Thoughts On Blogging

It's Sunday morning, and as I sip my coffee, I am perusing the blogosphere, catching up with blogger acquaintances and friends. I don't get to do that to often, and as I scan and read, I have a few thoughts........

I like to read blog articles that are short, sweet, and to the point. If I wanted to read a manifesto on a subject, I would buy the book, and curl up under a quilt in bed, not sit at a computer desk. I'm not reading for study, but rather for entertainment here. My wife, child and dogs frequently interrupt me at my desk with their own needs. The attention span I can give is by it's very nature......short.

I'm attracted by visual imagery. I like pictures, but I want to read a bit too. I want the content to be of substance, not simply narcissistic ramblings. I get enough of that at work. I want pages to load fast, not be filled with a bunch of personal ads and other nonsense.

I don't like to leave the blog I'm reading to go find more information. I appreciate links to more info, but I'm looking for information, not directions. I want to know what is going on. If I wanted to go to Drudge or MSN to get the gist of the story, I'd Google it up and go. A blog of nothing but posted links fails to hold my interest.

I like to know what I'm going to get when I go to a blog. I like the blog to have a theme such as guns or medicine, and pretty much stick to it. If it doesn't, labels or other categorizing links are much appreciated. I've been told that a blog is a public journal. I suppose that is true. I use mine to keep up with my life, my animals, my fish tanks, and to elaborate on thoughts and preserve what I have written about online. I consider my blog content to be approximately 70% guns/defense, 10% nursing, 10% family and pets and perhaps 10% other curious stuff that intrigues me. Oh, and 1% narcissistic rambling such as this.....

Muzzleloaders

It seems the anti-gun forces are seizing onto the idea that accused St. John's gunman Omesh Hiraman did not have to undergo a background check to buy a muzzleloader.

"No self-respecting criminal or gang-banger would ever buy one of these," a law enforcement source said. "But crazies - they love 'em."

On the lack of background checks for muzzleloaders:

"It's not a BB gun," said James Gannalo, a retired NYPD officer and ballistics expert. "It's a lethal weapon if the person fires it into a human being."

Yeah right, Mr. Gannalo, knives and screwdrivers are lethal weapons if they are jabbed into a human being, automobiles are lethal weapons if they are intentionally driven into a human being..........Do you advocate background checks on those as well?

Good Grief!

WEST NEW YORK - A man was arrested after accidentally shooting his girlfriend in the thigh with a plastic BB gun Sunday, police reports said. Pedro Dubon, 38, of the 200 block of Cliff Street in Cliffside Park, was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, reports said.

The woman was shot in the upper right thigh with a plastic pellet fired from an air-powered rifle at a home on 50th Street and Bergenline Avenue at 12:44 p.m., reports said. Jersey City Medical Center responded, but the woman refused
treatment, reports said. The man appeared to be "playing around with the gun" and the bullet ricocheted off a wall before hitting the victim, reports
said.

"No one should be using any kind of weapon indoors," West New York Police Director Oscar Fernandez. "It might not kill someone but it could injure someone seriously."

Note how an Air Soft pistol becomes a "weapon"? Even more amusing alarming, note how a plastic pellet becomes a "bullet"?

Air Soft Safety

Chinese Hostage Negotiations

On August 17, 2004, Zhang Kailin armed himself with two kitchen knives and took two children hostage in a fifth-floor classroom of a children's center in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province in China. Patrol police, a SWAT team and firefighters rushed to the site to intervene. Zhang bargained with authorities for over two hours, when he finally attempted to harm a hostage.

Zhang Kailin made three demands.

The hostage rescue team considered the demands.

A counter offer was rejected.

The head negotiator set his terms.

Negotiations were successful.

Everyone went home for supper except the criminal.

Chinese news story here.

108 Years

The Model 10. It's the ubiquitous, essential revolver. A basic, a primal, enduring and effective means of personal defense. The Model 10/Military & Police line of Smith & Wessons is my favorite gun collecting sector, rich with history and variants. Read more about it at A Tennessee Gun Nut's Blog.

Slow News Day At CNN

Hat tip to Tam

Nursing Pins

One of the rather unique experiences of becoming a nurse is when you are "pinned" at graduation. Many nurses continue to wear their pins their entire career. Those outside the field rarely understand what goes into earning that bit of 10 or 14 karat gold and enameling.

Some nurses, including my wife collect these pins. They are often engraved with the initials of the recipient and the date given. This one ended on ebay for $66, a not uncommon sticker price in this market.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Handguns & Hurricanes

I swung into Kenny's shop today to say hello and check out the merchandise. Kenny greeted me with a smile, but he shook his head when I asked if he had anything old and blue. I went to take a gander at his stock anyway.

Kenny had a Beretta 92FS on the shelf. That is not a common pistol to find in a pawnshop. They are almost always reliable, given a decent magazine. This one was in decent enough shape, with a fair amount of finish wear. It was obviously a duty gun. Kenny had it priced attractively at $349.

Sitting on the end of the handgun line-up was a Smith & Wesson Model 64-3 for $279. This revolver is a stainless version of the venerable S&W Model 10. This one had a heavy pinned barrel, making it a pre-1982 gun. It also had Goodyear grips installed, but was in great shape otherwise. Had it been a blued gun, I might have bought it, but the stainless guns do not hold the same allure for me. I have a couple of them, a Model 67 and a Model 66, and strangely enough, I just could not justify adding another. I held on to my money.

Kenny had a few other pistols on the shelf, including a Sig 239 priced at $399. It seems the pawn shop handgun selection and variations is down from the past couple of years. It has been that way most of this year. I suspect it is because the migration from New Orleans after Katrina has ceased, and those who moved away are now stabilized economically.

Ilsa's Shots

Ilsa went in to see the vet today, and she received the rest of her vaccinations.

Bordetella
DA2PPLepto Annual
Rabies Annual

Good dog Ilsa!

Next week.........Neutering.......

Pager Stories

I made it home from work at 2:35 this afternoon, and as soon as my feet were inside my house shoes..............Beep beep beep beep. Damn. Emergency case.

I drove back to the horse pistol and saved somebody's grandmother. Life is good. I love it when that happens. I'm tired as a all get out, can't really write, can't think. I'll write some this weekend. I'm going to sleep in case I get called out again.

Tank Additions

To Reef Tank:
Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
Spotted Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys aprinus)

A Six Line Wrasse is a busy body fish, swimming about the tank inspecting everything. They are moderately aggressive, believing everything is their territory. They do tolerate other species fairly well though.

The Hawkfishes lack a swim bladder, and sit camouflaged on branches of coral, propped up on their pectoral and caudal fins waiting for food to swim by. When it does, they dive on it like a hawk, thus their moniker.

Tank Additions

To Reef Tank:
Red Pentaceraster Sea Star
Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)

Yellow Tangs are what most people think of with a saltwater tank. Brilliant yellow and shaped like a pancake with a nose, these fish swim in great herds off the coast of Hawaii. In captivity, they are aggressive to each other, as the percieved food demand increases. They graze on algae of almost any type, and are a nice colorful and active addition, even if they are swimming in almost any saltwater aquarium you view.

Colt Series 80 FPS

For all those who disassemble the Colt Series 80 firing pin safety, or have the parts fall out on detail stripping the pistol, and then wonder about reassembly.....

Passing Guns

Question: When a salesman checks the chamber of a gun before he closes it and hands it to you, should you check it again? Wouldn't that be rude?

I always check a closed weapon that is handed to me. I always hand it back with an open chamber and a stern look in the other man's eye.

Proper etiquette would require the salesman to hand you a pistol with the slide locked back, chamber open, for inspection. A revolver would be handed to you with the cylinder swung open for inspection. A rifle would have the bolt locked back. Since he handed you a closed chamber, it was he who violated proper etiquette, not you. Thus your checking the closed chamber handed to you should not raise protest. Make sure you hand the weapon back with the chamber open.

Among experienced gun handlers and salesmen, this is how they instantly know if they are dealing with another experienced handler or a novice. Checking that closed chamber sends a subtle message that you know what you are doing. Handing it back chamber open tells the other person you damned sure know what you are doing.

This etiquette comes from the military. An inspecting officer is always handed a rifle or sidearm with an open chamber that has been checked by the bearer in the officer's presence. This occurs with formal inspections and changing of guards. It is courtesy. Note too, that when the officer hands the weapon back, the chamber is open, whether he has manipulated the action or not.The bearer then again checks the chamber before placing the weapon at rest.

Keep your booger hook off the bang switch too.

The "Pre-Python" Colt

One area of gun collecting that may be particularly lucrative to speculate on is the early double action Colt revolver. Before Smith & Wesson gained market share with the development of the cartridge round, Colt was the company to turn to for a handgun. While the Smith & Wesson M&P dominated the law enforcement market in the early 20th century, Colt soldiered on, manufacturing their own unique revolver. Colt's cylinder rotated clockwise, the same as the rifling in the barrel. The lockwork of the Colt was all handfitted. Trigger feel was different between the Colt product and the Smith & Wesson. While shooting competitions advocated single action shooting of a double action revolver, Colt was the preference of many competitors. After competitions switched to more double action shooting, Smith & Wesson rose to prominence among competition shooters and those who follow such trends. The polish and fittment of the Colt product was second to none. And then, of course there was the Colt name.

Surprisingly, Colt revolvers from the first half of the 20th century can still be found in excellent condition for far less than what one might expect. Pictured here is a Colt Army Special in .38 Special purchased for $275 from Kay Clark-Miculek's place. It was produced in 1917. Next is a .38 S&W caliber Colt Police Positive, dating from 1923, with a cut down barrel for concealed carry. At $199, I probably paid more for it than I should have, but I found the revolver intriguing. Finally, from this era is a Colt Official Police in .22 LR. Made in 1937, I purchased this revolver, complete with Roper grips for a paltry $350.

Colt quit making double action revolvers in 2003. Speculation on Pythons and Diamondbacks have resulted in outrageous prices in the marketplace. Meanwhile, the earlier double action revolvers have flown under the radar. I do not expect that to last forever. The time to buy is now.

Who Woulda Thunk It?

Congratulations Jerry Miculek, overall winner of USPSA Revolver Division held September 9-12 in Tulsa Oklahoma. This is Jerry's fifth national revolver championship.

My Son's Story

My son was born five and a half weeks premature in 1984 with VATER syndrome. He had an imperforate anus, a tracheal/esophageal fistula and spinal bifida occulta. He had multiple painful surgeries as an infant to correct his deformities, including the deflation of a lung to reach and repair the T/E fistula. He wore a colostomy as a preschooler. He was a stoic little child who endured more in his first weeks of life than some people ever endure.

The true extent of his surgery was an unknown to us. We were simply grateful he lived. He grew to become a fine young man who spent his boyhood climbing fences rather than going through gates. He always had trouble swallowing, and he had problems with continence which he conquered in his teens. He never complained, he just adapted and overcame the obstacles before him. When he developed an odd discharge from his rectum this fall, we feared for him. Abdominal surgeries often cause adhesions over time, constricting the bowel and the blood vessels that keep it alive.

My son decided he needed to find out, he needed to know exactly what he had as a colon, and the extent of the scarring of his esophagus from his surgery as an infant. He elected to have an EGD and a colonoscopy performed. The problem was, these were uncharted areas on him, nobody knew exactly what to expect, whether he had a normal bowel or not, which way it would turn, and whether it was ulcerated, constricted, twisted, or redundant.

On the day of the scoping, we had his blood typed and matched, and had a surgical team on standby in case he was perforated. At the least, we felt he would require adhesion removal. I was present for his endoscopy, handling his sedation, and I was prepared to scrub into surgery if necessary. We joked that I had forgotten his birthday a few days previously, but I paid his insurance deductible. Thus I was getting him a colonoscopy for his birthday. Some kids detest the black socks they get for their birthday, mine wished for them.

The EGD was performed first. He did have minimal scar tissue in the form of a ring in the midpoint of his esophagus. Not bad......We turned him and switched scopes for the colonoscopy. As the scope was advanced towards his cecum, everyone in the endo suite was shocked to find that his colon was not only totally formed and normal, but was one of the healthiest colons they had ever seen. The high fiber diet he devised for himself to assist with continence had resulted in a strong, normal bowel. There were no adhesions. The discharge was diagnosed as a case of nerves, something that occurs in most people, but which goes unnoticed as they do not closely monitor such things. Other than the ring of scar tissue in my son's throat, he awakened in Recovery to find he was............normal.

A young boy who was frequently ostracized on the schoolyard because of his lack of continence, and later because of the terrible surgical scars across his torso learned he was for all intents and purposes.......normal. There was no need for the surgical team. No need for surgery. He was......normal. What a birthday present after all!

Tank Status

Reef Tank:
NO3= 0ppm
NO2= 0ppm
NH3= 5ppm
Salinity= 1.021

Trigger Tank:
NO3= 0ppm
NO2= 0ppm
NH3= 40ppm
Salinity= 1.021

Venomous Tank:
NO3= 0ppm
NO2= 0ppm
NH3= 10ppm
Salinity= 1.022

Nursery Tank:
NO3= 0ppm
NO2= 0ppm
NH3= 10ppm
Salinity= 1.020

Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) back to Reef Tank from Venomous Tank.

Coral Banded Shrimp (Stenopushispidus) to Reef Tank.

Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum) to Venomous Tank for isolation.

Buh Bye

Aldermen in the town of St. George, Missouri suburb, voted 5-0 in a closed meeting Monday to fire Sgt. Mr. James Kuehnlein. Notice of the firing was posted Wednesday at City Hall.

Methinks his law musta been wrong.............

Carry a Gun?

Read this at Colt CCO.

Update

At 2:15 CST today, my son was rolled into recovery. He is doing excellent. I thank you all for your kind words and prayers. I'll return to blogging after I decompress and after I get some sleep.

Thank you,
Xavier

In The Family

Today I work on my son.

May my judgement be clear, my hands quick and certain, and my objectivity guided by God.

Say a little prayer for us.

Xavier

Concealed Carry on Campus

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Note To Morons

A word of advice for knuckle dragging morons........If you see a man walking through a hotel lobby in scrubs and a lab coat, do not mock him asking if he is a brain surgeon and a requesting that he perform brain surgery on you.

He just might knock those brains out of your head and scramble them on the spot.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Booger eating moron........heh.....Hat tip to phlegmfatale

Visual Disturbance

Years ago I studied the art of the mentally ill. I find this animation fascinating. I'm just saying........

Hat tip to phlegmfatale

Vintage CCW

One area of gun accumulation collecting that interests me is vintage concealed carry weapons. Pictured here is a Beretta 1932, a Colt Police Positive, and a Colt 1903 Hammerless.

I have found this area of interest to be ripe with possibilities at the bargaining table. Finish wear on these pieces is not a factor to me, as each of these guns was carried. Modifications from standard only add to the interest. I am still looking for a Fitz Special and a reasonably priced bumper chromed and chopped Victory Model. Call me crazy.

Choisey le Roi

Sometimes I realize just what a lucky man I am. Witness a china plate from about 1780. French. Made before Napolean marched across Europe. Proudly displayed as part of a complete set on a shelf I had made for my wife high on the wall in our kitchen.

A stuffed toy thrown for a dog led to the plate's fall and demise. As the airborne toy tore the plate from it's perch, my perceptions became slow motion. The plate twirled and twisted on it's axis as it approached terra firma, on a collision course with a jubilant black German Shepherd Dog leaping upwards to grab an errant toy in her jaws.

I have always felt that we live an ethereal existence, with the things around us being little different. Yet this plate had survived over two centuries intact and cared for. It was one of my wife's prized possessions. No more. I am a lucky man. My wife forgave me, and life goes on.

Military & Police Anthology

I'm going to lighten the blog mood a bit again. Here's a slew of M&P iron.

First revolver is a Model of 1899.

Next is a Depression era Model of 1905 4th change.

Center is a Victory Model.

Then a Transitional M&P.

Finally, a Model 10-5.

What Doesn't Add Up

From Houssien A. Zorkot's website: "The Start of My Personal Jihad (in the US)
الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَاهَدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِندَ اللّهِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ

Zorkot was apprehended in a public park wearing face paint and toting a loaded military style rifle of the Kalashnikov persuasion. Zorkot is apparently in the US going to medical school, to become a physician. There are some in the gun community who are not wanting to call a spade a spade here. I suppose they want a bit more than a blacked out face and dark clothes combined with a little weapon carrying in a public place before an arrest, lest their own rights be jeopardized.

I'll state it simply...... Legitimate physicians and medical students do not usually slink about the night in an outfit designed to hide their presence, carrying a loaded Kalashnikov rifle. I'm sorry, they don't. Not in their backyard, or in public parks. Maybe Bubba from the trailer park exhibits this behavior on the weekends when he isn't working on his mud hogging proficiency and porking his wife's sister, but you can usually spot him by the wad of tobacco in his buccal pouch. Oh...... Chances are he will have spent his entire life in Pigsnort Hogfart, Mississippi. If he has a website, it is probably a MySpace page covered with Confederate flags and his computer probably crashed from porno spyware three months ago.

No, I will be frank. Men and women who are truly planning on becoming physicians do not exhibit this behavior. They just don't. It is unlikely there will ever be another person on a student visa attending flight school that will not be closely scrutinized. Medical school is another animal though. Medical schools are filled with foreign students, many from the Middle East. The administration is largely liberal and desirous of the money that a foreign student brings. The altruism of advancing medicine worldwide, and peace through international understanding and exchange is very seductive. Medical schools are fertile fields for the introduction of terrorists into the United States. Not all people enter medicine for altruistic reasons. For them the white coat and stethoscope is just window dressing for ulterior motives, be it money, power, self loathing or otherwise.

In the U.S. every person is innocent until proven guilty. That is true. There is also ample evidence in this case to create reasonable suspicion, regardless of it's circumstantial nature. While not convicting the accused prematurely in the media, we must also guard against the other extreme. Mohamed Atta's group succeeded not because they were devious, but because we were in denial. Let's not allow that again.

Houssien A. Zorkot......Heard of 'em?

Move on along.....Nothing to see here.........

Hat tip to Catfish

Stand Your Ground vs Lie In Wait

In Orange County, Florida the owner of a convenience store shot and killed a burglar Friday morning. Having been burglarized before, the owner was sleeping in the closed store overnight. At approximately 2:15 AM the snoozing owner was startled awake by glass shattering. "That woke me up one hundred percent," he recounted. The owner felt the immediate need to defend his life.

"I fired I think fourteen shots, and I, I was not very sure if I, if I shot him or not. And as soon as I finished all of my bullets, I think he really quickly jumped out of the window," stated the store owner as he described his spray and pray technique of life preservation.

The burglar was later found dead across the street. When asked if he regretted shooting the man and killing him, the store owner replied "No. Because this is the way it had to go down. His days were numbered, by the way. His days were numbered. If not me, he would have gotten somebody. If he had a weapon I would have gone down or he would have gone down."

Neighbors are supporting the store owner, but it is still uncertain whether charges will be filed.

This is yet another fine example of a person buying a gun and apparently never training or learning the law. Many gun owners hold a belief that a firearm is a magic talisman against crime, and they resort to their level of training in a crisis. They spray and pray. Guns do not prevent criminals from plying their trade like crosses affect vampires. Sound tactics and a plan prevents victimization.

While Florida is a "stand your ground" state, it is not a "lie in wait" state. The store owner freely admits he was sleeping in the store with a gun because he was burglarized before. Better, visible security may have been preferable. Two German Shepherd Dogs turned loose in the store when locking up for the night would have been just such a visible deterrent. The goal is not to change the burglar's life, but rather to make him choose an easier target elsewhere. The German Shepherd Dog is not a talisman against evil either, but unlike the firearm, a German Shepherd Dog comes ready with tactics to protect it's territory. A dog can lie in wait and escape with impunity when it protects it's territory. One can only hope a human will have the same ability in Florida.

Tabasco Chili

I was out shopping for some chili and dogs today, when I spotted Hormel chili with Tabasco. I like chili. I like Tabasco. I decided to give it a try.

Bad idea. This stuff sucks. It tastes like vinegar and ketchup with some ground up turkey for flavor. If you thought about trying it, think again. Buy something else.

Jodie Foster on Guns

"Here's my commentary: I don't believe that any gun should be in the hand of a thinking, feeling, breathing human being. Americans are by nature filled with rage-slash-fear. And guns are a huge part of our culture. I know I'm crazy because I'm only supposed to say that in Europe."
Jodie Foster

Nice. I believe this is what psychiatrists call projection. Even though Jodie is a pretty good actress.....Her bias against guns and Americans is crystal clear. Perhaps she is so filled with "rage-slash-fear" that she should not handle guns, but that is obviously not the case for many "thinking, feeling, breathing" Americans who own and use guns responsibly.

Jodie's gun handling is examined by Breda.

Lighten Up

Sergeant James Kuehnlein's outrageous behavior, Rutgers vs Navy, Cellphone aggravation, The Noble Oklahoma police department and Austin Haley's death............Things have been a bit serious around here lately. How about some pistol pics to lighten things up? Here is my Combat Elite and my Gold Cup. Yeah, Colt can make a pretty nice target gun.

George Baker- Little Green Bag

Kuehnlein Continued........

Contact Chief Scott Uhrig
9041 Southview Lane
St. George Missouri 63123
314-631-1295
314-631-2252 fax

The S&W "Bodyguard"

Sayeth the seller:

"This auction is for a rare factory 3 inch S&W Model 49 Bodyguard. I have never seen an all original factory 3" Bodyguard offered for sale. This gun in in fantastic condition. It easily rates 99%. Please look closely at the pictures.

The only sign of use is a fine turn line. There are no shadows on the recoil shield and the case coloring on the trigger is vibrant. Any flaws you see in the pictures are either reflections or lint. The grips are also in near mint condition but do not number to the revolver. No box or accessories but I will include the original S&W factory historical letter that identifies this revolver as having shipped with a 3 inch barrel. I have no doubt that in a few years my price of $2499 will seem like a bargain basement price for this revolver."

A three inch Model 49 is indeed a rare gun. This particular one is lettered as being genuine. It is in great condition. The finish likely is 99%. The flatlatch makes it even more desirable.

The grips, however admittedly do not number to this revolver. There is no box or papers. I give the seller a lot of credit for his honesty. Unscrupulous sellers have been known to stamp numbers into grips and have serial numbers magically appear on brand new box labels.

Now here is the goocher........a ANIB Model 49 with a two inch barrel lists at $400 in the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd Edition. An "excellent" Model 49 lists at $350. Is an extra inch of barrel worth $2149? As the photo to the left illustrates, I am a big fan of the Bodyguard frame. I believe it is the best pocket revolver ever designed, bar none. The only way to improve the gun was to make it lighter and stronger. If Smith & Wesson were to produce this frame in scandium, I might buy it today, regardless of the new gun price.

A buyer not only has to wonder if an extra inch of barrel is worth two grand, plus a Franklin and a half, but was it even a good decision when this revolver was special ordered? The Bodyguard revolver is a primo pocket gun, made for discreet, but instant self defense. It carries easily in a standard pocket by virtue of it's odd humpback shape. The shrouded hammer did allow single action as well as double action fire, but the real benefit of the Bodyguard frame is maintaining an upright and ready position all day long in a trouser pocket. These revolvers were not target guns, they were dedicated, life saving fighting guns. They were intended to be used at ranges under 20 feet, deployed swiftly from nowhere, and lit off at close range.

The three inch barrel would require a deeper pocket, and it would destroy the balance of the Bodyguard within the pocket, as well as slow the draw. The advantage of the three inch barrel is not in the increased sight radius for accuracy. If anything, the longer sight radius would be slower to come to sights if the sights were even going to be employed.

No, the advantage of the three inch barrel was a full length extractor rod, allowing for complete cartridge extraction and therefore greater insurance of a swift, sure reload. To reload the gun, of course, one must carry the weight of extra cartridges in a speedloading device. It begs the question, however, if a rapid and certain reload is the goal, why not carry a pair of two inch Model 38 Airweight Bodyguards and employ the New York reload? The total weight would be comparable to the heavier Model 49 and a prepared speedloader, the technique is faster, even more certain, and your pants are evenly weighted.

So getting back to the auction at hand.......I, personally, would not buy. The barrel length was an arguably poor decision when it was ordered, making the revolver an aberration, a deviation from a design that was at it's zenith. I give the seller kudos for honesty, but the revolver lacks original grips and the original box. That removes it from the collector realm, at least in that price range. The flatlatch and barrel length does make the revolver unusual and therefore desirable, but to me, it seems to be priced about two grand too high. Of course, the seller could be right, and a buyer may just be buying it a few years early at that price.

More on the S&W Bodyguard

More on St. George Missouri Police Sergeant James Kuehnlein

"Two arrests for assault with one conviction, one conviction for stealing, and an arrest for DUI, and this slob somehow gets to be not only a police officer, but a supervisor?"

The Floodgates Open........ from the Northern Muckraker

Concealed Carry on Campus

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Warning Shots

1. Don't pull a handgun unless you intend to use it.
2. Warning shots may get you shot.
3. A handgun sucks when your assailant has a shotgun.
4. 911 is not a policeman at the scene.

Nobody wants to take a human life, but the introduction of a handgun into a conflict may only make matters worse if you are not prepared to follow through on the threat that gun represents.

Warning: This video contains graphic wounds and incredible stupidity.



Control your animals and get some bug repellant for your head fellow!

The Badge

I had an administrator eyeball me in the elevator today. Then, suddenly from nowhere, he told me I should not wear a Bobcat badge on the lapel of my labcoat. I suppose he thought he was the war ignorant General who dressed down Joker in Full Metal Jacket for his peace sign and the "Born To Kill" inscription on his helmet.

Here's the deal. I ain't Joker, and this ain't the damned military. I did my time, I'm proud of my military service, and now, I'll tack whatever I damned well please on my lapel. The hospital I work at has nothing to say about it as long as it's tasteful. If the pencil pushing prick had nicely inquired, he might have learned that that pin was given to me in 1995 by an eight year old boy who almost lost his leg in a hunting accident involving a shotgun. Jeremy suffered a wound in his thigh that required multiple skin grafts and painful debridement over a period of eight months. He had injured his leg crossing a fence during dove season. I saved his leg against terrible odds. He managed to complete his dream of going deer hunting with his father. When I say I fought terrible odds to heal his wound and save his leg, it was because he was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. He died the following year.

Jeremy gave me his Bobcat badge to remember him by. He felt it was one of his most significant achievements. I disagree. One of his most significant achievements was to give me that badge as a reminder of why I do this job, as a bit of solace when everything falls apart around me, as recognition that I did make a difference for someone, and I can again, each day if I so chose.

So yeah Mr. Administrator.........I'm going to wear may Bobcat badge. It's not going anywhere. In a time when highly trained nurses are hard to come by, you do what you feel you must. I can secure another job with a simple phone call. You ain't taking this badge.

The Kuehnlein Tape

St. George Missouri Police Sergeant James Kuehnlein says, "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You want me to show you? You want me to show you? You want me to lock you up to show you I'm right and you're wrong?...........I want to show you the law. I want to show you the law. I'm gonna show you my law is right and your's is wrong."

Wow. Here's a link. Sgt. Kuehnlein is suspended pending further investigation.



Contact Chief Scott Uhrig
9041 Southview Lane
St. George Missouri 63123
314-631-1295
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Rutgers' Pathetic Display of Vulgarity

I could not say it better than Mark Di Ionno, except I will insert the words he left out:

The play came late in the game, when Rutgers expanded its lead over Navy to a comfortable level after a tight three quarters.

Navy's Reggie Campbell took the kickoff and ran full speed ahead up the middle with all the force his 168-pound body could generate.
Campbell, almost always the smallest and fastest man on the field, hit a wall of XXXL-sized scarlet jerseys and was slammed to the ground at the bottom of the pile. He got up slowly, limping off. This gutsy kid, a slotback who already spent three quarters being chased and tackled by gangs of defensive linemen and linebackers, all weighing at least 100 pounds more than him, was then given a dose of Rutgers' student section class.

''You got fucked up. You got fucked up. You got fucked up," they chanted.

Reggie Campbell is a senior. After graduation in June he has a five-year commitment to the American military, which, like it or not, is at war.

"This is how you treat people who may die for this country?" said Bill Squires, an Annapolis graduate (Class of'75) who was on the sidelines for the Friday night game in Piscataway and was shocked by the obscene chants directed at the Navy players and fans throughout the game. "It was the most classless thing I've seen."

Navy was booed and peppered with "You suck!" chants when they stepped on the field for both halves. Toward the end of the second half, Rutgers students in the new bleacher section began to serenade the adjacent section of Navy fans and uniformed Midshipmen.

''Fuck you, Navy. Fuck you, Navy. Fuck you, Navy."

"There were wives and small children up there," said Squires, an academic recruiter for the academy who has been to dozens of away games and never seen such contempt directed at his team. "Our Midshipmen reacted the way they were taught. They didn't respond, but the band started playing 'Anchors Aweigh' to drown them out. Me, I felt like going up there and smacking somebody. I was mad, and it bothered me all weekend."

Booing, cursing, chanting obscenities, unfortunately, are now part of the game day experience. It's easily been three decades since fans across the country in all sports began spending more time and creative energy jeering the visitors and officials than cheering the home team. Rutgers is far from the worst. They're not even the worst in New Jersey, not with the Jets' fans still in town. Still, every penalty against the Scarlet Knights is greeted with a chant of "asshole, asshole, asshole."

And now that Rutgers is winning, the long-suffering, self-effacing adult fans are being drowned out by a new generation of weight-room bully boys in scarlet T-shirts and red face-paint, who, from the safety of their seats, belittle the guys down on the field who take the hits.

Now that Rutgers is big-time, the old-time academic- and adult-minded fans are being elbowed aside by gangs of frat boys thrusting their fists and faces into the rolling ESPN cameras. What was it your old football coach used to say? Act like you've been there before. Not in the RU student section.

"At one point, I thought, we defend this country for people like this?" said Squires, who lives in West Orange. "I wasn't embarassed as a New Jerseyan. I was embarassed as a human being."

It was so noticeable that Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy called down to Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk yesterday to make sure there were no hard feelings, according to John Wooding, an assistant AD at Rutgers.

Some will excuse the behavior as kids just being kids, out to have a loutish, drunken good time. Spewing obscenities at the visiting team is just part of the fun.

But you'd hope our Jersey kids would be smart enough to make an exception for the service academies, especially the weekend before the anniversary of Sept. 11, their generation's own Day of Infamy. You'd hope they'd be sensitive enough to realize that some of those Midshipmen may soon be among the young American men and women fighting and bleeding and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Young Americans, the same age as those safe in the stands watching a football game with their faces and bodies painted red.

At the very least, you'd think the Rutgers students would have some appreciation for the effort the undersize Navy players put out. They aren't like the players from Louisville or West Virginia or some of the other ranked powerhouses Rutgers now finds itself among. They are what Rutgers was not so many years ago. Students first, athletes second. Except better.

The new Rutgers is a big-time football school, with all the hype and manufactured drama. Coach Greg Schiano leads his team through pregame Scarlet Walk, chest out, stomach in, looking every bit the general except without gold braids, epaulets and a full rack of medals. The band plays. The cheerleaders and dance team girls wave pompoms. The conquering heroes go past, eyes front. At game time, the scoreboard TV shows the team coming down the tunnel to a soundtrack from Armageddon. An Army helicopter chop-chops overhead (your tax dollars at work).

Football has always marched to a militaristic or tribal drum beat, to whip up players to greater levels of violence. The game is always likened to war by coaches, players, announcers and writers who haven't been to war.

But to Reggie Campbell and his Navy teammates, Friday night's game wasn't war. It was a game. War is around the bend.

They deserved better.

And that red on the faces of some Rutgers' fans wasn't body paint.

Now I'll voice my opinion, I suppose. Fuck you right back Rutgers. You do not deserve to disgrace the same grass those boys men play football on. You do not deserve to breathe the same air that may be their last breath in a foreign land. Take your cowardly, cry baby, nappy headed ho, uneducated, degenerate and despicable presence to your next sporting event. That is all your pathetic lives will ever be, and the greatest meaning your life will ever attain is a couple of digits on a football scoreboard. You are beneath the US Navy's contempt.


Later......

An Open Letter to Rutgers Students:

Thank you for the terrific support you have shown the Rutgers football team in our first two home games this season. Our team is inspired when they emerge from the South end zone tunnel to hear the overwhelming cheers from a packed Rutgers Stadium.

You, our students, are the face of Rutgers. Your behavior and your cheers give us the home field advantage, and help to set the tone of enthusiasm for the Stadium on game day.

The jeers and vulgarities hurled by a small group of students at the U.S. Naval Academy football team during the Rutgers–Navy game embarrassed the University, the alumni, and Rutgers fans across our State. The behavior was undignified, disrespectful, and unacceptable. Some parents were so upset by the vulgar chants in the student section that they left the game with their children.

By contrast, we saw Rutgers fans standing and applauding the Navy players as they came on to the field, and the two teams showed the mutual respect they have for each other after the game when they stood together for the playing of each institution's alma mater. The behavior of a small group has caused many alumni, fans, and supporters great concern – and appropriately so. Both the President and the Director of Athletics have apologized to their counterparts at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Rutgers is built on a 240-year history of tradition, intellect and character. All members of University community expect our students to conduct themselves in ways that reflect positively on this tradition and that bring honor to the university. The Athletics Department and Student Affairs will work together with student groups to encourage good sportsmanship and incorporate whatever measures are necessary to ensure that this will occur.

Let's show the nation that Rutgers' student fans, like our football team, are among the Nation's best. We ask for your help by acting with the respect and dignity worthy of our great University.

Thank you all for your continuing support, and GO SCARLET KNIGHTS.

Robert Mulcahy
Director of Athletics

Gregory Blimling
Vice President, Student Affairs

Letter to Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler
Open Letter to Rutgers Students
September 11, 2007


Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler
Superintendent
United States Naval Academy
121 Blake Road
Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5000

Dear Vice Admiral Fowler:

Let me offer my apologies on behalf of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, for the disrespectful and disgraceful behavior exhibited by some of our fans at the Rutgers–Navy game last Friday. I was at the game but did not hear the offensive chants, which came from a relatively small number of fans, and I learned about them only later. What I witnessed was actually quite the opposite: a large number of Rutgers supporters standing to applaud the Navy players as they left the field at halftime.

No student-athlete should ever be subject to profane language directed at them from the crowd, and certainly not the young men of the Naval Academy who have made a commitment to serve our nation in a time of war. Your Midshipmen conducted themselves with dignity throughout the game and have my admiration.

You have my best wishes and, again, my apologies.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?

I had already seen four patients that morning, dispensing wound care in the homes of those North of my city. I swung into the office on my way South, to pick up some supplies and new orders. It was about 10:15 CST. That's when I heard.

As I walked into the office, Denise, the office manager informed me two planes had hit the World Trade Center in New York. I thought "Oh, two planes.......collision, debris hits buildings......." I gathered my supplies and orders and blithely left the building. At the next patient's home, the lady of the house was upset because The Price Is Right was being preempted. She had turned off her television. I did my job and moved on. The next patient had no television. Then, I was off to a community fifty miles East of town. I popped some Smokey Robinson in the tape deck, and set the cruise control on the home health assault vehicle forged eastward.

There, I watched in horror on my next patient's television as the twin towers fell again and again. I watched as tape was played over and over of the inferno erupting from the second crash. Events became clear. I knew the United States had been attacked. I did not know what was occurring at Barksdale AFB.

I left that patient's home after completing my work, and drove to my six year old daughter's school. I removed her from class, and took her with me to see the rest of my patients that day. At each home, as I cared for wounds, I caught another glimpse of the scorched and smoking wound that radically changed US history and foreign policy. I do not know why I removed my little girl from class that day. No, actually I do. I wanted her close. I wanted her to feel safe with her daddy nearby, and I wanted to know if death were to randomly visit me that day, she would be with me.

I thought about re-enlisting. I knew we would be going to war. There was no question of that. My body had changed over time though. I was no longer the young warrior I once was. September 11, 2001 was the day I realized I was becoming an old man.

"We're the Only Ones........"

Officer Paul Bradley Rogers and Sergeant Robert Shawn Richardson of the Noble Oklahoma police department turned themselves in today, to be booked on charges of second degree manslaughter in the death of Austin Haley. They were released without bond.

Other Noble Oklahoma police department news tells of an officer, Bobby Brent Sirpless, engaged in a little drunken hit and run activity over the weekend. Sirpless was stopped by Norman Oklahoma police at 6:45 PM September 8,2007 on State Highway 9 after police received a call regarding his pick-up truck impacting another automobile and running off. Sirpless was found drunk behind the wheel, and was arrested.

Sirpless was also charged with carrying a firearm while under the influence. He was booked into the Cleveland County jail and has now been released.



Noble has an advertisement online for police officers........Looks like police chief Ben Daves might need another one.

Noble, Oklahoma Police Department

The Noble Police Department is accepting applications for full time and reserve officers.

Job Description:
Patrols city in a car or on foot, respond to calls for service of a varied nature, write reports, interview victims, witnesses and suspects, secure and investigate crime scenes, relay information, testify in court, enter and retrieve data from a computer terminal, etc. A full job description is available with the employment application.

Skills Required:
Must be 21 years of age. Possess a HS Diploma or GED. Must have a valid drivers license. Must not have been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude. Must be willing to undergo physical agility testing, an MMPI (personality inventory), a polygraph exam, and an Oklahoma Police Pension physical exam. CLEET certification is desirable but not required.

Compensation:
$21,840 to $30,701 (salary range / fulltime)

For information, contact the Noble Police Department at 405-872-9231. (7-10-2007)

Negligent Discharge Account

From The High Road:

So today I had a negligent discharge this evening. I got complacent and forgot that I had put two rounds of buckshot in my HD shotgun's magazine tube. I pumped it once nothing came out and I assumed that it was empty. So I decided to dry fire it. I brought it up to my shoulder and lined up the ghost ring sights and pulled the trigger.

The worst sound is when you hear a bang instead of a click.

My room smelled like gunpowder, my ears were ringing and I saw a golf ball sized hole in my mirror and I could see into my wall.

Seeing that hole and hearing that boom was the worst and most surreal moment of my life. The first thought that went through my head was, "I can't believe I just did that". The 00 buckshot did not penetrate through the house so that is a blessing.

After it happened I wanted to cry, vomit and a lot of other things all at the same time because I did not believe what I had done. I am going to keep the empty shot shell as a visible reminder of what happened today. I really thought that it would never happen to me. But further possible tragedy was averted because I had the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Afterwards I went for a drive to clear my mind. I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight because I am so keyed up. I know I screwed up and I am forever going to be more careful. So that is my story...

Glock22

Happy Birthday Li'l Darling!

The Smith & Wesson Model 15

The Smith & Wesson Model 15 is one of my favorite all around revolvers. It's an exceptionally shootable revolver, precisely accurate with a rare trigger of exquisite smoothness. The Model 15 has a long and storied history, starting with the Model of 1899 and the Military and Police revolver. Target sights were an option on the Model of 1905, but were rarely ordered. Occasionally a man might have a gunsmith install adjustable sights.

After WWII, Smith & Wesson finally took notice of this trend, and eager to offer new products, they added a target sighted 38 Special K frame revolver to their line. It was a six inch model, made for target shooting. Smith & Wesson dubbed their new revolver the K-38 Target Masterpiece. The FBI and police departments around the country soon requested the same revolver with a four inch barrel and a Baughman Quick Draw front sight. Smith & Wesson was quick to honor this request, and the K-38 Combat Masterpiece was born. The K-38 Combat Masterpiece rocked the police shooting competitions. Many officers selected it as a duty gun. Whereas the old M&P had been a duty gun often pressed into target use, the K-38 Combat Masterpiece was a target gun suitable for duty use.

In 1957, all Smith & Wesson revolvers were given numerical model numbers. The K-38 Target Masterpiece became the Model 14, and the K-38 Combat Masterpiece became the Model 15. In 1999, the Model 14 was dropped. Subsequent six inch target sighted .38 caliber K framed revolvers were called Model 15's. Pictured at right are a Model 15-3 Combat Masterpiece from about 1974, a "two T" five screw Smith & Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece circa early 1950s, and a Smith & Wesson Model 15-9 from 2002.

More on Cellular Dependence

From my comments on this article:

triticale said...
Every one of you are blaming objects instead of people, much like the way the victim disarmament movement blames guns instead of criminals.

Blackwing1 said...
Xavier:

Our concealed-carry instructor made if very, very clear that if we were going to carry a firearm, carrying a cell phone was an absolute necessity, for legal purposes if nothing else.

I now carry the world's perfect cell phone: No one but my wife has the number. I leave it on at all times that I'm carrying, and it's clipped to my belt (along with my multi-tool and spare magazine carrier). What's really funny is how my wife and I use it.

The last time we were at a big gun show (at the state fairgrounds), we split up to cover the stuff better. When she wanted me to look at something, she'd give me a call from across the coliseum. I'd ask her where she was, she'd tell me, and when she saw me look in the right area, she'd give me a wave. Much more like a walkie-talkie than a pair of phones, sometimes. We'd comment about how funny it was that we'd be within 100 yards of each other, and bounce a cell-phone signal up to a tower, over to a switcher, back to a tower, down to the other cell...all to just find each other at a crowded show.

But you've left out the worst offenders...the cell-phonies who insist on talking on their phones while driving a car. We used to assume that somebody speeding-up/slowing-down, veering in and out of their lanes and generally acting like a complete idiot was drunk. Now we just assume they're on the phone.

James R. Rummel said...
Bear with me for a few lines, please.

Movie film used to be nitro based. Heat it up too much and it would burn like Christmas tree in August that had been soaked in a gallon of gasoline. The places where they stored these movies were called "film vaults" because they were built like those armored rooms where the banks store money, so dangerous was the chance of a blaze.

People were well aware of the danger, and there would be a mad scramble for the exits if the cry of "fire" was raised in a theater. Teen aged kids would wait until the movie was about half way through and then yell out the word. They'd sit back and laugh themselves sick as the patrons trampled each other as the fled for their very lives.

The point is that there have always been people who were inconsiderate, even casually cruel, and that Triticale is right. You are blaming the instrument, and not basic human nature. Cell phones haven't eroded our good manners or sense of consideration for others because those things never existed in the first place. There were rude jerks before cell phones existed, and there would still be rude jerks if all cell phones suddenly stopped working.

I don't make it a secret that I run a charity self defense course, nor that I specialize in training the elderly and disabled. Even though I certainly understand your frustration with their misuse, I must say that they also provide an indispensable link to the police and emergency services when there is trouble. My students, many of whom are the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society, are much safer due to that link to the outside world.

blackwing1 was also correct in saying that everyone who carries concealed should also have their phone with them. It is an important weapon in our self defense arsenal.

Like I said, I understand the frustration with their misuse. But the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

James

I do no argue any of this. There have always been rude people, yes. There has not always been a marginally socially acceptable means of blinding people in a theater. Many cellphones have backlight adjustments, and volume adjustments. A user can activate those controls and discretely use the cellphone without anyone being disturbed or even knowing.

Yet they do not. These people know how to text message and check voice mail, but they do not know how to adjust backlighting and volume? I find that hard to believe. What part of "Turn off your phone" do they not understand? I believe rather, that they are so taken with their little digital world that displaying their over inflated sense of self worth in a darkened theater is more important to them than being respectful of others. This is the very definition of assholery.

At one time we were much more self sufficient than we are now. 911 is a panacea, yet people seem to believe they will be magically transported to a safe place when they dial it. They are not. A cellphone can summon help, but it cannot remove a threat.

Criminals are not deterred by 911 calls. They are deterred by force. At one time, it was not unusual for a person to carry a gun, the means of deadly force was there if needed, on their belt when they ventured forth. Now many carry a cellphone on their belts as though it were the magic talisman against all evil. The cellphone is not an instant policeman on your belt. It is a device to let a dispatcher know you are about to be killed, or that you have killed. A gun and the ability to use it is the means of protection that a cellphone is not.

I agree that a person should carry a cellphone if they carry a gun. However, they should not drive an automobile while using a cellphone. They should not use a cellphone in theaters. They should not use a cellphone around telemetry. They should not use cellphones in libraries, at funerals or during church. Yet they do. Hell, in surgery, a circulating nurse frequently just manages the surgical team's telephones rather than doing her job. Is nothing sacred? People should not use their cellphones in the many areas that request people to not use them. Cellphone users should know and use volume controls, and backlighting controls, and be respectful of others. That is all anyone is asking.

If there had been one usher who took each and every offender to the door and asked them to leave when a cellphone lit up, or when a cellphone rang during the performance I attended, this blog article would not exist. That, however did not happen. The director saying "We ask that you turn your cellphones off" at the start of the performance should have been enough. It was not. There are too damned many people in this world who think they are special. This blog article is not about the inherent evils of cellphones. It is about the assholes who think they have more rights than their fellow citizens.

I went to another performance of the same show, on Thursday night. It was Senior Night instead of the show's Premier. Buses from assisted living facilities deposited the cane bearing white haired population at the theater entrance. Not a single cellphone rang during the performance. Not a single cellphone lit up during the performance. The show was enjoyable. Strange. Nobody died in the theater or the parking lot. I know that there were at least two guns and cellphones there. My wife and myself were there. There may have been more.

Tolerance of bad behavior will not change it. Speaking out against bad behavior, calling it what it is, and condemning it is the first step towards change. To fix a problem, the problem must first be recognized as a problem. Using a cellphone in a theater, and allowing a cellphone to become such a link to your reality that you can not bear to not use it for a couple of hours is a problem. It is an addiction. I believe rehabilitation is possible, but first, the problem must be recognized.