My Tumultuous Adventure

Not tragic, stupid.

2012-02-12T09:26:00.000-06:00

Sick, sad, and ashamed.

2012-02-09T09:39:00.000-06:00

Go read this article about the situation in Afghanistan by Lt. Col. Daniel L Davis posted by OldNFO (who asked for thoughts at his place).

My first thought after reading it was that I was glad I'd never joined the military. In the end I was left feeling sick, sad, and ashamed.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but this country stopped deserving the military men and women that are willing to put on our nation's uniform a long time ago. They're honorable, self sacrificing, and good people on the average and we saddle them with a bunch of corrupt kleptocrats who think you develop strategy by taking an opinion poll once a month.

February Gun Giveaways.

2012-02-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

Courtesy of Aaron at the Weapon Blog.

Tidbits.

2012-02-08T19:16:00.000-06:00

- Today was my first day at work that I didn't come home with a sore leg, which was nice. Except for a few times I didn't notice any pain at all which is a huge improvement from last week. I worked as late today as I did just about every work day last week and I feel like I have a whole lot more energy so I'm guessing the pain was taking more out of me than I realized.

- Yesterday my friend Kris posted this on my Facebook wall: "I was just thinking the other day that if the world fell to chaos, I'd head to Birmingham and hang near you. I think I'd feel safer that way. I know, totally random. I think about stuff like this. Haha." That made me feel pretty awesome.

- Over the weekend my Sony 5-disc DVD player shit the bed. It will power on but I can't get it to load any DVDs so I guess I'll be upgrading to a BluRay player in the next month or so. Thinking about this one. For the time being I'll muddle along using the DVD player in my laptop.

- I'm really, really enjoying watching the first season of Boardwalk Empire on DVD.

I would love a lever action shotgun.

2012-02-07T09:23:00.002-06:00

Just not this one.

An Award!

2012-02-07T06:05:00.002-06:00

Yesterday OldNFO left me a comment letting my know he'd given my blog an award. I'm honored to be one of the five he picked, and thankful for the kind words he had to say about me.

Below are the rules of the award:

1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award
3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the ~~five~~ fifteen blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs.

So, here are my five:

1. OldNFO-Yes, the very man who gave me this award. The why of it is simple. I've enjoyed his blog since the first time I came across it. He is man who has a wealth of experience and a history of long service to his country. He is an excellent story teller and does not pull any punches when it comes to saying when he thinks. I'll take brutal honesty from someone I disagree with (which is not often in this case) any day of the week. He is also one of the few bloggers who I've met in real life, and true pleasure to have shared a firing line with.

2. North-I always look forward to another of his Whiteboard Words of Wisdom and the great photos he posts. He's also one of the few bloggers who has made a point to comment on my random scribblings.

3. Random Acts of Patriotism-Another very enjoyable read. We don't always agree on every issue but we can disagree completely and recognize the value of the discussion and the importance of having the freedom to disagree. I really enjoy his posts about older rifles and uncompromising attitude when it comes to politicians and their games.

4. Tango Juliet-A fellow disciple of the 1911. He also has great taste in movies.

5. American Mercenary-This is a blog full of information that will be very helpful to anyone who is ever faced with having to actually fight a tyrannical government, written by someone who is a soldier and father that recognizes that the dangers facing us in the years to come exist both outside and within our borders. He's also funny.

Most of bloggers I've listed have been awarded at least once already, but these are my favorites and there is definitely a reason they definitely deserve multiple awards.

Feb. 7, 2005.

2012-02-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

Seven years ago I put up my first post on this blog. At the time it was an AOL Journal. AOL did away with those but gave all the users the option to move all their posts over to blogger. I took advantage of that.

I really started this as just a record of my life and what was going on. It still is that in a lot of ways, but I slowly over the last few years shifted into doing a lot of gun blogging. I didn't start as a gun blogger. I was a blogger long before guns become such a central focus for me.

Gun blogging opened up a whole new world for me, and introduced me to host of intriguing personalities who have a lot more to talk about than just guns.

I have changed a lot over the years as I've gained more knowledge and experience in the world. I owe a lot of thanks for that knowledge to all of the other bloggers I read, even the ones I've had disagreements with. They've made me think, pointed me in new and interesting directions, and challenged my prejudices on a variety of topics.

I'd like to thank all of you who have stopped by to read what I have to say, commented, and occasionally linked me at your own blogs. So, thanks!

I'll see your knife, and raise you a shotgun!

2012-02-06T10:35:00.000-06:00

It seems a local asshole suffered an acute failure of the victim selection process when he pulled a knife on a business owner:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Authorities today released the identity of a man fatally shot Friday night inside a North Birmingham business.

Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Phillip Russell identified the victim as William Leon Mason, 42.

Birmingham police said Mason had been going to several shops around 27th Street North and harassing people when a shop owner told him to leave his business -- Soul Ville Head Shop.
Mason pulled a knife on the shop owner, and the shop owner pulled a shotgun and fired, striking Mason in the chest, authorities said.

Yet the anti-gunners would prefer the business owner be unarmed and at the mercy of a knife wielding man. This will be listed as a 'gun death,' and in fact the Birmingham News' headline almost makes you think some poor innocent was shot until you read the actual article and find out it was a defensive gun use.

Quote of the Day: Busy Bodies

2012-02-06T10:01:00.001-06:00

I hate HR:

The pretentious 20-something year old human resources chick said “I understand you were not offended, and yes, it was a private discussion, but two of your coworkers brought this incident to our attention because they were offended on your behalf, and were outraged that you were subjected to this type of language in the office.”

Offended by proxy. How in holy hell did we let things get this out of hand?

RTWT

H/t Captain Capitalism

A strength I will admit I've never had.

2012-02-03T20:50:00.001-06:00

And because of that, one I respect all the more. Care of OldNFO here is a poem about what it is to be a US Marine, followed by a letter from the warrior poet to his father:

We all came together,
Both young and old
To fight for our freedom,
To stand and be bold.

In the midst of all evil,
We stand our ground,
And we protect our country
From all terror around..

Peace and not war,
Is what some people say.
But I'll give my life,
So you can live the American way.

I give you the right
To talk of your peace.
To stand in your groups,
And protest in our streets.

But still I fight on,
I don't bitch, I don't whine.
I'm just one of the people
Who is doing your time.

I'm harder than nails,
Stronger than any machine.
I'm the immortal soldier,
I'm a U..S. MARINE!

So stand in my shoes,
And leave from your home.
Fight for the people who hate you,
With the protests they've shown.
Fight for the stranger,
Fight for the young.
So they all may have,
The greatest freedom you've won.

Fight for the sick,
Fight for the poor.
Fight for the cripple,
Who lives next door.

But when your time comes,
Do what I've done.
For if you stand up for freedom,
You'll stand when the fight's done
By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert , US Marine Corps USS SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF

Hey Dad,
Do me a favor and label this 'The Marine' and send it to everybody on your email list. Even leave this letter in it. I want this rolling all over the US and Canada and The World. I want every home reading it. Every eye seeing it. And every heart to feel it. So can you please send this for me? I would but my email time isn't that long and I don't have much time anyway.

You know what Dad? I wondered what it would be like to truly understand what JFK said in his inaugural speech. 'When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it.' Well, now I know. And I do.. Dad, I welcome the opportunity to do what I do. Even though I have left behind a beautiful wife, and I will miss the birth of our first born child, I would do it 70 times over to fight for the place that God has made for my home. I love you all and I miss you very much. I wish I could be there when Sandi has our baby, but tell her that I love her, and Lord willing, I will be coming home soon. Give Mom a great big hug from me and give one to yourself too.
Aaron

Pass it along.

Stupid.

2012-02-03T20:18:00.001-06:00

"I am the only one professional enough to steal guns from the evidence locker."

TARRANT, Alabama -- A former Tarrant police officer who resigned in January after a probe into guns stolen from the department's evidence locker has been charged with theft and is surrendering to authorities.

He has been booked into the county jail and is being held on a $135,000 bond. I hope he can't come up with the money, and I hope he is convicted of the felony charges. Stealing from the evidence locker...what a moron.

Hats off to the Tarrant PD for investigating and following through with the charges, as well as for requesting an outside agency to perform it's own investigation for the sake of objectivity.

Trying to stay positive.

2012-02-02T16:27:00.000-06:00

Work is starting a to become a place I dread. While my skill level and ability have shown a steady and documented rise over the last six months I've had more negative encounters with management in the last month than in the almost two years of employment prior.

It's extremely disheartening to have spent six months working hard making improvements after I realized things were not good, have no feedback or encouragement even though I made a definite turn around, only to now when I'm starting to feel some real pride for what I'm doing to start getting the "you're not doing well enough and you'd better fix it but don't take this conversation as a negative because I'm trying to help you" speech. No, you're trying to cover your ass in case the overall numbers don't look good. You don't give a flying fuck all about me.

I hate corporate speak. I hate the "We're all in this together!" bullshit when every manager in the place is working hard and fast to generate whatever paper trail they can to cover their own asses. And I don't blame them. It's the only way they can survive in a corporate environment (short of nepotism).

I saw this coming. I fucking predicted it when some people got promoted and some left. I knew the days of CYA were inbound.

I'm too honest and too outspoken. Those are my biggest weaknesses in a "CYA is all that matters" environment. I'm just going to have to force myself to keep my mouth shut and get my numbers up however I can.

And I'm going to have to start looking at other options. It's clear to me that the larger an organization you work for the more frustrating and demoralizing the environment will be. I will do this job as long as I have to, but as soon as I see something better on the horizon I'm jumping ship. I'm going to have to for my own sanity.

And yes, I understand my stresses and unhappinesses are nothing compared to some other people's. I'm sympathetic. But I can only live my life, and deal with it the best way I can. One of those ways is to come on my blog and bitch and moan about the things that make me unhappy. If you think it's pathetic, silly, or a waste of time you don't have to read it. This is my place to vent, even about my stupid, first world, civilian, American, white, male, petty frustrations.

Things will probably get better. I've managed to improve myself and my situation a little bit more every day. I'll continue to do that as long as I can. But in the mean time it helps some to bitch about it.

Chris Costa Action Figure.

2012-02-02T10:16:00.000-06:00

Completely silly. I want one.

Details here.

H/t The Firearms Blog

Robert's Picks

2012-01-31T18:58:00.001-06:00

Books:

The Outlaws by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV (very good)

Do Unto Others by Michael Z. Williamson (very good)

Dead Zero by Stephen Hunter (good)

Movies:

Sharpe's Rifles (good)

Columbiana

Sharpe's Eagle (good)

Hating the government in 3 easy steps.

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

1. Make over $30,000 for the year.

2. Pay nearly $6,000 in taxes.

3. Complete your tax return only to realize you still owe both Federal and State tax.

Yet Congress can raise the debt ceiling by another trillion dollars like it's nothing. I guess it is nothing. It's not like it's their money. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention.

Back at it.

2012-01-27T19:35:00.000-06:00

I'll be heading back to work tomorrow. I'm still limping a bit and have to be careful how I twist but I feel well enough to work. I can stay on my feet as long as I need to and I'm okay carrying extra weight. I'll only have to work Saturday and Sunday before I'm off for another two days anyway.

My last paycheck was a nice one so I finally pulled the trigger and picked up an HDTV. Nothing special, just a Vizio 32" LCD. The price was right and it had the VGA port so I can use it as an external monitor which is very nice.

Paid a shit ton of bills today as well, including paying off a credit card. I got a little ahead of the curves since my next paycheck is going to royally suck. Hopefully things will be picking up by the end of February when Dish Network releases their new system that will handle up to four HDTVs will HD and DVR. I think we'll be seeing a lot of new customers and a lot of upgrades.

Anyway, I think I'll get back to doing my taxes.

Your 5 Most Wanted.

2012-01-26T12:47:00.001-06:00

Robb Allen asks:

What 5 guns do you lust after?

If price nor practicality were an issue, the five guns I would purchase would be:

5. FN FAL

I'd want a paratrooper version with folding stock and shorter barrel (16" max barrel length). This would probably be a custom job to get exactly the configuration I want.

4. IMI Galil

Preferably a 7.62 version, but I'm be happy with 5.56.

3. FN SCAR-17

Because, well, because. I would consider a Remington ACR in 6.8mm as a possible substitution.

2. S&W .41 Magnum

I'm not sure of the exact model, but I'd want one with a 4" barrel. I've actually never fired one, but I've held one and I fell in love. This just seems like an awesome wheel gun that I would love to strap on once and while, plus it's an atypical caliber which I like.

1. Custom 1911 chambered in .38 Super

For this one I'm not sure which manufacturer I would use. That would depend on who has the best reputation for making a reliable .38 Super 1911. No, it wouldn't be .45 ACP. If I'm going to put some serious money into a full up custom 1911 I want it to stand out from the crowd, and .38 Super is a seriously cool round. This would not be a BBQ for me, but an everyday carry self defense pistol so I'd want it to run very damned well.

My extension ladder tried to murder me.

2012-01-25T18:01:00.001-06:00

I was checking a customer's home to see if I could get a clear line of sight for an international satellite dish early this afternoon when my ladder decided it wanted to be on the ground.

The customer was rather affluent and wanted a second satellite dish because his wife enjoys watching French television. I was checking to see if I could put the new dish behind an existing one.

My 20' ladder was almost completely extended, the top three rungs above the gutter of this two story house. It seemed level when I placed it but when I was a little over three-quarters of the way up it started sliding to the left along the gutter (I think the left foot may have sunk into the ground after I started climbing). I attempted to lean in the opposite direction to arrest the slide but had no luck. The safest thing to do seemed to be to ride the ladder down since I was falling toward an upslope.

My ladder hit a tree and then a Generac generator and I went off. I landed hard on my legs, my right leg hitting hard on the ground and twisting. My left leg hit a rung of the ladder and and scraped down it.

When I was on the ground and nothing was moving I felt that I was hurt, possibly very badly. I managed to get myself into a sitting position with my back against an A/C unit. My right leg was in extreme pain. I was seeing stars. Prior experience led me to believe that the pain was going to cause me to pass out soon.

I managed to get my phone out and call my office. I let the guy who answered know I'd fallen and might have broken a leg. A maid from the next house over heard me fall and came out to check on me. When she got to me I was only able to tell her I thought I was hurt pretty bad and that I had help on the phone.

Then I passed out.

I came to not long after to hear her trying to tell my boss where we were. I managed to get out the address and talk to him for a minute. When I hung up with him I started checking my right leg to see if I had any bones sticking out. Nothing like that, but the pain from moving it around made me pass out again.

I came to again and now had the maid and her boss out there, a older gentleman named Claire. We talked a bit while the maid went to get me a glass of water and I tried to stay still so my head would clear. I was covered in cold sweat. I knew I hadn't hit my head but I was most certainly in shock and didn't want to go out again.

Claire told me how he was lucky he was a big man since he went through hell as a kid with that name. He said he was named after his father who was an Olympic boxer. I wish I could remember the last name.

I called my supervisor to let him to know he might need help. If my leg was broken I was afraid I'd pass out again if I stood up and I'm no light weight.

I felt well enough to hobble up the hill to the van when he got there about thirty minutes later. I was actually able to weight the leg a bit. I was worried though. A busted leg or tore up knee, and I thought it might be both, would put me out of work for a long time.

Fast forward to the emergency room. Did the check in dance, got examined by a doc, had a lot of x-rays taken of my leg. The I got a tetnus shot and was offered a loritab. I passed on the pill. I wasn't in a whole lot of pain and I don't like narcotics if I can avoid them.

X-rays came back clean. I've got full range of movement in both legs. My right actually hurts a bit more at this point. I twisted my ankle and where I hit the ladder rung is probably deeply bruised.

They sent me home with crutches and a prescription for pain pills and muscle relaxers. I may fill that tomorrow if I feel I need it otherwise I won't worry about it.

I've got my legs propped up right now and I'm having my follow up with Dr. Wild Turkey. I was scheduled to be off tomorrow anyway, and hopefully I'll be back to work by Friday.

I'm feeling a bit lucky. I was adamantly convinced I'd broken my lower right leg or had severely torn up my knee. Turns out I'm just badly banged up, but not broken.

Quote of the Day: Self Reliance.

2012-01-25T07:47:00.001-06:00

This one comes from a long time friend who was the first person to ever leave a comment on my scribblings back in the AOL Journal days:

Today I have grease and dirt under my nails and on my shirt and ratty jeans. There was a streak on my face before I washed it. My hair is coming out of the elastic I put it up in before I crawled underneath my vehicle. I am thrilled most especially about the grease and dirt on my jeans. They already have massive rips in them–the real kind that were put there by use rather than some designer–and now I have matching stains to go with them. Normally I try to stay clean, but today I feel like the grime is a badge of honor, a testimony to my usefulness. It feels pretty fantastic.

RTWT. This is a person I've known, albeit online, for a long time. She has a new blog and it's off to a great start. While we don't always agree, she is someone I have a very high level of respect for. The girl is fierce.

Meanwhile...

2012-01-24T18:01:00.000-06:00

In Alabama.

Public Education.

2012-01-24T10:44:00.002-06:00

Such a success!

Religion of Peace.

2012-01-24T10:23:00.002-06:00

Except not.

JAIPUR, India – An Indian literary festival canceled a video conference with author Salman Rushdie days after he called off a personal appearance due to protests and threats.

Festival organizers decided to cancel the video address to avoid violence by Muslim activists gathered at the Jaipur Literary Festival, an organizer, Sanjoy Roy, said.

"We have been pushed to the wall. ... Earlier today, a number of organizations came to us and threatened violence," Roy said.

"Tolerance" seems to mean bowing down every time someone threatens you because you offend their imaginary friend in the sky. Me? I'm intolerant, which means when you threaten me with violence I'll shoot you in the face.

Chief Julie Joyner of Elberta, Alabama speaks truth.

2012-01-20T06:15:00.003-06:00

Following a homeowner shooting and criticallty injuring a burglar the good Chief had this to say:

"They have to protect themselves," Joyner said. "My officer was in route when the phone call was initiated to 911."

"That's each persons decision they have to make for themselves; to protect their home and their family as best they can."

The homeowner will not be charged, of course.

Criminal Minds, or What I Learned From TV.

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's a pretty good show. I've been watching old seasons for a while on DVD for a while thanks to Netflix.

A few things the show always makes me think: Always be armed. And, be aware of your surroundings.

The victims in the show are almost always not paying attention to what is going on around them or they're in a situation where they should see something bad happening and don't leave, or they can't leave and aren't armed.

Of course, being a Hollywood product there is a sneer at civilian defensive gun use (whether conscious or unconscious). The few times a non-LEO tries to use a firearm in self defense they either fumble and make the situation worse or get killed outright. That's liberal parroting of "having a gun will only make it worse" bullshit, but whatever. That may work on TV, but in real life real people die and real cops fuck up or are "just minutes away" when someone is using an ax to take down your bedroom door.

Here is something to take away from the show, though. The killers they portray? Those types of people are out there everyday. And just like the FBI characters in the show, your best defense against them is to be AWARE, and to be ARMED and WILLING to defend yourself.

I don't ever what the FBI investigating me or someone I care about as victim of a serial killer. I want them pissed off that I or someone else stole their thunder by putting two in the fucker's heart and one in his mind (or her mind).

This makes me sick.

2012-01-19T09:40:00.001-06:00

Cop kills chained dog and threatens to kill homeowner while trespassing:

“When I ran to the garage and saw my dog laying there dead and I'm looking at blood, I lost it,” Bobbie Currie said.

Around 9 p.m., a DeKalb officer went to her home on Silva Court in response to a domestic dispute call with a possibly armed person. The officer said the family’s German shepherd lunged at him, so he killed the dog. The recently rescued animal was chained in the garage when the shooting happened.

Currie’s husband, Anthony, said the officer also pointed his gun at him and told him to put his hands up.

“I said, ‘Why [did] you shoot my dog?’ And he said, ‘Well, I'll blow your brains out.’ I said, ‘Hold on a minute, you just killed my dog. Why you want to blow my brains out? My hands are up.’ I said, ‘I don't have no gun,’” Anthony Currie said.

He went to the wrong house (Cops have such mad skills they can text while driving but apparently can't navigate). No disciplinary action. Just an honest mistake, ya know? There is an extreme lack of accountability here that fills me with disgusts.

H/t SayUncle

They're coming home.

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Those Korean War M1s.

H/t Maddened Fowl

Hey, look!

2012-01-17T10:51:00.000-06:00

It's a new Kimber!

On The Range #60

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Got my butt outside to do a little shooting yesterday.

I've never done a lot of shooting from cover so I used some plastic 50 gallon barrels I have to do just that. First I worked with the AR, then with the pistol. I also worked on transitioning from rifle to pistol, reloads, etc.

I shot 120 rounds of .223 and 100 of .45 ACP. I had no malfunctions with either the AR or the 1911. So far that's 240 rounds through the AR with no issues and no issues with the 1911 since I threw out a bunch of old magazines.

I've now shot over 4,000 rounds through my RIA 1911. There have been plenty of ups and downs but it's served me well to date. I need to replace my recoil spring again.

I'm still pretty set on picking up either an M&P9 or a Glock 17 in the near future. Shooting 9mm seems like a very good way to get the best bang for my buck.

That said 1911 pistols will probably remain my first love and I'll be looking forward to the day when I can afford one of the high end models.

Drugs are bad.

2012-01-13T16:29:00.000-06:00

Marijuana is dangerous, but not for the reasons you may think.

Quote of the Day: Weer'd Beard

2012-01-12T10:43:00.000-06:00

Weer'd commenting on this post from SayUncle:

And I’m wondering if these RINOs and idiots losing to Obama is a BAD thing.

No matter how the election goes, if a RINO wins, some party pointy-head will declare it a public mandate on RINOS.

Exactly.

Borepatch throws down the gauntlet.

2012-01-12T09:48:00.000-06:00

Follow the link to learn all about his noble challenge of a cowardly troll.

Robert's Picks

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Books:

How Firm A Foundation by David Weber (excellent)

Young Miles (The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning, The Vor Game) by Lois McMaster Bujold (very good)

The Weapon by Michael Z. Williamson (excellent)

Movies:

Valkyrie (very good)

They fired the prick.

2012-01-11T20:29:00.000-06:00

It's about time Harless was given his walking papers. Unfortunately, some are trying to excuse his behavior as being a result PTSD. Sorry, but that's bullshit. Plenty of people suffer from that disorder and manage just fine with out repeatedly threatening to kill a restrained prisoner who did nothing wrong.

I find former officer Harless to be a pathetic excuse for a human being and an utter disgrace. He should be awaiting trial and should go to jail. Instead the bastard will probably end up collecting a disability check if he doesn't find some way to get himself reinstated.

H/t Guns, Cars, and Tech

State mandated theft.

2012-01-10T06:00:00.002-06:00

Feds steal a collector's vintage military plane.

Good shoot.

2012-01-09T06:15:00.000-06:00

There is no other way for me to describe this shooting of a Brownsville, TX 15-year old. You point a gun at someone, that is a threat of deadly force. They are justified in shooting you and killing your dumb ass dead. If it turns out later the 'gun' was actually a pellet gun that doesn't matter. If you made them think you had a lethal weapon then you get treated like you had a lethal weapon.

January gun giveaways.

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Aaron at The Weapon Blog.

Light a candle.

2012-01-08T07:37:00.000-06:00

Light a candle to shine some light on your means of stopping criminal violence.

Thanks to Weer'dBeard for coming up with this meme to call out the anti's for their idiocy when it comes to violence. They are only concerned with one kind of violence, as if being murdered with a gun is somehow worse than being beaten to death.

Wookie.

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Breda posted this on Facebook.

WANT!!1

3+ hours.

2012-01-05T20:08:00.000-06:00

That's been my average trip from home to my first job and back again. 1.5 there and 1.5 back. Plus 30 minute to 1 hour drives between jobs. It's been like this for a few weeks now and it sucks. I have little free time when I finally get home and all that time sitting on my ass is getting to my back.

Hopefully the long drives will be coming to an end soon because I am truly sick of them already.

Railed.

2012-01-03T19:06:00.000-06:00

Ordered the Yankee Hill 2-piece tactical handguards for the AR Friday. It arrived today with a free mouse pad (thanks BCM!). It was easy to install. No rattle. So far I like it. Now I can start hanging shit on it and generally pissing of the streamline Nazis. Yay!

THIS is why I need to hunt with a machine gun!!

2012-01-02T15:51:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year.

2011-12-31T19:18:00.000-06:00

I worked today and will probably work tomorrow so I won't be joining in any festivities tonight. 2011 was an improvement over 2010. Hopefully 2012 will see that trend continuing.

Haha!

2011-12-29T18:46:00.001-06:00

D.C. ordered to cough up the cash:

WASHINGTON – The District of Columbia has been ordered to pay more than $1 million in attorneys' fees as a result of a historic gun case that was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dick Heller sued the city in 2003 over its ban on handgun ownership and the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the ban in June 2008, saying it violated the Second Amendment.

A federal judge on Thursday issued an opinion awarding Heller's attorneys $1,137,072.27 in fees and expenses. The attorneys had argued they should be awarded $3.1 million. Attorneys for the city said the figure should be closer to $840,000.

Yeah, I know. The taxpayers are the ones paying for this. I'd rather tax money, even mine, going to Alan Gura than going into Mayor's crack pipe.

Remember when...

2011-12-29T06:15:00.001-06:00

Remember when Bill Clinton sent US soldiers into Rwanda to stop the genocide taking place there? Remember how he was hounded from office afterwards? Oh, shit. He was re-elected. I guess that means he made the right decision (at least for a majority of US voters).

Remember when George W. Bush sent US soldiers into Darfur to stop the genocide taking place there? Remember how he was hounded from office afterwards? Oh, shit. He was re-elected. I guess that means he made the right decision (at least for a majority of US voters).

Remember when you* wrote that blog post, or forum/blog comment, about how your gun was to protect you and your family and it wasn't your responsibility to protect someone else?

If a President has a moral and ethical responsibility to send the men and women of his armed forces to fight and die to save the lives of people living in another nation, being killed by their own government or a foreign invader, then do I not have the same responsibility to fight and die to save another individual who is beset upon by someone who means them lethal harm?

*I have no one in particular in mind, but I've sure read that a lot over the years from a lot of different people.

A very enlightening (not to mention depressing) read.

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

The Corruption of America.

Puts things very much into perspective.

H/t The Smallest Minority

Quote of the Day

2011-12-26T18:29:00.001-06:00

"If the law says that such a board or authority may do what it pleases, anything that board or authority does is legal---but its actions are certainly not subject to the Rule of Law. By giving the government unlimited powers, the most arbitrary rule can be made legal; and in this way a democracy may set up the most complete despotism imaginable."

-FA Hayek, The Road to Serfdom

Tell me we aren't there.

To all of my liberal friends:

2011-12-25T06:16:00.000-06:00

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . This wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To all of my conservative friends:

Merry Christmas! And have a Happy New Year!

Stolen from a FB post by Michael Z. Williamson (who you should friend on FB because he stirs the shit often and frequently to my great amusement).

Cookiecookiecookiecookie!!!1

2011-12-21T06:15:00.000-06:00

Found a box sitting outside my door Monday. Opened it up and found a surprise inside from LuckyGunner:

Gun shaped shortbread cookies!

They are pretty tasty too. Thanks LuckyGunner!

New knife.

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I mentioned a while back that I'd be picking up a new knife in the near future. Well, it arrived from Amazon.com today:

CRKT M21-14SFG

I've only had it for a few hours so i have not been able to do much with it, but I like it. It's big for a folding knife. You could easily bludgeon someone with it. It's a got a locking system on so that when it's open it's locked open by more than just the line lock so you've got damned near a fixed blade. With just a little practice pulling it out your pocket will open the blade for you. Taking advantage of this feature requires moving the pocket clip but that's easily accomplished with a small hex key. It also has a thumb stud if you prefer opening it that way.

They are on sale now at Amazon if you're interested.

Magpul ASAP

2011-12-20T09:59:00.001-06:00

Last night I installed a Magpul ASAP-Ambidextrous Sling Attachment Point on my AR.

It was easy to install and seems like it will work great with my Condor single point sling. Hopefully I'll be able to get out to the range with it soon!

Just take it.

2011-12-19T14:40:00.001-06:00

I find myself moving more and more towards the idea that if you are a police officer you are part of the problem.

Robert's Picks

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Books:

Carnifex by Tom Kratman (excellent)

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris (very good)

Dead Six by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari (excellent)

Movies:

Passchendaele (very good)

Super 8 (very good)

Sanjuro

Duck, You Sucker (good)

Tropic Thunder (good)

Time Man of the Year.

2011-12-15T07:35:00.002-06:00

I'm just saying, they have a history of picking douche nozzles.

Happy Birthday.

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

To me. I'm 27 today.

Hornady Zombie Max .45 ACP

2011-12-14T06:15:00.001-06:00

I picked up a box of .45 ACP Zombie Max Monday at Academy Sports. They also had .223 but I didn't feel like spending any more money on what is probably going to just sit in and ammo can, only to come out for laughs.

Handy tips.

On The Range #59

2011-12-14T06:00:00.002-06:00

Tuesday I got myself outside to do a little shooting, first with the AR, and then with my 1911.

Last week I got a mid length upper from DSA to replace the one I screwed up. I put thirty rounds down range to get the AR zeroed with the new upper last week, and today I put another 90 down range with no issues.

First I fired 3 rounds at 50 and then another 3 at 100 yards just to get an idea of where I'd be hitting at those distances. I used single sheet of white paper so I'd have a high visibility target since my eyes are not that great.

I did the distance shooting supported.

I don't have anywhere easily accessible to shoot at longer distances, but I'm going to try and set something up at some point in the future.

After seeing where I was hitting at 50 and 100 yards I moved in closer and worked on some stuff from the Art of the Tactical Carbine DVD. I shoot left handed so that means I have to do reloads and other manipulations a little differently than your average person. It's fairly easy to adapt if you have to.

When I finished up with the AR I moved on to shooting my 1911. I did a lot of work on fundamentals, concentrating on grip, stance, and trigger control while also working on draws and reloads for 50 rounds.

I finished up my pistol shooting with Dot Torture, scoring 46/50 at 3 yards.

46/50 was an improvement over last week's 43/50

I excluded a couple of magazines from my pistol shooting that I suspected were the cause of a lot of the issues I've been having with my 1911. I didn't have near as many issues this time. In fact, the only problems I had were with one magazine that I had noted as a potential issue. I dumped all three in the trash. I'll have to pick up some more as soon as I can.

More like this, please.

2011-12-13T07:23:00.000-06:00

On December 3, 2011, the United States got a kick ass "+1" as Iain Harrison became a United States citizen.

H/t JayG

Nano, G26, LC9 Comparison.

2011-12-12T11:24:00.000-06:00

Another video by Destinee after a range trip with all three:

I think this was great way of reviewing the guns. An individual review of each can get skewed, IMO. Having the three side by side is a good way to see what works best for the individual, and it gives you an idea of the various aspects of the pistols in comparison to each other. If you've had experience with one, you can get a little idea of what the others are like.

It would be nice to know what kind of holsters, if any, she uses or would use for the guns. Also, a bit of advice that might help her with her shooting would be to get both those elbows straight. I wouldn't mind seeing her shooting a little more in the video, but that's just because I like to see guns in action more.

Another cool video and a good follow up to the last one.

Coming to you straight from Radio Robert.

2011-12-12T11:14:00.000-06:00

My commute to my first job went like this:

"Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys

"Another Day" by Pomplamoose

"Schools Out" by Alice Cooper

"I Want Action" by Poison

"Gone Blind" by Sue Foley

"Pyscho" by Puddle Of Mudd

"Prime Mover" by Zodiac Mindwarp

"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by Dropkick Murphys

"The Razor's Edge" by AC/DC

"Eine Kline Nachtmusik" (Serande No.13 in G Major)

"The Ride" by David Allan Coe

"Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters

"Master of Puppets" by Metallica

"Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash

"Glory Box" by Portishead

Work is kicking my ass.

2011-12-09T21:10:00.002-06:00

Hopefully I'll have some time for this next week.

Did you about the principal who suspended a kid for calling a teacher cute?

2011-12-08T07:42:00.000-06:00

He was forced to resign.

Dec. 7, 1941

2011-12-07T12:00:00.001-06:00

They bombed us. A few years later we nuked them. They surrendered unconditionally.

Yes, it's more complicated than that, but it's a strategy we should probably consider revisiting.

2011-12-07T11:39:00.001-06:00

Destinee emailed me and some other bloggers and asked us to check out her YouTube channel and a first impressions video she did of the Beretta Nano:

Not bad! I'll be checking out the other videos and maybe sharing some of those as well.

Adaptive Kalash

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

I admit it, I'm interested. I want to pick up an AK at some point. The fuckers are every where and I don't think it would be a bad idea to know how to run one. This looks like a good intro to the rifle.

Quote fo the Day: Safe Sports

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

According to the NSSF:

A person is 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball than hunting.
A person is 19 times more likely to be injured snowboarding than hunting.
A person is 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or bicycle riding than hunting.
A person is 34 times more likely to be injured playing soccer or skateboarding than hunting.
A person is 105 times more likely to be injured playing tackle football than hunting.

Who'd a thunk it?

H/t Shall Not Be Questioned

Brass.

2011-12-05T14:07:00.000-06:00

I have in the ballpark of thirty pounds of once fired .45 ACP brass. I have no idea how many individual pieces that amounts to, thousands I'm sure.

Of course, I don't have the first piece of reloading equipment to my name, and I'm not sure if I want to take it up. I probably should get a simple set up for preparedness reasons, but it's an expense I never seem to budget for.

"You're cute" = Sexual Harassment

2011-12-05T06:30:00.004-06:00

This fall squarely in the YGTBFKM category:

A 9-year-old boy North Carolina boy was suspended for calling a teacher “cute,” WSOCTV.com reports.

The boy’s mother, Chiquita Lockett, said the principal of Brookside Elementary in Gastonia called her after the incident to say the comment was a form of “sexual harassment.”

I'm sorry, but if the teacher felt she was sexually harassed by being called cute then she is a fucking idiot and should consider suicide, or at the least sterilization. Ditto for the principal and any other school official who thinks a two day suspension is the proper way to to respond to a student calling a teacher cute.

Funny.

2011-12-05T06:15:00.001-06:00

Texts from Bennett. Check it out. I went to high school with a few guy's just like Bennett.

H/t Jaded Haven

Unpossible. The Post Office is a gun free zone.

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

Seems there was a shooting in a victim disarmament zone in Montgomery, AL:

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Officers who handled a shooting at a Montgomery post office Thursday night were lauded today for quick action. Post-Columbine police training was cited as helping to defuse the issue with no injuries and no police gunfire.

Arthur Lee Darby Jr., a 29-year-old postal employee, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder for firing shots inside the main post office at 6:38 p.m.

I wonder how Mr. Darby was able to walk right through the "Gun Free Zone" force field?

Got to get myself some contraband Cuban 7.62X39.

2011-12-03T06:00:00.005-06:00

Russia to open ammunition plant in Cuba:

Russia plans to build a factory in Cuba to make ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles, Federal Agency for Military and Technical Cooperation director Konstantin Biriulin said Thursday.

"The components were taken to Cuba a few years ago. Now, it is just a matter of taking them out of the crates and getting production underway," Biriulin said.

The Russian official, however, did not say when the plant would be finished or what its production would be.

New upper has been ordered.

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

My check was a few bills heavier than expected so I placed an order with DSA for another complete upper. This one is a little different (mid-length hand guards instead of carbine) and also a little cheaper. The one I fucked up I'll be handing to my friend so he can unfuck it.

It's annoying the hell out of me that I could have just bought a thousand rounds of ammo for the damned thing with what I paid for this new upper. Damn that burns my ass!

You know what I like though? Finally being in a good enough financial situation that I'm bitching about buying half a rifle instead of a case of ammo. I guess, in the end, life is pretty good right now.

Bastards.

2011-12-01T18:17:00.000-06:00

Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered by Mexican nationals who crossed the US border with Mexico with the intention of committing a crime (in this case, ripping off a drug/money shipment from other criminals). Agent Terry was killed with guns given to those criminals by the ATF. That's bad enough, but it gets worse.

Both the FBI and the DEA were aware of the planned rip. In fact, the FBI is responsible for providing those involved, via a confidential informant, with the information about the shipment.

As another blogger is fond of saying, if you're not angry it's because you're not paying attention.

H/t SayUncle

On the Range #58

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Tuesday it was dry enough to get myself outside and do a little shooting with my 1911. First thing I did was shoot Dot Torture at 3 yards. I moved back to three yards from seven because it's been a long time, and my score showed it.

38/50

I shot another hundred rounds after Dot Torture. I did some shooting at varying distances. I can hold a decent group out to 15 yards, but after that things start to spread out a bit (not enough to matter in serious matters, but I figure pressue+panic will add a degree of difficulty in serious matters).

I need to get back into the habit of shooting once a week now that I can actually afford it again.

I'm still thinking of moving towards a Glock 9mm. I love 1911s but I'm losing my faith in the one I own. I had a lot of problems when I was shooting (due to a dirty/dry gun...I think). Anyway, my next couple of range sessions will probably decide me. I can get a Smith E-series for a good price, and I really would like one, but I can get a Glock 19 or 17 for a few hundred bucks cheaper. Plus 9mm is cheaper. Larger magazine capacity.

But I really love carrying a 1911.

Still pissed at myself, not much to blog about.

2011-11-30T07:32:00.000-06:00

I'm still pissed about the AR.

I went shooting yesterday and that was nice. Need do get back in the habit of weekly shooting. Hopefully more later with a few pictures.

Finished a book last night, and I'll start Dead Six this evening. Hopefully it will not disappoint.

Now, I'm off to work.

Well, that didn't go as planned.

2011-11-28T15:09:00.000-06:00

I had intended that this post would be about how I'd just installed a free float rail system on my AR. To be fair, I did manage to do that. Sort of. It wiggles, so I fucked something up.

I also managed to destroy my front sight post and in the process the barrel. I'm going to hand the upper to a friend of mind and tell him to strip it anyway he can and sell what parts aren't completely fucked afterwards and give me half. He is actually competent when it comes to minor gun smithing. It is obvious to me at this point that I am not.

I will never, ever attempt to add anything to a gun that is not a drop in part. I just cost myself a good $400 to $500 thinking I was capable. Instead I managed to fuck up a perfectly good gun.

I thought I had done enough research. I purchased the tools I would need need (minus one, but that is not what caused this issue). I thought I could manage something so seemingly simple a task. No such luck.

It's clear to me I should have just spent a couple of extra hundred dollars and bought a complete gun. Live and learn, I guess.

This fucking sucks.

What little sympathy I had is now completely gone.

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Watch this video at Wirecutter's place. It's an interview with one of the pepper sprayed UC-Davis students who says, "We surround the police and told them if they wanted to leave they'd have to go through us." Well, I guess you got your wish, Darling.

Bad day.

2011-11-25T20:04:00.000-06:00

Work sucked. Stupid racist lady coupled with another customer who doesn't like the way the service she ordered works.

It's frustrating, and annoying, and also a bit stressing. Oh, well. You can't please everyone and things were going a little too well.

Time for a beer or three.

That's racist!

2011-11-23T06:15:00.000-06:00

Study links wild fires to illegal border crossings.

Robert's Picks

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Books:

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (excellent)

World War Z by Max Brooks (good)

Star Wars: Millennium Falcon by James Luceno (very good)

Movies:

Ran

Yojimbo (good)

The Bounty Hunter

More discussion on the UC Davis pepper spraying incident.

2011-11-22T19:00:00.001-06:00

Me and the proprieter of Random Acts of Patriotism have been going back and fourth over whether the police were justified in using pepper spray on the protesters. I think it's a good discussion to have if for no other reason than people should be keeping up with what the police are doing, even to those we may not like.

Most of what I've said about the incident is in comments here at the original, here and here. Please have read if you care too.

A few of things I've decided as a result of this conversation:

1. I think we need to have a serious look at the public ownership of property in the country and what it means. If 'public' property is in fact owned solely by a municipality, state, or federal government then it's not public, but private, and all private property laws apply (GTFO when the owner/s say so). If it is on the other hand a communal property held in trust by government for everyone then we all get to use it, and no one group gets to use it exclusively without permission (like a permit).

2. If a trespass is taking place, what amount of force is justified in removing trespassers? In Alabama, my understanding of the law is that I may use 'all necessary force to remove a trespasser.' Is pepper spray worse than physically dragging someone away, or if they resist beating them into compliance before dragging them away? I say 'all due force' is correct and that pepper spray is no worse than being dragged or beaten and dragged (I've been sprayed, though indirectly).

3. Finally, I now even more firmly believe that 'qualified immunity' is a tool of tyrants and should go to the dust bin of history. Further, I think civil rights violations should be criminalized and that every single use of physical force by an officer of the law should go before a grand jury. Officers of the law should be held to a higher standard, in fact I feel that they must be.

Quote of the Day: Free Speech

2011-11-22T10:53:00.000-06:00

From MikeW:

When the hell did "free speech" mean someone else had to buy you a microphone, printing press, space in the newspaper, or provide you with an internet connection free of charge?

Indeed.

HELP! HELP! I'M BEING REPRESSED!

2011-11-22T08:55:00.000-06:00

So ten friends and I should be able to park our vehicles on the interstate, right? Park them in such away that you can't use it, put up signs that say "Occupy I-65" and the authorities should just let us as long as we're peaceful? That seems to be the message I'm getting from everyone who is upset about the Occupy UC-Davis people getting pepper sprayed.

When you break the law you get treated accordingly. The lowest level of force the police can use is pepper spray (in most cases).

Comparing this to the Civil Rights movement is thin, at best. Sure, both groups broke the law. Both went to jail (as they should have). Jim Crow was wrong, and Civil Rights protesters were willing to go to jail in order to bring attention to that. However, trespassing law is not wrong. Nor are laws that say you cannot block the use of public roads and walkways without a permit to do so.

If the OWS wants to bring attention to the problems they see with how Wall Street does business and how DC uses the power of regulation to run a protection racket then I am all for that. But maybe, just maybe, they ought to take a long, hard look at the Tea Party, hire some of their organizers, and pull a few permits.

Just as the Second Amendment does not confer on me the right to go into a park set up targets on the walkways for a little practice session, the First does not confer on anyone the right to block the walkways with their bodies in order to bring attention to their cause.

Fire.

2011-11-21T08:26:00.000-06:00

The more I read about them, the more interested I become in picking up a Kindle Fire.

Frightening though.

2011-11-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

Given a choice between the OWS movement and the Wall Street/.Gov crony capitalist machine, I pick the Wall Street/.Gov machine.

That scares the fuck out of me. I need a third option, please.

My National Ammo Day purchase.

2011-11-19T18:23:00.000-06:00

While I was waiting for the counter monkey to pull the pistol ammo I saw something in the gun case that made me smile!

Bad pic, but those are ARs in the WalMart gun case.

What we have here...failure to discriminate.

2011-11-19T07:09:00.002-06:00

Imagine a man with no tags on his car was pulled over by police in Alabama. Imagine that he spoke with a foreign accent, and that his only identification was a foreign ID. Imagine he had no passport or proof of legal immigration status. Imagine that man was arrested until such documents could be obtained.

NOW IMAGINE THAT MAN WAS WHITE.

He was white, and as soon as his legal status was confirmed he was released.

That's called 'equal protection.' Oh, snap!

Now, I have issues with Alabama's immigration law. I don't like it. However, I like that the federal government is ignoring the immigration problem (the need for enforcement and serious reform) a hell of a lot less.

National Ammo Day.

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Is today. Go buy some!

Do NOT speed at the Birmingham airport.

2011-11-18T06:00:00.003-06:00

It will get you shot in the face:

Birmingham police Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr. said a man drove through the pickup area outside the terminal at a high rate of speed and had an interaction with a police officer. The man returned, again at a high rate of speed, and encountered the officer again.

The officer shot the man in the face.

Comments to the story suggest that the man attempted to run the police officer over. AL.com is notorious for having very poor writing with few details. It's like a blog written by a 14-year old.

Considering the story says the person shot did not sustain life threatening injuries I wonder if he was actually shot, or just hit with glass/metal fragments.

Climbing.

2011-11-17T21:30:00.000-06:00

Climbed a little further out of the pit of debt I'm currently sitting in. That's always nice. I also opened up a MMA to dump some cash in for an emergency fund. It's nice being able to pay all of my bills for this half of the month, pay half the balance on a credit account, open a bank account, pay for most of a plane ticket, and still have a nice chunk still left over for living expenses of the next two weeks.

Thoughts on HR822.

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm happy to see it passed, but I'm not going to get my hopes up to high. Even if it were to get through the Senate it did not make it through the House with a veto proof majority (and that won't happen in the Senate, either).

Maybe the Senate will take it up and pass it, but I can't see President Obama signing it into law. It won't make me vote for him and so he has nothing to gain from me or those like me. There is a damned good chance it would result in a major backlash from a lot of Democrats.

I'm going to be cautiously optimistic for now. I hope it at least makes it to the President's desk intact and not buggered up. It will be a hell of victory even it that is as far as it goes.

Choices and musings about the past.

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

My grandfather wanted me to join the Navy. He'd really enjoyed his time in the Navy. I think he regretted not making a career of it.

I graduated from high school in 2003. The Navy didn't really appeal to me all that much. I had some bad memories of sea sickness as a child, and I knew I'd never be a pilot so I wasn't interested.

I wanted to join the Army. It wasn't a huge, burning desire, but it was something I felt I should do. I thought military service was a good idea for a lot of reasons for a young man just finishing high school. I still do.

My grandfather spent a lot of time talking me out of it. "You'll have to run a lot. You hate running." "You just won't like it." He finally got his way when he said he'd pay for school as long as I'd go.

Looking back, I think maybe he was more interested in shelling out thousands of dollars for college classes rather than taking the chance I'd be getting shot at in Iraq. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but he was a protective old bastard.

Anyway, other things that I've talked about elsewhere kept me from joining later.

Tonight my brother gave me a few items from my grandfather's time in the Navy. He wanted them put up somewhere safe. Looking over them it made me wish I'd talked to my grandfather more about his time in the Navy.

The Anchor and The Bluejackets' Manual

One thing I do remember is how much he loved Australia when he was there. He gave serious consideration to emigrating there and taking me and my brother with him. I'm glad he didn't, but I wish he could have visited again before he died.

It never even occurred to me until today that he had been trained on the M1 Garand.

There are so many conversations that I didn't have with the man who raised me as his own son, the man I call 'grandfather' in his absence but that I called 'Dad' almost my entire life. I wish he hadn't been such a mean drunk in his last years and that I hadn't been forced to walk away from the chaos that was life at home. I wish a lot of things.

I think he'd have had a better and more fulfilling life if he'd gone career Navy. I think he knew that, and I think he regretted it. That may be why he wanted me to join up.

I could be wrong about all of it, but it's a gut feeling I have.

Larry Correia knocks another one out of the park.

2011-11-15T11:58:00.002-06:00

Here. Go Read.

Sexism.

2011-11-15T08:44:00.001-06:00

If he were a woman, he'd have already been released from a mental health facility after being declared 'cured':

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio was poised Tuesday to end a nearly six-month break in its use of capital punishment by executing a man who fatally shot his three sons while they slept in 1982, shortly after his wife filed for divorce.

State and federal courts have rejected attorneys' arguments that 66-year-old Reginald Brooks of East Cleveland is not mentally competent and that the government withheld relevant evidence that could have affected Brooks' case.

The more cases like this I come across the more I begin to move towards opposing the death penalty. It's not because I don't believe a good number of the people executed need killin', because I do. It's because of how capriciously it is instituted. The man in this news item deserves to die. However, how many stories of women murdering their children every year do year hear about where she is declared 'mentally incompetent' and put into a mental hospital? Too damned many.

I weep for humanity.

2011-11-14T08:52:00.000-06:00

H/t SayUncle

Impeach Judge James Ware.

2011-11-14T06:00:00.002-06:00

He clearly thinks the First Amendment is no longer a part of the Constitution he swore to uphold:

A California school principal did not violate the freedom of speech of a group of students who wore American flags on their shirts on Cinco de Mayo when he told them to turn the shirts inside out or go home, a federal judge has ruled.

Citing past clashes between Mexican American and Anglo students over their clothing on the Mexican holiday, Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware of San Francisco said school officials "reasonably forecast that (the shirts) could cause a substantial disruption" and were entitled to take steps to prevent it, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Of course, it's San Fransisco. What do you expect?

If Mexican or Mexican American students have a problem with American students wearing the American flag, in an American school, in American city, in an American state, in the UNITED FUCKING STATES OF AMERICA, they should damn well be told to piss off, have their skulls caved in for the betterment of humanity, or simply be sent home from school if they can't act like civilized individuals. Freedom means having to put up with people who you see as assholes, even on a day that is special to you.

Unpossible.

2011-11-13T17:36:00.000-06:00

Guns are banned on college campuses.

Fayetteville State University Code of Conduct

Columbia pants suck.

2011-11-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

Of the three pairs of Columbia pants I've purchased I've ended up with a tear in them perform I can even consider them broken in. The last tear I got today, in a pair of ROC (Rugged Outdoor Chino) pants I've worn a total of three times including today.

In my experience these pants catch on things very easily and, in turn, tear very easily. I like the Columbia brand in general. I have two Columbia jackets I'm very happy with. However, I will never waste my money on their pants again.

Veterans Day.

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

I hope as many as can have a good one, safe at home with their families. For those who can't, I hope that changes soon.

Marines.

2011-11-10T17:44:00.000-06:00

I've met a few. Some I've like. Some I couldn't stand. But in a fight? I'd want them at my back.

Happy Birthday Devil Dogs!

The Marriot Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine is run by unpatriotic jerks.

2011-11-10T17:39:00.001-06:00

Click for details.