- The FNRA dinner on Saturday night went very well.
- I am proud to say that I sold out the chances on the drawing I was working in an hour and a half. Someone paid $20 for $2000 worth of guns, and was quite happy when his ticket number was called out.
- I also had a good discussion with one of the members of the staff at the venue, and he was excited to learn how to purchase a gun and where he could get some training. I suggested a couple of places in Louisville, and wished him luck. Hopefully I brought someone new into the tribe.
- I was going to wear my Remington 1911 as a barbecue gun for the dinner, but as I was taking it out of the safe, one of the decorative buttons on the grips came off. Oh well, wearing a S+W Model 13 as a barbecue gun is nothing to be ashamed of either.
- The new truck is very comfortable, and I’m very glad to have the air conditioning these past few days. I have even learned how to back the darned thing into a parking spot without trading paint with other cars or other obstacles.
- I’m not looking forward to filling that 26 gallon gas tank in a couple of days, though.
- Moonshine the Wonder Lab and Crash the Combat Kitten have come to some kind of understanding. Moonshine now only tries to play with Crash during hours in which the entire family is either asleep or trying to quietly read, and Crash no longer puffs up to three times his real size and tries to slash Moonshine across the jugular.
- I have dubbed the normal Siamese kitten freak outs as “Combat Parkour”.
- I need to remember to do something very special for Girlie Bear. The past few weeks have been really chaotic for the family, and Irish Woman and I have had to lean on her a lot to keep things running. I’m thinking a day out at the range dedicated to her needs to happen in the near future.
- I’d like to say that things at Boo’s school have been getting better for him, but I can’t.
- Irish Woman and I are looking for a solution that fits Boo’s needs and personality a little better.
- The school he’s at right now is an excellent place, it just doesn’t seem to work for our son.
- Public school is still out of the question. Even considering that the schools close to our home are pretty good, there’s just too great a chance that he’d end up on a long bus ride across town to satisfy someone’s idea of social justice.
- To my garbage man: I’m so sorry, but Irish Woman and I have been on a “Get it out of the house” kick, and this week most everything we looked at that needed to go wasn’t worth donating.
- Spending an evening alternating between having in-depth, life changing discussions with your wife and chatting with two teenage girls is kind of disorienting.
Musings
Posted by daddybear71 on September 10, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/10/musings-10/
Quote of the Day
When the need arises — and it does — you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out — that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse. — Robert Heinlein, “Time Enough for Love”
Posted by daddybear71 on September 10, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/10/quote-of-the-day-117/
Today’s Earworm
Posted by daddybear71 on September 10, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/10/todays-earworm-405/
Thoughts on the Day
- Bad – Clutch acting wonky on your 13 year old truck.
- Worse – Truck barely getting home after a long day of work.
- Even Worse – Truck won’t go into gear under any circumstances the next morning.
- Horrible: I just bought a new car for Irish Woman and wasn’t planning on replacing the truck for a few more months.
- Estimate costs to fix the truck:
- Parts to fix clutch – at least $500.
- Labor to replace clutch parts will require pulling the engine out.
- Total cost was going to be at least $1000.
- Truck is 13 years old, needs the front and rear suspension replaced, has no air conditioning, and has a multitude of minor, annoying issues.
- I’d like to announce the addition of a 2013 Ford F-150 XL to the family.
- Unlike the old truck, Irish Woman can drive this one.
- I’m going to have to get used to parking a truck with an 8 foot bed.
- Pushing the old truck back up in the driveway, alone, and with a separated shoulder might have been the second dumbest thing I did today. The dumbest thing I did today was letting it coast down the drive way a piece to see if movement would do something to correct the issue with the clutch.
- The sound of joy in a salesperson’s voice when you tell her that you will be purchasing your second vehicle of the week from her is rather annoying.
- I called two sales people at competing dealerships to see who could make me the best deal, and she won.
Posted by daddybear71 on September 6, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/06/thoughts-on-the-day-170/
Prayers Needed
A few weeks ago, I posted about a unit that a friend of mine was helping out with CARE packages, and the response was outstanding. My friend has sent several boxes over already and is sending things over a bit at a time to keep the guys’ spirits up. Thanks to all of you who contributed.
Now I need another favor. My friend found out today that the unit had a KIA last night. Our guys lost someone, and they’re far from home. If you could keep them in your thoughts and prayers, it would be appreciated. I will post more as I learn more.
Posted by daddybear71 on September 6, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/06/prayers-needed-4/
Greater Louisville Friends of the NRA Dinner and Auction – Details
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Friends of the NRA. Well, all the hard work of the Greater Louisville FNRA organization is about to pay off, and if you’re close to Louisville, you can help out.
In A Nutshell
This Saturday will be the annual dinner and auction for Louisville. It’s going to be held at the Triple Crown Pavilion on Plantside Drive beginning at 5:30. A $40 ticket gets you in the door, a sit-down steak dinner, and access to games, a live auction, and a silent auction. You can order tickets here, and tickets will be available at the door.
Dinner
The menu for the sit-down dinner is:
- Garden salad
- Grilled beef shoulder tenderloin with pearl onion bordelaise
- Augratin potatoes
- Country style green beans (Kentuckians can’t serve a vegetable without bacon or ham in it, but it’s delicious)
- Warm rolls with butter
- Dessert will be your choice of either cheesecake with berries and cream or deep dish caramel apple
Auctions
The silent auction will be provisioned with products graciously donated by local businesses and patrons of the FNRA.
The live auction will include the following items;
- Moose bone skinner by Smith and Partners – This is an FNRA exclusive item. A beautiful custom knife with highly polished blade and real moose bone handle.
- 9/11 Flag Display Framed Decor by Mill Pond – This is an FNRA exclusive item. Print includes uniform flag patch flown over Iraq in an F-16 during a live combat mission on 9/11/2011, the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
- Cape Buffalo FNRA Sponsor Sculpture – This is a “Key Item”. (See Below for explanation) Stunning statue of the prized African game animal.
- Savage 110BA in .338 Lapua with Magpul Furniture – $1800 minimum bid on this one. Long range precision and power.
- Starkey Digital Hearing Protection – Tiny digital ear plugs allow normal conversations but block the damaging effects of gunfire your hunt or day on the range more safe and enjoyable.
- Whiskey Stave Wine Rack by Legacy Quest – This is an FNRA exclusive item. A unique display made from a real bourbon barrel stave from the Heaven Hill Distillery includes the NRA Eagle logo medallion.
- Selection of NRA belt buckles donated by Kurt Gutting – You can buy one or all of them at the bid price each.
- Kel-Tec KSG 12GA Shotgun with logo – A highly desired tactical shotgun with a 15 round capacity and bullpup design.
- Fighting Whitetail Sculpture by Sky Carvers – A powerful rendition of two trophy bucks contending for dominance.
- Dr. Goddard Framed Art by Mill Pond – Celebrate the founder of forensic ballistics with this portrait of Dr. Goddard that includes casing and bullets fired from two of the Tommy guns used in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the first case solved using the science of matching ballistic markings that make every firearm unique.
- Signed Charlie Daniels Fiddle with case, CD, and photo – This is an FNRA exclusive item. A hand signed fiddle from one of country’s greatest artists, and dedicated Second Amendment supporter, Charlie Daniels. Includes a copy of his “Live From Iraq” CD.
- NRA Waffle Maker – This is a “Key Item”. (See Below for explanation) Brand your morning waffles with the NRA logo.
- Sig Sauer P226 Pistol in 9mm, with case and coin – U.S. Navy Seal edition P226 MK25 has all of the features used in the Naval Special Warfare Teams, plus the anchor logo and a special SEAL Foundation challenge coin.
- Silver and Black Crystal Jewelry Set by Montana Silversmiths – Sparkling and unique jewelry set that’s sure to help cover over any auction purchase when you get home!
- Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders Framed Decor by Mill Pond – Portrays the first use of the M1895 Gatling gun by the U.S. Army at San Juan Hill that ensured that the Rough Riders could win the day. Includes a spent casing and bullet fired from one of the only surviving guns used in the epic 1898 battle.
- Friends of NRA 2013 Gun of the Year: A Weatherby Vanguard S2 Eurosport in .270 Winchester with a VX-7 Leupold scope and Case. This is an FNRA exclusive edition of the highly successful Vanguard with custom wood and engraving. There is a minimum bid on this item of $1500.00.
- 2012 FNRA Knife of the Year – A special find for this year’s auction. A catskill drop point with a chestnut handle by Canal Street Cutlery and Legacy Quest. Last year’s Knife of the Year has a distinctive blade style and unique American Chestnut handles and display case.
- Bourbon Barrel Display Case – This item was graciously donated by local craftsman Perry Myers. It lets you display your treasures with pride in this unique regionally flavored custom display case.
- Custom Henry Golden Boy .22 S/L/LR with the NRA seal scroll on a brass receiver. Rifle has a 20 inch barrel and walnut furniture.
- Pet Feeding Station by Legacy Quest – This is an FNRA exclusive item. Spoil your pets in rustic style with this two-bowl feeding station.
- Stainless FNRA Steel Flask – This is a “Key Item”. (See Below for explanation) Hip flask with the FNRA logo.
- 2011 FNRA Knife of the Year – A special find for this year’s auction. A bowie and display by W.R. Case and Sons. A classic American design with custom embellishment for the Friends of the NRA.
- Shelburne Museum Mallard Decoy – This is an FNRA exclusive item. A replica of a vintage decoy. Purchase of the decoy includes a 1 in 15 chance to go on a late December Mississippi duck hunt with FNRA Field Staff members.
- American Chestnut Flag Display by Legacy Quest – This is an FNRA exclusive item. Show your families patriotism with pride in this distinctive presentation case for your veteran’s flag.
- Legacy Quest Outdoors Daisy BB Gun – This is an FNRA exclusive item. A classic BB gun design with an NRA logo medallion and rustic American Chestnut stock and fore end.
- Franchi Affinity 12 Gauge Semi-Auto shotgun with FNRA logo – Based on the highly acclaimed Benelli action, this great field gun will be a great addition to your collection.
- Browning 1911 Patent Plaques by Mill Pond – This is an FNRA exclusive item. Brass etched copies of the original John Moses Browning patent application for the venerable 1911 pistol will be a stunning addition to any office or den.
- Friends of the NRA Freedom Flyer Bicycle – This is an FNRA exclusive item. Let your next generation show their Second Amendment support as they cruise the sidewalks.
- Rhinestone Pistol Jewelry Set by Montana Silversmiths – Now she can show her support in style with these sparkling revolver necklace and earrings.
- Digital Camo Blanket by Binghamton Knitting – This is an FNRA exclusive item. It is also a “Key Item”. (See below for explanation). Cozy camouflage blanket with FNRA logo will keep you warm this winter.
Key Items
Four of the items in the live auction are marked as “Key Items”. What that means is that when you win the auction for them, you also win a key. This key gives you a 1 in 4 chance of opening a lock on a DiamondBack Flat Dark Earth AR Carbine in .300 Blackout.
Games
In addition to the auctions, there are several games available for you to try to win guns and gear.
AR-15 Raffle – You buy a magazine for $100, you get a chance of winning an exclusive Limited KY Friends of NRA Accurate Armory LE Light Carbine – only 15 made!! There will only be 24 magazines and chances at the rifle sold.
2. 3 Gun Raffle – $20 gets you a chance to win a Mossberg MVP Predator .223, AR-15 DiamondBack, and Ruger 40 – 1 winner takes all. There will be 150 chances sold.
3. Hat Raffle – $20 gets you a chance to win a DPMS .308. Every buyer receives an FNRA Cap, and there will only 96 hats sold.
4. Pick of Auction – $20 gets you a chance to pick whatever you want from the live auction table, except for the .338 rifle. Everything else is available for the winner to choose from! 100 chances will be sold.
5. Pre-event Raffle – $10 a ticket for an S&W .380
6. Plinko – Drop the chip to get tickets. Winner gets their choice of 1 gun, either a Ruger LC9 or Taurus .38.
7. Darts – Throw darts to get tickets. Winner gets their choice of either a Henry .22 rifle or Mossberg MVP in .223. Update – The MVP was removed and put in another game.
8. Bucket Raffle – You purchase a strip of four regular tickets and one bonus ticket. The regular tickets are used to get in on drawings for packages of donated items. The bonus ticket is used to get in on a drawing for these guns:
- Remington 700 SPS 30-06
- S&W Bodyguard .38
- Henry AR7 Survival .22
- S&W Governor
- Mossberg MVP Predator Combo .223
- Para Elite 1911 .45
So there you have it. A great dinner, time spent with other supporters of the shooting sports, and chances to win guns and gear. So, if you want to come on out on Saturday, please buy some tickets, bring your family and friends, and have a good time with us. I’ll see you there!
Posted by daddybear71 on September 5, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/05/greater-louisville-friends-of-the-nra-dinner-and-auction-details/
News Roundup
- From the “Wouldn’t Surprise Me” Department – Bradley Manning, who was recently convicted of releasing classified material and sentenced to a few decades of time out to think about what he’s done, has appealed to President Obama for a pardon. The petition claims that when Manning knowingly took thousands of files containing details about ongoing operations, intelligence sources, and the secret recipe to yakisoba in the chow hall and gave them to an organization that then published them on the Internet, he was doing so out of concern for his country and the world. I guess the risk to the people who were providing us with intelligence was mitigated by the benefits the world gained by knowing that if you drive an unmarked van into a firefight, then U.S. forces might convert it into a convertible with a machine gun. I have to admit that my partisan-politics side is showing enough that I believe that President Obama might just do this.
- From the “Good News” Department – The current Congress is on track to be one of the least productive sessions in recent memory. Apparently only 24 of the laws passed so far have been ‘substantive’, meaning that they are more important than resolutions in support of their favorite candidate on “Who Wants to Prove They Never Took A Singing Lesson?”. To this I say to Congress: Keep up the good work! Fewer laws means fewer ways we get hosed. Yes, there are things that Congress should be working on, such as an actual budget instead of continuing resolutions, but if I have to choose between an industrious Congress or one that’s deadlocked, I’ll choose deadlock almost every time.
- From the “Shot in Lodi Again” Department – A SWAT team member in Lodi, California, was recently shot with his own gun after a young child was able to get at the trigger of his handgun and fire it. Luckily, the officer’s injuries were minor. Apparently Deputy Tacticool was wearing a drop-leg holster at a static display for school children. I just have two questions: What brand of holster was he using, so I never buy one, and why does Lodi have a SWAT team?
- From the “Can We Keep It, Mom?” Department – Youths in Russia recently found a World War II vintage artillery shell while swimming and brought it home. After figuring out what they had, they alerted authorities, who destroyed the shell. Luckily, no-one was hurt. This reminds me of the time a trooper in the 4th Infantry Division walked into the S-2 section of the brigade I was working with and plunked down a dud artillery shell that he’d found. Reports are that he asked the first soldier that talked to him if the thing was real and if it was dangerous. I was asleep at the time, but apparently the tent cleared out quite quickly.
- From the “Gun Laws Work So Well” Department – Police in Sierra Vista, Arizona, recently arrested three men after a high-speed chase. Police allege that someone in the vehicle threw a rifle with a suppressor out of the car during the pursuit. Two of the people who were arrested were felons, who should not have had a gun at all, and one of them had drug paraphernalia, meaning that he couldn’t have truthfully passed a background check. My guess is that more charges are going to be filed, since somebody probably broke the NFA with that suppressor. My gut tells me that felons and drug users might find it hard to get a tax stamp from the ATF. How horrible that these criminals found a way to get around all those comprehensive gun control laws. They must be absolute criminal masterminds.
- From the “Facepalm!” Department – The pastor of a Baptist church in North Carolina recently expressed her wish that only white people be used as greeters at the door to her church. Apparently this woman of African descent believed that putting the best face on her church meant putting lilly white window dressing in front of her multi-ethnic congregation. I was going to turn this into a talk about racism, but really, it’s just garden variety stupidity.
- From the “Gray Bar Hotel” Department – Rapist, kidnapper, and all around douchebag Ariel Castro was found hung by his own hand in his jail cell today. This waste of a good bullet was convicted of keeping three women hostage in his house for years, fathering at least one child with them, and repeatedly raping, beating, and starving them. Here’s hoping that he finds justice in the next world, because he cheated it in this one. In unrelated news, Nidal Hasan, the piece of crap wanna-be jihadist who murdered a pregnant soldier while she begged for the life of her unborn child, along with other soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood, was recently shaved by authorities at the military prison he’s been assigned to. Hasan had refused to shave during his trial, but it appears that once you’ve been convicted, your preferences about facial hair amount to precisely diddly over squat. My hope is that they did it with a rusty coffee can lid. Here’s hoping that he lives a very long, very painful life while watching the world go by through concertina wire, and that when they finally execute him, they use the right amount of paralytic, but not enough pain-killer.
Posted by daddybear71 on September 4, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/04/news-roundup-202/
DaddyBear the Minivandian and the Horrible, No Good, Horrendous Day
DaddyBear the Minivandian looked down upon the scroll from Padrog the Snake Banisher school. Next to him stood the Lady of Eyre, her face flushed with emotion. Before him stood the Young Prince, streaks running down his crimson cheeks where tears had so recently run.
DaddyBear bent his knees so that his eyes were level with those of his young son. The boy’s blonde hair was striking against the crimson hue of his skin. This was the mark of a student that had transgressed the rules of the class in an extreme way. Normally, the Young Prince would come home with a small, glowing, green mark upon the back of his right hand, the mark of a good day at school. If his day was not so good, but not atrocious, his left hand would come home dyed a bright yellow. If his behavior was very bad, he would be colored red from head to toe, with the darkness of the color magically getting deeper as the day got worse. The Young Prince was the color of a bull red dragon during the rut, signifying a day that would be long remembered at Padrog’s.
“My son,” intoned my lord DaddyBear, “your teacher, Mistress Llewellyn, has sent this missive home with you. It details an accomplished list of transgressions. Also, the master of the school has called upon your mother and me on two occasions already. Do you have anything to tell us?”
“N-n-n-o, father.” said the Young Prince. His chin was still quivering and fresh tears welled up in his bright blue eyes.
“It says here,” continued the Minivandian, a look of fatherly concern crossing his noble brow, “that you have come to blows with another young man in your class. Have we not spoken about the need for you, a boy of great stature and strength, to not lay hands upon another child while not engaged in combat training?”
“Yes, father”
“She goes on to say that while in the chamber of music this morning, you were so disruptive that the sorceress of harmony wishes that you be accompanied to her class by an adult the next time you darken the threshold of her class. Have we not talked at great length about your duty to be attentive and obedient in class, no matter the subject or the teacher?”
“Y-y-yes, my father.”
“And finally, Mistress Llewellyn writes that when she took you aside to correct you gently, you insulted her, called into question her motives and honor, and tried to remove the badge of authority from her raiment. Is this true, my son?”
“Sniff, snarfle, yyyes!”
“My son, your skin is as red as any I have ever seen, and you seem to have well and truly earned that. Do you wish to always be crimson from the top of your head to the soles of your feet?” asked the Minivandian.
“No! I wish to come home with the mark of green on my hand so that I may partake of the delights of the box of talking heads and play at games on the magic elf box!” replied the Young Prince.
“Then, princeling, you must earn that green mark, and earn it you shall. You bring no honor to yourself or your house when you walk about the color of a cooked lobster. Henceforth, I hope that you shall find it in you to contain your impulses at school, keep a respectful tongue in your head, and neither attempt to harm nor even touch another student. Do you understand me, my son?”
“Yes, father. I understand. I shall try harder tomorrow, I swear! But father, shall I be forever cursed with this hue?”
“Nay, my son and heir. The mark of today shall fade as you sleep tonight, and you shall start anew tomorrow. If you choose to obey the rules, respect your teachers and other students, and act in the manner your mother and I expect, then shall you come home with green upon your hand and the rewards for that shall be wonderful.”
“Oh, thank you, father! I will try, I truly will!”
“Good my son. Tomorrow, you shall also apologize to those you have wronged, and I only ask that you keep your honor and that of your ancestors in mind as you go through the day.”
The Minivandian then took his son to his breast, and hugged him tightly. It was never easy to be angry with the Young Prince, and DaddyBear hoped that the day of red, discussing it with his parents, and the loss of his nightly entertainment would be enough to correct the issues that seemed to be plaguing the Young Prince.
“Now, my son, you shall go to your room and entertain yourself while your mother and I discuss today’s events and prepare the evening meal. But before you go, please know that we love you, and that we want you to do well in your lessons. Please remember that tomorrow as you try again.”
The Young Prince wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, snuffled once or twice more, then ran to embrace his mother. After a long, tight squeeze, he scampered off to his bedchamber, there to play with his blocks of building and his new pet, a miniature talking panther.
My lord DaddyBear and his mate, the Lady of Eyre, then discussed what could be done. A missive was dispatched to Mistress Llewellyn, and a meal of fowl and potatoes was prepared. As DaddyBear said the prayer of thanksgiving for the meal, he silently prayed to all that is holy that his son would find his way in the temple of learning.
So did the Minivandian and his family work through the tribulations of the Young Prince. His way was never smooth, but he did eventually find it. Many years later, as the Young Prince took his father’s place he encountered the same challenges with his son, as had his father, and his father before him. The Young Prince took the lesson of his own troubles and used it to help his progeny, thus continuing a long family tradition of talks with educators about the behavior of young barbarians.
But that is a tale for another day. Now, let me tell you tales of high adventure….
Posted by daddybear71 on September 3, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/03/daddybear-the-minivandian-and-the-horrible-no-good-horrendous-day/
Today’s Earworm
The leaves have started to fall. Summer’s over. Bring it on!
Posted by daddybear71 on September 3, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/03/todays-earworm-404/
Thoughts on the Weekend
- Apparently we missed being in the middle of a small tornado by about half a mile when we went out to the dealership to buy the new car.
- The storm was about an 8 on my scale, but not hard to drive through.
- We got to the dealership about 5 minutes after it stopped hailing. Luckily, our saleslady had thought to pull our car in under cover before the storm.
- Lights flickered twice, and the main printer for the dealership went kablooey, but other than that, no big whoop.
- Some of our friends weren’t so lucky. No damage to property, but losing electricity in August just after a heavy rain really sucks.
- While we were waiting on the paperwork and all that to be finalized, we looked around the dealership. They had a brand new Shelby Cobra for $67,000 and an F-150 Raptor for $56,000.
- I guess I can finally say I’ve been domesticated. I could find no way to justify purchasing either vehicle, even if I were to have the disposable income to do so.
- Note to teenage girls – It might be fun and cute to use a hot pink marking stamp to leave little bears all over your friend’s neck while you’re out and about, but her father is going to want to speak to you when it looks like she’s got hickies.
- Of course, tomorrow is school picture day, why do you ask?
- Luckily, it looks like they are washing off. We weren’t sure if the stamp was permanent or not when I picked up Girlie Bear.
- Speaking of school pictures, if you want to talk about price gouging and monopoly power, all you have to do is discuss the cost of getting a child’s picture taken at school. I don’t think the dinner I bought Irish Woman the night I proposed cost as much as the small portrait package I ordered tonight.
- A friend of Irish Woman’s is a child psychologist. He suggested that, in addition to the other therapies we have him in, we introduce regular exercise into his morning routine. So I’m purchasing an exercise ball, have a child’s bicycle in my living room, and am contemplating purchasing an indoor trampoline.
Posted by daddybear71 on September 2, 2013
https://daddybearsden.com/2013/09/02/thoughts-on-the-weekend-32/
DaddyBear
DaddyBear’s Den 