What Is Xavier Reading?

My wife bought this book in hardcover on sale somewhere and read it in one night. I am not as voracious a reader of paper as my wife, but I have found this book extremely difficult to put down. It is written for a sporadic reader like myself, with short accounts of intense experiences of Louis Cataldie's career as the Coroner in Baton Rouge. At times darkly humorous, but always tragic, it is a personal catharsis of the cryptic world of living with death.

Largely written before Cataldie was called to account for the dead of hurricane Katrina, this is no high tech CSI wannabe glamour novel. Cataldie makes no bones about the reality, the personal costs and the sacrifices his calling takes on himself and his family. Katrina hit as the author was finishing this book, and the first chapter chronicles his ongoing frustration and struggle to account for the dead of the storm. Prior, he had achieved fame for his work on the serial cases of Derrick Todd Lee, and murderous spree of John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo.

Although panned by Publisher's Weekly as being an "unremarkable account" with "flat writing and the occasional platitude", I feel that Coroner's Journal: Stalking Death in Louisiana is a glaring example of why artists frequently say they have eyes while critics have spectacles. This book is anything but unremarkable. It is a spot of human brilliance concerning a topic that is all to often simply a scientific fashion statement in today's world. Louis Cataldie does not seek to increase his reputation by writing this book, rather he attempts to respectfully speak for the dead while educating us all. It is intense, it is menacing, ominous, bizarre, and it is absolutely compelling. Best of all, it's on the cheap rack. Prove the critics wrong. Read this book.

Pawn Shop Circuit: 1911 Cravings

I got off work early today, and used my spare time to hit a few pawn shops and gun stores. My favorite pawn shops had the usual fare of Ruger double action pistols, Glocks and such, nothing that I was interested in. I resolved to darken the door of a gun store.

At the first gun store, there were a couple of interesting pistols. A Colt New Agent 1911 was in the case. It was Series 90 pistol, with an enhanced lightweight frame and a gutter in the slide instead of sights. It had slim grips, and a tapered slide reminiscent of a Browning Hi-Power. Intriguing to say the least. It was also blued, and priced at $947. It looks like Colt is starting to get on the ball with CCW, but I would have preferred the pistol be hard chromed and priced more attractively.

The proprietor also had a Colt WW1 Reproduction for sale. I asked to see it. As I turned it over in my hands, I noted an off center recoil plug tunnel, and a double struck United States Property rollmark. I was also put off by the tapered leading edges on the slide and the raised margins of the rollmarks. The 1911 reproduction is a pistol I may someday buy. I intend to shoot it if I do though, so a new one would depreciate rapidly. Original M1911s routinely sell for greater amounts, and the chances of finding a correct example in my price range is slim. I looked at the tag. this reproduction was tagged at $1047. I asked if they could work with me on the price. The answer was no.

I remembered why I essentially stopped going into gun stores. I started to drive over to a local gun store that I have not visited in five years. I walked out after the owner's wife was insufferably rude half a decade ago, and vowed to never return. I thought about it today, just to see if there was another Colt WW1 Reproduction in town at a fair price. There was likely one there, but I could not bring myself to offer them any further patronage.

Home Again

Ilsa is back home. Work has been heavy.........

Wow!

Hat tip to Babs

A Night Without Ilsa

My wife had taken Ilsa into the vet yesterday morning for treatment, and I was to pick her up after leaving work yesterday. Ilsa has been having a bit of a problem with demodicosis and we finally decided to have her dipped. The treatment is harsh on a doggie, so we had held off, hoping her developing immune system would conquer the disease. We could not vaccinate her with the problem, however. After she chased a coon out of the backyard a few days ago on our early morning urinary relief sojourn, I finally relented and said "Let's dip her and get it over with." I was to pick her up at 1430.

Alas,the life of a nurse is never so structured, unless that nurse works the drudgery of the hospital floors. I almost left the hospital early yesterday. I was not on call, and all the cases were finished at 1200. I decided to stay and get caught up on paperwork and such......

At 1345 I got word that a critical hemorrhagic case was being raced to the ER. I went down to prepare, and at about 1400, I began work in earnest to stop a duodenal bleed. We shoved blood in as fast as it arrived, scoping past a sanguine volcano erupting from the man's mouth and nostrils. Our patient was bellowing as he thrashed about on the stretcher, spraying blood about the room. Intubation and anesthesia was not possible. The ER staff went AWOL. The sedation had no effect on this man as we wrestled him to keep him still so we could perform a miracle for his family. He would have tipped the scales at 230 at least, and he was whooping our asses..........

I'll let it go at that. When the blood drips off the surgical lights on to the back of your head and neck in a case, you know you are in deep. In the end, we saved his life, although we all ended up bruised and battered from the ordeal.

When I left the gory and trashed treatment room to find the ER nurse and give report, I learned she was on a smoke break. Somehow, I was not surprised, nor amused. Covered with blood, spit and sweat, except where my shredded gown and goggles had protected me, I found the ER supervisor. I explained firmly that she would take report, right here, right now. Exhausted and spent, I walked out of the ER at 1735. The vet closed at 5:30PM. I'm sorry Ilsa. I'll see you when I get home this afternoon.

This Handgun Already Exists

Bruce Montague

Concealed Carry on Campus

Click the banner below to learn more.

Registered Magnum at Auction

Registered Magnum #943 is up for bids on Auction Arms. If you've ever wondered about these stopried guns, this is an auction to watch.

This gun was shipped to Connecticutt in 1936 with the following features: 6.5 in. barrel, no. 35 Marble's ivory bead front sight, magna grips. This gun is very nice and carries most of the original finish. Gun is in the correct box (box does not have the white tape on bottom) box has brush and paper insert. Bore and mechanics are excellent, lock up and timing are right. All numbers match on the gun, with the exception of the grips, which are correct but do not number to the gun.

Current Price: $4,141.41 (Reserve Price Not Met)
But It Now: $5995.00

Here are a couple more interesting auctions:

Boxed S&W pre-model 27 .357 Mag. w/ 3-1/2" bbl
Currently at $1,600.00 (Reserve Price Not Met)

Colt M1911A1 1936 Super Match w/ military provenance
Currently at $8,500.00 (Reserve Price Not Met)
Buy It Now: $14,000

The S&W Lock

Michael Bane learns why the S&W integral lock is despised.

Here are more documented S&W revolver integral lock failures.

SAR Ilsa

Ilsa's training began in earnest early this morning. She was able to find Little Darling on seven out of eight attempts in a 20 acre park/playground. She quickly picked up on any sound, and seemed to know what she was expected to do. Tracking on the ground seems to be an adjunct for her at this time, but the plan is to train her to hone those nostrils over the next months.

Pipe Down!

As most gun owners know, residents of Washington, D.C., have been barred from owning a firearm in their home for thirty years. You may have heard about recent efforts to overturn that ban, including a potential hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court. But I'll bet you haven't heard about the public hearing on the issue, where a congressional delegate lectured a pro-gun audience to "pipe down!"

The anti-gun media in our nation's capital city didn't want to tell the whole story, but I will. Because, when it comes to freedom, Americans should never pipe down!

Washington, D.C.'s congressional delegate, Eleanor Norton, has been a longtime gun-control supporter. Frankly, she hasn't met a gun ban she didn't like.

So Norton attended a hearing on the D.C. gun ban intent on lecturing the crowd about the need to keep the gun ban in place. She was more than surprised to find that her district is full of NRA members and citizens who want their Second Amendment rights restored.

She was surprised and flabbergasted.

She said, "Wherever a resident may stand on guns … and there are a few residents in the District of Columbia who would see our gun laws repealed and make common cause with the NRA," Norton began. At her mention of the NRA, the crowd erupted in applause, much to Norton's shock and horror.

She continued, stunned, "... I've been in Congress 15 years, and most of you look real strange to me … I don't know where you came from. All right. PIPE DOWN!"

It reminds me of Jack Nicholson in the movie, A Few Good Men. Delegate Norton JUST CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

And the truth is, the result of D.C.'s gun ban is a violent crime-infested city.

And the truth is, NRA members and law-abiding citizens live everywhere, including in Washington, D.C. And they, like all Americans, value all of their rights... including the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

And we absolutely will not-ever-pipe down.

Link

Hat tip to Uncle

Ilsa Battles the String

Woman Saves Her Man in Louisiana

On August 22, 2007, at approximately 6:00 AM, as Nathaniel Evans left his St. Charles Parish home for work, he was accosted by two armed men. Evans was ordered back into his home by the gunmen, who brandished a 38 revolver, a 9 mm and a 40 caliber handgun. Inside the home was Irene Bailey and a five year old child.

Once inside the home, Evans and Irene Bailey were forced to the floor at gunpoint, as the home invaders continually demanded "Where is it?". Irene Bailey was forced into the bedroom with her five year old child. At some point, for some reason, Evans was shot by the gunmen in the torso, lacerating his liver. That is when Irene Bailey responded like a cornered cat. She somehow managed to get to a 40 caliber handgun, and she shot both criminals. She shredded one criminal's torso with five rounds, and shot the other criminal in the torso once. Jason Jammal Todd was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:20 a.m. by the coroner. The second criminal, Chris Avila, was lucky. Although injured, he ran like a bunny rabbit, and was found hemorrhaging in a nearby grassy field around 8 a.m. by police.

Jason Todd got personalized toe jewelery at the local morgue.
Chris Avila will be booked with attempted murder and aggravated burglary.
Nathanial Evans is listed in in guarded condition at St. Charles Hospital.
The five year old was not injured.
Irene Bailey will not be charged for righteous self defense.

Ohio CHL Holder Apprehends Murderer

Tuesday afternoon, August 21, 2007, Dayton Ohio. Robert Bragg, a 24 year old Ohio Air National Guardsman heard gunshots and shrieks of fear and pain. He went into his home to retrieve his Beretta 9mm handgun. Unbeknownst to Bragg, at the Covault Market and Coin Laundry, two men had just been murdered in cold blood. An armed robbery had resulted in the deaths of the market owner, Roger Covault, and one of his employees, Robert T. Harris. Two killers were loose on the street.

About a half hour earlier, Robert Bragg had spoken with two young pedestrians, who asked him for directions in front of his home. He did not recognize them, but he made a mental note of their attire. They wore long sleeves and baggy clothing in the midday sultry heat of Dayton. They asked for directions to a street that Bragg did not recognize, and then they moved on. When Bragg heard the shots from down the street, he had ample cause for alarm.

Now he saw the men running down his street armed with handguns. Bragg quickly went inside his home and told his mother to call 911. He then exited his home with his own sidearm. When the two killers approached, Bragg identified himself as a military policeman and ordered both to halt, to drop their weapons and go prone on the pavement. "They were both stunned," Bragg recalled.

Bragg was outmanned, two to one. He was in a precarious predicament, but he held the initiative. The tables had turned. Now, it was time for the criminals to be confused and shocked as a events they had not expected unfolded.

One killer lowered his firearm, but the other began to raise his in Bragg's direction. "I think he thought about it. Once he realized I was going to shoot him before he could shoot me, he just took off on foot. For a split second, I thought I was going to have to shoot him," Bragg said. The second killer dropped his weapon and his ski mask.

Assisted by his neighbors, Robert Bragg held one killer, Brandon Phillips, at gunpoint until the authorities arrived, but the other man, the one who raised his gun in Bragg's direction, was still at large in the vicinity. After a manhunt, police apprehended Michael Perdue, the other gunman.

"It never really crossed my mind that I could get hurt," stated Bragg. "It's hard to feel like a hero when two people lost their lives. It's a horrible loss."

Today, the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office approved charges of six counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of kidnapping against Brandon Phillips. Prosecutors also approved charges of aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence against Michael Perdue.

Robert Bragg holds a Ohio Concealed handgun License. Thank you for your service, Airman Bragg.

Teach Children Firearms Safety

Bruce Montague

Katrina was formed on August 23, 2005
Hat tip to Oleg Volk

Confiscating Clergy?

Recently, Jeff Ferrell of KSLA News of Bossier City, Louisiana published a story regarding the federal use of clergy to confiscate firearms in a disaster such as Katrina. He used footage from a Hollywood movie, "The Siege" to illustrate potential events in his news story. I'll cut and paste his story here.

Homeland Security Enlists Clergy to Quell Public Unrest if Martial Law Ever Declared
Aug 15, 2007 06:07 PM CDT

Could martial law ever become a reality in America? Some fear any nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil might trigger just that. KSLA News 12 has discovered that the clergy would help the government with potentially their biggest problem: Us.
Charleton Heston's now-famous speech before the National Rifle Association at a convention back in 2000 will forever be remembered as a stirring moment for all 2nd Amendment advocates. At the end of his remarks, Heston held up his antique rifle and told the crowd in his Moses-like voice, "over my cold, dead hands."
While Heston, then serving as the NRA President, made those remarks in response to calls for more gun control laws at the time, those words live on. Heston's declaration captured a truly American value: An over-arching desire to protect our freedoms.
But gun confiscation is exactly what happened during the state of emergency following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, along with forced relocation. U.S. Troops also arrived, something far easier to do now, thanks to last year's elimination of the 1878 Posse Comitatus act, which had forbid regular U.S. Army troops from policing on American soil.
If martial law were enacted here at home, like depicted in the movie "The Siege", easing public fears and quelling dissent would be critical. And that's exactly what the 'Clergy Response Team' helped accomplish in the wake of Katrina.
Dr. Durell Tuberville serves as chaplain for the Shreveport Fire Department and the Caddo Sheriff's Office. Tuberville said of the clergy team's mission, "the primary thing that we say to anybody is, 'let's cooperate and get this thing over with and then we'll settle the differences once the crisis is over.'"
Such clergy response teams would walk a tight-rope during martial law between the demands of the government on the one side, versus the wishes of the public on the other. "In a lot of cases, these clergy would already be known in the neighborhoods in which they're helping to diffuse that situation," assured Sandy Davis. He serves as the director of the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
For the clergy team, one of the biggest tools that they will have in helping calm the public down or to obey the law is the bible itself, specifically Romans 13. Dr. Tuberville elaborated, "because the government's established by the Lord, you know. And, that's what we believe in the Christian faith. That's what's stated in the scripture."
Civil rights advocates believe the amount of public cooperation during such a time of unrest may ultimately depend on how long they expect a suspension of rights might last.

Story by Jeff Ferrell

Wow. Tin foil hat time.

I believe there is a misrepresentation of facts in this news story.

I know Charlton Heston's statements were misrepresented.

I'm not an attorney, so I'll simply cut and paste what I can find on Posse Comitatus.

The Posse Comitatus Act could be replaced, nullified or modified by a simple act of Congress.

In early 2006, the 109th Congress passed a controversial bill which grants the President the right to commandeer Federal or even State National Guard Troops and use them inside the United States. This bill, entitled the John Warner Defense Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122.ENR), contains a provision, (Section 1076) which allows the President to:

“...employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to...restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States..., where the President determines that,...domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order; suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy...” [3] Senator Patrick Leahy and others have condemned Section 1076 because it effectively nullifies the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C. 331-335) and gives the President the legal ability to define under what conditions martial law may be declared. Link

The John Warner Defense Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122.ENR) says nothing about gun confiscation. It refers to restoring order and enforcing laws during civil unrest. One will note that laws are now in existance in many states prohibiting the confiscation of firearms from law abiding citizens in the event of a disaster. In Louisiana, House Bill 760 provides this protection.

The Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 was a bill introduced in the United States Congress to prohibit the confiscation of legally owned firearms during a disaster. It became law in the form of the Vitter Amendment to the Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, in 2007. On July 13, 2006, the Vitter Amendment passed the United States Senate 84 to 16. President George W. Bush signed the Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act on September 30, 2006 and the Vitter Ammendment became Public Law 109-295.

So, you see, if the clergy is going to act as an agent of the federal government using Posse Comitatus to restore public order during periods of unrest following a disaster, they must be used to persuade the public, including public officials, to abide by laws already in existence. Thus, by the very laws they are trying to restore, they would effectively prevent the confiscation of legally owned firearms.

I do not know Sandy Davis, nor do I know Dr. Durell Tuberville. I do believe they were done a disservice by Mr. Ferrell, the journalist responsible for this misleading story. There is no talk from either man regarding confiscations, only of diffusing unrest, and helping to maintain the peace. I believe there was a stink pot of misrepresentation in this story, deliberate misrepresentation, to try to get a story started that does not even exist.

There were many guns confiscated in the New Orleans area after hurricane Katrina. Not one priest or minister abused the public trust to confiscate a single gun. Many priests and ministers traveled to the hurricane zone to help however they could. They were there. They did go into communities and shelters to help ease fears, and comfort the inconsolable. They did not, however, confiscate guns, nor did they to my knowledge attempt to convince people to surrender guns. In my opinion, it's time to call bullshit on this story.

The Truth About "Ballistic Fingerprinting"

Smith & Wesson Revolver Collecting

I was asked recently how to get into Smith & Wesson revolver collecting. It was an odd question, but a reply of "just go buy a few" did not seem sufficient. So, my advice was to first buy "America's Right Arm" by John Henwood if his wife still has any copies. Next, buy Supica's "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson". Get these first. They are your Bibles.

Next, wrap your head around the idea that finish wear is acceptable, interesting, and actually pretty cool.

Now look at the evolution of the .38 caliber Smith & Wesson K frame revolver, starting with the Model of 1899. Hand Ejectors, and their myriad variations. They are plentiful enough, still, that if you can accept finish wear, you can find nice, original examples for not too awful much. The big money goes to the 95% or greater guns, especially the older variations that were only produced for three or four years in the M&P development. Go to gunshows. Go to pawn shops. Buy one or two, and then repeat the process. Hey....That topbreak is about the same dimensions as a K frame.......Don't forget the .32WCF revolvers, they are also K frames. Now those 38/44s are .38 caliber, but an N frame. Heck, since you've bought an N frame now, you may as well buy that Model 28 for nothing.....Then you gotta have that three and a half inch Model 27. Now that you have that, a Registered Magnum is a consideration someday.........

Cooling.......

One of the little known facts about me is that I run saltwater aquariums. In my home, 675 gallons of brine, fish, coral and critters circulate in four glass cages. I actually got into the hobby about five years ago when my little girl wanted a Nemo. I ran a coral reef, a trigger tank, and a venomous tank as well as a crunchy critter tank. If you want to enjoy all kinds of sea life, you have to keep them separate.

I now have my air conditioning working again, but alas, many of the sea creatures did not survive. Although I kept the water circulating, and fans blowing across the top of the water, All but three two fish died. All the coral is gone. I'm in the midst of saving what I can, but I do not think I will invest so heavily in the hobby again. Perhaps I will acquire a Clown Trigger for one tank, and maybe a humuhumunukunukuapua, pronounced humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apu-a'-a, AKA a Picasso Trigger for the other. No more coral. Nemo did survive.

The house is steadily cooling again.....

My Life Graphed Out

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.1
Mind:	7.8
Body:	6.5
Spirit:	6.4
Friends/Family:	5.9
Love:	9.1
Finance:	8.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Hat tip Skywriter

3rd World Xavier

It's sweltering. It's criminally hot. I go to the Holiday Inn to get a taste of air conditioning, and then return home. I had not realized I had gotten so old. When I was a young man, a week or two in the equatorial Philippine heat did not bother me at all. I did not even wish for the rainy season. Instead, I wished for more time in the tropical wonderland. Yes, the heat and humidity was oppressive, but it was not as though air conditioning was a life support system.

If anything, this unrestrained and unrelieved heat has been showing me I am no longer a young man. In the PI, every building was constructed for optimal ventilation. Electric fans circulated island breezes through an intoxicating variety of flowers throughout the business area. If the one was not yet acclimated to the heat, a San Miguel and a pretty girl was always ready to help the process along. Jeepneys were open air rides about the communities. Once home, a person had the same system of constantly moving air to maintain equilibrium.

For two days, I've been studying my ass off during the cool less hot night hours, and today I must start to turn my biological clock around. I do not have the ventilation necessary to manage the ambient interior temperature, and my body can not take the strain. Inside the house is hotter than out in the yard. I find myself making more and more typos as my forehead drops sweat on my keyboard. Getting old is Hell. Today is Sunday...........When I come home on Tuesday.........

Blogroll Addition

Welcome, Skywriter, to my blogroll!

At least the refrigerator is in the house instead of out back full of holes.........

And She Called

She called...

Blacks, Whites...wait
African Americans and Caucasians, Asians, excuse me.
Vietnamese, Philipenes, Koreans and Jamaicans or
Haitans, waitin' Hispanics y'all.

Please be paitent
Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Venezualean, Cuban, Dominican, Panamanian Democrats
I beg your pardon, you partied with the late, great Reagan?
Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim, Brothers and Sisters who never seen the New York city
skyline when the twin towers still existed.
But still She called.

From the bowels of Ground Zero she sent this 911 distress signal.
Because She was in desperate need of a hero,
and didn't have time to decipher what to call 'em,
so she called 'em all Her children.
The children of the stars and bars who needed to know nothing more than the fact that she called.
The fact that someone attempted to harm us
this daughter who covered us all with her loving arms.
And now these arms are sprawled across New York City streets.
A smoke filled lung, a silt covered faced,
and a solitary tear poured out of her cheek.
Her singed garments carpets Pennsylvania Avenue and the Pentagon was under her feet.
As she began to talk, she began to cough up small particles of debris
and said, "I am America, and I'm calling on the land of the free."
So they answered.

All personal differences set to the side
because right now there was no time to decide which state building the Confederate flag should fly over,
and which trimester the embryo is considered alive,
or on our monetary units, and which God we should confide.
You see, someone attempted to choke the voice
of the one who gave us the right for choice,
and now she was callin.
And somebody had to answer.
Who was going to answer?

So they did.
Stern faces and chisled chins.
Devoted women and disciplined men,
who rose from the ashes like a pheonix
and said "don't worry, we'll stand in your defense."
They tightened up their bootlaces
and said goodbye to loved ones, family and friends.
They tried to bombard them with the "hold on", "wait-a-minute's", and "what-if's".
And "Daddy, where you goin?".
And, "Mommy, why you leavin?".
And they merely kissed them on their foreheads and said "Don't worry, I have my reasons.
You see, to this country I pledged my allegience
to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
So as long as I'm breathin, I'll run though hell-fire,
meet the enemy on the front lines,
look him directly in his face,
stare directly in his eyes and scream,
"I AM AMERICA! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID!
I'LL FIGHT YOU ANY COUNTRY, ANY CONTINENT, ANY TERRAIN.
I'LL FIGHT TO MY LAST BREATH!"

And if by chance death is my fate,
pin my medals upon my chest,
and throw Old Glory on my grave.
But, don't y'all cry for me.
You see, my Father's prepared a place.
I'll be a part of his Holy army standing a watch at the Pearly Gates.
Because freedom was never free.
POW's, and fallen soldiers
all paid the ultimate sacrafice
along side veterans who put themselves in harms way.
Risking their lives and limbs just to hold up democracy's weight,
but still standing on them broken appendages anytime the National Anthem was played.
You see, these were the brave warriors that gave me the right
to say that I'm Black. Or white.

Or

African American or Caucasian,
I'm Asian, excuse me.
I'm Vietnamese, Philipene, Korean, or Jamaican.
I'm Haitan, Hispanic

Y'all, Please be paitent.
I'm Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezualean, Cuban,
Dominican, Panamanian, Democrat
I beg your pardon, you see I partied with the late, great Reagan.
I'm Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim,

Brothers and Sisters We're just Americans.
So with that I say
"Thank You" to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines,
for preserving my rights
to live and die for this life
and paying the ultimate price for me to be...FREE!

SSGT Lawrence E. Dean II USMC


Hat tip to JR

Who is this Marine? Take as look at Blackwing 5. Hoorah!

Damn It's Hot!

I came home from a 14 hour day at the hospital today to find a scorching hot house. What the hell. I checked the thermostat and breakers. The circuit breaker was tripped and would not reset. Damn. I went outside to the primary unit, and gave it the old sniff test. Through the upper louvers, I could discern the distinct scent of fried compressor windings. Crap. That's about right, I suppose. 102 degrees in the shade and the damned A/C decides to crap out on me. On the weekend.

I call a serviceman, who comes over to confirm my diagnosis. Compressors are giving up the ghost all over town in the heat. Luckily my A/C is still under warranty, and the serviceman tells me he can order a new compressor on Monday, have it overnighted, and install it while I am at work on Tuesday. Holy Jesus with a tire tool! Four freaking days, two of which absolutely nothing will be done? Yes sir. Is there a damned window unit for sale anywhere in this town? Hell no. I sent the family to the Holiday Inn.

As for me, on Monday, I will start a two day course to learn new procedures. I need to study like hell. I've already loaded the study CD and algorithms on my computer, and I guess I will have to endure the devilish heat to prepare. Hell, I've been through worse, I suppose. Time to start designing.......

Rain

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm.
When meeting with a sudden shower you try not to get wet
and run quickly along the road,
by doing such things as passing under the eves of houses,
you still get wet.
When you are resolved from the beginning,
you will not be perplexed,
though you will still get the same soaking.
this understanding extends to all.

葉隠入門

The Electra Amsterdam

Who wants a European styled bike? I do! Electra has introduced a bicycle to the American market that is reminiscent of the utilitarian bicycles that clutter the sidewalks of Europe. The Amsterdam is a bike for those who don't want to ride down mountains and aren't candidates for triathilons. It's a more civilized bike for the person who just wants to get around.

With a diamond frame, it is sturdy. With fenders and a skirt guard, it keeps you dry on wet streets. With a full chain guard, you can ride it in slacks.....With cuffs. A headlight, bell and rear rack round out a classic, practical bike for those who accept no compromise. With a $560 price tag, I'll wait a while.

More on the Electra Amsterdam

Batavus versus the Electra Amsterdam

(619) 239-KING

Recreational Shooting

Murder on the Highway

It was a story that reminded me of why I carry a gun. Even now, nobody knows why Nick Salinas took the lives of the highway travelers who stopped to assist him.

At 2:05AM Sunday morning, Nick Salinas wrecked his automobile on Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas. At approximately 2:13, Robert Langston stopped his vehicle and approached Salinas to help. Salinas shot him in the head at close range. Moments earlier, a man named Bob Hope had tried to assist Salinas, but after Salinas stuck a shotgun in his face, Hope escaped. Mr. Hope was calling 911 on his cellphone as the shootings began.

Next, about 2:15AM, Barry Smith stopped just South of Langston's vehicle, and unknowingly walked towards the killer. Salinas shot him at about 40 feet.

About that same time, a vehicle carrying four men, including Jesus Reyes Terrazas, passed the scene. The men thought they saw an accident and returned to help. At 2:18AM, Salinas fired two shots at the four men as they approached. One blast struck Terrazas in the head, killing him. One of the men with Terrazas had a concealed handgun license, as well as his firearm. He drew his gun and returned fire. It is unclear whether his return fire found it's mark.

The first police officers arrived on the scene at 2:20AM. Cpl. Jerry Poston and his partner knew they had an accident and a potential shooting when they rolled up. Poston approached a wounded Barry Smith to render aid, but before he could reach Smith, Salinas shot him twice. Cpl. Poston struggled to breathe, his neck, face scalp and knee perforated by shotgun pellets.

Four victims lay bleeding in the sultry Texas night near his wrecked blue Nissan when Salinas turned his gun on himself and took his own life. Robert Langston was pronounced dead at the scene. Jesus Terrazas died shortly after his arrival at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. David Smith and Jerry Poston ultimately survived the killer's onslaught.

Why did Salinas kill? I'll leave that to the psychoanalysts. My friend, Phlegmfatale, was hoping I would analyze this insane orgy of murder, and perhaps offer a few pointers on how to avoid a similar fate. Those who survived lived by chance, because they were not targeted by the killer. They were able to escape into the darkness. It is tragic that Mr. Hope was unable to warn the men who arrived shortly after him. Alas, I am reminded of Craig, and the only advice I can offer is drive on by and report the accident on your cell phone.

I know that I could never do that myself. I always stop at accidents. Always. Even when my daughter is along for the ride, I stop. I feel it is my duty as a nurse. I do carry a gun. When responding to an unknown emergency, I am most vulnerable.

This is a situation that merits contemplation and planning. One thing is certain though. The only way one can remove the threat to oneself is to drive on by and alert authorities of the accident. Still, someone must be the first on the scene. If I can prevent a death, that someone should be me. I will not give up the way I choose to live my life because of the nameless bitch that killed Craig, or murderous wastes of oxygen like Salinas.

Bullet Tip Free Zones

To all eBay buyers and sellers – this auction is for you!!!

I have been an eBay member for over 10 years, having joined prior to April of 2007, long before the current crop of eBay Executives had even heard of eBay. At that time it was an open, free market but from the very beginning there were rules that prohibited selling illegal items. Everybody got along, and it was FUN to meet new people and buy from them or sell to them. Heck, more than once I have traveled to the eBay campus and participated in usability studies, trying to help eBay make their site better.

Then, suddenly, it became somehow wrong to sell firearms. The category was deleted and any auctions that cropped up in other categories were killed. Suddenly it became “illegal” on eBay to sell perfectly legal items in a perfectly legal manner, i.e. shipping to federally licensed firearms dealers for subsequent transfer. At about the same time as firearms were being banned the plethora of “patent medicines” started cropping up, everything from ointments that claimed to enlarge certain body parts to pills to make the enlargement last longer. Herbal remedies for everything, lack of sleep, loss of energy, you name it. All fraudulent, of course, but still being sold today.

I believe this was the first of many steps down the path of social engineering that eBay has chosen. Today they justify their recent clampdown with, “We have a Trust and Safety team which consists of more than 2,000 experts in online security and safety who are located around the globe.” But back then the Executive Team were at least honest and everyone knew that they were opposed to private ownership of firearms. Implying that their “online security” people have ANY firearms knowledge is like saying that a programmer knows how to run a business.

Further, their experts from “around the globe” are not relevant to America. I don’t really care what someone in Paris, or Lisbon, or London, Tokyo, or Cairo thinks about AMERICAN free enterprise. Just as I don’t care if they ban pork rinds in Saudi Arabia, eBay executives have no business listening to “global” input as it affects the US market.

Below is an exact quotation from the letter sent to me:

“We value an open and transparent marketplace; if items are legal to buy
and sell in an unrestricted manner we allow them on our site. However,
there are some items that while legal, may not be safe for our
marketplace. In these instances, our applicable policies go beyond the
law to ensure that our marketplace is safe.”

I would like to point out that the first and last sentence are obviously contradictory. You cannot value something, truly value it, and then not honor your own values. What this means is that eBay does NOT place any significant value on an open marketplace, they are simply giving it lip service.

I wonder what eBay does value. For example, do they value the educational fund that one store owner was building for his daughter by selling LEGAL parts? Do they care that they are taking that education from her?

Do they understand that one of the nations finest gunsmiths spent years designing and perfecting a firing pin that will SAVE LIVES by making rifles safer to fire and that he no longer has a “mass market” to sell his product? It is entirely likely that more people will die from “slam fires” that could have been prevented by the use of this improved firing pin. Does eBay care that because of their policy people might actually die?

I don’t know the answers to those questions, and quite honestly I wouldn’t believe any answer provided to me by an eBay executive.

So, here’s the “auction”. I would ask that there be only one bid, to make this a valid auction, and that bid be for one penny. ALL graphics are free to all. Please feel free to copy them and use them in your store as you shut down your operations. Use them in your final auctions, or wherever you would like.

Also, I would suggest that the many sellers currently selling firearms optics get ready to be shut down at any time as the scopes you sell MIGHT be used to convert a “hunting rifle” into a “sniper rifle.” At the drop of a hat a “sniper rifle” could be added to the currently forbidden “assault rifle” category. (Neither the govt. nor eBay can define what either of those rifles are so expect the worst.)

Current bid: US $31.00

Jerusalem Gunfight

The official line of this gunfight can be found at The Jerusalem Post. In short, an armed security guard was followed by an assailant, who eventually had an opportunity to snatch the guard's pistol. The assailant took the opportunity and tried to flee. The two guards gave chase.

The assailant tried to fire the pistol at his pursuers at one point, but does not disengage the safety. He is eventually gunned down by his pursuer. In all, ten people, including the gunless security guard, were wounded in the gunfight. Of course, the family and supporters of the dead criminal/terrorist are fabricating stories. Go to the linked story for that.

Here, lets put the politics aside and simply examine the dynamics of the gunfight. The guard never knew he was being targeted until it was too late. His assailant followed him, talking on a cellphone for at least several minutes, around corners and through alleyways. The guards were both blissfully in condition white as their assailant planned his attack and waited for the optimal location.

When he snatched the weapon, he got control of it quickly and hopped several steps backwards to gain distance between himself and the bewildered guard. A quick response at that time would have taken him down. A retention holster or a lanyard would have prevented the snatch.

As he runs away from his pursuers, bystanders are unaware of what is happening around them. They seem to be in disbelief, even when the firearm is in sight. It is not until shots are actually fired that the bystanders scurry away. The assailant stops running, turns to shoot the pursuing guard, but is unable to fire the pistol. Reportedly, the safety is engaged. The guard catches up, sweeps the pistol to the side, and tries to wrestle the assailant down, placing him in an ineffective headlock. His partner is unable to get a clear shot.

The assailant retains the pistol and slips out of the guard's headlock. Had he continued to run like a jackrabbit, he might have gotten away. Instead, after he has again gained distance, he attempts to conceal the handgun in the small of his back. That decision slows him down, and the guard's partner catches up. The partner takes cover as does the assailant. The partner fires, striking the assailant when he steps out from cover to run again. The wounded assailant crumples in the middle of the street, firing wildly at the retreating partner.

What can be learned? First and foremost, if you have cover, use it. Do not give it up and run out in the open in an attempt to get away. Second, if you are trying to escape pursuers, distance and speed are your friends. Do not give up either to do unnecessary things like engage your pursuers, or conceal a gun. Put obstacles between yourself and your pursuers. Make them work to catch you. Run as if your life depends on it. It just might. Whatever you do, do not slow down.

Lastly, after the guard had hit the assailant, bringing him to the ground, he retreated. In so doing, he insured safety for himself after stopping the escape. He drew back to re-evaluate the situation. How the encounter ends is not on the tape, but the result is a dead assailant.

Violent Encounters

Read "Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation's Law Enforcement Officers" at these links, in PDF format:

Chapters 1-3
(4.7M, 14 min @ 56K)

Chapter 4
(1.8M, 5 min @ 56K)

Chapters 5-6
(2.8M, 8 min @ 56K)

Chapter 7
(5M, 15 min @ 56K)

Chapters 8-9
(2.5M, 7 min @ 56K)

Help Out

"Well I don't know the answer to whether or not if someone had had a weapon with them on campus if it would have made a difference. I don't know that anyone in Norris Hall on the day of this shooting had a concealed carry permit, but you know what we're looking at is do the prohibitions make sense?"


The Honorable William T. "Bill" Bolling
Lieutenant Governor
Commonwealth of Virginia

102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219
PO Box 1195, Richmond, VA 23218

Phone: 804-786-2078
Fax: 804-786-7514
Email: ltgov@ltgov.virginia.gov

Who Was She?

"I picked up a gun for the first time on my 45th birthday"



Debbie Ferns gained national media attention recently on a NBC News indepth segment, Fired Up. Meet Deb Ferns, author of Babes with Bullets.

The Nickel Ithaca

A great opportunity to own a beautiful Army 45 made in 1944. Gun reads Ithaca Gun Co, Inc, Ithaca, New York. The other side reads United States Property M1911 A1 U. S. Army, Ser. # 18121XX. Markings next to trigger read FJA with P on top of receiver and a P and a J and a 6 engraved separately next to trigger guard. Pistol is original POLISHED NICKEL and appears to be all original. Pictures do not do the pistol justice. Grips are in outstanding shape and overall condition of the pistol would be near excellent. Three clips and a 1911 A1 Field Manual will be included in the price. Rifling is very good to excellent. Pistol has minor wear and doesn't give the appearance of having been used very much. This is a beautiful pistol that anyone would be proud to own, use and or display.

I'm certain the pictures do not do this pistol "justice". Unfortunately, the nickel finish doesn't either. Buy It Now Price: $1350.00. I don't think so.

Light Blogging Ahead

Rest in peace John Smith.
Rest in peace Chuck Wilson.
Both men were Bastrop City Police officers, cut down in their prime yesterday. Both men died in a shootout with a murder suspect yesterday afternoon in Bastrop Louisiana. Two EMT's were wounded. One suspect was killed. Another is still at large.
Expect light blogging. Every time I say that, I start blogging like hell.

Point Shooting Explained

Point Shooting Explained by James R. Rummel.

Read it. Practice it. Live.

Non Standard M1911A1