More Thanks

Thanks to vadavid from Musings Over a Pint for hitting the follower button.  It's a great place over there and worth the trip.

I appreciate you swinging by and feel free to comment whenever the mood strikes you.  I have a feeling we'll be discussing some elixir of the gods in the very near future.

Armed grocery store customer stops robbery

I saw this headline in the Chicago Tribune and my breath caught as I wondered what citizen dared to challenge the Chicago oppression machine and actually defend themselves.  Oops, turns out it was in Milwaukee. 

Story summary:

Perp enters Aldi grocery store with shotgun.  Citizen with concealed firearm draws and fires.  Perp turns inside out and runs like a rat in the light.  Some random person with a gunshot wound shows up at the hospital.

Here's another perfect example of an individual taking their own defense seriously.  This person doesn't have to wonder what the bad guy had planned.  No robbing of store customers or rounding everyone up and marching them into a back room.  This is the best kind of outcome.  I'd rather wonder what would have happened if I wasn't armed that wonder what would have happened if I was.

Stone: Vertical Epic - A very big beer

I mean figuratively big

The aroma on this one is malty and boozy.

The flavors are caramel malt and a huge hit of the Anaheim Chili with which it is brewed.  It is also brewed with cinnamon sticks but I didn't really notice that, which I don't consider a very bad thing.  There is a strong bitter note which sticks with you.

As you can see, it pours a cloudy, dark reddish amber.  There is very little head.

This beer is not for the faint of heart and I can see it not being for just anyone's palate.  Now, where I probably went a bit awry was drinking this now instead of letting it age for the recommended year.  This is my problem.  I want to cellar some beer, but I just have to pop one and try it first.

What were my thoughts?  Ummmm, it didn't overly impress me.  It was good, but didn't make me say "wow".  The pronounced flavor of the chili takes some getting used to.  I'm sure I could learn to like it, but there isn't any left at the store. :)

Recommend served with chili, steak or something that the beer will not overpower in flavor.

Cleaned some guns or Carteach is awesome

So we did a range trip this weekend that involved a lot of different firearms.  I had borrowed a Springfield XDm from a friend, so I really needed to clean that one up to get it back tomorrow.  Now, about a million years ago in internet time Carteach did a fund raiser for the Wounded Warrior Foundation and it was quite successful.  I was lucky enough to win a Sentry Solutions Armorers kit.

I will hang my head in shame and tell you I had not used it yet.  Yes, I have cleaned guns since I got it, but I just didn't break it out and have to do sum lernin' and stuff at the time.  Tonight I busted it out and got to work.  I cleaned as normal using Hoppe's #9 and wiped everything clean.  There are a few different products in the kit.  Most of them are essentially dry lubricants.  There was also some grease and a few Tuff Cloths.  I was excited when I got this because I was looking for a high temperature lubricant for my P3AT.  I carry very regularly, but have to leave things in the car sometimes.  In Texas, vehicles internal temps get way up there and regular light oils just run off or dry right up.  The dry lube and grease in this box were very high temp so I'm excited to see how that works for me.  I can tell you right now that the difference was noticeable in the slide when the lubes were applied.

This package is very slick, indeed.  :)   I can't wait to get some range-time in with it to try it out.

The Starbucks "Thing"

I really don't have any skin in the game on this thing.  I'm not a coffee-phile.  I don't drink it every day, but I do have one on occasion (and I LOVE the smell of it brewing).  Starbucks isn't high on my list of businesses that I visit.  That said, I will be visiting the local place and getting a cup of frothy, sweet caramelly goodness on that day.  Not that the local place here will see any effects from this boycott, but it all goes to the national numbers.

I saw some posts and discussion in the gun blogosphere with passing interest.  What I do see is a company standing up for itself and its bottom line and saying we don't have to do a damn thing if we don't want to.  I can respect that.  Starbucks didn't know what the backlash might be when they made that decision.  They for sure didn't know that it would be a hugely positive thing for them.  I wanted to see how organized the antis were on this deal.  After all, their candle campaign  was overtaken rather handily with a minimum of effort.  I'm thinking they aren't the "giant" that they make themselves out to be or that the general public believes them to be.  So, I found  this site.  Yes, it links to them, but the comments are the real story here.  These commenters are people on Disqus, a commenting program used by a lot of news and other sites.  These aren't gun-bloggers heading to a site from a link and hitting the comment field.  These are your every-day news readers.  The only comments I see that support the boycott initiative are coming from the site moderators.  This could very well be a business boom for Starbucks.  Way to go antis!  Keep it up and more establishments will follow Starbucks.

Salvete!

Welcome to two new followers.

huey148 has hit the follower button and I thank you for it.  I don't see a blog in your profile when I click on your follower icon, so if you have one, please let me know and I'll put it on the blogroll.

MI2Tall is a friend and beer enabler of mine.  His blog is in the blogroll and he has occasional posts.  You should visit it if for no other reason than the picture on his header.  It's quite nice.

Thanks to all and I appreciate you taking the time to check the place out on occasion.

Another into the fold

No pictures and little detail (for various reasons), but I had a range trip today with another new female shooter.  It was fantastic.  She has had a bad experience in her only other hands on range trip.  This was a very important range trip indeed.  We started with .22 LR and some fun target shooting and breaking the ice.  The ultimate goal was for her to shoot the full size Springfield XDm 9mm and really, truly enjoy it.  The .22 was a hit and there were smiles.  I spent a good deal of time working on proper fundamentals and in the end, we got our first round fired.  It was dead on target.  What was more important?  The smile.  It was enjoyable.  She fired about 5 or 6 more rounds in a spectacular group and was happy and content.  I had brought a lot more guns and ammunition, but she was very happy and wanted to end on a positive note.  My advice when shooting is always take it slow.  Usually I mean take it slow while working on your fundamentals.  In this case, taking it slow meant this was a great first time and we have lots of time in the future to build on this experience.  She was happy and I was thrilled.

The bonus on this trip was that we also had an unknown new shooter.  Her husband and son had come along and the son told me he had never fired a handgun.  Well, step right up.  We had a blast.  The husband had brought small oranges and grapefruit.  I had brought balloons and high visibility targets.  It was a fun time.  By far the best was when I let the son shoot some fruit my Glock 23.  I loaded it with some inexpensive Remington green and white box jacketed hollow points for a little more spectacular display.  Vaporization of citrus is quite humorous.

I couldn't be happier.  They are getting an XDm for her and we will be right back out to work on the next steps.

Unintended consequences - how animal rights activists expedite extinction

Let me explain to "animal rights" acitivsts what is about to happen.  There is a little something called "unintended consequences."  It is usually what happens between the time a thought comes from your (nutty activist) brain and application in the real world. 

A case in 2009 - Friends of Animals (FOA) v Salazar - was tried in Federal court (Washington D.C., surprise surprise) and the court ruled that a previous exemption from the endangered species act for certain species of antelope should not be valid.  Among those are Dama Gazelle, Scimitar-Horned Oryx and Addax.  All of these animals are extinct or very near extinction in their native habitat.  Where are they thriving?  Hunting ranches, mostly in Texas.  You see, contrary to what some people will tell you, hunters are the main reason that these animals even exist in the numbers that they do today.  These animals have VALUE to the ranches on which they live and in the market.  It would be ridiculous for a rancher to destroy something that is worth money to him.  Therefore, ranchers want herds of these animals.  If possible, large herds and breeding herds.  They are very interested that these herds stay healthy and happy and are fed well because they have VALUE to the rancher.  In my previous life, I have guided or helped guide hunts on all three of these species and I will tell you that hunts for them were not all that common and the hunter paid well to take one of them (hence value to the owner).  For your information, this was a plan implemented successfully by the U.S. Department of the Interior (Ken Salazar, plaintiff in the suit) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  I worked on a ranch that worked to sell the animals to re-establish herds back to their native habitat.  Awesome all-around win, right?

Now, the decision on this court case takes effect in April of this year.  Here is where I get to explain to FOA and activists in general what your short-sightedness will bring.  Now the owners of the animals that must PAY to feed them will be required to purchase permits to have them (they are worth that much less) and also obtain permits and authorization to cull any of them (now even less).  The restrictions will tighten and the "permits" to cull will be difficult to actually obtain.  Captive populations of these animals will constantly decline until the only place you will be able to see them is in a zoo.  That's right.  Congratulations, FOA you are going to be responsible for the elimination of a large population of endangered animals.  Yay for you, though you don't sound like much of a "friend".  We'll see you in a few years when you are back in court trying to make the ranch owners pay to increase their populations again after they rid themselves of herds which have turned from something of value into a financial burden. 

Well, how does the ranch owner reduce their population?  They can't sell them and won't be allowed to hunt them, you say.  You see, people that work with animals know animals better than any activist or federal judge.  I know that the life span of most deer and antelope is pretty short (12 years tops for a dama and 20 tops for an Addax or Scimitar).  The ranchers will separate herds so there will be no breeding.  Why continue breeding something that has no value and is only an expense?  Within 20 years at the most, the large herds of these that I would regularly on the ranch will be gone.  Just so you will know, FOA, now as their teeth wear to nothing they will die from starvation (yay, nature!) instead of being culled as they get older and start to decline in health.  The ranchers will begin to replace the herds with animals that will make them money.

Basically, a free market has allowed multiple endangered animals to thrive in healthy herds totalling in the thousands of animals.  Enter the federal judge (we're here to help) and animal rights activists.  Regulations come into play and the value declines or disappears.  Kiss the product good-bye. 

So, if you want to see a beautiful, ranging herd of these animals, I recommend booking a tour at the closest hunting ranch you can find within the next few years.  After that you'll have to explain to your kids why the zoo is the only place they exist.

National Chocolate Cake Day??

Um, ok.  Not that I need a reason, but I guess I should show solidarity with all the chocolate cake farmers out there.  I'll just have to sacrifice and make one.  *Sigh* 

Dad is great...brings me chocolate cake! 

American Sniper: I met a hero today

Actually a couple of them.  Today was one of those days that was up and down and ended up turning out fantastic.  The local bookstore was having Chris Kyle in to sign his book and I really wanted to attend the event.  The problem was I had a meeting right through the middle of it.  I was bummed about that.  I finished the meeting and called the bookstore.  I found out he was really planning on being out of there by 2:00 to get to another event.  They assured me he would sign some books and I could purchase one if I missed him.  With that in mind I headed to the event.  Well, he was still there signing and the line was still HUGE.  I went ahead and bought a couple of copies and got in line.  I struck up a conversation with the gentleman in front of me who happened to be a local and also a SF operator as well.  I'll call him "John".  He looked the part.  That proved to be a very enjoyable conversation and made the time fly.  When we got up to see Chris, he was still smiling, shaking hands and taking pictures.  We all knew that he was sticking it out past a deadline and he was being a champ about it.  He was even apologetic for the wait.  I was just very happy to see a turnout like that for him and support for a service member.  Hearing some of the older guys in line talking about their days in the service with "John" was just as interesting as the book signing.

Goofy smile and all (mine)

So, hats off to Chris for being a stand up guy and not only toughing it out, but doing it with style.  You guys know I'm a pretty hardcore bookworm and military is a huge favorite of mine.  I'm thrilled to add this one to my collection (as well as one to That Guy's collection -  Happy Birthday, my friend).

Chicago numbers vs Brady jaw flapping

The Brady Campaign tried to brush off recent rocketing firearms sales to "fewer and fewer people buying more and more guns."  While I wish I had the funds to be that much of a factor in such a significant increase, sadly it's not the case.

Less people buying guns?

Au contraire.

A 16% increase in state issued FOID cards in Illinois.  Uh, that would be people new to the gun owning process.  And not only that, but willing to go through the insanity that is the Illinois system to say "mommy may I" just to own one.  Aw, Brady, your own bastion of all the gun control laws you deem holy is having to report the numbers.  They sure are hard to argue with and I'm sure it pains Chicago to see law-abiding citizens exercising some rights.  Note as well that the new FOID card recipients are "snubbing their noses at the city ordinance because they believe the registration process is too onerous."  That should make an interesting court case as well.

More firearm defense news

What is going on in Reading, PA?  It sounds like people are fighting back.

A store owner returned gunfire after a masked man shot at him during a failed robbery attempt Wednesday night at 10th and Robeson streets, police said.

Four on one.  Not good odds, but what do you do when you get shot at?  Return fire.  It beats curling up under the counter.  Also, I'm not sure why the officers thought that the bad guys had an "assault rifle with a silencer" but based on this statement alone, I'm going to say that the department may need additional general weapons training.

In the next story, ALSO from the Reading Eagle, a 65 year-old man minding his own business riding a bicycle on a trail is knocked down and assaulted.  He fires in defense.  The three that assaulted him are minors.  One dies.  You know this is going to be a tough one for this man to deal with emotionally.  The sad thing is that it was not his decision to make and now he has to live with what someone else made him do just to survive.  It seems like teenagers are acting like packs of dogs these days. 

Firearm defense round-up

There just happened to be two of these that I found today.  The first is how our typical court system works for the criminal.

              A man who was shot and killed after he allegedly broke into a home Monday night had been in

              earlier that same day where he was facing theft and burglary charges.

Nothing like walking out of court that day on a felony charge and getting right back to your job that evening.  Thankfully, since the homeowner was prepared, we don't have to wonder what assault or murder charges might have been added to the docket.

In the next story, I just had to chuckle at the picture:

               "My adrenaline was just flowing at 100 mph," she said.  "I just said, 'Stop right
                there (expletive), or you're going to be dead where you stand."

Now, while I really don't condone inserting yourself into a situation where you aren't directly threatened, I can see how they are frustrated with crime in their area.  As a bonus, there are two stories discussed in the second article. 

Enjoy the reading!

Schooled at the drive-through

I consider myself pretty effective at communication.  It is a skill that is required in my field.  I send messages in a corporate environment and even teach some classes.  I believe that clear communication is somewhat important.

I pulled into the drive-through of a local fried fish fast-food establishment for lunch today.  I was in a bit of a rush.  A product of today's budget crunching environment is the typical question "would you like some condiments."  I was lucky enough to be asked this time and I replied "one of each."  I received a simple nod and the window closed.  Now, my usual request is: one cocktail sauce packet, one tartar sauce packet, one ketchup packet and one malt vinegar packet.

The employee handed me my bag of food with a smile and I drove away.  When I arrived back at work and began pulling my lunch and condiments from the bag, I issued an audible laugh which garnered looks of concern or confusion from some co-workers (I couldn't really tell which).

My meal was simply a piece of fish, a piece of chicken, a few shrimp and a smattering of french fries.
From the bag containing my lunch, I extracted:

1 ketchup packet, check
1 tartar sauce packet, check
1 malt vinegar packet, check
1 cocktail sauce packet, check

along with:
1 hot sauce packet
1 lemon juice packet
1 buffalo wing sauce tub
1 spicy thai dipping sauce tub
1 ranch sauce tub
1 condiment cup filled with barbecue sauce
1 condiment cup filled with honey-mustard

Literally, one of each and every condiment in the establishment as I had requested.  Touche, drive-through employee, touche.  I had no idea they even had some of these sauces.  Words mean things and I failed the test.  Thanks for the humorous reminder and I'll be more specific next time.

How to take a ribbing

That is, this kind of ribbing:

These were forever yummeh.  This is one of the rack or ribs off of a smaller boar that I got a little while back.  I've been waiting for the right time to put this on the smoker.  This weekend was perfect.  We were home all day Sunday, so I thawed out one side of ribs and put a dry rub on it.  I used a commercial seasoning mix since I didn't want to make up a homemade batch and it turned out pretty darn spectacular.  I put it on oak wood smoke for 4 1/2 hours.  Pork perfection.

Thanks to more friends

Thanks to two new followers, Ron @ TOGblog has a blog callled The Old Geezer Blog.  As soon as I set it to follow, the first thing I saw in my reader made me chuckle.  I'm sure I'll enjoy following this one.  I'm already getting to the achy knees and "get off my lawn" stage of life, so this may be a good way to foresee the future.

Also, thanks to Bob Johnson at Gun Politics.  I've spent a little while over there and it is right up my alley.  I like  it.

The next is a belated addition to the blogroll.  I realized I had missed that BlueEyedBaby had a blog of her own.  It is I Wish on Shooting Stars and is a refreshing blog to read.  I wish I was young and in college again.  I apologize for missing you, BlueEyedBaby.  I know you've been following since I was a baby blogger. My only excuse is I didn't know what I was doing back then.

Please don't be afraid to comment on anything at all.  I will do my best to respond.  Welcome all and thanks again.

Range Time (finally)

I finally got out and did some shooting.  It's been a little while and I had some things to check on.  The slide from my Les Baer took a little tumble as I was cleaning it and landed on the front sight.  Results on that one made me smile as I chewed out the middle of the target.  Sigh of relief there.

I burned a couple of magazines through the P3AT and had no issues with the 9 round magazine, but some with the 6 round magazine.  I've made the determination that this gun needs to be run relatively "wet".  While that doesn't make me super happy, I think I have a solution.  We will see.  If not, it's going on the auction block.

I had removed the red dot sight from my AR for hunting season and slapped my scope in the quick detach rings on it.  It turns out I didn't really need it, but I had to put the red dot back on and I wanted to make sure it was still on.  The good news is that it hit real close, but was a tad low.  I adjusted for that and we're back in business.

I let Mrs. 45er do some work with it:

Then I did a few reps of multiple target acquisition and mag change stuff.  I also had an unintentional failure drill.  It went click when it should have gone bang.  I was happy that I went straight to the bolt and cycled it out, finishing the exercise.  It's always nice to know that you revert to training when you don't know it's coming.  What did I find that caused it, you ask?

Eeeek!

Wolf, steel ammo, yes.  I haven't had problems with feeding or firing since I've started using it, but this was interesting.  My guess is that the case doesn't have a flash-hole drilled into it so the primer ignition could not get to the powder and therefore blew back out of the pocket.  My next thought was:  I'll bet I could pop that piece of primer off and confirm my suspicion.  My very next immediate thought was:  What the heck are you thinking?  Stupid and dangerous for no reason.  In the trash it went.

As it got later, I did some laser sight training with Mrs. 45er and had a little fun with that.  All in all a good range day.  Then again, short of shooting yourself, when is range time not good?

Guy with concealed handgun stops a Waffle House robbery

Over at No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money, there is a great story.  I couldn't have said it better myself, so I'll just let you read it over there.  I'd much rather read these stories than just another robbery.

Ok, I do have to add something.  Robbing a Waffle House?  Brain cells not working this morning when you picked the most likely place to meet resistance?

Why carry at/in *blank*?

The fascination with restricting where law-abiding citizens can carry to defend themselves has always intrigued me.  When you are writing legislation saying that citizens have to go through a stringent background check, training and/or classes, who are the people thinking that the people that would go through this process are dangerous at all?  The statistics bear out that you would most definitely rather have a person with a permit to carry around you than almost anyone else.  Here are some numbers from Texas.

For all of the offenses listed, license holders represent 0.1541% of the population of criminal offenders (101 out of 65,561).  That's pretty incredibly low, right?  Except it is skewed by exactly what I'm talking about right now.  There are places that lincense holders are not supposed to carry and do either by choice or accident.  The Federal ones are pretty standard (post offices and secure areas in airports) and Texas has laws that restrict carry in bars and amusement parks and allow hospitals and churches to post signs that make carry a felony.  The unlawful carry numbers amount to 15 of these convictions.  If those were eliminated, the rate is 0.1312% (86 out of 65,546) of crimes in Texas that exclude lawful carry are committed by license holders.  That's pretty incredible.  So, with that bit of information...

Why would you need to carry in a hospital?  That should be a safe place, but isn't.

Why would you need to carry in a restaurant/bar?  I'm not even going to say that should be safe.  We all know it isn't.  If nothing else, walking to and from the establishment can make you feel like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Here is my favorite one:  Why would you need to carry in church?  It should be safe, but isn't.

This last one I hear pretty often.  It is mostly the people that go to church that think this way.  What is it about the doors of your place of worship that make you think it is a completely safe place?  Is it the historical idea that a place of worship could be used as a place of shelter and safety?  I understand wishing that were the case, but I've never been the kind of person to think that every nutjob will respect that ideal.  In addition, there have always been, but especially now are people that are specifically targeting your religion with violence. 

Criminals can strike everywhere.  Don't think they don't know the law, too.  It is their trade and they know they are breaking it.  In turn, they know you will obey it.  Gun-free zones are their playground.  After all, they make a career of breaking the law.  Don't let anyone convince you that a government regulated gun-free zone is ok.  At least if a private property owner posts a sign, you can vote with your wallet.

Speaking of a Light in the Dark

I am a huge (HUGE) proponent of the usage of white light.  We all talk about "carry" and it generally refers to our carry firearm.  I've seen some discussion of EDC (Every-Day Carry) and a lot of times it will include a light, but not always.  Why not?  

Many years back I was floundering for a way to carry my existing lights as part of my every day options.  At one point, I brought a Surefire G2 Nitrolon in my pocket.  Now, this is best suited for a nightstand or (maybe) weapon mounted light.  To say that it was uncomfortable and bulky for a day on the town would be an understatement.  At one point, I even stopped into a local gun store and came out with this:

Holy Bulk, Batman!

I immediately began making jokes about the bat-belt that my waist was becoming.  In addition to an IWB holster with a Glock 23, a spare magazine in an OWB kydex holder, my cellular phone (smart phone no less, so the size of a small dog), I added this to the mix.  I could tell right then it was an immediate no-go.  I stuck it on my vest instead and switched from trying to make what I already had work to attempting to increase the inventory of lights that I possess.  I love Surefire.  This is where I say that Surefire has nothing to do with me posting this and I'd be shocked if they even know I exist.  I know that Streamlight, Fenix and others have various offerings with attached clips as well as other manufacturers that make clip on holsters for your favorite light.  Just make sure and get one from a reputable company and look at some reviews.  I started to do some research of my own and decided on the E1B Backup (pictured at top).

What an immediate difference this thing made.  It is short and fat (insert crass joke here).  It fits perfectly in your hand and, more importantly, perfectly in my pocket (though sometimes a little rough on the fabric).  The clip option is no different than what you would use for a folding knife and offers immediate access by your weak side hand.  It immediately became and every-day carry of mine.  My work attire is "business casual" and it doesn't stick out at all.  As a matter of fact, with some styles of dress pants it's almost hidden completely:

So, why, you ask would you need to carry a light when you leave for work in the morning and come home before dark?  "Oh, so many reasons" would be my answer.  Let's talk every-day stuff.  This light doesn't do too bad for only using one battery (1.3 hours on constant high and 37 hours on constant low setting).  I still burn through the 123A batteries on this thing due to constant use.  I buy them by the box from Surefire to get them at a much better price.  I do know that lights are beginning to trend back to the AA option for ease of finding the battery, but for this stubby little guy, the 123A is really a part of the design that makes it work.  I use this every day.  You know how you use that knife of yours all of the time and don't know why anyone would go without one?  After you carry a good, low-profile light for a couple of weeks, you'll think the same thing.  "Regular" uses include; looking at computer wires under your desk, looking into the back of a supply cabinet in the house, taking out the trash after dark, or even hooking up the Christmas lights under the tree (yes, that was me this year), it's always there.  But back to the serious question of why you should carry a white light.  You can't shoot what you can't see.  You can't identify a bad guy vs bystander that you cannot see.  Plain and simple.  When the power goes out (or is cut) in a building it's daylight outside, but pitch black in that cubicle farm with no windows where you work.  One day on a whim you decide to meet up with the significant other for dinner after work instead of going home.  Walking out of the restaurant, it's completely dark now.

As I mentioned above, I started trying to carry the Nitrolon because of a very specific situation.  Mrs. 45er and I had started going to movies during the day when she was off of work and I had taken a day off to be with her.  Sure, it's 100F in the summer in Texas and too bright outside to go out without sunglasses, but it's pitch black in that theater.  My "what if" bell was going off like mad.  This light only has a few options, but that is ok with me.  It has a tail cap that you can push lightly for pulse on/off and push to click for constant on.  The first push turns the light on at the 110 lumen setting, a quick second touch turns on the 5 lumen setting for battery saving every day use.  I still find myself using it at the high setting for most things.  I just like a lot of light.  So, you have pulse at 110 lumens, pulse at 5 lumens, constant on at 110 lumens, constant on at 5 lumens and "off".  I don't consider "off" an option, but I'm not in marketing/advertising.  I am a real fan of a strobe option, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me on this one.

So, what was my point?  This turned into more a "review" than what my original intent was, which is carry a light.  Make sure it is any good, comfortable light that is reliable and makes sense for you and your situation.  You'll find it entirely too useful and it might just save your skin.  We always say "carry your gun" but you can't defend yourself if you cannot see your threat.  Carry your light, too.

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout

This is a pretty fantastic beer and is solidly in the camp of "unusual".  If you can get it, I'm jealous.  If you can't, I'm sorry and I'm with you.  It isn't distributed locally and we have to beg and bribe friends that travel to the distribution area to grab a couple of bottles.

Brewed Heaven Juice

So, what you're probably thinking is either "Ewww" or "Too Sweet".  It has a fantastic beer flavor.  It is a great stout.  It is also not syrupy sweet.  When you pour a glass, the caramel aroma is the first thing you notice.  The first sip has the exact taste of creme brulee with just a hint of sweet.  As a matter of fact, that's when the bitter from the stout takes over.  If you want something different (let's call it a dessert beer) then this might be for you.  However, don't be fooled and give this to a beginning beer drinker.  It is a stout and is pretty complex.  I have one more bottle for now and I'm trying to think of a special occasion to crack it open.

Seared Venison Medallions

I guess it's obligatory food posting time.  I haven't done one in a while (not for lack of taking pictures).  I just have all of these awesome pictures and then don't do a post.  Yeah, I don't know either.

This one is awesome and easy.  Get you some venison backstrap.  I prefer the center-cut from the backloin for these medallions.  Cut the steaks about 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick.  Wrap a strip of bacon around and tie with twine.  A simple tie with two twists will suffice.  Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on each side.  Sear over very medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or so per side (that includes rotating 1/4 turn).  Then turn on the side to sear the bacon to make sure it is crisp.  The center of the venison should (always) be medium to medium-rare.  Venison (in this case Whitetail) should never really be well-done.  And...  Voila!

Heaven, table for one

Served with Israeli pearl couscous and steamed broccoli.  Pretty incredible.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

No, I haven't developed a weird disorder nor am I speaking in tongues.

It's your word of the day.  It is the irrational fear of Friday the 13th (Happy Friday the 13th, by the way).

An alternative word is paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Your homework is to use it casually in a sentence today and not get slapped or arrested.  :)

Homeowner puts up a solid fight

It's your worst case scenario.  Why would you want a long gun for home defense?  What kind of crazy person would think they need an AR-15 for self defense?  Well, the kind of person that wants to be prepared.  I just saw this story on the news.  Bad guys breaking into homes with an AR-15?  I'm sure they don't care if homeowners are home and aren't there to cuddle.

Investigators say Wharmby [homeowner] grabbed a shotgun just as two men entered his home.  Police said one of the men was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, and there was a gunfight in the kitchen.  Wharmby suffered a gunshot wound to the face, but police say he was able to fire several shots at the suspects, hitting both of them.

That is some will to fight and live, there.  The story gives the impression that he was hit before dealing the shotgun justice.  Don't let anyone tell you that this was a situation where he was shot because he chose to defend himself.  Someone breaking into your home with a rifle (or any firearm) isn't there to discuss politics.  I hope the homeowner is ok and I'm thinking the surviving suspect is going to prison for a long time since he will be charged with the murder of his accomplice.

Born This Way

I guess he was born a socialist?  Whatever, this is hilarious.

And yes, someone has way too much time on their hands.

Carry your gun

... and be prepared.  Here is a crazy video and story from North Texas.  When a homeowner tried to stop someone from attempting to steal a car:

One of the suspects rushed to the door, slashed the homeowner and attempted to chase him into the home, Haltom City police said.  But the homeowner escaped inside.

No reason to run, just draw the firearm you should have on you.  The trash is getting pretty brazen these days.  I think it's time for more citizens to exercise their right to self defense.

The DNC Chair: A Gift

Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is either A. off her rocker or B. in the process of falling off of her rocker?  I just happened to scan over the news and saw this story.  In a discussion about "who is to blame" for the Giffords shooting (yes, they are still trying to assign blame elsewhere even though they know who did it and why).  So, she is trying to re-ignite the hypocritical "tone" debate from a year ago.  If you wonder why this person should even matter to you, some knuckleheads thought it would be good to appoint her as head of the DNC (Democrat National Committee).  This means she is essentially the mouthpiece for the Democratic party.  To be blunt, she is a gift to her opposition.  Her recent statement in relation to the Giffords shooting regarding the Tea Party:

"The discourse in America, the discourse in Congress in particular . . . has really changed, I'll tell you.  I hesitate to place blame, but I have noticed it take a very precipitous turn towards edginess and lack of civility with the growth of the Tea Party movement."

 Remember the "civility" debate?  Somehow, speech is responsible for someone's actions.  This is a very slippery slope to go down.  But, that's not why I think she is ridiculous for saying something like this.  Here is why I think she is ridiculous:

All of the below quotes were straight from Wasserman Schultz.

"Some seniors will end up dying because they are forced to put off getting that pain checked out due to huge out-of-pocket costs that will skyrocket for them.  … This plan would literally be a death trap for some seniors."

 Death trap sounds like pretty un-civil speech.

"Aren't we at the point where the closer we get to chaos, the more concern that there should be about coming to the table and compromising with Democrats? This is not leadership. This is almost like dictatorship."

 Dictatorships aren't all that civil, either.

"Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the House right now seems to have been strangled by the tea party."

 That's pretty violent speech, there.  I think the sales of garrotes skyrocketed after that comment.

"We do not need to end Medicare. We don't need to throw people who are younger than 55 years old to the wolves which is what we do."

 Call me silly, but being torn apart by wild animals sounds pretty horrific to me.

The thing is that I completely disagree with her.  My posting her quotes is not about me saying, "yes, I agree and look you did it too."  My point is that she is a hypocrite.  I think that hyperbole and exaggeration are nothing more than speech.  Speech is protected by the 1st Amendment, remember.  Absolutely, words mean things.  Yes, you can say stupid things and people will view you as a fool.  Yes, you can lie and will be seen as a liar.  Yes, you can say irresponsible things and be seen as irresponsible.  In Ms. Wasserman Schultz's case you can say something hypocritical and be seen as a hypocrite.  None of that makes you complicit in someone's act as a raving lunatic. 

With all of that said, the sad thing is that the whole premise of her quote is flawed.  I'm not a member of the Tea Party by any means, but what exactly is she talking about?  To quote another person "Show me the money!"  Where is the quote(s) from the Tea Party with the "lack of civility?"  Not once did I see anyone in the news provide proof that the Tea Party organization said or did anything inciteful.  If they did, you would have heard about it, trust me.  If you hear this much about what people like this think they MIGHT be saying, imagine if the party had actually said it.

Why does all of this even matter?  Just log this into your little memory box.  You'll be hearing more from her with this year being an election cycle.

Time to relax

So, on our guys trip, That Guy introduced me to white port and sea salt dark chocolate.  I was in the local spirit establishment a while back and thought I would grab some for Mrs. 45er as a stocking stuffer.  Last night I opened up the bottle and unwrapped the chocolate.  I must say, this is a great combination.  When we did this with the guys we also had some fine cigars, but the Mrs isn't into stogies.  I know, imagine that.  This particular brand of white port was sweet, not too heavy and had a good flavor.  The chocolate has a fantastic dark chocolate flavor with just hints of salt.  The combination is very good.  In case you don't know, salt enhances certain flavors and chocolate is one of them.  Lindt did a good job on this one.

A light in the dark

Weer'd has a light a candle campaign.  I agree there is only one way to stop violence.  Defend yourself against it.  Here's the Les Baer.  I admit the pictures turned out more like a vigil, but I rather like them.  This is my less regular carry piece, but still makes trips out with me.

Here is the workhorse carry piece.  The Glock 23.

Wow, another defensive shooting

...with a different answer from the dispatcher.

           "I can't tell you that you can do that but you do what you have to do to

            protect your baby," the dispatcher told her. McKinley was on the phone

           with 911 for a total of 21 minutes.

Imagine that.  Common sense.  Do what you need to do.  I totally understand the dispatcher saying they could not actually advise the homeowner to use deadly force.  However, this contrasts very sharply with the dispatcher in my previous post that told the homeowner to disarm.  Also, the homeowner mentions she has two guns.  Good for her.  "Two is one and one is none."

This post also really dovetails into a post by Agirlandhergun where she discussed that women are aggressively prepared to defend their children, but not themselves.

             "I wouldn't have done it, but it was my son," McKinley told ABC News

             Oklahoma City affiliate KOCO. "It's not an easy decision to make, but

             it was either going to be him or my son. And it wasn't going to be my

             son. There's nothing more dangerous than a woman with a child."

This sounds like a compelling argument.  It's the old "mama bear" adage.  The problem here is that without mom, that child lives a life without a mother.  That is unacceptable to me.  The only way you can defend your children is to defend yourself.  I do understand the raging-bull defense attitude that comes with children.  Trust me, I do.  I'd rather you just trust me than test it.  However, I also know that providing for my children means coming home to them every day.  I have to protect myself in order to do that.

P.S.

I'm providing separate links since I'm posting this from mobile and I'm not sure they're going to work.

http://gma.yahoo.com/okla-woman-shoots-kills-intruder-911-operators-okay-091106413.html

http://agirlandhergun.blogspot.com/2011/12/labels-labels-everywhere-but-not-single.html?m=1

Teenager defends his home

...and the dispatcher is doing her best to get him killed.  I understand the desire to protect the responding officers, but to tell a victim during a hot break-in to put down a firearm is reckless.  Thankfully, this young man seems to have a great head on his shoulders and was thinking completely rationally.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/10553140/

               After the brother got on the phone, the dispatcher ordered him to put down his shotgun.

               "I don't know how many it was (who broke in).  Just one came around the corner. 

                I got one more in the chamber.  I'm going to shoot again," the boy said.

                Dispatcher:  "Do not, while I'm on the phone, do not fire that firearm again, OK."

                Teenager: "What if another one comes in the house, ma'am?"

Yes, what if?  This seems to be a pattern we've seen in 911 calls where the dispatcher is treating a homeowner like a police officer.  Homeowners are not in the business of negotiating with potentially armed and violent intruders.  Instructions like this during a frantic state might be obeyed by a young person (or anyone).  Then after being told to put the gun down, here comes the other intruder and you're toast.  Good job to him for keeping his head and doing the right thing to protect him and his sister.  I certainly hope he will not suffer mentally for having to do this and he understands he did the right thing.

Welcome and Thanks

A welcome to my newest follower; Rose.  Thanks so much for following and I'm sure you're wondering why you bothered with the lack of posting lately.  Holidays.  What're you gonna do?  Thanks for following and I'll do my very best to respond to comments.  I don't see a blog to post on my sidebar in your profile.  If you have one, please let me know so I can follow as well.