Just Another Manic Monday...

...or somesuch happy crap. Once again, I survived a weekend in Vegas relatively unscathed. I forgot to gamble away my usual $20, but I did have a world-class lunch at Emeril's in the MGM Grand — seafood pan roast, including mahi steak, shrimp and oyster jambalaya in one of Emeril's amazing sauces. Of course, Tequila and I split a BBQ shrimp appetizer...my usual favorite of flash-fried calamari with a smoky tomato sauce wasn't on the menu this time. Maybe at the Emeril's in Orlando for SHOT...

First off, I'd like to thank best-selling author of PRAYERS FOR THE ASSASSIN author Robert Ferrigno for joining in the fray on yesterday's post and to extend an invitation for him to join me filming an episode of SHOOTING GALLERY in 2007 — this is, of course, assuming I still have a show...I'm not yet renewed for 2007...fingers crossed!

Mr. Ferringo, if nothing else, you'll have a good time...we'll be filming our usual weird. eclectic and politically incorrect collection of gun stuff, from revisiting the Knob Creek machinegun shoot, to more classes on carbines and advanced handgun training, to in-depth stuff at Blackwater, GUNSITE and assorted other training venues. I'm going to revisit one of my pet themes — the use and limitations of handguns in very close quarter encounters, too.

I also wanted to mention one of aspect of PRAYERS FOR THE ASSASSIN that I didn't get into in the last post...the religious aspect. I think Ferringo did an admirable job of portraying Islam, complete with its many internal contradictions, in a fair — and in many ways positive — light, especially in the character of Rakkim Epps, essentially a "lapsed" Muslim. As Martin Amis noted in his previously referenced brilliant essay on Islam, it is possible to respect, even love, the words of the Prophet while despising the excess of Islamofacism and/or the modern edifaces of conservative Islam (which often bears as much resemblence to the teaching of Mohammed as Big Box Christianity bears to the teachings of Jesus).

In his acknowledgments, Ferrigno mentions a quote from Simone de Beauvoir that I haven't thought about since college. When the famously athiestic philosopher was asked how it felt to have created a body of work that essentially negated the existance of God, she replied, "One can abolish water, but one can not abolish thirst." That quote, I think, resonates through the book, to the positive.

Most of you figured out a long time ago that I'm while I was raised fundamentalist Baptist, I'm pretty much non-religious, with a sprinkling of left-over paganism here and there. Thanks a a college squeeze minoring in religion, however, I was lucky enough to study under some of the original "Death of God" theologicians — where, believe me, the de Beauvoir quote loomed large — and to spend some time studying Islam and the Qur'an. When I eulogized my father earlier this year, I chose the words of the Prophet for his eulogy.

That is, probably, enough depth for Monday morning! I thought I'd end on another note pointing to the Apocalypse, this from our sad and pathetic brethren Across the Pond:

Sausages affected by draconian trade laws

A SPICY sausage known as the Welsh Dragon will have to be renamed after trading standards’ officers warned the manufacturers that they could face prosecution because it does not contain dragon.

The sausages will now have to be labelled Welsh Dragon Pork Sausages to avoid any confusion among customers,,.

Does the sausage still use ground up Welsh peoples in it?