Thursday, December 31, 2009

You won't see this on the news...

The Stock Market ended its best year since 2003. Even better than 2004, 2006, and 2007 - all positive years.

Many of you are scratching your heads, because if you listen to the nightly news, you would never have known that these years were all really good growth years for the stock market.

Link to stock market performance since 1975.

Kudos to MSN money for actually reporting this. Link.

Becha won't see this on network news. Any takers???

In case you missed it...

We all know the mainstream media never lets the facts get in the way of a good story. Additionally, they never let a story air about someone or something they are in love with.

That being said, here are 9 major news stories the mainstream media passed on this year.
Link to article.

For your Googling pleasure, in no particular order:
- Van Jones
- Acorn Tapes
- Science Czar John Holdren
- "Climate-Gate"
- NEA gets politicized
- Chas Freeman
- The TEA Party Protests
- Safe School Czar Kevin Jennings
- Stimulus money for Democrats-only.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wrapping up the year.

I don't know how many more posts I will do this year. Maybe none. Maybe a bunch. However, I did want to say to the world that I for one am glad 2009 is ending. This has not been a good year for me. I look forward to the opportunity to start off on a new foot.

Things I cannot wait to put behind me that happened in 2009:
1. My dad and his health. Specifically, the weeks he was in the hospital & rehab for his illness, foot infection, and broken hip. I've never seen anybody have as many problems in one time span.
- Good news - he is walking now and getting around well. I know he looks forward to playing with the "Little Usagi's" more now that he can get around!

2. The job situation. I got laid off. So did ten coworkers in my department (and even more in other departments). I hate having to look for work for no fault of my own.
- Good news - I have several strong opportunities that are nearing a hiring decision. January will likely be an exciting month for me.

3. Obamanomics. Seriously, have we ever had a more clueless leader? The only part that directly affects me are his financial decisions for the country. So far, all of those have been going in the wrong direction.
- Good news - God works miracles every day. Maybe He will answer my prayers and divinely zap Mr. Obama with a big dose of common sense in the money field.

Oh, and if you want to read a really positive New Year thread, my Sunday School teacher, Right Minded, has posted a beauty. Link here.

A shocking admission...

I must admit... sometimes, even the Brady Campaign against guns is right.

'Holy cow!' you say! Has Usagi lost his mind?

No. Not at all. Not yet, anyways.


You see, one of the "tenets" of the Brady Campaign against guns is that if you have a gun in the house, you are more likely to have the gun taken from you and used against you. Now, we all know this is complete rubbish. If it were the case, we would read about it in the paper every day. The liberal media couldn't let those stories slip through.

However, I have found a story of the exact opposite thing happening. A would-be robber pointed a gun at his intended victim. The victim fought back and wrestled the gun away from the bad guy. The victim then shot at the hapless criminal, wounding him.

Link to story.

So technically, the Brady Campaign tenet is correct. In this case, the gun was taken away from the intended user and actually used against him.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Funny Story - Fascinating People

A while back, I was teaching an individual self defense class. I do this from time to time. This "class" was a nice lady almost my mom's age, her daughter who was about my age, and her husband.

The lady, whom I will refer to as "student" in this post, had come across one of my old business cards that read "free trial class." Although I no longer taught regular classes, she was insistent upon receiving her free trial class... so a free trial class she got!

Husband sat in the corner of the living room (yes, we were in a private residence that was the domicile of a third party mutual acquaintance - long story). Student and daughter were very "into" the class. They caught on quite well.

At this point, I must inform the reader that I was carrying my GLOCK, as I always do. It was early spring, and still cold out - so I was wearing a large pullover that doubled as my concealment for my GLOCK. Our mutual acquaintance had full knowledge of my carry piece, and has several firearms of his own.

All throughout the class, neither the student, the daughter, nor the husband caught on to me carrying a firearm.

At the end (about one hour) we sat down and conversed. People often have questions and comments for me after a self defense class. The student asked me if she could now defend herself.

"No." I replied honestly.

She did not know what to make of it, so I explained that one class an hour in length is not long enough to get proficient with anything worthwhile. The only such class that could possibly come close would be a class in defensive firearms.

Then came the question: what would I do if someone pulled a gun on me? I replied I would likely pull my own gun if I did not die in the first few seconds from the attacker shooting at me.

She answered: "what if you are not carrying your gun... like right now?"

Folks... I really could not resist at this point!

I answered: "I am carrying my gun right now, and I would draw it!" I turned, lifted the pullover, and revealed my full-sized GLOCK on my hip at a 4:00 position inside my waistband (only the handle showed above my pants-line.

Eyes grew to the size of saucers. I laughed internally. The statement was made: "but isn't that dangerous!?"

Husband piped up: "Honey, don't worry. It's not legal to carry it loaded or cocked."

Oh, boy... this one I really could not resist! Our mutual acquaintance smiled knowingly and nodded approval to me as I glanced his way with an evil smirk.

"This is a GLOCK 22 in the .40 caliber," I stated. "I am going to show it to you and educate you on a finer method of self defense, if you want."

The husbands eyes grew big and he looked as giddy as a schoolboy would at the pistol. "Yes!" He suggested.

I removed the pistol from its holster and, keeping it pointed in a safe direction, I removed the loaded magazine and worked the slide to unload the live round from the chamber. I showed them both the empty chamber for verification. "As you can see, I not only carry this loaded - as it would be silly to carry an unloaded gun - but I carry it with one in the chamber, ready for use."

"But do you carry it cocked?" the husband asked. I realized he truly believed what he had told his wife moments ago.

"Of course. With a GLOCK, the act of inserting a live round into the firing chamber also cocks the hammer. All I have to do to engage a threat is remove the gun from its holster, point at the bad guy, and pull the trigger." I said.

"You just don't tell the cops?" The husband asked.

"No, but it is perfectly legal. I have a permit to carry the pistol."

I told them about Tennessee's handgun carry permit, how most other states had similar permits, and answered many of their questions about carrying.

Another wild story

Police in St. Louis were involved in a wild set of circumstances.

Answering a 911 call by a neighbor due to sounds of gunshots, police arrived at an apartment and entered. A single man, who may have been chasing an intruder out of his apartment, shot at the police. The police returned fire and killed the man. Drugs were found on the man.

There was evidence that there had been a struggle, likely involving either a robbery or drugs, prior to the police arriving and they believe the resident was chasing the intruder when the police arrived.

Link to Story.

Lessons to be learned, here, kids:

- Don't do drugs. Don't sell drugs. Don't buy drugs. Drugs make you do stupid things. Drugs make other folks do stupid things.

- Be sure of your target and what is beyond (one of the FOUR RULES OF SAFE GUN HANDLING).

- Shooting at police officers is a good way to get yourself killed.

Crazy story

Sorry, no guns involved this time.

Link to story.

"CHATTANOOGA — Chattanooga police say a couple they believe was trying to steal a cart full of TVs and a computer caused chaos at a local Wal-Mart.


According to a news release, Officer Josh Wright was off duty when he saw a man trying to force his way past a greeter with about $2,000 worth of stolen goods Sunday night. Wright displayed his badge, but Joseph Anthony Hill said it was fake and tried to force his way by Wright as well. Wright then tackled Hill and arrested him.

Then Hill’s wife, Lisa Hill, feigned a heart attack and said she did not know her husband.

After a witness told Wright the couple had been together in the store, Lisa Hill followed the witness into the parking lot and attacked her. The witness stabbed her in the arm with a pocketknife, and Lisa Hill had to be treated at a local hospital.

Joseph Anthony Hill is charged with theft over $1,000 and assault on a police officer. Charges against Lisa Hill are pending."


Wow.
Just.
Wow.

Only at Wal-Mart...

Monday, December 28, 2009

Funny things the past 28 hours.

Starting yesterday at 3:00 pm, I went to Milwaukee, WI for a job interview. Naturally, this involved plane travel. This is where the fun begins.

I have flown Delta before, and was forced to again this time - as no other carriers had seats left for this trip when I booked the flight.

There were no direct flights form Nashville to Milwaukee or back, so there were a total of four planes involved. A few funny observations:

- Delta LOVES to make their passengers disembark onto the tarmac. Four planes, three times on the Tarmac yesterday and today. I have flown several other carriers, and NONE of them ever have made passengers step foot outside. Seems like this might pose a security risk, too.

- Female passengers enjoy falling asleep and resting their heads on me. Mrs. Usagi does not like it when others do this, but she likes to do the same. Four planes, two nappers rest on my arm. I've had this happen a half-dozen times in the last few years. Every one of them was VERY embarrassed when they woke up. Funny! Thankfully, I've never had a guy do that.

- There are some strange people in airports.

- I did not have access to my sidearm from Sunday at 3 pm to Monday at 9 pm. That's the longest I've gone without touching a gun in... well... years.

- People are now bringing small dogs with them on airline flights. Every one of the four planes I was on had at least one. The final plane back to Nashville had four. You know the kind - the little ankle-biters similar to the one Paris Hilton has. I've flown multiple times, but never seen this prior to today.

- I saw the Great Lakes for the first time ever from the window of the plane. Really neat!

- Airport food is the same as most other food. Just costs 40% more.

- Airports are really serious about their rules.

- Airplane seats are small. My butt is not.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

10 Manliest Guns

Nobody who knows anything about guns would disagree that some guns are more "manly" than others. Well, there now exists a list of the top 10 manliest guns in existence.

Link to article - WARNING - some language.

In order:
10: SMLE
9: Mosin-Nagant
8: GLOCK
7: Swiss K31 Carbine
6: AK47
5: S&W 29 (Dirty Harry gun)
4: AR15
3: Remington 870
2: Colt 1911
1. Barrett M82 - .50 caliber sniper rifle.

My favorite part (talking about the Swiss K31 Carbine) is from WWII. A visiting German Kaiser is speaking with a Swiss commander:
"How big a force do you command?"
The Swiss General replied confidently, "I can mobilize one million men in twenty-four hours."
The German asked: "What would happen if I marched five million men in here tomorrow?"
The Swiss replied: "Each of my men will fire five shots and go home."

My only criticism from the article is actually fairly obvious:
WHY LEAVE OUT THE M1 GARAND???

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Would you look at this???

It would seem we have a story of note here. More people strongly disapprove of the job Mr. Obama is doing than folks did of Mr. Bush at the end of his presidency.

Link to story.

It took 8 years of constant media bias and liberals bashing Mr. Bush for those numbers to take hold.

It took less than one year of President Obama and his socialist platform to sour more people. I've said it before and I'll say it again... the "hope and change" has not been what folks thought it meant. There are a lot of people out there that have a serious case of buyers remorse about the guy.

If only they'd listened to those of us who had done our research on the man prior to the election!!!

Amazingly unpatriotic!

CNN's Chris Matthews called Socialist Saul Alinsky - best known for writing the socialist take-over book "Rules for Radicals" - a "hero."

>>> Sarcasm alert:

No, there is no media bias towards the socialist movement.

<<< Sarcasm off.

Link to the Youtube video.

Laws that don't make sense

As a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Holder, I was instructed in the state-mandated class about the legal ins and outs of when one can shoot in self defense.

One such time when a shooting is often justified is in the defense of the life of another. For example: if I were in a convenience store and a robber pointed a gun in the face of the clerk, I am allowed to shoot in defense of the life of the innocent person - the clerk in this case.

In Kansas, a man shot a doctor. The doctor was shot because he performed illegal late-term abortions. In other words, he murdered unborn babies. In this case, these abortions, or murders, were done on babies that were old enough to survive outside the womb. The Kansas man shot the doctor in defense of these defenseless babies.

Link to article.

The man will not be able to use the legal alibi of "necessity defense," which is what I described earlier in this post. The liberal activist judge has barred this defense from being used.

The judge should tread carefully. As of now, there are few legal definitions of when an act is abortion and when it becomes murder. Should any judge ever decide that abortions can be done after birth has occured, there would be no legal precedent... and folks could claim they are "aborting" their 95-year-old grandmother. And then any age would be fair game. It is a line best not toed. An outright ban on abortions would clear all of this up before it ever becomes a bigger problem.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Gun Control Challenge...

OK, all readers of the Usagi blog... here's a challenge for you:

I suggest that any and all proponents of any form of gun control fall into one of three categories. They are:
a) Clueless - they don't know whereof they speak.
b) Dishonest - they really do know and prefer to ignore the truth.
c) Hypocrites - they know the truth and don't let little things like personal conviction or principles get in the way.

OK - there is the challenge. Find me someone who advocates any level of gun control that does not fall into one of those three categories. I bet you can't!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Another good shoot.

The first good shoot I posted this evening was from my hometown of Chattanooga, TN.
This one is from my mom's hometown of Harriman, TN.

Again, there were two burglars. This time, one was killed by the gunshot wound.

Story on Knoxnews.com.

The other burglar was not shot, but was later arrested and confessed to the crime.

Good Shoot

From the Chattanoogan.

A homeowner in Chattanooga returned home to find two men robbing his place. A fight ensued and the homeowner prevailed, particularly due to the fact that he was a Handgun Carry Permit Holder and had his sidearm with him.

One "suspect" was shot in the chest and in the leg. The other "suspect" escaped without injury.


Please note, a person in Tennessee needs no permit to own a gun. However, the victim here had been out Christmas shopping and had the gun with him during that time. One does need a permit to carry in public, according to Tennessee state laws.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Yet another failure...

President Obama spoke today at the "climate change" Summit. In response, leaders from India and China walked out of the summit.

Link to story.

Seriously, is there anything this guy has done right?
He has seen or caused failure after failure since taking office on Jan. 20 of this year. If he were in sales, he would now be looking for a new job. Lucky for him the current gig is guaranteed for three more years.


Geesh... how much longer 'til 1/20/2013 ???

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Talk about no proof

It is almost a given amongst the leaders of the scientific community - man-made global warming, or climate change - is a farce. There is more credible evidence of alien life than there is for catastrophic man-made global warming.

Further indications? In Copenhagen, a blizzard is dumping snow on global leaders who are there meeting to try to "solve the climate change problem" (read - they really want to raise taxes and exert more governmental control over the citizens of this fine planet).

Al Gore must be there. Every time he goes somewhere to tout global warming, record cold and snowfall follows him.

Small Rant

For my first installment of "Wacky Hiring Practices" I would like to detail something that really burns my bootie. Salary fit.

Part of finding a good job (or a good candidate from the company's point of view) is proper fit. The company is great for the employee and the employee is great for the company. A big part of that is salary. Hence, "Salary fit."

-----

Once, I was hiring an "Outside Sales" person. Someone who would be selling "business-to-business," as they say. I found a great candidate, who was currently employed and I found out she was making 25% more than the top of the salary range I had to work with. Still, my boss wanted to interview her. He knew she would do well, also. However, he still wanted to offer her the top of the salary range - $35,000 base plus commissions. She was currently earning $50,000 base plus commissions.

My boss never really understood why she did not take the offer.

-----

Recently, I interviewed with a company that had a position that seemed very interesting. They did not bring up salary. I did - after the phone interview, first interview, and second interview. They were offering a third of what I am looking for. 1/3! Had they stated a range (like most companies do), I would not have applied and wasted their time and mine.

-----

In short, I have found that companies that are reluctant to talk salary have a reason for being that way - they know the do not pay enough for what they want.

Good companies looking for a proper fit tell you the salary range up front and ask if that is something you can live with.

Silly job interviews

A month ago or so, my employer decided to do away with my position. This affected 10 people altogether. Since then, my former counterparts and I have been searching for work.

It has been a while since I had been on a job interview, and so I had forgotten some of the things that some people do. Some of these things are clearly geared toward selecting the right candidate for the position. Other behaviors I've seen can only be described as... odd.

I was a "Territory Sales Manager" for an insurance company. Sales is my thing. I am not pushy, overly intense, or anything like that used car salesman that sold you your vehicle. Former supervisors have consistently given me performance-reviews with descriptions such as "reliable," "professional," and "polished."

In 11 years in the work force, I have been promoted, or offered a promotion 10 times. I have hired dozens, fired a few, laid folks off, been laid off, and dealt with HR issues of every kind (yes, even including lawsuits my employer was involved in).

When I interviewed folks, my style was simple - get to know the person; find out what motivates them. I know that personality is the single most important trait - even more so than experience or qualifications.

In the middle of these interviews, I have seen so many people that just have no clue how to advertise a job or conduct an interview. I have been requested to add a new column, detailing some of these silly, and often hilarious situations. Of course, all of these stories will be true, and accurate. I will only name companies that need naming.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Can you do this?

A man in AZ killed a bobcat with his bare hands.

WITH
HIS
BARE
HANDS!

Link to story...


In other news, Chuck Norris is rumored to be looking for an Arizona man in hopes of actually having a sparring partner that can challenge him a bit. Oh, who am I kidding, even this guy would not make Chuck work up a sweat!

Old school martial arts videos

I recently came across these gems. Old school judo master Tsunetane Oda - one of the founders of Kosen Judo (a favorite martial art of mine). Oda is demonstrating some of his mat technique.

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

A common mistake that people make is thinking guys like this are masters because they know so many techniques. Although he knows a lot of stuff, like most masters of the arts, he realizes there are only a few basic moves - and he can apply them from countless positions and situations.

In fact, when I had regular classes, I only taught 12 offensive movements. 3 Arm locks, 4 leg locks, and 5 chokes. 3-4-5 as I called it for my students. There were a few others I'd show from time to time - but those were highly situational and not as widely applicable. Learning defense, strikes, takedowns, positional shifts and the sort were far more important.

Article on "Climate Change"

Here is a link to a well written and accurate article on climate change and man's impact (or lack thereof) on any changes in Earth's climate.

Link here.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

More on sheep, wolves, sheepdogs...

Link to article.

My favorite passage:
"There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory acts of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

However, when there were cues given by potential victims that indicated they would not go easily, the cons said that they would walk away. If the cons sensed that the target was a "counter-predator," that is, a sheepdog, they would leave him alone unless there was no other choice but to engage."

Rediculous...

An 8-year-old boy was asked to draw what Christmas makes him think of. He drew Christ Jesus making The Ultimate Sacrifice on the Cross. Now he is being sent for psychiatric evaluation.

Link to story...

Unbelievable. I think it is about time folks in MA took their state, country and government back. Through local and statewide voting first, but if those "in charge" keep this garbage up, then I would say it's almost "Go-time."

I've said it before, and it is worth repeating...



From a previous post.

I absolutely believe the rules of a gunfight are there for your protection...

Monday, December 14, 2009

Guns in restaurants, public transport and more.

A year ago, Georgia approved a law allowing their handgunn carry permit holders to carry in many more places, including:
- restaurants that serve alcohol.
- public transportation vehicles.
- state parks.

Some liberals, including Atlanta's mayor, felt this measure would lead to more crime, particularly on the subways. There were petitions to have bullet-proof glass installed in the trains for the workers.

A year later, there is proof that crime is down in the public transportation areas. This article details it well:
- there has not been a single murder on a MARTA vehicle since the law took effect.
- robberies have dropped significantly since the law.
- overall crime rate per 1000 riders is down from 3.90% to 3.09% and falling in trends.

Follow up on interview

In this post, I detailed a job interview I had recently where a lot of things popped up as red flags.

Now I have a follow-up.

When I left that interview, I emailed the gentleman that interviewed me and informed him that I needed to remove my name from consideration for the "position." That was Wednesday afternoon.

Friday afternoon, I get a call from his boss, asking me to start Monday. So I get to tell him the same thing.

These folks really need to get things together.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

MSNBC Article

This article, from MSNBC, talks about "loosening" gun laws.

Some things the article gets right:
1. They put one of my favorite shops, "Guns 'n' Leather," in the picture. I recognized the shop before I read the caption below the picture.
2. They listed the laws we passed in TN this last year.

Some things they got wrong:
1. As expected, the article only provides quotes and opinions form the anti-gun side.
2. The supply "facts" that are only anti gun without explaining the whole of things.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

More Pumpkin Shooting

In response to this post on AR15.com (WARNING - adult language!), several "Arfcom" members have made some good Youtube suggestions.

I thought I might post some of them here. Naturally, the content of these videos is of a nature I cannot control, so please be advised.

Pumpkin gets shot and totally explodes.
More pumpkin carnage.
Pumpkin carving. - Impressive!
Shooting pumpkins on the roll!

Shooting Pumpkins II

My good friend and Sunday School teacher, Right Minded, has read my post on shooting pumpkins.

In his response, Right Minded outlines exactly what he wishes to accomplish with his pumpkin shooting:

1. Single pumpkin, clean entrance, clean exit.

2. Single pumpkin, clean entrance, messy exit, chalk outline of the pumpkin.

3. Line up several pumpkins in a row and see how many of them a single bullet can penetrate before stopping.


I have an idea how these would be accomplished, but I am not sure I have all of the proper guns - and I know I do not have a nearby range to try these ideas on. Therefore, I have enlisted the help of one who makes a living shooting things - the author of the website "Box 'O Truth."

I'll keep everyone posted... especially if there is a response!


.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Stimulus Dollars at work

Hillary Clinton's former campaign pollster and his companies received $6 Million of last year's "Stimulus Package"


Link to story.


Epic FAIL!
On so many levels.
Had a Republican done this, the media would be all over it!
But now we know the stimulus bill was really a payback by Obama to all those who helped elect him... paid for by us!

Worst job interview...

Everybody has their horror story. I could tell some good ones. I call this one the worst I've had because of the number of red-flags, not because any one red-flag was that severe.

Over the years, I have had an interview or two. At this point I consider myself pretty good at weeding out the positions that are really going nowhere by the email stage, if not the phone interview stage.

This one slipped through due to some pretty interesting circumstances. I won't go into detail on the circumstances, but here's the list of red flags:

1. Not in the best section of town.
2. This company was the only company in the corporate office building they called home.
3. There was carpet construction going on the entire time.
4. Too many young, attractive females worked there. This indicates that a job is not a career place - just a place for one of the managers there to find dates.
5. An interesting questionnaire about me & sales (I have never interviewed at a place that had a paper questionnaire regarding sales that turn out to be a quality employer).
6. Had to wait 30 minutes for an interviewer to show up.
7. The interviewer was not the person I had scheduled with (at this point, I knew what was coming, but I was already there, so I decided to count the red flags and post this blog update!)
8. The interviewer had a disheveled look to him - collars popping halfway up; tie the wrong size (way too small), shirt not pressed, hadn't shaved in a week, etc.
9. Interviewer does a 5-minute blurb about what they sell, then proceeds to break down commission compensation (again, decent employers don't do it this way - there's more of a game to it).
10. Have to take a $280 class to get an insurance license - on my own dime - as part of the "training cycle."
11. To be eligible for the "base salary" one must meet certain commission quotas. This is known to the rest of the world as "commission + bonus pay" whereas this company tried to label it "base salary + commission." WRONG!
12. Interviewer asks me if I have any questions. I reply "no." He then offers me the job, pending the "CEO's" approval. Folks - real interviewers want you to ask them questions and often will not hire you if you don't at least attempt to do so!
13. Two more young, attractive females are applying as I walk out.
14. I see only this business listed in the building directory. So I take a moment and verify that yes - they are the only company renting space here!
15. In the adjacent building, there is only one company renting there! These two buildings each had five floors with eight office spaces per floor!

Any one of these, and a company is still OK. Any two or more, and things get... interesting. Three or more and they are usually off my potential employer's list.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Shooting Pumpkins

For several months, my Sunday School teacher has wanted to go with me to shoot pumpkins.


Yes - you read that correctly... he wants to shoot pumpkins.


I cannot imagine the strange mental workings one would have to possess in order to want to shoot pumpkins, but that was his request. It was made clear to me on several occasions that this was the most earnest desire of his heart.

Since the Second Amendment guarantees us the right to obliterate food with our firearms, I am looking for some pumpkins and some time to meet up to grant Right Minded (my SS teacher) his deepest wish.

In the mean time, here is a link to a video of a guy on Youtube doing just what Right Minded wants to do...

SHOOTING PUMPKINS

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Funny conversation

At a recent family gathering, a group of us were conversing. Without my intervention, the conversation turned to guns. One of the others, who we will call "A" so as to keep her safely anonymous, has a job that takes her frequently to inner city areas in a major city. She stated she could never carry a gun. It was understood by all in this group that I do carry a gun, as does Mrs. Usagi. As luck would have it, A's husband also carries.

A had a laundry list of reasons why one should not carry. The funny part was my brother's response to every one of them. My brother is not quite as avid a gun fan as I am. He does not have a carry permit. But he does own several guns and is a respectable marksman.

As A would list a reason why one should not carry a gun (most of which were straight from the Brady campaign or liberal one-liners), my brother would respond with an absolutely silly remark.

A - "Nobody needs to carry a gun in a restaurant that serves alcohol - that's just asking for trouble!"
Brother - "But what if your waiter gives you poor service and you need to 'motivate' him to hustle more?!"

A - "I don't think I could pull the trigger on a homeless person attacking me! I'd feel too bad for them, even if they had a weapon!"
Brother - "That's why you need the gun - to get the target practice on the bums!"

A - "I go to the inner city a lot. The poor homeless beggars always just back off when you tell them to forcefully."
Brother - "And they would really back off if you pulled the gun on them. Heck, you could even rob them if you wanted to, because carry permits let you do that."

I almost could not contain myself with laughter. Finally, A became a bit flustered at having her points made fun of indirectly. I passed the entire argument - only stopping to put in:
"Whether or not you carry is up to you. Not me. And the reverse is true to. And nobody should be limited where they are 'allowed' to carry if they make the decision to carry."

So here's to my younger brother for fighting the good fight for me with humor I never could have gotten away with.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

If the First Amendment was treated like the Second...

Holy cow... This is a good read!!!!!


Link to article.

And what a fine article it is. I type no more... letting the genius that it is speak for itself.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Rednecks and guns

Just because one is a redneck does not necessarily mean that one is an expert on guns. But, think of an expert on guns. That person is likely exhibiting several factors that point toward being a redneck. This is not a bad thing.

I myself enjoy the moniker of being a redneck. I'd like to think I'm in good company. Here are a couple of rednecks whose ability with a gun landed them some recognition.

Alvin York
From Tennessee. York at one point killed 28 Germans and captured 132 more - all by himself. Armed only with an '03 Springfield (bolt-action) rifle and a 1911 pistol. York recalled of his action: "There were over thirty of them in continuous action, and all I could do was touch the Germans off just as fast as I could. I was sharp shooting… All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn't want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had."
Source - Wikepedia

Audie Murphy
From Texas. The fictional John Rambo has nothing on this guy. The single most decorated soldier from WWII. On multiple occasions, took on dozens of the enemy all by himself. Once, a friend of his was killed by a German machine gunner who was feigning surrender - Murphy killed the entire machine gun nest and then turned the machine gun on several other nearby German positions. His continued heroics earned him field promotion to the rank of lieutenant by the time he was 19 years old (very rare for any enlisted man). Oh, yeah, he lied about his age to join the Army at 16 years old.

A couple more for you to Google -
Jim Bowie
Davy Crockett

Stupid is as stupid does

A man in Alabama decided to rob a bait shop.

For the not-so-bright among us, let's look at how much FAIL is contained in that one sentence:

- Bait shop = redneck (I know because I am one!)
- Redneck = has guns!
- Rednecks know how to shoot!
- Rednecks know which kind of guns work better!
- Bait shops have little money on hand anyways.

The man died from the wounds - apparently right then and there. Not really surprising. I can't say that I feel sorry for him, either, given his chosen "profession."

Note to all you aspiring criminals out there - avoid armed citizens - they shoot back, and are statistically more accurate than the police! Rednecks are particularly dangerous as they enjoy shooting and know about guns, giving them the advantage.

Don't believe me about the "redneck" thing? I'll have a post for that a little later!

Another case of self defense.

Close to where I live...

In LaVergne, TN (South and East of Nashville) a man shot at two would-be robbers - aged 19 and 17. The two crooks were not injured, but were arrested a little later.

Link to the story in the local news.

According to the report, the victim (who was not harmed during the incident) had just purchased his gun a few days prior to this event.

Best insurance policy he ever got... I guarantee!

You shoot like a girl...

This video is of a professional competition shooter... who also happens to be female.

I'd feel sorry for some terrorist who might attack her. Even armed with old fashioned arms, she shoots faster and more accurately than most can with a semiautomatic.

Link to Youtube video.

Another case of self defense:

An Oklahoma woman was home when a would-be robber decided to target her house. That was the last mistake this criminal would ever make.

Link to story.

Points to learn from this story:
1. Buckshot wins... again.
2. This criminal saw her dialing 911 and still attempted to enter the house. Think about that next time you see one of those oh-so-fake alarm company commercials!
3. The woman's dog was barking and that woke her up. That means the bad guy probably heard the dog, too... and still he wanted to get in the house!
4. This woman understood that when seconds count, the police were only minutes away!

Final note:
Some say that a person with a gun is trying to compensate for something. You better believe this woman was compensating for something - being smaller, weaker, and less mentally deranged than her attacker for one thing...

I'm just going to leave these here...


Thursday, December 3, 2009

What can I say???

President Obama stated at his "Job Summit" that the onus for job creation is on the private sector.

Chalk this up as the single most poignant statement of the obvious that our dear leader has ever uttered. I mean, come on - conservative media outlets have been stating this for years... because it is a fact.

Now if only we could get him to realize that more government programs and higher taxes do the exact opposite... these things reduce job growth. But, then again, maybe he doesn't really want job growth...

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

7 Stories Obama doesn't want you to hear.

From Politico.

In summary, the 7 stories Obama does not want you to know are:

1. He (Obama) thinks he's playing with Monopoly money.
2. Too much Leonard Nimoy.
3. That's the Chicago Way.
4. He (Obama) is a push-over.
5. He sees America as just another pleasant country on the roll of the UN - somewhere between Albania and Zimbabwe.
6. President Pelosi.
7. He (Obama) is in love with the man in the mirror.