Bill Whittle: The Importance of Gun Rights

Well said, and well worth watching and passing on.

Not My Victrola: Veterans' Day Special

Al Jolson could really connect with his audience, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house when he performed songs like this one. Jolson was one of many celebrities who helped raise money for the war effort, and for wounded soldiers during The Great War. You can help wounded soldiers today by clicking on the "Give Now" button above and making a contribution to help provide voice activatied laptops to seriously injured heroes. Thank You!

Weekend Steam

This pretty Port Huron engine was running at an easy pace on the Baker Fan at Pinckneyville last month. This is a tandem compound engine, so it has a small diameter, high pressure cylinder on the front end of the engine; also, extra petcocks to let the condensation out when the engine is cold.

Veterans' Day Specials

Veterans' Day is just one week away, and True Blue Sam will be posting several records from his WWI collection leading up to that day.  After you enjoy these records and wipe away a tear, be sure to click on the "Give Now" button in the Project Valour-IT post above, and make a contribution to help a wounded warrior.  Thank You!

Click Here to see all of True Blue Sam's Veterans' Day posts!

Crankin' It Up

"Old Man Jazz" is another of my records in pristeen condition, and this is the first and only time I have played this record. It resides in a record album in Fannie Gilbert's Victrola, which resides at our home. I have a difficult time picturing Fannie actually dancing, especially since I know she was a die-hard Baptist. Next week, the flip side: "Dance-O-Mania!"

Fannie, Rose, and their brother George

October e-Postal Scores Posted!

US Citizen has posted the scores for the October contest.  Click over to Traction Control to have a look, and then go read Danno's post about it on SandCastle Scrolls.  Danno place second overall shooting a stock Crosman pellet pistol in his garage!  No more excuses for not entering these monthly contests!  We all need the practice, so if you can't go to a range every month, you can shoot in your garage or basement with an airgun.  Thanks for the tip, Danno!

What A Difference A County Makes!

I have been following the carry movement in Iowa with considerable interest ever since the topic broke out on the internet.  Iowa has been, and will be a "May Issue" state until the end of December.  Pressure was brought to bear on the state legislature and the governor to pass a "Shall Issue" law so qualified citizens can carry a weapon regardless of the personal opinion of their county sheriff.  The current law allows the sheriff's to control who may and may not be armed, and with 99 counties in Iowa, the citizens there had 99 different policies about carrying weapons.  That will change on January 1, when Sheriffs "Shall Issue" a carry permit to applicants who qualify under the new law.

Not all the sheriffs in Iowa are happy about the coming change, and the sheriff of Linn County (Cedar Rapids) has been very vocal with his whining, and misinformation.  Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar is an inspiration to me in the way he has handled the coming change.  He is getting out in front of the citizens and explaining what the new law's changes will mean, and he is signing up people for carry classes through the County Sheriff's office, insuring that those who take his classes will be well trained in the classroom and the range. 

Washington County Sheriff's Office instructor, Chad, and Bea.

Sheriff Gardner in Linn County has been very loudly complaining that people will be 'open carrying,' and that is a possibility with the new law.  The new law is a "Carry Law," not a "Concealed Carry Law," and that is actually quite important to folks who wish to carry a weapon.  An accidental exposure of  your weapon in many states can cause your arrest, and in Las Vegas recently, a man was killed by police because he inadvertently exposed his weapon while reaching up in a store while he was shopping. 

Carrying a weapon for self defense places a load of responsibility on the individual, and I thank Sheriff Dunbar for leaping to the forefront in Washington County to be the educational resource that citizens need.  Thanks also go to The Washington Evening Journal for granting permission to link to their fine newspaper, and to Stranded In Iowa for the Linn County news.

MORE:  How important is it for a person to be armed?  Read this article from the Courier-Journal, and be sure to watch the video about Sylvia Hall, in the upper right of the page.

And Now We Come Down To The Wire

If this isn't the Last Rose of Summer at our place, it's awful darn close.  It seems to glow, even in the evening shade.

The Drys Are At It Again

I saw in the news that the do-gooders are saying bad things about alcohol again.  Do-gooders are either wanting you to do everything their way, or they are looking for excuses to tax you so they can spread your money to others more deserving than you.  I am guessing that taxes are the driving force behind the latest reports.  Of course, the researchers will need more government grants to do studies so they can make recommendations...it's almost like global warming.  Anyway, when I saw the news hacks comparing alcohol to the hardest of illicit drugs, I was reminded of one of my favorite poems.


The horse and mule, live 30 years, and know nothing of Wines and Beers…
The goat and sheep, at 20 die, and never taste of Scotch and Rye…
The cow drinks water by the ton, and at 18, is mostly done…
The dog at 15, cashes in, without the aid of Rum and Gin…
The cat in milk and water soaks, and then in 12 short years, he croaks…
The modest, sober, bone-dry hen, lays eggs for nogs, then dies at 10…
All animals are strictly dry, they sinless live, and swiftly die…
But sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men, survive for three score years and ten…

And some of us, tho' mighty few, stay sozzled till we’re 92!

Hunting Season Is Upon Us...

 ...and some of the deer hunters invading the timber will be using steps like these to climb to their deer stand.
Sometimes they take their screw-in steps home with them, but I see lots of them left in trees.

Others will be using homemade spikes which obviously will never be removed.  If you hunt from an elevated deer stand, think of the timber owner and the people who may process the trees into products at some time in the future.  Spikes and screw-in steps render a tree worthless, and if the metal evenually is completely grown over, it is dangerous to timber and mill workers.

I never have been a fan of deer stands, and have always hunted on the ground, but of course, I have never been a trophy hunter.  Every year about this time we will hear of hunters in our area who fall out of their deer stands, and the injuries usually wreck them for life.  If you use a deer stand, please follow common sense safety rules and use a safety strap to prevent falls.