Should you always comply with a criminal?

The police will usually always tell you when confronted with a criminal attack that it's better to not resist and let the bad guy have what he wants.
Here's a story of a woman who's fight against a blade wielding murderer probably saved her life. I say murderer because the guy was wanted by the police for recently bludgeoning a homeless guy to death. The guy slashed the woman multiple times but she kept fighting. Going by the description of the woman's defensive fight and the mug shot of this predator you can tell she was probably trying gouge his eyes out. Smart girl. Always go for the eyes and the...ahem.....privates.

Complying with the demands of a criminal will not always go well for you. Here and here are stories of clerks being shot and killed even after complying with the demands of the robber. True, maybe in their situation there wasn't much they could do but here are  two situations where the criminal's gun was taken away and used against him, resulting in a dead bad guy.

Of course the best way to protect yourself is to carry a gun and know how to use it. In most every situation when a criminal is faced with armed resistance he will flee.

Schlafly dry hopped APA clone

Being a big fan of American pale ales (APA's) I'm always looking to find my next fav. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has held that title for quite awhile until recently being dethroned after tasting Schlafly's dry hopped APA at this years annual Music City Brewer's Festival. So of course I had to look for a clone recipe to brew this goodness myself. After searching I got some info on what malts and hops were used and tried my hand at putting together a recipe.
The results are pretty impressive. Without actually comparing the two side by side I'd say this clone is dead on. I was surprised at how well it has carbed after only being in the bottle for 9 days.

Here's the recipe for a 5 gallon batch:

Grains
11 lbs. 2 row pale malt
12 oz. Crystal 40

Hops
.75 oz Warrior (First Wort Hop)
1.0 oz Cascade (30 min)
1.0 oz Cascade (flameout)
1.0 oz Cascade (dry hop)
1.0 oz Chinook (dry hop)

Specifics
Mashed at 150* for 60 minutes
Boiled for 60 minutes
Pitched on a yeast cake from a previous APA (Safale US-05)

Gravity
Original Gravity 1.047
Final Gravity 1.005

I used my typical method of fermenting in the primary for 3 weeks, dry hopping in the primary for a week then transferring to the secondary for a few days to clear the beer out before bottling.

Fermenting schedule
Brewed on 9/17
Dry hopped on 10/7
Racked to secondary on 10/15
Bottled on 10/19

I will definitely be brewing this one again!

Why iPhone is better than Android

Basic lack of support

Vanilla Town Chocolate Stout

I guess I've been failing on the "beer" part of my blog so here's the first beer post!

My first chocolate stout started off as basically a Rogue Chocolate Stout clone and I kind of modified it, as I seem to want to do with every clone recipe. Affectionately named "Vanilla Town Chocolate Stout" because of what the dude that got me started brewing said when he heard the final gravity and how much vanilla extract I used. "That thing will be vanilla town for sure!" The recipe didn't call for vanilla but other chocolate stouts use it to smooth out the chocolate so I thought I'd give it a try. I also added some cocoa powder, and upped the chocolate extract. If I brew this one again I'll just go by the recipe next time.
It is very hoppy for a chocolate stout and the vanilla is not too overbearing. It has smoothed out some since sitting in the bottle. Everyone who has tried it so far loves it, and I'd say it's pretty good myself.

Here's the recipe for a 5 gallon batch:

11.0 lb. 2-row Belgian pale malt
0.5 lb. 120L Crystal Malt
0.5 lb. Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb. Rolled Oats
3.0 oz. Roast Barley
1.5 oz. Cocoa Powder (last 5 minutes of boil)
2.0 oz. Chocolate extract (in secondary)
1.0 oz. Vanilla extract (in secondary)
1.0 oz. Cascade pellet hops (90 mins)
1.0 oz. Cascade pellet hops (60 mins)
1.0 oz. Cascade pellet hops (30 mins)
1.0 oz. Cascade pellet hops (flameout)
US-05 yeast

Brewed on 8/5
Racked to secondary on 8/27
Bottled on 9/4
Final Gravity 1.008

Guns and alcohol don’t mix

No doubt those that think law abiding citizens should not have the right protect themselves from danger with firearms are eating up this news story where representative Curry Todd, the lead sponsor of the bill allowing permit holders to carry their firearms in a place that serves alcohol, was arrested for DUI and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.

Also seen in the article is the continued liberal media bias from the Tennessean referring to the bill as the “guns-in-bars” bill, which it is not. The bill is intended for permit holders to be able protect themselves by carrying their firearms in places that serve alcohol (most full service type restaurants serve alcohol now) provided they are NOT drinking. That’s right, they cannot drink one drop of alcohol while in possession of a firearm or they are BREAKING THE LAW. The bill in no way makes it legal to mix guns and alcohol. Anyone doing so, either before the bill was passed or now that it has passed would be a CRIMINAL as they are BREAKING THE LAW. So why do the anti-rights people against this bill (including our former governor who tried to veto it) keep saying stupid things like “guns and alcohol don’t mix!”?

Adam Dread, the attorney who challenged the bill and who is quoted in this article, would be included in this category of stupidity.  Dread says about Todd “…but if he was drinking alcohol and had a loaded gun on him, that was our exact concern. ... The officer was in danger." What does that have to do with the bill that was passed? It would still be a concern even if the bill hadn’t passed because Todd is BREAKING THE LAW! What dream world does Dread live in where he thinks that simply passing a law keeps people from breaking it? 

The article also states Dread would take Todd’s case to defend him against the DUI. So you would defend him against being drunk and driving a 2 ton bullet but you’ll burn him at the stake for having a handgun in his car while intoxicated? Does anyone else see a problem here? 

Mr. Dread, may I remind you that more people are killed every year by traffic accidents than all gun deaths combined. And more people are killed by drunk driving alone than all gun related homicides combined. Where are your priorities, Mr. Dread?

Why would you go someplace where you would need a gun?

This is a common criticism by those who think the average citizen should not have the right to protect themselves from danger by carrying a firearm.

My question is where can I go that I don’t need a gun? 

In a park?

http://www.kcra.com/video/27876588/detail.html

At church?

http://copycateffect.blogspot.com/2009/03/ch-list.html

At a shopping mall?

http://www.kcra.com/video/27919154/detail.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_Square_shooting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westroads_Mall_shooting

In a hospital parking garage?

http://www.kcra.com/news/28152073/detail.html

Eating at a restaurant?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luby%27s_massacre

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/string-east-nashville-restaurant-robberies-frays-locals-nerves

At the local fast food joint?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre

http://www.wkrn.com/story/15331061/2-suspects-rob-hermitage-jack-in-the-box-at-gunpoint

In a school board meeting?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/14/florida.meeting.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1

In your car out on a date?

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/news/local/channon-christian-christopher-newsom-murders/

At work?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Farley#The_stalking_of_Laura_Black

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/04/a-history-of-workplace-sh_n_670128.html

At the post office?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_postal

At an electronics store?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Sacramento_hostage_crisis

Taking out the trash?

http://www.police.nashville.org/news/media/2011/06/10a.htm

Checking the mail?

http://www.police.nashville.org/news/media/2011/06/11.htm

Walking down the street?

http://www.police.nashville.org/news/media/2011/07/21b.htm

Going to your local market?

http://www.police.nashville.org/news/media/2011/08/10a.htm

At a police station?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41320219/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/detroit-police-release-graphic-video-precinct-shooting/#.TpR9PLLheeQ

As soon at those who make such ludicrous statements let me know where the magical bullet proof places are where I don't need a gun I'll leave mine at home.

Why "Theistic evolution" can NOT be an alternative for believers

I came across this news article by a guest columnist on our local news site entitled “'Theistic evolution' can be an alternative forbelievers”.

I won’t comment in detail about the article. I will only say, “Theistic evolution” can in no way be an alternative for believers and here’s why:

Man was created in the image of God on the 6^th day of creation. He did not evolve into man over millions of years.

“Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”- Genesis 1:26-27

Death entered the world through sin. There was no death in the world before the sin of Adam. If there was no death in the world before Adam there could not be any evolution which requires the dying off of non-human species in order to evolve into human species.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” –Romans 5:12

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man [Adam] came death,by a man [Christ] has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” I Corinthians 15:20-22

It comes down to this: If you claim to be a Christian, a believer of Christ, are you putting your trust in man or your trust in God and his word?

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”

-Jeremiah 17:5,7

UPDATE: Another sad article.

Who? Who doesn't want to wear the ribbon?!

Anyone who has seen the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer refuses to wear the red ribbon during the AIDS walk will laugh when they see the title of this blog post.

Well this is why I refuse to wear the pink ribbon.

Prohibition

I've been watching this interesting series on NPT on the Prohibition. Several things caught my attention. For one, I learned that politicians were just as corrupt, if not worse,  in the '20's and '30's as they are now. Many of those that voted for the prohibition were actually involved with the bootlegging of alcohol during the prohibition period. Another thing I learned is that the income tax came out of the prohibition. Before prohibition approximately 1/3 of government income came from the taxation of alcohol. The only way the nation wide banning of alcohol could come about is if some other source of income took it's place. Enter the federal income tax.
One interesting point is that prohibition didn't help anything. It actually made things worse. Not only was there a big black market for alcohol where anyone could acquire it violent crime increased as well.
So back to today, why do some people think banning guns will do any good? It would only open up a black market for illegal guns and only illegal people would have those guns. As a commentator said on one of the episodes of the series, once the government bans something there will always be someone ready to step up and offer that thing illegally on the side.

writing a letter does make a difference

One of the goals of this blog is to take on this website Gun Free Dining Tennessee. By "take on" I mean searching through each restaurant listed on the site (starting with those closest to me) seeing which ones have banned law abiding citizens from exercising their right to self defense (by posting signs banning guns) and contacting those restaurants expressing my concerns. I already see errors on the site. They list Ruby Tuesday here in Smyrna as being a "No guns allowed" restaurant yet this Ruby Tuesday has no signs posted at their entrance (something that is required by Tennessee law to legally ban guns from a place of business). My family and I have eaten at this Ruby Tuesdays many times and I have never seen a posted no guns sign. I wonder how many of the other restaurants they list as "No guns allowed" are really not posted?

Anywho....I recently noticed one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Smyrna, Mi Tierra, had the "gunbuster" sign posted on the window right next to the entrance. I'm not sure if this was recently posted or I've just missed it all this time but I decided to write the owner a letter. It went something like this:

Dear Mr. Paramo,

My family and I have been big fans of your restaurant and eat there on almost a weekly basis. We enjoy "Taco Tuesday" night and love the fajitas, burrito loco, the freshly made guacamole, just about everything we've tried! We are members of the Mi Tierra Club and always tell everyone about your restaurant.

However last night on "Taco Tuesday" we discovered something I have not seen before.
As we were leaving I noticed on the outside of the window right next to the entrance door and above a no smoking sign there is a "gunbusters" sign. This sign is a picture of a gun inside a circle with a slash through it. This sign basically means "no guns allowed on the premises". Because of this sign it is illegal for me, a law abiding handgun permit holder, to have my legal concealed weapon on me while entering your restaurant.

Unfortunately until that sign is removed neither I nor my family will be eating at your restaurant again. By posting this sign you are advertising that your patrons do not have any type of protection. You are telling criminals that your customers cannot protect themselves and you are denying legal, law abiding customers the right of protection.
I understand that you are trying to create a safe place for your patrons to eat but by posting this sign you are doing just the opposite: you are only keeping the "good guys" with guns out of your restaurant. The criminals will still carry guns and do bad things because they are criminals.

I would encourage you to reconsider the posting that denies the honest law abiding people the right of self-defense. These citizens take classes that teach them the laws on carrying and handling a gun. They have been fingerprinted, had TBI/FBI background checks and statistically are the most law abiding citizens. These are the people you want in your restaurant. The criminal will ignore your posted sign and carry a gun anyway because that's what they do: break the law.

I do respect your right to post your property denying those of us legally carrying a firearm to come into your restaurant to eat and I will fight for the right for you to be able to make that decision. I do however believe in the right to be able to protect myself and my family in public, at home or anywhere else that crime may be that would endanger our safety and I am one of those who will not patronize a place that bans legal firearms carriers. There are many other restaurants in Smyrna that do not post these signs and welcome my business as a law abiding gun carrier.

Also as long as the "no guns" sign is posted at your restaurant forbidding law abiding gun owners to protect themselves, your restaurant will be listed on several internet websites, blogs and gun owner's forums as a place that does not welcome handgun permit holders.

Thank you for this consideration and I look forward to hearing back from you.

I had included my cell phone number with the letter.
Within a week I received this text from the owner:

Hi Mr. xxxx,
My name is Arturo Zavala one of the owners, I appreciate the time tell us your concern and I decide to remove the no gun sign from the window, you and your family are more than welcome to come back to Mi Tierra at any time.
If you have any question please call at the store (615) 547-2396 or my cell at (615) 967-xxxx
Thanks again.

This has encouraged me to write more letters to places I see that are posted. As I write those letters I will continue to blog the results, whether good or bad.