RECCE ROOM

We won both games: 16-6 and 16-12. My good buddy, John, got in the game (he actually played catcher in second game; giving me a chance to be an Extra Hitter) and did very well - going 5-7 with a couple of runs scored and a couple of RBI. I went 5-7. 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. Stats: (5+14)/(7+21) = 19/28 = .679 Runs scored on season = 8 RBI = 9 on season Team is 7-1, and tied for league lead in wins. .

I feel the greatest threat of the salvation of fellow human beings is false understanding of scripture. Specifically, there are three notions that are in direct violation of what God has set up as His plan of Salvation: - Atheism (that nobody can be saved). - Universalism (that all people will be saved regardless) - Calvinism (that God will only save specifically chosen people) From my point of view, these are the three most common and basic heresies out there. Atheism is an outright denial of God. This is a person who realizes God exists and intentionally ignores it. These people are people who know they will wind up in Hell and either want that outcome, or do not really care. Universalism is an outright denial of God's plan of salvation. It is the belief that a loving God would not condemn, even though He said He would condemn. This is ultimately a belief that God is a liar. Since this is clearly not the case, Universalism is easily swept away with the understanding that...

Last week, this blog went over 25,000 views. As of this post, there are over 1200 posts that have been made. That's not quite 25 page views per post. Some posts are more interesting than others. Here are some facts: Most viewed posts: Yet another Repo Story - 445 views Narrowing the Field IV - 336 views* More on Wonderlic Tests -  300 views Appleseed and the Tube Feed - 275 views Shooting Jacket - Product review - 235 views Most referred from: Google - over 2000 referrals - Repo stories was #1 search - over 100 hits from that - Wonderlic, Appleseed, Shooting Jacket also had over 100 hits each. Gun Blog Black List - over 1000 referrals. Browsers Used: 1. IE - 35% 2. Firefox - 33% Countries: US - 21K views. Russia, Germany, Canada, UK, Brazil, Ukraine, and Israel with over 100 views each. * I think there is at least one person who had bookmarked "Narrowing the Field" to enter the blog from.

He calls others cowards, yet the only way he ever faces a person himself is over the internet. He makes claims of being bullied, yet those around him view him as the bully. He lays claim to persecution, yet he only ever persecutes others. He speaks of his knowledge and understanding, yet he just doesn't get it. He goes on about how others exalt themselves, yet he is always trying to exalt himself. He says others talk about him behind his back - yet he is the one talking behind their backs. He accuses others of adultery, yet it is his own mind that is adulterous. He accuses others of being a teacher's pet, when that is the spot he wants for himself. He puts down your occupation, because he is so dissatisfied with his own occupation. He says your words are condescending, and he does so in a condescending way. He accuses others of being vengeful, but it is he who is vengeful. He claims you are psychotic, but it is he who is acting psychotic. In short: whatever he ac...

I have worked a great deal of my adult life in close conjunction with the automobile industry. Also did a bit of collections way back in the day - didn't like it, but learned a lot of really neat skills (like finding people who don't want to be found ). This came in handy when I worked in car rental and needed to repo a car. Those skills, plus the skills one acquires in over 14 years in sales and management, have given me some real advantages in business and in life. One of these advantages is observation.  Moreover, the understanding of what I am seeing at any moment. Understanding the motives of another person is an empowering feeling. So one habitual thing I've seen over the years with regards to cars has to do with vehicle licensing and registration. When you see an expired tag , there are only a select number of reasons why the tag is expired, and you can tell why really quickly. For the record, here in TN, tags expire on the last day of the month listed on th...

New label: posted establishments. These are businesses that foolishly post against the carry of handguns by permit holders. Tennessee is one of only three states (TX, OH) that foolishly allows a sign like this to carry the weight of the law and provides for a criminal offense for a certain class of people (carry permit holders). For my first entry: Joann's in Mount Juliet, TN. I have found that this is a corporate policy. I suggest my readers find other places with whom to do business.  So, let me go on record: Joann's does not want law-abiding citizens to be able to defend themselves, yet is perfectly fine with criminals carrying guns in their place of business. *

The first person in an argument/confrontation/court case, etc. to make the claim: "well, I think both parties are guilty of something wrong" Yeah, those people are always the ones in the wrong (or in the "most wrong"). *

Here's a link from "Guns and Ammo ." Surprisingly, it does not mention guns. .

I've been sitting on this one for a while. I purchased some time ago the old Metallica album "S&M" and have listened to it several times through. I'd heard several of these songs through the years, but never the entire concert as released. In fact, when the album was released, my brother in law obtained it, and kept raving about it. Now I understand why that was. Sure, rock bands have played with orchestras before. Maybe even choirs. Music is cool, and like certain foods, some combinations pair up well. But nobody prior had paired up heavy metal with symphonic music. Before I get into the meat of my review, I'd like to point out that it was not Metallica knocking down the doors of some poor symphony to get this done. Instead, it was Maestro Michael Kamen , a fan of Metallica's music, who sought out the pairing. Kamen had collaborated with Metallica on their release Nothing Else Matters . Metallica was a good choice, as original bassist, Cliff Burt...

 Of course, this day in age, it's possible to say a lot on a blog without a brain, I know of a few of those. Dennis Rodman was a basketball player. Joe Dimaggio was a baseball player. Blackmon is a football player. Justin Blackmon, that is. None of them has ever struck a nerve, but a lot of folks with names like that have enough arrogance to think that... but it's only because they think the world revolves around them. Nevertheless, I must applaud them on their methods of drawing attention to themselves: they excel at that.  Drawing attention to oneself and projection . Wow. What a combo. .

Walls of the City is a really good blog. I read it daily. Recently,  I saw this post ... which had a picture of pure insanity on it. In the same picture, there is a sign warning of bear attacks, and not two feet away is another sign - prohibiting firearms. Seems the bears figured things out! .

He came into the group with ulterior motives. He had led a group like this before, and by golly, he intended that he would again! Sure, the subject matter here was slightly different, but once they saw it his way, they would have no choice but to bow to his awesome knowledge and understanding of the issues. He had studied for years, and although the material at hand was new to him, it was related, and so he felt himself an expert. Of course, he had never excelled at anything physical, so he had pursued knowledge instead. That's what he had used to bully others time and time again. That and the fact that his carefully chosen targets never fought back. He chose them on purpose, specifically so they would not fight back. He chose those who feared confrontation, and would therefore, back down when he challenged them. However, one misstep. One faulty reading of another person paired him up against one that not only knew more than he, but was perfectly willing to back i...

For years, I have been frustrated by drawstrings that come with gi pants. Specifically, Judo and Jiu-Jitsu style gi pants. What happens is the drawstrings are not of a uniform shape, so when they are cinched up, the pants bunch (in the back for me) in an uncomfortable wad. Pain is the result if one happens to roll across this bunched up material during training. Rolling across it in Jiu-Jitsu training is going to happen, so for years, I simply elected to try to unbunch the material. This was painstaking and time-consuming. Recently, I decided to try out some different methods to resolve this issue. I purchased several kinds of rope and twine to experiment with. Internet folks gave the advice that cotton rope gets difficult to untie when wet, and I will verify this. Nylon rope is too slick to keep the knots tied. However, I found that braided soft cotton drawstring - like the type used in hoodies - was perfect. I used 1/4 inch thick drawstring. It is perfectly circular, and was pu...

Thanks to Hollywood, most people actually believe one or more of these six fabrications. Link to story . "Cliff's" notes: 6. Dropped guns discharge 5. Ceramic guns exist 4. Bullets make sparks 3. Shotguns' patterns are wide (probably the one I hear the most!) 2. Range skill means fighting skill 1. Bullets "turn people to mush" *

Profile or Blog. No real difference. .

Sorry - just looking for a legit way to get the word "breast" into my title. This post is about breasts, but not like you think. For the record (and this is important to understand this post), I am a fan of the female breast. Have been for in excess of 25 years. One other thing you need to know / remember: my sister-in-law, "Silie," still breast-feeds her son. He is 4 as of this post. I've blogged about it . At a gathering thrown by a friend recently, celebrating her victories , I was in a small group talking to my friend's mother ("Mrs. T" for this post), and my friend's sister ("Meemee" for this post). To be sure, Mrs. T and Meemee are as fine of people as you are ever likely to meet, and I am honored to call them friends, as well. Mrs. Usagi and I are explaining that Silie still breast-feeds. This drew quite a reaction, as you might expect. Mrs. Usagi goes on to demonstrate how my nephew plays with Silie's other side whil...

Pops used to say (frequently) to people: "I'd have a battle of wits, but you are unarmed." Me? I'll go ahead and have that battle of wits and show somebody they are unarmed. Disclaimer: To be fair, I'd seen this phrase on Facebook, thanks to a dear friend, Theresa. But then, I got a chance to use it. Speaking with a person, I had just finished a brief description of very simple concept (my son understood it - he is only 7 now, and was younger at the time). Their response? "Usagi, I have no idea what you just said." Me: "I'd explain it to you, but I just ran out of crayons and puppets." *

So I told you about Silie's candy incident. Well, a few years before that, we had a similar incident. A client's mom had made me a zucchini chocolate bread. When this lady makes a zucchini bread, it is more like a cake - and the things are huge (she often puts them in large cake containers from retailers). Silie was over, and she and my brother were doing laundry (their rental location had no machines for this). Silie found our zucchini bread. As is polite, she asked for some. I said "yes," of course. Ten minutes later, the entire thing was completely devoured. Just for scale: I brought one of these to Sunday School on Easter Sunday, 2012. Just about everybody had a slice (one person had two)... and altogether, this didn't even amount to half the zucchini bread. .

We won the first game 17-4, but lost the second game 21-10. That puts us at 5-1 on the season. In game 2, I was able to catch a weak popup to make my second putout of the season. On the night, I was 5-6 with 3 RBI and two runs scored. Stats: BA: (4+5+5)/(7+8+6) =  14/21 = 0.667 Runs scored = 5 on the season. RBI = 6 on the season. Team stats: Runs for: 89 Runs per game:  14.8 Runs against: 53 Runs against per game:  8.8 *

OK, having lost weight recently, I can understand the plight of many - particularly when they lose some weight, then gain a little back. Usually it is a lapse in good habits. Rarely does it happen like this, though: Silie came over to Pops' house. The coming weekend was Halloween, and Pops had several large bags of candy purchased for his Church's "Trunk or Treat" festivities scheduled that weekend. Silie found the bags.    :( Within moments, she had eaten an entire 5-lb bag of candy. Pops had to shoo her away from the kitchen before she ate all the candy. .

This I call "Facebook Finds." Basically, if I find something on Facebook worthy of a blog post, that's what I'll do. Here's the first one: In honor of DJB. .

"I'd enter a battle of wits with you, but you are unarmed." - Pops Note: Man, the people I could list that fit that bill! .

Next topic up in Religion - will everyone be saved? It goes without saying that I believe some people will be saved from eternal damnation by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. This is taught in scripture, and is actually the basic belief of most of the Christian denominations, as well as Catholicism, Mormonism, and a number of other belief systems. The question is, will everybody be saved sooner or later? Great question. Unlike many other bloggers, I will actually answer this one - instead of departing on a path of bunny-trails (ironic, given my nickname, I know), and then failing to address the question at all when all is said. Some authors give in to personal emotion on topics. To an extent, that would be a natural response. I prefer, however, to go to the Bible, and use logic to arrive at any and all conclusions. The motivation for this post comes about through a conversation I had on the job with a man some time ago. He confirmed to me that he believed in God. He firmly be...

An Antioch man successfully defended himself and his wife with an AR15 rifle. An intruder broke in, armed with a pistol. The resident shot the intruder fatally. Lessons learned: - AR15s are perfectly fine for home defense. - Anybody talking about that mythical "stopping power"??? - A pistol is a pistol and a rifle is a rifle. - 30-round mags are not bad. - The "assault" rifle did not assault anything... it defended. - Overpenetration was not an issue. Do you have an AR15? If not, why not?

Today, basketball coach Pat Summitt of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols stepped down. Summitt won more games than any other coach in NCAA basketball history. Summitt said : "It's been a great ride." In related news, in his first move with which I agree 100%, President Obama has announced he will award Summit the Presidential medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian honor. .

From the Examiner : There is a disturbing trend in the hiring front. Not only in Nashville, but nationwide. In the author's opinion, this stems from companies that have been disloyal to their employees, and engaged in irresponsible hiring and firing; causing an overall reduction in average workforce tenure. Companies have come to realize that people who stick with a job are more likely to be quality employees. BUT - and this is a big "But" - it is the actions of the companies themselves that has created the dilemma of a more transient workforce! Nevertheless, most companies persist in wanting long-tenured employees. But fewer and fewer applicants have the required tenure - often, due to no fault of their own. Some applicants have resorted to misrepresenting their tenure on their resume, and perhaps even during interviews, in an effort to simply get a legitimate shot at a job they are more than capable of performing. This leads to a dilemma itself: while lying (...

 Some wisdom from a friend, Rebecca, on Facebook: "Knowledge about God can be eternally destructive if it is pursued at the expense of knowing God." .

Somebody write my obituary like this guy's . Copied, in case the link goes dead, cause this is too funny to miss: "Blanchard, Michael "Flathead" 1944 ~ 2012 A Celebration of the life of Michael "Flathead" Blanchard will be held on April 14th, 3 pm 8160 Rosemary St, Commerce City. Weary of reading obituaries noting someone's courageous battle with death, Mike wanted it known that he died as a result of being stubborn, refusing to follow doctors' orders and raising hell for more than six decades. He enjoyed booze, guns, cars and younger women until the day he died. Mike was born July 1944 in Colorado to Clyde and Ethel Blanchard. A community activist, he is noted for saving the Dr. Justina Ford house from demolition and defending those who could not defend themselves. He was a Republican delegate, life member of the NRA, founder and President of the Dead Cats MC. He loved music. Mike was preceded in death by Clyde and Ethel Blanchard, survive...

You can just never change them from being weird. In a way, weirdness is fascinating - like just having to look at the car wreck as you pass by. For clarity, I am not referencing folks with idiosyncrasies or eclecticisms. We all have those... it's what makes us ourselves. No, I'm talking about things that defy logic and reason.  I blog about things weird. It is enjoyable, and it puts these things out there for all the world to see. Because, way down deep, weird folks know they are a bit off-kilter. Mind you, I blog about many things that are not exactly weird, also. But that's not the point of this post. From my "About" page: "I find fascinating those things illogical (particularly liberals). Therefore, I really like to blog about things that don't make sense. Here's a broad warning: if I come across you, and you do or say some weird stuff, expect to see a blog post about it. " I understand that some people really don't like being ...

Seen on the side of the road some time back as I went for a jog: About a half-dozen Hispanic men working on and around a roof that needed repairs after recent storm. A chihuahua dog comes running up. Just struck me funny. .

Another good night for the team. We faced another middle-of-the-road team in the league. I went 5-8 at the plate. The team won both games: 11-7 in game 1 and 16-7 in game 2. Stats: (4+5)/(7+8) = .600 Batting average. Runs scored = 1. Season = 3. RBI = 1. Season = 3. Team record: 4-0 .

Rick Santorum suspended his campaign for President on Tuesday, April 10. He cited his daughter's health as a primary concern, and few could fault him for that. I wish him and his family well, and will pray for his daughter's recovery. On the political front, we are left with three candidates for the Republican nomination. Romney, the socialist. Paul, the odd. Gingrich, the roller-coaster. Understand this, unless Gingrich rises from ashes like the proverbial phoenix, this nomination is essentially over. Ron Paul will not be able to do it - and I'm not sure I'd want him to, given the antics of his supporters. That said, it looks strongly like Romney will get the nod on the Republican side. This is a sad day, indeed, as Romney is no different ideologically, from President Obama. So I am looking for a 3rd party candidate. I will take suggestions from you, kind readers. There is no way I can, in good conscience, vote for Romney given his stance on big government, un...

So I recently swapped my GLOCK 19 for a Ruger LC9 as a carry piece. To be certain, I still have the GLOCK. However, the Ruger is designed for concealed carry, and I'd fired my dad's, so it became part of my collection. My friend, Amiee, at the Shooter's Depot in Chattanooga worked with me to get one ordered and delivered. Facts: The Ruger is much slimmer than the GLOCK, but fires the same 9mm round. The LC9 has a loaded chamber indicator. Here's what it looks like loaded: And here's what it looks like when there is not a round in the chamber: The magazine holds 7 rounds. I keep one in the chamber, so that's 8 rounds with me, vs. the GLOCK with 15 rounds. The pistol has an external safety near the rear of the port side. Safety on: Safety off: Opinions: The trigger is horrible. I'd say worst trigger I've ever pulled on a gun, but I have a Smith & Wesson Sigma that takes that "honor." The reset is really ...

This article explores Olympic beach volleyball and whether the bikinis the players wear are uniforms, or are in place simply for the looks. What say you? I say both. .

For cyberstalker-wannabe keyboard bullies everywhere - particularly those who like Carly Simon's music and also cannot go two sentences online without either insulting another human being or engaging in projection . Here's for you: "It's not about me, it's about Him" - Really. Given your tendency to project, that means it's all about you. That explains things quite a bit. Completely, in fact. Listen to this song . Read the lyrics. Every one fits. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. "Stuff still shows up in Google cache" - They are supposed to. If I didn't want it out there in the first place, then I wouldn't have written it on a BLOG! Ever stop to think I was simply entertaining you like I do with kitty cats and pieces of string? “Oh, and as far as your crack on about my heart being far from Christ, well, since I haven’t been to church since my Grandma died when I was 12, I don’t remember claiming to be. “ - This comment, made in a failed...

Some people learn best visually. Some learn best through auditory stimulus. Some people learn in a more tactile way. Some people learn best while watching or hearing. Some people learn best by doing the new activity. Some people learn best by learning theory. Some people just have a hard time grasping certain concepts. When I teach jiu-jitsu, one of the most fundamental principles is to try to avoid relying on strength. For men, however, this can prove a difficult lesson, as American males learn from an early age to do things "harder, faster, stronger!" When things "click," however, and they get it, they learn so much faster. The use of technique in place of strength lends to more effective learning. When sparring with a person like this, I will intentionally dominate them. At first, they may "get" a good position (strictly because I allowed them to have it). But my escape and counter becomes inevitable. Then I take a dominant position. Then I deci...

First games of the season today. 4-7 at the plate. Running bases better than ever thanks to the weight loss. Not tired or sore as I used to be. Got to put a man out in a rundown between home and 3rd base.  Won both games; 23-8 and 12-6. This week we played the other team from our same church. Stats: Batting Avg:  .571 Runs scored: 2 RBI: 2 Team record: 2-0 .

Really, really good article on Cheaper Than Dirt by gun photographer and blogger, Oleg Volk . .

Yesterday I wrote of the wild & crazy. Everyone has people like that in their life. Now let me write of the sane and dependable people. The people in my life for whom I care and would give anything. These are people whose names come up frequently in my mind - particularly when I am searching for things for which to give thanks, as per 1 Thessolonians 5:18 . Naturally, I am thankful for my family. My wife, children, parents, siblings and inlaws. Naturally I am thankful for my friends. My clients, students, buddies, fellow martial artists, and such. These are the people - other than my wife, who is everything for me - that really stand out. Please note: there is no "order" for which I care to place them, I'm just listing them out randomly. A ) Right Minded. I cannot currently recall exactly how long we have attended his Sunday School class. Through deduction and using as a basis conversations over the years, we joined shortly after he was named teacher of the cl...

Today is April 6, 2012. Accordingly, it is also a full moon . In my experience, the full moon is a time when crazy people get crazier, strange people get stranger, and weird things happen. Over the past 12 months, I've had some really odd interactions with people. So has the Mrs. We both firmly believe that this is due, at least in part, to the significant weight loss that we both have achieved of late. Both of us have lost in excess of 80 pounds from our respective peak weights. #1 This person, whom I'd met several years ago, works for a former client. she approached me back in the summer, and made an indecent proposal - knowing full well that I am married. I refused. She insisted for a time, but lost interest. I was glad I never so much as returned the interest, much less gave in to the temptation. She had told me that she was divorced now. I found out that she is indeed married, and actually recently moved out of state with her husband as he changed jobs. #2 This per...

Today is Good Friday. Some remember it because they get a day off of work or school. And that's OK. Some remember the sacrifice Jesus made some 2000 years ago. And that's fine, too. Some do not remember it at all. And that, too, is all right. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. And let's be clear, Easter is not about a bunny. That said, the concept of the Easter Bunny is as harmless as Santa Claus or any other mythical character. Easter is the day Christ rose again, completing his dominion over death and fulfilling prophesy and scripture pertaining to the Messiah. This Sunday, church will be packed. I generally do not like the crowd, but I understand the purpose it serves. Many people only go to church on Christmas and / or Easter. I'd say the ones that only go on Easter are usually Christian, and feel bad about not attending more frequently. They do not understand that attending church does not make one Christian . Being Christian is simple - have you a...

The IL Supreme Court issued a ruling that is very pro-2A. At the heart of the ruling is that common semi-automatic firearms have common and legitimate purposes. .

The longer I live, and the more I see of people and their behavior, the more I am convinced that there are two sides of every coin. Two sides of the story. That said, there are a few main categories, depending on several factors. Genuine misunderstanding Neither party intends to harm (physically, verbally, or otherwise)the other, but harm happens anyways. Mutual ill-intent Both parties wished to cause harm to the other. Right and wrong One party was clearly in the wrong, but uses twisted logic or arguments to stake a claim to having a "side" in the case. The lengths to which some will go in order to change the case to one where they have a "moral high ground" can be quite ... interesting. .

So I recently completed viewing of the series Star Trek: Voyager. I have always enjoyed the Star Trek movies and TV shows, and this one was no different. I'm not going to go into great detail on the plots or acting. It was a Star Trek series. I do agree with some critics that pointed out the 6th season felt like they were looking for filler material. Some episodes in the 7th and final season felt that way, too - at first. But overall it was entertaining. Favorite moment: when the Emergency Command Hologram started kicking tail. Janeway was always hesitant to use weapons, and that put them in several dangerous predicaments, but the ECH was more decisive. Least favorite moment: When the crew crosses the transwarp barrier, but then they give up on research on it per a Captain's log. WEAK SAUCE.  Favorite character: the man in me says Seven of Nine. The reviewer in me says Neelix. My personality liked Tuvok. But overall, it had to be Harry Kim - I feel I was once just lik...

Some time ago, I blogged about the dichotomy of the martial arts - specifically as it relates to ranking. Let me go into more detail on that. Broadly speaking, there are only a few reasons for promotion in the martial arts: Skill This boils down to who can beat who. It can be an effective way to determine rank. The problem lies in humanity itself. Who beats who on a given day can be attributed to many outside influences other than skill. Also, what of the old man or woman who has dedicated a lifetime to the martial arts, but simply no longer has the physicality to beat a younger opponent? Knowledge Similar to skill, gauging rank based on knowledge is a good way to determine progress. It is pretty black and white to tell if a person has knowledge or not. Conversely, some people can have a lot of knowledge, but not use it. Furthermore, there is a difference in theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. Also, how well the person knows the material can be called into question. ...

This link pretty much sums up the TSA . Thanks to Say Uncle for the idea. .

Silie still nurses my nephew - who, as of this post has just turned 4 years old. Oddly enough, on his first court-ordered visitation with his father (my brother), my nephew had no need to continue to nurse, despite what Silie has claimed (that nephew would go ballistic without "milky"). Remember, Silie subscribes to "attachment parenting" philosophies - which are some of the most asinine out there.

You cannot spell the word "bullies" without: "BULL" and "LIES" fascinating. .

Refresher: Silie was on a health binge. It was needed as she teetered at or over 250 pounds. Facebook posts came every day, talking about her choice to be an organic vegetarian. Yet we only ever saw her eat french fries and ice cream. She also posted about walking habits. The posts got a bit stretched. At one point she claimed to have walked 5 miles in just under half an hour. This would equate to about 11 mph. Funny, since the world record for speed walking is a bit over 12 mph. Here's a hint - 250 pound+ women who rarely leave the couch do not turn into Olympic level athletes in a matter of days. .

I agree with something Jimmy Carter has to say : "...the Democratic Party should moderate its position on abortions... I never have believed that Jesus Christ would approve of abortions and that was one of the problems I had when I was president having to uphold Roe v. Wade..." Wow. Didn't expect that. .

From the Examiner . "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." - Common quote. ***** The author was recently made aware of the following insanity from an interview process: Candidate: "I like the offer. Just one problem. I cannot relocate now, my kids are still in school. However, if you can let me work from home - which is actually most commonly done in this industry - for only 90 days, then my kids could finish the school year and I could focus on the move then." Hiring manager: "You know, were I in your shoes, I would simply disregard the final month or two of the kids schooling. They are in early elementary school, so it's not like it's important." ***** Kind readers, there are some companies out there that are either too foolish to realize how interfering they are on a person, or are so arrogant that they do not care. Either possibility leads to the same conclusions, though. A company that would make such a de...

A Detroit homeowner shot and killed an intruder with an SKS rifle. The only negatives in this story are: 1. The accomplices got away - they will likely rob again (though not likely that house!). 2. The Detroit police are investigating as to whether charges will be filed against the homeowner. In Tennessee (and many other states) we have Castle Doctrine - which means the homeowner would automatically be cleared. .

As the Supreme Court hears the issue of ObamaCare, an interesting quote has come forth. Justice Sotomayor stated : “In a democracy structured like ours, where each branch does different things, why we should involve the Court in making the legislative judgment?”  But in 2005, Sotomayor stated : "...court of Appeals is where policy is made." So which way is it??? ?

Another one from the Silie files. Several years back, Silie got to worrying about her weight. At the time, she was, by our estimates, around 250 pounds. So, one day, we saw Facebook posts detailing Silie's attempts to walk for fitness and eat right. She claimed to go on an organic vegetarian diet. However, when we are around her (and this was quite a bit), she would only eat french fries and ice cream. Needless to say, not much weight was lost, and the Facebook posts soon ended. .

From this blog post by Rifleslinger, he asks the question "what do you like about your rifle?" In fact, many relevant questions are asked. I decided to answer in a blog post of my own. Italicized questions are from Rifleslinger's blog. As it catches your eye, what is it that draws you to want to pick it up and handle it? The general shape. The utilitarian nature. The usefulness.  Is it the sleek, graceful lines of wood masterfully blended to machined steel?  No wood. It is steel, aluminum, and polymer. Typical AR in a 20" barrel configuration. Is it the aggression that is exuded from a black rifle of forged aluminum and polymer? YES!!!  Is the blue wearing at the muzzle and bolt knob? No. It is a stainless steel barrel. The bolt is parkerized. There are wear marks forming on the bolt. Is the wood worn where you handle it, showing the character given from the practice that makes the rifle part of you? No, but I see the remnants of my finger prints o...