Congratulations and welcome! It's a beautiful thing to welcome another citizen to the ranks.

Shooting is fun.

FN FAL and M1911A1.

I also have an AK-47 receiver that I need to actually make into a weapon some day.

I don't have much to add to this conversation--I won't until I see the context of that clip--I have to say that I'm enjoying this celebration of basketball brilliance.

Can I get an amen?

You would be forgiven for thinking that my addiction started with the free heroine and the needle exchange program, but you would be wrong. It was really tied to me giving up another bad habit (my own blogging) and needing another to take its place.

I'm still in the midst of deciding just how addicted I am, but I do know that Ricochet is one of the most interesting conservative communities going. I have truly enjoyed many of the posts here and I enjoy many of the personalities.

Often I find myself wishing we all lived within drinking distance of each other. These conversations would be more interesting, more immediate, and more pleasant with beer, coffee, or even a round of shots and some good background music.

Never heard of the Blue Devils? You just made me cry a little on the inside.

I would have thought that Denver would have performed a little better in this little test. Terribly disappointed.

Maybe it's time for another Rocky Mountain Blogger Bash...

I'm almost there with you. Almost. I've voted GOP even when I can't get excited about the candidate and very rarely strayed except to vote for local libertarians on occasion. Huck, though, is just a little too far for me.

The reason I would be willing to walk away from this, though, probably revolves around some (possibly misplaced) faith that the GOP will make more gains in House and Senate in the next election. If I can't have the government that I want, then at least a divided government makes the worst of the damage less likely (ObamaCare wouldn't have passed, for instance).

Tell you this: if Huckabee is the nominee, then I'm staying home. 

I won't support Palin or Jeb as the nominee, but I would vote for them in the election if that's the way my fellow Republicans feel at the end of the day. I won't vote for Huckabee, though.

Made the drive from Vegas to Santa Fe to Denver just last week. It's actually a really pretty drive, although I ran across far more stray dogs on the highway than I've ever seen before. That disturbed me. My family has deep roots in Colorado and I still live in Denver, so I've been up that mountain quite a few times. The last time we went up it was taking my father-in-law up the cog railroad, which is a treat. I haven't hiked it in many years. Anyway, next time you're in these parts with a little time to kill, drop me a line and I'll make sure you get pointed in the right direction.

Great guy. Great story. I still won't watch American Idol.

That sounds a lot like my thinking--and I did live most of my life as a strong advocate for capital punishment. For that matter, when a guy like Nidal Malik Hasan comes along, I can find myself having a hard time holding my position...

Well, that's obviously not correct. I'm a small government advocate, reasonably conservative in nature, and entirely opposed to the death penalty.

I was going to stay out of this since I am just taking a quick break from the work that is piling up, and that keeps me from answering at length, but I certainly believe that there are good arguments against the death penalty. I would be surprised if I were the only one here that feels that way.

The audience was atrocious, but the President was at his best--it was a very moving speech and it was a wonderful tribute to the fallen.

I am happy to hear that your Aunt would have approved.

What irritates me most about this is that, having claimed the moral high ground, the Sheriff will gather all the positive soundbites, incorporate them into his self-serving world view, and never once feel the need to apologize or backtrack. Even if the evidence shows conclusively that the shooter was not a Tea Party fan (that he was either schizophrenic or actually a far left looney) the Sheriff will believe that he has spoken a Greater Truth, that his words were bravely spoken, and that his assumptions being wrong have nothing to do with him being wrong.

Since I very seriously doubt that he will hold himself accountable for his own words, I find myself hoping that the voters will do the job for him.

George, I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in my prayers.