How Conveeeeenient!

A reader who wishes to remain anonymous sends in this shocking - shocking - article...

The F.B.I. Deemed Agents Faultless in 150 Shootings

WASHINGTON — After contradictory stories emerged about an F.B.I. agent’s killing last month of a Chechen man in Orlando, Fla., who was being questioned over ties to the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, the bureau reassured the public that it would clear up the murky episode.

“The F.B.I. takes very seriously any shooting incidents involving our agents, and as such we have an effective, time-tested process for addressing them internally,” a bureau spokesman said.

They take these shootings very seriously - right before they rubber-stamp them as "approved". 150 people shot over a 20 year period and every single shoot was a good shoot? I guess it's easy to have a shoot declared "good" when the only investigating agency is ... drumroll, please ... the FBI.
I love this, too:

Current and former F.B.I. officials defended the bureau’s handling of shootings, arguing that the scant findings of improper behavior were attributable to several factors. Agents tend to be older, more experienced and better trained than city police officers. And they generally are involved only in planned operations and tend to go in with “overwhelming presence,” minimizing the chaos that can lead to shooting the wrong people, said Tim Murphy, a former deputy director of the F.B.I. who conducted some investigations of shootings over his 23-year career.

Now, maybe the FBI has undergone a sea change since the days when Dad G. interacted with them as a MA State Police officer, but I'll just say that his impression of the FBI is not what one would call favorable. Add to that the whole Whitey Bulger saga, where FBI agents were allowing mob hits to occur while they were with informants, well... There's another aspect, too - a shooting in MD in 2002 resulted in a million dollar settlement to the family of the deceased - and it was ruled a good shoot.

They detail the five (out of nearly 300) shoots that were actually declared bad. None of them involved hitting any suspects. One was a "warning shot"; one was an agent "shooting at a firearm" (???); two were shots fired at fleeing felons that missed their mark; and one was a demonstration where the agent fired at a safe, and the bullet ricocheted and hit bystanders. This is all they're willing to admit to. 5 bad shoots out of 289 incidents, only one of which happened in the last 15 years.

Maybe FBI agents are that good - but Occam's Razor postulates it's far more likely that the police need better policing...

That is all.

I May Have To Go To The Movies...

With quality films like these coming out:



Now, I am a *HUGE* Tolkien fan. I've read "The Hobbit" and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy at least a dozen times each (if not more). I've seen the first installment in the Hobbit movie trilogy, and have been impressed at how well they've portrayed Tolkien's book. It appears as though the second installment takes us to the Misty Mountain, and I would imagine that the last part will be the death of Smaug, the Battle of the Five Armies, and the voyage home. Can't wait.

This, too, caught my eye, for a completely different reason:



Legos. Batman. Superman. 1980s Space ... guy. How can you possibly go wrong? I might have to see if TheBoy wants to grab his favorite cousin (the 4 year old son of my wife's youngest sister) and hit the theater for this one. Oh, I suppose I might let my MIT-graduate brother-in-law come with, too - I suspect he'd like it as well. Just a hunch, mind you.

Looks like there will be at least one non-sequel movie out this summer!

That is all.

James O'Keefe Is A National Treasure.

Seriously. This guy is what Woodward and Bernstein would have been like if the 1970s had been the 2010s. This is what journalism would actually look like if the "mainstream" media had the slightest shred of decency left.

Video shows workers offering 'Obamaphones' to those vowing to sell them -- for drugs

A Republican senator renewed his criticism of a government-backed program that hands out cell phones after an undercover video showed vendors helping people obtain the phones even after saying they wanted to sell them for drugs and other items.

The video was released by conservative activist James O'Keefe and his group Project Veritas. It claimed to show undercover investigators visiting Philadelphia locations for phone vendor Stand Up Wireless and locations for one other company.

So, what are we up to now? This is like the, what, fifth? Sixth? Fifteenth? time that O'Keefe has caught someone on tape either committing illegal acts, condoning illegal activities, or otherwise acting badly. Voter fraud, medicaid fraud, census fraud, ObamaPhone fraud... It seems like everywhere there's some BS democrat gimme program, someone's out looking to exploit it - and they're perfectly cool with that.

Jimmy Carter's grandson gets Romney's "47%" comment released and he's a hero. James O'Keefe collects tons of data on fraud, waste, and rampant abuses of the system and he's vilified. Romney's comments helped doom his campaign, so it's all fine that Carter's grandson distributed the video; O'Keefe's videos prove that gimme programs are nothing more than vote buying schemes and ways for the Democrats to stuff ballot boxes and he's a worse criminal than Dillinger.

He's doing exactly the kind of work that the "mainstream" media should be doing - and would be doing if Obama were a Republican. I still can't forget - nor forgive - the Dateline/whatever hit piece on the Barrett M82. The program breathlessly described how it was easier to obtain than a handgun (because it's a longarm), yet could punch through armor and take down planes. They framed it like it was being used by gangbangers on a daily basis - conveniently forgetting salient points like it weighs 35 pounds, is 5 feet long, and costs more than most used cars.

But you know, a little deception is perfectly fine when it's ZOMG EBIL GUNZ!!!! Or, you know, GM pickup trucks, right Dateline NBC? We have to show just how horrifically dangerous these vehicles are! Even if we have to rig them with explosives to get the result we're claiming happens naturally in a crash. Or if the Boston Globe has to violate Federal gun laws to prove that you can buy a gun illegally at a gun show. See, they MEAN well! Whereas James O'Keefe hates poor people, is a racist, and wants to keep nuns and orphans from voting.

Or something like that.

That is all.

Another dispatch from...

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Additions In Unlikely Places...

Ian Argent sent this to me on Facebook...

Business Owner Pulls Own Gun, Kills Robber In Newark

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A business owner shot and killed a robber Monday in Newark.

Around 3:20 p.m., the suspect walked into an unidentified business in the 500 block of Central Avenue in Newark with a loaded gun and a backpack, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and Newark police.

The suspect announced a robbery, and ordered the owner to fill the backpack with money and gold. The suspect said he would shoot the owner’s family members if the owner did not comply, authorities said.

I wonder if that goblin's gun had more than 7 rounds in it. Or, being as how this was in New Jersey, hollowpoints. I'd sure like to see his valid New Jersey concealed carry permit - or, for that matter, his license to rob. Oh, wait. He's a criminal. He doesn't care about any of those things. Which is why, when he tells you he's going to kill your family, you should take him at his word and act accordingly.

Now, the CSGV and Brady folks think that you should curl up into a ball and hope he changes his mind. Or call the police and hope they get there before he gets around to murdering you. They certainly don't think you should fight back - there's that "we discourage self-help" again - and they absolutely don't think you should use the best tool for the job.

Fortunately, they are in the minority and getting more so every single day.

Dead Goblin Count: 411

That is all.

The Dreaded Thought Question: What Caliber for ... (I Hate to Say It) Bear?

So, last night on Facebook, among bar fights and whatnot, I stumbled across this picture on Larry the Cable Guy's Facebook page.

And it got me to thinking: What rifle would I choose if I were to find that scene on my front porch? Now, this is precisely the sort of thing I would leave to the professionals - except that I know my small town, and our Animal Control person is NOT equipped to handle a bear. I'd still call the cops, but you can bet your last dollar I'd have a rifle at the ready just in case.

So, which gun from the G. armory would I grab? Since I don't happen to have a .45-70 or a belt-fed machine gun, I think I'd have to go with the VEPR in .308 Winchester:

10 rounds of G-d's Own Caliber (New Testament) should take care of even a large omnivore; since it's AK-based it is unlikely to jam at the worst time possible; and with the semi-automatic action it will put rounds on target astonishingly fast.

What would you chose from your own armory?

That is all.

Cue "No True Scotsman" Fallacy In 3... 2...

#1 Blogdaughter sends in this interesting story:

Black Louisiana senator flees Democratic party: ‘Free at last’

Louisiana State Sen. Elbert Guillory said in a video message delivered to constituents — and particularly, his fellow black voters — that he’s finally come to his senses and realized the Democratic Party disguises an all-consuming quest for control as concern and aid for minorities.

The senator announced his defection from the Democratic Party for the Republican Party a few weeks ago. But just recently, he released a video explaining his reasons, titled “Why I Am a Republican.”

Guillory has been a State Senator since 2009, and was elected as a Democrat at that time. Supposedly, up until this change, he was a "real" minority; although his status is almost certainly in jeopardy as of his switch. Cue Harry Belafonte Jr. calling him a "house negro.

Guillory hits on points that have been made numerous times by many on the right: The Democrats are not the party to look for minority leadership. Their only concern is for the minority votes - and they don't get the votes by actually getting people out of poverty. Goes hand in hand with the old adage of the government never solving a problem that will put itself out of business.

Cue the slings and arrows from the left...

That is all.

Sometimes, Stupidity Is Fatal, Part ???

From Joseph in IL comes this story of WTF...

Man Dies After Leaning Out Of Moving Car, Hitting Parked Vehicle

CHICAGO (STMW) – A man died Sunday night when he thrust his body outside of a moving car and struck a parked vehicle while speeding past, police said.

Orlando Mayo Jr. died from injuries suffered when he struck the car parked in the 2000 block of East 79th Street while leaning out of a 1987 Chevrolet Caprice, authorities said.

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and venture a guess that either frosty malt beverages or recreational pharmaceuticals were involved in this decision making process... Altered states and friends that goof off normally lead to bad tattoos and questionable life choices. Unfortunately, in rare cases they lead to the very last life choice. This time, this was one of them.

I think it's a rite of passage that we do stupid things as teenagers/young folks. Why else would a young man in his Buick Regal race the Camaro next to him at the street light, smoking the tires as the light turned green and roaring ahead - right in front of a marked sheriff's deputy police car? Or get a VW GTI up on three wheels just because he could?

Sometimes I think the only reason I survived my teens and early 20s is to serve as a cautionary example to my children...

That is all.

Don't Bring A Nothing To A Gunfight...

Here's a story that didn't work out as good as the last one. Dude was long on guts, but short on planning...

Pennsylvania shopper killed while chasing bank robber

WASHINGTON, Pa. – A Pennsylvania bank robbery suspect fatally shot a supermarket customer who ran after him and tried to stop his getaway car, police said.

South Strabane Township police identified the dead man as Vincent Kelley, 46, of Washington, Pa.

First off, rest in peace, Mr. Kelley. The world would be a better place if more people got involved and didn't just let crime happen. It's a shame this worked out the way it did - it would have been much better if you'd been able to get the plate, call the cops, be a good witness and get the guy arrested. Or, even better, introduce his insides to the outside with your own firearm.

I can't put this any differently, I'm sorry. Going after someone armed with a firearm while completely unarmed is a bad freakin' idea. Sorry. Going after someone that just robbed a bank with a gun while completely unarmed and unable to protect yourself might work in the movies, where a touching soliloquy might turn the heart of the bad guy, but in real life you're a lot more likely to get get shot.

There's two things about this that really upset me. First and foremost, the senseless loss of life, of course. For a few dollars in a bank robbery a man lost his life. The goblin that did this took away a man's life for no good reason whatsoever. I hope he is convicted and sentenced to hang. Secondly, this plays right into the "give them what they want" mentality. The bleating sheep who would hand over their wallets in the vain hope the wolf won't eat them will point to this story triumphantly. See?

Folks, please don't confront armed goblins, even if you do have a gun of your own. Sure, if there are lives at stake, of course. But if the dude's on his way out, let him go. I know we're programmed to want to help, to stop the bad guy, to wear the white hat and save the day. That's wonderful and noble and we could use more of it. Just choose your battles, be smart about how and where and when you intervene, and if you can't effectively defend yourself, live to fight another day.

And for the love of all that's good and wholesome, carry your damn guns...

That is all.

Another dispatch from...

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Shotgun Addition!

Kevin sends in the latest DGC addition.

Phoenix shooting: 1 killed after robbery goes bad outside Phoenix Home Depot

PHOENIX - One person is dead after an apparent robbery went sour in the parking lot of a Valley Home Depot store Monday afternoon.

Phoenix police Sgt. Trent Crump said two men were waiting to meet someone outside the Home Depot at 99th Avenue and Camelback Road to sell some items they had posted on the internet.

Now, the story isn't all that clear on whether the guy that got shot was the one who had the items for sale, or just happened to think robbing random people was a good idea. Kudos on the dudes who went to buy something from a random stranger and thought to go armed. I don't know if this is happening more often or not (folks getting robbed, or at least attempted, when meeting someone to buy something from online), but it's always a good idea to take certain precautions when meeting with a stranger.

• Public place.
• Let folks know where you're going.
• Have a charged phone handy.
• Bring a damn gun.

Yeah, that's about it.

Dead Goblin Count: 410

That is all.

They Know Me...

Heh. I meant to share this yesterday. Here's my Father's Day cupcake:

Do they know me or what?

And yeah, being the consummate dad, I let my son have the yummy cupcake, mustache and all. I wanted to get a picture of him with the chocolate mustache in front of his face, but he bit into it too quickly and I really didn't want a picture of my son looking like a little chocolate Hitler... This was at the end of an exhausting weekend and an exhausting Father's Day where I grilled for well over a dozen people on two small portable gas grills. And loved it.

And to top it off, a chocolate mustache cupcake? I'll take it...

That is all.

With G-d As My Witness, I Swear I Thought Turkeys Could Fly...

Every Thanksgiving I post that immortal clip from "WKRP In Cincinnati". I wanted to back up the big guy Al Carlson on flying turkeys, though:

Is that really a turkey?

Yes, yes it is.

They can't fly for very long distances, though, and I suspect that they really would hit the ground like wet sacks of cement if dropped from a helicopter (especially ones bred for eating). But turkeys in the wild can indeed fly for short distances (they need to get a running start, and look like the avian equivalent to the B-52 taking off). He sure as hell didn't climb up the ladder...

On a side note, that swingset is a good 50 yards from the house, and that picture was taken just outside my back door. I'm just loving the 55mm - 200mm zoom lens I picked up for the Nikon - I doubt I could have gotten that close to ol' Tom there with the standard lense or my iPhone. Between this guy (and the 10-12 others he hangs around with) and the multitude of deer that live in the woods (and rabbits, groundhogs, and other small animals), we'll eat well when TSHTF...

Or if they decide that the top of the swingset is their own personal newspaper...

That is all.

Don't Mess With Mama Bear, Part II

Several folks sent this one in. Seems they thought it might resonate...

Texas mom says she punched robber, ran over him to protect children

A Texas mother says she threw an armed robber out of her van and ran over him after he threatened two of her children.

Dorothy Baker, of Baytown, said she was driving with her 2-year-old and 5-year-old sons when a man popped up from behind the third row of her van, demanding $200 in cash, KHOU reports.

One minor quibble here:

She believes Martinez, who is in stable condition at a hospital, got in her unlocked van during a stop at a Kroger food store.

Lock your damn doors, people. Look, I know it's a pain in the butt, especially with two young kids, but that's a basic rule of safety. Not only that, but it doesn't seem like she checked the van before getting in. It helps prevent thefts of opportunity, random vandalism, and possible tomfoolery (someone could fill your car with rhubarb, for instance).

Dude lunged at her with a knife. She not only stopped his attack, but disarmed him and rattled him enough to get him to jump out of the van. As he ran off, she realized he was going to do this to someone else, so she ran his ass down.

[pause to let cheering and clapping subside]

This is Texas. The odds of finding a jury that would convict this woman are pretty slim, I would imagine. I think "My foot slipped" or "I hit the gas instead of the brake in a panic" would be sufficient "evidence" to get this thrown out. He's damn lucky she didn't put a round through his running lights. It just goes to show you, though. You mess with someone's kids, you are in for a world of hurt.

Speaking for no one other than myself, my son's arrival was one of the big pushes that got me back into "the gun thing". I got my permit after my grandfather passed away and I inherited his pistols; I bought a couple handguns - none really suitable for concealed carry - and didn't think much of it beyond plinking. Then my world changed: I was responsible for the safety of this little person. That's a game-changer. I wanted the best tools possible to keep my son (and later, daughter) safe.

Of course, if it came down to it, my foot could slip on the gas pedal of the Dodge Earthf**ker, too...

That is all.

So, Jay, Where Were You Saturday?

The eagle-eyed observer will note that I didn't post anything on Saturday. That's because I was out and about early, meeting some friends who were in the area for Bike Week festivities. Mopar and Cher make the trek north every year for bike week, and have invited me to come ride with them pretty much every year. Well, as luck would have it, the stars aligned, the moon was in the right phase, whatever, and I was able to meet them.

So, bright and early Saturday morning, I hit the road to meet them. I was up late the night before cleaning the Harley:

Shiny!

It stayed clean for most of the ride up... And I had another incident to check off the "why I don't always wear a helmet" - I got hit by a bee, who then flew into the helmet and wound up stinging me on the back of the neck. Ever try to remove a stinging insect from behind your head while downshifting? It's rather difficult...

Took a few minutes to stretch my legs and clear the cobwebs out once I met up with Mopar and Cher, then it was off to breakfast:

Mopar and Cher's scoots.

Nothing like a hearty breakfast (hat tip to the good folks at the Sunrise Shack for a good, healthy biker breakfast - scrambled eggs with hot sauce, bacon, and hash browns - with coffee, and lots of it).

After breakfast, while we were getting ready to hit the road, we saw a bike pull in on a trailer with sentiments we agree with:

DTOMotorcycle

Turns out, the gentleman who brought this scoot is from Connecticut (where Mopar and Cher come from). They may have another CCDL member!

Mopar was aghast to hear that I'd never ridden the Kancamagus Highway (hereforeafter referred to as "the Kanc"), so we headed thataway post haste. It's also the shortest, fastest, and awesomest route from the White Mountain area to the Lakes region, which is where Bike Week takes place. It's a simply amazing ride:

Yeah, pretty much the entire route is like that.

We stopped at one of the many scenic stops to discover that, yes, pretty much all of New Hampshire turns into a Bike Week destination:

Acres of chrome!

We had to stop to get an amazing shot of the Mount Washington Hotel:

Swanky!

It's even better in person - you can see the line for the Cog railway making its way up the mountain, as well as the weather station on the peak. We had a simply amazing day for a ride, with very few clouds and breathtaking vistas. And, best of all, fantastic company.

We headed up to Cathedral Ledge to get some shots of the Valley, and while up there we ran into -surprise - a bunch of bikers. I had to take a couple pictures:

Baby Girl G. wants me to paint my bike this color...

No, I don't know what this is about. Funny as hell though.

There's an AWESOME view from the Ledge:

Just... damn.

After we left the Ledge, we headed to one last photo op spot by Lake Chocorua. Managed to snap a pretty sweet shot there:

Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun...

Over the course of the day, I put very close to 400 miles on my Harley. I've had years where I barely put that many miles on the bike. Kinda let the "biker" part get away from me in recent years; the whole "dad" thing coupled with the "not a hell of a lot of spare time" thing. When events conspired to give me a day free during Bike Week to get together with good friends and go riding? Oh hell yes. Definitely hoping I can do this again next year.

Thanks again, Mopar and Cher. I had a FANTASTIC day out riding with you guys, and I hope I didn't slow you down that much... Mopar brought us on this twisty, turny, up-and-down road off of Route 16 that I thought was going to bring us out somewhere in an amusement part, that's how crazy this road was. Dude knows his routes. I'm happy that they took time out of their vacation to show me some of their favorite haunts, and I'm looking forward to doing it again.

And the best part is I get to see them again in less than two months!

That is all.

Speaking of Training...

We talked about training on last week's Squirrel Report, in light of some recent training courses that left folks feeling, well, less-than-excited about attending a class. I stand by my assessment of Combat Focus Shooting, though, as a great intro to defensive handgun training.

I wrote an article about my experience getting ready for my very first training class at Shooting Illustrated.

It's centered more on the process of getting ready to take the class - any class, really - and the apprehensions and misgivings that I had going into taking a class of any kind before I actually got there. In a nutshell (although you really should go read the article; I'm especially proud of this one), don't let your fears hold you back - while, yes, you might turn out to be "that guy" after all, you also might not - and you may very well learn something.

Thanks again to the guys at Down Range Firearms Training for putting on an excellent class!

That is all.

SUPER COMBO!

So, I think I mentioned, one of the coolest things I saw at SHOT Show this year was Redfield's new COUNTERSTRIKE red/green dot scope with built-in laser. One thing led to another, I talked to some people, some promises were made, souls mortgaged, and look at what showed up on Friday:

Red/green dot *and* laser!

I don't want to give too much away (this is going into a professional-type review, believe it or not!), but I did want to give a quick sneak peak:

Oh, I think I'm going to like this...

It's going on the newly-flat-topped Bushmaster AR-15, and I think I'll sight it in at 50 yards. Even my tired old eyes can see out to 50 yards without needing magnification, and since I already have a dedicated (and kick-ass) long distance AR, I figure it couldn't hurt to have an "inside" as well as "outside" version.

Full review to come later at the NRA's excellent Shooting Illustrated.

That is all.