Mauser Medic

From pure neglect on my part for not noticing sooner, Mausers, Medicine, & Motorcycles added a link back to this humble location.

As a member of Iowa's National Guard, MauserMedic has served most recently in the Afghan theater and I thank him for his service and welcome home.

Sometimes irreverent and always entertaining, his postings of Ugly Gun Sundays depict the kluge creations and downright butchery that some people come up with.

Your site is added to the Iowa blog list, sir.

Sean McClanahan has some new digs

The head honcho at the Iowa Firearms Coalition has trimmed down his Examiner space and moved over to Right of Middle. (Maybe the Examiner is for up for sublease).

Since I believe in the laws of reciprocity, I give him a shout out and a link.

We're in this fight together here in Iowa.

Stylish - What?

ASM826 over at Random Acts of Patriotism seems to think I have style.

My first response is ppffftt. I have never been accused of having style. Character maybe (as in I'm a character), but style? Nope.

The Theme\Meme seems to be: List seven things about yourself that other people might not know. Then pass the award to 15 other bloggers.

Like people would be interested in me...

Okay, I'll bite.

1. My favorite car was my 68 Falcon. Nothing pretty but it was solid, reliable transportation.

2. I'm the last of 11 children (and no, we are not Catholic or Mormon). My sisters used to introduce me as the baby of the family until one day I corrected them in front of their guest by saying it took Mom and Dad 11 times to get it right. Dad thought it was funny but Mom had a different opinion.

3. I shook the hand of Governor Robert Ray at a Hawkeye football game. The only time I ever saw him or a game live and in person. We had a nice chat and the Hawkeyes won that day. Still not a big fan of either though.

4. My first gun was a Glenfield Model 60. It was given to me by my brother and I gave it back to him for Christmas a few years ago. The following year he gave it back and I returned it to him the next Christmas. It's now a tradition to pass it to each other at least once a year.

5. The boys and I made a trebuchet for a science "fair" (not a competition because, you know, everyone is a winner - ugh). We set it up and threw water balloons at the other kids. Yeah, we would have won. After storming the gates with our battering rams...

6. One of my favorite movies is It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Mindless escapism, all-star cast and Ethel Merman falling on her keester.

7. When I was 17, I was taking my grandfather home and I drove through a four way intersection. A couple of seconds down the street he remarked, "They must have taken the stop sign down since the last time I was through." I muttered, "Yeah, they must have," but he knew and was cool enough not to rat me out.

I could add several other things to the list since my wife never reads this blog. Maybe another time.

And now for the tags:

The Rifleman a nationally ranked shooter who combs the internet for gun news so you don't have to.

Escape from: Oppression in the Midwest keeping an eye on Illinois injustice. And now in Wisconsin.

Midwest Chick at Non-Original Rants looks at the world from all angles.

Hope and Change Cartoons commentary on our state of affairs or affairs of state. Take your pick.

Green Mountains Homesteading Vermont freedom fighter.

Coordinated Illumination gives a unique look at our world.

While Xavier hasn't been keeping up with the blogging, look back through the older posts for some wonderful story writing and his pawn shop finds.

Since I am an Iowa-centric Blogger, here are a few others with connections to the Hawkeye state:

True Blue Sam A true woodsman who now is in the Land of Lincoln.

The Travis McGee Reader from the frozen and beautiful Iowa's Spirit Lake area.

Robert's Gun Shop fighting the good fight for the Iowa Firearms Coalition. We don't always agree but we're in this together.

Ben and Bawb's Blog where Bawb gleans the archives for valuable shooter information. His articles on Military and Survival make for some good reading and may help you in a pinch.

Cold Hard Cashner Iowa's hard fighting libertarian.

Burlington Derailed has been a thorn in the side of southeastern Iowa for several years and doing a good job of it.

The "insightfully vulgar" State29 keeping an eye on our state's political machine and Register hacks.

And the irreverent Iowahawk who understands what satire is.

All of these blogs have given me valuable information, humor to warm the heart and almost always given me something to think about.

If you haven't visited, please go to some of these blogs. If you're disappointed, you get your money back.

Blog reciprocity, A train wreck in Maxwell

Going through my site meter and found a couple of links from A train wreck in Maxwell, I found this site via Borepatch and visited a couple of times.

His header picture is this:


which could describe my last couple of job interviews. Train wrecks, all.

A good dose of snark and a helping common sense.

Kurt, thanks for the link back and hopefully my readers will head your way.

(If anyone else links here and I haven't linked back, let me know and I'll take care of it - the laws of reciprocity must be obeyed)

Wisdom of Patrick Henry

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of (Washington) Boston! The war (For the soul of the Republic) is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

Patrick Henry

Found at Green Mountains Homesteading who kindly sends a few readers my way each day. Thank you.

Thank you to Sam

Today's thanks goes to True Blue Sam who also has been sending readers this way.

This week's Weekend Steam puts me in a mood to get back in the fields. Head over there to see some power of a more simpler time. More at Sam's Steam

I grew up too late to work with these machines, they were used in my dad's generation. I used to rake hay and cultivate corn and beans with a two-row Farmall C and I drove a "Johnny Pop" John Deere A bringing in hay wagons.

These days I thrash my head on the keyboard trying to keep my disk shelf up and running. It's not the same.

Thanks for bringing back memories of watching these great steam engines at work.

Thank you, Karl

Karl at The Rifleman's Journal has been sending a lot of people my way (like I have something to say). So I'd encourage my one or two regular readers to give him a read.

Head over there, where he has a good roundup of sites he visits everyday. Like this John Locke quote:

"... whenever the Legislators endeavour to take away, and destroy the Property of the People, or to reduce them to Slavery under Arbitrary Power, they put themselves into a state of War with the People, who are thereupon absolved from any farther Obedience, and are left to the common refuge which God hath provided for all men against force and violence. ... [Power then] devolves to the People, who have a Right to resume their original Liberty, and, by the Establishment of a new Legislative (such as they shall think fit) provide for their own Safety and Security, which is the end for which they are in Society." John Locke, State of War

His current month's journal is March 2010 Rifleman's Journal

I think he's earned the term Rifleman

One of the Green Mountain Boys

Stranded's reciprocity rules dictate I point back when pointed to.

Green Mountains Homesteading is a site describing the events unfolding in his state of Vermont.

State history and current events done with humor - worth a visit every now and then.

As always, if I missed someone, let me know.

The "good" old days

For a touch of nostalgia True Blue Sam the Travelin' Man is a good stop. He's a fellow mid-westerner on the Illinois side.

At first look over there he has some chain saw sharpening tips. After my saw located a couple of nails the last time I used it, that would come in handy.

Also, the old pictures, recordings and his posting old photos, etc, it looks like I've got some place to spend some time.

I'll be back, Sam.

Coordinated Illumination

Found another blog of interest that's new to me, Coordinated Illumination with some interesting commentary and it looks like there's a sense of humor going on over there.

Added to the list to read.

If there are any other blogs that link to me, please post a comment. I started out with a link from The War on Guns and I'll pass on to the next blogger.

Mexican panel wants gun control tighter in US

Robertsgunshop has a blog at The Des Moines Register, and his recent posting Group also wants overhaul of Mexican border agencies links to a Washington Post article about how the guns are flowing into Mexico and we need to stop anyone from purchasing a rocket launcher at gun shows.

While the formatting makes it hard to follow, he's right. But then the obligatory genitalia comparisons get posted in the comments.

And I thought Iowa had one of the best education systems in the country. Guess I was wrong.

Added Robertsgunshop to the blog list.

Jeffersonian Reciprocity

Jeffersonian Rifleman links to me Karl has linked this way more than once. Thank you, sir.

He's got quite a few divergent links and a few thoughts along the way.

This post Jeffersonian Flintlock Pistol reminded me to get off my backside. I picked up a Colonial and a pair of Kentucky pistol kits, new in the box at auction a couple of years ago. I set them aside but events overwhelmed me these past couple of years.

An addition to the list: "Freedom is Mandatory"

I need to add this guy to my list of blogs I go to. Freedom is Mandatory

He doesn't post everyday, but that's okay.