JAB

  Yeah, I know but I'm all about trying different cooking methods.

  Just be sure to have some type of spicy mustard for dipping.  That really does set them off.

  Full on, honest-to-goodness, metal (?), Junior Dick Tracy, official-looking shield of a badge.  There are different styles but many of them don't even really proclaim HCP all that boldly.  More like 'Handgun Carry Permit' or some variation thereof in semi-small letters positioned around the 'seal' that is on the shield.

Woody, that is some seriously tasty looking grub.  Those tuna steaks are perfectly marked!  And pork tenderloin wrapped in sausage and then wrapped in bacon?  What are you, some kind of evil super-genius?   That pork encased pork tenderloin made me think of something else - something not usually cooked on a smoker, etc.  Have you ever had a Scotch egg?  Yum.   http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Scotch-Eggs/

The really 'funny' thing is that archaeological and geological evidence indicate that there was a time in Earth's past when there were NO polar ice caps.  This was likely before Australia broke away from Africa.  Before Australia separated, the theory goes, there were circum-global ocean currents which kept global temperatures much more 'even'.  In other words, warm water from the equator moved to the poles and kept the temps there warmer than they are, today.  Likewise, cooler water from the poles moved back to the equator and kept temps there cooler than they are, today.  When Australia broke away and drifted into something like its current location, the circum-global currents were interrupted.  However, the evidence indicates that while these circum-global currents were in effect:   * There were no polar ice caps   * Alaska probably had a climate that was more like modern-day Florida.  Denver, Colorado likely had a climate that was more like modern day Miami and Florida's climate was more like modern day Panama.   *The east coast of what is now North America lay somewhere along the modern day border of TN and North Carolina.  The modern day Carolinas were largely under water.  Much of modern day California was also under water.  Tennessee was likely a jungle.   This was several million years before the first hominid existed.  Kind of hard to blame it on humans when even our distant ancestors were yet to arise.   Another interesting fact is that there is absolutely no reason, whatsoever, to believe that the 'last' great ice age (the Wurm) ever actually 'ended'.  Instead, it is entirely possible that the whole of modern human history has taken place during a break or a warming spell DURING the Wurm ice age.  In fact, there is evidence to indicate that some lengthy warming trends that took place DURING the great ice ages saw average temperatures that were higher than average temperatures, today.  It could well be that we are finally seeing the true end of the last, great ice age.   What is the gist of all this?  Well, what I am saying is that it is entirely possible that the natural condition of the Earth - the condition that it was possibly in for a much longer period than not - is a much warmer, more humid environment.  In other words, far from being 'man made', the current warming trend could well indicate that the Earth's climate is attempting to right itself and get back to normal.   Part of the problem with the current hysteria is that proponents of 'man made global warming climate change' keep referring to 'the highest temperatures on record' and blah, blah, blah.  So what?  How long have truly reliable records been kept?  100 years?  Maybe 200?  Sure, that sounds like a long time to you and me but compared to geological time that's maybe half an eye blink, if that, and a pretty insignificant amount of time. 

  Because, by and large, the people pushing such BS regulations hate the fact that it is possible to obtain a permit to carry.  They'd love to do away with any type of carry rights/privileges.  They certainly aren't going to give added benefit to having a carry permit. 

I have heard great things about the Big Green Egg but like peejman they are priced a bit steep for me.  I have thought about building a 'poor man's' ceramic grill/cooker.  Alton Brown demonstrated how to do it on one episode of Good Eats.  The problem is, those big terra cotta pots aren't exactly 'cheap'.  Still a lot less expensive than a commercial ceramic cooker though, I guess.   I couldn't find the clips from the actual Good Eats episode.  Funny, I have found them on YouTube before.  Anyhow, this write-up:   http://www.naffziger.net/blog/2008/07/05/the-alton-brown-flower-pot-smoker/   and this YouTube video:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oGOZmWZ6r8   give the basic idea.   One thing that would tempt me to build one of those is that it is, basically, an electric smoker.  That would be something different to 'play' with, for me, and would allow for some pretty precise temp control.  It would also make using wood chips/chunks more of an option.  Of course, I guess that one could put some kind of fire bowl in the bottom of the pot and use charcoal instead of an electric power source.

I don't know - maybe some sales are slowing down and others aren't?  Or maybe it is just the places I look?   I was in my favorite LGS the other day.  Now, admittedly, my favorite LGS (Farnsworth's in Vonore) isn't a very large place and, by standards of larger stores, may not have all that high a volume of stock under normal conditions but they usually have a little of everything.  Most often, there are at least a couple of things that catch my interest.   Anyhow, the other day I was mostly interested in seeing what single action revolvers might be there.  Strangely, even though there are generally a few in the case, last week there was nary a one.  Not even a rimfire Heritage Rough Rider.  In fact, it seemed to me that there were fewer revolvers in the case, in general.  He had 'plenty' of semiautos, by my reckoning.  From what I have seen, ammo for revolvers isn't any more plentiful than anything else.  Also, revolvers - especially single actions - aren't a major target of recently proposed gun type bans or capacity limits yet revolvers seem to keep selling well.  I wonder if the ammo situation has pushed people further toward reloading and if maybe (like me) some folks are willing to reload for revolvers but don't want to fool with reloading for semiautos.

  Funny, I have looked at that same article, before, and dreamt.  I would LOVE to have a combo smoker pit and wood-fired oven.  Being able to do my own wood-fired bread and pizza would be super cool.

  At the risk of further hi-jack, according to the second article I linked above, Claiborne's parents said that he had been drinking but that they weren't sure what his blood alcohol level was.

Funny, I have been in that place once and, without even knowing that was the place you were talking about, my one visit there was the first thing that came to my mind when I read the OP.   When I went they had only just recently opened and the only person there was a guy who I assume was the owner.  I, too, at first thought he was a LEO - because of the badge - but then noticed it was an HCP badge.  He honestly seemed like a nice enough guy but I pretty much decided right then that I probably wouldn't be going back in there.  So far, I haven't.

  I'll go you one better.  My BIL has an over/under 10 gauge and I have pulled both triggers on 3.5 inch 'goose' loads.  Now THAT will get your attention.   Actually, I think it helped me.  I had a trapped nerve or something - had been experiencing pain/stiffness/soreness between my shoulders for a few days and one arm/hand would periodically go numb.  Touched off both those 10 gauge barrels at once, my shoulder blade popped and the numbness immediately started going out of my hand.  Within five minutes or so, all stiffness, soreness and numbness were gone.  Of course, by that point I was kind of wishing for a little of that numbness to stick around and move to the front of my shoulder.  It wasn't too bad, though - the worst part was that, under recoil, the back of the front trigger sliced the finger that was on the second trigger.  To be truthful, I have an old Stevens 94C single shot 20 gauge that, without a buttpad, hurts worse than that ten gauge.

  I keep going back and forth on wanting a coach gun because of the 'just two rounds' thing.  I already have an HD shotgun so it would be mostly just for fun but I could build a short barreled, pistol gripped pump shotgun that would be just as fun without spending as much money and the pump would hold more ammo in case I needed it for a 'serious' purpose.   I have one double (won't cut it down, etc. because it belonged to my grandfather) and, honestly, I think I can achieve a faster rate of fire with a single barrel as the singles eject spent shells while the doubles just extract.  The singles are lighter and kind of handier, too.   All that said, there are still few guns that look more badass, in my mind, than a short-barreled SXS double, especially one with exposed hammers.  Besides, how many things are you likely to encounter on a daily basis that would still be a threat after taking two rounds of 00 Buckshot?

  Me, too.  I wonder what is wrong with just a good, old, non-adjustable, non-collapsible, traditional style buttstock?  Why would the Kaliformunists object to that?   As gregintenn said, though, I don't think it looks any worse than any other AR.  Looks weird - and, when the reason for it is considered, kinda dumb - but not particularly 'ugly' by comparison.  Naw, you want ugly?  That tactical lever action Mossberg did (trying to put 'AR' type furniture on an otherwise nice lever action) - now that is ugly.

  If it is the case I am thinking of, the deputy was off duty, was not in uniform, was not acting in any official capacity, was trespassing (after he and his friends passed a locked gate - basically breaking and entering) and was standing on the porch at something like 11:30 pm with a six pack in his hand, and had just turned away after jiggling the doorknob and attempting to gain entry.  Apparently, the house/property were for sale.  The owner - who was disabled and who had already had 'several' break ins at the property - had already moved his primary residence to Florida but was spending that night in the house.  Seems the deputy and his friends didn't think anyone was there and were probably looking for a place to hang out and party.  His friends tried to explain his actions by saying that he was looking to buy the place (which, iirc, was priced outside what one would expect a deputy could afford) and had simply taken them there to show the place to them.  An attempt was made to explain the late hour away by saying he worked odd hours so it wouldn't really seem that 'late' to him.  I never heard how they attempted to explain away the fact that they passed a locked gate to get there.   Apparently, the sheriff tried to go after the homeowner hard and heavy but was shut down when the facts of the case led to charges not being filed.  To me, that was more a case of a guy who happened to be a deputy doing something stupid and illegal that got him killed and the sheriff subsequently acting like a thug than a case of a LEO being killed while in his role as LEO.   http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=12717293   And even after grand juries refused to indict, the parents still filed a 'wrongful death' suit.  They were carrying on about how the homeowner didn't say anything or 'call the authorities' before shooting Claiborne.  Well, guess what, if person A is ILLEGALLY on person B's property, has done something that qualifies as forced entry (such as passing a locked gate to get onto the property) and is standing on person B's porch jiggling the door handle then person A has no obligation to say anything or call anyone before acting in perceived self defense.  Gotta love how the article calls him a 'slain deputy' instead of 'a man who was illegally trespassing'.  Spin is everywhere, I guess.   http://www.newschannel5.com/story/13282530/parents-of-slain-deputy-sue-man-who-pulled-trigger

  Mine came with a small grate to put into the firebox.  The way it is positioned (a couple of inches above the bottom of the firebox) it does a pretty good job of keeping the wood 'up' so air can flow.    I get cheesecloth at Walmart, back in the arts/crafts and fabric section (or just the arts/crafts section in the stores that don't have fabric.)  It is packaged in plastic and usually hanging somewhere along a shelf.   I have also gotten cheesecloth at the grocery store (Food City.)  It never seems to be located in the same place twice at the grocery, though.   I like pecan, too, and that is mostly what was used to smoke the above pictured pork roast and ribs (along with just a piece or two of hickory and red oak.)  I really like using pecan when smoke/drying peppers (mesquite or pecan are, apparently, the traditional woods used for making chipotles, etc.)  Unlike many folks, however, I don't soak the wood I use in the smoker.  If I used smaller chunks I would probably need to do so but I think using larger pieces and controlling air flow must allow me to achieve the same thing - a slow smolder - without the need to soak.  Now, if I decide to put a smaller chunk of wood among the charcoals of my charcoal grill I will soak it, first.  I also soak wood chips to use in the 'smoke' box for my gas grill, when I use those.  Yeah, I have a gas grill (super el cheapo, like $30 model from Walmart), a gas grill and a smoker.  I guess I like options.  Honestly, for grilling, I usually prefer the flavor I get from a charcoal grill but for grilling in a hurry, especially when coming home after work, etc. nothing beats being able to turn on and light the gas grill and having it ready to put stuff on in just a minute or two later.   I actually have yet another grill that is pretty much permanently placed in my mom's yard (my mom is my next door neighbor so I still have access to it.)  My late father built that one for me.  I wanted something deep enough and tough enough that I could grill over real wood (as in wood-fired steaks, etc.) so he cut an old water tank in half (across the body, not lenghtwise) then used half of it to build a 'deep' grill.  He mounted it on a pipe and then 'planted' the pipe in the yard, sort of like the way the grills you see in public parks are mounted.  He died (cancer) back in 2002 and actually built the grill a few years before he died but that grill is still as solid as ever.  Using it always makes me smile.    I started out doing my smoking on an upright, 'barrel' type grill/smoker kind of like this one:   http://www.grillsdirect.com/barbecue-smokers/charcoal-smokers/brinkmannsmokencharcoalgrillsmoker.cfm     When using that one, smaller chunks were required and soaking them was a good idea.  That little fellah actually did a pretty good job.  It was just a lot more 'labor intensive' to keep the fire fed but not let it burn too hot.  It also didn't really allow for really long, low and slow smoking because of being a direct heat cooking method.  Still turned out some tasty food, though.

I followed the link and found the linked page in the Rossi catalog to be blank.  I then went straight to the Rossi website and all I could find under the 'Ranch Hand' guns were 2 versions of the .45 Colt (one with a 'case hardened' look and one without), neither of which listed .410 as additional ammo option, a .44 Mag version and a .357/.38 model.  I didn't see anything about any of them being able to chamber/fire .410 rounds.  I wonder if that could have been a misprint on Rossi's part which has since been removed.   I love lever action rifles but personally think that a Mare's Leg type rifle pistol would be about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.  I honestly don't even think they would be all that much fun.  My mom, on the other hand, is enamored with them.  She is also quite a fan of the Judge (another gun for which I have no use except in the Circuit Judge carbine version which I do think would be interesting) and has wanted one for quite some time but has been unwilling to pay the usual asking price.  I was thinking, "If I could show her a picture of a Mare's Leg in .45/.410 she'd probably fall apart over it."  Am I just not seeing the link or is it, indeed, gone?   Thinking more about it, I think I have heard of the .45/.410 version, before.  Wasn't it supposed to be called 'The Trail Judge'?  I entered 'Trail Judge' into the search box on the Rossi website and got no results nor can I find it browsing the site.  I wonder what happened to it.   ETA:   According to an article I found, Rossi has, indeed, said that the Trail Judge will not be made.   http://www.downrange.tv/blog/update-on-the-rossi-trail-judge/9064/

  Interesting.  I hadn't heard that - learn something new every day.  As low and slow as I usually smoke the internal temp of a thick piece of meat (beef brisket or whole pork shoulder/arm) will usually hover somewhere between 120 and 140 for a long, long time.  As in several hours.  By the time beef brisket gets to somewhere around 155 (about 'medium-well') or pork gets to 160 (yeah, I know the USDA recently lowered the 'safe' temperature but I like pork to be at least medium-well) I am generally ready to take it off the smoker altogether.  Of course, the temperature of the meat will often continue to rise for a little while even after it is removed from the smoker.  For more tender cuts of beef (I sometimes like smoking beef roasts to slice for sandwiches) I will generally stop somewhere around 130 to 135 so that the meat will be medium rare.

peejman, that sounds good.  I don't know that I ever would have though of stuffed bologna.  Hmmm...I wonder how it would work to shred up some good cheese (maybe smoked white cheddar) to mix with the 'stuffing' mixture.  Ooh - mix cheese, freshly chopped habaneros and garlic into the stuffing mix and then baste the bologna with a mustard-based sauce a few times during the last half hour or so of smoking.  Yum!

  Perhaps but I also do not believe that state law PROTECTS private individuals who are attempting to force entry into my home.  Tn state law says, basically, that there is an assumption of a fear of death or serious, bodily injury when deadly force is used against someone who has forcibly entered or is in the act of forcibly entering someone else's residence.  The only exception to that which I have seen specifically mentioned in the TN Code Annotated is for a law enforcement officer who is engaged in carrying out his or her official duties.  Apparently, under state law, bounty hunters are not law enforcement officers.  Therefore, when attempting to forcibly enter the home of any other than the bail jumper they are no more an 'exception' to the assumption of a threat of death or serious, bodily injury than any other, private citizen.  I can't see that they are any more 'protected' from the use of deadly force when attempting a home invasion than any Joe Scumbag who might be attempting to break in.

  The bacon weave sounds good - I imagine it would be pretty awesome on something like a turkey breast.   I have finally gotten to the point that I can pretty well control the heat in my smoker via knowing how much to close the vent on the firebox and on the 'exhaust pipe'.  In fact, generally speaking I can get my coal bed going, fill the firebox with wood, set my vents and go to bed for eight hours and the smoker will still be going when I get up.  I find that using larger (unsplit, when possible) pieces of wood will help the wood to smolder rather than burn hot.  I like using smaller pieces of wood to get the firebox temperature up and establish a good coal bed - which I do before putting the meat on - and then putting larger pieces of wood on top of the coal bed, allow them to begin smoldering and then put the meat on and close the vents most of the way.   My smoker isn't all that big.  It is just a Brinkmann from Walmart - about the size of this one, maybe with a slightly larger cooking area.  Mine doesn't have a built in thermometer, though, and is made just a little different (I've had mine a few years so it is an older model):   http://bbq-smokers-reviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Brinkmann_40in_Smoke-N_Pit_Pitmaster.jpg   You might want/need to use a baffle in your smoker if the temps are getting too hot.  To my knowledge, very few smokers come with a baffle but I think a lot of folks mod their smoker to add a baffle.  For some folks, this might be as complicated as a sheet of metal that angles down from the top to the bottom of the opening between their firebox and cooking area then runs the length of the cooking area with holes drilled in it to allow the smoke to pass through.  For me, adding a baffle to mine was as simple as propping an old iron skillet - one that was big enough to pretty well cover the hole - against the surface where the opening is inside the cooking area.  That allows the smoke through and allows the air to draw but helps block some of the heat.  You would be surprised how much even something as simple as my iron skillet 'mod' helps with allowing the smoke through while blocking some of the direct heat.   I first got the idea for using a baffle from reading posts on the following forum and they explain it better than I can:   http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/   I haven't really posted over there but have done some 'lurking' from time to time.  Those guys are serious about it!

So, where does it end?   "Well, we know that guy is guilty.  The police and prosecutors are experts in their field and they say he is guilty so let's just skip all this unnecessary courtroom nonsense and get on with the sentencing phase.  Bothering with courts and a trial would just slow things down."   Sound unreasonable?  Then what is the difference in letting a mental health 'expert' decide that a person is too crazy to own a gun?  Honestly, there isn't much difference.   Do I want more crazies shooting people?  No.  Do I want to be shot by some crazy who is awaiting his day in court?  No.  Do I want to live in a country where a basic, enumerated right can be taken away just because some dude has an office and a degree which supposedly make him 'qualified' to take that right away?  Hell no.  With freedom comes risk and I do not think that the 'risk' of actually following the legal method for suspension of firearm rights outweighs the potential, unjustified loss of freedom.  In other words, I would rather risk getting shot than live in a country where a "doctor" can simply make the decision to take rights away.

    Sounds good.  My method for brisket is different, though.  I usually inject with a blend of red wine vinegar, water and some spices.  I then do a dry rub on the outside.  Something that works well with any meat is to wrap it in cheesecloth before putting it on the smoker.  Keep the cheesecloth damp with your basting liquid (which, for me, is usually just vinegar and water but if I am doing a jerk type rub on pork I might introduce a little fruit juice into the mix.)  This allows the meat to be kept moist without washing off the rub.  Personally, I don't use any charcoal for smoking.  For me, charcoal is for grilling - whole wood is for smoking (I use an offset smoker that has a cooking chamber and a separate, attached firebox.)  As a bonus by-product of using whole wood, I often have what basically amounts to pieces of lump charcoal left among the ashes in my smoker box and those end up getting used when I fire up the charcoal grill.   I know that a lot of folks like to smoke for a certain amount of time then wrap the meat in aluminum foil and put it back on.  Generally speaking, I do not.  To me, if I am going to wrap in aluminum foil, meaning the smoke can't really get to the meat, then I had as well take it off the smoker and put it in the oven.  For my tastes, I really like the smoky taste so I like the smoke to be able to get to the meat for the entire time that it is on the smoker.  That is another reason I like the cheesecloth trick - it allows the smoke to get to the meat but, like the aluminum foil, keeps it from drying out.  On my offset smoker, I will usually smoke a large brisket for at least twelve hours, probably more (a whole pork shoulder generally takes sixteen hours, for me.)  Heck, the ribs pictured above spent fourteen hours on the smoker although I have done ribs in as little as eight hours and ten to twelve is the average, for me.  For some, however, that might be 'too smoky' (which, to me, is like saying I have too many guns.)  You are certainly correct about letting it rest, though.  I wait until the brisket is cool before removing the cheesecloth (which, after hours on the smoker, always makes me feel like an archaeologist unwrapping a mummy - a tasty, tasty mummy.)   There are probably as many different methods for smoking meat as there are people who enjoy doing it.  The important thing is that you and the people with whom you share enjoy it.  Honestly, to me that is the attraction and the reason if I am in a new place I will often stop at two or three barbecue joints in a row and just get a small sandwich at each - because I want to try all of them.  Some people do bar crawls.  I do barbecue crawls.

I have heard/read more about this story.  One thing to keep in mind, as I understand it, is that what he did was considered a felony then but the same crime would be a misdemeanor, now.  In other words, a person committing the same crime today would not lose their gun rights.   Something else that this article doesn't mention is that this fellow worked a job (I think for TVA) for years which required him to have security clearance.  After explaining the circumstances concerning his arrest/conviction he was allowed to get the security clearance and be employed in that job.   I think they are referencing handguns, specifically, because those are the guns he wants to collect.  On an interview with him on the television news, they showed that he already has several old west type gun belts and holsters but that the holsters are, of course, empty.  He wants to be able to buy old west type revolvers to fill those holsters.   Of course, there is still a way he could legally do so.  Simply buy black powder, cap and ball 'reproductions'.  Many folks in the Old West would have carried such revolvers both before and after the advent of cartridges.  Wild Bill Hickok is said to have refused to give up his Colt Navy pistols in favor of cartridge revolvers.  Many of the stereotypical aspects of old west gunfights were based in things Wild Bill did, anyhow (such as one of the only documented cases of a stand-up showdown in the street as well as shooting two targets at once with duel-wielded pistols.)  Unless I am mistaken, those are not considered 'firearms' under the law and are perfectly legal for even a felon to own and shoot.

  Quoted from the above linked PDF.  Personally, this pretty much decides the issue, for me: