And Then There Were Two

Once there was only one gas-driven monster in my armory, a lowly CMMG carbine. Now there are two of the little beasts, and I took them both out for a spin today. 

A Lead Sled proved they shot rather better than I do, which was pleasing, and the new AR was a lot of fun to shoot off-hand. Very fast and smooth, and I'm looking forward to trying out its Primary Arms 1x6 scope at distance. 

This has a 1 MOA dot surrounded by a horseshoe, and bullet drop compensation out to 800 yards. The reticle also includes a fairly intuitive ranging system along with holds for wind. It's illuminated (red) but the markings are etched into the glass, so if your battery dies the scope still works. Is it a Trijicon? No, it's not, but the price is right and it works.

The carbine's more of a red dot barker, but that shot well too. At least one reader of this family blog has suggested I make it a truck gun. Maybe I will.

Are these ARs tactical? Yes, very. You can tell that by their pistol grips. Are they deadly assault rifles? I think it's obvious that they are. Do they enrage, terrify and disgust progleft libs, like a pork chop in Ramadan? Yes, they do, and that's a bonus. They're also a lot of fun and if you have to shoot something, they get the job done. So it's benefits all 'round.

Keep squeezing the trigger,

LSP

ISIS Camps on US Border

By now everyone knows that ISIS has a training camp a few miles from El Paso and the Texas border. According to Judicial Watch, the Muslim terrorists are being smuggled into the US by cartel-backed "coyotes."

In the meanwhile, the Obama administration appears more concerned about "domestic extremists," than the very real terrorists in our backyard. Perhaps they intend to counter Violent Extremism By No One In Particular in Mexico with job opportunities and benefits. That might explain our open border policy.

Allow the terrorists into the U.S. where they can get good jobs and then, as if by magic, they won't be terrorists anymore.

In the meanwhile, ISIS laughs. Let's see that last when they arrive in Texas.

LSP

Big Brother and the Holding Company

Big Brother, or Big Nanny, wants to get hold of even more bullets, with the Department of Homeland Security looking to purchase 62 million rounds of .223 ammunition. 

This follows the DHS's 2013 purchase order of 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition, which lead to nationwide shortages of popular calibers, especially .223 and 5.56, which are used in AR 15 rifles. It also comes after the ATF's failed attempt to ban M855 ammo earlier this year. 

Could it be that Big Brother wants to hold all the ammo so that you can't, effectively doing a home run around the 2nd Amendment? Surely not. The DHS needs all those bullets and the Administration doesn't want to stop you owning a gun. Except that it does. 

1.6 billion rounds is estimated, by Iraq War standards, to be enough for a 20 year shooting war.

It's all conspiracy theory until it's conspiracy fact, my friends.

LSP

The Awesome Beauty of Liturgical Dance

One of the things we like, here at the Compound, is Liturgical Dance. And while we're at it, why not accompany the Dance with a patriarchy-busting version of the Lord's Prayer. Like this one:

O Divine Womb,
birthing forth the river of blessing which runs through all,
Soften the ground of our being,
and hallow in us a space for the planting of thy presence.

In our depths,
sow thy seed with its greening-power
that we might be midwives to thy Reign.

Then, let each of our actions
bear fruit in accordance with thy desire.

Impart to us the wisdom to bring forth the gifts of the earth
and share them daily according to the needs of each being,

And restore that which has been usurped
by injustice to its rightful owners,
as we restore to others that which is not our own.

Do not let us be seduced
by that which would divert us from our purpose,
but make us sensitive to the moment at hand.

For from thy fertile soil is born the creativity,
the life-energy, and the dance,
from birthing to birthing. Ameyn.

How very, very beautiful. And awesome.

Ameyn.

LSP

Houses of the Holy

Don't get me wrong, country life is great, but I decided to drive to Dallas this evening with Blue Zeppelin, to grill out with GWB and his old pal CB. CB sells Old Masters; who knew there were any left to sell? Well, there are, but it's a "niche market." A good one to be in too, I'd imagine.

With that in mind, I made the drive to the frozen metrosprawl of Northern Texas in 45 minutes. I35 was apocalyptically deserted, which made for the good time. Of course some EOTW/SHTF scenarios would leave the highways impassible, choked with the wrecks of cars and trucks.

A good off-road vehicle might be helpful in that situation, or even better, the presence of mind to have a place in the country and the forethought to be there on time.

Be prepared,

LSP

Hillary Clinton for President?

Despite being enmeshed in a never-ending stream of scandal, Hillary Clinton is running for President because she wants to be the most powerful person in the world. What qualities will she take to the job? 

Ambitious

Calculating

Secretive

Entitled

Harridan

Good luck, America.

LSP

Low Sunday

Today is Low Sunday and the air is filled with the smell of slow cooking pork, which my neighbors have put on their fire pit, and with the sound of chickens, which have escaped the grill. The peacock is strangely silent.

Rain is falling and I reflect on Thomas, who touched the wounds of Christ. "My Lord and my God," he said. My dog, Blue Anselm, doesn't seem too struck by this and dozes on the kitchen floor. He is a natural theologian.

God bless,

LSP

Gun Rights, Don't Retreat.

Libs think that you're safer if you're disarmed. Or to put it another way, if you can't defend yourself, you won't get hurt. That's why they want to ban guns and give them all to the Government, which will protect you. History argues otherwise, and so does Texas. 

"In Texas if a person is present in any place where they have a right to be, they have no duty to retreat and have the right to use force, including deadly force, if they reasonably believe that it is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to themselves or to prevent the commission of murder, aggravated kidnapping, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, robbery or aggravated robbery."

No duty to retreat. I like that.

Gun rights,

LSP

Scientists Predict Discovery of Alien Life in 20 Years!

Brainiac boffins at NASA predict that alien life will be found in twenty or thirty years. 

“I think we’re going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade, and I think we’re going to have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years,” said NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan.

Stofan believes the extraterrestrials will be discovered because NASA "knows where to look" and has the technology to find ET lifeforms.

“We know where to look. We know how to look,” she said. “In most cases, we have the technology, and we’re on a path to implementing it. And so I think we’re definitely on the road.”

But what will alien life look like? Will it be humanoid, or something else?

And are they hiding, here, in plain sight?

LSP

So I Drove To Clifton

I drove out of Dallas for Clifton this morning, along an eerily deserted southbound I35. Northwards was a different story, as endless cars jammed into the metrosprawl.

Soon enough, I was heading down 219 into Clifton and I like that drive. The road winds along and then the ground dips away to reveal a westwards vista. My pictures never do it justice, but still, it's dramatic, especially if you're used to the endless flatness of significant parts of Texas. Everything looks weirdly lush and green at the moment; that will change soon enough.

Clifton is a well put together little town and worth the visit, if you're in the area. It has a decent Western Store, an excellent feed/tack store, and several restaurants and shops. It's not boarded up and reverting to nature, unlike other towns, which I won't name. 

But I didn't knock about the town, I just went to the funeral and paid my respects. The service was led by a young Lutheran pastor, who seemed a pleasant clergyman, although he kept saying, "Christ is Risen! Alleluia!" apparently in the hope that the mourners would respond, joyously, with, "He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!" I know, it's Eastertide, but I could have done without that.

I drove back to Dallas and discovered that a rifle barrel had arrived, which was pleasing. My friends, who had been hunting in Clifton as I was at the funeral, managed to shoot a pig and some rabbits. Well done!

God bless,

LSP

Mad Mitch

Some of you may have noticed that there's a scrap going on in Aden. It's important, because of oil, and who knows how it will all pan out. Will our Iranian allies win, or will our Saudi/Qatari allies win? Maybe ISIS will win. Do we back them? With guns and ammo and PR spin? (propaganda) Who knows.

But we do know that Lt. Col. "Mad Mitch" of the Argyll and Southern Highlanders, had the temerity to retake the Crater in Aden, in 1967.

He was hated for that.

I'm a big fan of Mad Mitch, ever since I was a kid. His Highlanders took care of business.

LSP

Easter Holiday!

I thought I'd take a couple of days off in Dallas after Easter. You know, just do nothing, apart from browse the gun shops, idly read Sci-Fi novels, and make the odd foray to the pub. Good plan, eh?

So far this has meant driving to Waco to visit a person in hospital and then, tomorrow, driving to Clifton for a funeral.

Some friends will be hog hunting in Clifton at the very moment I will be at the graveside. I hope they shoot something; we can grill it up later that evening in Dallas, if they do. Failing that, there's always hamburgers.

If you meet the Buddha on the road, shoot it.

LSP