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.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

It's not the movie I wanted to see but ...

Shooter aka Point of Impact

Having read or listened to all of Stephen Hunters books about "Bob Lee Swagger" and his dad "Earl" I was anticipating the release of the movie "Shooter".

Shooter is supposed to be based on Hunters book "Point of Impact". What I was hoping to see is a period based movie on the book as written.

What I saw was a modernized version. In the print version "Bob Lee" began his military start and end in the 1960's jungles of Southeast Asia. In the movie "Bob's" military career ended in present day Africa.

No it was not the movie I was hoping they would make but I feel like it is a good movie none the less.

The basic premise is still the same;

A retired Marine Corp sniper after losing his spotter to enemy fire retires, along with his dog to a hermits life in the mountains. A few years later his is recruited by a supposed Government agency to prevent an alleged plot to assasinate the President.

As the plot turns the President was not the intended target and "Bob Lee" is framed for the assassination.

When I heard that the movie had been made in the present tense I was determined to see it anyway and cop an attitude about how badly Hollywood had screwed up another good book.

Much to my chagrin I liked what they did. The basic plot and suprise ending remained and for the most part there was no over the top violence simply for the sake of violence.

There were a few verbal snipes about the current state of politics, but over all I think they did a good job of morphing the "Bob Lee" of the 1970's to a believable first decade of the 2000's "Bob Lee".

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Plame Game and the 8 canned Justice Leaguers

G.W. 6

U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President. He can fire and hire them when ever he wants, it is a function of the Executive Branch of Government. That 6 years into his Presidency He elected to fire a few of them should be a non event.

But like rabid dogs the left is all over it snarling, barking and chomping on about how disgraceful it is that eight Attorneys were told to join the unemployment line.

Slick Willie 92

Where were these same bastions of protocol when Slick Willie back in 1992 moments after taking the Oath of Office fired every damn one of them.

I didn't hear Leahy, Schumer, Biden or any of the other Democrats calling for Janet Reno's head. Hell she hadn't even been confirmed yet, Bill did that one all by his lonesome.

Hillarys Hypocracy

What I find amusing is that even Hillary is calling for Gonzales to go. In other words it's okay for her lying cheating husband to axe them all on his first day in office, but George Bush needs to can Gonzales for firing 8 after 6 years in office.

Some Rinos side with Dems

The part that really disgusts me is there seems to be a few Republicans that are calling for the Attorney Generals head as well.

Let the House and Senate hold their investigations

Let them subpoena Rove, Miers and who ever else they want to. Get it out in the public arena, shine the light on how hypocritical the platform of the left is.

President Bush offered them the opportunity to save face by having his people talk to the Libs off the record to explain Public Employee personnel issues in private, as it should be.

Now not only will the 8 Attorneys have lost their job they will be forced to endure the public humiliation as to why they lost them in the first place.

They will lose this like they lost the Plame Game

Last week Valerie in all her smugness testified under oath that she was a covert agent for CIA. Moments after she got done the person responsible for the creation of the Covert Agent Act testified.

Since she wrote the criteria she should know whether Plame is covered by the act or not and she testified under oath that the vim and vivacious Val was not and is not a covert agent with CIA.

Of course this is something that most of us including Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald have know for the last few years anyway.

After all of his investigating, posturing and wasting millions of taxpayer dollars "Fitz" never indicted anyone for leaking Val to the press. He knew she wasn't covert from the beginning of his witch hunt.

Which begs the question; Why did he need to investigate a crime that never happened?

Considering all of that it took brass boobs for Plame to take an oath to tell the truth and then state for the record that she was a covert agent for CIA. Covert Agents do not enter the front entrance of CIA headquarters in plain sight day in and day out for years on end.

It seems that everyone but her, her husband (the one that likely outed her in the first place) and a few Radical left wing leaders knew she was not protected by Covert Status.

When, if ever will she be prosecuted for lying under oath?

The Libs will lose the Justice League 8 debacle just like they lost the Plame Game. The shear audacity to make eight firings after six years an issue when their poster boy canned 92 on day one is incredulous.

Score: Whitehouse 2 - Leftwing Libs 0

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

No good deed goes unpunished

State Employee suspended for helping heart patient

State snowplow driver Chuck Odom has been suspended for having initiative and a heart. Apparently Tim Weander does not feel these are qualities that a Public Servant in the state of Nebraska should have. It seems that Weander and those above him in state government would rather have one of the people they are paid to serve die than see one of their rules broken. Sort of sounds like the Gestapo to me.

“There are exceptions,” Weander said, “but that is the policy.”

So what exactly does that mean Timmy?

That you would rather see Mr. Howard dead than have your precious policy violated? It would appear that you place brownshirt lockstep adherence to your rules above the lives of the very citizens that you are paid to serve.

If that is the case then it is my opinion that you Mr. Weander and any one above you that feels Chuck Odom did wrong is a disgrace to the people of Nebraska.

Tax payers needed assistance

Chuck responded to the calls from the wife of a man with a heart condition. Bob Howard was having chest pains and his wife Alice was unable to get friends or private snowplow contractors to clear their quarter mile drive way so that they could get to a scheduled heart appointment.

Chuck Odom used state equipment to clear the Howard drive so that the Mrs. Howard could get her ailing husband to the Doctor.

Apparently the Howards felt that Bob's condition at that time did not warrant a call to 911. Since Mr. Howard did have a heart condition and was having chest pains that could have changed in an instant.

“Bob had begun to feel some angina the night before, and it was getting worse with his frustration that we might not be able to keep his doctor’s appointment,” she said.

Mr Howards condition was getting worse, in all likelihood if Mr. Odom had not acted it is likely that Bob's condition would have worsened to the point a 911 call was necessary.

Chuck Odom should be lauded as a Hero for saving a life instead of being punished for countermanding Field Marshal Weanders policies.

Tim Weander Department District engineer for the Omaha area said that 'with exceptions" it is forbidden to use department equipment on private property.

Well gee Ebenezer .... er ah I mean Tim if this doesn't qualify as an emergency I don't know what is. Why is this even an issue? Chuck Odom is exactly the type of Public Servant that Nebraska should have.

Judging from the majority of comments made at the end of the LJS article I am glad to see that I am not the only one to feel this way.

Cold hearted lowlife Scumbag idiocy

There are some that would rather see Mr. Howard dead than for a Public Servant to do a good deed for a member of the public he serves.

One of the commenter's suggested that the Howards should have called 911 as it is the responsibility of the First Responders to trudge through a quarter mile of deep, blowing and drifting snow with all of the necessary equipment including a gurney to get to the Howard residence.

This idiot also insinuated that it is the job of the Responders to push, pull and haul the gurney loaded with Mr. Howard all the while assisting a worried Mrs. Howard back to their rescue vehicle through the same deep blowing and drifting snow. After all that is what they get paid for. Right?

My guess is that this dumbass can't think his/her way through a fast food order off of a drive through menu board.

How in the hell can any sane person suggest that Paramedics should they have been called to transport a heart patient on a gurney for a quarter of a mile under those conditions. If the patient were not in serious condition when they started the trek he would be by the time they got him to the ambulance. Or worse ... dead.

The fact that more than one person responded in a negative manner speaks volumes about what Nebraska is becoming;

These cold hearted lowlife scumbags would rather see Mr Howard dead than for a Public Servant to be commended for service above and beyond his job description.

What would have happened if the Howards had to call 911 for a medical emergency. The First responders would have assessed the situation and called upon government snow removal equipment for the drive to be cleared wasting valuable time that could have been spent tending to a heart patient.

A credit to Nebraska

Mr Odom recognized the situation for what it was and knew if the Howards needed 911 assistance that he or other snowplow drivers would be called to clear the drive so that emergency vehicles could get to the patient.

That 911 assistance was not needed is of no consequence, the fact that Mr Howard had a heart condition and was having chest pains is reason enough for Mr. Odom to do what he did. Should the Hwards had to call 911 the actions of Mr. Odom would have likely saved Mr. Howard.

But then those lowlife cold hearted scumbags that condemn Chuck Odom for what he did would sleep better at night knowing that Mr. Howard died while the First Responders sat one quarter of a mile away unable to assist until Chuck showed up with his plow.

What I take away from all of the comments that chastise Mr Odom is this;

I don't give two owl hoots in the forest whether Mr Howard died or not as long as the policies of this state were not broken by some lowly public servant. How dare he be so uppity as to save some ones life while he is on the States time clock.

Letter of Appreciation for outstanding service to the citizens of Nebraska

To Chuck Odom,

On behalf of no one but myself I congratulate you on a job well done Mr. Odom. You are a credit to Nebraska and the people of this state. If only there were more like you in service to the people.

As a taxpayer I thank you Mr Odom for serving on my behalf and going above and beyond your call to duty.

You Sir have my sincerest respect and it would be my pleasure to some day shake your hand.

Gunscribe

Rock your Glock Schedule for 2007

History

Nebraska has not had a sanctioned Glock Shooting Sports Foundation event. Anyone wanting to compete in these venues must travel to Colorado, Missouri or Minnesota.

Several years ago Chris Zeeb a local certified Glock armorer and competition shooter approached GSSF about sponsoring an event in the Cornhusker state. GSSF was not interested.

Undaunted by this rejection Chris started up the event we know as Rock Your Glock. This will be the third year that Chris and a myriad of volunteers will host the matches at the Lincoln Izaak Walton League shooting range.

Unlike the GSSF matches the Rock Your Glock competition a competitor is not required to shoot a Glock. As I have mentioned in previous posts Sig's, Hi-powers, 1911's and a host of other firearms are welcome.

This Year

In fact last year Chris modified the rules so that single stack magazine sidearms no longer have to compete against the normal capacity semi-automatics. Going a step further Chris even created a class for revolvers.

The Rock Your Glock events are a fun way to spend a weekend morning. They normally run from 7:30 AM to about Noon. In fact you do not even have to be there at 7:30 AM to sign up. You can show up anytime prior to the noon hour sign in, shoot the courses and leave. The scores will be posted on the Rock Your Glock website that evening.

In the past two years all of the events have been on Saturday mornings. That changes this year as two of the events will be on Sunday.

If your interested in Rocking your Glock (or other make of sidearm) Check out the Rock Your Glock website and come out and safely enjoy your firearms.

The schedule this year is as follows;

Saturday - May 12th, 2007

Sunday - June 10th, 2007

Sunday - August 12th, 2007

Saturday - September 8th, 2007

Safety

Please be reminded that with all shooting sports there are rules that need to be adhered to for the safety of all participants. It is the responsibility of all competitors to be familiar with them.

Besides a safe firearm a shooter will be required to have appropriate eye and ear protection.

Equipment

It takes 100 rounds of ammunition to complete the three courses of fire. Having more than that is beneficial should a stage/s need to be re-shot should the timing equipment malfunction.

It is also helpful, but not necessary for semi-automatic shooters to have 3-4 magazines that hold at least ten rounds for their firearm. Revolver shooters should consider having 3-4 speed loaders, but again it is not a necessity.

Directions to the Lincoln Ikes can be found on the Rock Your Glock website. Hope to see you all out there.