Outdoors
Those Dang Fish-Eating Cormorants Are At It Again
November/29/2011
Cormorants are an ugly bird. Maybe that’s why they get blamed for killing all the fish in a body of water. Sure, cormorants eat fish. But so do... Read More...
Why the Crime Rate Drops
June/27/2011
A recent article in my morning newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, discussed the huge drop in violent crime, the lowest in 40 years. Your chances of being killed or robbed is less than half of what is was in the early ninties. What was interesting about this article was the lack of a reason for this phenomenon. After all, the economy should be driving the crime rate through the roof. There must be some rationale that will fit into an equation to describe this miracle that could make it fit under a politically correct banner.
Articles like this are typical. Pundits look at a trend such as the crime rate dropping drastically under trying economical times and they scratch their heads and wonder why criminals aren’t working overtime. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because those criminals aren’t sure if their victims are packing heat.
An example is the ex-marine living in south Minneapolis who was attacked by a couple of robbers that had committed a string of assaults. After they bludgeoned his head he pulled his pistol and fired at them. They hightailed it our of there and were later caught. Click Here For Article
There are plenty of examples of a weapon being used to stop a home invasion or other crime. The statement at the end of the Armed Citizen section of the NRA’s publication, American Hunter, declares that firearms are used more than 2 million times a year for personal protection.
Criminals are beginning to think twice about taking on someone because they may end up facing the end of a gun. There are 40 right-to-carry states and the amount of individuals who have taken advantage of these new laws and are now carrying pistols has risen significantly.
Check out this web link and you will see for yourself how much of an impact the right to carry has had on crime. One statistic shows that after passing their concealed carry law, Florida's homicide rate fell from 36% above the national average to 4% below.
In Texas, murder rates fell 50% faster than the national average in the year after their concealed carry law passed. Rape rates fell 93% faster in the first year after enactment, and 500% faster in the second. Assaults fell 250% faster in the second year. Statistics also show that crime is significantly higher in states without right-to-carry laws.
It would seem that the media that leans to the liberal side of the spectrum are loathe to speculate that right-to-carry legislation has led to a major drop in certain crimes. This same media predicted wild-west shootouts during much of the political debate that went into passing right-to-carry laws and now they must admit they were wrong. But that will never happen. Instead, the articles related to a drop in crime rates will leave the readers wondering why they are blessed with a drop in assaults, murder and robbery, when the answer is its because the power of self defense has been returned to law-abiding individuals. It is the criminal who is now the one who might face the end of a barrel and a drop in crime is the result, even if some won’t admit it. Read More...
Articles like this are typical. Pundits look at a trend such as the crime rate dropping drastically under trying economical times and they scratch their heads and wonder why criminals aren’t working overtime. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because those criminals aren’t sure if their victims are packing heat.
An example is the ex-marine living in south Minneapolis who was attacked by a couple of robbers that had committed a string of assaults. After they bludgeoned his head he pulled his pistol and fired at them. They hightailed it our of there and were later caught. Click Here For Article
There are plenty of examples of a weapon being used to stop a home invasion or other crime. The statement at the end of the Armed Citizen section of the NRA’s publication, American Hunter, declares that firearms are used more than 2 million times a year for personal protection.
Criminals are beginning to think twice about taking on someone because they may end up facing the end of a gun. There are 40 right-to-carry states and the amount of individuals who have taken advantage of these new laws and are now carrying pistols has risen significantly.
Check out this web link and you will see for yourself how much of an impact the right to carry has had on crime. One statistic shows that after passing their concealed carry law, Florida's homicide rate fell from 36% above the national average to 4% below.
In Texas, murder rates fell 50% faster than the national average in the year after their concealed carry law passed. Rape rates fell 93% faster in the first year after enactment, and 500% faster in the second. Assaults fell 250% faster in the second year. Statistics also show that crime is significantly higher in states without right-to-carry laws.
It would seem that the media that leans to the liberal side of the spectrum are loathe to speculate that right-to-carry legislation has led to a major drop in certain crimes. This same media predicted wild-west shootouts during much of the political debate that went into passing right-to-carry laws and now they must admit they were wrong. But that will never happen. Instead, the articles related to a drop in crime rates will leave the readers wondering why they are blessed with a drop in assaults, murder and robbery, when the answer is its because the power of self defense has been returned to law-abiding individuals. It is the criminal who is now the one who might face the end of a barrel and a drop in crime is the result, even if some won’t admit it. Read More...
I Just Can't Stop Guzzling Gas
April/13/2011
Living in the northern region of the country means.... Read More...
Isn’t It Time to Delist the Wolf?
April/06/2011
How exactly did the wolf make the transition from mangy flea-bitten mauler of sweet young girls in red ..... Read More...
Stopping the Spread of Exotic Species - Is It Wishful Thinking?
April/06/2011
In my home state of Minnesota the governor has pledged funds to stop the spread of exotic species. No one wants.... Read More...
Kenny Chesney Designs Limited Edition Costa Sunglasses to Benefit Coastal Conservation Association
March/16/2011
Music superstar Kenny Chesney announced today he has partnered with Costa to design his first line of signature sunglasses. Proceeds generated from the sale of the Kenny Chesney Limited Edition Costas will benefit ocean.... Read More...
A Great Cat Article
January/05/2010
I kind of like cats. Not the outdoor type. The ones that live indoors that have been declawed and never get let out. I like the ones that hop up into your lap and purr when you rub them behind the ear. Their fur is soft and if they were about four times bigger they would make a great pillow. I hate the outdoor cats. The ones that my neighbors let outside to roam. The ones that leave dead animals on my driveway to show off their hunting prowess. I scream and moan, howl and wail, cry and gnash my teeth every time I see a cat slinking around my yard. So when Rob Drieslein, my co-host on Outdoor Talk Radio sent me a link to this article by Ted Williams I knew I should share it with you. The research he has done is rock solid and explains why cats should not be left to roam free outdoors. Read it and hopefully you will see my point.
http://www.flyrodreel.com/blogs/tedwilliams
http://www.flyrodreel.com/blogs/tedwilliams
The Images of Mark Harlow
October/12/2009
I met Mark Harlow in Green Bay, Wisconsin some years back. He was fishing the North American Walleye Anglers tournament circuit. My plane ride home got screwed up and I hitched a ride back to Minneapolis with Mark in his car. We talked about fishing, listened to some great tunes and discussed the life of a freelance writer and photographer. Back then Mark was a successful printing coordinator working with some top artists in the industry like Les Kouba. His eye for art has served him well since now he uses it while looking through a viewfinder as he photographs the beauty in the outdoors and sells it from his studio in Walker, MN and from his websites. I find Mark’s work to be some of the finest in the world which is why I’m so pleased he has allowed me to share it with you on my website. Check out the images I’ve posted here, and take some time to visit one of Mark’s websites to see what else he has to offer. If you are looking for a scene to illustrate a wall in your home or place of business you will find what you’re looking for in one of Harlow’s images.