Rock 'n Roll ... Aging America

Get ready to rock ‘n’ roll old age .:

President Obama proclaimed May as Older Americans Month, continuing a 52-year tradition since this month of recognition was first established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

(NO ACTIVE LINKS BELOW THIS POINT!)

The original article went on to talk about ... 1963.

Screw that; the folks that wrote it don't know about `63.

Beatles
Vietnam
Riots (racially motivated)
Marches on Washington
Presidential assasination (I remember where I was when Kennedy was shot ... do you?)

I also remember where I was when the California Earthquake scared the crap out of my neice ... who was in Oakland at the time.
I remember where I was when the Twin Towers fell.
I remember where I was when the Oklahoma Bomber blew up the federal building ... and
      (I remember that there were little children in that building.  Do you remember that?)
I remember where I was when the feds were shooting citizens in Waco, and Ruby Ridge..

I remember where I was when ... oh hell, you can list as many incidents as I can.  The bad thing is, that I remember more than I would choose to, had I been given a choice. Amd yes, I do realize that Obama was not in office during ANY of these "incidents".

It's not HIS fault.

Fortunate Son, that he never had to deal with a REAL National Crisis.

This is all reminiscent of the 19450's and '60's/  Lots of Hope, but no real Change!

Except that Obama is no Eisenhower.

Excessive Dishonesty (ht: Hobo Brasser)

Pappy Boyington: "Ba Ba Black Sheep"

Pappy Boyington

1:

Original Quote:   

"Oh, the whole damned thing was Hollywood, but I guess that's showbiz. Yes, there was a Brig. Gen. James Moore, chief of staff of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and he was a real stand-up guy. He took care of us and kept Lard off our backs. Lard [Lt. Col. Joseph Smoak, operations officer of Marine Air Group 11] was a real bythe-book Marine, but unlike most of the characteristic backstabbers, he had pulled his time when it counted. He had served in China, and I respected him for that. I was simply the kind of officer he could not understand. I have no ill will toward him or anyone."

Yeoman Rand has left the starship

'Star Trek' actress Grace Lee Whitney dies at 85:

 Grace Lee Whitney, who played Captain Kirk's assistant on the original "Star Trek" series, has died. She was 85.

Star Trek remembers Yeoman Rand, as do we.

Live long, and prosper.

Libs don't grok TANSTAAFL

Baltimore Whole Foods backtracks after being blasted for supporting National Guard:

......   But while soldiers were getting free meals from Whole Foods, an [sic] some on social media pointed out that many children who regularly receive free or reduced-price school meals went without lunch on Tuesday since all public schools were closed. It didn’t take long for outraged users across all social media platforms to hit back at the upscale grocery chain for their apparent “tone-deaf” attitude toward the community.

(Emphasis Added)

TANSTAAFL:  "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

*Thank you, Robert Heinlein*

Let this be a lesson to you, Children:  Liberals want everything to be free.  Because you will pay for it.

And after they become accustomed to sucking on the public teat the freebies that you pay for, if you don't pay for it for even as much as a single day ... you will have become a MEAN PERSON because  LIBERAL.

.. and that's all I have to say about this

This is just ... stupid

First responders save shirtless man stuck in basketball hoop | Fox News Video:

I have no idea how one man can get his foot stuck in a basketball hoop.

Self-Guided Bullets ... no, really!

DARPA demonstrates breakthrough in self-guided bullets | Fox News:
(April 29, 2015)

“True to DARPA’s mission, EXACTO has demonstrated what was once thought impossible: the continuous guidance of a small-caliber bullet to target,” Jerome Dunn, DARPA program manager said in the release. “This live-fire demonstration from a standard rifle showed that EXACTO is able to hit moving and evading targets with extreme accuracy at sniper ranges unachievable with traditional rounds.”

Holy Moly, Batman!  Was it only a couple of days ago (April 28) that I was joking about curving bullets?   I guess the folks at DARPA are reading my blog .. no wonder my stats are up this week!




 I'm going to use this as my Primary Alibi at my next IPSC match.

Miss the target?

Damn EXACTO bullets!  The target wasn't moving, no wonder I missed it.

'Draw Muhammad' is not (necessarily) a challenge

Two Suspects Killed, Guard Shot 'Draw Muhammad' Contest in Texas - NBC News.com:

 Two suspects were killed and a security guard was shot outside a "Draw Muhammad" contest in Garland, Texas, police told NBC News.

Apparently, some reader mis-punctuated "Draw Muhammad" and thought it meant "Draw, Muhmmad".  So they accepted the challenge, drew and shot down a security guard.

Even though "... The event was heavily policed with up to 40 extra officers assigned at a cost of $10,000 to the organizers", some idiots still made their way through the Wall of Blue Steel and attacked.

(Video interview of event organizer Pamela Geller  highly recommended for her defense of the first amendment rights)

 Geller says that the event was attended by 200+ people.  The videos I have seen show ... well, if there were more than 50 people there, I'll give you my Cadillac!

If this had occured in England, the local Bobbies probably would have issued an ASBO  (Anti-Social Behavior Order) on the shooters and sent them home to ponder the error of their ways.

DIxon Diaz Political Cartoons

(from an email, directly and without apology; H/T Big Dawg)

The  cartoonist, Dixon Diaz, can say more in a few little squares than the New  York Times,  The  Wall Street Journal & the Kansas City RED Star, can  combined...

(Take THAT, you Salon-Posting Gun-Gontrol nuts!)

For those who don't enjoy spectator sports

Victory for Baltimore: Orioles beat White Sox in empty Camden Yards | Fox News:

(Loss for Baltimore: nobody got to go to the game.)

As tempers smoldered and the cleanup of riot-ravaged Baltimore continued outside, the city's beloved Orioles beat the White Sox in an eerily empty ballpark Wednesday afternoon. The game at Orioles Park at Camden Yards was played out before 47,000 empty seats amid safety concerns for spectators.

One of the few 'team games' I will watch is Baseball ... primarily because if you nod off from boredom, when you wake up you haven't missed much.   I haven't watched a baseball game in 20 years, and I haven't missed much.

Other people, though, do like watching ball games.

• Note to Baltimore:  Y'all did this to yourselves.

And that's the truth.  BLATTTTT!.

Curving Bullets! Really? Angelina, I'm here for you Babe!

Activist Post: DARPA Announces Successful Live-Fire Test of EXACTO "Smart" Bullets:

A rather low-quality video of the 50-caliber round sought to demonstrate the potential for a "state-of-the-art sniper system (that) combines a maneuverable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target, allowing the bullet to change path during flight."

(SEE LINK FOR VIDEO!)

And I'm not really buying into to this:

Angelina, I'm here for you Babe!: "WANTED" (Angelina Jolie):

Perhaps your role in life is to serve as an example to others

Police: Alabama woman who shot home invader shot by officers after failing to drop her weapon | Fox News:

Police in Alabama say officers shot a woman who had shot an intruder during a home invasion after she didn't drop her weapon.

Learn from this.  The cops are just as frightened as you are.

Baltimore Mom

"A single mother of six children".

No single mom can keep track of six children.  Especially when at least one of those children is a male teenager. This woman has her work cut out for her.  At least she's not a "Welfare Mom" ... she's holding down a job, and has a right to expect that her older children help her with the rest of the family.

Uh ... the video includes some earthly language, so rate this NSFW.

Baltimore Mom beats Son on Live TV for Rioting Toya Graham 'Mom Of The Year' Beats Son For Rioting

e:

I'm inclined to have low expectations for the children of this demographic, but this mother knows where to draw the line ... and make it stick!  Looking at the last few minutes of the video, son has a decidedly hangdog expression.   Good for him; he may learn something from the experience.

That might very well be the only good thing to come out of these troubled days in Baltimore.

--- OR ---

Who Knew?

"Tolerence" is apparently a One Way Street.

Oh, the irony!


Johns Hopkins Bans Chick-fil-A From Campus: ‘Microaggression’ Against LGBT Students - Breitbart: The Student Government Association (SGA) at Johns Hopkins University has banned Chick-fil-A from its campus, claiming the restaurant chain is a “microaggression” against its students.

White House correspondents’ dinner

Complete coverage of the 2015 White House correspondents’ dinner - The Washington Post:

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner gets criticized yearly for being a big party where Washington bigwigs, Hollywood stars and journalists rub shoulders and celebrate themselves.

I watched the video of President Obama's Gig last night.  He was fun to watch for the first 10 minutes ... he had good writers and he is a personable speaker (why he was elected).

The last 10 minutes?  Not so much.  When he brought his Alter Ego on ... the guy with the obnoxiously loud "comedy schtick" ... I eventually tuned out.  "LOUD" and "FUNNY" aren't the same thing.

I don't mind when the Prez lambasts the Loyal Opposition.  That's his job, he's a party guy.  Bushes do it, Clintons do it, The humor there is sometimes rueful, but wry and to the point.

Video available at the link at the top of the page.

Why Unjust Laws MUST fail: OREGON SB941

Quote by John Adams:

“It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot all be punished. But if innocence itself is brought to the bar and condemned, perhaps to die, then the citizen will say, 'whether I do good or whether I do evil is immaterial, for innocence itself is no protection,' and if such an idea as that were to take hold in the mind of the citizen that would be the end of security whatsoever.”

Oregon (Liberal state politicians) are trying to ram a "Universal Registration" law down the collective throats of Oregonians, and they may succeed in getting it passed.  But only they (the legistlators) think it will be enforceable.

There's a lot  of talk about "unenforceable  (or unenforced) laws", but perhaps the legislators are not paying sufficient attention to the idea that when they make unjust laws, they make criminals out of honest men and women, They are actually undermining both the law, and the moral imperative for a nation which is based on the Rule of Law rather than the Rule of Men.

Last week, I wrote to my state representative saying that I was agains the bill to establish a "Universal Background Check" in Oreon (SB941) because (a) it was not enforceable, and (b) because if it were to be enforced, it would make criminals out of honest citizens, and (c) because it would establish a de facto 'gun registry'.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
It's nobody's business who I sell a gun to, or who I buy a gun from.  So .. thank you very much Oregon Liberal State Senators, but FOAD..  (Pound sand?)   IF you enact this law, you will make a criminal of me for doing that which I have been doing responsibly for fifty years:  legally buying and selling guns from other responsible gun owners ... which I am.

Apparently, the police (county sheriffs) who are charged with enforcing these  laws agree on both these points:
( click on the link for video:  H/T to Gateway Pundit and David Codrea)

This is entirely in accordance with the philosophy of our Founding Fathers, especially including John Adams; who was the second POTUS and wo served as VP under GW Washington.  you may have heard of them before:

But for liberals, they seem to have taken a page from The Playbook Of William Jefferson Clinton, who might have said:

'... it depends on the definition of what 'innocent' is ...."

Who decides whether we or not we are 'innocent'?

Them?      Or Us?

Who rules?   The administrators we hire (via elections) to enforce OUR rules, or the out-of-control nabobs they often turn out to be?
\
Or do we get to look at the situation, and somehow decide wheter their agendas are the same as ours?

I think they're looking for control.  We're just looking for freedom.

STI DVC series

STI Introduces Two New Competition Pistols With The DVC Series | Shooting Illustrated:

Designed around the concept of Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas, the motto of the I.P.S.C (International Practical Shooting Confederation) – meaning Accuracy, Power, Speed, the new STI DVC Limited and Open competition pistols are designed to win matches right out of the box.

(H/T: THEGUNFEED)

You thought guns were a controversial issue?

Don’t Clean Your Jeans: The Smart Way to Care for Denim - Reviewed.com Laundry:

This 18-month old article sponsored*  article about the proper technique to clean your levis has 774 comments .... the last comments were deleted by the site guardians.

The comments include ad hominem attacks, flame wars, political back-biting and a few of the comments were so naughty that they were deleted by the sponsor.

And people call gun owners  nuts?
Shooters are polite country mice compared to American Laundresses.

"No Sporting Purpose"

• Shooting the Double 1911 from Arsenal Firearms - The Firearm Blog: 

"It's a fitting 100-year tribute to the 1911"

No, it's a joke.   But the pictures are kewl!

This is a story about a twin-barrell '1911' pistol made by Arsenal Firearms'; apparently "because we can".

Who is Grover Norquist?

GOP power player Norquist steps down from NRA amid probe of Islamist ties | Fox News:

Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist is reportedly stepping away from NRA board of directors activities amid allegations of ties to radical Muslims.

I'm SO out of date .. I recall Groer Norquest as being one of the very conservative comentors on National Review (online)


Glen Beck?

Who's he?  I remember him as being the guy who liked to cry on the radio.

There's no crying in Conservatism.

FOAD!

Oregon sheriff says proposed gun background-check law won't be enforced | Fox News:

"I have felonies going on daily in Josephine County. That's my priorities."

I'm waiting for a statement from Benton County Sheriff Scott Jackson in response to this email:

Sheriff Jackson,
In response to requiring background checks for firearms sales between private citizens, Sheriff Daniel in Josephine County has reportedly said: "I can't enforce that law, so therefore it won't be enforced".
How do you plan to enforce this new law?

Not that Sheriff Jackson and I are "Good Buddies" as Maynard Krebbs typified his relationship with Dobie Gillis.  The only action I've ever had with the county sheriff is going in to his office every 5 years to renew my CHL.  (They need new cameras ... lately, the pictures make me look old and bald!)

But I can't find any statement on the subject from his office, and I think this is important since we had a town meeting on Open Carry last month.

Raped in Oregon; I need a Blue Light of Security!

Gun Grab Bill Passes Senate | Oregon Firearms Federation:  (April 14, 2015)

With no surprises, the Oregon Senate today passed SB 941, the universal gun owner registration bill.

I am shocked ... SHOCKED! ... to learn that my elected state representatives voted in a bill which infringes on my constitutional rights.

There are no more private sales of firearms, without the sale being "registered" via a trip to a dealer who will run the transaction through the registration commissars.  (As if felons bought their guns when it's cheaper to steal them.)

This is the work of The Usual Suspects.  May TCHUBLA THE HORRIBLE infest their groins with the fleas of a thousand camels.

I can't even call their offices and threaten to never vote for them again;  I didn't vote for the rascals in the first place.   Hell*, they're probably out tonight having a drink to celebrate their diversity or something.

I feel so helpless, so used, so betrayed.  On the University Campus, they have 'blue lights' on poles, where someone who feels threatened can push a button and a Campus Security Unit (maybe even both guys at the same time) will immediately rush  eventually mosey to their aid.

 I need a blue light in the Senate.   Or at least in my home.

*   The lines to TCHUBLA THE HORRIBLE seem to be down at the moment, so you may experience a 'broken link'.  Comcast has reported a "regional outage" in Hell .. AKA OREGON.

Death by Taser - or a reasonable facimile there-of

This wasn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last time:

Oklahoma deputy charged in suspect's shooting death | Fox News:

TULSA, Okla. –  (April 14, 2015)  Prosecutors charged a reserve sheriff's deputy with manslaughter Monday in the death of a man who was fatally shot as he lay on the ground at the officer's feet — a shooting that was certain to raise questions about the use of volunteer officers to supplement full-time police. The sheriff's office has said Robert Bates, a 73-year-old insurance executive who was volunteering on an undercover operation in Tulsa, mistakenly pulled out his handgun instead of his stun gun and shot the suspect as he struggled with deputies.

Tulsa World TV has the incident video released by the police.

No moralizing about privileged rich guys getting to play cop without proven experience or competence.  Everybody else in world will be saying that.

I'm just saying?

When has this happened before?

Trash Shooters..

Shooting Wire: (April 13, 2015)

 LINCOLN – Target shooting at the Leonard A. Koziol Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has been permanently closed. Target shooting at the WMA in Howard County is now prohibited because of safety concerns, property destruction and excessive littering. Target shooting is permitted on most WMAs. The areas that have target shooting bans are posted with appropriate signs. Call a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission district office in Lincoln (402-471-0641), Norfolk (402-370-3374), North Platte (308-535-8025) or Alliance (308-763-2940) to find out where target shooting is banned in each district.

We've talked about this before, when other open areas have been closed to shooters for the same declared reasons.

I don't know anything about this range, or the people who use it.  Maybe there are a few Trash Shooters who ruin it for everyone.   The best we can do is, when we go to a place where it's currently "permissable" to shoot ... leave it cleaner than you found it.

Maybe that should be the FIRST thing we do.  Clean the range, and if you have any energy left then do what you went there to do.

.... The Worst Gun I Ever Bought? NOT!

10 Lessons I Learned From The Worst Gun I Ever Bought:
*(this is a quote from the cited article ... this is NOT my opinion!)*

The day I turned 21 was one of the most memorable days of my life. Not only for the legal drinks at the local Applebee’s, but for the hour-long trek to a not-so-local gun store to make the most exciting, and ultimately worst, purchase of my life—a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry chambered in .40SW.

(H/T: The Firearms Blog)

Ouch!

I guess that, in many ways, buying a new gun is something of a crap-shoot, but my one and only experience with a Kimber pistol might have been titled:

 "The Best Gun I Ever Bought".

It was 1997, I had been shooting IPSC on and off for over a dozen years, and decided it was time I got rid of that sad Smith and Wesson 659 (decidedly not the best gun I ever bought) and got myself a REAL gun!

Oregon Gun Control Advocates RULE!

Oregon Background Check Bill Hearing Biased Against Pro-gun Speakers:

LocalPDX is reporting now that in a recent two-hour hearing on the new expanded background check bill (SB 941)was less than balanced. 

 The numbers were staggeringly against the bill, many taking time off work to show up.  With only about 20% of them allowed to testify, many times being cut off way before getting into anything that resembled actual arguments. On the flip side, 94% of those that showed up to testify in favor of SB 941 were allowed to testify.  Legislators were also discouraged from asking questions of the citizens that were there to testify.  In all, according to GoLocalPDX 68 people were turned away from speaking with their elected body on a bill that will ultimately directly impact their lives..

April 10, 2015

Oregon Senate Bill SB941

2015 SESSION

Senate Bill 941  RSS FEED FOR THIS BILL

Relating to firearms; declaring an emergency.

Requires private person to complete transfer of firearm by appearing with transferee before gun dealer to request criminal background check or shipping or delivering firearm to gun dealer in certain circumstances.

(H/T: Guns Save Lives)

It's Deja Vu All Over Again,

Politicians only want to hear arguments which support the political positions toward which they are predisposed.  Have a complaint?  Step to the back of the line!

Nobody wants to hear what you have to say.  Go away. 

Measure activity  HOUSE  SENATE

• Mar 26, 2015: Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.
• Mar 26, 2015: Referred to Judiciary.
• Apr 1, 2015: Public Hearing held.
• Apr 2, 2015: Work Session held.
• Apr 6, 2015: Work Session held.
• Apr 9, 2015: Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng.)

The Golden Rule

Fort Hood shooting victim denied benefits, despite Purple Heart decision | Fox News:

 The Obama administration has finally acknowledged that those hurt and killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings were victims of terrorism -- and not “workplace violence,” as it was previously described. But while formal recognition of that is set for Friday, when victims will receive the Purple Heart, it may only be symbolic.

I find it bizarre that a government denies it's military (who defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic) compensation for injuries while serving ... which as a matter of policy refuses to allow servicemen on duty to carry a weapon ... can deny full benefits for victims of wounds and other injuries.

Surely, some of those injured were not activly "on duty" at the time; but others were.   What's the difference between those who were actively "on duty" (an MP?) and those who were 'on base'?

 When I was in the army, when I was in a military base I was always assumed to be "on duty" even if I was not carrying a firearm at the time.

This was obviously a cost-cutting decision, made with no consideration of how the professional service men and women (the person who cut down the murderer was an MP ... but she couldn't be EVERYWHERE!) would react to this patent lack of faith.

The lesson I learned in the military is that loyalty must not only go up the chain of command, but down.  I guess Obama has no understanding of the concepts of loyalty, duty, honor and country.

We're not talking about "Stand Your Ground" civilians here; we're talking about people who were targeted specifically because they were members of the military!

BUT:

The Golden Rule applies here!

Am I as safe handling a pistols as I think I am?

I just read this article from Tim at gunnuts.net, and it made me stop and think:

When do I actually put my finger on the trigger, when I draw at an IPSC match?

I think it's not until my sights come near to aligning on the target I'm engaging, but I don't really know.

I've been competing in IPSC for 30 years now, more or less, and I teach a monthly competition safety at my home range, so I may have become slightly complacent about my draw.   Now I think, maybe I haven't been DQ'd for a "premature discharge" at a match, but am I really that good?  Or am I just that lucky?

Reginald Maulding said:

There comes a time in every man's life when he must make way for an older man.

I'm wondering if there might come a time when I should make way for a younger man?

oh.  No.  Never mind.   To hell with younger men, let them make their OWN mistakes.  I'm going to rest on my laurels and just believe that I've already made enough mistakes, so I'm not going to make this one.

Stilll ......

The All New "IGUN" ....

There are 'smart guns', and then there are SMART GUNS!

"We have an app for that".

   (Hat Tip:  The Hobo Brasser)

GUNBLOGGER: The GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY

I subscribed to GUNBLOGGER.COM a few years years ago, because it gave me direct access to other blogs with which I shared a common interest:  GUNS


It was simple at the time (I thought) because I could access the link and select other blogs that I found interesting.

THE GOOD:

Recently, I found that the website had set up a mechanism which would routinely survey all member blogs, several times a day, an provide all of the most recent posts in a manner which allowed me to get a preview of each blog article, and I could click on it to see what they had to say.  If their articles weren't of interest to me, I could just scroll down to the next article.

This was (and is) A Good Thing, because I got to preview it regularly.  And I do.  I've learned a lot by reading the thoughts of these other bloggers.

Sometimes I get an early Heads-Up about an issue of topical interest to my readers, and I'll write a recap (with a link to the gunblogger article) just to keep my readers informed.

THE BAD:

CC On Campus: Laws Are Bullshit!

Push for concealed guns on campuses is gaining steam @insidehighered:

In all, seven states have laws that allow concealed guns on campus, though the details vary on who can carry where. Twenty states still ban carrying a concealed weapon on a college campus, and 23 states leave the decision up to individual colleges.

This is all touchy-feelie, but in the actual event ... you still can't carry guns on campus in Oregon .. even though State Law allows it.

WARNING:  I know I've posted this information before; more than once.  I'll post it again, just in case someobody hasn't yet heard how Univiersities (at least in Oregon, and probably in other states), unilaterally and arbitrarily abridge the law.

I worked at Oregon State University (one of those "20 states") and the laws have no effect, because college and universities are a law unto themselves.

They will NOT allow anyone to carry on campus, regardless of the status of the CHL holder.

Lee Paige Rides Again! (Senior Moment?)

MILLER: If people kill people, why do we still need more guns? - Odessa American: Editorial:
(March 26, 2015 - Odessa, TX)

Last week, it was reported that a police officer with the Ector County Independent School District accidently discharged his service weapon while trying to clean it.

 Normally, a gun going off is not news. The bullet supposedly ricocheted off a wall and into a ceiling. No one was reportedly injured and the officer was alright.

 This, however, is news because it happened while he was on duty at Crockett Junior High. The district’s explanation was the gun got wet in the rain, and while the officer was cleaning it, it discharged.

The similarity to the Lee Paige incident is ... troubling.


Because so many people seem to think that "only the police and the military should have guns, because they are trained and skilled and not scarey and, like, you know, not scarey!"

The fact is, police and military are human.  Which is to say .. fallible.

And as Fallible Human Beings, they screw up from time to time.

There's only one way to ingrain safe gunhandling practices until the good habits become second nature, and that's experience.

Well, training is important as well, but safe gunhandling is one of those skills which deteriorate if not practiced; often, under supervision, and strictly enforced by that supervision.   Obviously, none of these elements were present here.

Close Air Support and the "Flying Bathtub"

A-10 Warthog Is Out, F-15 and F-16 Are In, Says the Air Force:
(March 22, 2015)

The U.S. Air Force wants to kill the A-10 Warthog. Really, really wants to kill it. But some of the Air Force's ideas for replacing the A-10 are starting to strain credibility.

This is an 'economic' opinion, not a 'tactical' opinion.

The A-10 may be a fabulous CAS platform, but right now, it doesn't have a corporate backer with a truly vital interest in its survival. Northrop Grumman serves as prime contractor to maintain the plane, and Boeing has a contract to upgrade wings on some of the older A-10s, both of which bring in a few tens of millions of dollars annually for the respective companies. But without an actual A-10 Warthog replacement program in place, no one's making billions of dollars off of the Warthog.

Some suplementary commentary  here.

SAFETY IS EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBILITY! (Our Worst Nightmare)

There are some uncomfortable questions that need to  answered here!

Borepatch: Complacency: All you can say is they all got lucky. If you ever work as an R.O. on a range for any event, here's the anti-complacency video of the year.

Range Officer Nightmare; and who is to blame?

Watch, think.  Then discuss:




This surprising event .. a man caught downrange taping targets after the next shooter is already halfway through shooting the stage ...

The questions that need to be answered include:

Semi-Auto Madness: GRIP SAFETY!

Sometimes, it makes me want to just chew my leg off to get out of the trap,

I find myself teaching an advanced "safety" class in a competitive sport, and I expect people who sign up to be experienced, compent and SAFE pistol shooters.

Instead, I too often discover that I am teaching basic pistol skills.

Now, when you read the title you probably thought that the phrase "GRIP SAFETY" had to do with the John Moses Browning (PBUH) design where the external thumb safety must be set 'off', and also that the grip on the support hand must be sufficiently firm to depress the "grip safety'.

No.

What I'm talking about is that it is possible with both revolvers and pistols to GRIP your handgun in such a manner that you may cause physical injury (and a LOT of pain!) when you fire it.

"Laser Sights"

I'm not really sure what the correct nomenclature should be here, but apparently Crimson Trace is the current epitome of (projected) Laser Sights for pistols.


Did you miss that?  The key-word is "PROJECTED".

We'll get back to that in a minute.

Disclaimer:  I'm not bad-mouthing Crimson Trace, 'cause I dont know squat about them.  I just figured that this was a brand name which would be familiar to most readers.  As far as I know, it don't get no better than Crimson Trace!


But if you don't work with the laser sighting technology .. if you don't practice with it, you're not taking full advantage of the technology.  So if you choose to go with that sighting system with your defensive pistol, you absolutely need to change your technique from using sight-alignment to point-shooting and then allow the dot-on-target to ensure target engagement.

Concealed Carry Readiness State Question

Consider that you're carrying a single-action pistol.  A fully loaded magazine is already inserted.  You're licensed, It's legal.  What's your readiness status?

(1) Chanmer empty, hammer down.
(2) Chamber loaded, at half-cock.
(3) Chamber loaded, thumb safety on.

What are the pros and cons?

I already know it takes at least a second or more (on the average) to rack the slide in Condition (1).

But what's the difference in time and .. well, I guess I mean "Confusion vs Safety" between [(1) and (2)], and [(2) and (3)]?

"It's Painful To Watch A Giant Tree Being Killed"

That's a comment recorded on an earlier post "Wildlife Photos", in response to a 1940-1950 era photo of two "lumberjacks" halfway through the onerous job of cutting down a tree with a diameter of over twenty feet.

The thing about my readership is that they are generally fine people with a truly droll sense of humor.   (I don't get a lot of readers who are tree huggers and PETA members, for obvious reasons.)

Anyway, it's not always easy to tell if a sensitive person might have stumbled on my website and made a SINCERE comment.

But I really liked that photo of two small men hewing mightily at a mighty forest leviathan.  Because my father was one of those brotherhood of manly men, and so were most of his brothers.   So I'm going to assume that someone who sincerely mourned the felling of a "Giant Tree" might have seen the photo, and might really have felt that that commercial act was a travesty of nature.

Or yadda-yadda something-or-other.

Anyway ....

Just like a bad neighbor, Microstamping is still there

"Microstamping" is a technique which will invariably, under all circumstances, positively stamp information about the gun which fired a specific cartridge (supposedly recovered at a Crime Scene) and thus lead the police to solve the crime.

The only problem is .. it doesn't work.

Other than that, it's perfect!

Here's the reason why Oregon NEEDS an ASSISTED SUICIDE law ..

Police say Oregon woman self-immolated, crashed car and jumped off bridge | Fox News:

 Police in Oregon say an apparently suicidal woman was being treated for critical injuries (she apparently lived through it) after she intentionally set herself on fire, crashed her car into a guardrail, and jumped 40 feet off a bridge Thursday. According to The Eugene Register-Guard, the 39-year-old woman had recently been reported missing by her family. The paper reported that a 911 caller first spotted the woman's car at around 12:30 p.m. local time. The caller told emergency responders that the interior of the woman's car appeared to be on fire, and she was driving recklessly. After the car crashed into a bridge guardrail, witnesses told police the woman jumped out — on fire — and began taking her clothes off as she ran to the edge of the span. Truck drivers tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers and another person tried to grab the woman, but she was still able to jump, police said.

-emphasis added-

... we're obviously too stupid to manage the job by ourselves!

Wildlife Photos

My friend, "Big John", is an avid shooter.  He competed in international rifle competition (I know there's a proper name for it, but it's a lot like HighPower) a couple of years ago.  He also surfs the net for wildlife photos. HERE is a link to an amazing series of photos from the Rivermen Rod & Gun Club.

Some of these just scream out for captions, so I'll include a small representative sample:

"You can take your "Task Completion Time" estimate and ...."

HillaryLove

Ready for Hillary dumps 'email poster' in 3 for 1 deal | WashingtonExaminer.com: Hillary Clinton's campaign in waiting, Ready for Hillary, is dumping its poster of the now infamous image of Hillary Rodham Clinton in sunglasses reading her Blackberry. An email sent today offered the poster, titled #Ready and that sells for $20.16, in a three for one deal for the very same price.

Where have I seen that picture before?

I'm sure .. oh, wait.  I KNOW!

Training, Practice, Experience. And now ... shame?

Tam had a good look at a loaded muzzle at a gun show, as recounted below:

View From The Porch: The Safety Dance: He mulled that over for a second as I turned away to see what was going on down Mike's way when, out of the corner of my eye, I see the cop unholster his sidearm. I got a real good look at the muzzle in my peripheral vision, and also took extremely good note of the fact that, even if his lack of muzzle discipline was appalling, at least his trigger finger was in register against the frame. Thank heavens.

One only assumes that this Uniformed Officer of the Law (you know, one of the "Only Ones") had been trained in gun safety practices and procedures.  Also that he was experienced.   So we can only conjecture about why he didn't actually PRACTICE safe gun handling.

My guess is a combination of things:

• The only time he draws his firearms is on the range, and
• he doesn't spend a lot of time on the range, and
• that time is not under the direct supervision of a Range Officer, and
• he just never got called on his shoddy skills, so
• safe gun handling was never made to be (in the words of our revered Vice President of the United States of America)  "... A Big F*CKING DEAL!"

I recognize this.   I train new shooters for USPSA competition, and I see a LOT of people who are supposedly experienced, competent gun owners.

They do some really stupid shit.  Like, keeping their finger on the trigger when moving, loading, unloading, or clearing a malfunction.  or waving their pistol around when they're distracted by non-shooting activity.  (One of the more common errors: reaching down to pick up a dropped magazine at the end of the stage without holstering their pistol ... possibly sweeping themselves.)   Or they forget that one of the primary rules is to always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

You okay?

There are four ways you can insure that people who are new to shooting guns have a 'bad experience', resulting in YOU voicing the hopeful question:

You okay?

If you hear yourself saying that, you have probably done something stupid.  And someone else will pay the price.  Either that 'other person' will never again think that shooting a gun is "a good idea", or they will think that continuing their association with you is "a good idea".

The first is problematic; the second is unquestionable.  You are a Gun Dork, and your friends will never be "OKAY".

Here are the four ways to absolutely turn your friendships .. and your prospective shooting partners .. off:

Teaching Pistol Safety: Knuckle-Duster Alert

Have you ever seen someone shoot a semi-automatic pistol with his/her thumb wrapped around his/her wrist?

I have .. and I have ALWAYS stopped it!   That's a good way to hurt yourself ... badly!

Here's how it looks (sorry, it's a staged presentation, It looks kind of crummy, but it DOES demonstrate the problem!)

Selfie Alert: It's difficult to get a good picture of your hands, when you've nestled your digital camera under your chin.  I'm sure you're all familiar with that situation.

Anyway ... looking at the user-end of a 1911 (here, 2011 EDGE from STI), you can see that the knuckle of the off-hand thumb is sticking up into ... or at least near ... the 'glide path' of the slide.

I've seen a LOT of 'new shooters' use this grip, and it's perfectly acceptable if you're a revolver shooter.

But if you're shooting a semi-automatic pistol of ANY brand, make or model ... using this grip is terribly dangerous.

A Day Late and a Shamrock Short

I'm Irish.

Well, a quarter Irish ... blame it on my Paternal Grandmother, who was a Dildine.  (That's an Irish name, trust me on this.)

And I failed to observe St. Patrick's day properly.

I was sober.

Sure, and I'm happy to drink my friends' Jameson's, but I actually prefer Canadian Whiskey (MacNaughton's) when I have to buy my own liqueur.  And that's just wrong, in so many ways.  On the other hand, I'm a quarter Scots, so perhaps that explains my moral error.

I feel I've let the Ould Sod down, somehow, by not getting stinking drunk.   I hope my family doesn't learn about this ... my daughter married an Irishman (hope that's not a racial term, like "Chinaman", which got a Fox News commentator fired) and I have enjoyed many a tipple while celebrating National Holidays.  You know, like Independence Day, and Friday?

Hopefully, my Irish brethren will forgive me for not making a public spectacle of myself.  I promise to be a better Irishman in the future.

Makin' Bacon .. the Full Auto Way!

How to Cook Bacon Using Automatic Weapons and Suppressors [VIDEO]:

Bacon. Suppressors. Automatic Weapons. These are a few of my favorite things. In what maybe the most American video ever posted to YouTube, Top Shot Season 3 champion Dustin Ellerman managed to combine all three and prevent trichinosis all in one awesome video.

Perhaps my destiny is to point my readers to quality content available on other blogspots.

But I'm not too proud to steal their videos!

Maryland Considers Bill To Confiscate Guns From 110,000 Registered Gun Owners - Bearing Arms

Bearing Arms Maryland Considers Bill To Confiscate Guns From 110,000 Registered Gun Owners - Bearing Arms:

 If passed into law, the new bill would require police to run a check twice a year in search of convicted felons with registered guns.

I was under the impression that the Supreme Court had decided that felons were not required to register firearms.  Something about self incrimination .....

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.