HB2 Bids NC Adieu

After a heated debate HB2 is gone baby gone. All that remains is a signature from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and we can settle the matter for at least a short while. Ever since the HB2 was introduced to counteract an ill conceived Charlotte ordinance people have been up in arms to have it repealed. In December the deals fell through when neither side wanted to compromise. Today HB2 finally died with the passage of House Bill 142. The bill was a gutted bill so check the Ratified version on the NCGA website to see what actually passed. So what does this bill do exactly? It repeals HB2 and makes any new local ordinances void until at least December 30, 2020.

So the Religious are all up in arms because their children are not protected. These people are what some might call ignorant. HB2 offered no protection any more than a gun buster sign offers protection. HB2 was even worse, there was no repercussions stated in the legislation if someone did go against the statute. Basically trespassing was all someone could be charged with and in most cases they would simply be asked to leave. One who preyed on children would still be able to prey on small children and if they did then they would be subject to the criminal offense based on their actions, but not because of HB2. It was a sham only created to counteract the Charlotte ordinance which did not protect anyone from anything, it simply ensured ordinances like those in Charlotte ceased to have merit.

Now the LGBTQ (did I get all those abbreviations?) community is all up in arms because they find the legislation used to repeal HB2 to be discriminatory. I just cannot follow that logic. Read the legislation, it doesn’t discriminate, it simply allows only the General Assembly to set regulation access to restrooms, showers, and changing facilities. Of course the Supreme Court or any Court can dictate that and supposedly that was the thought process behind the December 2020 expiration date for one Section. I haven’t spent time listening to many LGBTQ statements, but one LGBT lawmaker (he left off the Q) was up in arms because the LGBTQ representatives were not included in the repeal discussions. How many freaking people does it take to write repeal legislation and handle out a deal? You say Roy Cooper is your Governor and you want him to speak on behalf of the LGBTQ community, then let him do his job and he WAS a big part of the repeal deal.

Here’s the dirty little secret which really isn’t much of a secret. The Governor and General Assembly bowed to the pressure of the NCAA to repeal HB2. They did not listen to the people, the news, various idiotic performer boycotts, or manufacturers who chose to build/relocate elsewhere. They caved to pressure from the NCAA and basketball. Yep, sports are what cause compromise and change and it should show the citizens of NC who is really in charge. It isn’t your religious group, your LGBTQ discrimination claims, or your common sense, it is sports, namely basketball. So to you zealots on the left and right you better watch out because the NCAA is coming down the lane.

At least we now all know where to go to take a piss and who owns NC!

House Bill 500 – About Time!

I have no idea if House Bill 500 which was introduced on March 28 will pass it the current form, but if it does we will all be better off. This revised ABC legislation does a host of things. I stole this synopsis from Facebook, but it sums it up well.

1) Makes crowlers legal for sale at retail
2) Allows breweries to sell wine and cider without food
3) Allows breweries to have off-site storage for beer
4) Allows QC sampling and other on-site sampling to be legal
5) Makes homebrew meetings & competitions legal
6) Authorizes farm breweries
7) Raises the self-distribution cap to 250,000 bbls wholesale (not produced)
8) Changes the wording of the franchise law to allow small breweries to more easily manage distribution agreements and partners
9) Clarifies and modernizes other parts of the law (mainly just makes things more straightforward and easy to understand without changing function)

Get behind this bill and contact your representative to support it so it doesn’t die.

Old Medley 12 Year Bourbon and Medley’s Private Stock 10 Year

As I was finishing up the bottle of Medley’s Private Stock 10 Year I realized I never mentioned Old Medley 12 Year on the blog. The 12 Year was around a $50 price point and quite tasty as I remember with a nice presence of brown sugar and leather. It had much in common with all the Bourbon’s in the Medley family and Wathen’s. Medley Private Stock was a bit more pricey approaching $60 and despite being 90 proof it was actually a bit on the hot side to me for drinking neat and so I enjoyed it with a cube. It didn’t take much to tame it and once a little ice melt happened the flavor blossomed. Neat it had an interesting cedar aromatic with quite a bit of pepper and spicy rye. Brown sugar and leather round out the flavor with a spice finish and hits of sweetness. This turns out to be a somewhat rare Bourbon. Private Stock was only released in 20 markets and only 1,000 cases were available so if you missed it when it hit and don’t run into a bottle it is more than likely flown the coop. Never fear, Medley always seems to released something on occasion and everything I have had from them and Frank-Lin have been quite tasty.

 

West Cork Irish Whiskey Bourbon Cask

As part of my Irish Whiskey excursion I got a bottle of West Cork Irish Whiskey Bourbon Cask when it when on sale at NCABC for $21.95. I must say it was much less sweet than 2 Gingers I mentioned recently on the blog. Neat this one was much more interesting, but still was not complex enough to keep my attention. The Bourbon mainly presented itself as oak rather than truly having Bourbon character. The flavor was lightly spicy with cinnamon and light pepper characteristics. It also had a fruit apple character and a touch of citrus. At 22 beans this one is one to try if you have not tried it before or if you are looking for an Irish Whiskey which is nice to have neat. I’m still looking for complexity, but at this price point you should definitely give this one a whirl and decide if it is up your alley or not your cup of tea.

Talo Ruger GP100 .44 Special

OMG do I hate Ruger! When Talo posted their GP100 in .44 Special which will be available soon I got a little weak in the knees. I guess I need to hate Talo as well!

Harris Bipod Swivel Pivot Lock

I recently found myself in the market for a bipod and settled on a Harris, not a knockoff, and opted for the 6″-9″ with a swivel. I must say finding information on the bipods was almost painful. I settled on the HBRMS which is spring loaded and has notches for 1″ increments. There is also the HBRS which is not spring loaded and does not have notches, but is the exact same price. There are options without the swivel and with longer legs, but for my purposes a 6″-9″ will work just fine.

Anyway, the Harris HBRMS comes with a knurled knob which is very difficult to grasp. For that reason there are many aftermarket pivot lock handles. After dropping the coin on the bipod, I really did not want to spend much on a pivot lock handle. After reading some Amazon reviews I settled on the Caldwell which at the time was $9.99. It is made for their Harris knockoff, but also comes with an SAE adapter which fits the Harris. Putting it on was a cinch. You remove the nut on the Harris with a 1/4″ socket or nut driver and after removing the knob, thread on the SAE adapter. Then put on the handle and using an allen wrench, 2.5mm IIRC, tighten down the screw for the handle. After that you are ready to roll. It took longer to find the tools in the toolbox than to change out the knob for the handle. I especially like that I can lift the handle if I need to reposition it to make it tighter or looser.

Anyway, if you need a handle for a Harris bipod with a swivel I recommend the Caldwell. The price is right and it only takes a few minutes to install!

Walther CCP Recall

Walther has announced a recall for the CCP pistol. Apparently if dropped it could discharge. If you have a CCP pistol, please unload the firearm and discontinue using it until it is repaired. Visit the Walther website for more information!

 

2 Gingers Irish Whiskey

When it went on sale at NCABC for $16.95, I picked up a fifth of 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey to give it a whirl. I’ve been trying to expand my horizons and to give time to other spirits besides Bourbon and Scotch. Most proclaim Irish Whiskey to finish sweeter than Bourbon and Scotch and thus far I have found that to be true. 2 Gingers is just a tad sweeter than some blended Scotch, but not cloying. I drank it neat and found it tasty neat, but not overly complex and borderline boring. It had honey, citrus, and a light spice attribute. I’m sure it was crafted for mixing and it would be just fine for that purpose. It was a good choice to accompany food and I had several meals and snacks with a glass nearby. I probably would not stock the bar with 2 Gingers, but if you were running out to a party and wanted an Irish Whiskey which would not assault your palate and would pair well with whatever your host brought out it would be an excellent choice. Couple that to a low price and I can see it becoming the life of the party. On the other hand, if you want to sit on the couch and contemplate life I might seek out something with more character because we all philosophize best with a complex beverage in our hand. 😉

Keanu Reeves Training For John Wick Vs BuzzFeed

Some time back there was a video of Keanu Reeves training 3 Gun for John Wick 2 which went viral. It wasn’t this one, but this one demonstrates his abilities.

Recently BuzzFeed went to Taran Tactical to train like Keanu. While they did not quite beat his time, with more training they probably could have matched it.

BJCP Exam Policy

There was some recent discussion on the BJCP Forum about Exam Admins saving seats for homebrew club members which led to discussion on the BJCP Facebook Group about requiring examinees to pretest to have a seat in the exam. Well the BJCP has a clear policy on the matter. It states:

6. Sponsors may not require examinees to take a training course, or to belong to a specific homebrew club or organization. Any qualified person is permitted to take a registered exam.

That apparently was not clear enough for some so the Exam Directorate clarified the policy on Facebook.

Exam Administrators are not to reserve seats for clubs or study sessions as BJCP exams are to be open to anyone qualified. Basically there is not to be any restrictions beyond the BJCP requirements to reserve a seat. This includes being a member of a club, attending a study session or any pre-testing for qualification (other than BJCP entrance exam). If anyone becomes aware of one of these situations, please contact your Regional Rep, the Assistant Rep or Exam Director.

Reserving of seats should be on first come first serve. We understand opening reservations at time of exam registration can lead to a long wait list with people who are flooding lists looking for exams. This leads to a very high drop out rate as these people find other exams. It is acceptable to set a date which reservations will start being accepted, 1-3 months is generally enough lead time. As an exam admin you just need to provide that same info to everyone in order to maintain an open, and fair, opportunity to everyone. If someone contacts you prior to the reservation period, just inform them of the date you will start taking reservations so they can follow back up with you at that time.

So there you have it. There should be no confusion regarding the exam policy.