Dear Utah State Legislature

Dear members of the Utah State Legislature,

Your failure to pass Constitutional Carry was deeply disappointing to me.  Sure the Governor vetoed it, but this is a Governor who is obnoxious and disliked.  He’s a Rino at best, and a total jackwagon on top of that… he’s not going to win the next election.  So what if he vetoed it?  Your Constituents wanted it.  The people who voted you in, wanted it.  It would have put us in line with our fellow western states to the north and south of us.  Colorado is nothing more than Eastern California, and thus doesn’t count… full of Broncos fans anyway.  And Nevada is full of Unionized Gambling Addicts and Whores, so really, they don’t count either.  Arizona, and Wyoming though… Our Brothers!

You’re jobs, by your very title “Representatives” need to represent us.  We wanted Constitutional Carry.  And you guys know it.  It flew through the House and Senate so fast, it was unbelievable… so much momentum.  Only to be stopped by pompous stuffed shirt?  That’s not right.  You guys could have taken it the very next day and Overridden that clown.  You guys could have done that in a matter of minutes.  You had the votes, your just had to cast them one more time… but you couldn’t do it.  That was disappointing, but not as disappointing as what you guys did to the bill along the way.

Somewhere along the way you took Constitutional Carry and ruined it.  You watered it down and made it useless.  Not just useless… but you in fact made it even more dangerous.  Just like the asinine Open Carry Law… you insisted on making concealed carriers run unloaded.  Open carry, unloaded, is dangerous.  It puts the Citizen behind the 8-Ball in reaction to a criminal action.  You in fact, make the Citizen a Target for a criminal attack, because the Criminal knows the Citizen is unloaded!  And you did the same thing to Constitutional Carry?  That’s reckless.  It’s in fact, irresponsible.  Allow me to show you why.

It’s not just about speed, as this young man illustrated.  It’s also adding in unnecessary manipulation that can be fumbled when the defensive tool is needed the most.  A fumble here at such a critical moment could cause the gun to jam, or an accident to happen.  There is no reason to insist on empty chamber carry.  It’s wrong, and I don’t know any professional firearms instructor or expert that advocates it.  You are putting Citizens at greater risk by insisting on Empty Chamber Carry.  You guys need to fix the bill, vote it again and pass it… Then override this Governor who is single handedly blocking what your Constituents want done.

Can’t watch Top Gear anymore

Clarkson_cc6084_2422933

See what I mean?  Jeremy Clarkson is the Mouth of Sauron.  He’s always had bad teeth, but in seasons 17 and worse, 18, they are so bad that they are distracting and horrifying.   You would think that a man making as much money as he is, could afford to know what a dentist is.

Maybe…
He is the most Tactical Man in the World.  He’s Teeth are Disruptive Multicam Flat Dark Earth.

 

Briefest car ownership.

What has been your shortest period of car ownership?
I was studying the automotive market for Pony Cars yesterday, and I was reminded of a Mustang that I had briefly.  I don’t remember the year and I don’t think I have a photo of it… but it was blue and had a V-6.  It had a 5 speed manual, nice stereo, and every upgrade known to man to get more power out of the V-6… which was rated from the factory at only 210 horse powers and I don’t think it had any torques.  Exhaust and cold air intakes, this V-6 was actually pretty energetic.  It might have had upwards of 250 horses.  I had it a day.  I bought the car in Provo and then thought better of it as I brought it back the next day and traded it for a Subaru Legacy.  And then a couple days after that, I drove it to Virginia and back, through some serious snow storms.  I don’t think the Mustang would have allowed me to survive that. Thinking that was my shortest ownership of a car, I then remembered my Saab 900 Turbo.  It was black with some rust and cheap wheels and the interior smelled like bubblegum.  Back when I was working in IT in Salt Lake City, I found a guy selling a very nice SAAB 900 Turbo.  It was low miles and then engine was great.  Asking 1500 for it, it was probably worth that, but he was desperate to sell it.  I only had 900 dollars, and said, I have this much cash so take it or leave it.

He took it.  He filled out the Title and handed it to me, along with the keys, and I was off.  I drove it around Salt Lake and started to really like it.  I found myself flying south to Lehi, and then west… heading out to the West Desert.  Where I wrecked it.

I was doing power slides and larking about like a jackass.  It was in the middle of a pendulum turn, the car sliding sideways at full opposite lock when something happened.  I’m not sure exactly what it was.  Maybe a tire lost it’s bead and the wheel hit the ground.  Maybe something broke. Or maybe Heaven’s Office Manager said that I can’t have a Saab.  Which is fine, and I’ll explain why later.  So anyways, there I was, sliding sideways around a curve… when all the sudden the horizon flipped over.  And continued to flip about 9 more times.  Maybe 11 more times.  I don’t know.  I wasn’t exactly counting.  The Saab came to rest on it’s wheels.  Or where the wheels should have been.  One of them was just gone.  I think it ended up in Nevada.  The others were hiding up in the wheel wells.  Out of the top of the hood protruded what I think used to be the struts.  I was very lucky and pretty much unhurt.  I was mostly scared of telling my bride that I just blew 900 bucks cash on a roller coaster ride.

I was contemplating how my wife was going to kill me, when another motorist who had a cell phone stopped and asked what happened.  I said, “I don’t know, but I think I broke it.”

About an hour later the tow truck arrived.  It was of course a flat bed wrecker driven by a man who was almost brought to tears by the site of the ruined Saab.  He was a Saab fanatic and was rebuilding one of his own.  One with a blown engine.  As the story goes and luck would have it, by the time we reached I-15, he agreed to pay me 900 bucks for the remains of the car so he could take out the engine and use it in his car… and maybe any other useful bits that I didn’t destroy.  Like the shift knob.  He was happy. I was happy I wasn’t killed or going to get killed.

I’ve decided after that instance, that I hate Saabs.  Total time of ownership… just over 2 hours.

Utah

Both the gun bills at the Utah State Capitol have been defeated.
Utah has decided not to back up its own Sheriffs. And even though the Constitutional Carry Bill flew threw the House and Senate, the Governor decided to Veto it. And its not looking like they are going to bother trying to override the veto, even though the bill had more than enough support.
I’m disappointed and saddened by Utah.
Utah does not know how to look ahead.  Utah can not see the possibilities of the future and prepare for it.  I’m at the point now with Utah, that I really could just leave it.  Not just for these issues, but for a great many others that I’ve not mentioned before here on this site.
If I had a good job offer some place else, I could probably just move out of this sad sack state.
Better yet, if the Uintah Basin could become its own State, that would be great.

A good point…

Last week on Armed American Radio, during the Round Table, we talked about possible civil unrest and Police and Federal Agents coming down hard on US Citizens all Jackboot Style.
I said that I have a lot of friends who are law enforcement officers, and agents of Homeland Security that I’ve met are all on our side.  Rob Pincus was also in agreement and doesn’t believe we are heading into Civil War.  Rob is a very level headed guy, a real “Stay Calm and Think” person.
Then the other guest on the Round Table, from Oregon Firearms Federation,  Kevin Starrett, made a good point.  “I remember Wacko and Ruby Ridge.”

That’s been bugging me ever since.  Under my skin.  Clawing at the back of my brain.

Wacko.

Ruby Ridge.

I want to live in an America where I can trust my Government. I don’t know when exactly it all changed… But that 50’s America where we just came through a dark time and everything was Light and Achievement. I believe that was our Golden Age. And it’s all lost. Now we are back in darkness… but we are not fighting Nazis “Over there”. The dark shadow over us is our own Government… A boot that’s coming down on our face…

AWB2 Dropped

Harry Reid dropped the AWB. But don’t break out the party favors yet. For Harry Reid to do this, he has his reasons and its not for the love of the Constitution.  It’s mostly his love for his Seat.  If they moved forward with the AWB, the Mid Term Elections would not go his way.  He would lose his seat as Senate Majority Leader.  He’s smart enough to reflect on what happened last time they passed an AWB.

This also gives Harry Reid the ability to show that he’s compromised on this issue, so the Republicans need to compromise on the Magazine Limitations.   He’s playing Chess here.  Sacrificing one thing to advance another for a greater position later.

Don’t trust Harry Reid.  Don’t trust the Government as a whole.  Buy ammo, buy magazines, use cash as much as possible for this.  If you don’t have an AR-15, go ahead and get one.  Here’s why.

The AR-15 is America’s Rifle.  It’s modeled after the M-16/M-4, our Nation’s fighting rifle.  The AR-15 is our Liberty’s Teeth.  And it scares the shit out of the Libtards.  There are mags out there… Lancers and Troys are great mags, just because Pmags are hard to get, you can still get good mags.  Ammo is out there too.  It’s more spendy than it used to be, but it’s still less than .308 in the same quantities.

1115

I’m switching up my carry ammo for my Beretta.    According to Hornady my previous carry load, their XTP Custom 115 grain load, zips out at 1155 FPS.   I used to really like the XTP’s, and the Winchester SXT’s, which were about the same.  With the ammo drought going on, the load I wanted to get for my Beretta 92FS was the PDX1’s, were just not available.  I’ve actually been waiting for those suckers to come in since I got the 92!
Today, we did get in some 9mm defense stuff.  1 case.  Just one.  So I snagged some.  Hornady’s new Critical Duty 135 grain +P.  These suckers are stepping out at a very respectible 1115 FPS.  Only 40 FPS slower, but a lot heavier.   Felt recoil is increased some… I feel more push, but not as sharp of a kick as I was expecting.  Accuracy is spot on.  I dig that.  And the fact that’s as heavy as my old favorite .40 cal loads.  This is a comfortable load for me and a comfortable load for the big full sized Battle Handgun Beretta 92FS.
Accuracy and Reliability are there, and according to all the reports I’ve read, the Terminal Ballistics are there too.  I hope I never have to find out though.

My left hand

You know what sucks?  Gout.  Gout sucks.  I’ve been dealing with it for years and years in my legs.  But a week ago, it hit me in my left hand.  I woke up to a hand that was swollen and felt like it was crushed with a sledge hammer.
I can not articulate just how much it hurt.  This was truly the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life.  I’ve had gunshots, stabs, and broken bones that did not hurt nearly this bad.
Here I am a week later, and with proper meds, the hand is no longer swollen.  Well, it’s almost back to normal.  But the movement in the index finger has not fully returned.  I have some movement, but it’s still very restricted.  Typing is is a 9 fingered affair right now.  The pain is mostly gone too… Unless I move my finger or bump it or look at it wrong.  The main joint in the hand that works that index finger, it’s still a bit swollen and painful… it feels like there is some serious damage in there.

Anyone giving me Gout Advice – I’ll bitchslap you next time I see you.  Just sayin.

So why am I bringing this up?

Guns.
Manipulating guns one handed has taught me a lot.  Even just “Strong Hand Only”.  Sounds easy… It’s not.  Not without some practice.  Not without some serious practice.  Handguns.  AR-15’s.  Lever Actions.  Surprisingly, what I had the most problems with… my 870’s.  I need more practice with this.
Say you catch a bullet in your hand.  Or some other injury that renders your off hand useless… a burn or something.  If you don’t know what to do before… hand… sorry… You are going to be stumbling.  You need to know what to do before it happens.
So this weekend, your Training Assignment.   All weekend long.  One Hand Manipulations Handling.  If you have to, tape all your fingers together to remind you.  No cheating.  For me, cheating felt like someone hit my hand with a baseball bat.  Easy for me to remember not to cheat.  For you guys – Honor Code.
Admin Loading.
Reloading.
Press Check.
Holstering.
With all your main line fighting guns.

Report back with what you learned.