Well, we made it...

 ...this far, anyway.  2021.  That was the goal, right?  To make it to the new year?

My youngest son came up from Arizona for a few days before Christmas.  He then decided to stay a few more through Christmas.  It was good.  I hadn't seen him since the fall of '17.  He is back in Arizona now.  I may have to road trip soon...

Yours truly... Peace.

Youngest...

Margaritas use to be too Girly for me.  No longer.  Yumm...

Strike a thoughtful pose...

Middle son.  Peace...

Anyway, I was able to spend time with my kids as a family on Christmas.  Along with my daughter in law and my granddaughter.  It was good.

Today is New Years Day.  I can't help reminiscing about New Years Days past, years with My Judy.  The houses and apartments, the countries and states...  Always a day of positivity and hope.  Because that is who she was.  I miss her.

 

I am dealing with a toothache right now.  Taking Penicillin along with Tylenol and Ibuprofen, trying to make it till Monday.  I've already spoken with my Dentist.  She will come in and open it, I just need to let her know.  I may do that.  It hurts.  Day 3 now...  Stubborn.  I may take a shower and give her a call. 

 

 

 I'm not a fan of the Harris/Biden administration.  They are dangerous.

 

 

Anyway, happy New Year.  

 

Peace.

December 15th...

 

 

 

 

Smitty...

 

My first Smith and Wesson firearm.  A model 19 with a compensated 3" barrel.

Designed with concealed carry in mind.  6 rounds in a slim cylinder.  Front night sight.  Comes from the Performance Center at Smith & Wesson.  The trigger seems simply amazing.  

I've had this less than a week and have not been to the range with it yet.  Like I have said before, I'll probably wait until it gets cold outside or is raining lightly.  We have a very nice range at our local county park, but there are a lot of people out there who are obviously new to firearms and they scare the crap out of me.  :)  They don't seem to go out in the cold and wet...  

Anyway...

Stay safe.

Peace

Today's mail...

 

A package from Midway...  Free shipping.  LOL.  :)

Peace

Goldfinch...

 

I think this might be my favorite Goldfinch photo.  In my back yard earlier today.  

Peace

Old Fashioned...

 

Proof Syrup for Old Fashioned cocktail.  

1/2 oz Proof Syrup, 2 oz Whiskey.  Ice.  Stir.

Good stuff.  Will try it with Buffalo Trace Bourbon soon...

Happy Sunday.

It's Saturday...

Handgun ammo

Rifle Ammo

A little bit of .25ACP and .32ACP on the shelf.  A little .40 S&W, a bit of .44 Mag.  A few boxes of .454 Casull.  That's it.  Some .22 LR.  And a "2 boxes per customer per day" limit on all handgun ammo and on .223/5.56 ammo.

On the rifle side...  No .223 or 5.56, of course.  All of this is large caliber stuff.  A lot of '06 and .300 WinMag.  Anyone shoot .300 WinMag besides me?  LOL.  They have what they call "reduced recoil" .300 WinMag.  $59.95 per box of 20.  Not happening.  I reload it.

Went online to look, just for shits and giggles.  Nothing available, of course.  Not sure what the good folks at Natchez are doing with no ammo to ship.  Apparently Cheaper than Dirt survived after their price gouging during the Obama Administration.  Why anyone would give those fuckers the time of day is beyond me.  

Anyway, it's going to be interesting for a while... ;)

Went out to the range and shot a few rounds through the Tomcat.  For such a small pistol, it works pretty well.  The grip is great and the recoil is low.  Had a couple of flyers in the first few rounds, then settled in.  Sights are pretty basic.  Rear is adjustable for windage (dovetail requiring hammer and punch or sight tool to move).  It's really a short range defensive handgun.  Inside of the proverbial "7 yards" I think you'd have to try to miss...  Point and shoot.  Practice.  7 + 1...  Fun.  

Field stripped.  No tools required.

Ready to rock.

Well, they've called the election for Biden.  My friends on the Left can't even accept victory with grace.  Haters gonna hate, I guess.  I can't find the energy to hate.  I was born when Eisenhower was in his second term.  I have lived through 13 Presidents, I have voted in 13 Presidential elections.  The Republic will survive.  Leftists are shallow folks with very little humility and an overdose of hubris.  The festivities today seem to be centering around the fact that Kamala Harris is the "first" black female VP.  You know, things of substance...  :)  Optics are everything to a group of folks who have nothing of substance to offer.  Every American who loves the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, should be thanking President Trump for his SCOTUS selections.  They may be all we have to get us through until the Liberal/Progressive insanity subsides.  

Anyway...

Peace

 

Been a heck of a few days...

I told my cousin, who is an ardent Harris - Biden supporter, that they need to just call the election for Biden so that the Republicans can start acting the same way that the Democrats have been acting since election night of 2016.  I think there are enough skeletons in 'Ol Dementia Joe's closet to keep us entertained until Nancy gets her legislation passed to allow the Congress to remove a sitting President when they believe he (or she) has medical issues that may inhibit his (or her) ability to do his (or her) job.  LOL.  Because I still say that Harris is the intended candidate.  Biden is the vehicle.  But if Nancy is successful, any President could be a target of congress...  Likely Unconstitutional, anyway, and the SCOTUS is unlikely to make decisions based on emotion anymore. 

Perhaps we could get a freshman Republican congresscritter to say on national television "We're gonna impeach that Mother Fucker" immediately after the congresscritters are sworn in on the 2nd (3rd?).  But then I think to myself, Republicans aren't usually that classless.., so, no...

Anyway, as of this moment there is still a possibility that President Trump will be reelected.  The Republicans have retained the Senate.  As far as I know not a single Republican Congressman lost a seat to a challenger.  Iowa got rid of Democrat Congresswoman "Absent Abby Finkenauer" and replaced her with Republican Ashley Hinson.  Ashley is a nice lady and will be good at representing my district.  Steve King's district stayed overwhelmingly red, even with a huge influx of coastal money in support of the Democrat contender.  (Steve is gone, a victim of  his own unapologetic views and a Democratic effort to make him out to be something that he isn't).

There is plenty of concern about the validity of some of the ballots.  No surprises there.  It will be an interesting couple of days.

Next topic.  If you would have told me 2 days ago that I would ever buy a .32ACP pocket pistol I would have laughed and called you crazy and then I would have laughed some more, possibly peeing my pants.

I seriously use to laugh when I'd go into Mills Fleet Farm and see .32ACP on the shelf.

But...

There's this.  I saw it on Ernie's fb page and messaged him to tell him it's "cute".  Then I watched a couple of videos on it.  Beretta 3032 Tomcat Inox.  Whoa.  Fairly highly regarded as a pocket pistol for self defense.  It has a flip up barrel so you never have to rack the slide if you don't want to.  7 + 1 capacity.  I messaged Ernie to ask if ammo was readily available for it.  He said "yes".  Which simply meant that he had some.  Like everything else, mostly no one has any.  LOL.

So I called the shop to ask a couple more questions.  Sean answered the phone.  "Oh, hi Paul... hold on a minute, Ernie is having me set a gun aside for you".   Hmmm...  And that is how it goes.  Plus he set aside 300 rounds of ammo.  "I didn't know how much you'd want".  :)  And a "free" tee shirt, which I was planning to buy anyway...

 

Ernie is in Marion, Iowa (You may have heard about the "derecho" that hit them a few weeks back.  Whoa!), about 60 miles from me.  He is a good guy and my "go to" gun guy.  He treats me good.  He offers training.  Every gun he sells has a "CVO Lifetime Guarantee".  That is on his dime.  He is a true independent businessman.  He is involved in his community.  He cares about his community.  He employs people from his community.  He gives back to his community.  We need more businessmen like Ernie.

I shared this picture of the pistol with one of my brothers and 2 of my sons, as well as an old Army buddy..  Their response?  I shit you not...  All of them said "Cute".

That's all I have for now.  Cute.  

Peace.

 

Pet Snake...

I picked up my copy of Shooting Illustrated from my mailbox back in Mid-September and the new Python was on the cover.  Nice.  So I looked inside and saw she was the centerfold as well.

I took that as a sign and immediately called Ernie, my gun guy down in Marion.  I asked if he had seen it.  Yes, he'd sold a couple.  He shot me a price.  I ordered it.  Took 8 days.  I was happy.

I'm a pushover for shiny wheel guns...  :)

Anyway, Peace.

Stay safe.
 

Backyard critters...

 

It is pretty nice outside today.  Low 50s, which is a welcome change from the 30s of the past few days.  The birds and the critters are packing on the weight for winter.  Pretty neat to watch.

I call the possum Matilda.  She's a beauty!  

Anyway, a few more days till the election.  Should be interesting.  

Peace

Through the Screen Window...

 

Female Cardinal enjoying her (suet) cake...

I have plenty that I should be doing today, like going out to Menard's and getting a new freeze proof faucet for the outside of my house and a new water stop for the feed line that goes to it on the inside of my house.

But, no...

Chatting with my youngest son via text.  He lives in Arizona, I'm in Iowa.  He is working his tail off in a startup business. He is a metal fabricator and does quality work. I certainly hope he is successful at chasing this dream.

But his girlfriend is a far Left Liberal.  (FAR Left) And she is influencing him.  Which is to be expected, I guess.  But I have to admit that I am a little disappointed.  I still love him, though.  LOL.  

Anyway...  Bird pictures are more uplifting than political commentary.

Peace

Predictions...

 I love making predictions.  The problem is that when we talk about our Progressive friends on the left it is almost too easy...

Why isn't the media reporting the ongoing riots in Portland and, to a lesser extent, other places?  

Anyway, off track.  Kinda.

Prediction:  If the Harris/Biden ticket wins there will be a collective groan from Conservatives across the country and we will go about our business, hoping to oust her from office next time around.  

If the Trump/Pence ticket is reelected America will go up in flames.  Our Progressive friends will make sure of that.  Their tactics of stalling as much as possible in the Legislature, bringing up new and ridiculous charges against President Trump to prevent him governing, will be seen as "not enough".  "The People" will take to the streets and burn the town to the ground.

I'd bet on it.

Have we grown too far apart to fix this mess?  The Left opposes Trump for one simple reason... he interrupted the Progressive take-over that Obama started and that Clinton was suppose to continue.  The Left is full of hate.  And they don't care.  They don't care about you, they don't care about me.  As we use to say in the Army... "They'd walk over their dying mother to have intercourse with their syphilitic sister."  They don't want to "get along".  They don't want to "compromise" in order to find policies that benefit the most people.  They hate and they destroy.  They believe that if you are successful, you owe them.  They want more government to assure that they get their "fair share".  Most of them lack the wherewithal and motivation to become financially successful on their own.  They want to take the wealth gained by those who have the vision and courage and motivation to create it.  Because.  As that famous idiot Marxist once said: "If you have a successful business, you didn't build that...".  And they believe him.

Anyway... there are choices.  Americans are afraid to make those choices.  They are use to electing either a Democrat or a Republican.  Because it's what we have always done.  And it's why we are where we are.

I already voted.  Jo Jorgensen.  Why?  Because a vote for either the D or the R assures that nothing will change.  Both candidates are morally and ethically bankrupt.  I want to be able to sleep at night and cannot, in good conscience, vote for either of them.  I am at that point where I can no longer vote for "the lesser of two evils".  We cannot make change unless we are willing to step up and do something to force change.  Where does it start?  When?  For me it starts here and now.  But hey, that's just me...  :)

Here is a good article that goes a long way toward explaining our current predicament.  The short summary is this:

"What we found is that most Americans — upward of 80 percent to 85 percent — follow politics casually or not at all."

 

But the 80 to 85% who don't engage in politics still vote... That should give you pause for concern.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/opinion/polarization-politics-americans.html?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits&fbclid=IwAR0LBmxEmgTcm9PHTrj5tCknjQEcWBxOEIEBWY65VQmCmII7Ouo1o7MtXjg 

Yes, I realize that the Times leans Left.  I also realize that this is an opinion piece.  A researched opinion piece.  I will say again what I think was the most important takeaway from the article...  80 to 85% of Americans DO NOT engage in politics, or they engage only casually.  Yet they vote.  Who do they vote for?  I can only guess... Their Party?  "An educated electorate..."  LOL. 

Anyway...

Peace 

The birds in my back yard keep me occupied.  I shot this photo through the screen window in my kitchen yesterday.

 

 

Do these tail feathers make me look fat?

BTW...

 I came across a conversation on social media the other day that I had seen several times before.  I usually ignore it.

Christ gets brought into an argument that a Progressive is losing, usually when the Progressive starts  claiming that Jesus was a Socialist.

Jesus was not a Socialist.  He never practiced nor did he preach Socialism.  He would have found the involuntary taking of wages from one who had earned them to give to another who had not, quite abhorrent.  

Jesus practiced and preached selflessness.  And charity.  Giving of oneself and of one's treasures voluntarily.  Because it is right and good.

Big difference.  Jesus practiced and preached selflessness until his final breath.

"Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do"

Details.  Words.  Meanings.

Peace.

Harris-Biden...

 What I find interesting is that people act like they haven't figured it out yet. 

 'Ol Joe isn't the Democrat's candidate. Harris is. "An angry woman of color"... The left's ultimate dream. Ya have to pay attention, folks. 'Ol Joe can barely dress himself. He won't be President. 

The DNC puts out just enough info to make their base believe that 'Ol Joe is still in charge of his campaign.  "Joe promises to pick a female running mate".  "Joe picks the anchor baby to be his running mate".  

Collective orgasmic sigh from the Left...

They still don't know.  That Harris is the one.  

Joe hasn't picked anyone for anything.

Should have run Joe against Trump in '16. I think he could have won then. LOL.  Imagine what our world would look like today if that had happened. :) It's all good, though. We'll get what we deserve.

 

Peace

It is finished...

Good Friday.  The end.  The path to a new beginning.

I've said it before.  The Easter season has great significance to me regardless of calendar dates.

Our youngest son was born on Good Friday of 1983.

My wife, my children's mother, Our Judy, died suddenly on Wednesday of Holy Week 2017.

Great joy and great sadness. 

So many thoughts go through my mind at Easter, on this day, Good Friday... 

Jesus did not go easy.  He suffered greatly.  For us.  For you and for me.  The promise of eternal life.  Faith and grace.  So simple.

And I ask myself on Good Friday...  Could you carry that cross?  All the way?  Could you carry that burden, the burden of the world's sin?  And hang?  Hang until the end?  We all know the story.

Could you give your only son to die that way?  To suffer at the hands of humans, to save humanity?  Could you?  God had the advantage, of course.  He knew.  But Jesus?  What went through his mind as he suffered and finally died?

It is finished.

Anyway.

Give it some thought.

Peace.

Maundy Thursday...

Maundy Thursday.  The day of The Last Supper.  It's complicated.  Love.  Service to others.  Betrayal.

Holy Week.  Crucifixion,  Death.  Resurrection.  Salvation.

It's a big deal..

Faith and Grace.

We are living in trying times.  Be smart.  Be safe.  Be prepared.

Peace.

Well, Duh...

For Autocrats, and Others, Coronavirus Is a Chance to Grab Even More Power

Leaders around the world have passed emergency decrees and legislation expanding their reach during the pandemic. Will they ever relinquish them?

 

Soldiers and police officers at a checkpoint in Santiago, Chile, last week.Credit...Martin Bernetti/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Read it all here...  

Yes, I know that The Times is a bastion of Liberalism.  What makes this story even more surprising (cough cough) is that it is from The Times.

Peace.

Would they...?

Would governments intentionally release something like this Wuhan Virus on the population?  I don't think so.  But then...  Mao, Lenin, Hitler, Pol Pot, US Government and syphilis, history...

Maybe.  But I still don't think so.

Would governments take advantage of a situation?  Well, "Never let a serious crisis go to waste..."

I have a lot to say because I've been thinking a lot.  But I'm not motivated so I won't say much.  :)

Like it or not, Covid-19, Corona virus, Whatever you want to call it, Wuhan Virus...  It's a big deal.  And we aren't taking it seriously enough.  And that isn't Trump's fault... 

After all of this is over and we assume our new normal, remember that the Chinese hid this from the world for several weeks.  They are now trying to deflect and play the blame game.  This was mostly preventable, had the Chinese shared the fact that there was a potential humanity ending pandemic alive and growing in their country.  They need to be held accountable for that.   They should not be rewarded for their bad behavior.  Everything started there.  All of the actions and reactions, good and bad, popular and unpopular, effective and not, started there...    

Remember, if you can't eat it, drink it, wear it, smoke it, or shoot it, it won't have much value when times get really hard.

And I'll be curious to see how quickly economies rebuild after this is over.  Landlords, mortgage companies, utility companies, all of those folks who are going to be good humans (and corporations) throughout this crisis will be at the front of the line to collect their due when this is over.   And remember that the "stimulus" is paid with borrowed money.  And it won't be taxed and won't have to be paid back. (...in all probability.  Mixed signals from DC).  And there are now over 6 million unemployed.  There will be another "stimulus".  There has to be.  And remember who the lenders are when the bill comes due (The American people), and who the collectors are.  Remember where the government gets its power and authority.  Well, it assumes that power and authority from our Constitution.  And when it assumes more power and authority than the Constitution allows, they are taking it from the people.  And as long as the people will allow it, they will take more.  And more.  Until they have it all.

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste."

And remember also that the folks doing the hoarding will be the target of the folks who have not, when those folks get hungry.

And if you think 7.62 X 39 is better than 5.56...  I hope you have huge stockpiles of that 7.62.  If you haven't already stocked up, you are probably SOL for awhile.  If things ever get real you will have a better chance of finding 5.56 on a battlefield in this country than you will of finding 7.62 x 39.

This Wuhan Virus is changing our world forever.  We will never be able to go back.

I'm sure I'm overreacting, that my mind is running away from me...  ;)  LOL.

Easter is coming soon.  There is hope.  :)

Peace

Oh!

...I almost forgot.

I posted this photo on the fb on January 11th, 2020.  It is a picture of a picture.  The original photo was taken with a Kodak Instamatic camera shooting a 126 cassette on 9 June 1973.  My wedding day.  The folks in the photo are my baby sister and my youngest brother.  The photo has faded and lost some of it's luster with age...  What happened when I posted this photo on fb should scare the crap out of any reasonable person.  fb's facial recognition software instantly and correctly identified my brother in the photo.  A picture of a 46 1/2 year old picture of a youngster in a church basement, taken through the acetate page cover of a photo album.  Not a good picture to begin with.  The photo I took of that picture with my cell phone loses even more quality.  And he was correctly identified.  Immediately.

Orwell was far ahead of his time.  Dick Tracy is real.  Star Trek is the future.

There is no going back.  There are no do-overs.

America has become a database for (political, governmental, advertising, and financial) tyrants to use as they see fit.  There are cameras taking your photo on every street corner, at every ATM, in every bank, pharmacy, grocery store, convenience store, and gas station that you walk into.  Your picture is taken at every fast food drive thru that you go through.  Every court house, office building, and apartment complex. 

And at your friendly neighborhood DMV...

And Americans see this as good.

Have a nice day.

Peace. 

Train wreck...

The whole thing is a train wreck.

Creepy Uncle Joe and Crazy Bernie.

I seriously don't think either of them can beat President Trump.

Speaking of Trump... he is a seriously different fellow.  Better than anything that the Democrats have had to offer, but, perhaps a bit out there...  ;)

It's hard to argue with the economy.  With the unemployment rate.  With rising wages.  With the current market that seems to be able to recover quickly from any "disaster".

But the Democrats are arguing with it.

Anyway...  I talked to my gun guy down in Marion about a 5" GP100 about a year ago.  They are very hard to come by.  Ruger doesn't produce them continually like they do the 3,4,and 6 inch versions.  Well, Ernie calls me the other day and asks "do you still want that Ruger?  There are 11 of them available in the US.".  I replied "well, duh, yeah".  He said about a week.  Coming from Arizona.  2 days later he has Julie call.  "I have a revolver here for ya..."  LOL.  OK.  WOW.

I added the Hogue wood grip to replace the factory Hogue rubber grip, and Williams Fire Sights.  I have the Williams sights on my 4 and 6 inch GP100s.  Very easy to acquire a good sight picture with them.    I do not have an issue with the Hogue rubber grip.  I like the appearance of the wood grip.  That's all...  ;)

Judy liked shooting the GP100.  I would load some .38 Special just a little bit on the light side and she'd shoot that heavy bitch all day long.  ;)  Miss her.

Anyway...

Peace.