The America Affiliate of the ISPC: The USPSA

The United States Practical Shooting Association is the American affiliate of the International Practical Shooting Confederation, like the Aussie affiliate noted below. The downloadable rules are here.

Apparently American Handgunner has a IPSC postal match (where you mail in your results) every year. Here are the results from 2003 on back. Here is a diagram of one of the match stages. You start standing in Area A, facing center of barricade with flat hands on X’s, and on start signal, draw, and from Area A shoot T1 through T4 and P1. Each target T1 through T4 is shot at least twice, then you shoot P1 (the popper) until it falls (one solid hit). Only your best two shots are counted on targets T1 to T4. The winner of this stage in the Revolver category finished in 9.11 seconds. Since that is a minimum of nine shots, and revolvers hold only six shots, that includes one reload. The shooter got 41 points out of 45 (five maximum points per shot). Youza!

Arnold Harris Wants To Win The War

I await a Kerry speech which is this good. A sample:

Because we always have been on the side of liberty and the freedoms that liberty comprises. It was exactly for that purpose that the great generation of the American revolution fought their war, with our armed countrymen starving and frozen in the terrible winter of Valley Forge, but never broke with the pledge they had undertaken to establish liberty on this continent.

We face a struggle of great dimension today, a clash of civilizations as it is truly termed. It is not a struggle that shall be won in one year, even ten years, perhaps not in a hundred years. But we must never surrender to the status quo of armed barbarism, gang rule and murder conducted purely to advance the cause of a crazed and warped theocracy or anything similar.

We have in fact no choice. We must struggle to implant liberty, responsible government and respect for human rights throughout the middle east. Otherwise, we must turn the United States and much of the rest of the lands of the west into armed, frightened encampments which, if pushed too far, may opt to strike back with our own very real weapons of mass destruction. Weapons that could burn up much of our planet. Or simply surrender to the barbarians.

Rarely has there been a time when so much of our future depended upon a solid, steady leadership characterized neither by defeatism nor by a foolish assumption that wars of this type can be won by a few strategic blows and without casualties. Whether or not we choose and support such a leadership will determine whether we ever can return to the relatively easygoing America that we knew before the age of terrorism.

Thanks to Dean for pointing out Arnold's eloquence.

Does Kerry Want to Win the War?

The Washington Post takes Kerry to task for trying to drive our allies away. In 1971, John Kerry said, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

That line was the one of the worst pieces of irresponsible asinine rhetoric I can imagine. Why saddle the many troops in the field with that kind or morale buster? (Sign of a poor leader.) Why hand the enemy that kind of propaganda victory? (Sign of a poor strategist.) Why show a weak hand to the negotiators in Paris? (Sign of a poor statesman.)

That line alone is good evidence that Kerry should never have gone beyond state politics.

Now listen to his sister Diana:

Asked if she believed the terrorist threat to Australians was now greater because of the support for President Bush, she replied: "I would have to say that," noting that "[t]he most recent attack was on the Australian embassy in Jakarta."

She said this of her country (and of the war that Australia is helping us with in Iraq): "[W]e are endangering the Australians now by this wanton disregard for international law and multilateral channels."

John Kerry is singing the same defeatist tune he sang for Vietnam, Nicaragua, the Cold War and Gulf War I. Has this man ever met a war he wanted to win? If so, has he ever given any evidence he knows how to win one?

Compare and contrast these quotes:

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933).

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old." (Winston Churchill, 1940, just after Dunkirk).

"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, 1961).

"Yet this much we know with certainty: The desire for freedom resides in every human heart. And that desire cannot be contained forever by prison walls or martial laws or secret police; over time and across the Earth, freedom will find a way. Freedom is finding a way in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we must continue show our commitment to democracies in those nations. The liberty that many have won at a cost must be secured." (George W. Bush, 2004).

"As generous as you have been, we will stand with you, too. As stalwart as you have been, we will stand with you, too. Neither tyranny nor terrorism has a place in our region or our world. And that is why we Iraqis will stand by you, America, in a war larger than either of our nations, the global battle to live in freedom. God bless you and thank you." (Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, 2004).

"How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" (John F. Kerry, 1971).

"The last thing you want to be seen as is a puppet of the United States, and you can almost see the hand underneath the shirt today moving the lips." (Joe Lockhart, 2004)

John Kerry has shown no ability to inspire us to win this war. He needs to hire me as his speechwriter. I'll toughen him up. Here's a sample:

"In the mountains of Afghanistan, a soldier examines a dusty footprint, on the trail of a terrorist, a killer of both Afghans and Americans. We will fight. In the deserts of Iraq, a Marine scans the horizon, looking for the roaside bomb trigger man. We will fight. In an embassy in Jakarta, an intelligence officer meets with his Indonesian counterpart, exchanging information vital to the capture of a bomb maker. We will fight. In a customs office in Los Angeles, an officer handcuffs a terror suspect. We will fight. On the streets of New York a citizen notices a man taking pictures and making notes of schedules, of guard rotations, and of security precautions. He makes a phone call. We will fight. We will fight on the streets of New York, of Los Angeles, of Kandahar, of Najaf, of Jakarta. We will fight if all our allies desert us. We will fight with our blood, our sweat, our sight, our words, our thoughts. We will fight and we will win." (Wince, right here, 2004).

I ask again: Where's My Cult of Personality?

Maybe this is a clue. Diane Kerry also said, "He responds well to challenges and has the reputation of fighting well from behind." So this is a strategy. If we are losing the war in Iraq when Kerry is President, he'll fight better!

How State Sponsors Gave Al Queda Global Reach

The Belmont Club shows the importance of safe enclaves for terrorists:

His last paragraph is crucial to understanding why the defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the toppling of Saddam Hussein may have cripped global terrorism so badly. Without the infrastrastructure of a state sponsor, terrorism is limited to cells of about 100 members in size in order to maintain security. In the context of the current campaign in Iraq, the strategic importance of places like Falluja or "holy places" is that their enclave nature allows terrorists to grow out their networks to a larger and more potent size. Without those sanctuaries, they would be small, clandestine hunted bands. The argument that dismantling terrorist enclaves makes "America less safe than it should be in a dangerous world" inverts the logic. It is allowing the growth of terrorist enclaves that puts everyone at risk in an otherwise safe world.

Via cut on the bias.

Payment With Our Lives

Maybe we should encourage news organizations to pay money for story assistance. These other forms of payment are truly disgusting. CBS Producer Mary Mapes helped a dangerous white supremacist violate security procedures in the Federal pen.

And this is establishing Mapes as someone who has a pattern of assuming herself above the ethics and even laws that the rest of us must go by - all in the name of journalism. She clearly is as arrogant as Dan Rather. It puts her actions in calling Joe Lockhart in much greater relief, and as part of a pattern, not an aberration. She's willing to make deals with a dangerous prison inmate as well as a discredited (yet somehow "unimpeachable") partisan hack, even calling a presidential campaign to put them in touch with someone who has potentially explosive information about their opposition, in clear violation of journalism ethics, all in the name of getting a story.

Via JunkYardBlog.

The Junior Practical Pistol Sport

The International Defensive Pistol Association is the younger brother to the IPSC. Here's a description from their site:

Defensive pistol shooting as a sport is quite simply the use of practical equipment including full charge service ammunition to solve simulated "real world" self-defense scenarios. Shooters competing in Defensive Pistol events are required to use practical handguns and holsters that are truly suitable for self-defense use. No "competition only" equipment is permitted in Defensive Pistol matches since the main goal is to test the skill and ability of an individual, not his or her equipment or gamesmanship.

I don't know who does IPDA in Kansas City, but I'd like to try it as well.

Well Now We Know, And It's Official

As noted below, Bush is winning the all important Halloween mask sales battle 57% to 43%. And, as requested, here is a link.

IPSC Australia

Guns are frowned upon in Australia, where gun restrictions grow tighter every year. But there are still those who practice the shooting sports down under. Check out the home page for IPSC Australia. Here's their description of this challenging sport:

In Practical competition, a variety of target types are used (both paper and steel), and there is no set way these targets are arranged, nor even how many targets are used in a single match. A competition organiser creates a number of “stages” (conforming to a set of design rules), each using different numbers and arrangements of targets, to create a shooting challenge that the competitors have to solve as accurately and as rapidly as possible.

The other major difference to other shooting competitions is the way in which the final score is calculated for a competitor. In most other competitions, the score is calculated simply by adding up the values of the scoring zones hit by the competitor. In Practical competition, the time taken is also part of the final score. The sum of the scoring zones is worked out, and this then divided by the total time the competitor took to engage the targets. Thus the quicker the competitor completes the stage, the better the final score will be.

Additionally, stages usually require competors to move from a starting position to enable them to see and engage all the targets in the stage. This adds an athletic component to the test, as well as an intellectual one in that the competitor is required to work out the most efficient manner and order of engaging the targets, taking into account his/her own shooting skills, athleticism etc.

In Australia, Practical competitions are most often for centre-fire pistols and revolvers of calibres from 9mm to .38. Stages are started with pistols holstered on the belt, and most often will require the competitor to perform reloads of the pistol during the stage. Occasionally, competitions are also held for rifle and/or shotgun.

Practical shooting competitors, then, do not train by shooting the set competition over and over again. There is no set competition. Instead they practise the skills that are required to fit them to engage whatever stages a match organiser may throw at them.

I attended an IPSC meet at my local shooting range. Safety is paramount, and the club has never had an accidental shooting in its fifteen year (I think) history. There are two range officers working with each shooter. One follows about three feet behind the shooter to observe safe pistol handling technique. I was very impressed, and hope to try out this sport myself.

Well, Now We Know

On the radio this morning (710 AM, KCMO), I heard that George Bush is beating John Kerry in the all important Halloween mask sales poll, 57% to 43%. These sales have predicted the winner in every election since 1980. The count was in dispute for months in 2000, but they finally determined that Bush sold five masks for 55%, but Gore sold only four, for only 44%.

I'm Stunned

Translation: "You can do a lot in one single day; just imagine what can happen in three months."

Go and be stunned.

Via James Lileks.

This Name Kills Me

As Lileks puts it:

... the best Male Athlete name, ever. Magnus Scheving.

John Kerry Can Help Heal Our Vietnam Wound

When John Kerry either irresponsibly slandered our Vietnam vets in 1971 (my belief) or told truth to power (as others believe) he created, almost single-handedly, a festering wound, as Mark Steyn points out. I propose a simple strategy for Kerry to handle this. Either show his proof that his 1971 testimony was true, or admit that he engaged in McCarthy like tactics by making nebulous false charges against a large group of unpopular Americans without any proof. If he cannot do the former, because he does not have such proof, the only responsible course is for him to do the latter, and vice versa. These choices may be seem impossible now, as they would hurt his election chances, but they would still be the right thing to do. My questions: Are they perfectly possible November 3rd? If Kerry loses? If he wins?

If Kerry Can't Get The Vets, How Can He Get The French?

Instapundit links this Tech Central Station opinion piece: The Alliance Builder? Revel in this irony:

John Kerry failed to build a credible alliance. Unilaterally speaking for the group of 23 veterans represented in the 1969 photograph highlighted the failure. His use of the photograph was based on a fraudulent coalition of just 3 of the 23.

Emphasis in the original. If Kerry can't successfully reach out to Kerry-hating vets, how can he successfully reach out to America-hating citizens of this world?

Does Kerry Have A Yes-Man Problem?

In the comment thread of this excellent Dean's World post, Steven Malcolm Anderson says:

That's another difference and another reason for not voting for Kerry. President Bush has selected a rather wide spectrum of experienced and knowledgeable people to advise him in this War, from the dovish Colin Powell to the hawkish Paul Wolfowitz (leader of the Evil Jewish, oops, Zionist Neo-Con Straussian Conspiracy) and including Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice. They disagree among each other and he listens to all of them. His Vice President Dick Cheney openly disagrees with him on the FMA. He even held his convention in the midst of screaming radicals who hate his guts parading in the streets, and without putting them in cages. If that's crushing dissent, I'll take more of it.

By contrast, Kerry is such a thin-skinned and conceited little snot that, if he runs his administration even remotely like he's running his campaign, he will hire only yes-men, fawning sycophants, to advise him, and will snap "Do you know who I am?" and "How dare you question my patriotism?" at the slightest whiff of criticism. That's no way to run a business, no way to run a government, and most certainly no way to fight a War.

I agree with Steven that Bush does not have a Yes-Man problem. I don't think Kerry is a "conceited little snot", but I'm not sure: Does Kerry have a Yes-Man problem?

Where's My Cult of Personality?

Joe Gandleman sent me to this post, which inspired this train of thought which I put (in slightly different form) in the comments:

I'm not sure Kerry's message on Iraq is clear, as Ara claims.

For me, Kerry has two problems. The first is that he doesn't want to commit to a stance and thereby lose votes.

I talked to one of the conductors on Kerry's campaign train who talked to Kerry for about a half-hour. He said:

1) After a little initial stiffness, Kerry warmed up and, in fact, you could drink a beer with him.

2) Kerry had a good understanding of the Amtrak problems. (What else would a conductor talk about?)

3) Kerry was highly critical of Norman Mineta's (the Bush Administration) approach.

4) Kerry would not say what he would do differently, even when asked repeatedly.

As for the second, maybe Kerry is being sound-bitten to death, but he can't seem to manage his message. Given the sound bites, he certainly seems to have changed his mind several times by now. Or maybe the problem is that the Democratic party is still horribly split on Iraq.

It sounds like Kerry's focus is on "bringing the boys home." Bush's focus is on victory. My desire is for victory followed by a nice long cooperative security arrangement with Iraq like we've had with Germany and Japan.

Frankly, Kerry seems to be replaying Vietnam, the Contras and the Cold-War. And he sounds like he wants to make all the same mistakes in Iraq that he made during the Cold War. When is Kerry going to support freedom and liberty? When will he embrace the historic Democratic emphasis on human rights and freedom, for which America will spend both blood and lots of treasure? My examples are Roosevelt (anti-Nazism, anti-colonialism), Truman, Kennedy and Johnson (anti-Nazism, anti-Communism), and Carter (anti-Shah, anti-Communism). Remember, Carter started the big defense buildup that Kerry ran against in 1984. Kerry complains about the 200 billion dollar cost which pales in comparison to Truman's Marshall plan. It pales in comparison to Carter's defense buildup.

I've left out Clinton, not because he wouldn't have spent both blood and lots of treasure, but because, although he did have the chance, he didn't have the necessary wake up call.

I don't want the US to become France or Germany (feeble military, lots of diplomats, plenty of money to buy votes). How horribly decadent. The Kerry trend is not my friend.

The Bush foreign policy is more like those of all the Democratic Presidents I mentioned than Kerry's. When will Kerry get fired up and champion the muscular, involved, proactive America of his Democratic forebears?

I'm looking for, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Nice soundbite! Or maybe, "Ask not what your country can do for you..." Instead I get whining which boils down to "How come we have to pay all the money and make all the sacrifices?" All over a war which is actually low-cost (historically speaking) in both blood and treasure.

Why can't I get a Cult of Personality, here, instead this long-faced dolorous nuance master?

9/11 Memorial Vandalized

I'm furious over this.

An Islamic Reformation

The New Statesman proclaims an Islamic Reformation, at least with regard to women.

Mrs. Wince Says #3

Mrs. Wince, "I need to marinate some vegatables, since I have a husband who wants to grill and some vegtables which are a-withering in the fridge. If they were a-mouldering I'd throw them away, but since they are a-withering I'll feed them to you."

Wince, "Good."

Mrs. Wince, "No, not good; if they were good I'd have to wait a week."

LATWTTER (Laughing All The Way To The Emergency Room)

Mrs. Wince Says #2

Wince: The New York Times is useless.
Mrs. Wince, deadpan: Lots of people have birds, honey.

Inspired by Rachel Lucas.

Fantasy Camp

People pay to go to Baseball Fantasy Camp when they are too old or too unskilled to play pro ball. Anyone out there who would pay to go to Boot Camp? How much would you pay? And how much would it cost, anyway?

Via One Hand Clapping.

A Blog Olympics

I don't want to watch the Olympics, I want to compete! Ever hear of a postal match? It's where you shoot your targets, and then mail them to a neutral judge to score them and declare the winner. It works on the honor system. We have digital cameras, digital video, etc. Why not a blog Olympics? You run your race, swim your laps, shoot your targets, etc. You email your digital video to the judge for your events and they announce the winners (and maybe post the video) on their blogs! Does anyone know how to judge pommel horse?

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith - Nominee, Medal of Honor

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith has been nominated for the Medal of Honor.

Smith was atop the 113 shooting toward the gate, over the wall, at the tower.

"He was firing, firing, firing - reloading - firing, firing, firing," said Sgt. Robert Nowack, 37. "It was like a director saying, "I want you to look intense."'

The sight reminded Pfc. Pace of To Hell and Back, the film about the WWII exploits of Army 2nd Lt. Audie Murphy, who climbed onto a burning tank, manned a .50-caliber machine gun and mowed down dozens of attacking Germans.

Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945.

More here.

Via The Pink Flamingo Bar and Grill and A Collection Of Thoughts.

How To Support The Troops 2

Dean Esmay explains his methods for supporting the troops.

If Bush wins I will support him, as I always have. If Kerry wins, I will support him as best I can, with cogent, specific criticisms and always under the assumption that he is doing his very best for the nation even if I sometimes think I'd do things differently if I were in charge. I will assume I don't know everything, and that he's doing his best and, even if I campaign against him, will assume that he is an honorable man, and that he is not a "liar" simply because I might sometimes disagree with him.

If Kerry does win, I intend to do likewise, and if I don't please call me on it. I mean it.

American Woman, Mama Let Me Be!

Pom-poms, Squad Automatic Weapon, what's the difference?

The man then claimed he had the grenade because he was going to turn it in to the U.S. soldiers. But they did not believe that story, because he had not mentioned it, or indicated anything like that, until after the soldiers had found the grenade and after he had been subdued and was handcuffed with the plastic zip-strips.

“I really don’t remember exactly how I got him on the ground, but it was practically instantaneous,” she said, blushing. “I don’t remember the details of putting him down. I just remember, suddenly, I had him down on the ground with his face pressed into a sandbag and I kept holding him there.”

She said the man then started crying and someone said he might have been embarrassed because it was a shame for a man in Iraq to get beat up by a woman.

Via Hell In A Handbasket.

Mrs Wince Says #1

When perusing the Office Max Copy Center flier, Mrs. Wince was heard to slyly remark, "I wonder why there's no price for double sided transparencies."

Winfield Scott Hancock - Someone You Should Know

Awhile back Dave Kopel & Co. wrote about the great American and Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock in the National Review Online.  He is a man you should know.  This hero of Gettysburg worked hard to reconcile with the south:

During Reconstruction, Hancock was appointed Governor of the 5th Military District, which encompassed Texas and Louisiana. Hancock refused to bully the defeated and vulnerable citizenry of Texas and Louisiana. His General Orders No. 40 of November 29, 1867, announced how he intended to govern. Predicting "they will crucify me," Hancock wrote:

[T]he great principles of American liberty are still the lawful inheritance of this people, and ever should be. The right of trial by jury, the habeas corpus, the liberty of the press, the freedom of speech, the natural rights of persons and the rights of property must be preserved. Free institutions, while they are essential to the prosperity and happiness of the people, always furnish the strongest inducements to peace and order.

General Orders No. 40 was soon published all over the country. Hancock's policy was joyfully received by the south as a sign that the war was finally over, and by Northerners who looked forward to reconciliation and the restoration of constitutional government.

But for the radical majority in Congress who believed that the southern states were conquered areas deserving punishment, Hancock's words were anathema.

Here's what his contemporaries said of him:

General William T. Sherman told an interviewer, "if you will sit down and write the best that can be put in the English language of General Hancock as a soldier and as a gentleman, I will sign it without hesitation." When Winfield Scott Hancock passed away in 1886, former President Hayes said succinctly, "he was through and through pure gold."

Democrat Hancock defended the election of Republican President Hayes in 1876, when Hayes beat Tilden in the most disputed (and probably the dirtiest) election in our history.

Garfield (also a principled man) beat Hancock by less than ten thousand votes (the totals are disputed) in 1880, and if Hancock had won New York (where he lost by 21033 votes) he would have won the election. According to Edmond the Libertarian, he only lost New York due to voting irregularities. Check this out: 79.4% of the eligible voters participated.

Update: Edmond the Libertarian has reminded me that I should reread carefully before I post. The last sentence was: "Hayes defeated Hancock for President in 1876, in what may be the most disputed election in American history." I corrected this egregious error and added more information above.

Update 2: I added "According to Edmond the Libertarian, he only lost New York due to voting irregularities." If Edmond finds a source to back up his memories, I'll be updating again. Thanks, Edmond!

Title Idea: Via Blackfive.

Why Floods Remind Me Of Armored Personnel Carriers

Today it's been raining a lot. Enough so that the intermittent stream has appeared in my folks back yard. And also enough there are flood warnings for Indian Creek, which is a little over a mile from my house. Indian Creek flooded most memorably about fifteen years ago (my memory is not helping on the year). A couple of teenagers were stranded in the flood and were rescued by an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier owned by the Lenexa, Kansas Police Department. As I remember it members of their SWAT team were fond of the M113 from their service in Vietnam, obtained a surplus M113 and restored it.

If you click on the Lenexa link, you will learn that Wild Bill Hickok got his start in law enforcement when he was elected constable of the Monticello township, which is now split between the cities of Lenexa and Shawnee.

Kansas may be flatter than a pancake, but this was the Wild West. If that seems incongruous to you, perhaps it's because the West was never really that Wild. New York City has always been much, much more dangerous.

Still Rumbling Along

I was looking for M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Vehicles, and discovered we still use them. The M113 was introduced in 1960. Does the military ever throw anything away? They must, otherwise no Army surplus stores, yet my Air Force friend has told me of WWII C-Rations still being, err, consumed in the 70's.

Never Mind Patriotism, An Attempt At Objectivity Would Be Nice

Commentary Page gave us The Untouchable Chief of Baghdad, which shows that our press is not even trying to be objective. [About a month ago. Cleaning out your drafts? - ed Err, yes.]

Via Instapundit.

Brian Chontosh: A Reminder

Rich Lowry in National Review Online reminded me of a hero of the Iraqi campaign, Brian Chontosh. The fact that the media has ignored Lt. Chontosh's heroics shows that they don't have either the patriotism or the marketing savvy they should have. If Lt. Chontosh had shown such bravery in the Civil War, the Spanish American War or either World Wars he would be a household name by now. We hunger for heroes. The American media produces sympathetic victims instead.

If you cannot celebrate the heroism of our soldiers, if there is not a spark of hunger in your soul to celebrate that heroism, you aren't a patriot. You may be some other things that are quite wonderful, but a patriot, nope.

John Kerry Is Not A Catholic

In this old post, Rosemary Esmay points out that John Kerry is pro-abortion is spite of his belief that life starts at conception. As I understand his comments Kerry believes that, while life starts at conception, personhood starts at birth. This is not a principled, spiritual stand. It contradicts Catholic belief, which is that both life and personhood start at conception. Dad the Catholic Democrat marches against abortion every year, and I the Protestant Republican often stand with him, so I know there are pro-life Democrats. I think of all the Quakers, including those elected to office, who stood strong against slavery, risking their own lives running the Underground Railroad. Where is the principled sacrifice in Kerry's stance?

One difference between Bush and Kerry is that Bush clearly believes in God and wants to act on his beliefs. If Kerry didn't show up at Mass once a week I'd have no reason to believe that he is a Christian.

In the comments on Rose's site I try to get an abortion supporter (who thinks he's conflicted, but won't make one move against abortion, because he considers it a right) to discuss personhood. He dodges questions on the subject for the entire thread. I suppose if one admits that Africans are persons it makes owning them easier, but if they aren't persons a slavery supporter might be forced to change his mind. Better not to talk or think about it.

The Roosevelt's Secret Catalog

I asked Winchester to send me the owner's manual for the Winchester Model 25 Hammerless Repeating Shotgun which I inherited from my brother-in-law. When I got it, I was sure it was a notice telling me the manual was no longer available. Owner's manuals have certainly gotten thicker over the years.

The Model 25 was manufactured in between 1948 and 1954, if I recall correctly. The owner's manual is one sheet, printed front and back, with two columns on each page in large print. The last column is blank. There is nary a diagram nor a picture to be found, unless you count the Winchester logo. My current owner's manual for my Ruger Model 10/22 carbine is fifty-one pages, and littered with pictures and diagrams. Since my ignorance of pump shotguns is profound, I am rendered helpless by such timeless prose as this:

TO DISMOUNT PARTS ATTACHED TO BARREL - Remove magazine band screw and slide forward on barrel, remove Magazine Lock and screw in face of receiver, unscrew Magazine with action slide handle from receiver. Unscrew magazine plug screw and remove magazine plug-spring and follower. Unscrew action slide sleeve screw cap and pull off handle, slide magazine out of sleeve, be sure action slide spring is on rear side of stop collar on magazine. Assemble in reverse order.

Imagine my surprise about a week later when Winchester also sent me a copy of The Roosevelt's Secret Winchester 2004 Catalog, complete with diagrams of bullet drop and oodles of full color pictures, including the naughty bits like a close up of the Controlled Round Push Feed Bolt. My mouth is starting to water just writing about it...

Hey! That Package Is Marked Fragile!

Stanley Kurtz of National Review Online reviews the evidence from Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. The evidence is not conclusive, but it strongly suggests that persuading people that marriage has nothing to do with child-rearing is bad for the institution. That is a crucial point in the arguments people make in favor of same-sex marriage. I'd say that those who argue for civil unions and same sex marriage are destroying the village in order to save it. Take a gander at Stanley's evidence and reasoning. It may not persuade you, but I find it persuasive, and there are many who would agree with me. It's my society you are planning on changing, not just yours. I say we wait at least fifty years and watch those three countries carefully before we chance such destruction.

I Agree, It's Very Funny

Go watch (and listen to): This Land.

Via three-fourths of the blogosphere.

UPDATE: Changed the link. The old one ran out of bandwidth.

A Local Hero: Sgt. James "Gabe" Gough

The Johnson County Sun reports that Sgt. James "Gabe" Gough recently won The Bronze Star. Here's what he did:

One day after leaving a meeting with the mayor, Gough and his party came under fire from gunmen on rooftops on each side of the street.
The soldiers grabbed cover quickly, Gough said, but one of his fellows was shot twice in the calf in the middle of the street and was unable to walk.
Gough said he was going to get him, but was told to wait because enemy fire was too intense. Gough disobeyed that order, entered the street and helped his comrade walk to safety.
The bullets continued to rain down, striking the other soldier's canteen. Gough said he thought the injured man had been shot again and was afraid that he had been mortally wounded, so he was relieved to find they were soaked only with water and that his friend would survive.

Now note the modesty which is the hallmark of so many heroes:

For Gough it was the only thing to do.
"You know, when it comes down to thinking about giving your life for your friend, I don't think it takes a split second to make that decision," Gough said.

This wasn't his only time in action:

The other incident that helped earn Gough the Bronze Star occurred in Jaurfa'sukhr, a small town 45 minutes south of Baghdad.
Gough had already completed two missions that day, which had started at 3 a.m., and was assigned another late in the afternoon when a convoy had been ambushed and the another convey sent to assist them also came under attack.
After rendezvousing with the two ambushed convoys, the group was attacked a third time. The Humvee in front of Gough's was disabled by an improvised explosive device, and the convoy was forced to fight.
Gough said there was little alternative.
"You're just fighting to make it home," Gough said.

Thanks, Gabe. You've made us proud. (Note: The odd paragraph formatting is from the Sun web site.)

Political Honesty Exists

It seems Kansas Senator Nick Jordan of Shawnee, during a video-taped debate, accused his primary challenger, Lisa Benlon, of voting for concealed carry in 1999 (which would be good - ed.) when she was a Kansas State Representative. Benlon, who has always opposed concealed carry (which is bad - ed.), was stunned.  Jordan checked the record, discovered he was mistaken, called Benlon and apologized.  He taped a disclaimer, which was added to the videotape.  The debate will be shown on cable later this month.
 
Nick Jordan was Mrs. Wince's and my Senator when we lived in Shawnee.  He was an elder at Full Faith Church of Love there, which we attended for a time, and took over as senior pastor when the senior pastor ran off with his secretary.  Nick was a dark horse for that spot, but he lead the church through the difficult times which followed until a more experienced pastor took up the reins.  He was a good preacher, too.  Once his tenure there was done, he ran for office.
 
For the morbidly curious, our former senior pastor repented and has been reunited with his wife.  He went from being the senior pastor of a large church to the assistant pastor of a small one.
 
It is good to know honest men, including forgiven ones.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that Nick is a Republican. Anyone familiar with Johnson County Kansas politics would suspect this. The Democratic party is weak here. I can't remember a local Democratic primary with two candidates.

Via the Kansas City Star, Sunday, July 18, 2004. No link to be found.

The Moral Bankruptcy Of Abortion Is Revealed

Amy Richards describes, in her own words, why she killed two of her babies. Amy had an abortion earlier in her life.

Her words remind me of slave owners breaking up families to sell their property down river to pay off their gambliing debts, with no care for the lives destroyed.

Pro-abortion, pro-slavery. Same thing.

Via half the blogosphere.

Welcome to Eternity Road

Francis W. Porretto has started a blog called Eternity Road.  And he hasn't stopped writing essays.

Senator Edwards - A Double-Minded Man

Read this Edwards quote.  I don't know about Edwards's two Americas, but Edwards is clearly of two minds about the personhood of the unborn.

BLACKFIVE: Letter From Iraq - Army Engineer Officer's Candid Take on Iraq

Worth reading: BLACKFIVE: Letter From Iraq - Army Engineer Officer's Candid Take on Iraq

Now The Apologies Are Done

Ralph Stefan does a marvelous job fending off the Psychological Troop Abusers at Ara's place. I, on the other hand, lose my temper and decide to apologize.

I Will Read This

After I catch up on my apologies and sleep. Via Dean Esmay: Terrorism Unveiled: USMC Cobra Pilot's Story

Can Anarchy Work?

I was checking out Kevin's work at The Smallest Minority when I noticed he was having a discussion with John Lopez on how much government we should have. Kevin has additional follow up here, here, here, some counter-arguments here, and back over the net here.

Amazingly, Sofia Sideshow had a post on Bulgarian car insurance which I thought was related.

Regime Change: Required

David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey revisit the necessity of regime change in Iraq, in The Reality of Saddam’s Threat on National Review Online.

The reality is that we had to deal with Saddam. He had adopted a strategy of keeping his research and development going while trying to get the sanctions shut down. Here's a sample:

Yet, the existence of this state of affairs in 2003 does not, contrary to the claims of the administration's critics, validate the wisdom of the U.N. sanctions/inspections strategy or demonstrate that the U.S.-preferred regime change strategy was unnecessary and unwise. To begin with, a "virtual" WMD strategy enabled Saddam to wait out the sanctions/inspections regime, which, by the late 1990s, was already beginning to break down — with claims (by France among others) that the innocent Iraqi people were suffering more than the guilty Saddam regime. It should be recalled that the administration's pre-September 11, 2001 efforts to bolster and "smarten" anti-Saddam sanctions were met with strong opposition from Russia, China and France, all of which were arguing that Iraq should be allowed to rejoin the international community as a normal sovereign state. There were no indications that those who have been critical of "regime change" as the most effective means for dealing with the threat posed by Saddam would have had the bureaucratic and political staying power of sustaining for years, and even decades, a policy of de facto international trusteeship, enforced by weapons inspectors, to be imposed over Iraq (as well as on other WMD-aspiring, rogue regimes).

In short, containment was turning into detente. And here's why WMD program related materials are important:

Significantly, this "just-in-time" approach to WMD deployment was no less dangerous, from the U.S. perspective, than possession of a WMD stockpile. At least with respect to chemical and biological agents, the most important assets appear to be the availability of suitable expertise and the necessary industrial base. Both of these Saddam had in plenty. Thus, a rogue state, capable of reconstituting its WMD arsenal at a time of its own choosing, poses as much of a threat as a regime with the WMD forces in being.

The authors go on to point out that the myth of perfect intelligence is extremely dangerous. Read the whole thing.

How Jesus Might Respond To Abortion

Via marcland: A compassionate response to abortion. Do click on all the links (although I duplicate them here, except the first "Page Not Found"). The backstory is alarming, yet uplifting. The teacher's response is truly ennobling. Marc is right to praise this man. Boy does he grok Jesus.

I'm so glad Dean let Marc guest blog.

I Smell Smoke, Therefore Someone's Pants Must Be On Fire, Right?

Les Jones collects quotes from prominent Democrats in his article: Democrats Alleged Saddam Had WMDs, Supported Use of Force. Here's a sample:

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction. "[W]ithout question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he has continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ...
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003.

According some of my Democrat friends these men are liars who should all be thrown out of their offices, at least if they fairly apply to them the same standards they apply to Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, etc. But since those standards aren't fair, I predict the application won't be either.

Pork Fat Clogs Congressional Arteries

The desire to carefully carve the porker is killing our troops. The real corrupting money in national politics is the money the Feds spend, not money spent campaigning.

Via Howard Veit and Kim du Toit.

How To Support The Troops

John Kerry shows how to do it. Here's my favorite excerpt:

Panel 31W, Row 42. On February 24, 1969, 19 year-old Marine Lance Corporal Wolfendale, just 17 days from coming home, was at the tail end of a three day firefight. Only one bunker of Viet Cong remained when a group of Marines suddenly got trapped in a depression in front of it.

Ed Wolfendale was safely away from the bunker and could have easily stayed there and kept his head down. Instead, like so many of our comrades, Ed thought little for his own safety and acted — he grabbed a Light Anti-Tank Assault Weapon and charged into the line of fire. On his way, Ed took a direct hit and bled to death in the field. When the men in his platoon saw what Wolfie had done, they immediately followed his lead and soon overtook the bunker.

This could have been where the story ended — but the spirit that brings us here today had a hand in this story. A member of Ed Wolfendale's platoon, Tom Smith, saw Ed go over that hill and was in the wave of men who followed him. Though he didn't really know Ed Wolfendale, Tom never forgot what he did. After he returned home, Tom spent the next thirty years searching for Ed's family to ensure they knew how he died.

He didn't know his real name, he just knew Wolfie, so it wasn't until recently that he was able to track down his family. To his shock, Tom learned that not only did Ed's family not know how he died, he discovered that Wolfie had only received a Purple Heart. A few years back, because Tom Smith never forgot his comrade, Ed Wolfendale's 82-year-old mother Stella and five of his six brothers accepted the Silver Star on his behalf.

Note how Kerry praises the troops, how he celebrates our ideals and how he mutes his criticism. We can all learn from this example.

Is Kerry Mistaken?

Middle Age Madness has uncovered a strange anomaly.

This year, tax freedom day was April 11th. That's the earliest it has been since 1991. It's latest day ever was May 2nd, which occurred in 2000.

Oh, so the idea that the federal tax cuts caused a larger increase in state and local taxes doesn't quite hold water. So what did Kerry say on 18 June?

Today John Kerry gave a speech in which he claimed Americans are actually paying more taxes under Bush, despite the tax cuts. He gave no explanation and provided no data for this claim.

If Bush said this my friends on the other side of the aisle would call him a liar. OK, guys, call Kerry a liar. That's your schtick. Myself, I'll just say Kerry got hold of a bad idea, probably from his friend Howard Dean, and neither staff spent any time checking it.

Whatta Comeback Line!

You have to read the entire post, Gotta Love The Marines, to see this. It's fabulous.

UPDATE: It's a fable, which is why it's so fabulous. I should've listened to the little guy whispering in my ear that a Marine General would never say that to a woman these days, and checked out Snopes. Thanks, Spoons, for pointing it out in the comments.

A Democratic Ox Is Gored

The Hill reports that Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit 9/11 is running afoul of McCain-Feingold.

Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel.

At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is preparing to file a complaint against Moore's film with the FEC for violating campaign-finance law.

In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FEC's agenda for today's meeting, the agency's general counsel states that political documentary filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.

I'm still outraged about the odious Campaign Finance Laws in this country, including that !@#$%^&* McCain-Feingold. Do those who supported it understand why, now? Michael Moore has the right to buy time to make political points any day of any year. He has the right to mention politicians by name any day of any year. He has the right to pool his money with that of others and they can collectively buy time to do both of those things.

The Congress, the various Presidents, and the Supreme Court have ignored the plain language of the First Amendment to strip us of our rights under the rubric of Campaign Finance Reform.

Thanks to Ara Rubyan for bringing this to my attention. Will you join me in condemning all limits on campaign spending? I am very happy that candidates and organizations are required to use campaign contributions for campaigning. I would consider requiring full disclosure on the source of all campaign funds, provided everyone's privacy rights are also defended. But in general political speech is exactly the sort of speech which must be free.

If the FEC does make an exception for Moore's movie, expect everyone from the Sierra Club to the NRA to start making cheap documentaries for sale and then advertising them during the campaign. If not, maybe some people will wake up and start defending free speech again.

Nathan...

... is miffed.

Become a Positive Liberal and a Positive Troop Supporter

James Piereson coins the terrifically apt phrase Punitive Liberalism to describe one of Reagan's greatest triumphs.

And James Taranto follows up with these cogent thoughts (as Les Jones so helpfully pointed out:

Punitive liberals are often defensive about their patriotism--understandably enough, since their relentless complaining about America often is hard to distinguish from out-and-out anti-Americanism. Their defense is that "true" patriotism consists in acknowledging your own country's faults and exhorting it to improve.

Well, maybe. Certainly there's nothing unpatriotic about criticizing your government or its policies. And since love of country is a matter of the heart, it's presumptuous to question anyone's patriotism. But imagine a man who treats his wife the way the punitive liberals treat America: constantly belittling her, pointing out her faults and never showing her any kindness. He may love her, but most people would agree he has a twisted way of expressing it.

Hmmm. This reminds me of the way some of the media, the anti-war and the anti-Bush love and support our troops. They repeatedly criticize the war, ignoring all positive news. When forced to acknowledge the heroism of our troops they cannot resist the urge to turn praise into criticism. They are Psychological Troop Abusers. Well, if you are a Punitive Liberal or a Psychological Troop Abuser do us all a favor. Take "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" as your personal motto. Then either become a Positive Liberal and a Positive Troop Supporter or be quiet.

A Powerful Lobby Helps Criminals

Eugene Volokh exposes a powerful lobby, which is trying to expand its legal rights even though it promotes criminal behavior.

Media Incompetence Also Hurts Kerry

Eugene Volokh has been complaining that media incompetence hurts Kerry, too. Slate's Kerryisms and Bushisms should be retired.

What We Face

I haven't linked Francis Porretto recently, though he still deserves it. Check out this creepy list:

• It orders its adherents to spread the creed by force, and to compel all non-believers to submit to it as second-class citizens.


• It demands that any heresy, apostasy, or blasphemy against it be punished by death.


• It demands total political power over the entire world, and explicitly denies the legitimacy of any political structure based on any principles other than its own.


• It prescribes a minutely elaborate code of behavior for all men, not just for its adherents, which is to be enforced by political means.


• It sanctifies any deed, however violent or deceitful, done to spread its hegemony over the world, and promises great glory to those who die doing such service.


• It particularly excoriates the Jews as its enemies, and prescribes their elimination from the face of the Earth.

Then go and read Getting Away With It.

A New Educational Initiative

Rand Simberg channels Scott Ott, discovering Bush's plan to address a key chink in the American education system.

Frozen Toaster Discovers...

Chiefs Who Are Whales. This is fascinating stuff. Don't miss the anti-human anti-tribal Greenpeace reference at the end.

This Will Make Your Hair Stand On End

Steve Antler gives details of the Iranian 'plan to eliminate Anglo-Saxon civilization using missiles and suicide bombers against "29 sensitive targets" in the West, which have already been identified by Iranian intelligence'.

Money quote:

I read material like this and wonder how I can be living in the same universe as my buddies who divide their time between hating Bush and agonizing over global warming.

Steve also notes the Iranian plan to nuke Israel, not caring whether Isreal responds. On the Fourth of July we need some USAF fireworks in Iran.

FOX News, Unlike The Evil Queen, Really Is the Fairest In The Land

A recent study by a couple of guys from Yale concluded that Fox actually was the most fair and balanced.

I like Fox because it manages to pick liberals who have a sense of humor, who clearly like conservatives even though they also clearly disagree with them and who aren't insulting or condescending. (Note to Ara Rubyan: Send resume and video clip to Fox.) Makes me remember why I like liberals.

It's really odd. I watch Fox and I like their liberals. I listen to the BBC or NPR and I don't like theirs. If you are liberal you should be glad I watch Fox, 'cause they make you look good.

Update: I am not referring to the Queen of All Evil. I am referring to Snow White's step-mother.

Via Steve Verdon and Steve Antler.

SayDaddy

SayUncle just had a baby girl. Go congratulate him! Maybe he'll hand out virtual cigars.

Hooray for the GOP!

On 17 June 1856, the Republican Party held its first convention. So all Republicans can join me in dancing about and yelling, "Hooray for the Grand Ole Party!" All Democrats, Libertarians, Greens and Reformers are invited to dramatically shake their fists in the air and yell, "Boo! Down with the Republicans!" Independents can dance gleefully and yell, "We've got choices!"

It'll be a cardiovascular moment for all of us.

Neither Justifiably Praising Our Troops, Nor Damning Our Enemies

Bill at Peoria Pundit has found The Green Side, where Major D.G. Bellon, USMC gives the rest of the story. Bill excerpts a story which shows that the American media neither justifiably praising our troops, nor damning our enemies.

The American people need to know both the restraints under which our troops are willingly operating as well as the tactics of the power-hungry criminal thugs they are fighting.

Field Stripping My Makarov

Last night I learned how to field strip my Makarov. Sure makes cleaning easier. The Makarov is pretty easy to strip, although there is a stiff spring needed to make the blowback work, so some hand strength is required. The best part is that no springs or small parts suddenly leap out of the gun and get lost. Here are the steps:

1. Don't point the gun at anyone or anything you don't want shot at anytime during the process.
2. I can't emphasize point one enough.
3. Remove the magazine.
4. Safety off.
5. Work the slide to eject any round in the chamber.
6. Pull back the slide and make sure the chamber is empty.
7. I can't emphasize points one and six enough.
8. If there is a round in the chamber, you forgot to remove the magazine. Start over at step one, which I can't emphasize enough.
9. The safety should be off and the gun cocked at this point. If not, you forgot some steps. Start over at step one, which I can't emphasize enough.
10. Pull the trigger guard down. I moved mine slightly to the side, so it would catch in the open position.
11. Pull the slide to the back and up to start removing it.
12. When it pops up, slide it forward to clear the barrel end.
13. Remove the big spring around the barrel.
14. Clean the barrel using your favorite method.
15. Restore the big spring to its former place around the barrel.
16. Are you being careful where you point your gun?
17. Pull the slide back over the spring and the barrel.
18. Pull it back and down into the same position it is when the action is open.
19. The tricky part on mine was getting the slide into place so that it would slide forward till the action was closed. Extra rearward pressure while pushing down seemed to help, but I'm still not sure exactly how I do this.
20. Restore the trigger guard to its normal position.
21. Now you are ready to load the gun for ready use or to store it. I leave the magazine out and lock the action open for storage. It occurs to me that someone with more expertise may tell me that this is bad because it may put a set in that big spring, which would ruin it. I better ask someone about this.

Update: Kevin points out in the comments that my storage method is all wet. He says: "Close the slide and drop the hammer. It's best to store the gun with the springs at rest."

PBS Honors Our D-Day Heroes

I am in awe of the sacrifices the Greatest Generation made during WWII. One of the great things about D-Day was the way PBS honored those men. We saw most of D-Day: Down to Earth - Return of the 507th. The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment fought at D-Day, at the Battle of the Bulge and in Operation Varsity. In Normandy, the regiment, which started with 2100 men, lost 1300 men. In Operation Varsity, one of its soldiers won the Medal of Honor.

It was during this operation that Pfc George J Peters of the 507th won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Pfc Peters and a group of 10 other troopers landed in an open field near the town of Fluren. Raked by enemy machine gun fire the troopers laid there helplessly. Peters, armed with only his rifle and a few grenades took it upon himself to charge the German machine gun nest. After receiving several wounds and bleeding profusely Peters crawled to within 15 feet of the gun enplacement and pitched two grenades into the enemy stronghold. The ensuing explosion silenced the machine gun and its crew.

Remember these men and their sacrifices.

Thanks, President Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the greatest President since Harry Truman, although I foolishly hated him at the time. He taught me that people one disagrees with are not idiots. He was right and I was wrong. He was right about how to fight the Soviets. I was wrong. He was right about the Sandinistas. I was wrong. He was right about tax cuts. I was wrong. He was right about the size of government. I was wrong.

Thank God for the service Ronald Reagan gave this country.

In The Army Even The Public Affairs Men Are Heroes

Check out Soldier Stories.

Staff Sgt. Brian S. Sipp, a public affairs NCOIC attached to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor, kept the enemy at bay until his unit could take cover. The Iraqis were firing mortars, small arms, and rocket-propelled grenade fire at his convoy in an attempt to disrupt refueling operations that were beginning.

His citation reads that Sipps’ “courage under fire and unending enthusiasm inspired his team on the battlefield.” He hopped a fence and lead a group of Soldiers across an open field under fire to try and save HEMTTs loaded with ammunition.

Via Instapundit.

Private Space Flight!

Mark 21 June on your calendars. You can even go see the world's first private space launch.

Hornet's Nest

Casey Tompkins points out the strategic difficulties of attacking the Saudis. I've always known it was a bad idea to really piss off 1.3 billion Muslims by attacking the holy land. I've also wondered how we could come up with a satisfactory causus belli when people didn't want us to attack Iraq even though we were still technically at war with Iraq and they were violating the terms of the cease fire all the time. It's also been very puzzling how we could turn on an ally who had been cooperating with us against Iraq. Not to mention the oil problem.

But Casey shows how utterly ignorant the idea is from a military standpoint.

Thanks, Casey!

Old Bull Elephants

James Rummel opines on the utility of dangerous old men. It reminds me of the game wardens who were having trouble with a gang of young male elephants terrorizing the neighborhood. Solution: Add some old bulls. Worked like a charm.

Are our old bull humans too domesticated?

Congratulations!

Marc has a new baby boy!

Just Because I Like An Idea...

... doesn't mean a law implementing it is constitutional. Marc laments the ruling which overturned the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. The judge did the right thing for the wrong reason. I wish every state had outlawed Partial-Birth Abortion, or that Congress had done so based on the civil rights of the child. But Congress tried to regulate abortions based on the idea that abortions were interstate commerce. Wrong. We would be better off if our Presidents, Congress and the courts understood that they are supposed to obey the Constitution, not evade it.

An Article dodger is worse than a draft dodger.

A Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Meritorious Service Medal for Memorial Day

Blackfive pays tribute to his friend Mat, who was killed on Memorial Day last year. Here is how Mat died:

At 7:15AM, vicinity KC 6514 6181, Major Schram's convoy approached a ravine where the bridge crossing the ravine had been destroyed. The convoy had to go down the embankment, into the ravine, and back up the other side to get back onto the highway.

Once the lead vehicle started up the far bank of the ravine, the convoy came under intense fire from Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), machine guns, and small arms fire. It was an ambush. Fifteen Iraqi insurgents had been waiting by the ravine.

An RPG hit the lead tanker vehicle, disabling it in the kill zone. It was a perfect ambush set up. If the insurgents could knock out the first and last vehicles, then the entire convoy would be stuck in the kill zone. Bullets flew from insurgents on both sides of the ravine. The insurgent grenadiers were trying to concentrate fire on the last American vehicle to bottle Major Schram's convoy in the ravine. The attackers would then be able to kill the Americans at will.

Major Schram ordered his driver, Specialist Chris Van Dyke, to accelerate from their position in the convoy into the insurgents' positions. Major Schram sent a message to Headquarters for help and began returning fire out of the Humvee. The Iraqi grenadiers recognized the threat and shifted their fire from the rear truck to Schram's Humvee, HQ-12.

Multiple grenades exploded at the front and rear of HQ-12. Specialist Van Dyke was blown out of the vehicle. Once he stopped rolling on the ground, he got up and ran back to HQ-12. He got back in and drove the Humvee out of the Kill Zone.

When he turned to get orders from Major Schram, Van Dyke realized that his Major had been killed. Even though he wore body armor, two 7.62 rounds had gone through his armpit (where there is no body armor coverage) and struck his heart, killing him instantly.

The Iraqi insurgents had fled after they fired their grenades at HQ-12 which was heading for them at full throttle.

Here is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel account. Major Schram was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal for his service. Here's another little tidbit form Blackfive:

The one part that I left out of this post is that Major Schram's convoy was followed by a car with a Newsweek reporter in it. Once the action began, the reporter and his driver turned and got the hell out of there. If it wasn't for Mat's charge up into the ambushers, they never would have made it out of there alive.

Newsweek never ran a story about my good friend, Mat.

Tell me again how the media supports our troops.

Memorial - Tech. Sgt. John Chapman

Tech. Sgt. John Chapman was awarded the Air Force Cross posthumously on January 10, 2003.

Chapman and his team were inserted by helicopter into an area of Afghanistan on March 4 for a mission. During insertion, the helicopter came under heavy machine-gun fire and was directly hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The grenade caused a Navy SEAL team member to fall from the aircraft.

The helicopter was severely damaged and made an emergency landing seven kilometers away from where the SEAL fell.

After landing, Chapman called in an AC-130 gunship to provide close-air support and cover the stranded team before directing the gunship to search for the missing team member.

Chapman called for, coordinated and controlled an evacuation helicopter for the team, limiting their exposure to enemy fire.

According to the award citation, Chapman volunteered to rescue the missing team member without regard for his own life. He engaged and killed two enemy personnel then continued advancing until engaging a dug-in machine gun nest.

"At this time, the rescue team came under effective enemy fire from three directions," read the citation. Chapman exchanged fire at close range with the enemy until succumbing to multiple wounds. "His engagement and destruction of the first enemy position and advancement on the second enemy position enabled his team to move to cover and break enemy contact."

The team leader credited Chapman's aggressive and selfless actions with saving the lives of the entire team.

The Air Force Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Airmen.

Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. I repeat my challenge to you: As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs. Feel free to use any of these.

Memorial - Marine Pfc. Joseph B. Perez

Marine Pfc. Joseph B. Perez received the Navy Cross on May sixth.

1st Platoon came under intense enemy fire while clearing near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad. Perez, the point man for the lead squad, and therefore the most exposed member of the platoon, came under the majority of these fires.

Without hesitation, he continuously fired his M16A4 rifle to destroy the enemy while calmly directing accurate fires for his squad. He led the charge down a trench destroying the enemy and while closing and under tremendous enemy fire, threw a grenade into a trench that the enemy was occupying.
While under a heavy volume of fire, Perez fired an AT-4 rocket into a machine gun bunker, completely destroying it and killing four enemy personnel. His actions enabled the squad to maneuver safely to the enemy position and seize it.

In an effort to link up with 3rd Platoon on his platoon's left flank, Perez continued to destroy enemy combatants with precision rifle fire. As he worked his way to the left, he was hit by enemy fire, sustaining gunshot wounds to his torso and shoulder.
Despite being seriously injured, Perez directed the squad to take cover and gave the squad accurate fire direction to the enemy that enabled the squad to reorganize and destroy the enemy.

The Navy Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Marines.

Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. I repeat my challenge to you: As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs.

Memorial - Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh

Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh received the Navy Cross on May sixth.

While leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward Ad Diwaniyah, Chontosh's platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire. With coalitions tanks blocking the road ahead, he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone.

He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank, where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, Chontosh ordered the driver to advanced directly at the enemy position enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy.

He then directed his driver into the enemy trench, where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. His ammunition depleted, Chontosh, with complete disregard for his safety, twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack.

When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers.

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others.

The Navy Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Marines.

Found via this Google search: 2004 OR 2003 AND "Air Force Cross" OR "Navy Cross" OR "Distinguished Service Cross".

But I saw it first on Blackfive. Wish I remember whose link I followed to get there. Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. Here's a challenge to you: As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs.

Super-Wow, Holy Cow, Read This Now!

I wasn't reading Mrs. du Toit in 2002, so I missed Finding Mark Twain. You shouldn't. Francis Porretto and Bill Whittle may be the best essayists in the blogosphere. Finding Mark Twain matches their best efforts.

Via Mr. du Toit.

Memorial - Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez

Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez received the Navy Cross on May third.

A corporal at the time, Martinez responded to a call to reinforce 1st Platoon, which was under attack by enemy forces. Under fire, Martinez deployed his team in supporting positions for a squad assault.

He assumed control after his squad leader was wounded. While other Marines tended to the wounded squad leader, Martinez single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle.

The Navy Cross is the second highest medal awarded to Marines.

Here are all medals, and their ranks for each of the services. As a way to remember our heroes this Memorial weekend, let's Google up some stories and post them on our blogs.

Kerry Foreign Policy: 1/3 Less Calories

This critique of Kerry's foreign policy speech concludes thus: "It's sort of like Bush lite". Be sure and note how Kerry has adopted Rumsfeld's ideas on transforming the military - less troops and more tech. What boots on the ground?

Al Gore's Tirade: Unwise, Unwarranted and Untrue

I just heard the outtakes from Gore's tirade on Alan Colmes radio show. It was unwise, unwarranted and untrue for Al Gore to call Bush the most dishonest man since Richard Nixon. Clearly Al cannot tell the difference between a lie and a mistake which Al and his old boss Bill also made. Al also cannot tell the difference between a lie and a difference of opinion. The dishonor comments, the 'how dare he' comments, the incompetent comments and the resignation roll call were just as unwise, unwarranted and untrue.

These comments would have been unwise, unwarranted and untrue if Gore made them at home to a small group of friends. It was positively wrong for the former Vice President to say them as he did.

Kerry should kick Gore out of the Democratic Party. Update: The previous sentence was also unwise, unwarranted and untrue. What I'm trying to say is that Kerry should tell Gore he isn't helping. This rhetoric will drive moderate voters away from Kerry.

It also poisons the well. I object to Gore calling me dishonest, incompetent and dishonorable. What, you say, Gore didn't mention you at all! Well, I agree with the President. I believe the strategy he promoted was correct as were his reasons for it, and I believed this before we went to war. So Gore is calling me either dishonest or incompetent or both.

Similarly, Gore has called me dishonorable. As good as our soldiers are, there have always been bad apples who have done horrible things. We executed 500 soldiers during WWII (the Good War) for their crimes. Since I advocated war, I was advocating that we put our soldiers in a position to dishonor our country, knowing that the chances they would do so were very good.

Like many people (including some on my side), Gore thinks there are no consequences for making these kinds of accusations. Well, there are. When a Democrat proposes a reasonable compromise I will think of this speech. I will think of all the compromises Bush made on education, taxes, the environment and the war. I will think of all the effort he made at the UN. I will think of the spending for the No Child Left Behind Act, which Ted Kennedy helped author. And I will think, "Why compromise? Al Gore will still call me a dishonest, ignorant, dishonorable, incompetent jerk."

John Kerry needs to tell Al Gore, "Pipe down. You aren't helping now and certainly aren't helping me after the election."

Here's a helpful summary: Gore's tirade was bad for him, bad for Kerry, bad for the Democratic Party and bad for the country.

Here is the Fox article on the Speech.

Here is the text of the speech. End Update.

Give 'em hell, George.

Allowed To Call Bush An Idiot

Because of this comment policy I hereby issue Hal of Hellblazer a permanent license to call Bush an idiot without being subjected to the usual (attempted) refutation. Myself, I prefer the gentler "nobody is an idiot" policy to the cynical "everybody is an idiot" policy, but once you know Hal's policy they are functionally the same. It's the "everybody who disagrees with me is an idiot" and "nobody who agrees with me is an idiot" policies which I cannot abide.

I will also remember to skip the umbrage when Hal gets all insulting. It will serve no purpose anyway.

And, since he is so on the ball (although wrong, wrong, wrong on occasion) he's blogrolled.

Commenting Software Upgrade

I've upgraded Haloscan to remove the 1000 character limit and email me when folks comment.

1-800-Go-Guard

Call 1-800-Go-Guard to get an information packet on how to join the National Guard. I know they will even take an old fogy if the old fogy is a physician. They also took a forty-four year old who had previous military experience. I'm interested to find out what other special training qualifies one to join after age thirty-six.

Is The Media Doing It's Part?

Ara starts with Nick Berg's Dad, but in the comments we do several rounds where I maintain the media is not doing it's job for the war effort.

.357 Magnum

On Wednesday I visited my favorite range, The Bullet Hole. I had already purchased a box of fifty .38 Special rounds and a box of .357 Magnum rounds, both manufactured by Winchester at Wal-Mart. I rented a Ruger Security Six for five dollars and proceeded to the range. I was about to shoot a .357 magnum for the first time. I loaded up a cylinder full of .38's to begin. I alternated between the two, one cylinder of each, except for one cylinder where I alternated rounds.

The Ruger was a dream to shoot. The trigger was very smooth and worn in. The Hogue grips did an excellent job of absorbing the recoil. After a hundred rounds, mostly shot two-handed, my hands were tired from keeping a tight grip, but not from the recoil. I thought the gun did a fine job.

I also did not have any problems with the ammo. There were no misfires, and the performance was quite consistent.

The first difficulty I had was in not rapping the extractor hard enough to extract all the shells each time. I need to remember that I am practicing for real life, not trying to keep the brass in neat piles. The second difficulty was blinding flash .357 ammo produces. I was able to handle the percussion, since I wear both the earplug and the earphone style hearing protectors. The flash was another matter. I don't think I was developing a flinch (because my shooting didn't get worse), but I kept wanting to close my eyes. My third difficulty was focusing on the front sight. I found that when I bore down, however, I was able to keep the front sight in focus and shoot better. In general I was satisfied with my shooting, but I need more work on keeping the gun steady.

I'd like to get a .357 for a bedside gun, but I'm not sure how well I'd do with that flash in low light situations.

On the way out, I noticed a sign on the door. The Smith and Wesson sales rep will be at The Bullet Hole Friday and Saturday, June 11th and 12th. Special prices galore, and right before my birthday! Plus, if you buy a gun you are entered in a drawing for another free one. Mmmmmmm. Free guns.

Buy Your Own Talking Head

Not David Byrne. Like this.

Via Ara Rubyan.

Deer Population Is Much Funnier Than I Thought

As Unbillable Hours points out. The funniest bit is at the end.

Via The Smallest Minority.

A Master Sergeant Starts Blogging

My friend the Master Sergeant has started a blog.

I've Got A Lawyer On The Hook...

...or maybe he has me. Over at Ara's, Ara brought up "Activist judges" and "judicial fiat". I don't really have a problem with either (I want judges to overturn laws which are unconstitutional and leave untouched those which are not), but I do have a problem with the most popular method of determining Constitutionality, the living Constitution theory.

I'm trying to get lawyer Mark Adams to defend the living Constitution theory for me, but I keep distracting him with examples. I am (poorly) advocating original meaning originalism, which I learned a little about from Randy Barnett. I'm having trouble getting Randy's book, Restoring the Lost Constitution, because textbook companies don't sell to regular bookstores, and I want to see if I can read it before I buy it. (Pray that interlibrary loan comes through for me.) This is not helping my advocacy.

Amateur Rocket Blasts Into Space

The GoFast Rocket made history yesterday. The amateur team, named Civilian Space eXploration Team, or CSXT, built the 21-foot rocket, which reached an estimated height of 70 miles and an estimated top speed of 4200 miles per hour.

Look for the exact speed and altitude once the rocket (and its telemetry package) are recovered.

Fabulous.

Fabulous Simulated Range

This shows you how to line up the sights on a rifle or pistol. Go play.

Via Shooter's Carnival.

Don't Think Visually

James Rummel has a wonderful explanation of why Bush is to be preferred over Kerry. However, it is important not to experiment with any of the obvious visuals that come to mind. This warning applies to everyone, regardless of political leanings. You might get sick all over your keyboard. I saw the danger, and did not let my imagination run wild. Again:

DO NOT VISUALIZE ANY OF THE POSSIBILITIES SUGGESTED BY THE LINKED POST. Severe gastric upset may occur.

You have been warned.

Rachel Lucas Is Back!

Rachel Lucas Is Back! Hooray!

Via Mrs. du Toit.

Mrs. du Toit For President

Not only does Mrs. du Toit make it clear that Rumsfeld's doing fine, she also points out the excellent little power Presidents should use to keep Congress in their Constitutional place. He can adjourn it at any time. This needs to happen far more often.

The Smell Of Cordite And Perfume

Wednesday was ladies night (female members shoot free) at the Bullet Hole. I took the afternoon off, and my mother-in-law (whom we care for) was at her Wednesday group, so we went shooting together for the first time. Hooray. It was very nice to shoot with Mrs. Wince, but we did have some gun trouble. Mrs. Wince did not like the trigger pull on the H & R .22LR and she tended to shoot high. She tried the Markarov (9 x 18) and found it too loud and the larger caliber makes her nervous, so it looks like it's .22LR for her for a while.

The H & R .22LR is proving unreliable. About two to three rounds in every nine round cylinder do not fire, although they often work on the second try. I think that the firing pin is not striking the rim hard enough. I am also unhappy with the large groups I'm getting. I would rather have a Smith and Wesson 617, but they are so expensive. Charter Arms makes a cheaper .22LR revolver, but I think I should save up for the Smith. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mrs. Wince) is not enthused about that idea. I may take the H & R to a gunsmith and see what he can do. Rentals are only $5 at the Bullet Hole, so we may try some of their .22LR revolvers instead. They shoot pretty well. The only problem I've ever had with one was fixed by a little cleaning.

Last Escort

Blackfive lets LtCol M.R. Strobl USMC tell how he escorted PFC Chance Phelps USMC to his final rest. This will choke you up.

I sent it to Fox News and the Kansas City Star. This story should be widely told.

Via Dean Esmay.

Kerry Prepares To Cut And Run

John Kerry plans to 'lower the bar and pass the buck' by leaving Iraq as soon as stability is reached. This lowers the bar by settling for stability rather than achieving democracy. It passes the buck by leaving it completely up to the Iraqis to implement democracy. Thanks to Ara Rubyan for the phrase. He'd never use it to describe Kerry though, the only man left standing in the Anybody But Bush parade. This innovation was left to me.

Why Higher Education Is Rotten

Higher education is not ideologically diverse.
Higher education creates new fields of study which are only politically motivated.
Higher education has subordinated truth to politics.

John Kekes say it better.

Via Instapundit.

Since It Takes So Much Time To Board...

... let's speed up the planes. Actually this article is on the cool search for a softer sonic boom. Note the wonderfully inexpensive way NASA is doing the early research, by putting a false nose on an existing plane. The report does not mention glasses, a fake mustache, or a cigar. Maybe the secret word is ZOOM.

NASCAR in Space

Space.com gives this overview of the X Prize, which is offering ten million to the first group to shoot a three-person spacecraft 100 kilometers into space, safely lands and do it again with the same ship in two weeks. It seems they also are creating a more direct competition:

The X Prize Foundation, based in St. Louis, Missouri, is in the midst of analyzing bids from both Florida and New Mexico for one of them to be the picked as the spaceport of choice for the first annual X Prize Cup.

Diamandis said the cup would be a two-week event, taking place at the same location each year. X prize teams would be invited to fly as many times as they can. 'They would set records and compete in different categories, such as maximum altitude, time-to-climb, the fastest vehicle turn-around, number of people carried during a single flight or during the course of the two weeks,' he explained.
This 'friends and family' type of gathering would allow public viewing of perhaps a 100 spaceship launches throughout the two weeks, Diamandis envisions.

I'm saving up my vacation time for this one....