In other news...

While I was reading about Obama's drilling decision, I came across this: Texas Town on High Alert as Mexican Town Across Border Braces for Cartel Gun Battle.

This isn't the first time violence has spilled across the border. During one of the Mexican Revolutions Rangers from across the state had to neglect other duties to be stationed in El Paso just in case violence spilled across. It was actually considered a form of entertainment to sit on roofs and watch the battle for Juarez.

Back then, the various factions all wanted to be recognized by the United States as Mexico's legitimate government. That gave them a reason to not piss us off. Nowadays, the cartels have been listening to our talk for a while. It seems like they're heeding it less and less.

Where is Captain McNelly when we need him?

(It's not like there was a lull over the last hundred years or so. There were just to many to link too. Go ahead and google it)

Wait just a minute.

I heard the last half of a sound-bite on the radio this afternoon, and it confused me. From what I could tell at the time, Obama had given the okay to off shore drilling, and everybody was mad over it. Something seemed amiss.

I'll admit, when I hear him, or anybody else in D.C. mentioned, my first thought is "What has he screwed up now?" But off shore drilling is something I approve of, so there had to be more to it.

Turns out he didn't okay all off shore drilling, just some of it. And, yeah, when you look at it, it probably is just a gesture to try and appease some folks on the right. And, yes, it will take a while to get any oil from this into the system. There are some good things. Drilling provides a lot of well paying jobs. And more oil, even years from now, is better than more oil never. Sure would be nice if somebody could build some much needed refineries, but hey, baby steps. Right? I'm trying really hard to be positive and look at the bright side.

So why am I sitting here trying to figure out how anybody could have screwed this up?

Weekend Menaces

People, the world is a dangerous enogh place without doing stupid stuff. Remember The Four Rules. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Tranquilizing bulls can be tricky business. A half inch or so can make a huge difference, and it's hard to know exactly where the dart needs to go, and harder yet to put it exactly where you want. On top of that, an excited bull, with his adrenaline pumping, may decide not to become tranquil anyway. So I really don't think any less of the folks in Larimer County, Colorado for taking four darts to get a rampaging bull shut down. They displayed good stick-to-itivness in staying after the menace.

So remember folks, use your head and don't add to the list of menaces, and keep in mind that just because you see something all the time on the other side of the fence when you're driving down the road, doesn't mean it can't be a menace under the wrong circumstances.

Friday Night Music

This week I'm going with one that's really growing on me, Wade Bowen's "Matches." I like the tune, hope you do too.

A revealing look

I've encountered a dead cow or two in my day. I've seen the remains and noticed the changes over time. I've even followed the cloud of buzzards and shot a coyote over one as bait. That gave me a general idea of the process.

But I had no idea about some of the details until Robert at Blackfork set up his Dead Cow Cam. There's more to the process than you'd think.

Never would have guessed...

T.C. was only six years younger than Higgins.

So?

Representative Randy Neugebauer shouted out "it's a baby killer" while Bart "thirty pieces of silver" Stupak was on the house floor the other night. Some people are upset by this. Neugebauer, who is my representative, and who I voted for, has apologized and says he was just trying to represent the people of his district.

Here's a newsflash for yankees and californians. He was representing his district mildly. The fact that the clip can be played unedited on television is proof of that. Most people around here used much stronger words to describe the bill. You can make all the fuss over it that you want, this won't change his chances for re-election. Sure, we've got some commies here who don't like him, but they weren't going to vote for him anyway. The local democratic party was on the news tonight condemning his actions, from what I could tell they held their meeting in a janitor's closet somewhere. Really made them come across as relevant. The people who voted for him before will again. The more you outsiders fuss over it, the more people in West Texas are going to stand behind him.

Nothing new to say

I'm not at all happy with the happenings in D.C. I don't have anything to say about it that hasn't already been said though, so I'll leave you with the best of what I've heard.

First, the anger. From the Monster Hunter himself, Larry Correia, I got this.

Nancy Pelosi said that the founding fathers would be proud... Bitch, George Washington would stab you.

Then, from PDB, we get something a little more uplifting.

We are AMERICANS goddamnit. We are the posterity of Patrick Henry, Chuck Yeager, Carlos Hathcock, George Patton, Daniel Boone, Buzz Aldrin, Chesty Puller, John McClane, Frank Fletcher, Thomas Edison and George Washington and countless other hardass shitkickers who stared down tougher opponents than Nanci Pelosi.

Another take on it

I mentioned my thoughts on Idaho giving the feds the finger, but, as usual, Tam said it better.

...the Idaho state legislature has beaten Congress to the punch with the "Get Bent, D.C." Act of '10, which the governor of the Gem State has already signed into law.

Go ahead and read the rest of what she had to say.

What are you willing to do?

It seems that a California meth ring/motorcycle gang is booby trapping police officers who have cracked down on them. I know my answer to this problem, and Jimmy Malone agrees.

Weekend Menaces: Update

The sun came up in the east this morning, water is wet, and there is a lunatic on the loose in New York.

Anybody know the best way to go about getting some silver bullets for my .45-70? How do I get them to engage the rifling?

The Weather

For as long as I can remember, the weather has been a little different pretty much every day. Some years are a little hotter than others. Some years it rains more than others. It may rain a lot in March and not at all in July. We may have a 70 degree day in January and a 20 degree day in April. That's life.

And every year, I hear people talk about how unusual this year as been. It snowed here last night, and I've heard a lot of people act as if that's not supposed to happen once time changes and spring arrives. Bull. I live in West Texas, and it isn't one bit unusual for us to have a snowstorm around Easter. There is some lag time between equinox and temperature change here on Earth.

A few years back we had the wettest year we'd ever had around here, record rainfall and everything. The next year started out as more of the same, and then we went a hundred days without any rainfall. At the height of the dry spell, a lot of people spoke as if the previous year had never happened.

That's how this global warming thing gets by. Everybody wants to believe that "now" is special. They're living now, after all. Guess what, most people can't tell you what they had for lunch last Tuesday. How do you expect them to remember what the clouds did last year?

Weekend Menaces

Life was a little odd this week, even by its standards.

A single engine plane landed on a jogger as he made his way down the beach in South Carolina. Keep an eye on the sky.

We've had yet another reminder that big reptiles will eat you if given a chance.

Sometimes, people are their own worst enemy. I don't even know what to say to this.

Psychos come in all shapes and sizes.

Look up, look down, and look within. Menaces are everywhere.

Quote of The Day

I always knew I liked the guy.

“You can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal."

-Robert Downey Junior

Maybe crime can pay. Nothing is a total loss if you learn from it.

That's the spirit

Idaho is ready to sue the feds if they pass their health care bill. I'm in favor if this, even though the feds have a history of reacting strongly to threats to their rule.

There's a lot to be said for it

Looks like I'm not the only one who sees some drawbacks in doing away with the code duello. An armed society is a polite society, after all.

Friday Night Music

I've liked Rodney Hayden for a few years now, ever since a local station played his recording of "The Real Thing" and I went out and bought the album. He's coming to town in a couple months and I'm hoping to go. Here he is with one of my favorites, "Heartaches and Highways"


And because I feel like it, here he is doing "Broke Down," which gets played on occasion on 95.9 out of Fort Worth, one of the only radio stations worth listening to for music anymore.

Weekend Menaces

Snakes are dangerous, they could even menace dinosaurs.

Independence Day

And on this day in 1836, the Texas Decleration of Independence was adopted, and the Republic of Texas was born.

Happy Birthday

On this day in 1793, Sam Houston was born.