I have been marveling...

I recommend Joe Abercrombie, for his book The Heroes, it is fiction but I like it.

What I have been marveling about is my healing, my recovery and how long it has been going on and I think is still in progress. I had no idea how far I had fallen in health, just that it wasn't there anymore. 2011 and 2012 were probably the bottom, I hope to never get that far down again, since coming back is awful - but necessarily so slow... so slow.  Still haven't run again - and a gentle jog would be enough to convince me that I could, but I am still hesitant to trust myself and the pacemaker - it isn't far to fall in the YMCA and there are lots of fine folks around to save me... but I don't want to trouble them. Still, I am getting better and stronger and think if I continue to take it slow it will happen again.

Something else in the universe has happened also, and I need to make a call, but I have had a desire, not a need, for a 1903 A3, and I thought if I kept asking I might win the Lottery and find one and buy one.... so I tickled a few folks about it, and sure enough I have a call back on my message service to call and maybe look and buy a sporterized one.  When I posted on Facebook that I was thinking of looking into it I found suddenly three messages that they would like to help me find their rifle for my desires. Wow!

When it rains it pours. I might really have one soon, and will be sharing my joy with the world as I learn new skills with that rifle. Still the search has been interesting in the response to the question and what has been going on with other shooters and their lives.

I have also run into my reputation along the way - I have several of them - and they seem to depend on where I and the reporter of the reputation were when. So there are dark ones that no one talks about, and much brighter ones that I think have been polished by time and goodness greatness thoughts that I didn't recognize as mine. One truth about reputations is comparison and contrasts - the rep is always held up against some real person and situation somewhere, and the reporter/promoter has another chance to make me worthier... hmm, seems like the real me gets dimmer as the rep gets brighter. Like any great war story, if the stink, the slime and the sleaze were part of the story - we wouldn't tell them so often and so fondly. So with the reputation/representation of paratrooper Dungey. Doesn't survive first contact with reality/real me.

We just kill them all until they don't return...

  One of the better messages from the Vietnamese commander in We Were Soldiers, when asked about taking prisoners.

  I have personally concluded that killing all Hamas, ISIS or any other enemy is the only way to stop the madness.  Yes, I will pray for them, but I am sure that killing them will get them to the Lord's  mercy sooner than allowing them to behead people, threaten death and destruction, and in general rape and beat women. Kill them.

  There is a fine thought that they should be able to be moderate, gentler and honorable. But they don't seem civilized, and if our civilization has gotten so cushioned chair bound that we aren't willing to FIGHT the stupids wherever they are -- they will be coming in the back door soon.

  No more non-lethal, no more halls of Justice, just kill them if they are carrying a bomb or a weapon. If they are in charge, kill them. Their sons will avenge their deaths, kill them when they try.

  You may now return to your regularly covered petty little lives.

 

Stuck in Atlas Shrugged, the book...

I am on recovery break, wanting to get smart and beautiful and loving... so I leave you with a gem from the internet, which I left a comment on.  When the Music Stops    Don't you just love it when the looters of the literary world followed to lay out the current stupidity in government goodness?

Sorry, I got side tracked by WORLD events...

 Yesterday was a complete wonderful fine glorious day shooting known distance, full distance, and finding out what works for me, and where I need to work on more better.

  First, I calmly waited for the jammed traffic on the 205 Bridge over the Columbia to open up and allow me to pass through. No choice, and I took pictures, but you have all seen it before, haven't you? So I arrived at about 8:30 and found I was right there for the first shot, cold bore on the steel gong, two hundred and fifty yards away. Which I missed because I can... No, I have no idea where my bullet went. The reason I like paper better than instant ringing gratification.

  My M1 was set on battle sight zero, and I found that will always work for 100, 200, and 300 distances in standing, sitting and prone in a hurry. What doesn't work is sloppy shots - I don't teach sloppy shots, I just know how to do them, more of my shots aren't than are - so I am going to get all of them to the best shot side.

  I found trusting the NPOA very important for shooting in the Rifleman's Cadence, and shooting in the Rifleman's cadence is the only way to put ten round on target within fifty-five or sixty-five seconds on stage two and three of the AQT. I only dropped one round for time, and six rounds for failure to feed (shooter had trouble loading clip - once).

  I found the sling cannot be snug enough, make it snugger.  Practice all positions more, and lock into the best for you and your rifle early in life. Still, be prepared to change to something else and lock it down. Stuff happens.

  Enjoy the shot, enjoy the shoot and speak well of the departed.

The Victory of Chicken Little...

In the good old days, of yesteryear... isn't that a wonderful phrase? I heard lots of poetry, nursery rhymes. and fairy tales - it was part of a most excellent education. A solid grounding in common sense and stories with a moral, and a point, one of those sharp things for you to use in your future. Even cartoon characters used them as a short hand for telling their story - part of the common thread of our American - often British culture. This was a foundation for more education and communication as we grew up. All of the liberal arts in college has always been to reinforce the common accepted truths from the Greeks, Romans, the Bible, European History and moral values and philosophy.. or so I truly believe. Once you have the common grounding, you go where you want and fit how you may and you won't embarrass your family too much. Could even make them proud.

Somewhere a few days, months and years ago - the culture in America, the 'yes, I can' culture was hijacked into the 'No, way, Jose' cult. I firmly believe everyone that comes to live in America, or countries of similar purpose - comes to make their life and times better. They don't come to become slaves, they don't come to be serfs - peasants - peons, they come to make a good life and have a fine life with those they love.

If there are any people here in America, or countries that model themselves as freedom loving peoples, that want to fail, to be downtrodden, or just lay down and die under the whips of the overmaster --- well, just holler and let me know.  Hear anything? crickets? anything at all? Do you think they are all dead? Or has Chicken Little succeeded? They are too afraid to comment, complain, to make noise as they fix the problems, or build the nation and their families and fortunes? Political Correctness is an ugly whip to beat the others into shape, it is a soul stealing whip - no thought needs to be made once the whip is applied, no spirit can live free where Political Correctness is the law of the multitude.

But back to Chicken Little, the poor bird had a bit of trauma, and when recovering decided he must warn everyone of the dangers of Gravity and the Sky Falling! Since Gravity was a law, which everyone knows, then when he says the Sky is Falling - it must also be true. This was before the Blues made the idea famous. Media and government goodness guys (politicians) use your fears, based on their loud announcements of whatever they want you to fear now, to motivate you to their position - Chicken Little really believed "The Sky is Falling". So does the media and your loving politicians. Climate Change? Nuclear Winter? The danger in population growth, the religious Right, the Yellow Peril, racial impurity, social justice, unbound Liberty, individual rights, --- all those and many thousand more must be used to frighten you into compliance, for the children or your own good.  Chicken Little never wanted to harm anyone, and after everyone was safe from Falling Sky - what happened?

You and I can't stop the Sky from Falling, but until it hits us - we should keep working on that wonderful life, living in Love and Liberty. There are probably more people trying to make gain from me than I want to know - but to a certain point they can try, I am not interested in what hits my head, just that it doesn't really hurt nor cause permanent damage. I don't dwell on the unlikely - no matter how loudly media and politicians or Chicken Little trumpet loudly. I don't blame Chicken Little, he was only a public servant and a fool fowl, but politicians and media - they are using fears unfounded to gain some silly value for themselves. I don't have any silly value for them they had best go elsewhere to find it.

Early morning memories...

I departed about an hour too late on Saturday for Stevenson, Washington. Learned of my mistake as I set my GPS and tore on down the road, about three hours of travel, luckily it was early in the morning, I had light, and light traffic.

I was only a bit player in a very small Appleseed event, only three or four shooters, one first time Shoot Boss (whom I have worked with before) and one missing due to illness IIT Janer (do hope she recovers well, since I was just getting off my constant cough).

I had my M1 Garand with me for zeroing before I went to bed, Thursday I will be attending the Known Distance Shoot at Douglas Ridge and only verification of zeroes and three full distance AQTs will be shot, about a hundred and fifty rounds. Need some more dry practice, and to borrow some young paratrooper's body - this one doesn't stretch as well any more.

Met the Shoot Boss KenJo and his four shooters, two father daughter pairs. The young ladies would have to stretch to catch up with their father's marksmanship - but mechanical and ancient bones and unfamiliar positions would take their toll on the men, and then we made everyone fear the time monkey - only fifty-five seconds? All the idle assurances of their future ability to meet the standards were always slowed by how tense they became as they pushed to slide the magazine in quickly. Relax! make it happen, breath in breath out, focus, squeeze and the follow thru, now again... rhythm, Rifleman's cadence. It will work, believe.

Check your natural point of aim, RELAX! I shout like a Drill Instructor (that will make them remember, as they lie there quivering). We taught it all, and shot through a teaching AQT, I told a whole hour of how Americans decided they could go it alone, then finished with the First Strike. I should cut a lot more words away. Just stimulate their interest, allow them to research and study, it won't stick unless they do. We did one AQT for score and then the other strikes of the match, and a final Red Coat target for the day. It had gotten very hot in the afternoon, we had pushed watering the body and they stayed on pace on that. The shoot boss gave them the benediction and seventh stepping and we sent them home to rest and recover. Hoping they would return by eight thirty in the morning. Then I sat sipping water and discussing the after action of the day, what we would try to accomplish in the next. Great idea for KD to 100 meters.

I put a target up to zero upon and fired two rounds, measured and adjusted my sights - Inches, Minute of Angle and Clicks work! Fired four more then eight on stage four of an AQT. Hmm, best get to practicing what I preach - more dry practice, more mental repetitions of an excellent shot... more positions.

Clean up, pack up, make my bed and I lay upon it, under a poncho liner, listening to the hum of the mosquitoes, the even ones don't hurt and can't keep me awake I will have lost a lot of blood by morning by the Pacemaker will keep what is left moving at more than fifty bpm.

Day two, roll up the bedroll. shake the scorpions out of the boots (nah, just teasing you) and take a walk after making breakfast out to see the damage from the shotgunning hooligans of the last evening. Saw some interesting animal tracks, but nothing I was going to be concerned over. There was an eight inch slug trying to make it to shade before the Sun dried him... looks like a long time survivor.

The Shoot Boss shows and we finish setting up, talking and wait upon our shooters. Only two takers today. But we roll right on after finding lapses of memory on four Safety Rules, Six steps of making a rifle safe, and six steps of the shot. Review, rinse, repeat... they will one day own all those words. The young lady adds compliance to the safety rule four... ugh. I can't spell compliance. Review, rinse, repeat...

Great attitude from the shooters, we all stay happy, and they have changed rifles and sights, okay - all things new, we can make this work. I do check out the scout mounted sight on Pat's rifle. Her incentive to earning her Rifleman patch is that her father will give her that fine rifle. Motivation! It is hotter than yesterday, the reviews are done with shooters demonstrating under the Shoot Boss, and we check zeroes, IMC, and sight are on again. An AQT before lunch, Known Distance after Hezikiah Wyman, and then two more AQTs, before going on to a Known Distance one hundred yard training exercise with a modified AQT.

A lot would be learned about the rifles and the ammunition and the change in groups for fifty, seventy-five and one hundred yards. New Target then shoot Stage Four, mark, score and move to 75. shoot Stage Three. time monkey distraction, mark, score, move to fifty, Shoot Stage Two, time monkey beats them again, mark, score, move to 25, shoot Stage one of the AQT, no time monkey, distance is very normal, target size perfect ten rounds but only some on target, sigh. Good exercise bring the targets in talk targets, challenges and results. Lots of good stuff learned. Move safely back to other range for one last AQT and Rec Coat and wrap of Appleseed for this weekend.

Jesse Ventura was wrong... but haven't we all been bad before?

I never knew Chris Kyle, and I certainly don't know Jesse Ventura. But I do think Chris knocked a loud mouth down and left the scene. Now I never heard it was Jesse Ventura from Chris's mouth... media wanted that answer and made it up well. Jesse Ventura said it never happened. So I have no reason to doubt Jesse Ventura's word - he just wouldn't be the type to get loud mouthed and act a fool, he was a governor of Minnesota wasn't he?

Where Jesse Ventura got it wrong, was thinking that Chris Kyle was trying to hurt him and his career - which ever one he is engaged in now. So, on the advice of his lawyer, he sued Kris Kyle's estate for damages. Now I know the lawyer was going for the win and the money, Jesse Ventura was going for his honor, or something else. What has happened that Jesse won the Stupid Unloved Award of the Year. He is an old man, that kicks dirt on the graves of the dead and steals bread from the store of their widows... for his honor, or something else.

I served in Vietnam, I am a Baby Boomer but better than Bill Clinton and George Bush, the Younger. And certainly better than Jesse Ventura, although I am probably too close to his weight - I would never have worried about what someone said about me - except to be called a liar. I wouldn't have sued, I am probably more direct and confrontational. I would have met on neutral ground and over a cup of tea. But then I haven't been knocking down loud mouthed old me, nor written about it. So I will just say, Jesse, you and Kyle should have met and talked it out - or you could have put some moves on each other - then had a beer.

Just because the world has no sense, doesn't mean you have to be mean. Living in love -- nothing else works better.