail toward a known enemy position; this is war.

Usually led by a traitor who is familiar with the local jungle pathways, the follow each branch of the trail toward their objective: a South Vietnamese position which guards a strategic permanent encampment.

Their mission: to destroy the military position, the  Soldiers who occupy that position, and also the wives and children who live there with the husbands and fathers.  All must die, to make the point that there is NO safe place in Viet Nam.  There is no mercy; given the time, they will rape the women and slaughter the leaders of the South Vietnamese inhabitants, because Terror is their most influential weapon in this, their war on civilization.

Suddenly, there are a series of explosions .. claymore mines pour 700 rounds each of .32 caliber pellets at their cadre at the head of the line, killing the commander and the traitor who leads them as well as their most politically devote members.

And then comes the most fearsome treat: the Rat-a-tat-tat of the fearsome M60 machine gun which lays down a fearsome volume of fire which is so devestating, so profound, that there is no defense except to return a second or two of AK-47 return fire by the few survivors of the Point element .. followed by a complete route of the entire company.

For if you are not killed or mortally wounded by the initial directed-mine blast, you will surely scourged by the unfailing, if short-lived, machine gun burst.  The worst of it is that the ambushers will then pick up their machine guns and walk them through the kill zone, slaughtering all that linger there .. and then they will follow you into the night, for they are the devil incarnate and they have Hell at their fingertips.

I don't THINK so!

Magnetospeed: Obsoleting Convenional Chronographs - The Firearm Blog: Magnetospeed: Obsoleting Convenional Chronographs

Oh, that's so ... new!

So we now have a magneto-powered chronograph.  I'm so pleased.
 (What does 'magneto' mean?  sensors are rekatubg the framamjig instead of dependent on impinging light sources.  Now you know as much about it as I do.)

I do love high tech, but I gotta couple of  (okay, 3) questions:

(1)   What are the most common usages of chronographs?  I mean, in terms of number of guns/rounds per time?  Answer:  at major shooting matches where "power factor" is part of the equation, it's used to determine whether the gun is "Major Power" or "Minor Power".
(2)  How long does it take to install the thingamajig on each gun, and just how MUCH difference does it make how much difference the "... sensitivity to placement... " makes in determining the accuracy of readings ... especially when comparing one firearm to the next.
(3)  What happens when you're using the magnetospeed thingie to chronograph a compensated race pistol?

I've used 'conventional" (dependent on light source) chronographs a bit.  I even helped run the Chrono stage at the Area 1 USPSA match a few years ago at ARPC in Oregon.

The thing is, I think the greatest VOLUME of Chrongraph readings occur at competition matches, where "power factor" must be determined for each individual firearm.

Using the light-sensor style of Chronograph is problematical because (as the article states):

Conventional chronographs work by measuring the time it takes for a bullet to pass over two optical sensors. The problem with the conventional approach is that ambient sunlight affects the velocity reading. Other problems with conventional chronos is that they are big and bulky, require a tripod, need long cables and risk being destroyed by your bullets or shotgun wads.

I think that the implications inherent in that statement are perhaps applicable for the individual, but at a Major Match?  It's all bullshit.   I don't THINK so!

More on California Gun Microstamping Law from The Captain's Journal

The Captain's Journal: s Judge Upholds California Gun Microstamping Law:

A federal court has rejected a challenge to California’s gun safety law, possibly paving the way for a requirement that new guns mark the bullets they fire so they can be traced.

The Captain's Journal doesn't go far enough in describing the Ill Effects of the California Microstamping Law.

And there are some inaccuracies there.

In the first place the Microstamping does NOT encode the BULLETS, but the base of the fired cartridge.  That's an important difference.

(Scroll down for an explanation of "Encoded Ammunition", which is not the same as "Microstamping Ammunition" .. but still is almost as impractical!)

Korea: Draconean Gun Control Measures Inadequate To Keep Koreans From Shooting Each Other!

Oh my! In a Nation/State (Korea) which has such strict Gun Control Laws that a citizen cannot keep guns in their homes, people are still killing each other "In a Fit of Jealous Rage" (Pink Panther moment!)?  And the national solution is to generate even more strict Gun  Control Laws?

One cannot help but wonder how well Gun control Laws are working for them .. and whether similar laws should be applied in the U.S.

Shooting sparks call for stricter gun control:

2015/02/26:

 According to police, Kang, the shooter, who committed suicide after killing three in an act of revenge against his ex-girlfriend, used shotguns that were registered for hunting under his name at a police station armory as required by law.

H/T "Say Uncle (But They Have All That Gun Control)":

What the HELL is "Net Neutrality"

The FCC Just Voted to Regulate the Internet Like a Utility - Hit &; Run : Reason.com:

In a 3-2 vote today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to radically overhaul the way Internet service is regulated. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the commission’s two Democratic commissioners voted to move forward with the rules. The agency’s two GOP-appointed commissioners opposed them.

"Net Neutrality"

"Obvious Reasons"

I've watched this dialogue, and have NO idea what the issues really are.

Am I "The Only One" who doesn't understand the issues?

It seems to me that somewhere there must be a "Net Neutrality For Dummies" primer which gets past the jargon and actually describes the effect of one side of the dialogue vs the other.

And BTW ... what ARE the dialogue, the positions, and the roots of the controversy?

For myself, I just want to take advantage of the data-streaming provided by ... I don't know, Comcast?

That's my IP  (Internet Provider ... thank you for defining that small piece of jargon!)
... and I also like that I can stream movies, besides email.

Is that the crux of the controversy?  Is one "availability" (Broadband Streaming of Videos) contesting with another "availability"  (Email?)

Surely there's somebody who understands the issues, and can define them in terms which are not jargon-filled.

Someone?

Any one?

ISIS and END OF DAYS

Quotes of the day  Hot Air:  (allapundit)

But people don’t join ISIS, or the Islamic State, because they want better jobs with more benefits. ISIS is one of a long line of anti-Enlightenment movements, led by people who have contempt for the sort of materialistic, bourgeois goals that dominate our politics. These people don’t care if their earthly standard of living improves by a few percent a year. They’re disgusted by the pleasures we value, the pluralism we prize and the emphasis on happiness in this world, which we take as public life’s ultimate end…

The more I hear about ISIS, the more I want to re-read Tom Kratman's "A Desert Called Peace" series.

Again,

Corvair! The Love and the Bane of my life!

As "Unsafe at Any Speed" marks 50 years, Corvair values hit all-time high | Fox News:

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ralph Nader’s book “Unsafe at Any Speed," in which the young Harvard-trained lawyer/activist did a serious hatchet job on what was a very interesting and unconventional American car. But the Chevy Corvair is clearly having the last laugh. Ironically, as the book turns 50, Corvair prices have reached an all-time high.

I owned a 1963 Corvair Spyder (the high-performance model) in College.

After I graduated, and after I came home from the Army, I bought a 1965 Corvair Corsa.  Also the high performance model.

Both were the convertible models.

Both were hot, sexy, and when they ran right they ran with the power of the Elk and the grace of the Gazelle!

Unfortunately, they didn't run that well, that often.

Both had the endemic problem of the rear-mounted engine:  when you pushed them too hard, it threw the fan belt and you had to stop RIGHT THEN and re-install the fan belt.

        If you didn't fix that RIGHT THEN .. in the words of RoboCop ... "...There Will Be Trouble!"



I carried a 1/2"  open wrench and a 5/16" socket wrench, which were the tools necessary to to loosen the idler wheel so I could put the fan belt back on track.

I also carried a spare fan belt, just in case; but it was never needed.  The fan belt was not damaged by the experience;  it just fell off into the rear-deck engine well.

The front end was the trunk.  In the winter (in the 1960-1970 period) in Oregon, we got some fearsome winters with snows six inches or more.  The snow lasted for weeks, to months.  The front of the Corvair was so light, I couldn't steer the car.  I had to put a hundred pounds or more of sandbags in the front-trunk of the Corvair so I could make it around a corner.

But I loved those cars!

162 Years In Prison For Owning A Cell Phone

Quartavious Davis, First-Time Offender With 162-Year Prison Term, Gets Appeal - NBC News.com

Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

What if you wrote to your girlfriend every day, and you were a thief, And what if the postmarks on your letters proved that you were in the towns where your thefts occurred on those days?

And what if those letters were seized by the police, and were used to convict you of crimes (of which you were certainly guilty although perhaps not provably), and you were sentenced to prison for 162 years on that basis?

Even though you had never been convicted of a crime before?

And what if the police didn't have a warrant to seize those letters?

Isn't that an infringement on the defendant's constitutional rights?

Sterile Guns, Sterile People!

1) All guns are always unloaded2) Unloaded guns are “safe.”  When  around “safe” guns, you can relax!3) When handling “safe” guns, never be  concerned with the direction inwhich they’re pointed.  After all, they’re  not really guns anymore, arethey? There is no reason to even look!4) When  handling “safe” guns, have your finger constantly on the trigger,for good  control

Last week (February 11, 2015) John S. Farnam posted an article - "Sterile Guns, Sterile People" - on his Defense Training, International "QUIPS" website.  In this commentary (which has not yet been added to his website, as of this date), Farnam criticized gun clubs which use the "WEAPONS COLD" range rule.

His postulate is that the COLD RANGE rules lead to the assumption of the mindset which he exemplifies with his (very critical) Range Rules above.


HOT RANGE vs COLD RANGE:

This COLD RANGE rule imposes a requirement that all firearms remain unloaded until the (active shooter) is actually on the firing line, and the firing line is declared "HOT" by the Range Officer/Safety Officer.  At that time, the shooter(s) may load his/their weapon(s).

[At the completion of the exercise, on a Cold Range, every shooter is required to 'unload and show clear'; each individual is inspected by the Range Officer, deemed unloaded and clear, and weapons may not be reloaded again until the shooters are once again on the firing line and under the direct supervision of a Range/Safety Officer.]

This is in direct contrast to a "HOT RANGE", where all weapons are loaded at all times.   At the end of an exercise, shooters are expected to insure that their weapons are loaded before they leave the firing line.

DEEMED UNLOADED: FARNAM IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

The condition with which Farham takes issue is typical of the lax safety measures which most of us have witnessed often at the range.  People who are inexperienced, who have no training, are all too willing to learn how to be ALWAYS safe on the range.  They take safety for granted, and they assume that their friends are just as alert and aware of the safety rules as they are.

And accidents do happen, 'anyway';  that's why they call them "accidents".



How about ... deliberately being shot at?

Winston Churchill once said:
"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result."

I've been shot at, and missed, in Viet Nam. In those circumstances, one tends to hug the ground while cursing the thickness of one's uniform buttons which prevent one from melting into the earth.

That's still not quite as frightening as having a gun pointed at your belly, close up and personal; even if you are absolutely certain that the gun is unloaded.

That's why I trained as a Chief Range Officer in USPSA, so I could help people to understand that pointing a firearm ... even one which is demonstrably unloaded ... is A Bad Thing.

I've still had a few unloaded firearms pointed at me.  It's still a frightening experience.  Most of those people learned from the experience.

And so have I.

IT ISN'T ABOUT GUNS; IT'S ABOUT CONTROL!

Judge Has Yet To Rule On CA’s “micro-stamping” Law | Gunalizer:

The Second Amendment Foundation, and Calguns Foundation, await a ruling from California Eastern District Judge Kimberly Mueller. On whether she will prevent the state of California, from its eventual ban, on all new pistol sales in the state. No new pistols meet the requirement, to non-existent “micro-stamping” technology, that’s required for them to be legal for sale. This case was originally filed in 2009.

GUNALIZER provides an update to this important test case about Microstamping.

I spent a large part of my blog hours in 2008 . (that link may not work *).. from February  through July ... in a dialogue with Todd Lizotte, the developer of the concept.  During the actual interview process, I raised a lot of doubts about the ability to modify the manufacturing process from the industrial standpoint, and the reliability of the 'microstamped' data to survive and be viable for investigators of crime.

The viability of the output was secondary; the main problem then, and now, is that manufacturers find it technically unsuitable .... and legally.  If  microstamping' does not work in the real world, the onus goes to the firearm manufacture, not to the 'developer'.

This issue goes beyond New Jersey's "SMART GUN" laws.  At least the Garden State tried to tie it into a commercially available product.   California has not bothered to obfuscate their attempt to ban guns in that state for a variety of 'safety issues', which are thinly vieled measures deliberately designed to drive suppliers out of the state.  The goal, of course, is to dry up the source of firearms to their citizens.

*See below for a summary of the dialogue, and some commentary.

SNARK ALLERT! (Reloads)

Endo Mike offers a video which demonstrates the need to remain "heads up" while reloading, during a defensive firing drill.

Okay, there's a lot of Snark in the comments about using live ammunition while your partner is downrange.  Consider that emphasis on safety to be a valid criticism, and let's move on, shall we?

Seems like the people criticizing the safety issues have a point, but they're missing ignoring the point of the lesson, which is that we need to learn to reload without looking at the gun.

My experience is instructing folks for IPSC/USPSA competition, and it's just as important (though arguably not as vital) to learn to reload while watching the field, rather than the reload, in competition as it is IRL (In Real Life).

IRL, if you can't reload without watching the gun, you're going to potentially miss movement of your 'target' .. which IRL is your opponent in a gunfight.

In competition if you're looking at your gun during a reload, you're going to lose track of the targets (which are steel and cardboard cutouts).   Thankfully, they're not going to shoot back at you .. but they may be moving.  Or, the target array may be so dense that the constitute a Target-Rich Environment, and it's all to easy to lose track of where you left off shooting.  So the best thing to do is to continue focusing your visual attention on the targets, so your attention doesn't wander.

Why is that important?

This is Socialized Medicine

Anger has hearing aids are rationed by the NHS: Hard of hearing patients given only one device to be worn on left or right ear | Daily Mail Online:  (January 25, 2014)

 The NHS has started to ration hearing aids for the deaf – with thousands of people being offered only one device when experts say they need two. Specialists recommend that patients who are losing their hearing in both ears should be offered two aids, but some NHS authorities have started to offer just one to such people, in a cost-cutting exercise that saves a modest £90 per person. The charity Action on Hearing Loss, formerly the RNID, has found four hospital trusts in England and two health boards in Wales now initially offer one aid. 

That's "The Brits", today.

It's America, tomorrow, under ObamaCare.

Tuesday in Oregon

Is it still Tuesday?

check the clock .. yeah, 11:35pm, I can still talk about "Today".

We have a saying in Oregon:  "If you don't like the weather .. just wait 5 minutes.  It'll change!"



I love Oregon.  Here it is, February 17, and at 3pm I was enjoying a smoke break on my patio and looking up at Venus in the Western sky.

I had to shade my eyes with my hand to make sure it was really a planet, because the sun was really bright.  I made a note to look up Venus to make sure it was really called the 'morning star'.

The thing is .. it's February .. one week before my birthday ... and I'm standing out here in shorts, sandals and t-shirt admiring a planet.  Enjoying a sunny day.

I've been watching the news about the blizzards and such in the Eastern states, and I admit to feeling just a little bit smug.

People here were out on their front porches, chatting with friends and neighbors.  Dogs were barking,, running around in their fenced yards.  Sparrows were chasing the bees.  It's spring!

Okay, I know it's still winter, but I was thinking about my friend, the Hobo Brasser, who is currently snow-birding in Texas with the lovely Spicey O'Shea (his wife, who always introduces The Brasser as her "First Husband" .. they've only been married about 600 years but she's keeping him in his proper place of respect. ( And Mark, I know you're reading this.)   They left to avoid the winter, but honestly .. winter was last year.  This year ... winter is still last year!

Here's a picture from February 11 of last year:

... you can see, we can't always tell what the weather in Oregon will be like, just by the date.

I lived a couple of years in the Bay Area (California), and I couldn't stand it.  The weather was always the same!  GREY!

Last year I was trying to keep my car from freezing up; this year I'm catching some rays and working on my tan.

I don't know why everybody doesn't live in Oregon, but I'm glad they don't.  I resent the folks from California who move up here after they retire:  We call this the "Californication" of Oregon.

I would have shown you some pictures of the beautiful, warm February day in Oregon THIS year, but then you would all be moving here.  My rent is too high already, so please stay where you are.  I'm sure you're all very nice people, but I can't afford you as neighbors.

Please stay away.  And envy me .. that's A Good Thing To Do on a Tuesday in Oregon.

Four Minutes of Terror

Not EVERYBODY reads gunbloggers.com on a daily basis; if you read THIS blog, you should read that blogfeed.

Here's why: I call it Four Minutes of Terror

Hard to watch | Cornered Cat: In the video below, you’ll see an incredible event: a machete-wielding attacker literally hacks his way through a locked apartment door. The resident does what he needs to do to protect himself and others in the home. It’s like a scene out of a horror movie — but most directors wouldn’t use the footage, because what audience would believe that a door could be so flimsy? Or that someone with a machete would hack his way through it? Nevertheless, this really happened

(The video is embedded in the linked website; click on "Cornered Cat".)

Unfortunately, the Liberal Press contends that home invasions are rare, to the point of 'never happen'.  The video embedded in the above proves otherwise (as does this video link).

Fortunately, the family situation depicted by Cornered Cat turned out .. um, not well (the invader was shot), but the family was uninjured.  Traumatized, of course, but physically unharmed.

The police described this as a justifiable self-defense shooting.

Some anti-gun folks contend that there is no reason why anyone should have a gun.

This shows one reason why people might choose to have a gun.
It may make the difference between being a victim, or a being a survivor.

PS: I need a stronger door.

What is this "Sporting Purpose Exemption" thing of which you speak?

To protect the lives and safety of law enforcement officers from the threat posed by ammunition capable of penetrating a protective vest when fired from a handgun, the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), as amended, prohibits the import, manufacture, and distribution of “armor piercing ammunition” as defined by the statute. The GCA, however, allows for the exemption of ammunition that would otherwise be considered armor piercing if the Attorney General determines that the specific ammunition at issue is “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes.” Interpreting the meaning of this statutory language, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has developed a framework that will apply to requests seeking a determination that certain projectiles qualify for this “sporting purpose” exemption ,,,,

There is no "sporting purpose" Exemption.

Except in the 1968 Gun Control Act (GCA):

The 1968 Gun Control Act added a "sporting purpose" test which barred imports of military surplus rifles (a goal of many domestic gun makers) and a "points system" for imported handguns which barred from importation handguns based on penalizing features (short barrels, small caliber, short overall length or height, non-adjustable sights, etc.) believed to define the Saturday night special class of handgun.

Domestically produced firearms .. not so much.

The same test can be used to define "Saturday Night Specials"  (also known as "inexpensive handguns which are affordable to the people who live in ghettos").

Actually, that definition accurately describes the Kel-Tec .380 I bought as my backup defensive handgun a few years ago. I don't see anybody trying to take that away from me. What's the difference between that, and a very expensive handgun which will accommodate  "armor piercing ammunition".

So what's the big deal?  Is my Kel-Tec a "sporting purpose" handgun, but a more expensive (and more effective) pistol requires a "sporting purpose exemption" .. because it is more effective?

"They" are still trying to limit our availability to firearms.

First it was cheap pistols, now it's pistols that can penetrate a "bullet proof vest".

Oh, and of course there's the problem of knives, which will penetrate a "bullet proof vest".  Just ask the Brits about how well Knife Control legislation works!   (see also HERE)


How many of you have a clip knife in your pocket now?  I know MY hand is up!

Just how far IS our government willing to go, to deny its citizens defensive weapons to its citizens?

ANSWER:
The federal government is not beyond any treasonous act to disarm its citizens, if they think they can get away with it.  And until we stand up and say something like "MOLON LABE"  (as states are beginning to do this year), the elected representatives of the people will keep pushing to outlaw any defensive tool available by technology.

When you have to shoot ... shoot! Don't talk!

View From The Porch: Dirty pool.: As the great Jewish bandito warrior poet spoke from his bathtub, "When it's time to shoot, shoot; don't talk." The corollary to that is "When it's time to talk, talk; don't shoot your mouth off."

Uh ... if you're going to quote The Good The Bad and The Ugly .. do it right!  (it deserves to be precisely quoted!)

When you have to shoot .. shoot. Don't talk!

Doctor No Has Left The Island

Statement from Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber announcing his resignation | Fox News:

I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon.

Personally, I'm delighted that Dr. John Kitzhaber has left the Oregon political scene. The reasons for his oh-so-timely retirement are unimportant compared with the resumption of good government to this state.

Why do I assume he will be replaced by "good government"?

It couldn't possibly be any worse.

(Expanded Fox News background available here)

Grin and Bear It

Video: Grizzly vs. Electrified Deer Carcass | Field & Stream: If you've ever considered electrifying your meat pole to keep bears off your deer, this video will make you think twice. For the Grizzly, a Youtube channel dedicated to grizz clips, posted this video of a bruin outsmarting a test set up by researchers. From the video description: "A Montana grizzly bear attempts to retrieve an electrically charged, road-killed deer. The deer is electrified as an experiment to protect hunters’ game kills and, in turn, to minimize bear-human encounters."

URL: http://youtu.be/pdM9YOYrcbs


(Hat Tip: Gary the T-Man)

Well .. isn't it?

CT Senator Says Anyone Wanting A High-Capacity Magazine Is ‘Arming Against The Government’ - Downtrend:

 It is absolutely irresponsible to even suggest that wanting to exercise one’s Constitutional right equates to a desire for armed insurgency. He’s saying that having a 30-round mag is the same thing as joining ISIS. The truth is nearly every gun owner in America is a responsible citizen, including the millions who own modern sporting rifles (AKA assault rifles) and 30-round magazines.

"Minute Men Much?"

I take exception to this blogger's suggestion that the Second Amendment completely disregards the possible need to take up arms to resist a dictatorial government.

(No, I'm not suggesting that firearms owners are ipso facto insurgents, or that equipment equivalencies are unconstitutional;  I'm just saying that quibbling about technical details are just one way of taking public attention away from Constitutional Rights and pointing that attention toward Political Differences .. which are nothing more than a lot of hot air.)

"Pay Per Mile" Vehicle Tax

Central Florida leaders to vote on pay-per-mile study | www.wftv.com

 ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Paying to drive may one day become a reality in central Florida. MetroPlan Orlando board members are considering a new pay-per-mile tax system. It’s a controversial proposal that’s getting attention from lawmakers. Instead of being taxed at the gas pump, drivers would pay a mileage fee.

Oregon tried to enact a similar tax plan several years ago.

It failed .. miserably!    And for many good reasons, not the least in that the vehicle owners objected to the intrusion and the fiscal overhead imposed on vehicle owners.

Oregon and New Jersey are (or were, last time I checked) the only two states in the Union which do not impose a State Sales Tax.

Legislators were desperate for new tax revenue, in addition to the State Income Tax.

The bill was defeated in Oregon, partly because it looked a LOT like a Sales Tax.  These taxes hit the low-income earners hardest, because their personal daily mileage are often a larger percentage of migrant, agricultural and low-income earners than of those whose "commute" is often off-set by urban transport.  Taking the bus to work may include the same amount of mileage, but is not taxed at the same level as these new 'personal vehicle mileage' measures.

Buy-A-Gun Day came early this year

I found an ad on my local gun club website offering a Marlin Model 60 rifle.  Ten-round tube fed magazine, offered at $195.

I bought it, and I'm glad!

I know the gun retails for $170, but it also included a Simmons 3-9x Variable scope (over $130), mounted and sighted in.  And a like-new soft case to carry it in.  The owner threw in a half-brick (500) rounds of Remington Thunderbolt HS ammunition.  Total value over $350, so it looked like a bargain.

When I actually saw the gun, it looked like new out-of-the box.  Bore was shiny, finish was perfect, the stock showed no signs of dings or dents, scrapes or scratches.  (It actually had some figure, which was a pleasant surprise to me!) As far as I could tell, I was the first one to actually fire it.

I met the seller at the range and shot five rounds of my own (Thunderbolt) ammunition at a tennis ball which happened to be propped up on the berm 50 feet away.  The scope was set at about 4.5x, so I took an offhand stance and nailed the ball first two shots.  It disappeared.  So I spent the next three rounds on shards of clay pigeons I could see.  Broke them all.  Off-hand.   It wasn't necessary; I had already decided that I had to have this pleasant little rifle.  It shoots better than I do; it was a bargain I couldn't afford to pass up!

Yes, I've read reviews which gave the M60 (unforgivable gun-pun) thumbs down on the trigger.  This one broke true and crisp.  No, it didn't compare with the STI pistols I use for USPSA competition, but it was crisp and non-creepy, and the trigger-pull weight was lighter than I had expected.  Apparently, SOMEONE had shot it enough to 'break in' the trigger, at least a little bit.

It has been 40 years since I shot a Model 60, and I had forgotten how much damn fun it was to shoot a scoped semi 22.

This one goes into the gun safe, and I'm hoping that The Hobo Brasser and I can go for a Sage Rat hunt this spring.  We had to cancel the one last year, due to Honey-Dew issues.

I've got a new bush-bunny gun, 1500+ rounds of high-speed ammunition, and a blood-thirst for varmints like I haven't felt for decades.

It isn't easy being Geek .. but it's a helluva lot of fun!

You know what I like about my "Smart Phone"?

Nothing.  Not a damn thing about Smart Phones is worth the hassle.

Yes, you can access the internet, including your email, even while you're miles away from your computer. BFD.

This morning I took my StupidPhone off its charger and discovered that it didn't work.

Just ... Did  Not Work.

What I've learned is that when this happens (which is not an infrequent occurrence), I need NEED to take off the cover, pull the battery, and re-install it.  Then it works just fine.

Well, isn't that special.

My father had a '49 Chevy Pickup and I loved that old truck. But once in a while, the column-mounted gear shift mechanism would lock up.  I had to open the hood and  use a pry bar (kept under the seat, for convenience) to jimmy the linkage back into alignment.  It was inconvenient, and often embarrassing, while I was 'cruising the gut' downtown .. but HEY!  It had character.

I don't like "character" in expensive electronics .. especially when they are priced at more than that old Chevy truck was worth.  I want them to work all the time.

Hasn't technology advanced in America since 1949?

Apparently not.

Almost a half-century of technological advance ... doesn't speak well for American Engineering.  (Okay, so it's Japanese Engineering.  Didn't they lose the war?  Is this their subtly asiatic way of spitting in our face?)

Walk a mile in my shoes

Lagniappe's Lair: Cop-Basher Gets Police Shoot/Don't Shoot Training.: In Missouri City, Texas, police put a local loud-mouthed cop-hating professional protester through some of the same "Shoot/Don't Shoot" training that their officers go through, and it looks like he got a bit of a wake-up call.


I'm VERY impressed with this video essay.

Things look a lot different from the OTHER side of a Violent Confrontation.

The Magic Bullet

I just want to know ... how did the kid manage to shoot his father in the ass and his mother in the shoulder with a single shot?


We're all glad that the sister was unhurt, and wondering whether the brother was revenge oriented or merely morally offended..

Hey, Y'all ... watch this!

Negligent Weapon Shoots Watch Stander In The Foot:

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A firearm stationed aboard the USS Boxer (LHD-4) has been charged with negligence, reckless endangerment and assault after it wounded a sailor on watch, sources reported Friday. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Jesse Boyer was standing the ship’s midnight topside rover watch when the M4 rifle suddenly opened fire, striking Boyer in the left foot. Doctors at Bob Wilson Naval Hospital stated that Boyer is in stable condition, but will probably never skate again.

Y'all gotta watch them there Army guns, Navy.  They got a mind of their own.

“The weapon was in Condition 3 when I sent [Boyer] off,” said Gunner’s Mate 3^rd Class Travis Dyson, the ship’s armorer and clearing barrel supervisor that day. “It must have charged itself and taken itself off ‘safe.’ These rifles have a mind of their own.”
“I would never deviate from clearing barrel procedures,” he quickly added.
The M4A1 carbine — a 5.56mm, magazine-fed, gas-operated, air-cooled, shoulder-fired weapon — had no previous history of indiscriminate violence, firing only at targets it intended to shoot.
“I certainly never tried to pass the time on watch by playing around with the weapon, or pulled the charging handle at any point, and I most certainly did not squeeze the trigger when I was startled awake,” Boyer said.

Just ask the Civilian what owns one!


(Note: DuffleBlog is a SATIRICAL website focusing on the U.S. Military.)

Seven Degrees of Separation

Oh, I wouldn't be disappointed that the adage that between ever person in this world today, there are only "Six Degrees of Separation" between any of us and, say, Kevin Bacon.

What disappoints me is that I seem to have discovered a connection between myself that most egregious scoundrel, Michael Moore, who claims to have a personal grevience against snipers because his "uncle was killed by a sniper in WWII".

And so was mine.

Why I don't watch football

 I never knew that "cheating" could be so petty ... and yet so important.

Deflate-gate: Why the media are overinflating the football flap | Fox News: Now I’m not in favor of a team cheating its way into the Super Bowl. And I get why the story has gotten traction on the media playing field. But come on: not properly inflating a bunch of balls is not exactly Ray Rice’s elevator punch or the shame of steroids. Especially since the Patriots clobbered Indianapolis in that AFC Championship game.

For all of my friends who wonder why I don't enjoy spectator sports (as in "FOOTBALL") .. this is why.

Any activity that's more peurile goofy than I am, is just silly!

An Armed society is a Polite Society

About 40 years ago (I'm no Spring Chicken), my father and I went on  Antelope hunt in southern Wyoming.  We had hunted the area before .. we knew the people who owned the land, and we had received permission to hunt the land.

The Section was divided into several grazing ranges for cattle, so there were fences which we had to navigate and gates which we needed to cross through from time to time.

We were in his 1960 Dodge Pick-up truck, and I was driving. I had chosen to drive, so that when we crossed through a fence-line he would be the one who had to get out and open/close the gate.  (We scrambled for the drivers seat, like teenagers! )    This was in an area many miles away from developed roads, so we were traveling on the same rough dirt roads which the landowner traveled to ensure that the stock-ponds were filled, and to move his cattle.  No residences nearby .. it was wild country.

As we approached a gate through one of the fences, we encountered a party of four or five men on foot, coming out of the fenced area.  They had already opened the gate, so we waited until they had exited the gate.  They were on foot, and armed with rifles; apparently they had been hunting the area.

As they came along the side of our truck, we said hello and they replied most discourteously.  In fact, they were not only rude, but they were aggressive.  They made comments to the effect that they didn't have to walk when here was a truck and they could ride home.  It was obvious that they held no good will toward us, although we had never met any of them before and so they had no reason to mean us ill will.

Gun-Blog Topics Which Have Become Boring because they are so repetitive

• Why are Anti-gunners so mean?  (Because they don't like you)
• 
  
• Oh, look!  A New Gun!  (Duh)

• Oh, look!  A New Holster (Double Duh)
• 
  
• What's the best way to Carry Concealed?  (see: new holster)
• 
  
• Why do people think I'm a dork go crazy in the store just because I open carry?  (Could it be .. because they can't tell whether you are making a political statement, or you're about to shoot everybody in sight?)
• 
  
• Why should I believe that "nobody wants to take my guns" is a lie?  (They Do want to take your guns, but they also know that you have guns and .. uh .. well, it's kind of obvious that they want someone ELSE to take your guns but they can't talk them into confronting you, either, because they already think that you're some kind of suicidal freak-job)

• I think that xmm caliber guns are much better than Ymm caliber guns for Z purposes, because of (a) modern bullet design, or (b) bigger is better.  (Yes, you are correct.  Of course.)

• There's this new technology which is suppose to make our country safer because it provides a 'tool' for law enforcement to more easily find the bad guys when they do bad things.  But I think it's just going to make guns/ammunition/components so expensive that they will become unavailable.  (Yes, it's only going to infringe on legitimate gun owners.  And your point is?)

• This girl in Amarillo has posted an anti-gun opinion to Salon, and she's so DUH because she doesn't know anything about guns and yet she's telling us how we should live our lives.   Isn't that a perfect target to dis her?  (Yes, she's a dork. But telling her so won't do any good, because (a) 2,134 gun nuts have already explained the zillion ways she's an ignoramus, and (b) it really helped to build up her stats on Salon when you reply to her article, and (c) she isn't reading anything you said anyway, and (d) she's not your type and you are DEFINITELY not her type, so (e) don't bother fisking her; she will not be impressed.)

A Veterans View of ... Fear

Folks are talking about the Sniper movie, which seems controversial.

Blogger: Sipsey Street Irregulars - Post a Comment:

Dakota said... I took my son to see American Sniper last weekend. ... . My biggest shock of the movie amazingly came at the end of the movie. The last portion is the funeral of Chris Kyle and it is all actual footage and there are some credits that are rolling as this is happening...... not one person got up early to leave!!! When the screen went to nothing but credits people began to file out of the theatre in very orderly fashion and "NO ONE" was talking, it was this eerie silence that I have never experienced at the end of a movie. This lasted into the hallway and into the mens room. I have spoke to my friend in Albuquerque who said that the theatre stood in unison and clapped but did not speak. I must say that I thought of starting to clap but the somber mood that I was in it did not seem proper at the time to me so I did not and neither did anyone else.     January 20, 2015 at 10:09 AM

Thirty-something years ago, I took my wife to see "Platoon".  I didn't expect the visceral reaction I experienced.

At the end of the movie, while they rolled the credits, nobody moved.  Nobody said anything.  We were paralyzed ... or at least, I was ... by the sound of a man in the front row sobbing uncontrollably.

I couldn't blame him.  I was feeling emotional myself.  Everyone in the theater sat quietly and allowed him a few moments to gather himself; and then we quietly filed out.  He was still sitting there, hunched over, among the two or three people who had attended the showing with him.  I hope they helped him; I couldn't. But I could understand why he over-reacted to the "it's just a story" movie.

The moment in that story which most powerfully affected me was when the non-hero was on ambush watch, and a file of NVA soldiers moved through the night-defensive (aka "ambush") position.  The Young Soldier was too frightened to move, or even alert the men who were sleeping beside him while he was on "night watch".  And that story pointedly did not depict him telling them about the experience after it was over.  Instead, he just curled up and died a small death.

This is a recurring nightmare which I had found myself unable to cope with for years.   It was among the worst fears of many veterans .. finding yourself surprised, unprepared, terrified by the sudden imposition of the enemy in overwhelming numbers.  And there's nothing you can do except freeze in place and pray that they don't notice you.

(There are other fears, just as powerful, and just as difficult to understand without the background of living with Fear sitting in the corner of your mind like a demon who never quite leaves you alone.)

Note to Gun Bloggers: I Don't Listen To Podcasts!

Okay, short note here.   Like most people I'm more visually oriented than (what's the word?) "auditorily" oriented.  So I don't care which very knowledgeable gun bloggers have a lot of very important opinions to offer, I'm not going to listen the them.  Sorry, Michaell I haven't listened to yo since you and I and Sandie shared a dinner at the 1998 Area 1 match in Reno.

I can't think of a more boring/loser way to spend an evening than to listen to someone's podcast pontificating on the Internet.  Do NOT send me emails (or whatever) inviting me to listen to your podcast.       I DON'T CARE!

Oh ...his is too long?  Let me please make it as brief as possible:

FOAD

Go directly to jail, do not pass go: Fools that they are.

Apparently, someone DOES want to take your guns!  (Who Knew?)   And yes, it's not just the people who elected Biden as their Senator for decades!  Well .. perhaps it is.

Sandy Hook Commission: Ban guns holding more than 10 rounds, no grandfathering (VIDEO):
(January 18, 2014)

A special commission set up by Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy after the Newtown shooting is ready to recommend a total ban on the sale and possession of guns capable of holding 10 rounds or more.

[H/T: Sipsey Street]

There are a lot of issues which might make this proposed legislation "problematic", including the Second Amendment.

Any firearm which is reloaded via an 'external magazine' might be reloaded with a magazine capable of holding 11, 15, 22, 30 ... who knows how many rounds?  So right there, you've "arbitrarily and unilaterally" eliminate everything but Revolvers and Bolt Action rifles.

Which was obviously the goal of this Star Chamber Commission.

French Police Confront Terrorists!

AND the French do what they do best ....

They Retreat.

Oh, I was the incentive for him to become a MULTI-BILLIONAIRE ...

... so I expect a billion dollars as my 'found money' during our divorce.


Billionaire’s ex-wife cashes his $975M check | Fox Business Video: Sue Ann Arnall, ex-wife of Harold Hamm, cashing a $975M check from him after initially rejecting it.

Oh yeah.  I'm thinking she was a significant asset in his financial serendipity.

The FRENCH: and Why I Ain't Been Talkin' to Y'all Lately

The world is full of bloggers.  Oh my yes, Lots and Lots of folks tabbing between Fox News and CNN just drooling over the Story De Jour.

Today?  French Marxists Muslims Islamic People who kill people for no reason related to their religion at ALL are killing people by the dozens in Paris

Parse THAT, Cambridge Scholars!

I don't want to talk about it.
But I will, anyways.

"Fight on Guns" ... 'they' don't understand why, but they don't like 'em

The great service that Op-Ed columns provide to their readers is that they provide every ignoramus a venue to vent their spleen even though they don't know a thing about their subject:

"The reason for all those guns is not for self defense, not for hunting and not for sport. The simple reason is that so many Americans are obsessed with guns and gun ownership."

Thesis:
Fight on Guns Is Being Taken to State Ballots - NYTimes.com:\

 Closing loopholes on background checks for gun owners is an area Americans support far more than steps like curbs on assault weapons or limits on magazine sizes. A recent Pew survey, for instance, showed that 52 percent of respondents said they believed it was more important to protect gun ownership rights. That figure was up from 29 percent in 2000. Still, in a 2013 poll, Pew found that nearly 75 percent of respondents supported background-check expansions.

Antithesis:
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/opinionnw/2014/12/17/a-glimpse-inside-washingtons-gun-culture-after-initiative-594/

(author: "Tom"): 

I despair that this nation will get a grip on gun control or gun safety anytime soon. The reason for all those guns is not for self defense, not for hunting and not for sport. The simple reason is that so many Americans are obsessed with guns and gun ownership. Contrast this ethos with that of other, similar cultures around the world and see what I mean.
So until the gun ownership mania goes away, guns won't go away, and the associated violence and mayhem won't either. What would cause the mania to go away? I haven't a clue.
Of course, gun advocates tell us that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." That's right. People kill people. With guns.

 Deep in the heart of Texas 3 days ago

Actually, Tom is almost half right.

Guns won't go away:

For hunting, for sport, for defense, and to protect the rights of The People;

Even to protect the rights of "Tom". Whether he likes it or not, the 2nd Amendment protects his First Amendment right to spout liberal tautology.

Respect The Gun

The hardest hardest lesson to teach "new shooters" is to RESPECT THE GUN.

When I teach people how to safely compete in IPSC matches, there all-too-frequent moments when the class members get distracted by secondary considerations, and seem to forget that they have a gun in their hand.   The muzzle of their gun may end up pointing in any direction, and they are unaware of just WHERE it is pointing.

Many people who attend gun safety classes consider themselves to be skilled, experienced  gun persons with good judgement.  They are often wrong in their self assessment.   They are not adept at "multi-tasking", which includes the ability to hold a loaded gun in one hand while fishing for a reload-magazine.

The most important lesson for them to learn is that they are holding a deadly weapon, and they alone are responsible for handling it safely; any other consideration is secondary

When they forget this lesson, their troubles multiply instantly.

Teaching Gun Safety (The REAL Story)

Some people just shouldn't have guns.  They don't understand the concept of safe gun-handling techniques, but they think it looks easy, so they want to try it out.

That's where I come in.  I teach people how to shoot safely under stress.  Not everybody is quite up to the challenge. If they can't hack it ... by the end of the afternoon, they know it better than I do.

And I know it.  I watch them pass or fail, and I never have tell them that they have failed the course:  I never see them again.   It's as simple as that.

Yeah, I bet you get tired of hearing how excited I am about teaching a new lot of folks how to compete safely in IPSC competition.

But I don't get tired of talking about it, and I don't get tired about the joy of watching new wanna-be competitors having fun shooting even the most mundane (or the most challenging) of live-fire exercises.

I've been doing this for four or five years now.

 Fifty percent of the  people I teach don't attend more than a single match, if that.  They're not all here for the competition; they're as often here to check it (competition shooting) out and see if this is something that they want to spend their time and money on.

It's a self-fulfilling prophesy:  They get some trigger time in, realize that *(a) they don't think they're good enough to do this, or *(b) they think they might be good enough ... in time .. but they don't care enough to spend the time to be 'good at it'.

Sometimes ... enough to make it worth my effort ... they prove to be safe, accurate, interested competitors that I wouldn't mind squading with.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Florida Man Charged With Decapitating Mom With Ax - NBC News.com:

 A schizophrenic Florida man chopped off his mother's head with an ax because she kept nagging him about chores, police said Thursday. Christian Jose Gomez, 23, who has several previous arrests, was booked on a charge of first-degree murder for the grisly New Year's Eve crime in Oldsmar. He allegedly told police he had been planning the attack for two days because he was angry over his mother's requests that he put some boxes in the attic, NBC station WFLA reported. Gomez put his mother's head in a garbage can but couldn't lift her body so he left it outside.

Welcome to 2015.

It's a good thing that no guns were involved; otherwise, people would think that guns are the reason why people kill people.

Some people are inherently violent.  In this case, the story made the news specifically because the crime was so horrendous.

If the murder was committed by a firearm, the story would have appeared low down on Page 7.  The people who think that people kill people because it's so easy to kill with a gun would have been all over this story.

Axe murders have always been "popular": Lizzie Borden (1892) found this an easily ready weapon.

The case was memorialized in a popular skipping-rope rhyme:

Lizzie Borden took an ax

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one.

There were no axe-control advocates back then.

Perhaps there should have been?

If only for the children.

Yawn.

Two people shot to death on Detroit's east side - Fox 2 News Headlines:

 DETROIT, Mich. (WJBK) - Two people were shot to death on Detroit's east side Wednesday. Both victims were getting into a vehicle in the 4000 block of University Place near Mack Avenue at about 6 p.m. according to Detroit Police. Another vehicle arrived and opened fire, killing a man and woman in their 30s in a driveway of a residence.

Understatement of the year!

TV on-the-scene reporter's comment:
  "Not the way you want to celebrate the end of 2014."

And the "Top Commenter" (the ONLY commenter") has this to say:

Marlean Dubry Leach ·  Top Commenter · The College Of Life

Yawn.

Reply · 

 · 8 hours ago

Given the apathetic state of Detroit Denizens, perhaps they should change the name from "Motor City" to "Motiveless City".

NOTE:   This is NOT the incident reported here.

Russian target ONLINE shooting game

Screw politics.  I wanna shoot something ... and it's raining outside!

So you think you can shoot a handgun. Check this one out.  Try it: see how good you are with a Russian pistol.( All text is in Russian. ) Save money and ammunition too!
The virtual pistol is a Soviet Tokarev Model 40, in caliber 7.62 mm.  It is quite accurate.Being virtual, it will lack the actual 'feel' and the recoil.  In real life, at each shot, the recoil will throw your aim off the target.
When the pistol appears, click on the trigger, take aim, and fire.  It’s very much like the real thing.The longer you hold the pistol, the more your aim will wander.
You have 3 shots in 30 seconds to hit the target and get your score.
CAUTION: It’s addictive.
click here:
Russian Shooting Range
Click on the white dot on the trigger guard to start, after your 3 shots click on first line in box to try again.Enjoy!

(H/T:  Big Dawg)

The link opens in the same window ... you may wish to right-click it.

Geek addendum:  yes, I tried and and it is addictive.  I got a lot of high-twenty scores out of 30 possible, but never got the perfect score.  I quit after 10 minutes.  

Here's the real challenge: can you do this for 10 minutes and quit?

Merry Christmas ... early, and horrible!

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer original video - YouTube:

How's that Catch 'n Release program working?

US government offering $5M reward for Al Qaeda leader freed from Gitmo | Fox News:

The Obama administration is scrambling to track down an Al Qaeda terrorist released from Guantanamo Bay years ago, offering a $5 million reward for information on him and placing him on a global terrorist list.
  Ibrahim al-Rubaysh was originally released in 2006 by the George W. Bush administration and put into a Saudi Arabian "rehabilitation" program. However, al-Rubaysh returned to the battlefield and now serves as a top leader with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- one of the most dangerous Al Qaeda affiliates.

(emphasis added)


Amazingly, this "catch and release" policy is one  which the Obama Administration has continued to support.

And in fact still is trying to  effect.   But he's getting some criticism as he is making the issue one of 'financial considerations"..

Silence Of The Lambs

Peshawar school attack: Taliban 'burn teacher alive in front of pupils and behead children':

Taliban terrorists allegedly burned a teacher alive and made the students watch during their attack on a Pakistan school which left over 130 people dead. According to a NBC News report, citing an unnamed military official, the terrorists stormed the Army Public school in Peshawar, in north-west Pakistan, and committed the horrific act as well as detonating a suicide bomb which killed a number of students. "They burnt a teacher in front of the students in a classroom," the unnamed military source told the US TV network. "They literally set the teacher on fire with gasoline and made the kids watch." At least six militants entered the Pakistani school wearing security uniforms, before massacring an estimated 132 people and injuring another 122.

(H/T: Irons in the Fire)

Compare this to Sandy Hook:

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members.Prior to driving to the school, Lanza shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home. As first responders arrived at the scene, Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

I don't mean to denigrate the tragedy of the Sandy Hook school shooting.  I merely offer it in comparison.

In America, we acknowledge that this kind of "Silence of the Lambs" slaughter of the innocents is rightfully considered to be an aberration of of Civilized society.  In other societies, it's Business As usual.  It's political.

Here ... we hold our people and our governments to a higher standard.   

In America, Liberals hold the peaceful citizens responsible for their actions ... and acknowledge (if reluctantly) that there is perhaps a reason why citizens should be allowed cannot be prohibited from owning guns.

We say: "When Guns Are outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Own Guns"

Liberals say"  "Small Penis Gun Nuts, Fearful Of Imaginary Bad Guys, Salivate Over The Prospect Of Getting To Shoot a Burglar".

Well .. here's what it looks like when "only outlaws own guns".

With all respect to the victims of Sandy Hook and their families .. and I had no intention to minimize their grief at the tragedy .... I recently watched a video in which teachers who survived Sandy Hook discussed their experiences and announced that the solution was to remove all firearms from private hands .. by law.

Condescending Co-President

Biden to code-writing girls: ‘You’re as smart as any boy’ | Fox News:

Don't worry, girls. "You're as smart as any boy." That was the message Monday from Vice President Biden as he pep-talked a group of young women during a White House technology event, in a uniquely Biden way.

How precious that the second-best Democrat in the nation should reassure "girls" that way.

Biden is, and always has been, an idiot.  The worst thing is not that he is clue-less, but that the Democrats decided that he was ... acceptable ... to represent our nation.

After a CBS News reporter tweeted the comments, Biden's office retweeted them. 

They're proud of their boy, they are!

Go, watch this!

Never Yet Melted L Flash Mob: The U.S. Air Force Band at the Smithsonian

It will exalt you, and it will heal your heart.

Happy Anniversary

I have been thinking that December 8 was the ten-year anniversary of Cogito Ergo Geek.   But when I looked for my first post, I discovered it was published on December 01, 2004.   Not December 8.

This calls for something special.  I'm thinking ... Fireworks!

Oh ... go Full-Screen! You know you wanna!

Kids 'n Guns ... Good? Bad? Indifferent?

Watch How Network Reporter Acts as 10-Year-Old Handles Her Favorite Guns — Then Wait for the Girl’s Response | Video | TheBlaze.com:
(December 03, 201)

The ABC News profile of ten-year-old Shyanne Roberts, a young firearms enthusiast, seemingly raised the blood pressure of the reporter covering the story.

I teach people how to compete in "Run and Gun" competition:  IPSC/USPSA.

I'll teach anyone.  If they can handle the gun safely and responsibility, I'll encourage them to try competition.  If they can't .. they can't I won't.

Has LEO equipment become too complicated?

Gun-mounted flashlight plays role in another Denver police misfire - The Denver Post:
(December 05, 2014)

A Denver police officer accidentally fired his gun while trying to turn on a flashlight mounted on his weapon in March, the department's third flashlight-related discharge in two years, records show.

Perhaps we're asking too much of Law Enforcement Officers to keep track of multiple levels of lethality when arresting accused felons.

What part of "Free Speech" do you not understand?

The entire concept of "Free Speech Zones" on College campuses is Anathema.

The First Amendment was established to recognize the right of Americans to 'indulge' in 'unpopular speech'.   Anywhere.  Any time.   But Higher Education Institutions across America don't recognize this.

California college settles First Amendment suit with student | Fox News:

"Freedom of expression is crucial in the higher education community, and the District and its Board of Trustees have done much to protect and advance this cherished right," the statement read. "As part of the settlement, the District will be implementing new procedures that will expand its current free speech area to include most open spaces on campus ....... "

[emphasis added]

A student on a California campus spoke in a "free speech zone", and was not the subject of harassment by college administers.  But when he (literally) stepped over 'the line' to discuss the fine points of his opinion with another student, a college administrator threatened him.

 Claiming that a political discussion could not take place outside of the free speech zone, the unidentified school employee threatened to eject Sinapi-Riddle from campus for violating the policy.

Since when is "policy" more important that the Constitution?

What are we teaching our children?

Thank GOD no guns were involved!

Attack in China leaves 15 dead, 14 injured | Fox News: BEIJING –
(November 29, 2014)

Chinese state media say 15 people have been killed in an attack in the country's troubled western Xinjiang region. The official Xinhua News Agency says 14 other people were injured in what it said was a terrorist attack Friday in Shache county. The Tianshan news portal said Saturday that the attackers used vehicles, knives and explosives in the assault. It said the dead included 11 of the attackers. Such attacks have claimed dozens of lives in Xinjiang over the past year. Members of the region's Muslim Uighur minority group have bristled under what they say is repressive Chinese government rule.

Let's Get Rid of the ATF

Backfire | Watchdog Update - Bill eliminating ATF introduced in wake of botched operations:
(September 17, 2014)

ATF!  Whoo-ah!  What is it good for? Absolutely NOTHING!

 A bill that would eliminate the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and fold its duties into the FBI and other agencies was introduced Wednesday in Congress. The bill, by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), would impose an immediate hiring freeze at the ATF and require that a plan be submitted within six months on how to move its activities to other agencies. The bill calls for eliminating the agency a year after the bill's final passage, moving its functions into the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Treasury Department.

Recap?  Fast and furious.  Bogus 'scam gun stores' to no discernible purpose. (Both programs got ripped off, putting more full-auto weapons in circulation than they might have prevented.)

It's time to put this ineffective dinosaur to bed.  Or better, in the grave.

What are they good for?