Friday, January 10, 2025
Movie Star Paper Coaster
Last Sunday, before going grocery shopping, I stopped at the El Rancho Hotel's Silver Screen restaurant for some breakfast.
They've recently started providing paper coasters of stars who've stayed at the El Rancho.
The one I received last Sunday:
OOPS! L.A. County Fire Goofed On Alert
Things sometimes get goofed up during emergencies.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department sent out a county-wide emergency alert telling people to evacuate, even in areas not affected by any fires.
According to the Daily News:
The Los Angeles County Fire Department mistakenly sent out an evacuation warning to all of Los Angeles County Thursday afternoon, Jan. 9.
Just before 4 p.m., people across the county received cell phone alerts ordering them to evacuate, even in areas unaffected by the ongoing fires.
“It was an error,” LACFD spokesperson Kaitlyn Aldana said.
The alert caused many residents, already tense from the ongoing fires raging across the county, to fear their homes were now in danger, too.
They sent out another alert rescinding the error alert.
To read more, go here.
Gladstone's Survives Palisades Fire
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| Above, Gladstone's 4 Fish at PCH near Sunset Blvd. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It appears that Gladstone's 4 Fish in Pacific Palisades survived the Palisades Fire.
Eater L.A. posted this update yesterday:
Update: January 9, 2025: Gladstones is temporarily closed due to road closures and air quality. An outside storage area sustained slight damages from the fire, but the restaurant remains unharmed.
This is especially good news to me as I frequented Gladstone's when I lived in Los Angeles. I would like to go there if I should ever go back to Los Angeles for a visit.
For more on the restaurant casualties, go here.
Rep. Boebert's Introduced Bill To Abolish The ATF
This has been long in coming.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has introduced a bill that, if passed and signed by the president, would abolish the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearm and Explosives. Instead of supporting the people's rights under the Second Amendment, it has been a hindrance, especially under liberal regimes.
CBS Austin reported:
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has introduced a bill to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the congresswoman announced Wednesday.
She argued in a press release the bureau should be eliminated before it "eventually" abolishes the Second Amendment.
“I cannot imagine under any circumstance or administration where the ATF serves as an ally to the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearm owners across America,” Rep. Boebert said. “As co-chair of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus, I’m eager to continue this effort with Rep. Burlison to defend our constitutional rights.”
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., who co-sponsored the bill, suggested in a statement the bureau has “no place in our government.”
“The ATF is emblematic of the deep-state bureaucracy that believes it can infringe on constitutional liberties without consequence,” he said. “If this agency cannot uphold its duty to serve the people within the framework of the Constitution, it has no place in our government.”
To read more, go here.
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Classic Firearms Are Valued Assets
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| Above, my Winchester Model 12 shotgun made in 1919. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It used to be that firearms weren't considered investments, just tools for hunting and target shooting. All that has changed as firearms, especially the classics, are now seeing their values holding steady or rising.
Today, many investors look at guns as valued assets for enhancing financial investment portfolios.
This is the topic of an article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
They begin it with:
Some are more valuable than others, and collectible firearms can enhance a financial portfolio.
As with stocks, the trick is knowing what to buy, what to hold and when to sell. As with equities, some firearms are, excuse the pun, can't-miss propositions. Their value will increase with time, but others will experience dramatic spikes based on the currents that drive stock markets.
As with stocks, it's best to invest in blue chip firearms. Premium brands like Browning, Winchester and even Remington hold their values. Remington rifles and shotguns are especially desirable because of their scarcity. After a long period of financial turmoil, the company closed its factory in Ilion, N.Y., and moved production to Georgia. If Remington is making new firearms, they are not available in this region.
Personally, I have two firearms that are antiques. One is a Manton shotgun made in England in the early 1800s and a 115-year-old Winchester Model 12 shotgun. It was not my intent for them to be investments. The Manton was acquired by my dad and I inherited it. I bought the Winchester to use. But, since I do have them, they will remain in my collection.
To read the full article, go here.
L.A. Slashed Fire Department Budget Before Fires
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| Above, Los Angeles City Hall from Little Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The following was posted on Facebook in a comment in The Adventures Continue page (the Adventures of Superman):
' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass oversaw a city budget adjustment which slashed over $17 million from the city's fire department months before Tuesday’s devastating wildfires, information shared by a city official shows.
Thousands fled the Los Angeles area Tuesday as wildfires swept across the area. The fast-approaching flames shut down multiple major roadways, forcing some people to abandon their vehicles.
Los Angeles City Controller Kennith Mejia in October shared to X adjustments made to the city’s fiscal year 2024-2025 budget. Mayor Bass signed the budget in June, according to a press release.
City fire services decreased by $17.6 million through those adjustments, the X post shows. Other impacted services included “street services,” which decreased by $21.4 million, and sanitation, which decreased by $15.1 million.
Among budget items which received extra cash was “zoo,” which increased by $27,000, the information shows. Also receiving increases were “library,” which jumped $14.6 million, and “cannabis regulation,” which increased by $1.8 million.
“As the City of LA goes broke, one of the many questions we get is: ‘WHERE ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS GOING?’” Mejia wrote at the time.
“The City just started a new fiscal year & if you want to know how the Mayor & a majority of City Council increased or decreased departments' operational budget, see below,” Mejia added.'
I can't vouch for its accuracy, but it wouldn't surprise me given that the Democrat Party controls the Los Angeles city government.
UPDATE:
It's true! Go here.
Palisades Fire
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| Above, Gladstone's 4 Fish. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The news coming out of Southern California is a grim one.
Many homes, businesses and landmarks have been destroyed by the three wildfires ravaging the region.
Moonshadows, a restaurant in the Pacific Palisades/Malibu area on Pacific Coast Highway has been destroyed. I used to dine there back in the 1980s.
So far, Gladstones 4 Fish in Pacific Palisades has been destroyed or damaged, according to a report in the Daily News. Another one report I saw said that it was "smoking". I dined there quite often before moving to New Mexico. Fox 11 News said it was not damaged. I hope so.
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| Above, Asya Lipovetckaia and I at Gladstone's in 2016. |
Villa de Leon, mis-reported as the Getty Villa in the media, had brush burned around it, but the structure itself has been spared.
Here's a photo of it:
Thoughts and prayers for those affected.
Scattered Snow Showers?
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| Above, the front yard five years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The National Weather Service is now saying that we have a 30% chance of "scattered snow showers" in the Gallup/Jamestown, New Mexico area today.
It will be interesting to see if this comes to pass. We can sure use the water!
What A Liar!
Recently, Mark Zuckerberg said the following:
Zuckerberg: "We're going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes, similar to X."
Well, he speaks with a lying forked tongue. This morning, I posted an email from Zac Fort of the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association at the Facebook Page, Patriots Unite. It was approved by the page's administrator. It was about upcoming gun control legislation at Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Then, I get a notice that it was removed as it supposedly "violated" Facebook Community Standards on spam.
Here's the notice:
Immediately, I filed a protest on this.
It also has been shared at X. No problems have arisen there on the posting.
When it comes to Facebook and Zuckerberg, as I said before, "I have to see it to believe it!"
Gun Control Bills are Being Filed In Santa Fe
From Zac Fort of the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association:
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Wednesday, January 8, 2025
No Snow
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| Above, a year ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It looks like the snows are by-passing the Jamestown/Gallup, New Mexico area. At least until Thursday (maybe).
It is still dry as a bone outside. The bulk of the storm is hitting the state east of Albuquerque in the Clines Corners and Moriarty areas along Interstate 40.
According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for Gallup and Jamestown is as follows:
Biden Signs Law Reforming National Park Film Permits
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| Above, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Finally, His Fraudulency Joe Biden did something that actually benefits people.
He signed into law a bill that reforms national park film permits.
Buckrail reported:
JACKSON, Wyo. — On Saturday, Jan. 4, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 6492, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act or the EXPLORE Act, into law.
The EXPLORE Act includes provisions of the FILM Act, which reforms the permit system for for-profit filming under the National Park Service (NPS).
This passage comes after the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the National Press Photographers Association filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Jackson-area photographers Alexander Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith against the NPS after they were ticketed for violating the federal law prohibiting commercial filming without a permit in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).
“By removing unconstitutional barriers, this new law allows filmmakers to share the beauty and stories of our national parks without facing jail or fines for how they use the footage,” FIRE Chief Counsel Bob Corn-Revere said in a press release. “FIRE applauds Congress and President Biden for taking this crucial step to ensure no one sheds their First Amendment rights just for stepping on land that belongs to the American public.”
To read more, go here.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
I have To See It To Believe It!
The tide is turning.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 7, 2025
Free speech is becoming cool again. https://t.co/BcFwiqI1K7
Weapons of "The Searchers"
Since I saw the Internet Movie Firearms Database page on the weapons used in True Grit (1969) showing that several rifles were anachronistic to the era depicted in the movie, I decided to take a look at The Searchers (1956) and the weapons used in the movie after getting the movie in Blu-ray.
Again, the weapons were anachronistic to the movie's era (c. 1868).
The IMFDB summary:
The Searchers is the classic 1956 Western directed by John Ford and stars John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, an aged Confederate Civil War veteran who is determined to find his niece (Natalie Wood) who was kidnapped by Comanche Indians. The film takes place only three years following the Civil War, yet features several anachronistic firearms.
Here's one of them:
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| Above, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) pulls his SAA. |
Colt Single Action Army
Several characters use Colt Single Action Army revolvers as their sidearms in the film including Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) and Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) which is anachronistic as the movie is set three years after the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the Colt SAA did not appear until 1873.
Still, this doesn't detract my enjoyment of the movie.
To read more, go here.
The Restored "The Searchers" Blu-ray
The Blu-ray of the newly-restored The Searchers (1956) with John Wayne, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles arrived two days earlier than expected. John Ford directed.
I have an older DVD version of The Searchers, but the new restored Blu-ray tops it by leaps and bounds. It is absolutely gorgeous!
The Blu-ray source was the original camera negative. Monument Valley, unless you're there, has never looked so good. I was able to see details in scenes I was unable to see before.
Included are featurettes of the making of The Searchers in and around Monument Valley and the premiere in Chicago. There's also more to enjoy.
It was well worth the wait since the restored movie was premiered in Hollywood early last year.
Interestingly, I've met three of the actors of The Searchers: Patrick Wayne, Hank Worden and Henry Brandon.
If you are a fan of John Wayne or westerns in general, do yourself a favor and get this Blu-ray!
My grade: A+.
Monday, January 6, 2025
Chili Cookin' Day!
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| Above, starting my chili concoction. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It has been several years since I last made chili at home.
I think the last time was when I lived in Tarzana, California.
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| Above, the slow cooker was originally set for 11 hours but I'll stop it before then. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Since prices are so high for groceries, cooking chili in the slow cooker will provide for several meals when done.
As a base, I use Carroll Shelby Texas Chili Mix. I add my own ingredients to it including bell pepper, onion, kidney beans, tomatoes and beer.
Nice spicy hot chili sounds food for this cold (around 34° now) day.
MSN: Guns For Post-Collapse Survival
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| Above, the Remington 870 12-gauge made the list at number 3. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Suppose you're on the road and disaster strikes. What would you need for protection?
Well, a handy firearm such as a pistol, shotgun or rifle would be in order. But you're limited in the amount of room you may have in your RV or other vehicle.
MSN posted a slideshow list of must-have "bug out" guns to survive any collapse.
They begin with:
If disaster strikes and you need to leave home fast, what guns are going to keep you safe on the road?
Emergencies are unpredictable, and traveling puts you in a vulnerable spot. You’ll be exposed, low on supplies, and likely headed somewhere unfamiliar. The right gun could save your life.
You won’t have room for an entire gun collection. The key is to pack versatile firearms that cover all your needs without taking up too much space. Here’s what you’ll want to bring for post-collapse survival.
I have one firearm that made the list (number 3): a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun.
To see more, go here.
Winter Returning To New Mexico
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| Above, a year ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It looks like winter is (finally) returning to New Mexico this week.
I did some grocery shopping yesterday in preparation for the storm's arrival (just in case I can't get to Gallup during the week). I am going to make some chili this week (most likely today) that should be enough for several meals.
According to the Country Herald:
Albuquerque, NM – Winter is returning to New Mexico this week with snow, freezing fog, and plummeting temperatures expected to impact travel along I-25 and I-40 starting Tuesday.
According to the National Weather Service, a cold front will sweep through the state early Tuesday, bringing light to moderate snowfall to the northern and central regions. Accumulations of 2-6 inches are likely in lower elevations, with up to a half-foot possible in mountain areas. Temperatures will drop into the teens and 20s statewide, while wind gusts near 45 mph could create dangerous wind chills.
To read more, go here.
According to the National Weather Service, a 20% chance of snow is forecast for tonight in Jamestown. The bulk of the storm system will be hitting Tuesday and Wednesday. We can use the water.
Here's the forecast for Jamestown by the National Weather Service:
Classic Rock Music Monday
The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.
For the first Classic Rock Music Monday for 2025, we have The Romantics with their 1979 hit, "What I Like About You". They are still active today.
From Wikipedia:
The Romantics are an American rock band formed in 1977 in Detroit. The band is often put under the banner of power pop and new wave. They were influenced by 1950s American rock and roll, Detroit's MC5, the Stooges, early Bob Seger, Motown R&B, 1960s North American garage rock as well as the British Invasion rockers.
The Romantics achieved substantial popularity in the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and Australia, with their two best-charting songs "What I Like About You", peaking at #49 in the US and #2 in Australia, and "Talking in Your Sleep", reaching #3 in the US, #1 in Canada, and #14 in Australia. The two songs have become mainstays on 1980s-focused, classic rock, and active rock radio stations. Their debut album, released on January 4, 1980, in the UK, has the distinction of being the first record to be released in that decade.
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Weather Alert From The Union County Sheriff's Office
Sunday, January 5, 2025
WINTER RETURNS MID WEEK WITH WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOW ANDMUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES...
Total snow accumulation of a few inches will be possible Tuesday through Wednesday morning along the east slopes of mountain ranges and eastward onto western parts of the eastern plains. Locally heavier amounts around a half foot will be possible on mountains peaks and east-facing slopes. At this time the coldest lower elevation temperatures look to impact the area from Raton to Las Vegas and Clines Corners, where subfreezing temperatures are forecast from Monday night until Thursday or Friday afternoons.
A storm system will drop southward over southern California and western Arizona Tuesday, stall for a day, then weaken as it tracks slowly eastward across northern Mexico and/or southern New
Mexico during the latter half of the work week. The storm will draw a strong and moist backdoor cold front through northern and central New Mexico Tuesday with light to moderate snowfall developing over northern areas Tuesday morning, then expanding southward to include central and southern areas Tuesday afternoon and night as easterly upslope flow persists and some potentially dense freezing fog develops. Snow and freezing fog should gradually come to an end in many locations Wednesday; however, periods of light snow may return to southern areas Wednesday night through Friday, and possibly farther north depending on the track of the system. High temperatures are forecast to drop into the 20s and 30s across eastern areas starting Tuesday, then over central and western areas as well on Wednesday, except for teens in many mountain locations. Low temperatures look to bottom out Wednesday night mostly in the single digits and teens. In addition, east wind gusts from 35 to 45 mph are forecast below canyons opening into the central valley Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.
Temperatures this cold will cause the snow to stick to road surfaces making travel hazardous in many locations Tuesday through Wednesday, including much of I-25 and I-40 across central and
eastern New Mexico. Additionally, very cold nighttime low temperatures areawide, and the extended period of subfreezing temperatures along the east slopes of the central mountain chain, will necessitate precautions for people, plants, pipes, and pets. Temperatures are forecast to trend gradually warmer Thursday and Friday, but nighttime lows will remain very cold.
Please plan ahead.
5 Things To Never Buy at a Gun Show
Since I first went to the Great Western Gun Show in the Great Western Exhibit Center in the city of Commerce with my parents as a kid, I have always enjoyed going to them.
I have never bought a gun at one. I always bought at a reputable dealer such as Turner's Outdoorsman. But I have bought other items such as ammunition, flags, collectibles (books, magazines, etc.).
MSN has a slideshow article on the five things to NEVER buy at a gun show.
They begin it with:
Gun shows are packed with an array of items that can intrigue new buyers and seasoned collectors alike. However, these events are also ripe for deals that might seem too good to pass up but come with pitfalls that many don’t expect. Here are five things you should think twice about before buying at a gun show.
To read and see the photos, go here.
Martin Link Celebration of Life
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| Above, the first page of Martin Link's memorial pamplet. |
Yesterday, I attended a Celebration of Life gathering in Gallup for historian and writer Martin Link.
The gathering was held at the social hall of the St. Francis Catholic Church. About 150 people attended. It included a catered lunch and drinks along with a Celtic band.
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| Above, Greg Lucier, Steven Link and Bob Weeks. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Displays of pictures and awards given to Martin Link were on several tables.
His burial was at a local Gallup cemetery in the Knights of Columbus section, thanks to a generous local. There were no available plots in the section but the owner of one provided it for Martin.
Several people spoke, including Martin's younger brother Steven.
Although I've only known Martin Link for six years, he will be missed.
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| Above, Steven Link telling stories of his brother Martin. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Friday Was Warm Enough To Enjoy
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| Above, yesterday at the Luciers up on Birch Road. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It was around 60° yesterday in Jamestown.
This is unseasonably warm for this time of year. That is, if one wants to call 60° "warm". Still, it was comfortable enough to do some Jeep driving around the subdivision in the early afternoon.
I went into Gallup in the late afternoon for my usual Friday dinner at Jerry's Café.
The temperature will be dropping down to 50° today and it will be getting even colder during the week.
Snow Showers This Week?
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| Above, the front yard seven years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
So far, the Four Corners region is under drought conditions. It has been over a month since the last rain or snow storms.
We may get a reprieve this coming week as snow showers are forecast for this coming Tuesday and Wednesday by the National Weather Service for Jamestown, New Mexico.
Here's what the coming week looks like:
Trucking Industry Fights For Regulation Reprieve
Trucking industry associations are fighting back against state regulations that would effectively ban new motorhome sales as there is not the technology available for zero emissions.
They have issued a letter to several state governors asking for a delay in the implementation of those regulations.
According to RV Travel:
It may well be too late for California, but sales of motorhomes in eight other states could be spared the Golden State’s fate. Commercial trucking associations have banded together and are pleading with eight state governors (and one governor-elect) to slow down the implementation of ACT—California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation. If those states listen, it might affect the potential motorhome sales shutdown in those states.
On December 17, eight state trucking associations issued a letter to governors in states adopting Advanced Clean Trucks rules, expressing their concerns regarding the new requirements.
Unless something unforeseen happens, new sales of motorhomes in California will dry up in 2025. But other states, ones that adopt those same California regulations, will see the same problem. Since ACT affects big trucks, the big trucking associations are trying to get those states to slow the regulation down. The states include Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Of those states, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington are slated to start the rule in 2025. Vermont jumps on board in 2026, and the rest in 2027. The coalition of trucking associations wants the states not to quash the ACT regulation entirely, but to delay implementation. The letter cites the fact that engine manufacturers just don’t have the technology yet to make the ACT regulations feasible.
Note that the states adopting the ACT regulations are all blue Democrat states.
To read the full article, go here.
Friday, January 3, 2025
Trump’s Return: The Prospects for Cuba Are Even Grimmer
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| Above, yours truly in Havana at the Plaza de la Revolución in 2019. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky. |
Back in 2019, it was within a couple of months after I had taken a cruise to Havana, Cuba that then-President Donald Trump slapped on restrictions for travel to the communist island.
Some expected Joe Biden to reverse course and reimpose Barack Obama's Cuba travel policies when he entered the White House. He didn't. The Trump policies still stand.
One may surmise that with Donald Trump's election, the prospects for Cuba are "grimmer".
According to Inkstick Media:
Throughout this year’s US presidential campaign, the campaigns of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were largely silent on Cuba. Now, Trump will return to the White House for a second time in January, and his administration will likely maintain the same hardline policies he previously employed toward the island.
Biden maintained the status quo created by Trump’s re-designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. Under the National Endowment for Democracy, Biden spent $20 million annually in “democracy promotion,” according to former CIA analyst Fulton Armstrong. He also promoted Cuban-American interests to the point that some prominent Cuban exiles in Miami and their descendants called for military intervention instead of lifting the embargo on Cuba.
Cuba is already facing immense hardships, but Trump will likely double down on his past policies, increase sanctions, and introduce more severe restrictions on travel to Cuba, as well as maintain the SSOT designation that has already caused the island widespread difficulties. It is probable that just as in the case of the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 and its eventual expansion to encompass the needs of the US government, Trump will be closing any possible loopholes in the existing legislation that is already driving Cuba to the brink of economic collapse.
Trump’s choice for US Secretary of State is also likely to play a role in foreign policy towards the island. US Senator Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American living in Miami, stands out from the majority of Cuban exiles as his family immigrated to the US during Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship. But Rubio still cast his lot with the Cuban exiles calling for the overthrow of the Cuban revolution.
To read more, go here.
CIA Cover-Up On Havana Syndrome Attacks Alleged
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| Above, the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba during a drive-by. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
This really doesn't surprise me in the least.
Considering the shenanigans the CIA (and FBI) engaged in over the past several years, it would not surprise me that a cover-up is taking place on the "Havana Syndrome" attacks at the Havana, Cuba U.S. Embassy.
The Washington Times reported:
A former CIA officer who says she was attacked by some type of foreign energy weapon is charging the CIA with covering up the attacks.
The medically retired CIA officer, identified only as “Alice” because of her past agency work in Africa, revealed that she still suffers debilitating injuries after hearing a strange sound in her home in 2021, resulting in what the federal government is vaguely describing as an “anomalous health incident,” or AHI.
The malady, however, is known widely as Havana syndrome by the hundreds of U.S. diplomats, intelligence personnel and military members who say they have been afflicted after being posted overseas. An FBI agent also reported suffering head injuries from some type of energy device attack in the United States.
China and Russia are suspected of conducting the attacks that some analysts say are part of cognitive warfare — efforts to affect brain function. Sonic or microwave weapons are also suspected.
To read more, go here.
Police Probe: Are The New Years Terror Incidents Related?
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| Above, the Las Vegas Trump Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Investigators are looking into the terror incidents on New Years to see if they are related.
It seems quite possible since they came within hours of each other.
According to the BBC:
Police in the US are investigating whether an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas is linked to the deadly car-ramming attack in New Orleans.
The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck was killed and seven other people were injured in Las Vegas after the vehicle - filled with fuel canisters and firework mortars - exploded. Officials said all injuries were minor.
In the New Orleans attack, a 42-year-old US citizen is believed to have driven a pick-up truck into a crowd on a busy street, killing 14 people and injuring 35, before being shot dead by police.
President Joe Biden said investigators were looking into whether the two incidents were linked, but "thus far, there is nothing to report".
To read more, go here.
Terror Attacks Add Urgency To Trump's National Security Priorities
New Year’s Day terror attacks add urgency to Trump’s plans to reprioritize national securityhttps://t.co/C9VwrZsfjD pic.twitter.com/ZN6o877F4H
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) January 3, 2025
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Tips For Senior Shooters
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| Above, at our shooting range in New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Everyone with whom I hang out with in New Mexico are all of the same age group as I am (60+).
Years ago, some of us 30-somethings used to laugh when we were on camping trips with various chapters of E Clampus Vitus. Sitting around campfires with senior members, it seemed that all they just talked about were their aches and pains along with other ailments.
Now that friends and I are at the age they were at, we are discussing the same things. That also goes for our "Jamestown gang". They is now us!
Aging is still better than the alternative, even though we have to find ways to cope with what it brings.
That goes for shooting. The eyes aren't what they used to be (along with hearing). The American Rifleman, the online magazine version by the NRA, has an article from 2022 with tips for senior shooters.
It starts with:
In his January 2020 article, “The Aging Defender,” then-Managing Editor Kelly Young did an admirable job in chronicling his interview with doctor of physical therapy Joseph Logar—who is also national manager of the NRA’s Adaptive Shooting Program—about the effects of aging on today’s shooters. And while Young’s article should be required reading for every NRA member, I had some issues with it—primarily that it was the article I had wanted to write ever since my personal odometer passed the 65-year mark more than a few birthdays ago.
But Kelly beat me to the draw, editorially speaking, and, to make matters worse, there was the irony of his surname. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, Young readily admitted to being “… a few years shy of 40” at the time. I, on the other hand, have spent more than 40 years (and counting) in a gun-writing career that has taken me from the deserts of Arizona to the jungles of Africa. In the process, I have encountered countless .22 rimfires, muzzleloaders, handguns, rifles and shotguns, from both the hunting and collecting perspectives. Consequently, I feel I am eminently qualified to write about the challenges of being a senior-citizen shooter. So, as an addendum to Young’s article, here are a few other age-related tidbits that I have personally discovered and that will hopefully be of benefit to some of our more “seasoned” NRA members.
To read the full article, go here.