Just a quick note about being...

a dangerous old man. The Appleseed Shoots tell stories about the 19th of April, 1775, and a couple of the favorites are about Dangerous Old Men. But visiting some blogs have made me aware that the real gun toting crowd isn't just about guns and bullets, but exercising the whole body to train for the need how ever the situation breaks. It isn't just malfunction drill, or dummy rounds or caps, it is about no light, too much light, silence and deafening explosions and blasts rocking and eyes closing tight for dust or fear. Loading with the weak hand, reloading with one hand, is the magazine in a position to get to it, or is it under a couple of layers of clothing, at the end of a limb you can't get another limb to? Lots of things to consider, to practice, to test and to try. Most of all to be ready to struggle without wasting energy, without burning up the necessary fear found chemicals.

So, start with warm ups, stretches, reps for muscle movement of body weight, for span and control. Stop and clean up, eat and go to work, come back and warm up, stretch, reps for max weights on muscle groups, then switch to dry fire drills, malfunction drills, target engagement, concealed positions, room clearing, roll down, roll up, roll right, crawl low, crawl high, see how deep you can get with the worms and the grass, finish with dry fire from all positions - prone, sitting, kneeling, squatting and standing. Should be done four or five times a week, but then most of the gun carrying public don't really think they need to be ready for the real bad guys - and we all know how much fun real work is - very satisfying, but not fun.

So the next time you see a cop run down a thief on foot, remember how many times he should have been practicing running and sprints with gear on - instead of hoping AirFOUR News helicopter is video taping the perp... I guess my message to myself is whatever I am is what I am bringing to the crisis - can I swim well enough to rescue someone? can I run far enough fast enough to break away from someone that wants to harm me, can I get outside and out of my porch lights in time to memorize the car and its plates, and occupants - before I shoot them (and where would I shoot them and what is beyond the target that may need to live to see tomorrow). And most important, is everyone I love safe at the end of the day.

Time for another Honey Lemon tea for my cough and congestion. Take care out there.

Some things hurt more than others...

I dragged the garbage can to the curb, in my sweat pants and muscle shirt with the wooden shoes on, in the snow, my wife asks if that was what I wore and tells me I will catch cold. But I don't believe in colds from the cold just from the snotty, sneezing, coughing huggers with the red teary eyes. Don't know many of them so will be well, did think about riding the motorcycle but the weatherman is iffy today and it will be dark and could be freezing by the time I go home, I will cage me...

I was busy and someone called my name over and over at work, wanting my attentions, the snarling alpha male in me came up and I came out of my den saying things loudly about RUDE, IGNORANT, THOUGHTLESS people (which I had just become one of). The point of my anger cringed and whimpered and said things like "racist remarks and mumble, mumble..." and I felt the fool for being less than he expected and for having hurt him. I hadn't said anything racist that I recognized, but he felt that IGNORANT was racist - while I think ignorance can be cured it is stupidity that seems to be genetic, and I hadn't called him stupid. He snuck away, and I had won but knew that I had really lost - control and one patron that thought he was my buddy and we could talk... I will have to try and repair that relationship somewhere in the future. It will take a while. There is only one of me, two of my fellow library keepers are retiring this year and we still have two vacancies that haven't been filled - going for four and the State has frozen hiring for budget problems (not enough Lotto ticket buyers, not enough sales tax). I must try and fix all that for the ruling Democratic Party, or something.

I did turn off my television news when I found media and the unrighteous preparing to sacrifice their children on the altars of Science and Medicine, and the enlightened representatives of the American people preparing to write Ethical Guidelines for the ritual and rites. Our Congressmen and women know anything about ethics? It probably shouldn't bother me, Science and Medicine are such little gods and the sacrifices are such little defenseless lives - I could never see them without a microscope. But I thought sex was to bring forth babies to gurgle and smile and hold and love. Better go back to what I do best; killing and destroying and listening to the wail of the women...

Thank you, thank you good people everywhere...

Thank Mister Heller, thank you especially Mayor of DC for thinking the Supreme Court was against the People. I have to read the reasons for their thoughts and the votes. But I do know that drug abuse, alcohol abuse and poor reading levels and basic skills have all been taken care of by laws that prohibit drugs, public drunkenness, and support a very fine fully funded public education system in Washington DC. Maybe the next time my sister goes to Washington they won't be stealing stuff from the tour bus, maybe.

I do want to keep laws against harming life and property, but deciding an ice pick is a more terrible weapon than my fine Randall blade is foolish. Make sure I don't harm anyone, don't worry about rocks, sticks or nuclear weapons. I have handled them all well, and with those haven't harmed a soul. Now where do I get that BAR? They once were owned by real American citizens.

Registration Day, more paper about Earl's life...

I had to register the new pistol, the one I purchased to keep concealed, worn always and forgotten about normally. I have to register all my firearms on Fort Lewis, so I can use the ranges and hunt, and if I ever bump into what I am hunting I could shoot it. Hunting may not be one of my strongest points, but I love looking, tracking and figuring game out. Anyway, off to register I go, since we have a returning Brigade from Iraq there are lots of soldiers processing vehicles and weapons, lots of soldiers making plans for their future and getting settled back into Garrison life after FOB. I have filled out the documentation before and do so again, get a number and wait to be called forward to one of three clerks processing.

I have a long list of firearms already registered, and I understand the effort is to improve the control of the weapons, make sure they have responsible owners and users, and if there were ever a crime committed with a weapon they know which one of us might have that particular weapon. No fired cartridges, and no fired full metal jacket bullet saved, but still they do know that the next time a 9mm is used wrongfully my name could come up. I also have three vehicles registered on post, for vehicles they give you a large sticker so the gate guards can identify registered vehicles - it doesn't make any of the drivers better or safer, but everyone knows it has been registered, had insurance coverage and a licensed driver at the time of registration. On my motorcycle I also had to have an approved motorcycle training course certification and the Army Approval of my motorcycle training. All paperwork must be carried when riding the motorcycle on post, along with reflective gear - since they really frown on stealth motorcycle riders running under cars and trucks of people talking on cell phones.

The registration process is quick, the temporary ten day paperwork lists all my weapons registered and amazes me, the fellow that thinks more than one of anything is a bit too much to carry, but it isn't a really long list like some of the real gun toting crowd - I just like to shoot a bit, and am not completely paranoid yet, so I only have three rifles for real game getting, five for small game, targets and plinking, one shotgun, two authoritative .45s, two .22s with sass, and one lone 9mm. But they are all enough for me. One new twist to the registration process, I got my picture taken, which is now permanently attached to the registration record - yes, they did look at my military ID, and my driver's license - and still they need a picture along with my signature to prove I am me and I have all the rules and am approved for using my firearms responsibly on Fort Lewis. Not a universal, international registration for world wide but good for right here and right now. Let me see, the Federales got my finger prints again for my Concealed Carry, the Post has all my firearms registered and my current picture - the weight is wrong by twenty pounds, but I was so much heavier when eating Frank's Doughnuts and Scones. Still if anyone needed to know about me, there are government agencies that know - I have used my passport for years. Don't you all feel safer, knowing I am totally a registered fellow? I certainly do, but then realize that it was like the TSA, a large waste of money and effort, to make some people feel safer.

Betterment Fund, my betterment or their's...

Seems that the Corrections Center at McNeil Island has spread that slimy criminal morality around, corrupting everyone. So, Ms. Accounting for the money? Don't you know only stupid people committ crimes in public? We thought we could trust the government, it isn't like the BIA Trust Fund accounting? Is it?

Ah, I shouldn't talk about stupid people, my Credit Union online banking service has locked me out of my account, again. It is for my protection and I only have to go to the Credit Union, during their open hours and talk to a real human being and bow fifteen times and plead with for mercy so I can get back online. I refuse. I am too stupid to be trusted with access to my account, through computers and cookies and their security systems - I know the high school I graduated from but I can't see what I typed - so did I hit the keys correctly? Only the computer gods know. So I write, six checks to spend my money, and seal and stamp five envelopes and I am a good citizen again. Without the online services of my Credit Union, for my own protection - actually it is for their protection isn't it? I really shouldn't talk about stupid people (me?), but should go bust some caps.