Blogroll Updates

I have decided to update my blogroll. I added a few of the military bloggers that I read. I added The Liberty Zone and Ambulance Driver, I have no idea why they werent on there to begin with.

On a side note, I am just getting over my once in a decade sickness, the last time I was this sick was in 2001, so heres to another eight years of good health!

I Have Been Moved

Watch this, twenty minutes of Mike Rowe talking about work. It is worth every bit of that. Wow.

See what I mean? Wow.
Here is where it came from.

What, a Casting Call? For Shooters!?!

via the Hog Blog I have discovered a new reality TV show that is currently casting for the History Channel, called America's Top Shot.

THE HISTORY CHANNEL is seeking SKILLED MARKSMEN
for its First Competition Show
You Could Win $100,000 in Prizes !!!


If you are skilled with a pistol, rifle or any other firearm, you could win $100,000 in prizes on TV’s biggest marksmanship competition show. The History Channel and the producers of The Ultimate Fighter are looking for anyone with mind-blowing shooting skills and a big personality to take on exciting physical challenges with multiple guns and mystery projectile weapons.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a professionally trained shooter or a self-taught average Joe (or Jane!). As long as you’re in good physical shape, have mastered a firearm and can adapt to new weapons and demanding physical situations, you could be America’s first “Top Shot."

Looking at the application, it appears that I can make the filming dates. I dont know wether I am quite good enough, my skills have slipped slightly in the last few months. Isn't that what training is for? What say you? Anybody want to see my ugly mug on the History Channel?

Have You Forgotten?

Today is December Eighth, In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine. Have you forgotten what happened 68 years and a day ago? Have you forgotten what happened eight years and two months ago?

Never forget, never surrender.

No Really, It Can Happen Here Too.

Following my last post on Caladonia, there comes a self defense story from Oklahoma City. I am kind of late getting in on it, Jay G has reported it, Extrano's Alley covered it, and the actual story with the 911 tape can be found here.


One evening, Donna Jackson is relaxing at home when someone tries to break into her home. She calls 911 and calmly informs the dispatcher of the situation. The dispatcher repeatedly tells her that the police are on the way. You can hear the dispatcher informing the officers of all the updated information. Mrs. Jackson stays calm, loads her shotgun as he gets closer. You hear more banging as he tries to get in. For TEN MINUTES and TWENTY SECONDS, she stays on the line with dispatch. She prepares herself for what is going to happen, knowing that her only option will be to use deadly force to defend herself. Finally, he breaks in and she shoots him once with a shotgun. It takes another FIFTEEN minutes for the police to arrive.
Only then, does the woman who has been so calm throughout the ordeal begin to fall apart.

"I shot. I shot,” Jackson tells the dispatcher frantically. "I’m going out front. I hit him. Oh God, help me! I dropped the phone. ... Oh please, dear God, I think I’ve killed him.”

As the reality sinks in, her voice fades to a whisper, "Please, Father in Heaven. Please, Father in Heaven. Oh my God, ma’am. Please.”

And she begins to sob, "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The dispatcher on the other end of the line tries to comfort her, telling her there was nothing she could have done — she had to protect herself.

"No, he’s bleeding,” Jackson said, looking at the body on her back porch. "I’m so sorry, Father.”

So for TWENTYFIVE minutes this poor lady went thru the worst ordeal of her life, because the police were not there to protect here, nor are they legally obligated to.

What are the good points to this horrible ordeal? She had a plan, she prepared herself to do what she had to. She had large dogs that did their job and alerted her to the threat. She was calm until after she shot, and she was aware of what was going on around her.

She is one tough lady, my heart goes out to her, but she did the right thing.

Here is the best advice I can give to anyone:

Get a gun, learn to use it, and use it if you have to.

While you are at it, get a four legged alarm system. Because alarm companies call 911 - and cost more than dog food.

thanks to Extrano's Alley for the quote.

Caledonian Crisis

The Indian War Chiefs sat stoically as they pondered the implications of what they were about to do. No longer would they let the white man impede upon there lifestyle. "We must fight!" One chief exclaimed, most nodded their agreement. "We shall drive the white settlers from there homes, burning and pillaging!" More people nodded their heads, "When they see that we are fearsome warriors, they will leave and never return!" The Chiefs were decided, it was time to fight. They all rose and headed out of the building, one yelled, "Hey, Jerry TwoFeathers, don't forget to turn out the lights." Another remarked, "Lets take my truck, there is room for all of us."

This isn't some twisted Dan Brown story, this is real life. I understand that with a name like Caledonia, and in Canada to boot, the story is less than plausible. I assure you that this really occurred and has yet to be settled. My good friend Des turned me onto this story yesterday. A revolt in Canada, so bad that the police will not even protect it's own citizens. Now I don't think that police should be held responsible for your own personal protection, and U.S. courts feel the same way. But what do you do in Canada? A place where people do not have the right to self defense. A place where gun ownership is severely restricted and to defend yourself with one would bring untold scrutiny to you and your loved ones.

What started all of this? It appears that the natives (they really call them that in Canada, what happened to PC?) sold off some of their land to the government in 1841, with the understanding that the profit would be invested by the Crown for the Six Nations. Jump ahead to 2006, and the land is sold, by the Crown, to a development firm, who promptly build a housing division on it. The Six Nations go into an uproar and say that they land was only leased to the government. It all goes before a judge who sides with the development company. Needless to say, the Indians go on the war path. They blockade streets, burn down bridges, rob peoples homes, beat up innocent people, generally riot and cause as much discontent as possible. The police do nothing to protect the innocent, except charging them with crimes. David Brown may have acted out of line, but what he did was in reaction to the criminal acts taking place against his home and his family. Yet the government decides not to pursue the true criminals, Indians, scoundrels, ruffians, terrorists that have caused all of the problems.

From wikipedia:
Since the occupation began, many Caledonia residents have complained that they have been subject to threats and violence from Native protesters and that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) failed to take any action to protect them. David Brown, who lives with his wife near the disputed area, stated in court testimony in November 2009 that he was required to carry a native-issued passport and needed approval from the protesters to enter his own house. He also claimed that after arriving "after curfew" one day, he was denied entry and jailed by the OPP when he caused trouble by ignoring the natives. Brown alleged that Native protesters threatened and harassed him repeatedly and that rocks and mud were thrown at his family and their home. Brown and his wife are seeking $7 million dollars in a civil lawsuit against the OPP on the basis that the police did nothing to protect him and his family during the occupation.[25] [26]

In response to Brown's claims, Crown lawyer David Felicient stated that the situation "must be understood against the backdrop of the unique character of aboriginal occupations and protests" and that the OPP were prevented from taking action due to "policy implications."[25] Felicient also suggested that Brown had fabricated portions of his testimony to draw attention to his lawsuit. When Felicient asked why Brown kept a loaded shotgun, Brown responded that "We were doing what we had to do to stay alive. I had no protection from our government. I felt that I needed to protect my wife and my family."[27]

In court testimony, OPP Inspector Brian Haggith stated that the Native protesters "set up a checkpoint... Almost like they were entering another country," and that community lost confidence in the OPP's ability to protect them. Haggith also testified that when natives set fire to a wooden bridge in town, the fire department withdrew from fighting the blaze when confronted by shouted death threats from the protesters. The fire chief told the OPP he did not believe they would protect him or his men if they went against the natives' wishes. In addition, a electrical substation was then destroyed, causing more than $1 million in damage and a blackout, when a truck crashed through its gates and was left ablaze. Once again, Haggith stated that there was little response from the police. Inspector Haggith also testified that he asked for a change in policy at a subsequent meeting he had with his OPP superiors but that his request was denied

So here is the real issue, and it has nothing to do with the uppity Natives. Do you have a right to self defense? Are the police required to protect you? If the answer to the first question is 'no', than the answer to the second question has to be 'yes'. This is not some third world country we are talking about here, this is Canada, land of beer and hockey. Our slightly frigid neighbors to the North that talk funny and use words like 'eh' and 'oi'. And yet this travesty continues.

I encourage you to research all the links I left for you here. It truly is an interesting story that shows how these things can happen anywhere.

Four Wheelers as Hunting Tools

I recently had the opportunity to try something I had never done before. Use a four wheeler in the pursuit and apprehension (I'm dropping into cop talk again, sorry) of game. "Wow, you sure can cover alot of ground", was my initial thought. My final thought after getting home was, "Wow, there sure is dirt everywhere." Am I going to run out and spend $10,000 on a new four wheeler? Nope. Will I borrow somebody else's? Hell yes!
Living in Texas has done wonders for my conservative mindset. One of the things that Texas does not seriously regulate is the use of vehicles for hunting, especially on private land. This is why you see vehicles specifically built for this purpose. They also can include large spotlights for the pursuit of varmints and feral hogs at night. Why I do not personally care for hunting from vehicles, many do and it does have it's place.
I figure in two days I saw five or six coyotes from the four wheeler, I can safely say that's double the number I would have seen without that mobility. The ability to quickly cover ground is awesome, and can allow you to get into position alot faster. On the other hand, two days of my rifle in a gun rack on the front of a four wheeler was not kind. I had to completely disassemble the rifle and remove the dust from every part of that weapon. My pistol was the same way, it spent the time on me in a Safariland drop thigh holster. I had to completely disassemble it as well. I am happy to report that I did fire the pistol on Sunday prior to cleaning and it functioned perfectly, even if it was full of dirt and dust.
I believe that they are an effective tool that can make hunting more productive and enjoyable. Like any other tool, they can be used improperly and abused. They can also be used in a unethical manner, which could lead to bad press for sportsman everywhere. Like a rifle, a four wheeler has no will of its own. You control how and where it is used and wether it is used for good or evil. So use your tools righteously, and lets stay safe and have fun out there!