Surprising my Sweetie

V drives an early 90's, high mileage, Jeep Cherokee. The interior is getting a bit threadbare and V had requested new seat covers as her present for the upcoming *th anniversary of her 29th birthday.

Well, I couldn't just get her a set of seat covers for her special day, so this afternoon I got to surprise her with this:

It is a 2008 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4. I think I done good. That is a lousy image, but we were tooling around and I did not get a chance to take my own.

Pretty much the entire deal was completed online. I found the vehicle with the package I thought V would appreciate, worked out the details, and accepted a quote from the comfort of my own computer. Today I left work a little early, took a quick test drive, signed some papers and the Jeep is V's.

I really did catch V by surprise with this one, she had no idea until I told her it was hers.

Pat Skaggs of Grubbs Jeep in Bedford did a great job of working with me on this deal, and an even better job of helping me to surprise V. This is the only time I have walked out of a car dealership feeling 100% satisfied with the transaction.

Kudos to LiveLeak

The other day, I posted an embedded copy of Gert Wilders' film "Fitna the Movie".

Shortly after publishing that post, LiveLeak took the film offline due to direct threats to it's employees:

"Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature and some ill-informed reports from certain corners of the British media that could directly lead to the harm of some of our staff, LiveLeak.com has been left with no other choice but to remove 'Fitna' from our servers," the company said....

This afternoon, LiveLeak has brought back Fitna.

On the 28th of March LiveLeak.com was left with no other choice but to remove the film "fitna" from our servers following serious threats to our staff and their families. Since that time we have worked constantly on upgrading all security measures thus offering better protection for our staff and families. With these measures in place we have decided to once more make this video live on our site. We will not be pressured into censoring material which is legal and within our rules. We apologise for the removal and the delay in getting it back, but when you run a website you don't consider that some people would be insecure enough to threaten our lives simply because they do not like the content of a video we neither produced nor endorsed but merely hosted.

I am impressed.

To see this important film, go here.

H/T to The Volokh Conspiracy here and here.

Day at the Gun Show

There was a bit of unexpected excitement at today's gun show in Fort Worth. While I was talking with Michelle, one of the promoters of The Original Fort Worth Gun Show, a 9mm Bushmaster was reported stolen off of one of the tables. The reaction by the promoters, the police, and security was pretty darn quick. I do not know how long the rifle was missing before it was reported, and, as far as I know the firearm was not recovered.

V walked the isles with me today, and she has herself just about 3/4's talked in to picking up a hammerless .38. She is finding that carry options for her Browning Hi-Power don't quite fit her style of clothing and accessories. Heck, she uses a Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack for a purse, and the Hi-Power is even too large for that.

We spent some time talking with the owner of The Concealment Shop about their Holstered Handbags. V also showed an interest in a Pager Pal, but the guy selling them was good enough to explain how they do not work so well with the way women's jeans are cut.

The promoters of The Original Fort Worth Gun Show are doing a very good job of turning this show into the premier gun show in North Texas. As I have mentioned before, these Fort Worth folks are looking to give the Dallas Market Hall show a run for it's money. This was a large show, and money was changing hands. I even heard one of the smaller vendors complementing the promoters on the improvements to the venue. Pretty much anything you wanted could be found at this show, anything except Ruger's new LCP that is. Everyone was sold out of those, and from what I hear they sold out quick.

We gunnies in North Texas are a lucky group to have this kind of competition between our gun show promoters. Their efforts to improve just make things better for us.

The District 10 Convention

The Senatorial District 10 Republican Convention was a long one. I rolled in at 0800 for registration, and the meeting was adjourned at 2230. The meeting was long, but very productive. We are submitting an excellent platform to the State Convention, and our district will be supported by well rounded and enthusiastic group of delegates and alternates.

The convention got started a bit late as we waited for late comers to be registered and seated. When we got started, the Reflections Concert Choir sang the National Anthem and performed a moving tribute to those of us who served in the military. Senator John Cornyn was the keynote speaker and was followed by Kim Brimer, State Senator for District 10. The Senators did a good job of highlighting the basic differences between the Dems and the Republicans. All of the speakers (20 candidates and elected officials) during the morning stressed the importance of maintaining the Republican majority in the Texas State Legislature. We have accomplished a lot over the past few legislative sessions, but there is much more work to be done. Local politics have a greater affect on the individual than national politics do. Decisions made on the local and state level have a much greater impact on our lives that those made on Capitol Hill. Being disappointed in the accomplishments of our politicians in DC is not excuse to turn your back on our local representatives. As a matter of fact, it should be incentive to work even harder on the local level to ensure we elect those who share our values to the positions that have the greatest effect on our lives.

It was 1448 before our first order of business was completed. The Credentials Committee had a heavy load in getting all of the delegates and alternates certified as meeting the criteria for being seated in the convention.

The next major order of business was to elect the permanent officers of the convention. Earlier in the day, a contingent led by Jeremy Blosser, slowed things down by contesting the adoption of the Temporary Roll of Delegates. The temporary roll of delegates was based on the sign in sheet. As registration remained open, and late comers signed in, this was not an exact number. It took over an hour to work through this bit of nonsense, and yes it was nonsense. The temporary roll has nothing to do with the main business of the convention, and this move by Jeremy was not well received by the body of delegates. I mention this because the next move by Jeremy was to contest the election of Stuart Lane as Chairman of the SD 10 Convention. Stuart has worked very hard as Temporary Chairman to put on this convention. He has been working for months, staffing committees (one of which Jeremy is a member), finding location , finding funding to pay for the convention, and doing what was necessary to ensure a quality event. One of the rules adopted by this convention was a requirement that the vote for permanent officers be by precinct. SD 10 encompasses quite a few precincts. It took 3.5 hours to get through the debate and the roll call vote by precinct. Stuart won, he received 6236 to Jeremy's 1281. Those numbers are not the total number of folks at the convention, they are a total of the number of votes allowed to the precincts. Though this was a very long process, it was worthwhile. There were a few other issues in the convention that involved passionate debate, and this debate makes us stronger as a party.

So what was the end result of the Senatorial District 10 Republican Convention?

We adopted a truly excellent platform to send to the state convention. I do not yet have a copy of the changes that we approved, but it will be posted on the Senate District 10 website soon. The Resolutions Committee is to be commended for all of their hard work and for the quality of the product they submitted to the convention.

We also elected a very diverse group of folks to send to the state convention as delegates and alternates. More people wanted to be a delegate than there were spots available, and some were disappointed at not being elected a delegate. I hope this disappointment does not turn them away from the party. They have a very important voice, and once you read the platform that we are sending to the state convention, you will realize that voice is being listened to.

Oh. The resolutions I submitted were incorporated into the platform being sent to state, and, I did not get elected a delegate. I am alternate #74 in Congressional District 6.

Cross posted on the Star Telegrams's Pack Your Trunk '08 weblog.

I'll post some of the changes we made to the platform as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

Now I'm off to the gun show.

It Has Been

a very long day.

I arrived at the Senatorial District 10 Republican Convention at around 0800, walked out of there right at 2230.

I will comment more on the proceedings tomorrow

Blogging for the Star Telegram

The Star Telegram is giving folks the opportunity to blog the Texas Republican and Democrat Conventions during this election cycle. The Democrat blog is Donkey Tales 08, and the Republicans have Pack Your Trunk 08. I have been accepted as a contributor on the Republican side.

Excited about being a Republican in Texas is my initial post. Head on over, give it a read and start the ball rolling with a comment or two.

Ronnie Barrett in Action

Ronnie Barrett is a leader in the firearms industry, an individual of strong moral courage, and a man after my own heart. When California banned the sale of .50 caliber rifles to it's citizens, Ronnie Barrett stopped selling his rifles to California state agencies, and servicing those they already owned.

With "Lies and Fear Mongering in Hawaii" I commented on the attempt to ban .50 caliber rifles in that beautiful state. The proposed legislation failed, but the anti's are hard at it with a very public dis-information campaign being lead by the Honolulu Police Chief.

Ronnie Barrett has entered the debate, and he has done it with style.

From the Hawaii Reporter:

Banning the .50 Caliber Rifle in Hawaii Sets a Bad Precedent

The act of a governmental entity banning commercial sales of legal firearms, such as my .50 caliber rifle, not only violates the basic principles of the United States Constitution, but also puts national security at risk by ending the delicate balance between the government and the private sector.

It is an excellent editorial that is well worth your time.

H/T to Kim

What Little Girls are Made Of

H/T Tam

Fitna the Movie: Geert Wilders' film about the Quran (English)

Disturbing, important and timely.

I have no idea how long this video will remain on LiveLeak, watch it while you can.



H/T to SondraK

A Bit of American Idol Goodness

Bloomberg v. Lauer Custom Weaponry

At a press conference (pdf) in June of 2006, Mayor Bloomberg had this to day about Lauer Custom Weaponry and DuraCoat paints:

As part of a larger gun control package, Bloomberg proposed banning Lauer's DuraCoat product and other gun coloration kits from the city. The mayor also lashed our at Lauer Custom Weaponry and other companies.

"Just think about how sick it is," Bloomberg said. "What possible reason can you give to want to paint a gun so it looks like a child's toy gun, other than to put a police officers in one of those impossible positions?"

"People will do a lot of twisted things to make a buck, "he said of the companies that are selling the products. "This probably sets a new low and we are going to stop it"

The article goes on to quote Steve Lauer and highlights a bit of his sense of humor.

That was '06. Since then Bloomberg has gotten his way and outlawed the sale of DuraCoat products in NYC (As far as I know, Krylon is still available). The ban is not much of an issue for Lauer as there was not much DuraCoating going on in NYC. By 2006 there were only two shipments to NYC, and one of those was probably to the mayors office so he could have his little demonstration.

Steve Lauer, being the astute businessman that he is, has taken advantage of the Mayor's senseless bit of legislation to call attention to his product.

From the NY Daily News:

By Kirsten Danis (Kirsten is decidedly an anti, so you will have to deal with her bias)

Gun paint company taunts Mayor Bloomberg with paints named after him

A Wisconsin company that disguises deadly firearms with bright paints and camouflage has a new target: Mayor Bloomberg.

Lauer Custom Weaponry, whose products were banned in the city in 2006 because they make dangerous guns look like innocent toys, is taunting the anti-gun mayor with a line of paints named "The Bloomberg Collection."

The company - which named its purple hue after Barney, the dinosaur beloved by toddlers - is peddling a rainbow of candy-colored paints for each of the five boroughs.

There's red for Manhattan, rose for the Bronx, blue for Brooklyn, green for Queens and orange for Staten Island.

And as an extra slap - a stencil of the mayor's face for the barrel of the gun.

Gun owners also can plunk down $129 for a "Bloomberg Collection EZ Camo Kit" to pimp out their semiautomatics and rifles with a brick wall and graffiti decoration.

That is too funny. An anti gun mayor passes an idiotic law that does absolutely nothing to reduce violence in his city, and he ends up creating the best possible publicity for DuraCoat. I love it.

Bloomberg on the other hand...

An outraged Bloomberg called gun-coloration kits "a tragedy in the making."

"Making a quick buck by coloring a handgun to look like a toy is craven and beneath any honest businessman," Bloomberg told the Daily News. "By coloring these guns, a real one looks like a toy, and a police officer won't be able to tell the difference."

It is pretty amazing that old school cops could tell when kids were playing "Cops and Robbers", "Cowboys and Indians" or even having a squirt gun war.

That is just pure, grade A, unadulterated American genius. How better to point out the stupidity of these laws?

I'll tell you what. If someone were to donate an old rifle, an old beat up SKS would be just about perfect, I'll purchase the CamoPak and paint it up. We can auction it off and give the money to a youth shooting group.

What do you say? Anyone have something in the ol' gun safe that is just gathering rust and taking up room? Something that could be put to a good purpose?

I know I owe a couple of H/T's to folks who first posted on this. I will ad them when I find them again.

H/T to Say Uncle with Take that, Bloomberg, Fits with Lauer Custom Weaponry Introduces "The Bloomberg Collection"

Easter Camping

V and I really enjoy camping together. Sometimes we camp with large groups of kids, grand kids and friends. Sometimes it is just the two of us. We camp at State Parks, and in wilderness areas, private campgrounds and on dry spots along the river. Some of our favorite places to camp are the Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds located on our nation's lakes.

This weekends trip was just the two of us at a small campground below the Possum Kingdom Dam on the Brazos River.

The campground itself is no great shakes, just a place to pitch a tent and hang out when you are not fishing.

(Also a place to hang wet clothes after falling in the river)

We were there to get out of town, slow down a bit, and fish.

The fishing was a bit slow, I think we were about two weeks early for the best bite. We caught Black Bass, Yellow Bass, White Bass and one small Hybrid. Heck, I even caught a Black Crappie on a 3/4 oz. Striper Jig. We caught our dinner, but had to work for it. We may have to head back in a couple of weeks and see if we can get in to some of those Sripers that this bit of water is famous for.

Oh, Monday morning we woke to frost on the tent, great snuggling weather.

One last image, just for the heck of it.

Happy Easter

Easter Weekend is the weekend that V and I traditionally canoe down the Brazos River with friends. This year the friends are sick, so V and I decided to camp and fish instead. This time of year the fishing is simply amazing, and we are off to enjoy that amazement.

Stripers, Hybrids and Whites... Oh my.

See you Monday evening.

The Lord is risen;

The Lord is risen indeed.

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter.

D.C. Only Ones are The Only Ones...

...who are deserving of self defense?



Here, let us look at that quote once again:

I think the reasonableness standard of the handgun laws in the District, which are not completely banned, because there is licensed handguns in the District of Columbia for law enforcement, retired law enforcement, federal law enforcement, security agencies. So, there is not a complete ban on handguns.

This police chief's total contempt for the serfs who toil to pay her wages is sickening. The handgun ban that has been in effect for decades has done nothing towards turning Washington D.C. into a violent crime free utopia. As a matter of fact, it's has turned out just the opposite. As we all know, DC is one of the most murder ridden cities in the country. To deny the citizens the means of defending themselves from the violence that Washington DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier has not been able to curb in her 18 years in the force, is downright immoral.

Kevin states it perfectly with You Will Never Find a More Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Maybe if off duty police officers in DC had to live by the same rules as those who hire them, the laws would be different. But nope, they are the "only ones" after all.

From Tony 3 Dogs:

NBC4.com

Off-Duty Officer Shoots Teen In D.C.

An off-duty D.C. police officer in Southeast shot a teenager late Tuesday night.

The shooting happened in the 4600 block of Hanna Place SE at about 10 p.m.

Police said the 17-year-old tried to rob the officer with a knife. The off-duty officer then pulled out his gun and shot the boy in the buttock.

That little goblin got quite the surprise eh? The little chit was used to dealing with easy prey, disarmed by order of the overlords. He'll be back on the streets before the sheets are cleaned in the hospital room, and his next victim is going to feel the pain of his anger at getting shot in the ass.

In D.C., only the "only ones" are worthy of the Second Amendment, the serfs need to just be thankful that they... well... geeze, I'm not sure what they have to be thankful for.

H/T to Fits and Bruce.

Guns Stolen From Cheaper Than Dirt

From the Star Telegram:

By Bill Miller

Handguns taken from Fort Worth store

Nearly 20 handguns were stolen early Thursday from a gun store in north Fort Worth, police and a federal agent said.

The burglary was reported at 4:50 a.m. at the Cheaper Than Dirt store at the intersection of North Loop 820 and Interstate 35W, according to a police report.

There was an alarm and video surveillance of the break in, said Tom Crowley, spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"Two subjects pried open the front door and broke into a glass case," Crowley said. "They took 19 handguns. These were high-end handguns.

"Apparently they did try to get some long guns, but they were secure."

The goblins are getting bolder all the time. There is a Sheriff's operation center just around the corner from this store, basically in the same parking lot.

Related: 3 gun store burglaries since July on or near Loop 820

We are Off...

...to watch the Stars play the Ducks.

In other words, once again entering a victim disarmament zone.

Some New Stuff For '08

Today's oral arguments in DC v. Heller are being well covered by quite a few folks, so I am going to be a bit different.

I just received the April issue of American Rifleman and I thought I would highlight some of the more interesting (to me) stuff they featured in the article "Guns and Gear '08".

The first rifle to catch my eye was this air rifle:

My #3 daughter shot 3 position matches in both air rifle and small bore classes. She would like this rifle.

Airforce Airguns is currently developing a new rifle for the Sporter category in 3 position air rifle competition. This new air rifle capitalizes on the company's ability to bring out accurate precharged pneumatic air guns at an affordable price.

I like the "at an affordable price." part.

Probably the coolest firearm in this article is the new Auto-Ordinance Thompson Pistol.

Thompson 1927A-1
"Lightweight Deluxe Pistol"

(10.5" Barrel, Aluminum Receiver)

.45 ACP with a 50 round drum. I don't think that is going IWB.

Charles Daly has entered the EBR market with 6 reasonably priced models.

The more companies marketing these light weight and fun shooters, the better.

Speaking of EBR's, FNH-USA's Special Combat Automatic Rifle (SCAR) will be available to the shooting public in semi-automatic configuration later this year.

Shooting one of these would be a blast.

KEL-TEC announced a new gas operated bull-pup in 7.62mm NATO (.308 Win) at SHOT. It will be interesting to see what suggested retail is on this.

The above image compared the KEL-TEC RFB with an 18" barrel with a FN FAL Para Rifle. The KEL-TEC accepts standard FAL type magazines.

Legacy Sports has put together an interesting lever action scout rifle package, The Puma Scout.

This package comes complete with a 2.5x32 NikkoStirling riflescope and an adjustable cheek piece. I think the listed MSRP of $739 ($849 for the .454 Casull) may be a tad high, this could be quite the brush gun.

The article mentioned that Nighthawk Custom was getting into the tactical rifle and shotgun markets, but I could find no information on the web site.

When Jim Zumbo called all of us folks who enjoy shooting AR style rifles "terrorists", he created quite a stir. The backlash from the shooting community was such that Remington dropped him like the fabled hot potato. Remington has now entered the market with it's very own version of an AR style firearm.

The are not calling it an EBR, heck, it's not even black. This is the "Model R-15 VTR™ Modular Repeating Rifle" Maybe the Remington brand, the camouflage, and the unassuming name will help folks over their fear of EBR's.

Hornady has expanded it's line of LeverEvolution ammunition, adding several pistol cartridges to the line up.

From Hornady's site:

Typical hollow point pistol bullets deliver good performance at modest velocities, but expand too quickly and sacrifice penetration at the higher velocities achieved with lever action rifles. But Hornady soon discovered that the same Flex Tip® technology that prevents primers from detonating in tubular magazines, also allows the bullet to expand reliably over an unbelievably wide range of velocities.

Upon impact, the Flex Tip® eXpanding bullet is compressed into the front of the bullet, causing the bullet to expand under hydraulic force. Flex Tip® eXpanding bullets will NEVER clog and not expand like some hollow points can. This also transfers a great deal of immediate energy with a devastating temporary cavity, even at low velocity.

I'll be interested to see Fit's take on this.

Well, that's it for this evening. There is a lot more new stuff for '08 in the magazine, but I can't steal all of their thunder.

There is one more thing. Most of the firearms highlighted in this evening's post will be outlawed if a bill such as HR 1022 ever made it in to law.

Original Sources Underlying the Second Amendment

With D.C. v Heller ready to go, lots of folks are weighing in on original intend of the Second Amendment. Orin Kerr of the Volkh Conspiracy has posted some great links to some Constitutional Sources for the Second Amendment.

Original Sources Underlying the Second Amendment

It is going to take me awhile to get through these, but get through them I will.

Suicide Bomber Shot in Boulder

From NBC5i.com:

Police Shoot Man In Wheelchair After Standoff

BOULDER, Colo. -- A man in a wheelchair who threatened to blow up Boulder Community Hospital with a detonation device strapped to his oxygen tank has been shot once in the chest, ending a four-hour-long standoff, police said.

If I'm ever in a situation where someone says he has a bomb, I doubt it will be four seconds before he has a bullet in him, not four hours. If someone straps a bomb on to themselves, go ahead and help them on over to the other side before they can hurt others.

Oh, before folks start weeping about the wheelchair:

Baughman, who was once a patient at the hospital, was not wheelchair-bound but was using the wheelchair as part of his threat, Huntley said.

Granted, the bomb may have very well been a fake, but in this day and age who wants to take that chance?

Full Coverage of DC v Heller

SCOTUSblog will have it:

Tomorrow on SCOTUSblog: Full Coverage of “DC Guns” Oral Argument

Tomorrow at 10 am eastern, the Court will hear argument in DC v. Heller - better known as the “DC Guns” case - and it is one of the most hotly anticipated oral arguments in recent memory. Only a lucky few will be allowed in the Courtroom tomorrow to watch the hearing, so we’ll be providing full coverage of all of the developments here on SCOTUSblog for everyone else.

The centerpiece of our coverage will be a “LiveBlog” of the oral argument based on the C-SPAN audio feed, and we’ll be debuting a new AJAX-based plugin to bring this to you. You won’t need to do or install anything special to take advantage of this new technology..

I do have a sinus infection, maybe a sick day is in order...

Future Shooters, Necessary to the RKBA

Oleg Volk comes up with some great stuff.

H/T Irons in the Fire

D.C. v Heller: The Issues and the Arguments

Nelson Lund, Ph.D., has written an overview of DC v. Heller that is well worth your time. This "Web Memo" was published by the Heritage Foundation and covers the three major arguments in this very important case before the SCOTUS.

The Second Amendment Comes Before the Supreme Court: The Issues and the Arguments (pdf)

The parties presenting arguments next week offer three different interpretations of the meaning of the Second Amendment. D.C.’s argument—that the Second Amendment protects a right to arms only in service of a government-organized militia— does not stand up to historical analysis or textual scrutiny. Heller’s position—that the Amendment establishes an individual right to keep ordinary weapons for self protection—is sound but not persuasively argued. And the Bush Administration’s position—recognizing an individual right but leaving the government with some large and undefined power to curtail the right—is dangerously vague and legally weak.

Careful textual analysis, along with the relevant historical context, yields a remarkably clear, sensible, and workable answer to the question presented in this case. The Amendment protects an individual right to keep operable firearms for self-defense, which cannot be taken away by federal law. D.C.’s effort to disarm the residents of that city is unconstitutional.

This is one you will want to save.

It's a Start

After work this afternoon I hurried home, showered, changed and headed out to attend two Republican Senatorial District 10 Committee meetings.

First was the Nomination Committee meeting. I applied to be a delegate from our district to the State Convention. I feel that my interview went well and that I have a good shot at being elected as a delegate, and a very good shot of being at least an alternate.

Next up was the Resolutions Committee meeting. As I previously posted, I was there to submit two resolutions to the committee. The first resolution is in support of the right to concealed carry by licensed individuals on college campuses, and the second concerns an individuals right to keep their firearm locked in a vehicle on their employers' parking lot.

It is a bit ironic that I was attending this meeting to offer up resolutions that would remove a couple restrictions to where a CHL holder could have a firearm, and I was doing it in a prohibited place. I was prohibited from being legally armed during these committee meetings. The meetings took place at Park Springs Bible Church, and this church is posted in accordance with Section 30.06 of the Texas Penal Code. I pointed out his irony at the beginning of my 5 minute presentation and one of the committee members asked about doing away with 30.06. Now that is a good sign.

I believe that my presentation went well. I was nervous but it went well. The questions from the committee were easily answered, and there was at least one CHL holder on the committee. I will find out the outcome on the 29th, at the District Convention.

I am optimistic that we will be submitting at least one of these resolutions to the State Convention.

Food for Thought

H/T Say Uncle

Second Amendment News

D. Martyn Lloyd-Morgan does the yeoman's job of keeping up with Second Amendment buzz in the Blogosphere.

Compiling a news roundup is a lot of work. I do it on occasion, but D. Martyn does it on a daily basis for us gunnies.

Head on over and give him some support.

The Liberty Sphere on the Second Amendment.

Resolutions

Friday evening I will be submitting two resolutions to the Republican Tarrant County Senatorial District 10 Convention Resolutions Committee. The first resolution is in support of the right to concealed carry by licensed individuals on college campuses, and the second concerns an individuals right to keep their firearm locked in a vehicle on their employers' parking lot.

Wish me luck.

If you can think of information I may need in the event of debate, go ahead and share it in the comments.

Fifty Caliber Institute Alert!

From the Fifty Caliber Institute:

The Clark County Shooting range in Nevada is under attack by a small group of homeowners (being lead by anti-gunners) who are out to stop the development of this $125 million dollar facility. The Shooting Sports Community needs to get involved in this fight and particularly the fifty caliber shooting community. The Clark County Facility is planned to be the finest shooting facility in the world when completed. The development of this facility has been in the works for more than 10 years with the cooperation of dozens of shooting disciplines including the fifty caliber community. The managers of this facility came to the Fifty Caliber Shooters Assn many years ago and asked what we would like to see as part of the finished range. Those recommendations were then taken and included into the final plan for development of that facility. WE DEFINITLY HAVE A STAKE IN THIS FIGHT!!

We ask that all 50 caliber target shooters go to the website listed below and sign the petition that is online. Be very careful how you sign the petition, because it can be construed as a vote to close the range. Read the instructions attached below.

Pass this petition to as many gun owners as you can and help get the word out about this underhanded attack on your rights.

Thanks.

John Burtt, Chmn

FCI

If you want to help by signing the petition, please, it is important that you follow the instructions.

Do not click on the petition link without leaving a supporting message. You must leave a positive affirmation that you support the range, or your click will count against the range. So when you click the petition link, leave a message supporting the range. Got it? Cool.

To sign the petition, click here.

I do not yet own a .50 BMG, but I still support FCI both financially and by actions. We gunnies have got to stick together. This range sounds wonderful. Can you imagine $250 million put into a shooting facility? The only range I have been to with that sort of backing is the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. That range is a Texas treasure. Let's help the Clark County Shooting Range out a bit shall we? All it takes is a click and a quick message of support.

I appreciate it.

Important Run Off Election!

Even though the Republican nominee for President was pretty much decided prior to the Texas Primary Elections, the Primaries were very important. The primaries are where grass roots conservatives can best affect the make up of the Texas Legislature. There was a bit of business left undone these last primaries and a run off election has been called.

From Charles L. Cotton:

House District 81 will have a run-off between Rep. Buddy West of Odessa and former State District Judge Tryon Lewis. HD81 includes Andews, Ector, & Winkler Counties.

Rep. Buddy West is a member of the House Law Enforcement Committee which hears most CHL bills. Rep. West is rated A+ and he has a 100% rock-solid, pro-gun voting record. Rep. West has served since 1993.

Former Judge Tryon Lewis, also of Odessa, is rated C+ because of answers on his TSRA questionnaire. As everyone knows, any rating lower than an A- is not good; and a C+ is very poor.

The Republican Primary Run Off is April 8th and only folks who voted in the Republican Primary can vote in the run off but we need these people to go back to the polls and do it again.

Voter turnout for run-off elections is typically very poor. We need to do all we can to help Rep. West, so if you live in Odessa or elsewhere in his district, please be sure to mark April 8th on your calendar and VOTE! If you have friends or relatives in HD81, please call them and ask them to vote as well. Finally, if anyone can help on a phone bank or as a block walker, contact Rep. West's office and let them know you can volunteer.

This is important folks.

There Ought to be a Law

"There ought to be a law..."

Every time I hear that phrase I cringe. The most asinine laws on the books are in effect because someone, at some time, said "There ought to be a law."

Boulder CO is home to some truly asinine laws. They try so very hard to out San Francisco San Francisco, it is hilarious. It gets even better when the idiotic nanny state laws pit liberal against liberal.

From the Daily Camera:

By Vanessa Miller

Boulder woman ticketed for dyeing poodle pink

A Boulder salon owner is facing a $1,000 fine for dyeing her miniature poodle pink -- and the woman said she plans to fight back.

Cici is a "breast-cancer awareness dog" who's been showing off her pink coat for three years at Zing Salon, 1100 Spruce St., said Joy Douglas, who owns both the salon and the poodle.

"Cici is being stripped of her civic duty," said Douglas, who is scheduled to face a judge in Boulder Municipal Court this morning in response to a March 1 citation. "And I don't plan to take it sitting down."

So who are the evil party poopers who would deny this pooch the right to perform it's civic duty?

...Lisa Pedersen, chief executive officer of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and the city's Animal Control and Care, said officers received "several calls about the animal" before they wrote the ticket.

"There were lots of people concerned about the dog," Pedersen said Monday. "And we have given more than one verbal warning, so we thought it would just be best to write the ticket and let it resolve itself in the court system."

The end result of this idiocy is that the tax payers are spending good money prosecuting a woman for dyeing her dog pink. The woman may move her business elsewhere, and most important, the woman learned an important life lesson.

But, she said, "It doesn't seem like the Boulder police want individuals here."

It's not just Boulder Ma'am, it is liberalism in general. Individualism is the enemy to modern liberalism.

Making it Easy For the Jury

From the Star Telegram:

By Melody McDonald

Murderer tells Fort Worth jury: You decide, 'get a rope, or not'

Convicted killer Christopher Chubasco Wilkins took the witness stand in his capital murder trial today, matter-of-factly admitted to three murders and a variety of other crimes, and then told the jury he didn’t care if he lived or died.

Whatever jurors decided -- life in prison without parole or the death penalty -- was fine with him, he said.

"I'm as undecided as you are," he told the jury. "You’ve got a job to do. You tell the judge, 'Get a rope, or not.’ Look, it is no big deal. It is not big deal. Do whatever you do."

At least he has saved us a few tax dollars drawing this out. Now for the jury to do the same, we will be good to go.

Some background on this case can be found here. Yes, this one deserves the needle.

Food Storage Calculator

I expect that folks who read this blog may be the kind of folks who would be interested in providing for themselves and their families in times of emergency. One very important means of ensuring you are able to provide for your family in a time of emergency is to ensure you have some food put aside for that "rainy day". How much food to put aside is a personal choice. Many homes don't even have three days worth of food and water available for emergencies. Those folks are living on the edge. A weeks worth of food is a good start and three months worth should get a family through the vast majority of emergencies including the loss of a job or a major medical issue that keeps you out of work.

A good first question may be "How much food do I need to put aside for my family of ...?" Next would be learning how to accumulate and store this food and water. There is an outstanding resource available online and for free. This resource is Provident Living, a website maintained by the Latter-Day Saints. The Mormons strongly encourage members to be prepared for any long term emergency, and have been working at the logistics of this for quite awhile. They have developed a calculator that will help you determine just how much of each necessity you will require for your family.

The Food Storage Calculator will show you the basics of what you should put away for that rainy day. Add some dried fruits and veggies from Honeyville, and you are good to go.

I have my old calculation sheet here on my desk. It has been quite awhile since I have been to the website, they have added quite a bit of new stuff.

Edit - I take it back. The Food Storage Calculator is not nearly as worthwhile as it used to be. It just gives you a total weight of grains and legumes. The old calculator broke it down into 5 major groups and each major group was broken down into line items. It's a good thing I still have my old calculations.

Edit #2 - They may have added some new stuff, but they took away all the nuts and bolts "how to" pages. Another good resource gone.

If any of you are interested in food storage, ask your questions in the comments and I will lead you to the relevant information.

Last edit, I promise. Found links to some of the nuts and bolts information on storage.

This is the very last update. Found a link to a copy of the original Food Storage Calculator.

An Honor Killing Revisited

Saturday evening a candle light vigil was held for Sarah and Amina Said, the two girls who were killed here in North Texas by their father for dating non-Muslim boys. Something very disturbing occurred during the vigil;

From NBC5i.com:

Brother Of Slain Girls Defends Father At Vigil

The brother of two teenagers killed in January defended their father, the prime suspect in the slayings, at a candlelight vigil Saturday night.

Family and friends held the vigil to remember Sarah and Amina Said, who were shot and killed in the back of their father's taxicab at an Irving hotel in January...

During the vigil, the girls' brother took the microphone, saying his father did not kill his sisters.

"They pulled the trigger, not my dad," he said.

The brother blames his sisters for their deaths, he sides with the father. That is chilling to say the least.

It has been over two months since the murder of these two girls, two months and the father is still on the loose. Who is hiding him? What agency or group of people is at work keeping him safe from arrest. Has he returned to Egypt? If so, how did he get there? Where is the moderate Muslim voice in our community raising up against this travesty?

You can find background on this incident here and here.

A Friendly Reminder

H/T Traction Control

Those Eyes

Today was our granddaughter's second birthday party. V has spent the last week making Dora the Explorer backpacks and our daughter set up a Dora the Explorer adventure for the kids who were coming to the party. They got to color and cross a lake on logs (after first finding the shapes that matched the shapes that were cut out of the middle of the logs), explore a cave and pin the right colored tail on Swiper. They were awarded prizes at the end of each adventure and a treasure box when they got to the end of the path. I thought Mom was being a bit ambitious with her plans, but the kids had a great time. The parents where involved and the kids figured out the puzzles with only the smallest bit of prompting. It was a very nice little kids party.

I try to keep posted images of the family to a minimum, and I always ask friends before I post their images on this site. Just too much weirdness on the Net to make information about the family readily available here.

But...

Aren't those the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever seen? That's my little Lady Bug with frosting on her face. She shared cake and ice cream with her Papa J.

This is why I carry a firearm and train in it's use. This is why I vote and stay active in politics. And, this is why I have "stuff" put away for a rainy day. I want my children and grandchildren to be safe and secure. I want them to enjoy the freedom and liberties that I have known.

Look into those eyes and tell me that they are not worth protecting. Tell me that they are not worth fighting for with every ounce of your being.

Those eyes trust their Papa J, and Papa J will not let that trust down.

Day at the Gun Show

One of the great things about living in North Texas is the number of high quality gun shows we have access to. It kind of spoils us. This weekends gun show in Fort Worth was put on by High Caliber Gun and Knife Show. It was a smaller show than the last Fort Worth show, but appeared to be well attended. I arrived fairly early on Saturday and there was no line to get in. After proving the Kimber empty at the door and getting it "tie wrapped", I was in .

A smaller crowd gave me the chance to spend a bit more time at the tables. One of the new firearms that I like is the Kimber SIS.

I'm not sure what really draws me to this pistol. The stainless steel frame with checkered front strap feels good in my hands. Maybe it's the way the grips are done, or the matte grey finish. It certainly is not the SIS slide serrations, or the $1000+ price tag

My #1 Son in Law has a Springfield SAR-8. I keep trying to horse trade him out of it, so far with no luck. One of the smaller vendors at the show had one that he was very proud of. With a $1700+ price tag, I'm not sure if he was trying to sell it, or just showing it off as part of his collection.

I did walk out of the show with a couple of new items to tinker with. First is a new Harris Engineering Bipod. I picked up the Series S, Model LM bipod. I have it on my MixMaster Dissipator at the moment. It is a good fit.

I also picked up an Ontario Knife Company Rat-3.

A heavy duty little knife that should come in quite handy.

One thing that really bothered me about this particular show was the number of folks walking around with handguns for sale that kept their fingers in the trigger guard as they were carrying their firearms. Yes I know they were checked clear at the door and yes I know they were tie wrapped after being checked, but it shows an unacceptable lack of ingrained safe firearm handling skills. Folks, keep your fingers off the trigger until you are quite ready to shoot something. If you are not going to pull the trigger, keep you finger off the trigger.

David E. Young on DC v Heller

The City of Chicago has stepped into the fray of DC v Heller on the side of D.C. (who'd of guessed). David E. Young comments that "The brief filed by Chicago heavily emphasizes a historically impossible federalism purpose for the Second Amendment rather than a rights protecting purpose." He goes in to further detail with CHICAGO RE-WRITES U.S. BILL OF RIGHTS HISTORY and does a good job of explaining just how far off the mark Chicago is with this brief.

You can find more of Mr. Young's thoughts on his DC vs Heller Commentary Page. His arguments are well worth reading.

Also recommending Mr. Young's work is David over at The War on Guns.

E-Postal Match

Mr. Completely has the first e-Postal match of the year up.

e-Postal Match "Frequent Flyer"

Head on over and download some targets.

Glo-Bull Warming

The eldest grandson, and first male heir (that should generate some phone calls from the daughters), enjoying Glo-Bull Warming in N. Texas.

First They Come For Your Guns

Then they come for your Zip Lock Bags. That's right folks. The same city famous for Fencing Stolen Guns and the home town of Michael "Snuffy" Pfleger is at it again. Chicago is going after your zip lock bags.

From The Chicago Sun Times:

By Fran Spielman

City may ban little baggies

Tiny plastic bags used to sell small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs would be banned in Chicago, under a crackdown advanced Tuesday by a City Council committee.

Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) persuaded the Health Committee to ban possession of "self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width," after picking up 15 of the bags on a recent Sunday afternoon stroll through a West Side park.

These idiots are elected. People get off the couch, go to a polling place, and actually vote for idiots like this Alderman. People actually asked, nay demanded, to be represented by this statist jerk.

Let's see what the hired help has to say about this idea:

Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago Police Department's Narcotics and Gang Unit, said the ordinance will be an "important tool" to go after grocery stores, health food stores and other businesses. The bags are used by the thousand to sell small quantities of drugs at $10 or $20 a bag.

Heaven help us. This is how the third largest city in the United States handles it's issues, going after stores for selling zip lock bags.

H/T to The Volokh Conspiracy.

Also commenting is Say Uncle and To Which I Replied...

An Unexpected Result...

...from yesterday's primary elections.

It seems I've been elected a Delegate to the Republican Tarrant County Senatorial District 10 Convention. The purpose of this convention is to select Delegates and Alternates to the State Republican Convention and adoption of resolutions to be submitted to the State Convention.

Guess I should brush up on my resolution writing skills.

What Can $350.00 Get Ya?

Sometime around Thanksgiving, our living room television went out. It was a big screen projection set that we had picked up third hand on the cheap. We got our monies worth out of it, but it was D.E.A.D dead. We moved the bedroom TV (an older RCA) into the living room until we could afford a new television. Well, the other weekend while V and I were out and about she surprised me by having us stop at an electronic store and purchasing a new plasma TV. The prices on those have really dropped post Super Bowl.

The purpose of this post isn't to talk about our new television, it is to talk about a remote control. Logitech has been pushing some serious advertising for their new "Harmony" universal remote control. V is not much interested in using a bunch of different remotes to run the entertainment system, so I thought I would check out one of these remotes that were being advertised all over the place. Oh My Goodness. They want $350.00 for a remote control, and it wasn't even the most expensive one! Ummm... if folks are buying $350.00 remote controls, the economy must not be doing all that bad.

The Double Whammy

Polling places and schools are off limits to legal concealed carry here in Texas. When your polling place is at a school you could be charged with two separate felonies for having your sidearm at your side while voting.

What's a free citizen to do?

Note: The issue of legalizing concealed carry on the premises of a school will be taken up during the next legislative session. That fact alone should highlight the importance of voting come November.

Quote of The Day

This quote is from a Republican who happens to be on the ballot here in Texas. He is one of the list of candidates for President.

I am a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. The right to keep and bear arms was included in the Bill of Rights so that when, by a long train of abuses, government evinces a methodical design upon our natural rights, we will have the means to protect and recover those rights.

In fact, if we make the judgment that our rights are being systematically violated, we have not merely the right, but the duty, to resist and overthrow the power responsible. That duty requires that we maintain the material capacity to resist tyranny, if necessary--something that is very difficult to do if the government has all the weapons. A strong case can be made, therefore, that it is a fundamental DUTY of the free citizen to keep and bear arms.

Do you know who he is?

Tuesday Primaries

The Texas Primaries are tomorrow, and tomorrow can not come too soon. A person can't turn around without hearing or seeing a Hillary/Obama/McCain ad. When you throw in the occasional Huckabee ad and even a couple Alan Keyes ads, there is not much air time left for the local contenders. For conservatives, the primaries are where we can make a difference. Both the Dallas and the Tarrant County Sheriffs are being challenged and there are a couple of incumbent state legislators who are being taken to task by new blood.

Tomorrow's vote is important, especially if you are a conservative.

One interesting note. I have not seen single print or television ad, or heard a single radio ad for Ron Paul. Lots of signs on fences and in peoples yards, but nothing in the paper, on the TV or from the radio. His supporters are doing a good job of canvasing neighborhoods, handing out flyers, and talking to people. I think a couple ad's in the mass media would go a long way towards backing them up.

No...

...I have not forgotten you this evening. A question was posted in my Erma Werke post that required that I detail strip my EM-1 and take pictures of the trigger group spring layout.

That post continues to be one of my most popular, and receives the most hits from European IP addresses.

Lone Star Friends of NRA Dinner AAR

I arrived at the Mesquite Convention Center at 09:00 to help set up for last night's dinner, starting early made for a stress free day. We unpacked and set up the items for the live and silent auctions, the drawings and then the games. Of course my favorite part was setting up the firearms. We had over 30 firearms available for lucky individuals to take home, and a good variety of additional items that would make pretty much anyone happy. During the dinner I helped a gentleman who had won an NRA fire pit who was as happy as could be. His wife had been wanting a fire pit for quite awhile, and he won one for her.

The event started a 6:00. There were 290 dinner tickets sold, and 310 seats. The overflow seats filled up with walk-ins and we had a good crowd of people keeping the raffle ticket sellers and the folks running the games busy. I did not run any games, as I wanted to spend some money and play.

We had 45 individuals and organizations step up to sponsor this dinner, as well as a good group of folks who donated items for the auctions. Speaking of auctions, the live auction went very well. This year Shorty Yeaman was our auctioneer, and he kept things hopping. The bidding was lively and the organization made some money. V got involved and won a Texas Flag that was flown over the State Capitol on February 6, 2008 in observance of President Ronald Regan's Birthday. This flag was donated by Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. I mentioned to V that I liked that flag and she made sure I got to take it home. I am a lucky man.

Speaking of lucky, I also ended up with a firearm in one of the drawings.

I am now the proud owner of a Charles Daly Field Hunter Maxi-Mag 12 gauge pump shotgun.

Dinner was Bar B Que, and our dinner speaker kept his talk short and sweet. James Dark, Executive Director of the Texas State Rifle Association, was our MC for the evening and he worked the crowd well.

The driving force behind this dinner, and a major factor in it's success was Tommy Easterling, the North Texas NRA Field Rep. Tommy was there before I arrived at 9:00 in the morning, and was still going strong when I left shortly after 11:00 that evening.

It appears that, once again, the Lone Star Friends of NRA dinner was a success. Folks had a good time and money was raised to support the shooting sports. I can't hardly wait until next year.