www.exurbanleague.com is the new site, and the new RSS feed is http://www.exurbanleague.com/Home/tabid/40/rssid/0/Default.aspx .

If you've ever done any home improvements at all, you'll sympathize with this movie.

A first-hand account from Haiti from a Food for the Hungry staff member who lives in Port-Au-Prince:

"Life has stopped since 2 days I have no news for the FH Haiti staff except Odines to whom I have talked. Communication is impossible by phone and I am using friend internet provider to send that email. Leonel even we need help I am not sure it is wise to come now with your family.

If FH at global level is willing to provide help, relief and rescue we need is mainly : medical teams and supplies to care for wounded people traumatic specialized surgeon and or orthopedist, and nurses ( amputation will be probably the most required action at the moment help will arrived) psychologic support will be important as well ,food for the population living in the street and sleeping on the drive way on comforter and sheet mattresses , that what I am doing for 2 days with my family .

Dear Colleagues I do not see how nor when we can go back to work ... I personally have almost lost everything as furniture and clothing ,shoes ; however my laptop ( my working life was with me and is still safe ) School year is probably lost, because most schools are destroyed ... I do not know...."

Read the whole thing.

"The more I read, the more I think the only difference between this and an atomic bomb being dropped is the absence of radiation."

- Allahpundit on the Haiti earthquake

Please visit www.fh.org to help the people of Haiti

Iron Chef America is an entertaining and creative cooking show hosted by The World's Most Geekiest Food Show Personality, and it's a worthy successor to the quirky, entertaining and creative original Iron Chef show.

And it's almost all fakery. But nevermind that, because as I said, it's entertaining and creative to see how the chefs respond to a secret ingredient of, say, pigs feet.

But there's "almost all fakery" and then there's "outright deception".

The produce used on the Food Network's Jan. 3 Iron Chef of America two-hour special White House show was billed as being from the White House garden. But the show did not disclose that "stunt double vegetables" were used and not produce from the First Family's garden.

Viewers were not explicitly told that the vegetables in "Kitchen Stadium" were not the ones they had seen the chefs harvest. Various participants in the show misled viewers with references to "using radishes from the White House garden" and other similar mentions. Except for the honey, no food on the show came from the White House.

Thinking about it, though, this isn't such a bad thing. We wouldn't want all the judges to come down with lead poisoning, would we?

Ok, all except Jeffrey Steingarten. I'll grant you that.

It is hard to assess the devastation wrought by Haiti's 7.0-magnitude earthquake, but it appears to have reduced that nation's capital to rubble. Nearly all the hospitals are gone. The Presidential Palace and Parliament are gone. Police stations, hotels, churches... the entire civic infrastructure basically vanished in a matter of minutes.

The Phoenix-based Food for the Hungry already had staff in Port-au-Prince when the quake hit. Exurban League and our readers have supported the organization for a long time.

In addition to your prayers, if at all possible, give 'til it hurts, then keep giving until it starts feeling good again.

Thank you. And God bless Haiti.

The Phoenix Police Department's Vice Squad has been doing fantastic work these past few years fighting the very difficult and thankless job of ridding our community of child prostitution and human trafficking, and their success is being rewarded by having their budget cut.

Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me either.

If you've got a moment, why not sent an email to one of the following Phoenix city leaders and let them know you like living in a city that's doing it's best to fight child prostitution.

Mayor Phil Gordon - mayor.gordon@phoenix.gov

Thelda Williams - council.district.1@phoenix.gov

Peggy Neely - council.district.2@phoenix.gov

Bill Gates - council.district.3@phoenix.gov

Tom Simplot - council.district.4@phoenix.gov

Claude Mattox - council.district.5@phoenix.gov

Sal DiCiccio - council.district.6@phoenix.gov

Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski - council.district.7@phoenix.gov

Michael Johnson - council.district.8@phoenix.gov

Thanks.

Republican candidate Scott Brown is surging in his longshot bid to fill the Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy. When Melissa Clouthier asked me about the race in yesterday's podcast here's what I said:

There's one thing that could be interesting to watch. It has been so thoroughly promoted that this is Ted Kennedy's seat, this is Ted Kennedy's vote – we need to vote for health care because Ted Kennedy would want it.

Well, no, it isn't Ted Kennedy's seat. It's the people of Massachusetts seat. It represents them.

It doesn't represent a legacy, it doesn't represent a family – even if many people in that misguided state love his legacy. Nevertheless, it is not to represent the Kennedy compound, it's to represent the entire state. I just wonder if there is going to be some kind of backlash to that.

Apparently Scott Brown agrees. Here was his "kill" line in last night's debate with Marsha Coakley (and liberal-leaning "moderator" David Gergen):



Adding to his great debate performance yesterday, Brown set a one-day fund-raising goal of $500,000. He raised more than a million.

Aside from lobbing some choice bon mot's at America's Toughest Media Hound (tm), we've tried not to wade into local politics because, well, they're not funny and quite frankly, rather petty.

But.

The Lighthouseblog has a rather thought-provoking piece contrasting the actions of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon with the actions of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. When one of his staffers was accused of misdemeanor domestic violence, the Mayor quickly put him on administrative leave until the case settles.

In contrast, when one of their number was accused of over 22 felony counts, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors promptly responded by...

... firing the Country Attorney who was pressing the charges.

To quote Scooby Doo, "Urrrh????"

Don Stapley, the Supervisor in question, may indeed be innocent of the charges, and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas may be barking up the wrong tree, but firing him probably wasn't the best way to resolve the issue.

This sordid mess is just one in a long, long list of troubling issues within Maricopa County. From Sheriff Joe's excesses to a Board of Supervisors who answer only to themselves, the voters of Maricopa County need to take a long, hard look at how our local government is run and what can be done to bring some sanity back to the Valley of the Sun.

Who's sorry now, Harry?

In a statement to CNN, Reid said, "I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words." "I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments. "I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda," the senator from Nevada said.

Senator Reid went on to say he should suffer no repercussions and that his remarks are not indicative of how he feels about minorities.

"Look at my staff," he said, "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent."

I may have made that last quote up.

For the 77th episode of her popular "The Right Doctor" podcast, blogatrix Dr. Melissa Clouthier invited Red State blogger Leon Wolf and yours truly to discuss the issues of the day. Subjects include Massachusetts Senate candidate Scott Brown, Sen. Harry "Cracker" Reid, the Edwards' Family Values, and Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Movement.

Please do listen, won't you?

Ok, admit it. When you heard they were finally turning The Lord of the Rings, either you started humming "Frodo of the Nine Fingers" to yourself, or you thought "Gosh, that's nice, but they'll never do it justice and just who is this Peter Jackson guy anyways and what gives him the right to make this movie?"

Fortunately, you (and I) were wrong. The Lord Of The Rings turned out to be three of the best movies of the last ten years. Sweeping and epic and yet still personal, they are chock-full of what we want from a big Hollywood movie, even if they were made in New Zealand.

This clip satisfies my need for cavalry to be shown as it should be in a war movie as an overwhelming, terrify shock assualt that runs through unorganized infantry like a hot knife through butter. It'll do until my dream of a 1st-rate "Charge of the Light Brigade" movie (with extra bonus appearance of The Thin Red Line) ever makes it to the silver screen.

P.S. If you ever want to defend an undefendable position, give it to the Scots. Or the Canadians.

Via here and here.

In the eternal struggle between Elvis and The Beatles, put me down as being firmly in the pro-Elvis faction.

The mass shooting that DIDN'T happen, all because one man was ready, willing and able to do protect himself and others.

An interesting (but utterly logical) wrinkle in the push to use full-body scanners for airport security: They're illegal to use on children in the U.K.

Privacy campaigners claim the images created by the machines are so graphic they amount to "virtual strip-searching" and have called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers involved.

Ministers now face having to exempt under 18s from the scans or face the delays of introducing new legislation to ensure airport security staff do not commit offences under child pornography laws.

What this means, then, is that Al Qaeda will wire up a child and send them on to an airplane, just like the Taliban did in Afghanistan.
More technology by itself isn't the way to fight terrorism: I'd rather we backup our tech with better screening procedures and a defense in depth, as a system that relies on a single point of failure will inevitably fail at that point.

"In the sequel, directed by Paul Verhoeven, the 'Star People' (dressed in leather trench coats and knee-boots, to the dulcet strains of Wagner) return to Pandora, drop tactical nukes from orbit as the ultimate in daisy-cutters, spray the 26th Century's equivalent of Agent Orange on the rest of the planet, and strip mine the place for every picogram of 'Unobtanium' ore they can get. In a fit of pique, Mother Pandora telepathically convinces the giant primary gas-giant to compress itself and ignite, thus wiping out all life on Pandora, including the hated 'Star People.'"

- Kevin Baker reviewing "Avatar" 

Why flash your headlights and honk when somebody's driving too slow, when you can fire a warning shot across their bow?

Buz Mills, NRA board member and owner of the Gunsite, one of (if not THE) finest firearms training facilities in world, is running for Governor of Arizona.

Interesting.

Let's see how this plays out. At best, he'll be the candidate who will tap into the Tea Party discontent and give Terry Goddard some real headaches. At worst, he's a one-issue candidate who'll be gone in the primaries with nothing to show for it other than a lot of money spent. If nothing else, he'll have the pro-Second Amendment vote wrapped up from Day One.

It's going to be an interesting primary season, that's for sure.

Despite other candidates in other races dropping like flies, I am still on-track to win the GOP nomination for Arizona's 15th Congressional District.

As soon as we can figure out where it is.

Slovak police surreptitiously planted explosives on eight people people to test their security. Of the eight, seven were caught, one had a certain kind of homecoming...

Irish police have released a man held over an explosives find, after Slovakian authorities admitted planting them in his luggage. The explosive was one of eight pieces of contraband placed with unsuspecting passengers at Bratislava Airport last weekend, broadcaster RTE reported. The 49-year-old unwittingly brought the material into Dublin when he returned from his Christmas holidays. He was arrested on Tuesday morning but has since been released without charge.

No word if one of the seven who were caught bore any resemblance to Joan Rivers, which would, of course, explain this...

... a prominent Chicago-based band goes on stage somewheres overseas and says "Just so you know, we’re on the good side with you. We do not want this recession, this socialism, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Illinois."

I can't WAIT to see the reaction on the left if that happens.

"The Finns have traditionally had a strong shooting culture, often centered around using Russians for target practice."

- Sebastian

Gene Schwimmer makes an interesting point: Will McCain's defeat in 2008 be like Goldwater's defeat in 1964? Will it re-energize conservatism and make the Reagan Revolution a permanent fixture in American politics?

Maybe.

Now, after a year of the most radical left-wing administration (aided and abetted by an equally left-wing House and Senate) in American history, the American people know very well what they had, and they overwhelmingly prefer that to what they have now. Today, we see conservatives marching on Washington. Conservatives are making their voices heard at town hall meetings, tea parties and — soon — at the ballot box. Indeed, in one poll, the "tea party," though not officially a party, garnered more support than the Republican Party. It tops Republicans and Democrats in another. Republican voters have been sending teabags instead of checks to party headquarters. None of this — none of it — would be happening if McCain had won.

And his thoughts on what losing in 2008 meant to Sarah Palin are interesting as well.

McCain really earned his maverick stripes when he overrode the advice of the "experts" to make her (Sarah Palin) his VP pick. Former McCain campaign insiders openly rue the day McCain picked Palin, and apparently the only thing that delights these hacks more than condemning McCain's choice is attacking Palin herself, which they do at every opportunity with unseemly zeal. But consider the alternative. Had McCain won, then yes, Palin would today be vice president — just like Joe Biden. We would hear from her just as often, and her every utterance would be mischaracterized as being as vacuous as Biden's utterances actually are.

I'd argue that we are still hearing more about Sarah Palin's alleged gaffes than we are about whatever Vice President WonderPlugs is doing, but that may be because Obama's got Biden locked up in a secure location someplace where he can't do more harm to himself or others.

Love him or hate him, McCain is the reason why Sarah Palin is a fixture on the political landscape right now. Without his decision to make her his V.P. pick, she'd be lumped in with Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty, Michelle Bachmann and all the other hopeful candidates out there striving for the 2012 GOP nomination, and for that decision alone, we should be be thankful.

Scott Brown is a Massachusetts State Senator who's working hard to turn Ted (D-Bushmills) Kennedy's old seat over to the GOP.

And you know what? He just might do it. Geraghty has more:

...at the ground level we have seen an incredibly unique phenomenon occurring here. Without the benefit of polls, I would say Brown is causing quite a groundswell of support from Republicans, unenrolleds and even Democrats. Now when registered Democrats are expressing an interest to volunteer, we know something is up.

What better way to let Obama, Pelosi and Reid know that their time will soon be over than to turn the bluest seat in the Senate a nice healthy shade of red?

Scott Brown is asking for your help. One week from today, he's having a moneybomb to pump up his warchest. Take a moment and toss in a few bucks and let him know you care.

"By calling attention to 'a well regulated militia,' the 'security' of the nation, and the right of each citizen 'to keep and bear arms,' our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy.  Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country.  For that reason I believe the Second Amendment will always be important."

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Obama adminstration suddenly realized that disarming hundreds of trained, qualified pilots might just be a bad idea, especially right after the Christmas Day attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 (via Judith Weiss on Twitter).

The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday extended permission for hundreds of pilots to carry firearms — just hours before their certification to carry the weapons was to expire, according to an organization which represents the pilots.

“A few hundred” Federal Flight Deck Officers — or FFDOs — were to lose their certification to carry firearms effective midnight on New Year’s Eve, said Mike Karn, executive vice president of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Association.

A Transportation Security Administration official confirmed that certifications had been extended for six months “in light of recent events.” The official said that “due to an internal miscommunication, scheduled notifications to these officers were prematurely issued,” but he offered no further explanation.

“I’m grateful [for the extension] because that will keep the most cost-effective last line of defense [of aircraft] in place,” Karn said. “But I’m still concerned that such a limited budget has been approved for this program, and volunteers who want to protect the American public will be turned away.”

United Flight 93 and NWA Flight 253 both proved that if the so-called "victims" of terrorism are ready, willing and able, terrorism can be stopped in it's tracks. A decentralized foe like Islamic terrorism requires soft targets, and hardening our weak points and building a defense in depth by entrusting ordinary citizens with the means to protect themselves makes it very, very hard for a terrorist to find or attack society's weak points.

Please join Vox, John McJunkin and a host of other Arizona bloggers next week at Casey Moore's in Tempe. The shindig starts at 1pm at Casey Moore's and they'll be food, fun, and fraternizing, and if we're lucky, ExJon will do some karaoke.

The #1 conservative movie of the past ten years, and it's easy to see why, with dialogue like this:

Capt. Jack Aubrey: Do you want to see a guillotine in Piccadilly?
Crew: No!
Capt. Jack Aubrey: Want to call that raggedy-ass Napoleon your king?
Crew: No!
Capt. Jack Aubrey: You want your children to sing the "La Marseillaise?"
Crew: No!

Mocking the French is something that will always be near and dear to this Western Canadian boy's heart.

What's the plan for firearms purchases this year, Kevin?

Glad you asked.

All my firearms purchases are directly tied in to how much website design/marketing work I bring in on the side. Looking ahead to 2010, I can pretty much count on enough work to get...

1. Another gun safe. We have a two-story house, and I need something that'll allow me to keep something near the front door in case someone decides to ignore our alarm system. Something like this or this will work great. 
2. Something to put in the new safe. I need something that I can hand to the entrancing Mrs. ExKev and say "There, this is yours. Get to know it, learn how to use it, be prepared to use it." I'll probably (like, 90% certain) get her a .380 Bersa Thunder, but I'm still wondering if a .38 revolver with a 4 inch barrel would be better, because revolvers don't jam. 
3. A sidearm for me. I don't have a real, 100% reliable pistol for everyday carry that's anything other than a backup gun. My primary daily carry is a Kel-Tec P3AT, and my CZ75, while one heck of a shooter, is really a competition gun. I'd like something larger to carry on the weekends that I can truly rely on, and after months of hemming and hawing, I think I've settled on a CZ P07 in a CrossBreed SuperTuck. It's compact, accurate, lightweight and with 16+1 rouds of 9mm JHP's, it should be enough to handle any unforeseen social engagements. 

If I get more work, (and with the economy the way it is, that's one heck of a big "if"), I'll probably get a new handguard and new sights for the AR and turn it over to Accuracy Speaks for one of their 1st-rate trigger jobs.

I hope.

Strangest thing: I just got a tweet from some guy named "@HAL_In_Orbit" that said,

"ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE. USE THEM TOGETHER. USE THEM IN PEACE."

I wonder what that means ...

"Ow! Thinking is hard!"

This might be the craziest sports story I've ever come across. Needless to say, it involves a graduate from North Nogales Tech.

NEW YORK (AP) — Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other during a Christmas Eve locker room argument over a gambling debt, according to The New York Post.

Citing an anonymous source, the newspaper reports in Friday's edition that the standoff was sparked when Crittenton became angry at Arenas for refusing to make good on a gambling debt. That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources tell the Post.

Asked by the Post about the confrontation, Arenas denied pulling a gun on Crittenton.

"This is unprecedented in the history of sports," Billy Hunter, executive director of the Player's Association, tells the Post. "I've never heard of players pulling guns on each other in a locker room."

Forget drug testing; the Wizards need mandatory ballistics testing.

One of the best concert movies of all time, and the movie that introduced U2 to the world.

Happy New Year.

Shooting USA and Arfdotcom have compiled a list of the Top Ten Movie Gunfights Of All Time, and it's not half-bad.

1. The bank robbery scene from "Heat"
2. Master Sgt.Gordon and Sgt.1st Class Shughart's final battle from "Blackhawk Down"
3. The last fight scene in "The Kingdom"
4. The Battle of la Drang Valley from "We Were Soldiers"
5. The assault/chase scene from "Ronin"
6. The end of "Tears of the Sun"
7. The Brécort Manor assault scene from "Band Of Brothers"
8. The final shootout from "Quigley Down Under"
9. The final shootout in "Léon" (The Professional)
10. The three-way gun fight from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"

It's great to see Luc Besson get a mention on this list as I've admired his work for years (Memo to Anne Parillaud: Call me. Anytime.). Personally, though, I'd swap out "Tears of the Sun" with John Woo's iconic and game-changing shootouts from "A Better Tomorrow" and instead of "The Kingdom" I'd have the assassination sequence from "Clear and Present Danger", (which was so well-done the DSS uses it as a training video), but the list as it is quite good indeed, and a good starting point if you're looking to add some first-rate action movie DVD's to your collection.

Just in case President Obama learns from his mistake and makes some remarks about the earthquake in San Diego today, our fevered imaginations inside sources have an early version of the text of press release:

Good Afternoon,

All of you would not be reading this unless you — like me — were convinced that the danger of anthroprogenic continental drift, or ACD, is real.  This is not fiction, it is science.  Unchecked, ACD will pose unacceptable risks to our security, our economies, and our planet.  This much we know.

The question, then, before us is no longer the nature of the challenge — the question is our capacity to meet it.  For while the reality of ACD is not in doubt, I have to be honest, as the world watches us today, I think our ability to take collective action is in doubt right now, and it hangs in the balance.

I believe we can act boldly, and decisively, in the face of a common threat.  That's why I am speaking to you today — not to talk, but to act.

First, all major economies must put forward decisive national actions that will reduce the movement of the continents on which they reside, and begin to turn the corner on ACD.  I'm pleased that many of us have already done so.  Almost all the major economies have put large stakes in the ground to anchor their countries in place, and I'm confident that America will fulfill the commitments that we have made to dive at least 4,621 telephone poles all the way into the ground  by 2020, and more than 7,454 by 2050.

Second, we must have a mechanism to review whether we are keeping our continents from moving, and exchange this information in a transparent manner.  These measures need not be intrusive, or infringe upon sovereignty. Without such accountability, any agreement would be empty words on a blog.

I don't know how you have an international agreement where we all are not sharing information and ensuring that we are meeting our commitments.  That doesn't make sense.  It would be a hollow victory, and just the rantings of some kid from Kenya who tricked his way into the most important job on the planet.

Number three, we must have financing that helps faster-moving continents slow down, particularly those with populations most vulnerable to motion-sickness.  America will be a part of fast-start funding that will ramp up to $10 billion by 2012.  And yesterday, Secretary Hillary Clinton, my Secretary of State, made it clear that we will engage in a global effort to mobilize $100 billion in financing by 2020, if — and only if — it is part of a broader accord that I have just described.

Mitigation.  Transparency.  Financing.  It's a clear formula — one that embraces the principle of common but differentiated responses and respective capabilities.  And it adds up to a significant accord — one that takes us farther than we have ever gone before as an international community.

I just want to say to this press conference that we are running short on time.  And at this point, the question is whether we will move forward together or split apart, whether we prefer posturing to action.  I'm sure that many consider this an imperfect framework that I just described.  No country will get everything that it wants.  There are those developing countries that want aid with no strings attached, and no obligations with respect to transparency.  They think that the most advanced nations should pay a higher price; I understand that.  There are those advanced nations who think that developing countries either cannot absorb this assistance, or that will not be held accountable effectively, and that the world's fastest-moving countries should bear a greater share of the burden.

We know the fault lines because we've seen the damage done by them for years.  These international discussions have essentially taken place now for almost two decades, and we have very little to show for it other than than increased acceleration of San Francisco into the sea.  The time for talk is over.  This is the bottom line:  We can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, continue to refine it and build upon its foundation.  We can do that, and everyone who is in this room will be part of a historic endeavor — one that makes life better for our children and our grandchildren.

Thank you.

If American society believes in anything, it's that improper behaviour can be cured by putting up a sign. For example, we all know that putting up a no-smoking sign completely deters anyone from smoking in a restaurant or bar. Experience has also shown us that everyone always, always obeys the posted speed limits and the "No Left Hand Turn On Red" signs on our nation's highways, right? No one would ever, ever, EVER of ignoring a those prominent "No Weapons Allowed" signs that have turned our nation's schools and IKEA stores into peaceful havens of utter quietness in an otherwise troubled world.

With that in mind, I've created the ultimate anti-terrorist screening system. It's environmentally friendly, unobtrusive and much less embarrassing than a full body scan. In addition to all of that, it's guaranteed to work just as effectively as all those other warning systems I mentioned before, meaning we'll never have to worry about det-cord corsets again. Who needs Janet Napolitano when you've got one of these at every boarding gate?

This will do until I get my M-613A3 or a real lightsaber.



And it's being made by a company in Tempe, too.

Hmmmnn, I wonder if they'd be willing to trade one out for some website work...

Once again the unorganized (but well-regulated) militia succeeds where all the King's horses and all the King's men failed: Northwest Flight 253 was saved from destruction not by the system, but rather through the actions of one passenger who refused to be a victim. (Hmmmn, "Refuse to be a victim" sounds catchy. Someone should make a self-defence course around that phrase. I digress...).

Inspired by this post over at The Volokh Conspiracy, I set out to see if I could do what every TSA agent has to do before they fly: Pass the Federal Air Marshal Tactical Pistol Course.

Ok, first a little background on training and whatnot. I've been shooting seriously for a couple of years now:I have my CCW, I've been through the NRA Personal Protection Classes and I shoot USPSA practical pistol competitions about once a month. In addition to that, I put about 100-200 practice rounds a month downrange. I'm not good, but I'm not bad.

So, did I pass the test?

I had to modify the test a bit and use USPSA cardboard targets because I don't have any of the FBI "Milkbottle" targets that the TSA uses. To keep things similar to the TSA scoring, I counted "A" and "B" zones hits as five points and "C" zone hits count as three points, with  "D" zone hits and all misses counting zero.

Other than that, I think I replicated things pretty well: I used my CZ75 loaded with 115 grain Federal FMJ's in an IDPA-legal Blade-Tech holster concealed with an IDPA-legal cover garment. The course was shot outside earlier at Rio Salado where it was frickkin' cold (55 degrees and really, really windy).

So, did I pass the test?

Almost. Let's go the results.

The Federal Air Marshal Tactical Pistol Course (TPC), like the classic El Presidente, is shot cold (i.e., no warmup) on the FBI QIT target
All strings are shot from a distance of seven yards.

Individual Drill	Starting Position	Total Time Allowed	Total Rounds	My Time	My Score
One Round (twice)	Concealed from Holster	1.65 seconds (3.30 total)	2	3.26 secs	8
Double Tap (twice)	Low Ready	1.35 seconds (2.70 total)	4	2.31 secs	16
Rhythm; fire 6 rounds at one target; no more than 0.6 second between each shot.	Low Ready	3.00 seconds	6	2.56 secs	26
One Shot, speed reload, one shot (twice).	Low Ready	3.25 seconds (6.50 total)	4	6.42 secs	18
One Round each at two targets three yards apart (twice)		1.65 seconds (3.30 total)	4	2.81 secs	18
180° pivot. One round each at three targets (twice). Turn left, then right.	Concealed from Holster	3.50 seconds (7.00 total)	6	5.79 secs	24
One Round, slide locks back; drop to one knee; reload; fire one round. (twice)	Low Ready	4.00 seconds (8.00 total)	4	6.98 secs	18
Total			30	Pass	Fail

Qualification:

Time: Cannot exceed total time for each drill. Example: Drill #1 - 1st time 1.70 seconds, 2nd time 1.55 seconds; Total = 3.25 seconds = Go. Must achieve a "GO" on each drill.

Accuracy: Target is FBI "QIT" (bottle). Total rounds fired is 30. Point value inside bottle = 5. Point value touching line or outside bottle = 2. Maximum possible score = 150. Mininum qualifying score = 135.

All stages must equal "GO" to qualify. If you don't qualify, you don't fly!

I shot it fast enough, but I wasn't accurate enough. I scored 128, too low to qualify. A few more "A" zone hits and I would have made it.

So, what did we learn today?

• The TSA Pistol Qualification is tough, but passable for anyone who practices regularly. I'm a "D" ranked USPSA shooter, and I almost made it.
• I need to work on my groups more.
• There's a lot more to being a TSA agent than just shooting well, so no, I'm not in favour of opening up the skies to anyone with a CCW.
• On the other hand, the next time someone tells you that the cops are the only ones who should have guns because they're the only ones who know how to use them well, send them here.
• Better yet, take them to the range.

Vox has created a Facebook Group for Arizona's conservative bloggers.

Apparently, the little elves in Al Qaeda's workshop have introduced a new toy for the Christmas season.

The plot to blow up an American passenger jet over Detroit was organized and launched by al Qaeda leaders in Yemen who apparently sewed bomb materials into the suspect’s underwear before sending him on his mission, federal authorities tell ABC News.

Investigators say the suspect had more than 80 grams of PETN, a compound related to nitro-glycerin used by the military. The so-called shoe bomber, Richard Reid, had only about 50 grams kin his failed attempt in 2001 to blow up a U.S.-bound jet. Yesterday’s bomb failed because the detonator may have been too small or was not in “proper contact” with the explosive material, investigators told ABC News.

While applauding their initiative, I'm glad the new invention failed even harder than Windows Vista. But the marketer in me wonders how best to brand this disruptive new technology.

One of my favourite westerns (and Quentin Taratino likes it, too).

Here's an interview of Howard Hawks talking about making one of his best movies. 

See you next year.

Harry Reid proudly states that "Real People understand the urgency for health care reform".

My question is, how did he even find John Barbour, Sarah Purcell, Byron Allen and Bill Rafferty, much less get their opinion on health care reform?

Why is this sort of news always "unexpected" whenever there's a Democrat in the White House?

Sales of new homes plunged unexpectedly last month to the lowest level since April, a sign the housing market recovery will be rocky. The 11 percent slump from October’s pace shows that consumers are taking their time following an extension of a deadline for first-time buyers to qualify for a tax credit. The incentive was set to expire at the end of November, but Congress pushed back the date to April 30 and expanded the program to include current homeowners who relocate.

The Associated Press went on to say that the sun rose "unexpectedly" in the east today and that water is "unexpectedly" humid.

A funny (and really, really sad) look at how the CBO calculates the (imaginary) cost savings of ObamaCare.



Via ExurbanJon's Twitter feed.

I'm ready to sell my house, trade in my car, give away one of my kids and finally jump on board the watermelon bandwagon.

Why? Climate change could affect world coffee supplies.

Egads. If I don't switch to CFL's and give up plastic water bottles RIGHT NOW, the world's supply of coffee could vanish like right before our very eyes, quicker than donuts in front of Michael Moore.

At first, Al Gore came came for the beaches in the Seychelles, and that didn't bother me because I couldn't even find them on a map.

Then he came for the SUV owners, but that didn't bother me because I already was driving a Civic Hybrid.

Then hecame for the polar bears, but that didn't bother me 'cause after all, the darn things eat humans.

Then he came for my coffee, and there was nothing left to wake me up in the morning.

On the eve of the ObamaCare vote, a Democratic congressman/oncologist decides that he's had enough:

POLITICO has learned that Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican.

According to two senior GOP aides familiar with the decision, the announcement will take place this afternoon in Griffith's district in northern Alabama.

Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send a jolt through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been unnerved by the recent retirements of a handful of members who, like Griffith, hail from districts that offer prime pickup opportunities for the GOP in 2010.

The switch represents a coup for the House Republican leadership, which had been courting Griffith since he publicly criticized the Democratic leadership in the wake of raucous town halls during the summer.

Griffith, who captured the seat in a close 2008 open seat contest, will become the first Republican to hold the historically Democratic, Huntsville-based district. A radiation oncologist who founded a cancer treatment center, Griffith plans to blast the Democratic health care bill as a prime reason for his decision to switch parties—and is expected to cite his medical background as his authority on the subject.

Obama's kamikaze push for health care reform is tearing the Democratic Party apart. Better the party than the nation.

Before we decide whether John McCain is conservative enough to be our Senator, can we unite behind David Schwiekert's bid to replace Harry Mitchell (D - Obama Suckup) and avoid the messy primary that allowed him to sneak into office ?

Thanks.

The fifth-happiest state in the nation is... The Grand Canyon State. The top five are:

1. Louisiana
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona

Rather than go through mounds of statistical about GDP, taxes and the like, this survey took the radical step of actually people if they were happy or not (what an amazing idea!). One caveat is that this survey was taken before Hurricane Katrina and the housing market meltdown, so things may have changed since then.

And now for something completely different: A North Korean dinner show.

I have no idea how the deal worked, but this restaurant was truly showcasing North Korea in Cambodia. The waitresses were from North Korea, the food was supposed to be North Korean and the entertainment was North Korean. Since I’m still kind of shell-shocked from this bizarre experience, I’ve just listed some of my observations from that evening.


Read the whole thing. (Via American Digest)