An Rx for Happiness: Go shooting

"All men have a sweetness in their life. That is what helps them go on. It is towards that they turn when they feel too worn out." --Albert Camus

A glut of computer work and minor illness has kept me inside a lot the past two weeks. Today, I took advantage of a free hour and 70-degree weather to run four magazines of 9mm ammunition through my AR-15 carbine.

It wasn't planned in advance. I grabbed the carbine, belt with loaded magazine pouches, protection for ears and eyes, an Indonesian pineapple can, an empty Ritz cracker box and headed down below the pond dam.

I put a little dirt in the bottom of the box so it would stay upright. The red image of a Ritz cracker on the yellow background is a fine target. I checked the zero with it. Then I commenced picking on the shiny pineapple can. It was an excellent, and cheap, reaction target.

Barry and all greenies everywhere will be proud of me. I picked up the can, cardboard scraps, and the empty 9mm brass to recycle. Barack, I will carefully and responsibly recycle those 9mm cases with fresh small pistol primers, 115-grain Berry's Manufacturing plated FMJs, and the contents of an eight-pound keg of Alliant Unique.

Four magazines worth of 9mm ammunition costs less than a visit to a mental health care professional. The walking, shooting, stooping to pick up the brass, and safely moving under the electric fence without getting shocked also boosts one's physical health. All of this stimulates the economy, too. Perhaps one marksman brings about hope, change and happiness more than any number of community activists in Chicago, D.C., or any other progressive, urban hub.

Well, shooting up a Ritz cracker box is more fun than opening it in the conventional way.

One doesn't dial ...

911 for Burger King customer service even in this age of the Nanny State.

Wisdom offered to Jean Fortune, 66, by a 911 dispatcher in Boynton Beach, Fla.:

"If the food's not done, sir, the food's not done."

"You cannot dial 911 because you're unhappy with your burger, OK? Do you understand that?"

"Customer service is not a reason to call 911. 911 is for if you're dying, OK?"

Uncle Ted's column

Ted Nugent, Motor City Madman, writes about positive economic news here. Some excerpts:

"Truth is, what Holder really supports is more law-abiding citizens being victimized by recidivistic, violent punks on parole."

"Our founding fathers supported an individual’s right to own guns. Unlike Obama and Holder, those vanguards of freedom understood that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can not be achieved without being able to protect yourself and your loved ones from human scum who would deny you your fundamental God-given rights."

Cocked, locked and ready to rock, Ted suggests we buy more guns and ammo and join the National Rifle Association. It's a true economic stimulus plan.

Too much stimulation

Judith Warner, a New York Times columnist, dreamed Barack Obama was taking a shower at her place just when she needed to shave her legs. Then Barry had the gall to smoke, which perturbed Ms. Warner's husband, Max. After conducting research via e-mail, she determined:

Many women — not too surprisingly — were dreaming about sex with the president. In these dreams, the women replaced Michelle with greater or lesser guilt or, in the case of a 62-year-old woman in North Florida, whose dream was reported to me by her daughter, found a fully above-board solution: “Michelle had divorced Barack because he had become ‘too much of a star.’ He then married my mother, who was oh so proud to be the first lady,” the daughter wrote me.

Ms. Warner must not have interviewed men who wanted to have sex with Barry. At least she didn't report on it. No doubt there are many who wouldn't dream of replacing Michelle in the president's bed--the more the merrier.

No wonder the Times is hemorrhaging. Ms. Warner isn't a journalist. She's a pervert.

A lower receiver is on the way

I have had an orphan AR-15 top end residing in a closet since before the election. I noticed Denny at Global Tactical Supply, North Kansas City, MO, had some more lower receivers in stock, so I ordered one earlier this week.

It seems as if every place I check is out of lower parts kits. I have some parts, but nowhere near an entire set. I plan to use an Ergo grip, Magpul curved trigger guard, KNS Precision push-button pivot and take down pins and JP Enterprises anti-walk hammer and trigger pins. That will eliminate the need for several parts in the kit, but it never hurts to have some extras for the other AR-15.

For now, I'm going to use a Bushmaster A2 butt stock that's also buried in the closet. The top end has a bull barrel and the A2 will balance it out better than Magpul CTR or M4 collapsible stocks. Maybe I'll try a Magpul UBR stock sometime. It is convenient to have a stock with adjustable length of pull in this part of the country. Yesterday morning it didn't get above 10 degrees before noon. Today it's in the 60s. The thick Carhartt coat is hanging on a brass hook.

I've been eyeing the 6x45mm round, which is simply the .223 necked up to 6mm. It is legal to use for hunting whitetail deer here, where the .223 is not. Mainly, it is something I'd like to experiment with--even more fun than what we had with Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys back in the Stoned Age of the 60s

My thanks ...

to U.S. Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, who represent the state of Kansas, and the 19 others who voted "Nay" on Eric Holder's confirmation as Attorney General.

He will be at the forefront of the Obama Administration's brusque campaign to explain away and invalidate the constitutional rights of gun owners, ordinary Americans who have done nothing to deserve distrust.

We're simply trying to survive, Mr. Attorney General and Mr. President. We're not criminals simply because we carry a scary, black rifle or a concealed pistol for personal safety.

Twenty-one U.S. Senators understand this. That's a start. Please send them your thanks.

"Boondoggle"

I was checking out the Foundation for Economic Education blog Sunday during Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIII and discovered the etymology of "boondoggle".

The word took on another dimension following an April 4, 1935, New York Times article, “$3,187,000 Relief is Spent to Teach Jobless to Play ... Boon Doggles Made”. A New Deal government stimulus program changed that word's meaning to:

boon·dog·gle, n (plural boon·dog·gles) (informal)

1. insignificant pursuit: an activity or project that is trivial and wasteful of time or money
2. politically motivated government project: a government project of little practical value funded to gain political favor

vi (past boon·dog·gled, past participle boon·dog·gled, present participle boon·dog·gling, 3rd person present singular boon·dog·gles) (informal)

1. do something impractical: to do something unimportant or impractical
2. deceive or mislead somebody: to deceive or attempt to deceive somebody

[Mid-20th century. Coined by the U.S. scoutmaster R. H. Link for a braided leather cord made by Scouts.]

Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Anyone for boondoggles?