RECCE ROOM

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???

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.

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. O...

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.

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 pi...

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.

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 a...

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 ...

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???

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!!!

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. Link to the Youtube video .

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 shou...

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!

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.

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.

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 ???

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.

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 compa...

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 (y...

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!

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.

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 .

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."

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."

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

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.

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.

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.

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 !

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! .

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!

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 que...

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

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 ...

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.

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 R...

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!

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!

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 .

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...

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...

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.