From the Heartland

This is my soap box, on these pages I publish my opinions on firearms and any other subject I feel like writing about.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Let's just eliminate Primitive Firearms Seasons altogether Part 1

Authors Note: Since this will be a rather lengthly disertaion I am going to present it in two possibly three parts over the course of the next several days. At some point after the last part has been posted I will change the post dates so that they run in order instead of the last first.

The important part

I am over 45 and I am a Muzzleloader Shooter and have been since about 1970. I am a Muzzle loader Hunter and have for years hunted during various states Muzzleloading seasons. Most members of my family, including my wife are Black Powder shooters and hunters as well.


I have addressed this before


When using a Muzzleloader I personally choose to pursue game with either a precussion or flint fired firearm. I have not held any prejudice against those that choose to use a more "modern" In-line Muzzleloader. The first patent for an In-line firing system was issued in 1822. Historically then an In-line Muzzleloader is as authentic as the precussion cap firearm.

Historical note: The precussion cap ignition system was inveted in 1807/8 by an English Preacher. It did not catch on quickly though. Flintlock shooters rightly pointed out that if a person was days from nowhere in the wilds of the new frontier and you got your gear wet including your precussion caps you were done for. When caps get wet they are forever ruined. Black powder and flints could be dried and still be usable. Flintlock firearms were still in use on through the War between the States.

Where it all Started for me

In the late 1960's early 1970's pretty much the only types of muzzleloading firearms available were originals or replicas of mostly military arms. The primary use of these arms at that time was by historical re-enactors. At that time to my knowledge there were no states that hosted any special big game seasons for "Front stuffers". If one wanted to hunt with a "Smokepole" one had to do it during the regular firearms hunting seasons.

Why it all started for everyone

At that time the essential maximum effective range of a typical Muzzleloader with either round ball or conical bullet was about 75 yards. That range is little more than double that of Archery tackle and about half that of the 30-30 deer rifle.

The people that strongly advocated the various State Fish & Game Departments for a separate hunting season for primitive firearms historians of a sort and sought to have an opportunity to take to the woods in early 1800's period clothing carrying front loading singleshot firearms that were in use at that time. These hunters have/had a keen interest in the personal re-creation of Frontier America. Accepting the challenge to harvest game the way our ancestors had to gives us a better understanding of the hardships they had to face in day to day living.

Hunting with a limited range primitive firearm in period clothing was recognized as a legitimate sporting activity and most states have since en-acted separate hunting seasons for those that opt for this endevor.

Other reasons for taking up Primitive hunting

Many other Big Game hunters, after hunting for years with high powered long range centerfire firearms, no longer felt challenged by the hunt and sought to make their trips afield more difficult and opted to use a firearm that limited the range in which they could harvest food for the family table. In the process many of them have developed a respect for what our Forefathers had to endure in the early days of this Country just to survive. Others accepted the limitations of the equipment and began hunting with a Muzzle Loader to increase the time they were able to spend in the field.

To keep it as traditional as possible, many states in enacting their special seasons mandated certain criteria for the blackpowder firearms that were authorized. Some stipulated that only patched round ball be used, others allowed lead conical bullets and most prevented the use of telescopes. States that did allow for the use of telescopic sights only allowed scopes that were of the type in very limited use during the War between the States. Nebraska madated and still does a telescopic sight of no more than 1 power and that must be visably marked on the scope by the maunufacturer.

The advent of the In-line

Sometime in the late 70's early 80's firearms manufacturers dusted off the 1822 patent and aquired some new ones. I did not see anything wrong with that then and still don't in principal. What has followed though is an unmitigated high jacking of the entire process.

Innovations in front loading firearms has reached a point where the performance of todays inline Muzzle loaders rivals that of a 30-06 or similiar high powered rifle cartridge. At least one company boasts that one of their Muzzle loading firearms has an effective range in excess of 250 yards.

Looking at a modern version of a muzzle loader from across the room with it's variable powered scope renders it almost indistinguishable from many centerfire rifles. In fact many companies have based their muzzle loaders on their existing line of centerfire rifles.

That is more than three times the range of the firearms that were in use when the special seasons were en-acted. 250 yards also exceeds the generally accepted range of many centerfire high powered rounds used for deer including the venerable old 30-30, the standard by which all other deer cartridges are measured.

No longer are most Black powder hunters using the patched round ball or conical bullet of our forefathers. Todays in line shooters are using copper jacketed projectiles nestled in a plastic cup called a Sabot (say bow). It works like this;

A 45 caliber jacketed hollow point bullet is inserted into the sabot, the sabot is then placed in the muzzle loaders 50 caliber barrel and seated on top of a measured amount of powder. These modern conceptions have improved the peformance of Muzzle loading to a point where, as mentioned before they rival or exceed many standard centerfire hunting cartridges.

What is really laughable about all of this is that there are some states that, for reasons of Human population density, do not allow centerfire rifles for big game hunting, but do allow Variable powered telescoped Muzzle loaders. What difference does it make when you have a .45 caliber Muzzle loader that has an effective range that is farther than some (30-30) and nearly as far as other (30-06) centerfire rifles?

They don't want to hunt they just want to shoot

There is no longer the challenge there once was in persuing game with a limited range firearm. People don't need to learn the skills of hunting anymore to participate in the "Primitive Firearms" seasons. Now anyone with a few bucks can buy a long range In-line ignition firearm mount a variable power scope on it and be a Muzzle Loader.

Who hunts with a Muzzle loader today

Today it seems that there are very few of us that still hunt with a Muzzle loader for the nostolgia that created the special seasons. Many of todays Muzzle loading hunters have no inkling of why the seasons were created. For them it is not to re-create a historical era or develop the skills necessary to harvest Game at short ranges in the manner of our ancestors.

For these people it is just another chance to shoot game from as far away as possible with as little effort as possible without having to learn even the most rudimentary skills of hunting.

Why do we need Primitive Firearms Seasons when no one is using primitive equipment anymore?

It really isn't that hard to sit in a tree and shoot a deer at 200 yards with a telescope mounted 30-06 or 50 caliber In-line Muzzleloader. It is quite a bit harder to get that deer to approach withing 50 yards of that same tree when armed with an open sighted 50 caliber Flintlock. It is even harder to stalk within that short distance of a wary Whitetail or Mule deer.

End Part 1 Part two can be read here and Part three can be read here

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

It was a Three Dog and a Cow Night

Dear concert goer,

Yea you, the six foot plus bleach bottle blonde heffer with the Big Red sweatshirt and the ass that's at least two axe handles across.

Don't take this the wrong way, but when you are built like the prize milk cows I saw in the Ag barn before the show, it is very fricken rude to stand through half of a rock concert unless you are in the very last row or everyone else is standing. It is extremely rude when you wobble side to side clapping your hoofs hands almost but not quite in time with the music so that the four people behind you can't see no matter what they try to do.

You haven't seen your teen years in almost three decades, quit trying to act like you 18 again, just sit your fat ass down and enjoy the show so that everyone else can see and enjoy it too.

Really Bossy it gave us no pleasure to see your prize watermelon size asscheeks shake and quiver two feet in front of our faces right at eye level while listening (because we couldn't see the stage) to a live Three Dog Night song.

Thank you though for not lifting your tail and ... well lets just say that you were more curtious than some of the dogs at the Haymarket.

Console yourself with the fact that you were not the only one. There was the Switek looking wannabe dweeb (Miami Vice) just in front of you and the malnurished Bruce Willis looking wannabe and his entire onterage in front of Switek.

The open air concert area at the State Fair just does not have a steep enough slope from top to bottom for good viewing when seated let alone when rude people want to stand. If you want to get up on your hind legs and gyrate your rolls of fat go to the top of the deck or all the way down front.

Thoughts on the Concert

Other than that the Three Dog Night Concert wasn't bad ... as long as you knew the words to the songs they were singing.

  • Too much Mic on the drums
  • Too much volume on the keyboard
  • Too much distortion in the microphones

I tried really hard to hear the guitar riffs when it was obvious that one was being played, (you know when the guy with the guitar almost in the dark off to one side for most of the show comes to the center stage spot light and begins to look like he is having a spastic fit) but the drums were just mic'd up way to flipping load ...I mean loud .. Really ...most of the time the snare and tom drums were louder than the vocals being sung on the mic. With that being the case unless you were there you can only imagine the volume of the foot pedal base beat and the crash of the cymbols. The drummer was good, his instuments were just set three rock concert notches higher than everything else including the vocals.

Coming in a close second to the drums the keyboards proved at times to be more of a distraction than an accompaniment.

Bands, on getting long in the tooth tend to distort their mics a bit and hide behind loud music to cover any perceived loss in vocal prowness from too much booze, pot or other mass quanities of unknown hulcinegenics. On the few songs that we were able to actually understand the lyrics the band did a damn fine job vocalizing, thus proving to me that they still got it.

It would seem that they have forgotten what to do with it though.

The encore

I don't think I have ever heard "Jerimiah was a Bullfrog" done better, we had to wait till the encore to hear it though, but hey I can hang with that and yea it was worth it.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Geezers & Gadgets

This is something I have been thinking about for some time and finally decided to write on the subject.

Technology as I knew it

A long, long, long time ago in a bygone era when I was just a wee bit of a lad some of the first technological things I remember were;

Rotary dial telephones and party lines (for you young still wet behind the ears whippersnappers that meant that there was more than one home on a phone line and each house had their own ring i.e. 2 shorts repeated, 1 long & 1 short repeated or another combination of long and short rings depending on how many homes were on that line.)

Wood cabinet cased AM only radios with large knobs and huge clock like dials. On Saturday nights we would sit and watch the radio while listening to "The Hayride", (or something like that) a show that was featured on WWVA, in Wheeling West Virginia. (Yes you read that right, sat and watched the radio)

Replacable needle phonographs with mono 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm records. Yes some in the family had an old wind up Victrola or two, but electricty had been invented and I mostly listened to 45's on a record player that was slightly larger than a kids lunch box. (PTG remembers those I'm sure)

Tube operated oval screen black & white televisions that you had to turn on at least 15 minutes before a chosen show so that they could warm up. These modern marvels were contained in large real hardwood doors on the front cabinets with a set of rabbit ears that slid up from the back of the set. In those days the only ones in the family that had a television was my Grand Parents and I thought the only thing that ever came on television was the Nightly News and The Lawrence Welk Show, that is until Hee Haw made its debut. (You could tell the houses were the money lived because they had an ariel affixed to pole on the roof of their spacious dwellings)

Memories on the rocks -stirred but not shaken

As I said earlier I have been thinking about this for awhile, but what really brought it to a head was something I saw the other day while having coffee and a crossword puzzle at the reataurant that is office away from home office. (the LA Times puzzle if you must know).

I hadn't really noticed the elderly couple that the Maitre' de had seated near me until his cell phone went off. Now I am not picking on the old folks here, I am going to be barging through the half century mark in a few months myself. It did bring my thoughts back to the working title of this missive and the ever increasing number of our more experienced citizens Geezers I see with high-tech tools Gadgets like cell phones, Digital Cameras and PDA's.

Don't get me wrong here either, I happen to think it is great.

Damn that's high-tech

Above I listed a few things I remember from my childhood, let me add to that list a number of other things that have come and some gone since those days.

  • Portable AM/FM radios
  • Reel to reel players/recorders
  • 8mm movie cameras (I bet PTG still has one)
  • The push button telephone
  • The 8 track tape player
  • Poloroid instamatic cameras
  • The cassette player/recorder
  • Beta and VHS tapes/recorders/players
  • Cable television
  • CD's and the associated players/recorders
  • Personal Comuters with the associated versions of DOS and windows 3.11 through the current XP ( We are still waiting for "Longhorn" or "Vista" or what ever they are calling it)
  • DVD's and their associated players/recorders
  • Laptops, PDA's, cell phones and a host of other electronic leashes that are designed to make our lives so much better.

My point is that all of these gadgets have come to pass in just about one single generation and at one time I fancied I could live without a number of things on that list. These gadgets were for the next generation, nothing more than hi-tech toys for the youth of today to play with and use in their bid to inheret the world from us aging fogies. We are in the midst of passing the world on to them why do we need to be on the cutting edge? Another thing to consider is that there are adults that may read this Blog that have never know life without some of these gadgets.

I wasn't dragged in kicking and screaming

12 years ago I swore I would never have a need for a computer, I didn't even want one, then someone showed me how beneficial it would be for my business. (DOS 6.1 etc. and then Windows 3.11) About that time I poo poo'd cell phones as well and ended up with one for the same business reasons. ($40.00 a month, no free minutes and $2.00-3.00+/- a call roaming charges if I remember correctly)

The way was already greased I just slid in

When I see people out and about that are far more senior in life than I using their cell phones, laptops, digital cameras and PDA's, I also consider how technolgy has crept up on me and how many of those devices I own and know how to use.

I guess I really shouldn't be suprised that we are partaking of the future since it was our generation that "invented" such a large portion of it that so many of us take for granted today. We (our generation) made it, why the hell shouldn't we use it?

But for different reasons maybe

The youth of today need these tools to succeed and get ahead in an ever changing fast forward world. That they are taking the tools we gave them, improving on them and succeeding in life with them is a credit to both our generations.

For the rest of us that have retired or nearly so they represent a way to keep in touch with our off spring of this generation as they grow up and leave the nest. They are a convenience that negates dropping a fistfull of quarters in a pay phone, waiting days for a stamped letter to be delivered/arrive or waiting days for Walgreens to develop the pictures that didn't come out. Can you say "look and delete"? I can. There are many that a generation ago would be limited in their mobility if it were not for a cell phone. Many older folks that are of limited mobility can be ever more in touch with the rest of the world through the internet.

For us older Americans modern technology may not be so much of a neccessity as it is a convenience.

Yea Geezers & Gadgets ..... has a nice ring to it .. ring oh wait ... is that my cell phone? ..ohh sorry where was I? ... doesn't it?

That reminds me I have work to do

After I use my PC to post this to the Blog I have to send a couple of pics on my digital camera phone to my desk top so I can photoshop, cut & crop them before I send them to the kids via email. Then I just might toss a bag of popcorn at the microwave, get some ice from the refrigerators built in ice maker, pour some Ice tea, pop in a DVD movie and sit back in my recliner and watch it on the big screen TV with surround sound theater quailty speakers.

  • Lawrence Welk: "A one na, anna two a anna a ...
  • Buck Owens: "I'm a picking
  • Roy Clark: "And I'm a grinning
  • David Brinkly: "Good night Chet"
  • Chet Huntely: "Good night David"
  • Walter Cronkite: "And that's the way it was"

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Preferential Treatment? Don't tell me there isn't

Rarely do I write about events that occur in my personal life, but the following that appears in the

Saturdays Journal Star (Second story down)

has moved me to do so.

Man arrested on suspicion of threatening judge

A Lincoln man was arrested Thursday morning after threatening to go to a judge’s home and kill him.

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said 37-year-old Steven Nash, 2626 N St., called the Clerk of the District Court’s office and threatened to kill a judge if a protection order Nash had filed against someone was dropped.

Nash was arrested on suspicion of intimidation by phone.


Sure they'll jump through the hoops for somebody wearing black robes. Seems they have a way and a record of looking out for thier own.

Divorce

Several years ago our daughter was in the process of legally shedding 160 pounds of ugly fat. The low life scum bag that she was divorcing, did among other things;

  1. Meet her and her Mom (Mrs Gun) at the Grand childrens day care and threatened them and me (I was not there) in front of daycare staff
  2. Made credible threats against me (to others at other times)
  3. Went to Mrs Guns place of employment and harrassed her concerning our daughter.
  4. Made threatening phone calls at all hours of the day and night to our daughter, and if she did not answer the phone he left messages on the answering machine;
  • If I can't have you no one will
  • I'll make it so that no one else will want you
  • I'll blow up your car with you in it and then I'll have custody of my kids (two girls)
The Lincoln Police Department was called. My daughter played the phone messages for a LPD female officer who told her that there wasn't enough credible evidence to do anything about it.

The Court was petitioned on all of the above and a Lancaster County judge ruled that there was insufficeint evidence for an order of protection for any of us.

His conduct continued and our daughter was forced into seclusion of the Friendship home. We were not even allowed to know where they were and couldn't see our Grand daughters for fear that our daughter would be followed back to the Home.

When the divorce was finalized things had denegrated to the point that our daughter felt it was best her and the kids safety that she relocate to another state. Our daughter currently lives 8 eights away, has a concealed carry permit and carries a handgun for personal protection daily.

Numorous times in the last three years we have noted this lowlife scumbag driving his very distinct motorcar slowly past our house and several times we have seen him doing surveilance from the dirt road on the backside of our property.

Looking out for their own

Oaky so let's get this straight, we have an individual that in one phone call threatens to off a judge and the Sheriffs Department wasted no time in time locking the alleged offender up on suspicion of intimidation by phone.

On the other hand we have a Mom of two small children that has several of these same types of messages on her answering machine, several personal confrontations and there isn't enough evidence to make an arrest or issue an order of protection.

Could someone possibly explain this to me? (It's a rhetorical question folks)

Since then

  1. This fine specimen of manhood has fallen, at a rate of $580.00 a month, over three years behind in child support. ($25,00.00 +- a few cents)
  2. Not had gainful employment in order that his wages could be attached for delinquent support. (For awhile he was job hopping. Everytime he was located and his employer given a garnishment order he quit)
  3. Has amassed a criminal record (where none existed before) of charges that include but not limited to;
  • Theft by deception
  • Fruad (possible multiple counts)
  • Forgery (possible multiple accounts)
  • Buying and Selling (drugs)
  • Disturbing the peace
(If your not working you have to get your money somewhere)

Prior to our daughter leaving the state and for months (over 24) after officials involved with the Nebraska state agency that handles Child Support gave her the run around about enforcing the support order issued by the court.

A few months ago she was able to transfer the whole child Support thing to the state in which she now resides.

They immediately issued a warrant for his arrest and told her that they would extradite him if and when he was found.

A few weeks ago I learned that my scumbag lowlife ex-son-in-law was being held in the Lancaster County Jail. I found this out because someone I know received a letter from him with Lacaster County Jail as a return address. I have since been given that letter and in it he has expressed the desire to "locate" and "visit" his children.

On informing my daughter she contacted (last Wednesday the 16th of August) the Lancaster County District Attorneys office and was informed that they did in fact have him and that he would be incarcerated with them for an extended length of time. She made arrangements for her current state of residence to fax the warrants to Lancaster County so that he could be processed on the delinquant child support charges.

Abracadabra

Imagine my suprise when on Wednesday (the 23rd) of this week I received a phone call from an aquaintance who informed me;

  • Caller: "Gun your not going to believe this, but I am sitting a local fast food restaurant and I just saw your lowlife scumbag ex-son-in-law go through the drive up window lane as a passenger in a car"
  • Me: (Deep Breath of disbelief) " WTF Your sure it is lowlife scumbag?"
  • Caller: "I knew him as well as you did, of course I am sure."
  • Me: "(After a string of unprintable epithets and several unkind words for the judicial system)........ Okay thanks for the heads up."

At this point I am not sure if the other state was successful in getting the paperwork to the Lancaster County D.A.'s Office before he was released or not.

So there you have it, a Judge gets one phone call and the perpetrator is buried under the jail while in the same exact county a single Mom with two kids and a vidictive felonious ex-husband with a track record of harrassment gets the run around.

During that three years however, that single Mom completed full time college, earned a diploma in her chosen field and is licensed in two states to practice her profession. A profession in which she is gaining a reputation as one of the best at what she does in the community that she now resides.

(That is not just the wishy wash of a proud Dad talking either, that is thoughts of the people she works with and to an extent the local media and civic leaders where she lives.)

We love her and are ever so proud of her and what she is becoming.

Friday, August 25, 2006

TED NUGENT ON DEER HUNTING

Since I haven't finished either of two lengthly posts I have been working on and since "The Nuge" is is a big bow hunter and since archery season starts in a few weeks I thought I would launch you into the weekend with this;

While on a European tour, Ted was being interviewed by a French journalist. The journalist asked, "What do you think the last thought is in the head of a deer before you shoot it? Is it, 'Are you my friend?' or is it 'Are you the one who killed my brother?'"

Nugent replied, "They aren't capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, 'What am I going to eat next, who am I going to screw next, and can I run fast enough to get away.' They are very much like the French."

Keep your powder dry, don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes and shoot low cause their riding shetland ponies.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Hey Rubin get your head out of your ass

Barry Rubin, executive director of the state Democratic Party plans on wasting a few thousand dollars of the tax payers dollars in a bid to soothe his temper tantrum.

Short Story

Kate Witek was a Republican. She is the State Auditor. Witek switched parties last week. Witek is now a Democrat. The primaries were months ago and the Dems did not field a candidate. Now that Witek is one of them, Rubin figures he can just get her name on the ballot and wahla he'll get her re-elected.

Things don't work that way. Rubin conveniently ignores the fact that the Nebraska State Constitution and Statutes have something to say about that. Secretary of State John Gale rightly disqualified the turn coat from being placed on the ballot as a Dem without following the established legal process.

Rubin went into a tissy and will file a lawsuit to over turn Gales decision.

Isn't that just like a a liberal fricken Democrat? To hell with the Constitution and State laws, we can't let little things like that get in our way, get me a damn Judge that will legislate from the bench.

Rubin must not be to sure he is going to succeed in his drain on the tax payers coffers as he has his minions busy gathering the 2000 signatures needed to get Witek on the ballot by the end of next week.

A lawsuit will be filed to try to overturn Gale’s decision and petitioners will begin collecting signatures to get Witek on the ballot, Rubin said.

What makes Rubin look even more like a whiney ass cry baby is the comments made by Witek herself when asked if she thought Gales decision what partisan;

When asked if she believed Gale’s decision was motivated by partisanship, Witek said, “I know John Gale and I don’t believe so. I certainly hope not.”

Even Witek doesn't believe the tripe her new fearly leader is pawning off on the public.

Decent hard working tax payers of Nebraska take note of how much of your money this is going to cost because Rubin got an erection and has to prove his manhood.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Is Hagel drinking the same Kool-aid as Johanns?

What a load of slop, and the Journal Star sends its reporters out like frsh baked biscuits to sop it up like it is a pan full of Gramma's good sawmill gravy.

I have been commenting on these pages for at least two years now on Chuckie Hagel and his fantasies.

When will it end?

(For the full effect read the following in your best imaginary John Kerry imitation)

"I spent Christmas was in Viet Nam, I got three purple hearts you know voted a straight Republican ticket."

Since then Chuckie thinks the party has lost its way.

News Flash Chuckie; The party has not lost its way. We Republicans most certainly did not follow your head when it went up your ass.

You lost your way Chuckie not us.

You Senator Chuck Hagel, in the mold of your buddies Bob & Johnny (The Kerry twins) and like your pal never met a plane he didn't crash John McCain from Arizona failed to pass the first test of Officer Candidate School.

Allow me to remind you Chuckie since it seems to have escaped your mind when you suffered that cranial/rectal inversion.

LOYALTY

All together now LOY.....AL......TY.

Yea I guess it is pretty hard to say for someone that has not practiced it for years if ever.

Conspiring with the opposition

A few years ago when you were the State Chair for the Re-elect George Bush Campaign you never missed an in-state opportunity to bad mouth the President. You also had the audacity, during the Republican Convention, to co-host with Bob Kerrey a dinner for then Presidential hopeful John Kerry. Wasn't John McCain there too?

Let me say that in plain english so everyone can understand it;

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel during the 2004 Republican Convention in New York City joined Liberal Democrat Bob Kerrey in hosting a dinner party in New York City, for Massachusetts Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry.

That is called, to use a term that your friends John McCain & Kerry should be uniquely familiar with "Sleeping with the enemy".

The Fallout

Then a few weeks after the election you were on KLIN whining and crying because the President was giving you the cold shoulder.

Waaaa Waaaaa Waaaaa Chuckie you didn't think he would feel that knife in the ribs? You got and are still getting just exactly what you campaigned for. But wait you haven't even begun to reap the full reward for your actions.

Remember all of the Farmers across the state of Nebraska that parked their shit wagons next to the roads with DUMP KERREY signs on them?

You should it was one of the reasons that got you elected.

Guess what Chuckie

Those wagons will be back and the only thing different will be the name on the sign.

DUMP HAGEL

We hired you to do a job for us and thus far you are not doing it. Please be reminded than we can fire you as well.

Senator Hagel we the strong minded, God fearing Republican Christians of Nebraska DID NOT send you to Washington to be your own man. We sent you to the Nations Capitol to toe the party line. You told us you were the same kind of Republican we are and we believed you. We expected as a former Military man that you would be loyal to those that entrusted you with your office.

Senator Hagel not only have you not been loyal to the party you claim you belong to, you have not been loyal to the constituints that elected you.

Since you are a Republican, it is not incumbant upon us to call or write your office everytime a bill comes up for a vote or a position needs to be articulated or the President needs to be supported. It is expected on our part that you will follow the party platform on your part.

You have chosen to turn you back on the President and the people that elected you to represent us Senator Hagel. It is not your lot in life to tell us how things will be and how you are going to vote. It is your duty to vote the way we expect you to as a Republican.

Senator Hagel, you ran as a Republican, "We the People" elected you as a Republican. With that comes certain resposponsibilities on your part. Namely we expect you to act like a Republican.

  1. Support and defend the Constitution
  2. Support and defend the policies of a Republican Administration
  3. Support the Republican Party with your votes in the Senate.

You are entitled to your own opinions on the issues Senator, but that is and always will be secondary to to the "Will of the People" that elected you.

I suggest that if you wish to remain Senator you consider the foregoing. If it is not in your purvue to act like the Republican we elected you to be then take the lead of Kate Witek and change parties.

You certainly haven't represented the one you claim allegience to very well.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Another Politician Gets it wrong

Since I have not ever really been disagreable with Mike Johanns to say much about him on this Blog one way or another, I was really struck by his comments in the Lincoln Journal Star today.

“I haven’t had a boss for a long, long time. I was a partner in a law firm in my 20s, then was an elected official,” Johanns said during a telephone conversation this week as he traveled from a fundraising breakfast in Lincoln to a luncheon.

Excuse me Mike but I must differ with you and respectfully point out that the entire time you were an elected official you had a boss.

Me

That's right Mikey, Me and every other Nebraskan that hired you to the position that you occupied at the time.

I guess you are to high faluting now to remember High School Civics.

Oh Mikey, by the way you still work for Me.

Me and every single American. You serve at the liesure of the President and he is your boss that is true, but the President works for "We the People".

I truely am dissappointed in the comments you made to the Journal Star Mr. Secretary, it reveals a calous and cavelier nature that implies that "We the People" are somehow subjugated to you and not the other way around.

This is not Jolly Ole' England

Friday, August 18, 2006

Some Lincolnites are shocked that Firefighters need to eat

Until now I have refrained from comment of the on going "Firetruck crossmember conspiricy" that has polarized Lincoln. Well I am not going to comment on it now either. All that can be said until Chief Casady and the FBI complete their investigation has probably been said by Coby Mach, the Journal Star and local Blogs. This diatribe addresses the complete and utter stupidity of some people when it comes to the daily activities of our local frontline Firefighters.

At Seven every morning Lincoln Firefighters begin a 24 hour tour of duty. During that day long shift, they respond to calls, look after equipment, train and even get a little sleep.

I recently discovered that some Lincolnites are distressed to learn that during their 24 hour shift Firefighters also require nourishment.

You know EAT FOOD.

Almost everyone knows that each of the fire stations contains a kitchen for the Firefighters to prepare their meals while they are on their 24 hour rotation.

What some people don't seem to know is that the tax payers do not provide gourmet quality cuisine or a Chef Emeril to "kick it up a notch" it for them.

It has always been common knowledge to people with common sense that Firefighters are required to provide and prepare their own meals.

Yes Virginia, I know it comes as a shock to you but Firefighters have to buy their own food. Hold on to your seat Virginia I have to tell you that they have to actually cook it themselves too.

I know, I know, but take a few deep breaths there old girl and read on, I will make it so abundantly clear that even you will understand.

How they do it

  • Near the start of their shift they decide what they want for dinner that day.
  • They decide who is going to do the cooking and who is going to wash the dishes.
  • They all "kick in" a few dollars to cover the cost of the food.
  • At some point during the day, when time allows some of the Firefighters go to a supermarket in the area of their station and buy the food needed for the evening meal.

Yes they take a firetruck and yes the whole crew assigned to that truck goes to the store. It should be obvious to all but the most seriously mentally challenged that this is done for expediancy and safety.

If there is a call while they are out buying food they can respond immediately from that location without having to return to the station to pick up the rest of the crew or having some Firefighters "bum a ride" from another truck to get to the emergency.

Understand that the Fire Department is not a building it is the truck and the crew.

The Fire Station is just a structure that shelters the vehicles and crews when they are not on call. As long as that truck is fully manned and is located anywhere in the sector assigned to that truck that sector has fire protection.

Now for the really ignorant stoopid cold-hearted people part

It is not uncommon for the Fire Deparment Administration to receive calls from "concerned citizens" complaining about Firetrucks parked at grocery stores and on duty Firefighters engaged in the activity of buying food.

Yes you read that right, there are seriously mentally deficeint people in Lincoln that are fit to be tied that local Firefighters have the audacity to actually want to eat decent food while they are on their 24 hour tour of duty.

Firefighters work "24 on 24 off" for 14 days at a time What the hell do these "call & complainers" expect the Firefighters to do? Order Pizza every other damn night?

Although I have no doubt that it would bring glee to some high minded citizens if these lowly public servants were forced to starve for a day or so.

No wonder Lincoln is in the shape it is in, cranially challenged people like this can and do vote.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Doggy Ban infuriates the Social Elite

The gauntlet has been dropped;

How dare they ban my dog from the Haymarket Farmers Market. Fido is a valued member of my family, where ever I go he goes. I will not ever go to the Farmers Market again, they have lost my business forever.

Reader comment in the Journal Star

Comm UnSense wrote on August 13, 2006 9:15 AM:
"I think Sue has the right idea. Lets ban smoking at the farmer's market. Then we can ban strollers, then wheel chairs, then women with too much perfume, guys with bushy eyebrows, minors, crutches, back packs, cameras, cell phones, tatoos, piercings, and shorts that don't match your top. Not to mention flip-flop sandals. Those really annoy me. "



My response;

To damn bad. Now that your prescious untrained four legged child can no longer run rampant whining, yapping, snapping, pissing all over the vegetables and tripping up other shoppers I may for the first time visit the Farmers Market.

Kinda funny isn't it; the same people that want to ban concealed carry are pitching a cry baby bitch because they can't take their ill mannered pooch to a public venue so they can crap in the isles of a vegetable market.

Someone made the comment that dogs are banned but guns are not.

Lets compare for a bit;

What happens when people go out in public with their dogs

  1. Dogs Piss where ever they want when ever they want
  2. Dogs Poop where ever they want when ever they want
  3. Dogs Growl, snip or bite who ever they want when they want
  4. Dogs on long leashes can and do interfere with and get wrapped around other people.
  5. Dogs depending on the size and attitude intimidate and scare people around them
  6. Dogs are territorial and initiate fights with other dogs.
  7. Dogs can and do take it upon themselves to attack and bite anything they feel needs biting, including children.
  8. Too many dogs are untrained and are not properly controlled by their owners.
More Journal Star Comments

the reason there are rules.... wrote on August 13, 2006 9:39 AM:
"Loved the footage on the news last night about the farmer's market. Especially the clip of the dog peeing on the vender's tablecloth. No-class owners are the reason for the dog ban, of course! As long as there are clueless people there will be rules. DUH!"

agree with the new rule . . . wrote on August 13, 2006 11:17 AM:
"And you gotta know that wasn't the only incident of a dog peeing on a tablecloth or a foot or a basket of tomatoes."

My personal favorite,

hope to visit the market some day wrote on August 12, 2006 10:24 AM:
"Sorry, I can't help it. One more word on the dog thing. I love dogs. Unfortunately, with my severe adult-onset asthma, dogs and cats happen to be my biggest trigger. I am wondering if you folks who can't stand the thought of going to the market without your dogs are the same folks who voted for the smoking ban? I'm just curious. While second-hand smoke may kill you in 50 years- your dog could kill me TODAY. Do you care? Of course not. Why? Because you are ENTITLED to take your dog any place you please. Oh yea, I forgot. YOU are all that matters. Some day I hope you will notice that you aren't the only people on this planet and behave accordingly."

What happens when I go out in public with a concealed firearm

  1. My gun won't release bodily functions and will not go off by itsself.
  2. My gun is secured in a concealed holster that no one will ever become entangled in or trip over
  3. My gun doesn't make any noise nor does it intimidate anyone from its concealed position
  4. My gun is an inanimate object it is incapable of having an attitude it will never take it upon itsself to shoot someone
  5. My gun is not territorial it doesn't matter how many other firearms are around it will not initiate fights with other guns.

If a dog is in the Farmers Market it may bark, whine, bite, injure and disrupt the activities of every person there.

If I am in the Farmers Market no one will ever know I am even carrying a gun and it poses no danger to anyone there.

In short my gun is not going to lift its leg and piss all over the squash you were just getting ready to bag and buy. My gun is not going to irritate your allergies. My gun is not going to steal your kids food.

I am willing to bet that a large number of people that favor a concealed carry ban are the ones whining the loudest about a doggy ban. I'll even go so far as to say that I'll bet a bunch of these doggy lovers pulled the lever in favor of the smoking ban a few years ago as well.

The new Lincoln Mantra;

You can't take your gun or your smokes out in public, but how dare you have the freaking audacity to tell me that I can not take my dog to the Farmers Market so it can piss on vegetables, table clothes and bite your kids.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Fisking Cheeks of God

In the past week or so I have been having a very respectful and friendly debate in the comments section of a post by Neal, author of the Blog "Cheeks of God".

I figure it should see the light of day so I am crafting my response to Neals last post here on my Blog.

I guess what continues to exist as a fundamental obstacle preventing us from seeing eye to eye is that you view using a firearm as being equivalent to using a spare tire or a first aid kit. I do not.

Those analogies are good, and should I someday view using a firearm against someone as being on the same level as using a fire extinguisher or a spare tire, they would be effective as well.

Okay let's drop the spare tire bit, although it was only used to illustrate an undesirable task. Using a firearm in defense of ones person is also an undesirable task. It was not used to equate that having to use a firearm for protection is only as undesirable as having to jack up a car.

But for people who don't love guns, an item that is designed to launch a projectile at high speeds in order to puncture something else is not on the same level as a fire extinguisher, which is designed to put out fires. If you use a fire extinguisher as it was intended to its full extent, it puts out a fire. If you use a gun as it was intended to its full extent, it kills someone.

The point I make with my annalogy Neal is that if you are put in a position to use a fire extinguisher you are likely saving a life or several lives. If you are put in a position to where you have to use a firearm for defensive purposes you are saving a life, quite probably your own.

And Neal I do not love my guns. Firearms are inanimate objects that can't love you back anyway.

Granted, just as you can misuse a gun, you can misuse a fire extinguisher. But CCW proponents don't want guns so they can put out fires nor do they want concealed guns so they can protect themselves from people misusing fire extinguishers; they want them so they can protect themselves (and/or others) by way of intimidation or physical harm.

Not true Neal. If that were the case the decidedly anti-gun media would be rife with stories about "redneck gun owners" engaging in shoot outs over parking spaces or running gun "road rage" battles up and down the interstates.

If you were to do some checking on who it is that avails themselves of a concealed carry permit I think you would find that in addition to a "Redneck or two" that the citizens that take the time and expense to get licensed are people like;

  1. your wife/girlfriends Gynocologist,
  2. some of your own family members,
  3. the lady that runs the floral shop that you buy from,
  4. the manager of the restaurant you most frequent,
  5. possibly a member or three of the local college alumni association,
  6. the old couple across the street,
  7. the abused woman with three kids down the street whose ex-husband is ignoring the protection order,
  8. the young woman who lives in the upstairs apartment that never ever wants to be raped again,
  9. many members of your congregation,
  10. any number of the people you know from the health club you belong to.

Into short Neal average everyday ordinary people that you know and relate to daily. Do you think all of them will carry concealed so that they "can protect themselves (and/or others) by way of intimidation or physical harm"?

Anonymous up there instructs me to "get a clue," since CCW permits aren't causing rampant deaths across the country in the other states where it's legal. If I'm the one with the problem perceiving reality, where is the rampant crime spree that necessitates packing heat while dining?

Granted you probably won't be accosted during your meal, but the place was crowded when you got there and your car is parked all the way to the far side of the lot where the street light doesn't shine. And that Neal, is where the rapes, robberies, muggings and car jackings occurr. After you have been satiated by a good meal and not fully cognizant of your surroundings.

Your average burglary happens when no one is around.

Your right, but what does burglary have to do with personal protection? If I'm not there I don't need to protect myself.

Your average thief who robs a place when people are around doesn't want to use his gun.

Don't count on that Neal, it is becoming a trend in some places that the thugs come in guns blazing for the shock effect. In fact the person that comes through the door of Brewskys with a gun is not intent on robbing the place. The intent is probably to kill, maim, and injure as many people as he/she possibly can. Remember Lubys? How about countless other places where criminals have barged through the door and opened up on the unsuspecting diners?

What's going to make him use his gun?

Who knows what will make him use his gun Neal, maybe a baby starts crying, maybe a nervous wait person drops a glass, maybe someone starts screaming hysterically about how they are about to die, maybe the object of the thugs attention can't get their wedding ring off fast enough.

When someone else pulls a gun on him. When the situation escalates, that's when it gets dangerous.

News Flash Neal: It got dangerous when that thug walked in the door with a gun in his hand intent on robbing that place and it will remain dangerous to any and all who are there until he/she/they leave.

What we have are a whole bunch of people who want to escalate the situation because they don't want to be the victim and they do want to be in control.

What is wrong with not wanting to be a victim? Some people have been victims in the past and didn't like the way it felt. Many of them had months in the hospital to contemplate it not ever happening to them again.

If I'm out to dinner, and some moron decides he's going to rob Brewsky's while it's packed with patrons, I would much rather hand over my wallet and let the police take care of the rest than have some vigilante wannabe pull out his perfectly legal weapon and play hero.

Exactly as I stated in a previous comment, even if you are armed sometimes the best thing to do is hand over your wallet and be a good witness. The chances are however that the miscreant will not barge into a place like Brewsky's and rob the place during Happy Hour.

What will most likely happen is that the robber/s will wait in hiding in the darkened parking lot and jack you up for your wallet and possibly your ladies sexual favors. Additionally under the law even if you did have a permit you could not legally take it into a business that derives more that 51% of it's gross income from the sales of alcohol anyway. There would be no armed permit holders in Brewskys that could do anything to stop the robber anyway.

I would like to thank you for pointing out that the robber would have no quams taking a firearm into a forbidden place Neal, that is what we have been saying for years; Gun Laws are only obeyed by those that are law abiding anyway. A criminal could care less whether there is a sign on the door banning guns or not.

Hell it tells him/them that the only gun in the place will be theirs.

Businesses that post no guns signs should post this instead;

Criminal Protection Zone

Criminals, the Management of these premises, has for your convenience, disarmed all of the law abiding citizens, you are free to safely ply your illicet trade here.

I would much rather be a victim of a mugging than a bullet.

A mugging usually entails taking a bullet Neal, of a knife between the ribs or a pipe to the head. Some guy with his hand in his pocket indicating he has a gun is not a mugging it is robbery.

The vigilante bravado that comes from the most vocal of CCW proponents has me fearing the bullet of some NRA member living out a hero fantasy much more than I fear getting mugged in my neighborhood, which is near the capitol - a nightmarish hotbed of criminal activity if you ask Jeanne Combs.

Neal I can assure you that if we were in the same building and someone had a gun to your head demanding all your money I promise I will not interfere in anyway, even if/when the thug forces your girlfriend/wife to go with him for a hostage. I will be a good witness for you though and try to render first aid to you after the thug is gone. I don't carry a firearm to protect you or the people you love Neal, that is your job not mine. I might even call 911 for you if I happen to have my electronic leash with me.

The term vigilante infers citizens conciously banding together taking the law into their own hands, and hunting down the bad guys. Nothing could be farther from the truth. People that favor concealed carry want no such thing, in fact more than any they want to be left alone. They do not want to be a victim of a crime, they do not want to have to use their firearm for self defense. Most of the time a CCW person will go out of their way to not use it. Only when there is no doubt what so ever that they will suffer death or serious bodily harm will your average CCW holder discharge their firearm.

The dismissal of LPD during this period is what frightens me most, because that exposes the vigilante spirit behind so many CCW proponents.

No one is dismissing LPD. That undermanned organization does more with less than any department that I know of.

People that favor CCW recognize a truth that every member of LPD has to agree with. 99.9% of the time they are not going to be there when a crime is perpetrated upon your person Neal.

The fact is that even if you could get a cell phone call through to 911 it may at least 10 minutes before a police unit arrives at your location. If you can't make the call until after the event you might not be able to make the call at all.

A lot can happen in that short time; you can be robbed, car jacked, beaten and killed. Your girlfriend/wife can be raped repeatedly, while your forced to watch, and left for dead.

There is respect for our current system of law enforcement...as long as it fits in with their pre-existing political beliefs, which allow them to play cop with no repercussions. But instead, LPD doesn't want more guns on the street in the hands of trigger-happy heroes, so LPD must be corrupt, stupid or puppets of Seng's administration.

No one respects the current system of Law Enforcement more than I, but it does not take a pre-existing political belief to understand that they can not be everywhere all of the time.

Even if they were the courts have held for decades that it is not the role of police agencies to protect any one of us as a individual, their job is only to protect society as a whole.

Don't believe that Neal try this; Make a 911 cal and when the cops don't show up or take the better part of an hour to show up initiate a law suit against the deparment for failure to protect you.

News Flash Neal; They don't have to show up if they don't want to. There is no law that requires them to. If they get held up and you get hurt bad the courts have consistantly held that the police are not liable for failing to rescue you from harm.

Important News Flash; Having stated the above, I do not know one single cop that would not put their life on the line trying to come to your rescue if they knew you were in trouble. But Neal, they have to know your in trouble and they have to be close enough to do something about it. Even 911 calls fall through the cracks.

Even though I have great respect for LPD I also understand this; The last time I checked they still worked for me and are duty bound by oath to respect and obey any and all legal laws that I get enacted.

News Flash; I am a law abiding citizen that has undergone multiple State and Federal background checks over the years, there is not one single police officer that need fear anything from me. How does disarming me make a Peace officers job safer? Better yet how does my owning and carrying a firearm make any Peace Officers job more dangerous?

I don't care what they want or don't want when it comes to my rights and civil liberties. They are servants of the people and they must abide by what the People decide not the other way around. On concealed carry the People have spoken through the legislature. If any one of them doesn't like that then they can quit and get a job in the gun free zones of Illinios, New York, New Jersey or Washington D.C..

Now there is a hoot Neal, Washington D.C. Our Nations Capital has been a gun free mecca for how many years now? They are under a state of emergency right now because of all of the crime.

Why?

The law abiding citizens are unarmed and can not fight back Neal. Criminals in the hallowed city of the D.C. run rampant over decent people because cops can't be everywhere.

That shows me a distint and direct disregard for our concept of law.

There is no disregard for the law Neal, quite the opposite to be sure.

The law provides for an individual to defend him/her self and family. The law recognizes that cops can't be everywhere all of the time and that it is the personal responsibility of each one of us to provide for our own safety and security.

News Flash; It is in the Nebraska Statutes Neal, look it up.

That shows me people who think because they took a weekend class on gun safety they understand law and justice better than the folks who have committed their lives to that concept.

No Neal, the people that take those "weekend classes" do not understand the law better than those that have dedicated their lives to it. What they understand is the law on personal protection and how it applies to them in their everyday lives. A CCW person does not need a law degree or a gazillion hours of training to recognize that the thug holding a knife on them in that dark parking lot is not about to invite them to a church social.

That is when a CCW person will reluctantly use their firearm Neal, when it is apparent that they are about to be hurt or killed and there is absolutely no one from the government around to bail them out.

Monday, August 14, 2006

A great time was had by all


Saturday night was the first ever (to our knowledge) Nebraska Bloggers Bash. Held at an undisclosed location there were four Nebraska Bloggers in attendance and a great time was professed to be had by all.

Two of the attendees have already posted on the event.

That would be Vinnie of Vince Aut Morire




And his lovely wife Merri of Merri Mussings.


PTG of the Plains Feeder was there as well. Vinnie has the scoop on that including a couple of pictures of me and that ole Curmudgeon from the Feed Lot. (I thought sure I was a little more muscular than that but hey you know how the camera lies.)

Outing Myself

Just so you heard it here first (Vinnie mentioned a full expose in detail on the Jawa Report at some future time of his choosing)

Today, August 14th is My and Mrs Gunscribe's Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary, so the Bash was a bit of pre-celebrating for us along with spending time with some of the best Bloggers the Cornhusker State has to offer. ( I was so not worthy, I was so not worthy)

30 years ago when we wed the radio station her Dad worked at dedicated a song to us commemorating our day.

The song you ask?

Put another Log on the Fire by Tom Paul Glaser (<-- Click for the lyrics)

So Saturday night The Missus, Merri and PTG's squeeze conspired with the band. The first I knew of this little conspiricy was when I was called to the bandstand and handed a microphone.

The lead singer then pointed out the wife who had stepped onto the dance floor. Still wondering what was up the band commenced to play the song Put another Log on the Fire.

Now I am not shy about being in front of a lot of people, I have been on stage a lot in my life, but the unexpected situation I had been thrust into caused me to momentarily draw a blank. (okay I admit it I froze) I couldn't remember the words to the song for several seconds.

Regaining my composure and with an audiance of several hundred people I put mic to mouth and belted out a couple of verses of the old song while my wife looked on lovingly.

At that point I noted that Vinnie had slipped up close to the dance floor as well. I have yet to confirm whether he digitaly recorded the event for posterity or future blackmail.

But hey I am off the hook now cause I just told on myself. Put that on the Jawa Vinnie. Hehehehehehe!!!!

Besides that the wife hates that song anyway, but the whole point of her clandestine plan was to put me on the spot. It worked too I was totally suprised (which is hard to do) and I love her all the more for it.

Thank you Merri. Thank you Vinnie. Thank you PTG. Thank you all for a wonderful evening.

And most of all THANK YOU MRS. GUN for a wonderful evening and thirty glorious years.

Note; We all decided that it is worth doing again and would really like to see more of Nebraskas Bloggers attend.

P.S. Vinnie made mention in his post of some Blogger crashers. I have no idea how these Islamotards found out about the super secret location of of our get together, but one of my unnamed sources is tracking down a picture that was purportedly taken of them. As soon as I can get my hands on it (er.. um.. ahhh.... download it from my digital camera) it will get posted. Rumor has it that several pics were taken of the four turban clad crashers, someone else may post it before I can.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Eatin' in Lincoln

I think about doing restaurant reviews from time to time, just to let my none Nebraska/Lincoln readers in on what we have around here for "Good Eats.

But it is not something I can ever remember to do when I am at the keyboard, so I found somebody to sluff it off on.

That would be Sarah and Swoof of the Blog Eatin' in Lincoln.

Check them out, I do when the wife and I are looking for someplace other than our usual haunts.

P.S. I added them to my Blogroll too.

Monday, August 07, 2006

What Lincoln could be like in the not to distant future

This is the Lincoln that Gramma Seng, Councilmen Cook, Marvin, Svoboda and Chief Casady have in mind.

Put the old lady in jail and let the miscreants rule the roads.

I find this type of Government action utterly disgusting and reprehensable.