Be safe ...

.
... I don't want to hear any bad news about you guys!

Happy New Year!

pm

I'll go out on a limb ...

.
... and advocate a bit of not-so-civil disobedience:

A tourist from Tennessee waltzed into one of the most secure sites in the city — and politely asked a cop if she could check her weapon.

Instead, she was dragged out in cuffs.

Now, Meredith Graves, 39, is facing at least three years in prison for thinking New York’s gun laws are anything like those in the Bible Belt.

I would suggest that Mrs Graves lawyer up hard, and give serious consideration to telling the NY courts to go fuck themselves. I'd also suggest that Tennessee gun owners start putting major pressure on TN's attorney general to tell NY courts the same thing, and to refuse extradition. It's time a state started standing up for its' citizens.

The only problem with that is that, being a registered nurse, Graves will have problems with a conviction, and it shouldn't be so.

Truth ...

.
... Living in Babylon haz it:

Q: "Why do you NEED high capacity magazines?"
A: "Because sometimes you have to kill a whole bunch of motherfuckers."

It goes downhill from there!

But then again, why should we lie about why we "need" anything? The only reason I own a battle rifle is the kill motherfuckers before they get within 300 yds ...

pm

JPFO alert

Aaron Zelman and the NRA.

I need to ...

.
... try to keep up with internet memes:

You just got told bitch … welcome to the real internet check kotaku in 2 weeks when they are reviewing free PS3 Avengers we send them as well as G4 and all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way you think you speak for billions son your just a kid you speak for yourself no one cares what you think that’s why were growing and moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month.

That was Ocean Marketing CEO Paul Christoforo as he was on his way to internet meme-dom.

This is the kind of stuff I'd expect to hear from a 20-something, not a 38 yr old "PR" exec. h/t Ace's sidebar.

pm

Radley proposes ...

.
... a new rule:

I propose a rule for cases like these: Any time a police officer inappropriately turns off his dash cam, turns off his uniform microphone, or illegally confiscates other audio or video of an incident which then ends up missing or destroyed, the courts will begin considering any disputed facts about the incident with a presumption that the citizen’s account is the correct one.

I'd go him one (or two) better: a citizens' account should be assumed to be true until that version is proven to be untrue.

And any LEO who disables any audio or video recording device that would prove (or disprove) his side of the story goes directly to jail ... period.

pm

Nomenclature ...

.
... I think we need to see to it.

Robb Allen has a post up about a not-really-consequential incident among family this Christmas, where otherwise sympathetic family members latched on to a media-driven narrative - namely the evil semi-automatic pistol.

I replied that, even though semi-auto is correct to us, it's just a small step below full-auto to those who aren't familiar with firearms. And it made me think ...

In my writing, I don't like using the the term 'gun', mostly because of the gutteral 'g' sound that it begins with. I prefer to use the term firearm, rifle and handgun (handgun isn't as bad as 'gun'). Think about how easy it is to marginalize the word 'gun' ... 'Are you compensating with your guuuunnn?' 'Oh look, he's got a guuunnn.' 'He's gonna play with his big bad guuunnn!'
guuunnn
This is much like my wife mocking me when she plaintively states 'But I have riiiggghhhttsss!'.

Compare that to 'firearm'. Firearm is much harder to trivialize, IMHO, along with 'rifle' and 'handgun'. This thinking applies to the method of operation, such as self-loading vs semi-automatic and military-pattern semi-automatic vs 'assault weapon'.

I also think that it's going to be a hard thing to get folks to change.

Listen to how police officers describe their actions on the witness stand: 'I confronted the suspect and issued a lawful order to drop his weapon while presenting my department-issued Taser. After utilizing my department-issued Taser and it having no effect, I transitioned to my primary service weapon to engage the suspect.'guuunnn

Almost clinical, that. And I have a hard time talking to my primary LE source because that's how he talks!

Anyhow, I was thinking, and thought I'd commit it to paper. Discuss.

pm

Another warrior ...

.
... is at peace:

I’m saddened to learn this morning that Siobhan Reynolds died over the weekend in a plane crash.

I met Reynolds several years ago when I attended a forum on Capitol Hill on the under-treatment of pain. Her story about her husband’s chronic pain was so heartbreaking it moved me to take an interest in the issue. I eventually commissioned and edited a paper on the DEA and pain treatment while I was working for Cato.

Reynolds was fierce and tireless. She ran her advocacy group the Pain Relief Network on a thin budget, and often used her own money to travel to towns and cities where she felt prosecutors were unfairly targeting a doctor. And then she’d fight back. And sometimes she’d win. And the DEA and the federal prosecutors she fought weren’t really accustomed to that.

She tried to get the government out of the doctor-patient relationship as it regards pain management, and they fought her tooth and nail.

Bastards. May peace be upon you, Siobhan.

pm

Craftsmanship

.


This is all the more impressive to me now that I'm mostly incapable of this kind of work.

pm

My newest ...

.
... email signature:

...the freedom to own and carry the weapon of your choice is a natural, fundamental, and inalienable human, individual, civil, and Constitutional right -- subject neither to the democratic process nor to arguments grounded in social utility.

h/t Bruce (RTWT)

Police are brave ...

.
... only when they're toeing the line:

Not surprisingly, men that exhibited no trepidation at pulling over carloads of armed men proved reticent to speak candidly in offering in-house dissent.

Reticent because if you speak ill of a core mission, you don't have a career-you have a job.

pm

JPFO alert

Rev Kenn Blanchard (through the JPFO site) wishes gunny's a Merry Christmas.

A Christmas message

.
I sincerely hope the morning is full of joy and hope for you and yours today!

As I look back over the last year, I am thankful for many things ... the least of which is this blog (even though the blog has gotten more traffic since Labor Day, and for that I thank the reader). I still have relative good health, I have a beautiful and loving wife, and two beautiful children. I live in a country that is still far and away a better place than any other I can think of (save Heaven).

So this holiday season, I want to leave you with the story of the birth of Jesus, from the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 2

¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,^[a] who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold,^[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”<sup>[c]

15</sup> So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

God bless you all ... pm

Holy shit!

.
I dropped out of school way too early!



I had no idea ... h/t ONT at Ace's.

pm

More common sense ...

.
... about how to handle dogs:

Police officers in Gulfport are learning what to do when they encounter aggressive or dangerous dogs. An expert instructor from Texas spent the day Monday teaching officers how to avoid using deadly force when dealing with such animals.

Found this in a Google search when the link at Radley's sent me to a sign-in page. In that incident, the dog was in a house, chained but was shot anyway, and in front of a three-year-old child. Of course, the animal was not killed outright so the owners were left to euthanize their pet.

pm

More common sense, Pt Deux ...

.
I almost couldn't contain myself:

As a producer of raw milk, though, Hochstetler — operator of Forest Grove Dairy south of Middlebury — finds himself at the center of controversy. He’s faced repeated inspections by federal regulators, apparently, and his situation prompted Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers to intervene, advising the feds to watch their step or face arrest by his department. [emphasis added]

Yee haw! It's about damned time a sheriff told the feds to pound sand!

Note also that Sheriff Rogers plainly told the feds to stay away unless they had a warrant, signed by a judge and clearly showing probable cause or be arrested.

Damn ... I mean, damn!

pm

damn it, damn it, damn it ...

.
... it seems so, but I know the world is not coming to it's senses:

IF you are ever on a jury in a marijuana case, I recommend that you vote “not guilty” — even if you think the defendant actually smoked pot, or sold it to another consenting adult. As a juror, you have this power under the Bill of Rights; if you exercise it, you become part of a proud tradition of American jurors who helped make our laws fairer.

So says a former prosecutor about jury nullification. h/t Radley

I think I need to lie down ...

pm

I may get in a LOT of trouble.

.
I support Ron Paul, and I don't care if he's a racist, anti-semitic isolationist.

It really doesn't matter to me.

Because in the time I've actively followed Ron Paul, I've never heard him say that blacks should ride in the back of the bus, or that the US should wipe Israel off the map, or that we should never trade with any other country again.

What I have heard him say is that the US has to stop spending money it doesn't have, and will never get save to print it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you solve the spending problem, the rest takes care of itself.

pm

Hee hee hee ...

.
... moose hunting!

Of course ...

.
the charges against a former Only One were dropped:

Kari Abbey was accused of shooting a[sic] killing Rita Elias in September 2010. Initial reports said the two got into a fight about rent payments. Witnesses said Elias had a BB gun, which caused Abbey to open fire with a real gun.

The shooting was initially ruled as self defense, but a few weeks later other witnesses said Abbey was attacking Elias.

Of course, the charges of marijuana growing, counterfeiting and child endangerment are still pending.

So much fail, so little time to repair ...

pm

The Hobbit

.
It haz a trailer:



Coming in December 2012. I'm afraid my daughter won't be quite up to reading it before then ...

pm

JPFO alert

JPFO remembers Aaron Zelman.

It was a year ago today that Aaron left the struggle much too soon. Hope to see in better times.

I missed this ... L Neil Smith eulogizes.

pm

Is it any wonder ...

.
... some see there's no point in voting?

Conservatives and Republican elites in the state are divided over who to support for the GOP nomination, but they almost uniformly express concern over the prospect that Ron Paul and his army of activist supporters may capture the state's 2012 nominating contest – an outcome many fear would do irreparable harm to the future role of the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Because there's one thing we can't let happen is the people nominating who they want to run, is there?

pm

JPFO alert

A Chanukah greeting from Rabbi Bendory.

So, who is ...

.
... the gun lobby?

I am the gun lobby, and my power does not derive from my personal wealth nor financial support from the industry that serves me. My power comes from the fact that I am one of many who understand that individuals have the right and the obligation to protect themselves from criminal assault, and that no one – not the government, not the media, nor anyone else, has the right to decide what, when, where or how I responsibly exercise that right and obligation.

Uh oh, sounds like Jeff Knox is one of those carrying-a-Draco-around-a-state-park-while-dressed-in-camo-scaring-the-white-people types.

Sounds like he's my kind of guy ...

pm

The time ...

.
... she gets closer:

... here’s a ruling from the D.C. Court of Appeals demonstrating just how powerless citizens are when accosted by police officers—even when the cops themselves are clearly in the wrong. What’s most troubling about the ruling is its mundanity. The law is established here. There’s really nothing to debate. It’s just a matter of the government rattling off the appropriate precedents.

You really need to read the whole post.

John Bad Elk was exonerated by the Supreme Court for killing a reservation officer who tried to arrest him for no reason. How far we've sunk ...

pm

Now this ...;

.
... is funny!

Does the 2A secure rights and are they for everyone?

.

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. H. L. Mencken

First, let me say that Leonard Embody isn't likely to be the poster child for the second amendment. He's been pushing the envelope in his area for a while now, with no help from supposed 2A advocates and few (if any) positive results.

Now, the Second Amendment Foundation and none other than Alan Gura has filed an amicus brief in support of his civil suit being dismissed (in hopes of avoiding bad precedent being set). I can understand Gura filing such a brief to protect his carefully-crafted strategy for expanding firearms rights; what I can't abide is that those who file suit to have their rights recognized being raked over the coals when their suit doesn't fit the un-published "master plan".

There is, predictably, much discussion.

In the incident that precipitated the suit, Embody donned camouflage clothing, slung his Draco AK-47-based pistol across his chest and went for a walk at Radnor Lake State Park (on a Sunday afternoon, no less). Embody had painted the muzzle of this pistol orange, which many in the 2A community call an attempt to disguise the pistol as a toy. He was stopped by a park ranger, interviewed and released (audio here). As Embody continued his walk, the ranger called his supervisor and the metro police for back-up. When the other ranger arrived, Embody was stopped at gunpoint, disarmed, handcuffed and placed in a police cruiser. He was detained for around 3 hours before being released.

The more well-heeled firearms owners would say that Embody was looking for trouble, and found it. I would refer those individuals to read the quote at the beginning of this post ... grok if you can.

Nothing that Embody did that day was illegal. He was a carry permit holder (it has since been revoked); the law was earlier changed to allow the carrying of a handgun in state parks. There is no law prescribing how one should dress while exercising 2A rights, nor are there any laws or regulations dictating what color your muzzle should or should not be painted. There is no reason to be detained for 3 hours, and certainly not at gunpoint (especially since he had been interviewed just minutes earlier by a park ranger).

Note that supposed 2A supporters are judging Embody based on his painting the muzzle orange (a move alleged to be to disguise the weapon as a toy); I don't see anyone questioning the wisdom of the state requiring that toy weapons have their muzzles painted orange, especially since I know of no prudent LEO's who, when seeing an orange muzzle, will assume a "toy". Why did he paint the muzzle orange? Who knows; perhaps he painted it for safety reasons ...

Note also that supposed 2A supporters are judging Embody on his "inappropriate" choice of attire (because camo is scary). Again, I'll point out that there are no laws dictating that a legally-armed citizen dress a certain way, nor should there be.

Embody is also being judged on his choice of firearm, a Draco pistol (which is based on the AK-47). I'll admit that I don't see the point in carrying a rifle-caliber pistol, but to each his or her own. My own personal philosophy is that it doesn't matter what caliber you carry, as long as you carry ... a .25ACP in the hand is worth 2-10mm Glocks in the safe. Besides, the law states that one may carry a handgun in a state park ... the Draco is classified as a handgun.

Finally, Embody sued the ranger who drew his gun and put Embody on the ground. Embody is claiming a violation of his 4th amendment rights, not his 2A. I tend to agree. It is my opinion that the officers may stop an individual to check compliance with laws, but as soon as they find that the individual is in compliance, he should be released, and I can't see that taking 3 hours. If it does take that long, then LE should explain why it took so long, in court.

What this comes down to is that Embody is scaring the white people, and we can't have that. Nobody will acknowledge that it is impossible not to scare a hoplophobe with a firearm; it simply can't be done. And it's very disheartening that some 2A supporters don't realize that you can't make them happy.

pm

JPFO alert

Greeks bearing gifts.

But I thought ...

.
... drug dealers were dangerous!

The sheriff will pay people up to $100 to tell him who is dealing drugs and then possibly help with undercover work.

"If you know someone that sells drugs and you feel like you can put a stop to it by wearing a wire, at least come in. It doesn't cost you anything to come in and talk to us and we'll explain the process to you," said Sheriff Price.

The whole article looks at the fiction that (apparently) is the common drug dealer. If drug dealers are safe enough for civilians to fight, then why are police using military tactics to fight them, hmmm? h/t Radley

pm

Presented ...

.
... for general information purposes.

Yep ...

.
... we're pretty normal ... mostly:

Gooden mounted deer and other animal heads on the walls and began teaching classes every other Sunday for gun owners to get their concealed-carry permits. Business has increased dramatically since then and the shop in Okolona Center has never been robbed, he said.“Business was kind of beat down when I bought it,” Gooden said. “I’ve tried to make it back into an old-fashioned men’s barber shop.

Old-fashioned indeed!

pm

Notice ...

.
... that we're not hearing that much about this:

The man who killed a police officer and took his own life on the Virginia Tech campus last week used a handgun he had purchased legally, but it is still unclear what set him off, police said Tuesday.

“We’re still working toward establishing and identifying a motive,” said Corinne Geller, a spokeswman for the Virginia State Police.

Ross T. Ashley, 22, bought the .40-caliber, semi-automatic handgun in January at a licensed Virginia dealer, police said. They declined to name the outlet.

Also interesting that police aren't naming the FFL, since it sounds like the guy had no red flags; he just went nuts.

pm

Why do the police routinely use a SWAT team ...

.
... when there are better ways?

The homeowners, Deborah and Anthony Toloczko, were arrested at Logan Airport Thursday after vacationing in Las Vegas.

Police say the search on Monday could have been more dangerous if the couple was home considering police were met by a dog and found 33 firearms, several improvised explosive devices and at least a gallon of ammonium nitrate.

Kinda boggles the mind, don't it?

pm

This ...

.
... is getting attention:



EC thinks it's the "sweater full of mischief" that's doing the work!

pm

JPFO alert

Jewish groups ban concealed weapons.

Since I am obviously deficient ...

.
... I'll just let you know what the state of GA is considering.

State Rep Jason Spencer has pre-filed the "Constitutional Carry" Act of 2012 (HB 679). The bill will eliminate the requirement for law abiding citizens to obtain a GA Weapons Carry Permit to carry either openly or concealed.

HB 679 would eliminate:

• the need for a background check
• fees
• fingerprint requirements
• trips to the county offices
• and long waits for a permit

All while keeping the permit system in place for reciprocity reasons.

This is a natural progression of firearms rights, putting the nexus of crime onto the act, not the possession of a tool. Let's hope that it goes well. Read more at georgiagunowners.com.

pm

Yes ...

.
... we are winning:

Natanel is a Buddhist, a self-avowed "spiritual person," a 53-year-old divorcee who lives alone in a liberal-leaning suburb near Boston. She is 5-foot-1 (155 centimeters) and has blonde hair, dark eyes, a ready smile and a soothing voice, with a hint of Boston brogue. She's a Tai Chi instructor who in classes invokes the benefits of meditation. And at least twice a month, she takes her German-made Walther PK380 to a shooting range and blazes away.

The mainstreaming of firearms ... if I could only get my wife on board!

pm

Don't have much today ...

.
... so I'll bore you with more strawman argument against Ron Paul:

an absolutist, doctrinaire policy of pacifism

Ron Paul's policy on the use of force (as is that of most libertarians) is based on non-aggression (don't start none, won't be none). While I agree that he could be more specific when he talks about "blowback", I agree that we have no business in Afghanastan or Iraq (except to deliver tactical nukes!).

Non-aggression ≠ pacifism (unless you're a neo-con). In my life, I try to be as non-aggressive as I can be, but (as I suspect Paul would) if you come around trying to start some, I'll do my damnedest to end it, and in my favor.

That's what Ron Paul want's to get back to - getting explicit congressional authority for military action. Novel concept, no?

Now, I agree that Ron Paul needs to explain what he would have done about the 9/11 attacks (beyond just saying we shouldn't be in the middle east) that's better than what Bush did and why.

pm

It may be dreary ...

.
... but I'm gonna beat this drum some more:

In an exclusive Newsmax interview, Congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul confirmed his support for Israel, but cautioned that while the United States should be a “friend” of the Jewish state, America should not be the “master” of Israel.

The MBM tends to mis-represent Ron Paul's position on Israel, especially with regards to foreign aid.

Israel has plenty of money (and with the new discoveries of fossil fuels, stand to get a lot more); it doesn't make sense to give Israel foreign aid, and then give her sworn enemies aid as well. Trust me ... Israel can take care of herself.

pm

I don't know where he finds this stuff ...

.
... but I'm glad he finds it:

What "unelectable" actually means is "insufficiently popular with the mainstream media". Or more precisely, "insufficiently subservient to the banking industry".

He's speaking of a Twitter campaign discussion and that Ron Paul has the highest number of favorable comments, and the lowest number of unfavorable comments. I agree with his assertion that the media defines "electability" and the Right foolishly goes along. Stupid Party indeed ...

pm

Vox points out ...

.
... yet more truth:

This is why I have absolutely no sympathy for Americans whatsoever, especially not Republicans who claim to be so distraught over what "the Democrats" are supposedly doing to the country. They are revealing themselves to be EVERY BIT as stupid and clueless as the "Hope and Change" Obama Democrats. They are an integral part of the problem, not the potential solution they imagine themselves to be.

They don't call the GOP the Stupid Party for nothing ...

pm

JPFO alert

.
Open letter to the Arizona Republic newspaper.

Plus, they've got new T-shirts!

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... to win stuff.

pm

Be careful ... (graphic)

.
... all the time.

I saw this on my motorcycle group (you gotta be a member to see the post, sorry). the gist is, dude bought a new bow and the clerk was helping him sight it in. Add a too-short arrow, and you get this:




Be safe out there.

Unelectable!

.
Ron Paul ties Obama in hypothetical general election; other GOP candidates lose. h/t Radley

pm

Call to action!

Go read Dave's newest Gun Rights Examiner and follow through.

Do it for the children.

pm

I guess your home ...

.
... really isn't your castle:

The attorney for an Ann Arbor pediatrician accused of watching a young girl change her clothes says the case against the 65-year-old doctor isn't simple.

The charges against Dr. Howard Weinblatt say he was in his own house and was just looking out of his window at the time of the alleged incidents, Weinblatt's attorney Larry Margolis said Wednesday.

So now you can be charged for being able to see something from your own home ... got it! No wonder I want to get away from people; it's too dangerous.

Some of the commenters are making the case that libertarians need to "take over" the prosecutors across the country. I disagree. What needs to happen is for someone to visit the DA and apply an impact weapon to his knee (a la Nancy Kerrigan) every time he does something stupid like this.

pm

Puppycide strikes ...

.
... again:

... the deputy told him he was investigating a burglary in the next-door-neighbors backyard when their dog attacked him.

"He stated that he was left with no other option than to shoot the dog once the dog had locked onto his foot and to his hand. He also stated he tried to get away that he tried to jump over the fence and the dog didn't let go even after being shot once," Moutran said.

Moutran says the deputy told him that he had no other choice.

"The dog became more vicious and chased him as he tried to jump over the fence bit him again would not let go of his foot and at that time he had no other option but to shoot him two more times," Moutran said.

Moutran is a retired LEO, so we know where his allegiances lie.

So here we have a deputy sheriff investigating a burglary (alleged or fact?), and in the process behaves as a burglar would by entering the dog owners' property (in much the same manner as a burglar would) and is shocked, SHOCKED that a pit bull thinks he's a burglar and acts just as one would expect a pit bull to act when faced with an armed burglar (because we can't expect a dog to know the difference between a bad guy and a good guy acting like a bad guy). And God forbid one might expect a pit bull to become "more vicious and chase" somebody as they try to jump back over a fence (like a burglar who's been caught might do) after the dog has been shot once already.

And Moutran notes that the dog has never gotten out of the fenced property nor caused any problems. Seems like the deputy played a stupid game and won a stupid prize; but the dog paid the price.

Thankfully, there's hope on the horizon:

On Monday November 14, 2011, deputies responded to a call of a dog running loose in the area of 1832 Royal Oak Place East in Dunedin . The dog was reportedly emaciated, did not have a collar or tag and would not allow deputies to approach.

Corporal Paul Rogers arrived on scene and was able to use his agency issued catch pole to restrain the animal.Custody of the dog was turned over to Pinellas County Animal Control Services.

Corporal Rogers is among the first deputies to complete the Sheriff’s Office first ‘Animal EncountersTraining’ for law enforcement. The first class was held on Thursday, November 10, 2011.

Wow ... 4 days after attending a class on how to restrain animals without shooting them full of holes, a deputy restrains a dog without shooting it full of holes! (h/t Radley)

It's almost like you fight the way you train. Might I suggest you call the Pinellas Co Sheriff's office to commend Sheriff Gualtieri @ (727) 582-6200?

pm

LSU vs Bama!

.
The SEC now wins 6 national championships in a row, by default. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are now, most likely, the saddest pandas around. My advice? Find you a big drum, write the word "Playoff" on it and beat it ... hard!

pm

JPFO alert

The anti-gun mind exposed.

One day ...

.
... Republicans will realize the truth in this:

Most people say, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." I say, "Where there's smoke around a conservative, there are journalists furiously rubbing two sticks together."

I don't know whether Herman Cain is guilty of anything involving these women, I only know that I don't support him as a candidate because of his history and his platform. Like cops, the fact that he wants the position is enough to disqualify him.

But the MBM will never be a conservatives' friend ... never. The sooner the GOP realizes this the better.

pm

Vox points out ...

.
... that some bankers already have a Plan B:

Since they were unable to get all 50 attorneys general to sign on to the ex post facto legal whitewashing of their massive title fraud, it appears that some bankers may have decided to take more direct action to cover their tracks:

The notary who signed thousands of forged mortgage documents found dead ... here's my shocked face.

Consider this: there are always reports of this guy or that gal being arrested for hiring a hitman, and the amounts of money involved are trivial. So who here has any doubt that someone of real means won't decide to pay real sums to someone who really knows what they're doing to off some of the more minor players when there's real money at stake?

pm