Basing a life on irrational fears...

  Once taught that Europeans believed that sailing too far to the West one would sail off the edge of the world, I knew that was never true. Not only Viking sailed to find new lands to raid and conquer, the Basque fished far beyond that edge for a long time, and kept their fishing ground secret. But there were tales that told often enough, become a relative truth and increase a person's fear.

   A much more modern fear is the one surrounding firearms that has cause the almost complete disarming of the citizens of Australia and Great Britain.  You can look it up, frightened folks were fooled into their fears by media and the power hungry to protect lives. This fear is reinforced by media treatment of drama, adventure and exotic people and places - guns and sex and violence and adult language are entertainment or NEWS.

  So in a planet full of billions of people, one to fifty humans acting criminally and killing, wounding or destroying property with firearms is something to be frightened of, really?  The people engaged in such evil behavior are insane, possessed by demons, criminally intented (I made that phrase up), or on strange mental lapses from humankind. But they aren't Legion.

  More people die by drowning in the United States than by firearms, but it makes a quick sad, sorrowful report that a child drowns. What does a sane society do? Well, they have swimming classes, they provide life guards and safe places to swim, and they avoid driving off of bridges into the water, they wear floatation devices when working and recreating on boats and hook themselves up in heavy seas. There are answers, but they never outlaw water of over a quart because it has the capacity to drown some one, or many people.

  I would wonder why there aren't more Jaws movies, why most of the monsters for entertainment became Vampires, Aliens, dragons, dwarfs, trolls and orcs -- except that the summer spent on the beach didn't make tons of money after Jaws, and shark hunting went up.

  So the media makes money on firearms by presenting humans in the worse possible way with the firearms, if sex were at all like the movies some of humanity would quit engaging in it - you just are never going to get the woman the way Bond does.  Having watched professional wrestling, boxing, martial art combat and real combat - you will never fight nor see violence like it is presented in the media - it is quicker, uglier and often so ineffective. 

   My only point is the people start to believe the 'truth' presented by the media - especially in harmless entertainment. But it isn't harmless if it makes you fearful of things you can handle by rational thinking, training and good old common sense. Now, those in POWER, will always try to disarm the public, always -- or give them the illusion that the citizen has a right to arms - except the really lethal ones that those in POWER are afraid of.... rational thinking trumps media frightening movies, books and news.

Once known as a nation of Riflemen... it was never really true, was it?

  So it is Saturday morning, and I am going shooting something... and there are other people interested going to Olympia for a demonstration against Bloomberg's Anti-Gun Conspiracy - you know the former Mayor of New York that thought big sweet drinks would cause the fall of his city, so he just made them illegal. Well he came back after guns, fooled many of the people and they voted their rights away - except if it is a right it existed before the law and can't be voted away... but then the whole law to be voted on wasn't presented, the author of the law (must have been part of a coven) wrote it so badly that now lawyers and judges will have to rule on something that flew in the face of the US Constitution and the Washington State Constitution.

  This is all because the good Mayor has irrational fears and made irrational efforts to quell his fear. A second demonstration caused a stir in the elected officials that saw citizens carrying scary black rifles of some kind OPENLY into the viewers gallery to watch their elected officials - they were afraid, frightened beyond belief, and promptly dispatched the State Troopers to monitor the group, and passed some meaningless legislation declaring they were working in a gun free zone, except for: your great State Troopers, law enforcement folks, and those elected members and staff that were carrying concealed... or just like most gun free zones - criminals with intent. The fools have made enough problems with their Ninja Mall Rat gear and guns. So I will write a letter, which should be much more effective than parading around with elected officials that don't want my opinion, clutter or noise.


  So, I go shooting.  The range is less than two miles from my home, and I never knew it existed. Tacoma Sportsmen's Club Friendly folks, helpful, and I am looking forward to shooting this again in the future - just because I have no where to go but up. About a hundred rounds fired, I have some issues to work upon. Some pictures? Sure...

  You have heard that the United States of America was referred to as a nation of riflemen. Couldn't be that any more - the NRA is running around worried about votes in Congress and your home state - yes, they do teach rifle marksmanship and safety, and yes they do sponsor competitions and ranges. But they aren't building that rugged individual rifleman part of the American Heritage - only the Boers had as well known a tradition. No, when a cousin noticed I was posting NCAA rifle team completions on Face Book, he asked how many SEC colleges has rifle teams so I went to find out. SHOCK - hardly any, because you do know that rifles are scary things don't you? The list of competing colleges is only a wikipedia search away, or I can link it.

  I will have to continue to try and find the few, that would like to learn marksmanship, sixty dollars and five hundred rounds on a two day weekend, the Appleseed Project. I thought everyone was a rifleman, and it just isn't true - your circle of friends isn't like mine, is it? I feel so sorry for those that can't, and even worse for those that could but have been frightened back into their recliner in front of the cable by Mayor Bloomberg and his henchmen. Remember, if he has his way, no big sweet drinks.

So what is my excuse... Oh, I wasn't shot down in a helicopter in Iraq...

 There just had to be a reason I am not famous, aside from the fact my mother really hoped I would be humble - it would have made her so proud.

  I should be on the road to the YMCA, but like many part-time bloggers, a few words on Facebook and some comments and emails in the cyberspaces we haunt, there is no passion to get my message out.

  I am in the midst of rebuilding our life inside the home, new ISP (if I ever get connected), new phone service at the same number, new insulated garage doors with opener (which means I have to move all the junk and motorcycle to other areas - lovely). estimated time to completion is about six weeks which is two Appleseed events and one local competition shoot away. I could have counted the number of weekly garbage pick ups or something else. The truck is rumbling along the street now, lots of noises.

  Second cup of coffee, I did make it strong today, felt dehydrated yesterday so tanked up when I got home.  There are a couple pieces of furniture that will make my living a little better. And since I am up, if I plan and build it better the whole thing will be cool. Kind of a Spring time build the nest better feeling or something. The turning off computers has really loosened the chains and it is time to get going. Signed up for nine Revolutionary War Veterans Association events through June. Need to get the word out that by going to the RWVA forum you, too, can find a fine place to learn something about history and marksmanship with good people.

   Not doing things the normal way, is either going to get me deeper into the rut, or over the edge into the new one in another direction. Life is built on choices, may all of yours be wonderful, for mine have just amazed me.

 

So January is almost over, go shooting with anyone, why not?

  If a well regulated militia is necessary for the security of Free State --- why haven't you gone shooting with someone. Rumor has it that the Swiss did, I know I did this morning.

  It is difficult to convince some people to spend some time away on a range shooting targets, some folks are looking for other things to do and conquer.  But finally, one of the men from church decided he would go with me to the range and we had a great time. He and I learned many things, about ammunition, shooting and each other. One down, many others to work on next.

  We did go early enough to get positions and targets, sure enough there was a waiting list for most of the morning. I don't think the movie is driving the desire to shoot, I still think that many got some improvement in shooting device or a rifle for Christmas and a settling in, and zeroing. We started out on sighting squares and found his ammunition wasn't powering his Ruger 10/22, it was only 750 fps, and recommended for competition indoor ranges and bolt action. He changed to Blazer and everything worked better, but now he was shooting high. Adjustments are the thing.

  When I had settled down and zeroed the Stevens 414 Armory model, single shot target rifle from 1907? I switch to shooting  a Classification AQT, the RWVA green coat. Twenty round, five per target, and on the first time through I marked in a shingle for the fun of it. My first target was 204, still a bit looser than I wanted. But then I did nail the Shingle low center, surrounded by black. Put up another Classification AQT, without the shingle and just twenty rounds and my good intentions I scored 232 of  possible 250. I was happy but chilling, temperature was dropping while the fog had lifted and long since breakfast and I hadn't dressed heavy. I changed to the Marlin Liberty Training Rifle, and loaded three magazines with five rounds each and shot at the orange center of the target. High left - change the sights (it had been used as a loaner) and then shoot again. Had a great time. Total, about a hundred rounds for me, eighty or so for him, all rounds made in Lewiston, ID, ammunition capital of the Great Northwest. Yes, they were all on target and safe.

Saturday morning, I know you are on the range somewhere...

   I have my copy of all the Appleseed Event shoots in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Will be putting them on my calendar to check for conflicts with other stuff that I need to do. One sister mentioned driving across the country (SD to FL and back) had gotten her over fear of driving long distance alone and might think about coming to Idaho to shoot. My brother said there were a couple members of the family that had guns she might use (we've been outed!) not that he had one. I said if Sherry could come up with a twenty-five meter range the traveling Appleseed show could go her way. Now that would be fun. I have been part of an Appleseed in Spearfish, South Dakota.

   Wife got out of the home early for morning prayer. I will grab another rifle and head that way soon.

Some nice guy from India called three times yesterday to tell me that I was sending too much data from my computers and he would help me clean out the virus or program that had taken it over. Since I had no patience I disconnected the modem, shut all the computers down and did something else, came back later and cleaned all the computers and reconnected the modem, then started shutting the computers down (two are off now as we speak) and I will shut this one down after this post. Amazing the amount of time to fill if one isn't on line trying to feed on snark, snarls and snippets.

   Do check your business cards for typing errors, this blog was listed on blogsport.com instead of blogspot.com --- which would have meant one or two fewer followers.

That is an old issued one, but even they had to be checked and re-issued when they were found flawed. Those were the days.

crazy lady in the bathrobe running down the street chasing you with a potted plant

  It is that kind of a world, one day an interesting little female with a mind and a laugh and she turns into a "crazy lady in the bathrobe running down the street chasing you with a potted plant" lovely one at that.

  Probably too many males in her life... admiring ones like me.

  Today, as I waited for the light to change and I could continue home to my list of things I will do when I get around to them, I said a little prayer for each driver and I looked at them. It was good, and I do hope their day goes really well from that point, which was my point.

  I watched Bill O'Reilly talk to the new reporter on Fox News, former Navy Aviator, F-18, and she was great and humble and she was nice to Bill, cause he really doesn't know much about the service in so many ways, but he was trying. He recommended she write a book, and she came back with she would title it Killing Bill O'Reilly, which works for me, but I think he suggested it earlier before the introduction/interview.

  Still doing war by proxy, either in books or movies. Need to pay bills tomorrow, almost the end of the month and the beginning of February can't be far behind.

Lots of talk about things one knows nothing about...

  Snipers, I was interested in becoming a sniper in Vietnam, didn't happen since I was on a re-enlistment bonus and had to work in my Military Occupation Specialty - so they shipped me off to where they needed my precision computing of big rounds on little targets. Could have had a larger score than many snipers, but it wasn't really being counted except by the enemy - since it was a team effort I would never believe anything except I got the rounds on target as fast and perfect as I could. I learned that going without enough sleep for days would affect my computing abilities and that as soon as someone asked us to shoot for them - everything else was gone all we did was shoot, moving ammunition for gun crews, getting chow for people that couldn't move from the mission... making sure it was quiet so only the important words were in the air to hear.

   When I am asked about war I tell them that if they read and study the Iliad, everything about war (as the Europeans fight it) is there. I watched two versions of the story on DVD yesterday. Helen of Troy and Troy, both are good films, but not the real story - although I wish I could merge them into a better telling, must have had a ton more money in Troy than Helen of Troy. The military action was better in Troy but the story was really shortened by nine years and a bunch of months in that one. It was a ten year effort. I have Robert Fagles' translation of The Iliad, he kept the poetry - I am not smart enough to know if he kept Homer's meter.

  Too many words for someone not working on their scholarship of the classic. So I have a fine condensation with illustrations: Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of THE ILIAD by Rosemary Sutcliff,  illustrated by Alan Lee.  Seems the book Amazon.com is selling is a newer version without Alan Lee's illustrations - get the Delacorte Press, 1993. Half price books might have one - it is a keeper. For free, on the Project Gutenberg eBook has the version I read and loved for many years - mainly because of the fine line drawings, The Adventures of Odysseus and The Tales of Troy, by Padraic Colum. I have his The Children of Odin, again with illustrations, 1920, but that was when men were men and sagas and myths meant something. Willy Pogany was the illustrator.

  If I were in charge, the books of classics, would have just enough quality illustration to promote the words, but not enough to pull you out of the story, I could always go back and look at the pictures. Well this was fun, hope your days are full of heroes and heroines (does anyone know that word now? or is it like Honor, just not well understood).