RECCE ROOM

Professional basketball player, Manu Ginobili, punched a live bat as it flew past him during a game tonight between the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. As luck would have it, the flying mammal died of its injuries. Previously, the game had been delayed as the little critter flew around and frightened some of the other players. How exactly did a bat get into a modern NBA arena??? If you watch the clip in the article I linked, you will see why I put this under "just plain impressive." I mean, Mr. Ginobili's hand-eye coordination was absolutely superb. As luck would have it, the spurs mascot, a coyote, was sporting a "Batman" costume in honor of Halloween. And, of all nights for a bat attack - it's Halloween - the main night of creepy-crawly things.

Be the one who brought the gun! A woman in Alabama attempted to rob a man at knifepoint recently. The man pulled a gun. The woman did her first smart act of that day - she fled. Then she went on to rob a Dollar General store... at knifepoint. I think she's lucky nobody at the Dollar General was packing. My dad shops there from time to time and he and his wife have their carry permits.

This morning, I had a revelation. For all the talk and hype surrounding Mr. Obama, I have come to realize that although he has his merits, he really only has two things he's incapable of doing: The two things our President cannot do: 1. Make a decision 2. Admit he is wrong. Now - back to our lives. Every time we see him on TV, see if you can't chalk his shortcomings up under one of these two incapabilities.

When my father was in rehab recently for his leg amputation, we had a nice incident with my son, Cael. Nice in the sense that nobody's feelings were hurt, but he said something very funny anyways. We enter the rehab room - which looks eerily like a hospital room. Each room has two occupants, separated in the middle by a large curtain. My father, and about a half-dozen members of my family are on the right. On the left is a gentleman in his 80's who has recently had a hip replacement. The surgery must have taken its toll on him as the poor fellow really looked as though he had seen better days. He was very pale and was lying motionless as he was napping at the time. "Daddy, is that a dead man?" My son asks. Laughter. Attempts to stifle laughter. Failed attempts. An instant classic.

Box O Truth is one of the most fascinating websites around. The author, who goes by the screen name "Old Painless," in a reference to the movie, "Predator," shoots things and reports on his findings. Coming up soon is a section on shooting bullet proof glass. Please check the website over the next few days for the report. Here's a hint - bullet proof glass does not stop all rounds! (12-guage shotgun loaded with a slug)

In 1994, the US Congress made a boo-boo. They passed an "assault weapon" ban. Unfortunately, none of the features or weapons targeted constituted a real assault weapon. They were geared towards restricting semi-automatic weapons. By definition, an assault weapon is one capable of fully automatic fire. Well, the media does as they do and next thing you know, they are calling this rifle and that an "assault weapon," or a "semi-automatic assault weapon." These names are misleading and erroneous. Two of the primary focal weapons of this misplaced nomenclature are the AK-47 and the AR-15. To be fair, I own an AR-15. I do not own an AK-47. My AR does everything an AK does, only better. But this is a discussion for a different post. Back on track, I will henceforth be changing the way I communicate regarding these types of rifles. I will call them "General Purpose rifles." Why? Thanks for asking. My AR-15, and those like it and on a similar platform can...

What? You say we should not be allowed? Ponder this article . A woman was killed by coyotes. Had she been open-carrying a good "general purpose" rifle (AK-47, AR-15, etc.), she would have been able to fend them off easily. And wipe out a few pests in so doing. Note to USAGI Blog followers - I am replacing the mainstream media's use of the wording "assault rifle" with the wording: "General Purpose (GP) rifle." I will explain this in another blog post.

This clip on Youtube is a very educational, and factually accurate explanation of the AR platform of rifles. Of course, the AR platform is one of my favorites - for many reasons. The clip explains most of my reasons for owning one.

For the record, this clip - ironically titled " For The Record " - happens to be just up my alley.

A wise man once told me that blogging about local politics can be a precarious proposition, at best. You will notice that few of my posts say much about the local stuff. State? Sure, I'll tackle that. National? Absolutely. That being said, my friend, fellow blogger, and Sunday School teacher extraordinaire, "Right Minded" has published a very good article about some local political subjects. Namely, the fact that the Republicans in the House have picked up another seat. By the way, if you ever want to know how I feel on a subject other than Phillies baseball and other than Memphis Tigers sports, go check out " Right Minded ."

MSNBC cals Fox News biased in this article . Of course one of the most liberal publications ever, who feels they are not biased (despite the fact that even the left readily acknowledges that they are, indeed, far-left wing), would say a fairly balanced organization is biased. From MSNBC's point of view, that is the way things would look. Unfortunately for MSNBC, not everybody shares that same opinion. But they are still entitled to that opinion, regardless of how silly they look in holding it. And of course, there is no way that MSNBC would be jealous of Fox. I mean, it's not like Fox is smashing them (and everybody else) in the ratings. Oh, wait, they are.

Some call it national Ruger day. Today is October 22 - commonly written as 10/22. Ruger Firearms makes a rifle called the 10/22 . It is a .22 LR caliber, with the standard magazine holding 10 rounds. That's how they came up with the name. And that is how gun enthusiasts came to the conclusion that today (10/22) is Ruger day. But, it is nothing official. The 10/22 is possibly the most commonly sold rimfire rifle in the world, though the wonderful Marlin 60 comes close. Of course, I own one of each.

A great-grandmother was in her hotel room when a would-be robber broke in. She fired one shot from her .357 magnum. The robber staggered to the parking lot and died. Folks - don't even try to ask me why I carry when I'm on the road and staying in a hotel room. This weekend is Memphis for the Insurors of Tennessee convention. You better believe I will be packing there!

Why isn't this all over the news? It was all over the news when it was discovered and mis-analyzed. Folks, I'll tell you what the "missing link" is - it's the Bible. So many in this world try to discredit it, when that is not possible and has never been done. Because of the negative attempts by the non-Christians, the Bible has been missing in too many folks' lives.

From my rental car days - this customer was just plain funny. I was a trainee at the Dyersburg, TN Enterprise. It was a Saturday, and I was there with the Assistant manager, Shawnda. I was still fairly new, and as a customer walked in, she decided to let me handle the whole rental (one of my first times to do so). We only had two cars left, plus the car I drove (my blue Mercury Cougar) which was much older than all the rental cars. The customer looked young, but I had made up my mind to not judge a book by its cover. He approached the counter and slapped down a $5 bill. "I want that blue Mercury Cougar out there," he said. "Sorry, that's my car. We have a pickup truck and a Ford Escort. Would you like one of those?" "No, I want the Cougar. That's it. And here's for the rental until Monday - you can keep the change." I realized he had only $5 at this point. "That Cougar belongs to me and my wife, not to Enterprise. So legally, we cannot ren...

Yesterday I attended the " 2nd or None " Rally in Christiana, TN. Of all the stations in the Nashville area, only Fox News covered it. Great rally. Lots of well known speakers (at least to Tennesseans) and that was all the coverage it got? More media bias.

The White House today admits " We Control The Media. " I'm surprised they actually came out and said it. Of course, any person with half a brain knows and has known for some time that liberals control the major networks and papers. The real sad thing is that none of the "major" outlets ever questions what "The Chosen One" says or does. They go right along with it like good little boys and girls. Yet they call themselves "journalists." Very sad, indeed.

Not a repo story - this one is a dealing with the public episode. Setting: Fred, my co-worker, was doing a return with a customer, who became irate at her $260 rental bill. The customer became increasingly uncooperative, and finally asked for a manager. I approached the rental counter. I verified she had rented the car six days earlier. We also verified that at the time, she had intended to keep the car for three days at a charge of $140. Then we verified she called in to corporate to keep the car three more days. She said that at that time, the corporate representative had said the total bill would be $120. In all actuality, the corporate representative had said the additional three days would be an additional $120. I pointed out $120 + $140 = $260 She argued that the total bill should be $120. I said, "Ma'am, I've only known you 5 minutes, but I can already tell you are smarter than to think anybody would reduce the rental charges if you kept the rental longer. At that ...

Wachovia Banks in northern Virginia have posted "no guns" signs recently. Not surprisingly, they have been robbed four times in the last three weeks. 1st Robbery 2nd Robbery 3rd Robbery 4th Robbery Wachovia, please, for the love of all that is Holy - including and especially the lives of your own employees and customers - reverse this asinine policy before more people get hurt!

This article details facts on the overall lack of public support for bans on handguns. Finally, people are waking up to realize that we don't need more government controls on much of anything!

A letter I wrote today to the management and ownership of Regal Cinemas - owner of Providence 14 cinema: "Today I was very disappointed to discover that there is a "no firearms allowed" sign at the Providence 14 cinema. As a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit holder, I have had a background check with the FBI, passed a training class examination, demonstrated competence in front of a certified firearms instructor, been fingerprinted by the state, and have invested over $1000 total in so doing for the specific reason to be able to protect my life and my family. Now your establishment puts up a sign that will not keep out criminals - only disarm the law abiding. Such action is not only objectionable, but is anti-2nd Amendment. I must ask since your company obviously disregards our rights under the Second Amendment, which rights will you disregard next? If your company is unwilling to remove such signage, I have no option but to refrain from patronage of your company and su...

... even when their parents are complete idiots. In Australia, a baby-stroller complete with infant, rolled away from the parents and into the path of an oncoming train. The stroller rolled under the vehicle. Amazingly, the infant was not crushed, but was straddled by the train. The baby suffered minor bumps and bruises, and the stroller was pushed over 100 feet. Here is a link to the story .

This blog post was obviously made by a liberal who, because she does not like guns, wants them banned for everybody. The comments are overwhelmingly pro-2A. And coming from a bunch of "mommies" it is not surprising. The mothering instinct is very strong in the female of every species. Without it, the species does not survive.

These are the four basic rules of gun-handling. Follow them always and all of the time and no accident will ever happen. Break one, and the damage from the accident will be comparatively minimal. Break two at your own peril. 1. All guns are always loaded. 1. Always keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to make the conscious decision to fire. 1. Never point the muzzle at anything you aren't fully prepared to destroy. 1. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. I label them all "number 1" because they are all equally important. Every "gun accident" I've ever seen or heard of has one thing in common - somebody did not follow the rules. Guns don't just "go off." It's amazing to see people realize this when I take them shooting for the first time.

Maybe this is why? An employee of a bar in Toledo attempted to eject a patron who was trying to sell drugs in the establishment. Hilarity did not ensue. A gunfight did. Youtube Video Local News Story Some points to note: - None of the people who drew their guns (all are thought to be gang members of one of two local gangs) had legal Ohio Concealed Carry Permits. - In Ohio, it is illegal to carry a handgun into a bar, with or without a permit. - three to five guys with guns is a lot. Don't carry a 5-shot revolver. Carry a gun with the most ammo you can carry and use easily. (I carry a pistol with 15 rounds) Carry backup ammo. - Criminals in OH do not follow the laws regarding carrying guns in bars. They rarely obey other laws. I doubt they obey signs any better!

In recent news, President Obama was issued the Nobel Peace Prize. In other news, the question "why?" has been asked in epic proportions.

Ten minutes of slow-motion bullet impacts . Can't think of many other ways I'd rather spend 10 minutes!

Most people do not realize that the modern fabrications passed as gun control in America actually started back in the 1800's. At that time, it was illegal for Blacks to own weapons . Yes, modern gun control started as a racist attempt to keep Blacks "down." Don't believe me? Read about the Supreme court decision on Dred Scott vs. Sanford . That decision disallowed Blacks from any sort of constitutionally protected rights, including the right to keep and bear arms. After the American Civil War, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed (by Republicans!) to guarantee rights to all persons, regardless of race. You see, during that time, there were many laws that were against Blacks. I personally feel a law should apply to all, not just a "select" group. Some of those anti-black laws prohibited weapons. Here is an excellent article on the racist roots of gun control. It is no stretch to suggest that those who would enact similar controls today are...

It seems Mr. Obama is willing to accept some Taliban involvement in the Afghani government and he is willing to cede some regions to the Taliban. Sir, allow me to respectfully request you do the only dignified thing left to do - resign. Oh, crap - then we'd have Biden! :(

No, it is certainly not this blog. Not even close. However, the site "Box 'O' Truth" is a very interesting one. Even if you don't necessarily like guns. Particularly if you want to know if stuff you've seen or heard of is true. The summaries written are funny. Be warned - if you go to this site, you will get sucked in and likely be unable to pull yourself away! Box 'O' Truth.com

In this clip , a man calls 911 to report a man with a gun (MWAG). Only thing is... the man with the gun is a police officer!

I happened across a blog that has some interesting stories in the rental world. Since many of my readers enjoy rental car repo stories, I thought I might provide a link to these stories from a person who runs a video rental store. WARNING - CRUDE / ADULT LANGUAGE

In the spirit of my previous post, here . This time , an animal control officer was being attacked by a pit bull dog. A resident of the property (who had called animal control out because the neighbor's pit bull was preventing them from leaving their property) shot the dog with a .22 caliber handgun. The dog reportedly yelped and ran away. Had they used a regular centerfire pistol caliber - then the outcome would have been a bit better as this world would have one less animal on the lose about to injure or kill a person. What would I recommend? Here: .38 .357 magnum 9mm .40 .45 ACP .44 magnum

Per my previous article on "guns in bars" Arizona style. BREAKING NEWS: Nobody has been shot by a carry permit holder in AZ restaurants or bars. It would seem that the new permissions a carrying person has does not make them break down in a manic state and just shoot the place up! I know I have never been tempted to do so - even when I get poor service or the like.

A woman in Florida was attacked by several raccoons . The injuries were more than you might think. Had she been armed with a handgun, this would have turned out differently.

I am going to debut a new category with this story. The category is: "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes." I cannot think any other phrase to be more appropriate than this for this story. A woman in Pennsylvania was killed by her pet bear. Here is the story . I, as a rule, do not keep pets that have the ability to eat me. I am much more comfortable being the dominant person/creature/predator in my house.

Yesterday, I bought a gun! I know, this really surprises you. But this was my purchase this year for me. No, I do not buy guns for others (that's a crime). However, I did buy a gun for me earlier that will be enjoyed by my son way more than I will. It was a Cricket .22, made by the Keystone company. It is a youth sized .22 rifle that my son really enjoys shooting. Still, he is not old enough to have one of his own yet, so this one is still officially daddy's. But yesterday was mine. I purchased a Marlin model 60. This is a .22 rifle identical to the one my father owned for many years. That one that my dad had was the rifle I learned to shoot on. He was forced to sell it several years ago as it no longer was functional. I wanted one for myself and so yesterday I found one at Wal-Mart here in Chattanooga (visiting for the weekend) and purchased it. The manager of the Wal-Mart was surprisingly knowledgeable and polite. He stated he thought their store policy of having to walk me o...

From this story in the Houston Chronicle . An off-duty officer shot and killed an armed robber in a Dairy Queen (what's that about not needing guns in restaurants?). It would seem that as soon as the robber came in & pulled a gun on the employee behind the counter, eight customers ran & hid in the bathroom. After they heard shots, they peeked out the door, and saw the off-duty officer standing over the robber. Be honest with yourself: would you have been in the restroom or would you have taken action? If not, do you know anybody who would have taken action? There is nothing inherently wrong with the choice of being a sheep, or a sheepdog for that matter. Just be perfectly aware of who you rely for your safety, and the safety of your family: Do you take responsibility; or do you outsource responsibility to someone else? Now, seriously, do you actually know someone (yourself included) who would have done what that officer did? Now, if you do know someone that would have done ...

The real reason libs don't want kids to have guns is because they are afraid the children will out-shoot them. I have the proof right here . It seems a 5-year-old boy from Texas, Simon Hughes, has shot and killed a 12-foot, six-inch, 800 pound alligator. He did so with a single shot (although his father fired a second shot to be safe - I don't blame him) from his youth model .410 shotgun. I love his father's statement on guns: “That's the way it is in rural areas, ” Scott Hughes said. “We don't think of guns as playthings or something used in video games.”