RECCE ROOM

A homeowner in Cocoa, FL got into a gun-fight with four intruders . Bad news - the homeowner was shot, but it was not life-threatening. Good news - all four intruders were shot. Folks, this is why one needs 30-round magazines and semi-automatics for self-defense. I'd feel almost unarmed without one.

Citizens in India are pushing their government to make firearm ownership less cumbersome. Link . Quoted from the article, India's current gun laws are holdovers from British occupation and were designed to keep the Indian subject from uprising. Hmmm... just like every other gun law - designed to enslave subjects, not to free people.

Speaks for itself...

Jeff Foxworthy has a test to see if you are a redneck. If you meet one or more of the criteria, chances are that you are a redneck (I have lost count of how many I meet). I have developed a similar test. This is for all those scams out there, passing themselves off as jobs. My heart goes out to the young men and women who work there, looking for ways to make life easier. Some scam job test criteria to determine if you work in a scam-job: 1. If your company is located in the bad part of town and employs people on commission-only... 2. If your interviewing manager has not bathed in three or more days... 3. If you post on all the local career web sites multiple times per week... 4. If your company is on its fourth name in the last 18 months... 5. If your company shares office space with a scam job company... 6. If your paper job application is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy... 7. If your company actually encourages people to smoke in the office... 8. If salaries and commission level...

I have been long overdue in blogging about this. Last week, my mother was admitted to the hospital with rapid heartbeat. She reacts to caffeine and my initial thought was this was the culprit, as that has been the case several dozen times over the last few years. This time, though, the situation was different. Earlier in the week, my mom underwent double-bypass surgery as a precaution against possible heart-attack and congestive heart failure. Also, the doctors repaired a leaking artery. They had also been scheduled to perform a "Dor" procedure - the removal of a dead segment of the heart and insertion of a graft to take its place - similar to a skin graft. However, during the operation, the doctors decided against this procedure as the part that looked dead actually started looking better after the artery leakage was sealed off. Those who pray to God above, I humbly ask for your prayers for her speedy recovery. Those who do not pray to God above, I offer my prayers to you th...

I got this email as a response to a silly forward showing a lot of the Geico cooglie-eyed money saying that is what Obama has spent. (edited for content, language) >>> "It never ceases to amaze me the way politics work in this country. Everyone was so [hacked] off, they voted for this guy even though he told everyone what he was going to do and how. Now that he has done what he said he was going to do, they are [hacked off] at him. The question is why? 1. They didn't listen to what he said. All they heard was "change", and considered it no further. 2. Blame was placed on the Republicans, even though the Democrats are the ones who created the tools and situation by which the economy crisis developed. 3. They voted the wrong people out and replaced them with someone worse than those who created the problem in the first place. There are [a couple of possible] solutions: 1. Get rid of "Extremism", both Right and Left. 2. Educate ourselves o...

I am at an interview once. I find out the recruiter who was scheduled to meet with me was out sick and a co-worker would take her place. No problem. Or so I thought. New Recruiter looks at my application and sees "sales" as the position I am applying for. I put that there because the first recruiter did not tell me the name of the company or the name of the position. That's common with recruiters so that candidates don't go around behind their backs. Then the replacement interviewer looks at my reason for leaving my last job. I had written - "Position Eliminated - laid off." Recruiter - Why were you laid off. Were your numbers not so good? Usagi - "My numbers were fine - top five, in fact. The ENTIRE DEPARTMENT was let go in a cost-cutting measure." *Two minutes later* Recruiter - "Why were you the one laid off?" Usagi - "It was nothing personal... just a whole department thing. Big companies do that sometimes. I do...

I have generally avoided the bad jobs this time around. Now and again, one will slip through as I push forward in the interview process. Here a few of the ones I have seen that are worthy of note: (remember I am in sales, by trade) Job "A" This company had a position for "outside sales" (selling to other businesses). Unusual things: - Possibly illegal interview question 1: "You don't have any disabilities, do you? The person for this job will need to be of able body." - Possibly illegal interview question 2: "You aren't going to need special religious days off will you? We work Mon-Fri every week." - This company snapped my photo. This is a great way to get sued as an employer on the basis of discrimination (regardless of whether discrimination actually happened!). - This employer sent out a mass email to candidates that "made it through to the second round," inviting them to call for appointment times. This is not the problem. ...

Recently, ABC News learned that Trijicon, a supplier to the US Military, has been inscribing Bible Verses on their products. Link to article from ABC . Trijicon produces optics, and has a government contract to supply some optics (scopes) for US Military small arms (M16 and M4 rifles). Their specialty is the production of the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG). These ACOG's are very rugged, provide 3-4 power magnification, have an illuminated reticle, and most have calibrated additional aiming dots for longer range shots (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 yard marks). Trijicons are of the highest quality and a single optic often has a price of over $1000. The reason for the price also includes the fact that the optic stays on all the time... no batteries. Trijicon makes the optic run on a low grade radioactive substance, tritium. While harmless to people, the tritium provides the "battery power" for years in the optic. Wikipedia on ACOG's. Funny thing in all this ...

A few days ago, I posted about what I'd like to say to parents of kids in the martial arts. On the other side of the coin, here are some things I tell fellow martial artists, when needed. Please note, I teach karate and jiu-jitsu. Most of these apply to both, but some may not. 1. Hygiene is good. Really good. Manners are, too. I enjoy my daily shower and you should too. Nobody likes being paired up with that one guy known as the "stinky guy." Hygiene extends to your uniform and clothes! Don't forget, wash that belt, too! Be polite and have fun with training partners. 2. Less is more when strength is involved. Most proper martial arts moves do not require a tremendous amount of strength to make them effective... especially holds and locks in grappling arts like jiu-jitsu. When I say you should need very little strength to make this work... I mean like the amount of strength a 10-year-old girl has. 3. Timing is everything. Really. It is. Doesn't matter if we are tal...

In my most recent post: LINK I discussed some things I wish I could convey to parents of kids in the martial arts. I guess these things could be said for parents of kids in any sport or activity. Don't believe me? Let me invite you to Sunday School with me and Right Minded will agree with me. You should hear some of his baseball coaching stories!

I was observing the mother and grandmother of a new boy in my son's Taekwondo class today. I have written down some of the things I wish I could have said to them. Understand, I have been in the martial arts since 1982. I began assistant-teaching in 1986. I have been the head instructor in some capacity since 1988. I have seen thousands of new people... and parents. 1. Not every kid will like martial arts. It is true. Listen to your child. In their own way, they will tell you what they like and do not like. Some say they don't like things when they really do. Hey, it's your kid, you should know when they're doing that... I sure do. 2. Not every kid will like every martial art. There are different kinds of martial arts out there... just like there's different kinds of food. You never know what you'll like until you try it. Remember, every instructor is different, too. I actually picked my son's martial arts school by instructor foremost... at first I did not ...

This evening, I decided to take my Governor's race a bit more seriously. I was getting bored with watching the Governor's forum, as all the politicians were sounding so political. I hate "political" answers... they do not have the time to go into depth to explain what they really intend to do. So I decided to take action. I emailed all four of the Republican candidates for Governor that have not yet communicated directly with me or this blog. Here is the letter: >>> Mr. (Wamp, Ramsey, Gibbons, Haslam), Recently, Gubernatorial candidate Joe Kirkpatrick took the time to respond to some questions I had about his 2nd Amendment positions. The responses can be read on my blog: http://usagidojo.blogspot.com/2010/01/narrowing-field-part-iv-update.html I am familiar with responses you gave as quoted in the recent article form the Memphis Commercial Appeal: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/10/tennessee-gubernatorial-candidates-answer-question/ ...

As one might imagine (if they have read more than a post or two off this blog), I enjoy things that go "boom." As such, I have been to many gun shows. I remember when my father used to take me to gun shows as a kid. My brother and I (and my sister once or twice) really looked forward to them. These days, I attend gun shows as a matter of business. I have not actually been to one since last summer, as I have not been in need of anything I might purchase at a gun show. Occasionally I'll go with a friend just to see what's there. Needless to say, I feel right at home when I attend a gun show - commonly referred to as a "fun show" by those comfortable around guns. I came across a blog post by a self-described "godless, gunless liberal." It was truly fascinating to see what he thought of attending a gun show. Whereas I always look forward to them as a child might look forward to a trip to the toy store, this man actually had a lot of reservations. Where...

Joe Kirkpatrick, candidate for Governor of Tennessee, has answered the gun control questions posed by the Commercial Appeal to the other gubernatorial candidates. What's more - he has done so directly to the Usagi Blog! Since Mr. Kirkpatrick has answered these questions as a response to my previous post , I would like to put them up here, completely in context, for my readers to see. Following are his responses to the questions. For the sake of clarity, I have interjected the questions so as to improve the flow and understandability of the responses. 1. A Nashville judge has struck down as “unconstitutionally vague” the law passed by the legislature in 2009 allowing people with handgun-carry permits to take guns into places serving alcohol. The bill’s sponsors say they will ask the legislature to approve a new version. Do you support or oppose a bill to allow handgun-carry permit holders to take guns into places that serve alcohol? A - I support it although I consider it unnecessa...

Mark McGwire, former Home Run King, admitted he used steroids. His steroid use encompassed his 1998 season when he hit 70 home runs, setting the then-single-season record. Link to story . In a moment of candor, McGwire remarked, "It was foolish and it was a mistake." True words. I am curious how this will affect his Hall-of-Fame candidacy?

As a US Citizen, I believe in the Constitution as a source of Law. As it was written. The Constitution is not a living document in the sense of different interpretations. It is a living document in the sense that WE THE PEOPLE may amend it, or change it, as we see fit through due process. The original US Constitution and the Amendments passed, do not restrict the people, but restrict and define what the government can and cannot do. If all men are created equal - a concept I think we can all agree on - then the ultimate rights in this world are individual rights. Governments have, and always will have, the propensity for evil because people must serve in government. Government service, by definition, extends to the government-employed individual a certain amount of authority - or power, if you will. The saying is that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. This saying is popular because it is accurate. Therefore, I believe the only restrictions any government has...

Right Minded posted a great article yesterday about the questions asked by the Commercial Appeal of the Tennessee Gubernatorial candidates with regards to the 2nd Amendment. This article is the basis of the pdf file I mentioned in " Narrowing the Field III ." The pdf file has four questions. The article in the Commercial Appeal had those four plus five more to make nine questions. Following up my comments from Narrowing the Field III, I stated that of the four questions in the pdf file, Gibbons answers mirrored the Democrats all four times. Not surprisingly, Gibbons' responses mirrored the Democrats' responses in all nine questions. Add to Haslam's inconsistencies the fact that his answer to HCP holders being allowed to carry on campus was unacceptable. In all fairness, his answers to the other questions sound good. I fear he may be a wolf in sheep's clothing, based on his other voting records and statements on the subject, though. Ramsey remains my favori...

Here is an excellent pdf file that has some questions and answers with the major candidates for Governor of Tennessee. Link . Summary: - All of the Democrats are gun-grabbers. Big surprise! - Gibbons' answers are lock-stock-and barrel with the Dems... Another big surprise (NOT!). - Haslam states something that is not true, and he contradicts himself. More below. - Wamp is OK. - Ramsey is spot-on. - Kirkpatrick is not listed, but has views similar to Ramsey's OK, so how did Haslam contradict himself? In the pdf file, he is quoted as saying, in response to a question on "guns in parks" : "I support the new law allowing handgun-carry permit holders to take guns into parks and I would oppose its repeal. " However, in September, 2009, he is quoted as saying: "The intersection of greenways and gun-free zones such as schools would make repealing the ban impractical. I think the best course of action would be to keep the ordinance we have." Folks - this ...

Senator Harry Reid made some racially unacceptable comments on then-candidate Obama back in 2008. Yet, MSNBC refrains from reporting until today. Link . Why is that? (rhetorical question)

Judo is a classical Japanese sport - derived from the art of Jiu-jitsu (yes, I know there are multiple spellings of the word!). In general, Judo players attempt to throw one another to the ground using all manners of techniques. There is also a certain amount of ground-grappling permitted during which a player may pin or submit his opponent. Submissions allowed are limited to chokes and elbow locks. Many years ago, Judo instituted rules limiting the players time on the ground, so victories using ground techniques are limited in scope. While this change minimized many of Judo's self defense strategies and techniques, it did make for a more visually enjoyable sport. Nonetheless, this rule change limited Judo as a sport and changed it from what it had originally been. Well, this year, the IJF, Judo's governing body, implemented a new series of rule changes. These changes were intended to differentiate between Judo and (Freestlye) wrestling. Link to video of the changes . Unfortuna...

Today, a gunman took a shotgun into a Federal Courthouse and opened fire. As guards returned fire, one guard was injured and another was, sadly, killed in the exchange. The gunman was killed as well. Yet again, the criminals never obey the law. Federal Courthouses are "gun-free" zones. Of course, that's what makes them so effective for criminals to target... no civilians can fight back - so the criminal only has to worry about the guards. Thankfully, this time, one of the guards shot the criminal. Sadly, one of the guards was killed in the exchange. Link to story .

So we have made it to the big bowl games. Let's get to the action: ROUND 2: In the Fiesta Bowl, #1 Alabama takes on #12 seeded Florida. This rematch of the SEC championship plays out as it did before as Tebow lacks any big-time play-makers other than himself. More tears are shed as the Crimson Tide eek out a 31-28 victory. The Orange Bowl pits #3 Cincinnati vs. #8 Georgia Tech. The ramblin wreck prove they are just that. Five turnovers leads to 28 points for Cincy as the Bearcats cruise in a 45-27 romp. The Citrus Bowl sees #4 TCU vs. #6 Oregon. This rematch of an early season game has the same outcome. 55-31 TCU wins going away. The Cotton Bowl sees #2 Texas vs. #10 East Carolina. The underdogs nearly pull off the victory, but fall just short - losing 42-38 in OT. Texas is on to bigger and better bowls... but will they survive? ROUND 3: The Sugar Bowl plays host to #2 Texas vs. #3 Cincinnati. This is an offensive shootout. Neither team has a defense, but Texas has too much offense...

One kind reader wrote in and wanted me to extrapolate on the College football playoff system I suggested in this post . So here goes... First, we seed the teams according to my suggestions. For cross reference, here is where I found rankings. 1. Alabama 2. Texas 3. Cincinnati 4. TCU 5. Boise State 6. Oregon 7. Ohio State 8. Georgia Tech 9. Central Michigan 10. East Carolina 11. Troy 12. Florida (next highest in BCS standings - not a conference Champion) 13. Iowa 14. Virginia Tech Numbers one and two (Alabama and Texas, respectively) get a first week Bye. #3 Cincinnati vs. #14 Virginia Tech. This game is a close game in the first half. Then Cincinnati's offense takes over in the second half. Cincy wins 42-28. #4 TCU vs. #13 Iowa. Iowa never knows what hits them. TCU races to a 42-7 halftime lead and cruises to a 62-34 victory. Iowa only scores a couple when TCU calls off the dogs in the 3rd quarter and puts in the reserves. #5 Boise State vs. #12 Florida. Played on the Blue Field i...

While I am on the subject of college sports playoffs, the NCAA basketball tournament is generally done well. Nobody ever disputes who the champion is. I would propose one change, due in no small part to the fact that I attended a smaller college and got to see the injustice done to smaller schools in the selection process. In the field of 65, there are 31 automatic bids. I would suggest that any conference champion automatically receive a seeding be seeded no lower than 12. I am tired of seeing a school that WON its conference having to play in the "play-in" game or get a #16 seed. That is just disrespectful. Let teams selected at large play the "play-in game" and have to face powerful conference champions in the first round. You'd get to see really quickly whether they really deserved to be selected since they could not or did not win enough to EARN an automatic bid. In the big picture, this would change nothing as the eventual champion would largely re...

College football really needs a championship playoff like all the other college sports have. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching the "Bowl Games," but a playoff would determine things where they should be determined - on the field. But how to do it? That seems to be the big question. I think we have almost all of the pieces in place. Here's how I would do it: Every conference is mandated to have a conference championship game.  14-team playoff. There are 11 major and mid-major conferences. 11 Conference champs get automatic bids. They are seeded according to their BCS standings. Three at-large bids. These go to the top three schools in the BCS standings other than conference champs. This is how schools without conference affiliation may get into the tournament (ie- Notre Dame, Navy, Army). The three at-large schools always get the lowest seeds: 12-13-14 - no exceptions. First round: Has 6 games (12 teams). The top two teams, according to the BCS standing...

Here is a video that explains a lot. Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates in the modern world. Why? Every citizen has a government issued rifle in the home. They are all part of the Militia - the civilian defense force. Should the country ever need to defend itself, each man (and most women) has a government issued rifle and ammo to use. Link to video . My favorite quote from the video comes from the man being interviewed: "The key to freedom is the ability to defend yourself... the tool for self defense is the gun." Government issued combat rifles. Now that is the only "Socialist" idea I think I could approve of!