New Security Rules for Air Travellers

Michael has some inside info on upcoming rules.

Bloomberg's Blueprint

Snowflakes in Hell has the document. This is a list of 40 recommendations sent to the White House. It is intended to make gun ownership more difficult. Read the synopsis by Sebastian as it is worth your time to know what the opposition is up to.

Merry Christmas!

I have a couple of stocking stuffers to show as they are almost as amusing as they are useful. The first item is used to try to call in predators.

I have no idea to the effectiveness of this Mouse Squeeze but it sounds like every other toy squeaker. I could use any of the dog/cat toys in the house as they sound identical to these untrained ears. I had asked my daughter if I could borrow one of her dwarf hamsters but she insisted on knowing why I wanted it. I just wondered if you squeezed one a little if it sounded about the same. I still don't know the answer to that question and have been banned from getting near her hamsters. Oh well.

The next one will come in useful. I could have actually used it last black powder hunting season as we got a little rain.

Condoms for my smoke pole!

I Like Archery - Sometimes.

My oldest daughter and I went to the archery range in the Tucson Mountain Park on the morning of Christmas Eve. You would have thought that I had never shot that bow before. It had been a while (last January) since I had shot it. I discovered that my right hand plant was not correct and finally got that solved so I could continue with the few arrows remaining. There is no leeway on arrows using a 70# bow when hitting the wood frame on the target or missing and launching off into the rocks. I eventually trashed/lost all eight arrows that I had brought much to the amusement of my daughter. I also managed to mess up pretty good a couple of times and snapped myself. Did I mention that I had forgotten my arm guard? Looks like this:

I thought the first time really stung but it admittedly really lit up the second time.


I was going to go hunting on the 26th but decided that further shooting was required prior to trying to stick a deer. Back to the range later today.

Save the SEALS Petition

Seal clubbing - favorite past time of military brass and Congress.

Exploding Chewing Gum Blows Off College Student's Jaw

Didn't his mother tell him to quit snapping his gum? Probably missed the lecture about not dipping your gum in explosive compounds.

Black Friday Shopping

I typically will not do any shopping the day after Thanksgiving but........
Dick's Sporting Goods sale on ammunition (buy on, get one, limit six total) was just too hard to pass up. The sale included the Mega UMC boxes. I was there at 6 AM as I slept in. The sale started at 5 AM. The limit was purchased and I am back safely cocooned in the house. Now this is my kind of sale!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The Bucks Were Not Cooperative

The trip was a fine one. My Bronco ran great and had little difficulty with the old jeep trail. I drove in the day before season started to set up camp. It was quite breezy so setting up the 12'x18' tent by myself very interesting. It wasn't too bad until it was time for the rainfly. It was amusing and a little frustrating but I have learned to expect such challenges. We make up some one-pot meals to freeze before the trip that make dinner real easy. The first night was some fine leftover beef & noodles. The tent was a little noisy through the night as the wind never really let up.
Part of the camp is a folding stand with a regular toilet seat on it that I made up out of some leftover aluminum angle and stainless steel chain. A spot is picked a little way from camp providing some privacy distance. It is really nice to have a spot to sit. As you get older you will appreciate not trying to squat and balance.
I went out opening day and it was windy. I saw 5 deer with one of them being a very little spike. I passed on the little guy. There was also a dead kit fox that someone had blasted with a high power round. The tail looked nice so I cut it off to take home.






I also saw two Coatimundi and got to watch them working a hillside for things to eat. I thought about shooting the larger one and getting it mounted but that opportunity did not present itself. I did not want to shoot it with a 50 cal muzzle loader so it needed to be close enough for pistol.



I saw more bear scat in this area than I have seen in the last 20 years. There has always been sign but not this much.

That night, I had some freeze dried Italian Beef Pasta. We normally try out freeze dried foods at home first to see if it is fittin' to eat. You really want to stick to the common types of food. Chicken Stew, Beef Stew, Chicken & Rice, you get the idea. Time to divert to another time and place. We were backpacking along the Georgian Bay in Canada and one evening we had freeze dried food called Turkey Tetrazzini. There six of us and no one would eat it. We dubbed it Turkey Tetrachloride. this is when we started tested things prior to being out in the boonies. Now back to the current time line. Italian Beef Pasta sounds pretty normal doesn't it? Tasted good! I have never had gas like this aside from being ill! You did not know if you should go ahead and let one go because the pressure was great enough that you could easily drop a load in your shorts. I went over to that little seat about 6 times before bed. Nothing but gas. Heck, I could have won one of the crepitating contests! I figured I should move the seat closer to the tent as this had no indications of letting up and was getting cold out. Finally, everything seemed comfortable enough to crawl in the sleeping bag. I woke up about 2 in the morning and thought I was going to explode. Can I make outside to the seat? Unzip the bag, get your shoes on (no small feet, no pun intended), and stand up to a thunderous roar that would make any mountain man proud. No mess, no fuss. This baby should have been witnessed. We usually try to rank farts by three qualities. Ranked 1 to 10 for each category of loudness, duration and olfactory quality. An easy 26 but not a 30 as it was lacking in some of the necessary olfactory components for a perfect score. That seemed to be it for the evening. No other distress except for copious amounts of gas. I don't think I will buy that one again.

Saturday afternoon, my hunting partner rolled in. There was a little rain earlier. I was only rained on just long enough to make me go back to camp to get a poncho. It naturally stopped raining when I got back to camp. I had seen more deer that day but nothing I could grow antlers on.

Sunday was gorgeous as the wind was down and it was warming a touch. You could take a nap in the afternoon leaning against a tree with no problem. Monday was much the same except that evening we saw a lion about 146 yards (yes, I carry a range finder) from camp. He had disappeared by the time the rifle was gotten off the hood of the truck. We watched until it was dark but no more lion. Darn, I always carry a lion tag just in case.

We both broke camp on Tuesday. I hunted Wednesday as a day-hunt off the observatory road with no better luck.

How long is your wife supposed to chew on the fox tail to make sure that the hide is good and soft?

Deer Season Approaches!

My muzzle loader and I await the start of the season with great anticipation. I really enjoy camping and hunting. It is also looked forward to as this is my first vacation for the last year. A couple of years ago we had discovered that if you were in a certain spot in camp, raised one arm, stood on one foot and held your mouth just right, you could get the cell phone to work. I guess that is a good thing. My better half thinks so as she worries about me, especially if I am alone. She does not seem reassured when I make statements such as, "If I die out here, it won't be for lack of firepower."

You are allowed to carry a non-hunting pistol when archery or muzzle loader hunting here. That is defined a weapon with a barrel length of less than 6" and no electronic sights. I will carry my 4 5/8" Super Blackhawk while hunting. It is not uncommon for me to carry more than one pistol when in camp and keep a rifle handy. I had discovered during one cold elk hunt that my jacket seemed heavy. I had the SBH on my belt but was using the jacket as a storage device. Three more pistols were in different pockets. I had the 1911 (45acp) in one pocket, EAA (9mm) in the other pocket, a PF9 in my vest pocket, and various magazines. Guess I was going for the NY reload style of carry. I am not that paranoid as some target practice was taking place earlier and weapons had been placed in convenient places. It was too heavy so I put a couple away.

Wish me luck!

People hired by Obama as Czars

Western Powder

I am impressed with their Blackhorn 209 powder and customer service. I had stopped by their booth during the Phoenix NRA Convention. They had advertising graduated vials for the Blackhorn 209 powder. I had thought I was a little piggy at the time as I took three of them. They are very handy, especially at the range for advanced measurement of powder. I wished I had grabbed a dozen.

Cruising the web showed me nothing comparable so I contacted Western's customer service. I had a return email in about an hour! These vials are going to be marketed but haven't hit the web sales yet. They can be purchased directly if you contact customer service. You can't beat the promptness and friendliness of the responses. I purchased a dozen.

The more I shoot with the 209 powder, the better I like it. I have had some difficulty with a particular brand of sabots for reloading without swabbing. This is more of an isolated instance so I would say that Western's advertising on this product is spot on. there a breath of fresh air for you - works as advertised.

They Are Twins

I went to the Sportsmans Warehouse in Mesa and the layout is identical to the one in Marana. I mean that it really is identical including the facia and elk outside. One big difference is that they have about four times the inventory of powder etc. I was looking for more bullets for my smokepole and the one at home was out of the 245gr HP Powerbelts. It is only natural that when one settles on a bullet that shoots well in both rifles that it is out of stock. It would appear that certain locations have more pull when it comes to receiving shipments.

The Mesa store had three packages that went into my cart. Not being satisfied with the additional 60 bullets, I went to Bass Pro last night and picked up 60 more. This acquisition should make sure that I have enough to get through one more range trip and the hunt.

Muzzle Loaders Are Fun!

I went back to the range on Saturday for another round. It went unmentioned in the previous post that I had some difficulties with the old smokepole (Traditions) that was converted to a 209 primer nipple. the primer would get stuck every other shot or so. One of them was really stuck and it was unmovable at the range. I later removed it while cleaning after removing the nipple and plug. It was a real pita to get out. The factory said that they have no problem with the 209 conversion but always use the pricey Rem Clean thingy primers. It got converted back to the #11 percussion cap since I can't use the newer 209 powder with that style nipple anyways. Pyrodex is really, really stinky.

There was a 4X Redfield on an old 30-30 so I decided to put the Leupold back on my wife's .243 and the fixed on the Traditions. Nice combo as you can get 2" groups at 100yrd if you swab every so often. Pyrodex leaves a lot of crud - all of them do except the new 209. Did I mention that Pyrodex stinks?

I had an old red dot sight resting and just begging to be put on something so it went on the new CVA rifle. Sweet! That shoots nicely although the 5moa dot is kind of large at 100yrds. You could still shoot 3-4" groups even thought the dot covered all.

It is time to leave the setups alone and shoot them once more prior to deer season. I believe that I must now develop my plan for surrounding the deer with cleverness!

SBH & Blackpowder Day at the Range

Finally - I got over to the range to play with my shortened SBH. I will need to play with some sort of modification for the front sight as it is too short and the rear has no more downward adjustment left. I ran 150 rounds through it sighting and playing. 6" high at 15 yards. Maybe I can superglue a little fiber rod on top of the sight. Aside from that, the revolver still patterns well so the re-crowning work went well. I am satisfied with the alteration.

I have never shot a muzzleloader before but thought that it might be a good idea since that is the deer hunt that I was drawn for. I have an older inline (Traditions Buck Hunter) that was given to me by my father a few years ago. I had not shot it until Saturday morning but I did replace the plug and nipple to use the 209 primers. I also bought a low end CVA pivot action since a fellow should always have a backup weapon during hunting season. Both are 50 cal.

I purchased some of the new Blackhorn 209 powder that isn't as smokey, doesn't foul, more powerful, allows the use of sabots without any loading difficulty, cleans up with regular rifle solvents, and is advertised to do everything but load itself. The literature shows pictures of 209 nipples. The Traditions nipple has a big red X through it. That is another reason I bought the CVA.

I took the Leupold 2x7 off my wife's rifle (I will get her another one) and stuck it on the CVA with see-through rings. This doesn't work. The scope does not have enough adjustment to dial it in. You could look at it from the other aspect that the mount/ring combination does not have the proper cant. I took it off and shot it with the fiber optic dot "iron" sights. I love that pivot action. Most of that advertising for the 209 powder is good for my rig except that part about that there is no problem with having to clean between shots with sabots. You could hardly set a bullet after four shots. The palm of my hand is bruised from trying to shove the rod down. Fortunately, I also had some Powerbelt bullets that some of the shooters on a blackpowder forum like. I could load those without any great difficulty and continue shooting. The combo of 209 powder and Powerbelts shot well.

The Traditions was loaded with Pyrodex RS. You almost could not load a second sabot. I switched to the Powerbelts and some other similar bullet that Dad gave me. Both of these worked fine without a lot of swabbing. Pyrodex is definitely smokier than 209. The target disappears momentarily after each shot.

Shooting the smokepoles was a lot of fun. It is slow going and you will spend more time at the range when sighting in but that is actually a good thing as I like being at the range. I met people who normally would not have spoken to you due to their curiosity over what you were shooting. I only got a couple of sour looks from a guy downwind. Oh well, maybe I should put a drop of Old Spice in a hollow point. I am sure that it would be nice smelling then!

I stopped at Sportsman's Warehouse on the way home and bought a handle to slip over the rod as it became obvious that one is required if you are going to the range for a session or three. More Powerbelts were added to my collection.

Anyone want a bunch of those 50/44 plastic sleeves (sabots)?

Recipes

I see that it is becoming fashionable to post recipes on your blog. Not to be left behind......

STEAMED SKUNK
1 Skunk
Salt
Water
Seasoning

Skin, clean and remove the scent glands. Put in a strong solution of salt water and parboil for about 15 minutes. Drain off this water, add fresh water, season, and steam slowly for about 1 hour or until tender.

Mmm, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm ,mmmm - makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

I have quite a few recipes for wild game and some other oddities. Let me know if there is a particular critter that you can't find a recipe for and I will see if it is in my database and post it.

SBH Cut & Finish

I wanted to be able to carry a "real" caliber of handgun while archery/muzzle loading hunting. You are allowed to carry a sidearm here as long as the barrel is less than 5". I had a gunsmith cut/recrown the barrel from the original 7 1/2" to 4 5/8" then off to Mac's Shootin' Irons for a Tuff-Gun finish in matt black. The weather won't be much of a concern on this one.

Before (stock picture)

After

I am pleased!

The Bronco Lives!

It has been a long journey mainly due to how busy the engine rebuilder was/is and me being a master procrastinator. The engine rebuilder (Phoenix Engine) had a 4-5 week backlog that turned into 7 weeks. They had over 400 engines in the shop for rebuild when I dropped mine off. they still had over 400 engines when I picked mine up. the poorer economy has definitely boosted the number of people who are keeping their old iron over buying new.

Oh no, The engine is gone!

It's back.

The 351W HO rebuild consisted of a 60 over bore, new crank (kind of stock), balancing, hotter cam, Dart Iron Eagle heads, Edelbrook dual plane intake, summit shorty headers, and a Holley 80457S carb. The felt HP increase is quite noticeable even on the tight new engine. It hasn't been on a dyno and it is unlikely it will but the shop expect that this one will turn close to 350HP and 400 torque. That is probably optimistic but it drives like it is close. We will see when it is fully broken in.

Have I Been Lazy or What?

Let's try the "or what" portion of the title as to why I haven't blogged as I should.

I changed jobs during this time period which caused quite a few extra chores to be put on the list. Some people were concerned that the "boss" was leaving but the corporate dedication to the Tucson office is not dependent on an individual. I know that it will be more difficult for some as their duties will increase as will the complexity of the job. I know that Kevin is in that position. All I can recommend is to run with it and ask for more money!

It was really difficult to get in the necessary dove hunting time as I was leaving the old job. I actually went ten of the fifteen hunting mornings . The legal limt was obtained all days except two when I had morning meetings at work. Darn work interferes with fun stuff like hunting, shooting, reloading, fishing, camping, napping, etc. Hard to do all the fun stuff without money though. The alarm would go off at 4 AM so that I could get in the morning constitutional and a snack prior to taking off. I love to get there a little early (OK - at O'dark thirty) to hear the coyotes and watch the sun come up but others do not seem to feel the same. I asked my wife and daughter if they wanted to go and even offered to make them a piece of toast in the morning but to no avail. They seemed to have no interest as soon as I mention the time. My daughter told me something like, "Have fun with that". I don't think that is a positive response even though it was said with a smile.

The Bronco is back on the road. The rebuilt engine runs great but it had a fuel delivery problem. That will get corrected this weekend seeing that dove season is over. It was a difficult choice sometimes. Should I work on the truck or go hunting? The truck was delayed.

I will get back on the stick and post more regularly.

Tribute to Ted Kennedy

Mom has always said that if you don't have anything nice to say then...........

I will link to another piece but I have nothing to say.

Socialized Medicine

Travel back to 1961 for a speech by Ronald Reagan that is ever so valid today. It is worth the time to listen to.

NAU Move In

Daughter number 1 was delivered to a NAU dorm yesterday. We went up earlier than the rest of the "move in" crowd as she was selected for the Edge program. This will enable her to assist the rest of the crowd tomorrow. It was a good move in since there were very few people in the way.

I have mixed feelings about this, which I would expect is normal for most parents. Now this is a change as I have never been accused or accepted as being normal! I am happy to see my daughter pursue a career of her choice and saddened to see one of our "babies" all grown up. What I will do is wish her the very best in her pursuits and enjoy the time we do get together. Now if I could just win that dang lottery!

If it is Good Enough for Me ..........

"I will add as a fifth circumstance in the situation of the House of Representatives, restraining them from oppressive measures, that they can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass of the society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together. It creates between them that communion of interests and sympathy of sentiments of which few governments have furnished examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny. If it be asked what is to restrain the House of Representatives from making legal discriminations in favor of themselves and a particular class of the society? I answer, the genius of the whole system, the nature of just and constitutional laws, and above all the vigilant and manly spirit which actuates the people of America, a spirit which nourishes freedom, and in return is nourished by it.

If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the Legislature as well as on the people, the people will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty."

James Madison, Federalist No. 57, February 19, 1788

I do wish that this was enforced!

My Political Views

Click on the title to go to the link to see where you place in the chart. It is fairly close but I would have expected a little more to the Libertarian side.


I am a right moderate social libertarian
Right: 5.11, Libertarian: 1.23

Hey! Wanna Win One of THESE?

That's ParaUSA's new GI Expert entry-level 1911. The specs are:

Caliber: .45 ACP
Barrel: 5 inches, stainless steel
Twist: 1 in 16 inches, left-hand
Action: Single-action, Semi-automatic
Sights: Dovetail Fixed, 3-White Dot
Receiver: Carbon Steel
Trigger: Medium length
Hammer: Skeletonized Spur
Magazine: 8-round with removable base pad (two provided with pistol)
Overall Length: 8.5 inches
Height: 5.75 inches
Weight: 39 ounces
Finish: Covert Black Para Kote™
Stocks: Checkered Polymer
Safeties: Slide Lock, Internal Firing Block, Grip
Additional Features: Lowered and flared ejection port, beveled magazine well, flat mainspring housing, grip safety contoured for spur hammer
MSRP: $599

Remember, THIS GUN WILL BE FIRED AT THE RENDEZVOUS. They will try to clean it up a bit before it is passed on to the winner!

AND NOW THE TICKET SALES ARE OPEN!!

Soldier's Angels is running the on-line ticket sales ($10 each, no limit!), and there is also a chance to win a four day training course from the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute worth $2,000!

Raffle Details:

Drawing will be on Saturday evening, September 12th at the
Gun Blogger Rendezvous
at the Silver Legacy Hotel in Reno, Nevada.

The winner need not be present to win.
(But you ought to be anyway!)

It is up to the online raffle ticket purchaser to verify that they can
legally receive and own this pistol where they live, and the winner
must be a resident of the United States. If they cannot legally own this
pistol, they are automatically disqualified from the raffle, and there
is no substitution or other prize to be awarded. All decisions are
final. Raffle tickets sold at the Rendezvous, and raffle tickets sold
online will be combined in the drawing.

Important: To win a gun in the raffle, make sure you can legally own it
before you buy a ticket.

On-Line ticket sales END on Friday Sept. 4th. at midnight!
If you want to win one of the many, many other prizes being given away, you either have to attend, or you'd better know someone who is! ;-)

All this was shamelessly lifted from Kevin's site in hoping for more sales for Soldiers' Angels. Kudos to Kevin for his efforts in supporting this group.

Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Them Away From Their Spending Spree

"Wasting gargantuan sums of money that it will take us generations to repay isn’t as easy as it sounds. Our liberal rulers have had to use their imaginations to flush so much away so quickly. The clever wild horse welfare bill will burn up the better part of a $billion:

The bill would provide 700 million dollars for the “Restore Our American Mustangs Act” for a horse census every two years and “enhanced contraception” or birth control for horses.

In typical Orwellian fashion, the mustangs are being “restored” by having their numbers reduced. Mark Stein reports that the bill also calls for government bureaucrats to inspect the homes of anyone willing to adopt a mustang, possibly requiring a new Federal Burro of Investigation."

Now that's funny right there, I don't care who you are!

Why Should WE Pay For Free Health Insurance for Illegal Aliens?

"This charlatan and seducer of young peoples’ minds does NOT have the right to just take our tax dollars that were paid to improve our country and just GIVE it away so some of these new illegal aliens will become citizens and have the power and privilege to vote for him and his crooked and corrupt henchmen and women in our Congress. Why isn’t there some one or some other government department that can stop this blatant thievery? "

I expect Jerry McConnell to get off the fence sometime and tell us what he really thinks.

Riding the Bus

My daughter flew to Dayton with one of her friends and his family. During this time she wanted to get to Toledo and then to Temperance to visit Grandma's and Grandpa's places. She booked the bus to get between the two spots. I did not comment too much at the time because the only way to truly get a feeling for bus travel is by participating in this particular form of mass transit. She would only have thought that I was trying to repress (think Monty Python) her.

She flew yesterday and was on the bus today. My wife got an email stating that, "I don't like riding the bus with all the smelly people". After our laughter subsided, I suggested that we send an email telling her to hang a cloth around her neck and spray it with Fabreeze every so often as this would dampen the smell.

There might be a few good things to remember when traveling by bus such as:

• Wear a medical mask. People don't know if you a sick or not and tend to move on.
• Sit towards the front of the bus, never in the rear. Some undesirables sit back there. The bathroom is back there and usually stinks.
• Look for the little old lady that appears clean to sit beside. Pick who you sit beside instead of hoping that some deviant doesn't sit beside you.
  

In my daughter's honor I have created some additional lyrics for the song "People".

People,

People who ride Greyhound

Are the smelliest people in the world

Where addicts needing a quick fix

And pretending they are just fine

Hide all the need inside

Acting more insane every minute

Drifters

Are very special people

They’re the smelliest people in the world

With one drifter,
One very special drifter

A feeling deep in your soul
Says you might not make it alive

No more water or food

The toilet is flooding and paperless

People, People who ride Greyhound

Are the smelliest people in the world.

With one driver

One very tired driver

A feeling deep in your soul
Says you might not make it alive

No more water or food

The toilet is flooding and paperless

People, People who ride Greyhound

Are the smelliest people in the world.

Document drop: Porkulus One is a failure, so let’s do it again!

As Kevin would say, "Do it again, only harder!".

Bronco Blues

Old Blue is blowing oil. I can get oil to come out the dipstick with a little revving. Ya think that there might be some crankcase pressure? I guess I am getting old as I think that $2,000.00 to pull/install and engine is way too much money. That is for engine movement not any repairs. They also found a nice short block for me. Total quoted was about $5k. I used to like these guys. I could buy a nice crate engine for that kind of money.

Dang Fords are no good. That engine only has about 120k miles on it. In all fairness, it was a factory reman so it had been rebuilt once already. The original engine was lost during a carb rebuild at the dealer. A stray stud manage to rattle past a valve. Pieces of metal are not very compressible. The cylinder wall was gouged, a piston broken, a connecting rod broken, and valve damaged during this short event. The dealer tried to tell me that the stud had to already be in the engine. That is another story in itself but ended satisfactorily.

It couldn't have anything to do with installing the Dart Iron Eagle cylinder heads on the old block, could it? I just can't see paying that much so I located an engine shop in Phx that seems to have a good reputation. They will take my engine bore, rings, crank bearings, more aggressive cam, new timing chain & sprockets, degree the cam, and put my Dart heads back for $995.00. This sounds a little better. Note that I said that they will take the engine. I did not say that they would remove/install it. I am pulling the engine in the driveway, putting in the utility trailer, and driving it up to them. I don't mind losing a couple of weekends for $2k. Pictures to follow.

NAU Orientation

My daughter & I attended the NAU orientation sessions in May. I must say that this school has put quite a program together to attempt to prepare the incoming freshman and their parents. They work very hard to try to make life a little easier when classes start in the fall. There are multiple orientation sessions to break the class down into smaller groups to allow more personalized attention, which includes a one-on-one student/advisor session, to ensure that the class schedules are correct. Parents and students were separated for many sessions and together for a few so that each group could ask questions without the other listening in.

This is a far cry from my orientation session many decades ago. Mine consisted of handing out a campus map, pointing out the gymnasium where you would get your classes, and wishing you luck.

At NAU it is almost mandatory that freshman stay on campus. Most of the freshman dorms are a male/female segregated by floors or wings. “Guests” are allowed for up to three days depending upon what your roommate says.

I had commented to my daughter that I had heard many stupid questions from parents. We have all heard the phrase, “There is no such thing as a stupid question”. I am sorry to disagree but some questions are moronic. My daughter informed me that a lot of the students were also idiots. We figured that it is probably hereditary (JK) and that it would probably be fairly easy to match them up. We could make our own version of “Match the Morons” game show!

Quite a bit of time was spent with the parents concerning FERPA among many other topics. Many of the same questions were asked again and again even though they had been covered in a previous session. The school explains something and then you ask the same question again and again expecting a different answer. I do believe there is a classic definition for repeating the same action over and over and expecting a different result. I do not believe that the definition of this behavior is moronic but we can be somewhat gracious.

Parents’ stupid questions – Answers

• When can I call and find out my child’s grades? If your student is 18 then FERPA comes into play and we cannot release that information. We suggest that you talk to your student. This is followed by another review of FERPA.

• Is there a laundry service? No, nor is there any maid service allowed into the dorms. There are laundry rooms in every dorm. It is suggested that if your student does not know how to do laundry that you teach them this summer.

• When will you call us if my child is not attending classes? Never. You need to talk to your student. This is followed by another review of FERPA.

• How do you keep the children from having sex? College students are not actually considered children and must take responsibility for their actions.

• Is alcohol allowed in the dorm rooms? Alcohol can be possessed by a student who is 21 years old. Since this is a freshman dorm it is unlikely that anyone is 21.

• My child has always gotten good grades but there has been almost no homework his senior year. How are you going to make sure that he does his homework? We are not going to do that. The student must take responsibility for his/her own actions.

• Will you call us if my child is not doing his homework? No. This is followed by another review of FERPA.

• Do you assign homework like yours is the only class they are taking? Yes.

• Can the campus police arrest my child? Yes, they are a CALEA accredited agency that has authority on and off campus.

Students’ stupid questions – Answers

• Where are the best parties? - Parties.... just happen

• How can I score drugs? - Are you serious?

• If I get drunk will the campus police arrest me? - Hahahaha - yes!

• What if I don’t want to go to class? - You’re an adult now...it's your choice (under his breath: dumbass)

• If this school was founded in 1899 then how old is it? - Were you honestly admitted here?

• What is the name of Louie the Lumberjack? - Ummmm..... Louie

• What grade are you in? (Says one freshman to ANOTHER STUDENT at freshman orientation) - Blank stare and a walk away

• Where are you from? (We all have name tags with our names, place of residencies) - Points to the name tag on her chest and then says, "Stop looking at my breasts!"

• Who is your orientation leader? (Once again, see name tag places visible on my chest) – Points out leader on name tag and then says, "Stop looking at my breasts!"

• When is lights out? - No lights out. This is college, not day care.

• Are there private showers? - Yes at 5 AM when no one else is in there

These were just a sampling of questions asked. Keep in mind that the NAU website is extensive and covers all this along with handouts that have been sent previously. I should have taken further notes on this topic, as I am sure that I have missed a few good ones. I was busy paying attention to other items such as tuition due date, move-in day, etc.

It was great weather with a high of 69 degrees and a low of 48 in the morning. I could take that all year long but I do believe that it gets a little colder in the winter.

NRA Hunting Policy

I would like to thank Darren Lasorte, Manager of Hunting Policy NRAILA, for taking the time to meet with the 2ABlogBash group during the Phoenix convention. Anyone who is familiar with me knows that I like to hunt as well as the shooting sports. I am one of the crossover people. It is good to see that NRAILA is making the effort to reach out to the hunting community to get the hunters educated on why they should be a part of the NRA.

A variety of topics were covered that were quite interesting. Let's start off with one that can get some of the archery crowd listening (this includes me). There is a push by NRA Hunting for crossbows to be allowed during archery season. The reasoning is that it allows older and younger hunters that are not capable of handling the required poundage bow to participate in archery season. The rules in Arizona show that the crossbow is allowed during the general (center fire) hunting season for some large game such as elk, deer, and javelina. It is not shown as being allowed in bear and antelope season. It appears to be allowed for most small game. There is an easy to use chart in the AZ Game & Fish regulations for allowable weapons. I am not sure what I think about this one. I am looking at a new bow that has about an 80% letoff as it gets more difficult to participate as I get older. I like the idea from this standpoint. Archery deer is one of the few "over the counter" tags that can be purchased. I would expect that if there was a large surge in archery deer tags purchased that the hunts would become by drawing only the next year. This is already a topic now. I have always viewed the deer archery hunt as my last chance to go out as it is becoming harder to get drawn in general deer season. I expect that G&F would combine the general/archery draw at that time and make it about as likely as getting drawn for elk in this state. It is worth discussing but results will/should vary by state.

HSUS has managed to confuse many people as to what they really are. In my opinion, they are a political organization that is very anti-hunting and have nothing to do with the animal shelter down the street. There a many people who mistake this agency to the shelter down the street and make donations to it. The HSUS donation are way up and the actual Humane Society donation are way down much to the dismay of the local shelters. HSUS is as anti-hunting as they come. This is not my opinion as it is clearly stated on their policy page. Don't be fooled into donating to this group. I wonder how Rush Limbaugh is going to wiggle his way out of his endorsement. HSUS: Fools, and Limbaugh, rush in

Another interesting topic was the discussion of shotgun slug only deer hunting in certain areas. I know that the lower part of the lower peninsula of Michigan is this way in that center fire rifle is not allow due to population density. There is a concern that the rifle bullet will travel further than a shotgun slug. This is true if the weapon is fired in the air. I don't know about you but I haven't seen any deer flying by recently that would require this type of aerial shooting. If you claim to have seen such, I would suggest that you put the gun away and lay off the Christmas punch. Seriously, there have been tests done that indicate that when fired on the level or a slightly downward angle that the slug is more likely to ricochet and travel further than the rifle bullet which tends to fragment on impact. Interesting.

We spent some time discussing Right to Hunt State Amendments and reasons for their necessity. I think most can be explained better on the NRA site.
NRA-ILA Hunting Fact Card is worth taking a look at for a quick reference sheet.

NOT ONE RED CENT FOR RINO SELLOUTS!

"The NRSC sided with an establishment candidate, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, in a Senate primary against young conservative leader, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Republicans across the country were outraged by this action, which is only the latest betrayal of grassroots conservatives by the out-of-touch GOP elite in Washington."

I haven't donated to a political party in a long time as I feel that none of them represent my beliefs. Note the quote below the title bar. Good article, go read it.

Shooting gloves

I visited the GripSwell Ergonomic Shooting Gloves booth at the NRA Convention a couple of times. The first time I was just looking over the gloves with little hope that anything would fit. The XXL pair actually fit well. I went back Sunday morning to pick a pair of the GS-33 Pistol Palm Swell in natural white. I am really not fond of black gloves in the Tucson sun. The natural white in that size were gone so I ordered a set of these on the website.

The people at the NRA Convention booth were very friendly and helpful.

We will see how these perform in a match and with full tilt 44 Mag loads for a review post.

Bloggers I Met at the NRA Convention

I would like to thank all the bloggers at the NRA convention for a kind reception. It was nice to see everyone was very friendly to one of the new guys.

I believe that this is a fairly complete list of the bloggers I met. I did not do a perfect job of getting everyone's name but there is always another time.

• The AnarchAngel
• Another Gun Blog
• Atomic Nerds
• Ballistic Deanimation
• Bitchin’ in the Kitchen
• The Breda Fallacy
• Cowboy Blob’s Saloon and Shootin Gallery
• Days of our Trailers
• Exurban League
• Great Satan, Inc.
• Handgun Podcast
• Michael Bane Blog
• N.U.G.U.N. Blog
• One Sensible Progressive
• Found: One Troll
• Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Association
• SandCastle Scrolls
• The Smallest Minority
• SnarkyBytes
• Snowflakes in Hell
• The Ten Ring
• Traction Control
• The Unforgiving Minute
• Void Where Prohibited
• The Volokh Conspiracy

More NRA Convention

I only got one decent photo at the Friday night happy hour sponsored by Michael Bane. Kevin (Smallest Minority) was speaking with Michael long enough for me to fumble around and snap one off. Thanks to Michael for the happy hour.


The Sharps rifle is certainly a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I would love to have one and I am not going buffalo hunting. I think that the only buffalo hunting now is on ranches. I have no desire to drive out in a vehicle with the rancher to have him pick the one I am supposed to shoot. This is not my cup of tea. Elk hunting would be more my style.



Is it really pretty in pink? I would say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. All these traditionally feminine colors really do appeal to my wife. I wonder if I should have her Colt Government 380 refinished. I wonder how pink grips (if you could find them), a nickel frame and pink slide would look. I do not seem to see anything colorful in the way of grips for this model. Maybe a pearl grip, black frame and purple slide would be best.


Another picture of Mr. Bane at a book signing (Trail Safe) in front of the Tactical Solutions booth.

Have Tactical set you up with a nice Raptor stock for your wife or daughter. I know - more purple.









The Bowtech display might seem unusual at a gun show but I find it more closely related than, shall we say, jewelry. I like to archery hunt so stopped and chatted. They actually have a bow that I am interested in as they are one of the few that make a 32" draw bow. With most manufacturers, you are lucky to get to a 31" draw. I need a 32" even with a release as I actually use 33" arrows. Keep in mind that I am 6'7" tall and actually do have need for the longer draw length. No, I am not going to use an overdraw for hunting. There is just something inherently wrong with having a broadhead behind the riser. Being primeval, I don't adapt well to new toys. It has only been a couple of years since I started using a release. Prior to that I was strickly a glove shooter.
Who can name all three singing pro-gun spoofs?








OK - who did we PO to end up at this table at the Banquet?








Crimson Trace gave us a presentation and then brought us to their booth prior to the floor opening up to the general public. There was a gift certificate donated that we had a drawing for a set of grips. Very generous of them. I was also impressed with their involvement in HAVA (Honored American Veterans Afield) .
"As the number of injured men and women returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan grew, members of the firearms industry initiated a non-profit partnership called HAVA to aid disabled soldiers as they transition to their lives back in the United States. The ultimate goal is to increase their confidence and hope for the future by reconnecting with their love of the outdoors and the American traditions of hunting and firearms. Each HAVA veteran is a national hero that has earned our respect and support through valorous service in defense of our way of life.

Please join us in assisting the thousands of courageous soldiers that these photos represent in regaining their optimism for a promising tomorrow."
They deserve our support. Hat tip to Crimson Trace and the other manufacturers involved.

I was surprised to get to handle the TAPCO stock for the Yugo SKS. I had assumed (you know what that does) that the stock would be too short as every adjustable I had handled up to this point was way too short. Nice job. I think I found my next mod to the Yugo SKS. The only question now is whether to leave the grenade launcher on of replace with a muzzle brake. The launcher does have a certain attitude about it.

NRA Convention & Masonry - Not an Odd Couple

Wow - what a weekend. I had a very enjoyable 1st time experience with the convention, 2A Blog Bash, and meeting people. I think that most gun bloggers might be surprised at the percentage of Masons that are gun owners and 2nd Amendment supporters. The Masonic organizations are typically a conservative group highly opposed to tyranny of any sort. You will find quite a few law officers and military personnel involved in the organization. I was pleasantly surprised by people noticing the square and compasses belt buckle I was wearing and greeting me with the common phrase of, "Hello brother". I did not keep accurate track but I would venture about 7 or 8 people greeted me and struck up conversations. That would indicate that there many, many more in the crowds.

One young man manning the "sausage grinder" booth immediately stood up and introduced himself as a newly initiated Entered Apprentice. I took about five seconds to impart my knowledge on the topic - JK. We spoke at some length about Masonry in general. I apologize that I forgot the manufacturer's name of the equipment but did get literature and will correct the oversight later by posting up the name and link.
Correction - the company is Thunderbird who makes a fine line of food and bakery service machinery.

Now for some Masonic information:

From American Masonic History - What Are America's True Roots?

"Some of the greatest names of the American Revolution were Masons: Ethan Alien, Edmund Burke, John Claypoole, William Daws, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, John Paul Jones, Robert Livingston, Paul Revere, Colonel Benjamin Tupper, and George Washington. Of the 56 signers of The Declaration of Independence, eight were known Masons and seven others exhibited strong evidence of Masonic membership. Of the forty signers of the Constitution, nine were known Masons, 13 exhibited evidence of Masonic membership, and six more later became Masons.

"There were many other Masonic influences in early American history: (1) Lafayette, the French liaison to the Colonies, without whose aid the war could not have been won, was a Freemason; (2) the majority of the commanders of the Continental Army were Freemasons and members of "Army Lodges"; (3) most of George Washington's generals were Freemasons; the Boston Tea Party was planned at the Green Dragon Tavern, also known as the "Freemasons' Arms" and "the Headquarters of the Revolution"; (4) George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States by Robert Livingston, Grand Master of New York's Masonic lodge, and the Bible on which he took his oath was from his own Masonic lodge; and (5) the Cornerstone of the Capital Building was laid by the Grand Lodge of Maryland." (2)

There are quite a few book on the founders and Freemasonry. You might even find some of them an interesting read.

NRA Convention

Woohoo! Made it to the convention this afternoon. I am having a great time meeting bloggers and roaming the display floor. Hat tip to Bitter for getting this setup so we have media passes. We had happy hour at Majerle's Sports Grill hosted by Michael Bane (Down Range). Thank you Mr. Bane. Also present were Insight and Tactical Solutions handing out t-shirts and ball caps. Very nice. NRA Media Relations popped in and I am sure that I have missed some other manufacturers. What a great bunch of people. I will post up everyone I met later as it is past my bedtime and I am fading fast.



The Bison Bull is my kind of revolver, large caliber and large.














I need to show my wife the purple (her favorite color) finish on some of the pistols but I need to be prepared to purchase it on the spot.

President's "Adopt a Detainee" Program

I know this old (2002) but I need to put it up as it is still a current events topic today.

President's "Adopt a Detainee" Program...

Thank you for your recent whiney-assed letter criticizing the treatment of the Taliban and El Quieda detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay. As part of the Administration's Liberal Retraining Program, you'll be pleased to learn that the Administration has decided to place one detainee under your exclusive care. Your detainee is scheduled to be delivered to your personal residence on Monday. The detainee is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you strongly recommended in your letter of admonishment.

It will be necessary that you hire your own caretakers. We will also conduct weekly inspections, of course, to assure that your detainee is actually being cared for in the manner you personally prescribed.

His meal requirements are simple, but we strongly suggest using menus that do not require utensils. While he does bite, the rabies test was negative, although he does have a bad case of body lice that we haven't completely remedied.

Although he is sociopathic and very psychotic, we do welcome your promised efforts to overcome that "attitudinal problem" with your promised counseling and home schooling.

He's extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or light bulb. We do not suggest that you ask him to demonstrate these proficiencies at your next bridge party. He also has the ability to make a variety of lethal bombs from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, notwithstanding that it may conflict with your moral values or disrupt your maid's daily routine.

Please heed the large orange notice attached to your detainee's cage. "Does not play well with others.

Your detainee generally bathes quarterly, with the change of seasons, assuming that it rains, and washes his clothes simultaneously. That should help with your water bill.

Be assured, your detainee absolutely loves pets of all kinds, but is especially fond of cats and dogs. He prefers them roasted.

You take good care of our detainee now.