Idiots with Power

I wish that I was surprised when something like this happens - but I've lost my shocked face.  A woman, Jean Weber, takes her aged and ill mother through TSA screening and it comes down to this:

"She said security personnel then came out and told her they would need for her mother to remove her Depends diaper because it was soiled and was impeding their search."  

Someone help me out here, what the hell kind of search were they doing?!  The only sideways logic I can scratch up is that the poor old woman was odoriferous or they didn't want to touch a soiled diaper.  I'd like to say that I would've told the fine employees of the TSA that if they were that concerned, they should remove it themselves.  Adding that I have no knowledge of fecal bombs and it was their job to assess the perceived security threat.  Maybe I wouldn't be able to blithely create that kind of escalation, but I sure hope that I would have the constitution to stand up to idiotic ass-hattery.   

Not to surprise anyone: TSA's responses listed in the article are trite and rote.  When will uncommon sense prevail and let us regain pre-flight dignity?  Citing the use of children and the elderly for suicide missions doesn't suddenly make draconian rules and degradation okay.  Somehow, reason and intelligence need to be interjected into airport security.  (Ok, stop laughing!)

The only thing that makes me wonder about the daughter is that she only had one pair of adult diapers (the ones the mom had on).  I understand being upset and disgusted by the TSA's demand but I don't understand being mad about being unable to replace the removed Depends.  That's about the only thing in this sordid affair that isn't the TSA's fault.  "Two is one, one is none" applies to everything in life.  All things considered, I hope she sets the AARP loose on their  ass.  


Edit:  Turns out this may be a case of moronicus-interceptus.  In a follow up story done by CNN it turns out that the daughter admitted to suggesting the removal of the Depends and letting her mom go commando.  They were going to allow her to get a fresh pair out but the daughter wasn't sure how long it would take to get their checked luggage.  Of course this was after TSA couldn't identify a lump in their pat down & wouldn't let the mother board until the diaper was searched.  Ridiculous of them to insist on finding out exactly what that lump was; what else would it be - C4?  Seems like there was stupidity on both sides. 

How did you become a Gun Nut?

I've seen this question bouncing around the gun blog-o-sphere (originating here) and figured I'd add my own gunny story. 


My immediate family has always been gun-neutral to hoplophobic.  Dad's neutral, sis was hoplophobic but has slowly become receptive to guns and Pro-2A thinking (still can't get her butt to the range!) and mom... well she's the kind of hoplophobe that you think you're getting somewhere with in a logical debate - then it takes a sudden downward spiral into Illogical Land and you just have to walk away.  Lucky for me, my extended family has gun enthusiasts to balance everything out; my uncle and cousin have always been into guns & shooting.  I can clearly remember, as a kid, an argument between my mother and uncle / cousin about gun control.  It wasn't pretty and we left a holiday dinner early - in a huff.  I wasn't out of middle school at the time but already figured out mom was on the wrong side of the argument. 

The first time I shot a gun was at the age of 12.  I traipsed after the guys when they went shooting & they let me try a shotgun.... the only thing I managed to hit was my ass on the ground.  Not the smartest thing to hand a kid, but I think it was the gentlest thing they had out and I REALLY wanted to shoot.  I still don't like shotguns.

From then until college, guns and shooting were basically abandoned.  My uncle and I went shooting a few times as I got older, but it was discouraged by my mom so I didn't pursue it.  Out of default, I inherited my grandpa's break-action .223 in high school but I wasn't allowed to get ammo for it.  My mind still says, "WTF!?" thinking about it sitting in the corner of my room with not one round of ammo in the whole house... I had a very nice club.

Then Heath and I started dating ---> gun nut ---> the end.  

I was going to say that I was exaggerating, but the more I think about it, nope, that's about how it happened.  It was like the anemic gun enthusiast I had been suddenly had a source of support and approval.  He refreshed the safety lessons my uncle taught me and helped me shed the nonsensical ideas I acquired over several years of listening to my mom, liberal media and college (shudder).  We walked the farm with .22's, set up reactive targets and had a blast.  I learned the glee of making pop cans dance and of shredding paper targets with anything I felt like shooting (still no shotguns).  Then, like I said in my previous post, he encouraged me to get my CCW and now I carry everywhere I can.  It still irks mom - I just smile.  She can't believe Heath and I both carried on our wedding day.  Yeah, there still aren't many 'safe' topics for holiday dinners. 

So that's how I became a 'Gun Nut'.  I've always been one, I just didn't know it.

CCW

I've had my concealed carry permit for 3 years now (Thank you Darling Husband!).  Prior to getting my permit, I was mainly interested in rifles and rarely picked up a handgun.  After being around Heath (force of nature that he is) and reading several gun blogs (mainly Jay, Breda, Tam, Marko, LawDog and the Cornered Cat) outlining the reasons and realities of self defense, I decided it was time to protect myself.  So, Heath took me to the local gun show and let me loose to walk around and try out all the various handguns until I found one that felt right.  He was flummoxed when I walked the entire gun show (several buildings & a mass of humanity) and end up with this:

A beat-up .38 Colt Army Special.  That day, I found that I had an initial aversion to anything with a magazine or that was remotely small, go figure.  Obviously, this did not turn out to be a carry gun.  It is, however, the first gun I've ever purchased and I still love it.  It took several gun shows, a lot of borrowing and shooting to get me to warm up to anything concealable.

The first gun I started carrying with any consistency was a S&W Model 638 Heath brought home for himself.  He was showing off his new purchase and I promptly confiscated it - he didn't see it again for months.  Finally, he strongly requested the return of his airweight and it was back to the gun show to find its twin or something similar for me to carry.  We stumbled into my main carry gun, a S&W Model 37 airweight.

Our gunsmith friend had it for sale and it called to me.  I bought it before you could say, 'Oooh, Shiny!'  Now it spends most if its time in my purse (please form a line to chastise me about purse carry, no pushing or shoving and one admonishment per commenter).  My goal is to stop using purse carry, but until I can settle on a comfortable alternative, it's better than not carrying at all.

My other carry gun is the Walther PPK (Heath also brought this home for himself and it was promptly requisitioned into my armory - he's given up on getting it back).  It's the first auto that I felt comfortable with and liked shooting.

 It's carried in none other than the Pistol Pouch by Dragon Leather Works.  I absolutely love this carry option for trail rides and for Renaissance Faires.  On the trail, it looks like a binocular case or an upscale alternative to a fanny pack and it allows me to carry without melting under a cover shirt.  At the Renaissance Faire it fits well with period costumes by looking at home next to a leather mug on a ring belt or carry strap and it keeps me from digging through yards of fabric trying to get to my gun. 

Maybe I'll try OC one of these days; right now I'm happy keeping concealed.  Though, if Dennis starts making wheel gun holsters, I'll be forced to throw money at him for a holster for the Model 37 & OC wherever I dare!

Sunny Afternoon

As promised, pictures of the boys:

 

My horse: "Chasing Freedom"

5yr old Tennessee Walker

Heath's Horse: "Ebony's Country Gambler"

9 yr old Tennessee Walker

 

Our resident retiree: "Shotgun" 36+ yr old Quarter Horse

 

All my boys together

Bubba'd

 Well, tried the side saddle on Freedom. Unfortunately, it looks like this:

The seam should be a straight line just behind the shoulder blade and it should set level across the back (the red lines are correct).  Meaning... it's too narrow over the withers.  Fortunately, I think the tree gullet is wide enough, it's just that the lady who sold it "Bubba'd" the hell out of the flocking (padding) and a few other things.  Just like an old rifle, someone took this antique saddle and 'fixed' it to suit their purpose without any regard to how it should have been repaired (I even found duct tape!).  She said that the professional she took it to wanted $500.00 to repair it so she let her friend, "Bear" do it. *facepalm* Looks like it'll be going to the saddlery for the love & repair it should have gotten to begin with.  Luckily, it fits me like a glove - so a little reworking and TLC should see me riding aside.

Links

On the right-hand side of the screen is a deceptively long list of bloggers I've met; from the look of it you'd think I'd have been blogging longer!  If I was remiss in adding your blog to the roll, please let me know and I'll add you asap.  I'm lucky that Heath's so out going and connected with the gun blogger community - I couldn't imagine associating with a better group of people.

Learning to ride aside

Otherwise titled, "way #3697 I'm going to try and break my neck"

As an early birthday gift, my Darling Husband has given me an honest-to-goodness side saddle (squee!).  I've always wanted to learn how to ride aside but never got around to it.  So now, Freedom (my Tennessee Walker) and I are going to foray into the antiquated riding style.  This'll be interesting, considering there are - to my knowledge and furious googling - no local instructors, clinics or groups.  Luckily, I have the interwebs and an excellent guide in Mrs. Alice M. Hayes. 

This weekend I'll be trying the saddle on Freedom - checking for fit and function.  With luck, it'll be a close enough fit for him, and for me, to give it a go.   

A new source of free ice cream

Welcome to my newly renovated corner of the blog-o-sphere!  Here you'll find posts on concealed carry from a woman's point of view, trail riding (CC while trail riding) and baking recipes that could kill a diabetic from across the room.  I'm the other half to Heath and must pay homage to my Blog Father JayG.  I'm not the fancy wordsmith either of them are, but I hope you'll stick around for the musings.