I May Have to Paint This on the Tailgate of My Truck
Found at AR15.com.
Month: November 2009
Quote of the Day – Snark Edition
Wait a second… I can’t believe it’s taken this long to point out that Kevin finally is quoting Rush verbatim.
— “EMP” in the quotes to A Host of Holy Horrors to Direct Our Aimless Dance
That’s some quality snark, right there!
Speaking Truth to Power
Speaking Truth to Power
Where are the “General Betray Us” ads, offered at a reduced rate in the New York Times? Are we going to see an entire subculture—Michael Moore, novels, docu-dramas, comedians, etc.—slamming Obama on the war? Or, in contrast, an entire populist, in the streets, protest over Obama voting “present” while he goes to Copenhagen instead of meeting with Gen. McChrystal? Cannot the media see that the surge in Iraq—little public support, defections in Bush’s own party, a hostile media, demagoguery from the left, campaign distortions by the likes of Obama himself—was the far harder call than granting a troop request in Afghanistan? Why was Bush’s tough call “doomed” in a “lost” war, while Obama’s “present” vote is seen as sober and judicious?
—
These are the most interesting of times: we are witnessing nothing less than an attempt in just 10 months to reinvent the United States at home and abroad into something it never was, led by someone who, the more soothing, comforting, and melodic his speech-making, the more bruising, cut-throat, and ruthless the act that follows.
So it’s like we’re living in the late Roman Republic…
Victor Davis Hanson, Works and Days – Thoughts from the Later Republic>
RTWT. Out loud. Print it out and pass it around.
More like this, please.
Quote of the Day – Thomas Jefferson Edition
Quote of the Day – Thomas Jefferson Edition
Jefferson disregarded his constitutional doubts, signed the proposed treaty [The Louisiana Purchase –mpa], and sent it to the Senate for ratification. In justifying his actions, he later wrote: “[a] strict observance of the written law is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to the written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the ends to the means.” — Wikipedia
Found in an interesting post at Mark Alger’s Baby TrollBlog.
That’s very much the point I was making in The United Federation of Planets, in far fewer words.
AZ Blogmeet & Range Trip – Update
AZ Blogmeet & Range Trip – Update
OK, according to the poll, 11 people can make the Dec. 12 date, one (1) can make Dec. 5, and six can’t make either. (Sorry, y’all!)
We’re going with the 12th. Now I need to verify from the City of Casa Grande that the range is not reserved on the 12th for Cowboy Action shooters or such. It would be a bummer to show up there and not be able to shoot!
Assuming there’s no conflict, here’s how I see it happening: I and at least a couple of other people need to be at the range when it opens at 7:00AM in order to secure good shooting positions. I’ll be bringing my AR500 plate steel targets, and I’ll need a hand setting them up – they weigh about 35lbs each, and they have to be hand-carried downrange, since there is no longer vehicle access. We’ll shoot until about 1:00PM, then pack it in and go to a restaurant still to be determined. I’ll be contacting other, non-gun-oriented Arizona bloggers to invite them to shoot and/or eat, too. At least this gives me about a month to get this organized.
A word or twelve about the Elsy Pearson Public Rifle Range:
1) It is an unsupervised range – there are no Range Officers, so we have to do that ourselves. I expect everyone to be familiar with the Four Rules. I also expect everyone to be familiar with firing range etiquette.
2) There is no potable water at the range. Bring fluids. (But no alcohol.)
3) There is, at least, a Porta-Potty on site now. There didn’t used to be. I suggest that someone bring some toilet paper, just in case. And hand-sanitizer, too.
4) Even though it’s late fall, and the firing line is covered, Mr. Sun is nasty. Bring sunscreen.
5) There are no targets nor target stands at this range. You can bring anything you’re willing to clean up as a target (exceptions being glass and explosive targets – that’s posted). As I said, I’ll be bringing my steel targets, and everyone is welcome to shoot them. I’ll also be bringing a target stand for paper targets. If you go out to pick something up, don’t get the “stick in the ground” type target stands. The ground out there is caliche, and about as hard as cement.
6) There are three ranges to shoot from, a 100 yard range with covered shooting benches, a 300 yard range with covered benches, and a 25 yard range with no benches, but the firing line is covered too. I figure we’ll take up one end of the 300 yard range. In addition, the backstop is a range of mountains. About 600 yards downrange on the side of the mountain someone has put some steel targets, so if you bring something with some reach, you have something to shoot at.
7) Sorry, but they don’t allow .50BMG at this range. I suppose it’s just slightly possible to loft a 750 grain .50 caliber projectile over the mountain range backstop and drop it onto Interstate 8, so they’re verboten.
We still need a place to go after the shoot. I’m open to suggestions. I’d prefer it if it wasn’t posted “No Guns,” obviously. Anyone familiar with Casa Grande?
Your Moment of Zen
In a Mature Society, “Civil Servant” is Semantically Equal to “Civil Master”
In a Mature Society, “Civil Servant” is Semantically Equal to “Civil Master”
The title of this post is a quote from Robert Heinlein’s The Notebooks of Lazarus Long, and it is echoed by Brit Phil B’s essay from last week, specifically this bit:
You must understand the nature of the Politicians, Quangos (Quasi Autonomous Non Governmental Organisations) and the Civil Service (which is neither civil or a servant but a Master). Ministers come and go and are briefed by the civil servants but it is the Civil Service which effectively runs the country.
RedState expands on a memo released by the US Office of Personnel Management yesterday, explaining:
Obama Administration Intends to Purge Republicans From the Civil Service
It is a typical Washington process that many political appointees are able to take jobs within the civil service once their political appointment expires — usually at the conclusion of one administration. What often happens as well is Congressional staffers, before an election or shortly thereafter, will move over to the Executive Branch placed into the civil service, in effect, by appointment.
So, for example, when George Bush became President in 2001, a number of Clinton political appointees became civil service employees. As a result, they became subject to civil service hiring and firing rules, which meant they could no longer be replaced simply for having been a Democratic appointee.
Barack Obama is changing that. He intends to purge all Republicans from the federal bureaucracy retroactive to five years ago.
My favorite quote from the memo:
I believe we must hold ourselves and the government to a higher standard, one that honors and supports the President’s strong commitment to a Government that is transparent and open.
War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength, Indecision is Statesmanship, and Transparency is Opacity. So far I haven’t seen Obama show a “strong commitment” to anything other than getting elected. But he apparently deeply understands how to manipulate the levers of power.
A Host of Holy Horrors to Direct Our Aimless Dance
A Host of Holy Horrors to Direct Our Aimless Dance
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice — Rush, Freewill
I don’t have much to say on Obamlet’s indecision on Afghanistan (other than “why is anyone surprised?”) but others do. Gerard Vanderleun and Neo-Neocon for example.
There’s an App for That
Who Wants to Attend an Arizona Blogmeet & Range Trip?
BUMPED AND POLL ADDED.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. For one thing, I desperately need to update my blogroll and get a LOT of AZ bloggers on the sidebar. Second, I’ve attended blogger get-togethers in Louisville, Reno, Phoenix, and Moyockistan, but the last time I met up with local AZ bloggers, we didn’t do any shooting.
So, I’m thinking we invade the Casa Grande public shooting range one Saturday, hurl a ton of lead downrange, then caravan off to dinner somewhere not too far off to eat, drink, and tell lies for a few hours.
Who’s interested? Can we set this up?
UPDATE: How about Saturday, Dec. 5? UPDATE III: I’m informed that there’s a gun show in Phoenix that weekend. How about the 12th?
UPDATE II: If you’re a blogger and you’re up for it, please spread the news. Not everybody who reads you reads me. Again, blog readers are more than welcome! And if you happen to live in Casa Grande or are familiar with it, some suggestions on where to go eat, drink, and be merry afterwards would be appreciated.