On this date, 1992. Someone at the FBI got smart enough to realize that the news had gone out and that the media and people were watching.

The rules of engagement that had been put into effect on or about 8/22 for the Snipers HRT members were changed from:

     If any adult male is observed with a weapon prior to the announcement, deadly force can and
     should be employed, if the shot can be taken without endangering any children.

     If any adult in the compound is observed with a weapon after the surrender announcement is
     made, and is not attempting to surrender, deadly force can and should be employed to neutralize
     the individual.

     If compromised by any animal, particularly the dogs, that animal should be eliminated.

Back to the “normal” rules of engagement:

     “Agents are not to use deadly force against any person except as necessary in self-defense or the
      defense of another, when they have reason to believe they or another are in danger of death or
      grievous bodily harm. Whenever feasible, verbal warning should be given before deadly force is
      applied.”

that were standard ROE for all other engagements….

Funny how scrutiny changes things….innit?

Trust yer government, remember?

And there, in amongst the trees I have planted over the earthly remains of my pets, I was reminded of the words of Kipling…..it applies to cats too sometimes……

“The Power of the Dog”

THERE is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware      
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie—
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.      
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet’s unspoken prescription runs      
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find—it’s your own affair—
But … you’ve given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!).      
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone—wherever it goes—for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.

We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,      
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we’ve kept ’em, the more do we grieve:        
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long—
So why in—Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Hug your pets today….

To the Rumors that Lois Lerner’s secret email accounts were on Hillary’s illegal email server.

None at all.

shooting [of Degan]. He [Weaver] is in pretty strong legal position.”
(cite: Wikipedia.com)

But he didn’t get anyone to listen to him, so the siege continued…….

They, instead, rely on foreigners to do the dirty work of saving their asses…..

U.S. Airman Spencer Stone, National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, their friend Anthony Sadler and Briton Chris Norman were presented with the Legion d’Honneur at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

So it took 3 Americans and one Briton to disarm the dude, while all the French fled in terror?

Seriously? 3 men, foreigners, saved the bacon of all the other passengers? I’m proud that 3 out of 4 were my countrymen, but saddened that the French apparently couldn’t react enough to do it themselves….

ETA: Apparently I am wrong….at least one Frenchman took action.

To make the annoying and persistent pop-up for Windows 10 go away?

I’m not so sure I want to “upgrade” from Windows 7 on this machine. I tried it on a (really cheap) Windows 8 machine and found that it slowed things down drastically…not so sure I want to do that to my main machine.

23 years ago, the incident in which many many people learned of the perfidy and callousness of the ATF, US Marshals service and the FBI (especially the Hostage Rescue Team)…and how they would lie, cheat, bribe and blackmail people to do their bidding….and lie, cheat and cover up and shift blame when they were found out.

Yep, I am talking about the Ruby Ridge incident with Randy Weaver.

This is the incident that showcased the incompetence of the US Marshals service…How they played “Operator” and bumbled in nearly every aspect of their investigation….all while costing the US Taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars BEFORE the incident at Ruby Ridge..

This is the incident where we learned about  FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi,…and his (ahem) Marksmanship….Wherein his name became an epithet after he killed Vicki Weaver under hastily modified Rules of Engagement for the HRT team….essentially an order to kill any of the Weaver party on sight.

It was this incident which highlighted the failures of management of the FBI, the ATF, the US Marshals service, and relative un-accountability of the agents employed in those agencies…and the behavior that one would expect of some men with a great deal of authority and essentially zero oversight or accountability…..and the desire to protect their fellow agents and never question their allegations….No one in any of those agencies was punished for their role in this asinine incident……one that began on lies, escalated because of a cover up and incompetence, and resulted in deaths of members of the Weaver party and a US Marshall……. FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi was protected by his agency (see manslaughter charge section) and essentially allowed to go free after committing murder…..

If you take the time to learn the facts (and the Wikipedia article has it fairly straight), you can understand why our founding fathers warned us against governments…..and why they put the First Amendment  first (so we could show, talk about, and explain what the government is doing) and gave us the Second Amendment (so we could fight back and protect the First).

It is said that this was the first of several incidents that gave rise to the “Militia” movement (and a great deal of mistrust of the government)…. Perhaps it is. But had this incident not happened, the agencies involved would have had ample opportunity to find other ways to step in it not too far in the future……

and/or print off a copy or two..

The DIY Sten Gun. 

Mayhaps this winter I might try my hand…..

Anyone ever tried one?

Except sometimes, not.

1 CC machine dead in storm on Tuesday evening. Check

Called them that night. Gotta wait until the AM to order a replacement. Check.

Wed AM, order replacement. Should arrive FedEx Thursday early morning deliver. Nope.

Not in the AM, not at noon, not by three. No tracking number available either.

It is bad enough when the job interferes with my drinking. (I mean, it is an issue, but it does help keep me out of trouble)…

But now, things are so chaotic and messed up that it is interfering with my SHOOTING….

Something hasta give. And soon.

I’d quit, but I own my own business, so I am kinda stuck…..

I really should go shooting when I am this fatigued…..might have to for real someday.

Not that I could shoot well….I’m so jazzed on coffee that I am about to start to hear colors.