There’s this local band called Leannasaurus Rex. Well, they’re not Austin-local, but they’re nearby and not some big national act. But they make good music.
Check this, “If Lovin’ You Is Wrong”:
another good jam: “I Don’t Need No Doctor”:
They’ve got a new album out called “Hot Summer Jams”. It’s a breath of fresh air… real musicians making real music, live, without a net.
The Texas State Rifle Association Political Action Committee was supposed to publish their voter’s guide a few days ago… have yet to see it on the website, but hopefully it will appear soon.
Meantime, my issue of TSRA Sportsman just arrived. Here’s what’s relevant for my districts:
Governor – Rick Perry A+ (endorsement). Bill White – B
Lt. Governor – David Dewhurst A+ (endorsement). Linda Chavez-Thompson ?? (didn’t return questionaire and/or has no voting record; may be hostile to 2A issues).
Attorney General – Greg Abbott A+ (endorsement). Barbara Ann Radnofsky A-
Comptroller – Susan Combs A (endorsement)
Texas Land Commission – Jerry Patterson A+ (endorsement). Hector Uribe ??
Agriculture Commissioner – Todd Staples A (endorsement). Hank Gilbert A-
US House of Representatives, District 25 – Donna Campbell AQ (Q means has no voting record thus the grade is purely based upon questionnaire response). Lloyd Doggett F.
Texas Senate (SD 25) – Jeff Wentworth A+ (endorsement)
Texas House of Representatives (HD 47) – Paul Workman A (endorsement). Valinda Bolton C.
Hopefully the TSRAPAC will have the full guide up soon.
Here’s a link to the NRA PVF’s Texas voter guide.
Updated: Of course, just as I post this, TSRAPAC posts their guide. 🙂
This past weekend I assisted with a Beyond the Basics: Handgun class. This is an intermediate class, and while you didn’t NEED to have a concealed handgun license (CHL) as a prerequisite, certainly some students come that way. Before class begins, we need to ensure everyone is properly outfitted, so if you have gun on you, unload it (so we can do dry-fire drills); if you don’t have a gun on you, get a holster on and put your unloaded gun in it. So to make this happen, we intercept people at the parking lot, take them to the range and get them prepped.
Decided this time to approach things differently, opening with the question: “Do you have a CHL?”
Certainly, some people said no and we went about things as normal.
For those that did have a CHL? the follow-up question was, “so you have your gun on you, right?”
We were met with more than a few “no”, which I followed-up with a disapproving look and “Why not?”
Reasons were numerous. Some people misunderstood policy, so here’s an excerpt of KR Training policy:
In the Parking Lot Before Class
You should arrive with your guns unloaded, stored in a case or a bag.
“Unloaded” means no ammunition anywhere in the gun. Magazine out, chamber empty, hammer down.
Do NOT carry a gun uncased from the parking lot to the classroom or range.
If you have a CHL and you arrive wearing a loaded handgun, leave the gun holstered until directed to unholster by an instructor.
If you were not wearing your carry gun when you drove through our front gate, do NOT put it on and load it in the parking area.
Put it in a case or bag or in your holster and bring it to the classroom unloaded.
So, if you have a CHL and are wearing your gun, that’s not a problem. Just leave it in the holster until we tell you otherwise.
One person arrived carrying, but because he knew he was going to a class, he had loaded up at home with practice ammo. That’s not good. You should continue to carry your “social ammo” at all times. You will be given an opportunity to switch from social to practice ammo before things begin (and if you’re in doubt or we forget, you’re always welcome to ask or speak up).
But the bottom line is this: if you have a CHL, why aren’t you carrying?
The implication there is ALWAYS carrying.
You cannot know when the flag is going to fly. If you are so fortunate as to be able to know or predict that, then you should take the preferred course of action and avoid the situation entirely. But since I’m unable to predict when evil people will do bad things against me, I just have to be prepared — always. YMMV.
To paraphrase Tom Givens, carry your damn gun, people!
“A preliminary injunction is hereby issued, enjoining and prohibiting the city of New Orleans… and all others claiming to act on their behalf from implementing the automated traffic enforcement system or otherwise issuing speeding or red-light tickets using an automated commercial ticketing system,” Judge Irons ordered.
Attorney Edward R. Washington III argued that, as a matter of law, the program was illegal. The city immediately appealed the order on the grounds that it would lose a tremendous amount of money were the system to be shut down.
“Without the nearly $15 million in expected revenue from this source for next year and the remaining $5 million in anticipated fines for 2010, this decision, if upheld, will impact essential city services and could result in layoffs and the closing of city facilities,” City Attorney Nannette Jolivette-Brown said in a statement.
So yeah… red light and speeding cameras…. yeah… they’re all about public safety *wink wink*
Remember, like many things in life, follow the money to find the truth.
Man…. terrible name, but a nifty service. KrimeLabb, a database of crimes in Austin. You can look up by zipcode, address. See the list of offenses, map them out. It’s pretty cool.
It’s also a good lesson to people who think “it can’t happen to me… not in my neighborhood”. Oh yes… crime is happening all around you.
Yesterday I was out at KR Training helping with the Basic Pistol 1 and Beyond The Basics: Handgun classes.
A few observations from the classes:
Really, a good day. Good classes. Good students. Good weather. Can’t get much better.
Maybe not strictly metal, but metal wouldn’t be what it is if Nazareth didn’t exist… because now you’re messin’ with a sonofabitch!
Shopping at Target.
Total comes to $15.66.
Only bills I have are $20’s, but I do have a pocket full of change that I’d like to get rid of. If I can eliminate some change and get 1 $5 back instead of 4 $1’s and more change, I’d like to do that.
I hand the $20 to the young lady working the register and say “Hang on, I think I’ve got the 66¢”, but she already keyed $20.00 into the register and pressed Enter. Drawer pops open but I managed to get her to wait a moment while I counted out change from my pocket.
Alas, I had 2 quarters, 1 penny, and a couple of dimes, but no nickels… so I can’t make 66¢, but I can make 71¢.
“Well, I don’t have 66¢ but I do have 71¢” I tell the girl as I hand her the change.
She stares at me with a vacant look, unsure of what she’s supposed to do.
I sigh.
“I tell her, just give me back a $5 bill and a nickel.”
You can see she’s trying to wake up the hamster that powers her brain, but I can tell even if the hamster woke up it wouldn’t know how to run on the wheel.
“Just give me a 5 and a nickel.”
blank stare.
“A 5 and a nickel”.
She struggles to comprehend… I think it clicked that math is now involved. Math that the computer didn’t do for her, and she apparently cannot do in her head on her own.
“A 5 and a nickel.”
I can tell she gives up on trying to figure it out for herself and reluctantly trusts my math is correct. She proceeds to hand me 5 $1 bills and a nickel and says, “Sir, we’re not allowed to do this.” (implying “OK, I’ll do this just this once, but there’s company policy against us doing things like this.” i.e. some weak attempt to save face).
Not allowed to do what? Make change?
Do math?
Think?
*sigh*
Spent the past few days in California on business.
The best thing about visiting California? Leaving. 😉
Actually, I think California is beautiful. I love driving 17 over the hill… lots of fun. One time my rental car ended up being a Ford Mustang, so the drive was even more fun. This time, my rental was a Chevy HHR, so the drive was not as much fun.
Speaking of the HHR…. well, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. So, I’ll be silent on this issue.
Was a good trip. Got much done. Exciting things ahead.
But now, back home, and back to a normal life…. tho I can tell, it’s been anything but normal here in Austin while I was away.
Now that I’m done (for now) loading 9mm, I’m switching to reload .38 Special.
The caliber conversion on the Lock N Load press went pretty smoothly, thanx to the bushing system. I had loaded .38 previously on the press, so all of the dies were already sized and set in their bushings, so just remove the 9 dies, insert the .38 dies. Done!
Well, not quite.
That did take care of the resize/decapping die, bullet seater, and then crimping die. The powder cop die? I don’t have a second one so I had to readjust that, but that’s trivial to do once you have your powder set up. And that’s where things took a bit of work. While resetting the powder drop itself wasn’t too hard, it’s just all the tedium of getting it to drop just the right amount (3.5 grains of Titegroup). And it’s not even the adjusting of the drop, it’s using the beam scale.
Yes, for Christmas I’d like a digital scale, please. One that plugs into the wall, no batteries.
Apart from that, the caliber conversion went smoothly, and I started loading .38. Gosh, it feels so different under my fingers. Going from those short stubby 9mm cases to long .38 cases. From the small 115 grain bullets to larger 158 grain bullets (and these Berry’s 158 grain DS RN are seating and working just fine). The feel is so different, the rhythm is different. Even the sound the rounds make when dumping out of the press into the bucket is different.
But it also feels neat to be done with 9 and onto something else. 🙂
I’ll keep loading .38 until the Titegroup is gone. Then, rifle. I’m really looking forward to that endeavor.
