RECCE ROOM

Want to know where we are headed? I have one glimpse... Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended all soccer (or, as they call it, "football") in the country because of a less than stellar performance in this month's World Cup matches. Seems trivial, but it's the kind of life one leads in a socialistic environment. I prefer liberty - where the free market and the individuals decide whether they like soccer... or football.

Apparently, last night was the opening night for the latest "Twilight" movie. According to sources, the movie has earned over $30 million in its first night. Tom Cruise's "Knight and Day" opened 3rd last weekend, drawing 'only' $20 million all weekend. So let me get this straight... a romance/vampire movie makes more in one day than a Tom Cruise action flick made in a whole weekend? My, how times have changed.

I respect people's rights to live as they wish. I also realize that I myself have some unusual hobbies and interests. Nonetheless, I am fascinated by the behavior of some individuals. Some people, and we all have friends like this, go out of their way to be unusual. Even at the expense of additional cost, social stigma, or even complete lifestyle change. My hat is off to those who simply live as they believe. However, most of the people I'm talking about live differently not necessarily because they believe it (though they often do), but for some other reason. - Most seek the additional attention. - Some have never tried things any otherway. - Many live in fear of something they read somewhere, so they change their lifestyle. - A few use their unusal lifestyle or interest as a way of feeling superior to others. Whatever the reason, folks who intentionally do things "outside the norm" for one of the reasons listed above are not really that appealing to me as friends. I...

Some time ago, I wrote on the racist roots of gun control . Gun control in America has two distinct root sources. The first was from the British, prior to our hard-fought independence. The second distinct root of gun control mimics the modern fabrications in "logic" and this effort in our country came from white democrats in the 1800's trying to disarm black people in an attempt to keep black people in a lower class - not full citizens. Some interesting facts pop up, that you will not read in the media today: The recent case of McDonald as ruled on by the Supreme Court. McDonald himself is a black man from Chicago. In the McDonald case, Justice Thomas gives a good history lesson . Thanks to Right-Minded for picking up the story from Rush Limbaugh . Oh, yeah... I forgot to mention - Justice Thomas is black. I always hear the liberals spout lies such as they are "for the minorities" and that sort of garbage. But is that true? I say no, it is not true. In...

I was in a discussion with a fellow a few days ago. The discussion turned to end of the world topics - "SHTF" - S***(poop) Hits The Fan. This individual leaned a bit too much toward conspiracy theories. He had a definite belief the government was going to try to take over, and use the UN to accomplish this goal. His talk reminded me of Fred of Fred's M14 stocks, from whom I purchased my shooting jacket . This individual reminded me of so many others I've spoken with that hold these views. His talk started with rational conclusions, but quickly deviated from the realm of reality. In addition to thinking the governmetwas going to either take control via the UN, or allow the UN to take control outright, he also believed some other things that I will speak about here: 1. Government / UN takeover. I don't think American Soldiers will ever try to control fellow Americans. The UN is predominantly staffed by American Soldiers. Most of the rest are allies. Those that aren...

In lightof yesterday's Supreme Court Decision, I will forward my readers to this blog post . Representative Stacey Campfield hits the nail on the head. Which one is your favorite?

Having attended more than one Appleseed, and having shot rifleman with a tube-fed rifle (considered a hindrance by many in the organization - yet I still managed a 238), I thought it wise to put together a little checklist and some instructions for maximizing the shooter’s enjoyment of the Appleseed program while using their tube-fed rifle. My experience was with a Marlin 60. While there are other tube-fed rifles out there, the 60 is by far the most common, so I will present the information from that point of view. Naturally, the individual shooter should practice any needed alterations with their own setup so as to maximize the results. Here's a link to a thread detailing some aftermarket parts for Marlins. For the AQT A quick note of procedure with tube-fed rifles: the shooter has no external magazine, so when the command is given: “Shooters, your preparation period has ended.” At that point, folks operating tube fed rifles should: 1) ensure the bolt is locked open and the...

During confirmation hearings, Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor repeatedly stated she was in favor of the 2nd Amendment. In yesterday's decision on McDonald, she voted against the 2nd Amendment. Folks, Judges are not supposed to vote their politics, but they do. That's why we must vote the right people in. First, to nominate the right candidates for appointment. Second, to block the wrong candidates for appointment. Sotomayor again has proven she was the wrong candidate by voting her politics. I predict Kagan is no different. I know the President nominates them... and we are stuck with this President for two more years. But the Senate confirms or rejects them. And we can replace Senators this fall!

Again, let me start with what Appleseed does right: - Safety. And they do this really well. - Marksmanship instruction - "History" That being said, they do some things very poorly - making me question whether I want these people representing the "gun culture" to the public. The Myths of Appleseed These inaccuracies are commonly spread by Appleseeders on the internet, in online forums. While the Appleseed website is accurate, many of the members either ignore these things, or think in their exuberance that the program is for everybody and others will not be able to help but fall in love with Appleseed. Sadly, this is not always the case. 1. Appleseed is for everybody - Nothing is for everybody except Jesus Christ. - Appleseed is best for casual gun owners , who have been shooting before, but have not really cultivated marksmanship skills from "field positions." - Appleseed is not good for beginners . I'm not the only one who think...

My church has two softball teams. I play for one of them. Our regular season is complete and tonight is the tournament - rounds 1 & 2, at least. I usually play catcher (because nobody else wants to). I usually bat last in the order (because nobody else wants to). This year I've made 6 put-outs... most in the league by a catcher. And that's having played catcher in only 10 of 20 games . Our team having forfeited 4 games, and had another two games won via forfeit. Add to that the fact that I played right field in three games and was unable to play another game. Also, my batting average entering the tournament is .719 - I had a goal for this year of .700. Last year I hit over .600 and the year before I struggled to get to over .300. Two years ago was my first year back on the field in ten years. Rusty does not begin to describe where I was. So there are the totals. I'll report back after the game... either tonight or tomorrow. Tonight, we play in the first round the other ...

In recent primaries, voters have been erratic, or so the media says. Some will vote out incumbents. Some will vote to keep incumbents. Some Tea Party people will win. Some folks endorsed by the President have won. The media cannot figure it out. I think I might have found a pattern... Look at every race, and watch as the more conservative candidate is often the winner. But more than that, the candidate who would do "the least harm" is almost exclusively the choice. In Arkansas, Lincoln was the incumbent Senator, and a liberal. But she won her primary. Why? Her opponent was even more liberal and had a Union and Big-Government backing and ideology. In Utah, incumbent republican senator Bennett lost the primary. Why? He voted for the "stimulus." His opponent is against overgrowth of government and won. In South Carolina, a man nobody knew won the primary against a powerful political figure, all because folks don't want more of the same runaway government. So, to pr...

I often have fellow shooters at the range ask for advice on how to shoot more accurately. Most frequently, I will take one or two of the six basic steps to firing the shot and offer those as advice. Here are the six steps to firing the shot: 1. Proper sight alignment. 2. Proper sight picture. 3. Respiratory pause. 4. Focus the eye on the front sight and the mind on the target. 5. Trigger squeeze. 6. Follow through. In addition to these steps, proper posture in the shooting position is critical. Normally, I will only offer one or two bits of advice per range day, and repeat those. The most common advice? I urge people to have proper posture and a smooth, even trigger squeeze.

Several times in the last two weeks, I've found several restaurants that have posted against allowing Handgun Carry Permit holders from carrying in their establishments. That is not the most curious part. The most curious part is this... of the restaurants I found, most of the signs were small, off to the side, and generally difficult to see. One blended in so well with the background that it was almost completely invisible from the outside. Now part of Tennessee law states that for these signs to have legal "teeth," they must be "plainly visible." If a restaurant owner or manager is clearly anti-gun, why not be so openly? Why hide the sign in such a cowardly manner? I visited the Crow's Nest in Nashville, and the sign was open, prominent, and clearly stated the owner is anti-gun. But the other two restaurants all but hid their signs. I wonder what underhanded purpose they have in doing so?

My family has grown much in the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, my first neice was born - Madeline Noel. They call her Maddie. Friday, my second neice was born - Tinsley Grace. Both neices hail from Mrs. Usagi's side of the family, in the Chattanooga area. I urge those not wanting more children right now to avoid that area!

Recently, I purchased a shooting jacket. This particular one was constructed in the old USMC (US Marine Corps) style. These shooting jackets are worn primarily by competitors in shooting competitions. The jacket is designed with function over form in mind. A good shooting jacket has padding at the elbows, on the shooting side shoulder, and on the non-shooting side upper arm. Elbow padding is critical for those spending a lot of time in a prone position. Shoulder padding helps with recoil, and dampens the heartbeat and its effects on the shooters Natural Point of Aim (NPOA). The padding on the non-shooting side help keeps a sling in place. The jacket I purchased came from Fred's M14 stocks. "Fred" is the individual who started the Appleseed project. He likes his M14's and M1A's. He tolerates AR15's. He does not like the UN. Along with the jacket, Fred includes 10 AQT targets, and a " Guide to becoming a Rifleman ." The guide has the same informati...

This past weekend, I was in Chattanooga. While there, I had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite ranges, Prentice Cooper. I had several objectives: 1) Mrs Usagi wanted a scope on what used to be my Marlin 60. I put the scope on recently and sighted it in this past weekend. With the scoped 60, I shot a 222 on an AQT. 2) Since I took the tech-sights off the Marlin 60 to put the scope on it, I decided to put the tech-sights on my Marlin 795. I sighted it in. With the tech-sights on the 795, I shot a 221 on the AQT. 3) I decided to try some different ammo in my Ruger 10/22 to try to fix the malfunction problems. I used CCI mini-mags. Flawless performance. Extremely accurate. Slightly different point of impact (POI) than the previous ammo had been, so I made sight adjustments. Shot a 245 on an AQT - my all-time high so far! Observations: - I really enjoyed getting the flawless performance out of the Ruger. I'd had nothing but problems with it to this point. Good to know that was ...

This morning, the US Supreme Court upheld the 2nd Amendment and struck down Chicago's ban on guns. This decision has been expected to play out this way for months. The decision, called McDonald , will have direct influence on several other gun bans, nationwide, as well. Last year's decision in Heller effectively removed the ban in Washington, DC. However, cities like Chicago and New York had kept their bans in place, arguing that Washington DC is a federal land, and not part of any state... therefore arguing the Heller ruling only applied to DC. The court disagreed with that faulty point of view this morning. Several cities are clamoring, and have been for a few months, to put together gun control restrictions that might pass further scrutiny in the wake of their current laws being found in violation of the Constitution. Scary part 1: The court said less stringent controls might withstand legal scrutiny. Scary part 2: The decision was 5-4. That means there are 4 justices who ...

This past weekend, The USAGI blog celebrated one year of blogging. Thanks to my readers for reading, and providing me with information for articles. Seems hard to believe this time last year, I was dealing with Pop's foot and infection, and the world was dealing with the loss of Michael Jackson. In retrospect, my kids were as young at Michael Jackson's death as I was at Elvis' death. At that time, I did not understand - just as my kids don't today. Thanks to my mom for always telling us straight up about the ups and the downs of Elvis - things that were good about him, as well as the bad. I hope I can pass that on to my kids, as well.

In the state of Utah, a man sentenced to death was executed today. That's not the part worthy of note. The fact worthy of note, is that this criminal was put to death via firing squad . This was the first execution by firing squad in the US in 14 years. The criminal, Ronnie Gardner, was convicted of the shooting death of a lawyer in a courthouse. The lawyer was there in the case where Gardner was being accused of murder of a bartender. I guarantee you Gardner was not legally carrying in the bar, or the court. The firing squad consisted of 5 riflemen, who were certified police officers. The officers will remain anonymous and all volunteered for the task. They were armed with ".30 caliber Winchester" rifles. Reports are that they were lever-action .30-30 rifles. The article also states of the rifles: "One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot." Folks, I've shot a blank cartridge. If you know the rifle, you would know the difference. ...

Another wacky hiring practice. My brother recently accepted a new position with a new company. He had been interviewing to advance his career. He was happy to receive the newer, better offer. In his search, he interviewed with more than one comany, of course. Yesterday, another company he had interviewed with made him an offer. They offered him a more advanced role, with more responsibilities, and a lot of new technology to learn. Oh, and they offered him the job at 25% less than he currently earns. Most companies offer 10%-15% more than the current salary, or more. His first pre-screening interview covered the salary part. Why would they think this would lure him away???

Those who have been following this blog know that a few months ago, I was laid off. There were a few months that passed until I secured my current position. During this time, I went on multiple interviews with many companies. One interview that struck me as wierd was for an outside sales position. One part of the application and screening interview stood out as being odd. The application asked: "We recognize our employee's Second Amendment rights. We also recognize that many individuals who are in outside roles also carry firearms concealed in full compliance of the law, with a permit or otherwise. While we do not discourage this practice, we do require employees who carry concealed to provide the company with photographic evidence of the permit, just in case the need ever arises to prove legal carry to law enforcement." I was not about to give them that access. I skipped over that part of the application - essentially this told them that I do not carry. I continued with ...

Last week, gubernatorial candidate Joe Kirkpatrick removed himself from consideration and endorsed Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey. Given the Lt. Governor's strong pro 2-A stance, and general conservative nature, I would like to urge my readers to take Joe's advice. Usagi will be voting for Mr. Ramsey.

Recently, I was able to review some instructor comments regarding the progress of some martial arts students. As I had observed the entire event, it was enlightening to see what other instructors thought of things. It was also eye-opening to me, as a teacher (of the martial arts primarily), to see how a single incorrect assumption developed into a major misunderstanding by the instructor, and by other instructors called on for suggestions. In this case, a student was having difficulty mastering a certain technique. The instructor mistakenly assumed he knew the answer, and that the student was simply not “getting it.” In fact, the student was not “getting it,” but the reason was completely opposite the instructor’s assumption. I remember seeing the misdiagnosis myself. When the event was happening, I remember thinking that the instructor’s diagnosis was wrong. Later, another instructor came along and offered advice that helped the student tremendously. Later still, I did some research o...

Found this article . Pretty good. WARNING: Some adult language, both in the articles, and on some of the videos. The five: 5. Silencers actually turn gunshots to whispers. 4. Machine guns are magical death machines. 3. Bullet proof vests stop all bullets. 2. Cocking the gun to mean business. 1. Bullets can explode things.

This was back in 2005. Somehow, the topic of conversation at work had shifted to the scandal revolving around Arnold Schwarzenegger and groping. One of my (female) coworkers blurts out: "If Arnold groped me, I'd say: 'hey, you missed a spot'!"

As a follow-up to the previous post, I must share some of the antics of the old boss, Mark. Remember, this was in 1998 and 1999. I was fresh out of college. I was working at a major Rent-to-Own chain. I was first hired at one of the two locations in Jackson, TN. The manager there was hard, bur fair. Mark was the "Executive Assistant Manager." He rarely did much. Myself and another Account Manager did all of the collections and most of the deliveries and repos. There was an "I/O Manager" (Inside/Outside assistant manager), who backed up on collection, delivery, and repo assignments. The Branch Manager there did much of the selling and setting of the assignments. Mark would yell a lot at me. Mostly "reminding" me to do things I was in the middle of doing. He would call out "Stay Focused" and "Call that Route" a lot. I'm still not sure why. I was usually calling the Route when he said that... and I've always been a very focus...

While trading old memories with a co-worker today, I was reminded of this gem. I was working for a major rent-to-own chain, and I was right out of college. I'd been there about 6-8 months, and was ready to move on to bigger and better things. In fact, I was preparing to start my career at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. It would be this career move that provided the fuel for all the repo stories. I had interviewed with ERAC on three occasions, and they were doing the background check. I knew it would come back clean, so I was simply waiting for the call. One afternoon in late May, I got the call. The phone rang at my place of business. My boss - who was a real "work of art" - answered. He put the caller on hold, and yelled to me: "[Usagi]! There's a fagot on line 2 for you!" The hiring manager from ERAC did not have the most masculine voice, but that was no way to talk about someone. It was however, par for the course for this manager of mine, whose first name was Ma...

Might as well brag on my little brother. He works in IT, and is very adept at his job. The simple fact is that he is the go-to guy on his current team, and does the job of several people. Recently, he decided to apply for an internal position with his employer. He was good friends with the hiring manager for the spot. A few discussions with said hiring manager told my brother all he needed to know - can stay in Nashville (the hiring manager and many of the team members were located in Michigan), significant pay raise, etc. It seemed like a good fit. Well, my brother's immediate supervisor was a bit short-sighted and complained to his boss, who holds the position of "Director." In an effort to grease the squeaky wheel, the director made several behind-the-scenes moves to block my brother: - Stating the job would be a lateral move and that the pay would be the same. - Stated my brother would have to move to MI to get the spot. - Stating my brother would have to pay for his ...

My sister and her fiance were scheduled to be in Atlanta two weekends ago to watch an Atlanta Braves game. I have mentioned that I am a Braves fan... it runs in the family. But then, what can you expect from someone who grew up only 90 minutes from the Braves' Stadium? Well, tragedy struck. My sister's fiance's father grew ill and passed away that weekend. They were with him here in Nashville when he passed. Of course, they did not get to see the game. In a beautiful moment of doing the right thing, the Atlanta Braves have emailed my sister and asked her to offer several potential make-up dates for a visit. That's called doing the right thing!

Many anti-gun proponents feel that only military and police should have guns. They state that the training undertaken by military and police entities prepares them for correct operation of the firearm. Enter this story . Police officer tries to shoot a bad guy with his AR-15. The story says he missed. His fellow officer fires thrice, and misses with all three shots. The bad guy goes back into the house to continue the standoff. I am a fan of the AR-15 platform. When one fails to shoot - the most likely issues are: - No round in the chamber (solution: operate the charging handle) - Safety on (solution: manipulate the safety) - Bad round; aka "a dud" (solution: chamber a new round by operating the charging handle) Note: Many police departments require Rifles stored in police cars to be stored in "Cruiser-safe" condition. That is, with a loaded magazine inserted, no round in the chamber, and the safety on. Good chance this rifle was in that condition and the officer fo...

This map can be found at one of the websites I have listed on the side here - www.opencarry.org. As you can clearly see, carrying in a restaurant that serves alcohol is legal in the vast majority of states. IL does not permit carry by citizens at all, and WI only allows open carry in certain situations, so neither state should even count as prohibiting, as they have no direct law forbidding the carry of firearms specifically in restaurants that serve alcohol. I find a bit of humor in the fact that AK and AZ require handgun carrying citizens to Carry concealed in establishments serving alcohol. At the same time, MT and VA require open carry into the same sort of restaurants. This seems to be a bit of a dichotomy. Please note that most states require the carrying person to avoid drinking while carrying. A couple of states will allow one drink. At least one state determines the carrying party may drink while carrying - provided their BAC (Blood-Alcohol Content) does not exceed the legal l...

Tonight, approximately one hour ago, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to override Governor Bredesen's veto of SB 3012. If this is the first thing you've ever read on this blog, let me mention that SB 3012 provides that a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit holder may carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol, provided the HCP holder does not drink. The bill provides additional penalties for carrying and drinking that were not law prior to its passage. The law goes into effect immediately, "the public welfare requiring it," according to the way it is worded. However, some say it is unwise to carry into an alcohol-serving establishment until the document is written up and filed into law. I say carry concealed and it won't be a problem. Prediction: many media outlets will call this the "guns in bars" bill. Why? Tennessee law does not provide for the existence of bars. There are restaurants, and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol. Th...

The veto override vote of SB 3012 was put on notice today. The State legislature convenes tomorrow and is expected to clearly and overwhelmingly override our misguided Governor's veto of the legislation. SB 3012 for those that have not read this blog lately, is the bill that would allow Tennessee Handgun Carry permit holders to carry in restaurants serving alcohol, provided they do not drink and carry at the same time. Passage of such a bill would bring Tennessee's laws current with 42 other states that allow the same. Even liberal bastions NY, CA, and HI all allow such. According to the wording of the bill, it becomes law upon signing. That means I can carry when I go out to eat this weekend. My wife will, too.

It just dawned on me that many of my readers might not be aware of the following website... Many people are aware of the imdb - the Internet Movie Data Base. It has basic information on almost every movie ever made. Well, a lot of folks like to know what kind of "gun-porn" they are watching. Being able to identify an M1 Garand used by Clint Eastwood in Gran Tourino, or a GLOCK used by Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix is an essential part of enjoying our Second Amendment Rights. So i give you - The Internet Movie Firearms Data Base. imfdb .

This is a challenge to the shooters out there. Seems this blog gets some Appleseed traffic. That said, I have a challenge for the shooters out there. My challenge is a "No Excuses" Rifleman's challenge. The idea is simple: Shoot the Appleseed AQT with no excuses, no crutches, no gimme's and no questions asked. I'll post your story on my blog here - exactly as you want it worded. Here's how it works: - iron sights (no scope) - bulk ammo (no match grade stuff) - no sling - no modified rifles - no .30-caliber rule Shoot a Rifleman score (210 or better) under typical  QDAQT or RFAQT rules. Have a witness (more than one is better). Send me the story. It's that easy. I know I am not the best shooter around - there's gotta be somebody who can match or beat the 219 I threw up there on Saturday, May 22. I want to write about it. usagi.dojo@tds.net   Post Edit - 3/15/2011 - digging out some old comments and posting them.