Happy New Year!

.
Be safe, and be ready for the coming year!

pm

Regulating ...

.
... the militia:

“Gun advocates will be hard-pressed to explain why the average American citizen needs an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine other than for recreational purposes.” The answer to this question is straightforward: The purpose of having citizens armed with paramilitary weapons is to allow them to engage in paramilitary actions. The Second Amendment is not about Bambi and burglars — whatever a well-regulated militia is, it is not a hunting party or a sport-clays club.

Oh, that the NRA had the balls to articulate that position.

I know it's hard to get folks to understand that the state is not our friend because not everyone reads Radley and David's every word, but when you do you find that there's a whole lot of mischief that goes on that's not reported.

pm

JPFO alert

.
Applying technical analysis to gun control
.

I can only hope ... (Update)

.
... this guy is right:

When you argue for a living, you can tell how an argument is going for you. The evidence and my gut both tell me that the liberals have lost control of the gun control narrative. 

Not for lack of trying – it was almost as if they were poised to leap into action across the political, media and cultural spectrum the second the next semi-human creep shot up another “gun free zone.” This was their big opening to shift the debate and now it’s closing. They’ve lost, and they are going nuts. 

Mr Schlichter details several reasons for his assertion that the gun grabbers have lost. RTWT

As far as individual action, I've sent emails to all of my national reps, and I've emailed my state reps letting them know that at the least I favor allowing teachers who are permitted to carry while at school. After all, if you can't be trusted with a firearm you shouldn't be loose in polite company.

Update: I saw that Sebastian has a post on this and it caused me to think. If and when this gets introduced by Sen Feinstein, do we as firearm enthusiasts have the nuts to call for a vote on the full bill immediately?

pm

Blogging ...

.
... will be light from here through Christmas.

I've got most, if not all my Christmas shopping done (thank you Amazon Prime!) but it's crunch time and I'm taking the family to visit my dad and his new wife, so I'll have lile time to surf and find things to steal post and comment about.

If I don't hear from any of you, stay safe ... be careful and enjoy the holidays!

pm

I think ...

.
... that we're using the wrong metric when we talk about rate of gun violence. Let me explain.

Back in the 80's, Harley Davidson pushed for tariffs on imported (Japanese) motorcycles above a certain displacement. Of course, part of the propoganda was that these motorcycles were more likely to be involved in an accident and were therefore dangerous and there's no need to have a motorcycle that goes that fast and besides, most imported motorcycle owners are Republicans.

Yeah, lots of hysteria.

But then, some actual statisticians mentioned that the metric should be accidents per mile traveled, noting that most Hardley owners bought their bikes to be seen on, while Japanese bike owners actually rode their bikes ... a lot. So when looked at it that way, crotch rockets had a much lower accident rate than Harley Davidson.

In much the same way, I think that the firearms rights community should accept the gun grabbers argument that we have so many guns, and then ask them why we have such a low incidence of gun crime relative to the physical number of guns? It's the same thing with ammo ... there are literally billions of rounds purchased in the US each year (enough to surely cause the rivers of blood that are so often predicted) and yet, there is not a corresponding loss of life.

We desperately need to stop playing the gun grabbers' game. Let's take the language back.

We also need to be policing our own. I saw a news report this morning that a local firearms dealer sold 36 assault rifles in the last three days, apparently oblivious to the mistake. Not only can we do better, we must do better.

If the media comes to you and asks how many assault weapons you've sold recently (and you don't deal in Title II weapons) then tell them none. 'But I see that gentleman walking out the store with one right now!' says the breathless reporter. Oh, you mean the semi-auto rifle that was on the market before the US militarized it? Well, yes, the market on those is being helped by the President right now! And we thank him.

'But, but ... but ...'

The media are not our friends, local or not, and they can't be counted on to get anything right when it comes to firearms ... even when you use little words. If you are interviewed you need to answer questions factually and not volunteer anything. Any, any mistake in terminology absolutely must be corrected and never agreed to.

pm

JPFO alert

.
Gran'pa Jack comics for kids

"Stop Guns with Guns", "Gun Control is evil misspelled" and "Gun lobbyist ready to give up

 

Radley says ...

.
... it's one of the best things he's seen yet on the Sandy Hook shooting. I agree:

America's periodic school shootings, I think, fill a similar psychological space for the Left as Islamic terror does for the Right. The horrific images and the unnerving out-of-a-clear-blue-sky nature of the attacks make them terrifying, out of all proportion to the absolute risks, and the political narrative of preventability and blame is easily framed: "fewer guns (for school shootings), or more, say, ethnic profiling of terror suspects (for terror attacks), would have prevented this tragedy".

RTWT. A little sense about irearms,but a whole lotta sense about looking at the problem rationally! h/t Radley

pm

JPFO alert

.
Post-Sandy Hook thoughts

If this is what Lanza was taking ...

.
... then these are some of the side effects of Fanapt:

Psychiatric

Psychiatric side effects including restlessness, aggression, and delusion have been reported frequently. Hostility, decreased libido, paranoia, anorgasmia, confusional state, mania, catatonia, mood swings, panic attack, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, delirium, polydipsia psychogenic, impulse-control disorder, and major depression have been reported infrequently.

Seems like Lanza was on the short end on trying to be normal ... his meds were working against him.

But the problem is the easy availability of machine guns or something, not that we're trying to fix everyone with another pill.

pm

So ...

.
... how is it that an authorized journalist gets kidnapped in the Middle East and no one hears about it?

Could it be that the network didn't want to further inflame the situation? Not encourage others to do the same? Maybe they wanted to get all of the information before they reported (or even announced) anything?

Or maybe they didn't have a political axe to grind, like they do with the Sandy Hook shooting?

pm

Wow ...

.
... so permit-holders really aren't mindless:

The break in gunfire allowed Meli to pull out his own gun, but he never took his eyes off the shooter.

"As I was going down to pull, I saw someone in the back of the Charlotte move, and I knew if I fired and missed, I could hit them," he said.

Good adherence to Rule 4 .

I wonder if his timeline (regarding when the cretin offed himself) can be verified, because it would be yet another instance where as soon as an active shooter is met with force in kind (or even the possibility of) they can't turn their weapons on themselves fast enough.

pm

You know, one day ...

.
... someone's gonna snap:

Conservative columnist Matt Lewis asked, “If tea party activists punched a liberal on video, how would the media respond?”

Even Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, gets into the subjunctive mood: “If a Tea Partier had physically assaulted a liberal journalist or ripped down a structure occupied by a liberal organization all on video, the footage would be broadcast on an endless loop.”

This regarding the assault on Steven Crowder while at the union protests in MI earlier this week. And to be sure, if the political affiliations had been reversed, there would be a great wailing and gnashing of teeth by the Left.

But conservatives need to be prepared for when it does happen, and be ready to hold the MSM accountable* when the coverage is exactly opposite from when Crowder got assaulted. And don't be afraid when it inevitably happens.

pm

*I'd suggest putting the phone #'s of your local MSM affiliates in your phone (and make sure that you're 'friends' with them on Facebook) - and make sure you know the name of the news director.

Finally ...

.
... someone besides me saying it:

Last night, he told Greta van Susteren on Fox News that House Republicans should pass a bill with their specific plan to cut spending and fix the tax code to address the fiscal-cliff issues, and dare the Senate to take it up. If Democrats refuse, then Paul wants the House to hold a vote on the Democratic plan, with Republicans voting “present” to allow Democrats to pass the bill. That way, the economic damage from tax hikes will be totally owned by Democrats, and Republicans will have kept their hands clean:

Republicans will get blamed by the MSM no matter what they do; might as well have a credible defense that they didn't vote for higher taxes.

Let the Dems own the economy they desire or Let It Burn!

pm

You need to read this ...

.
... the idiocy and subterfuge of the MSM knows no bounds:

This update explores several interesting developments, most notably, the suit filed on George’s Zimmerman’s behalf against NBC and the continued unraveling of the special prosecutor’s case against Zimmerman.

 Reading Mike is very illuminating, because he brings an expert's take on things. I hope Zimmerman takes this to trial and has lots of zero's in mind.

pm

Drew M ...

.
... nails it:

Let It Burn isn’t an option, it’s an eventuality. The questions are will we be complicit in it any longer and do we want to delay it? I say no. Let the liberals own it. Very few things are made better by delaying the day of inevitable reckoning. 

RTWT.

Me, I've been in the LIB camp for a while now.  And the really interesting bit is that there is no shortage of pundits who argue in any way that what we're doing is sustainable.

Republicans need to start voting 'Present' until the Dems start compromising (which they won't). Until then, let them own the mess they've created.

pm

Yeah, when I hear the term 'conservative libertarian'...

.
... I immediately think of Justice Anthony Kennedy:

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is a libertarian conservative who believes the Constitution protects the freedom of individuals to "make personal decisions relating to marriage, procreation, contraception, family relationships, child rearing and education."

And conservatives everywhere will let the moniker stand.

pm

Aaron's ...

.
... monthly giveaway opportunity.

Go. Enter. Maybe win!

pm

we are so screwed ...

.

... has the best comment on this thread:

I don't think the GOP is salvageable anymore. Which is fine since our only options with the federal government is let it burn or bitch about it as it burns (while hand wringing).

It hasn't been salvageable for quite a few years ... and that's becoming more and more apparent.

Let it burn!

pm

I won't embed the video ...

.
... because you really need to read the whole thing:

“Something just went wrong,” said a still visibly shaken organizer of the
protest. “Something just went horribly, horribly, wrong.” Yes, it did. What went wrong is that, at some point in your life, you became horribly, horribly stupid.

Nope ... no hints!

pm

Nooo no no no ......

.
... no need for a firearm in church:

 An elementary school music teacher walked into a church in the middle of Sunday services and shot and killed his ex-wife as she sat in a pew, police said.

Bad things happen everywhere ...

pm

One of the best things ...

.
... I've heard regarding woodworking.

'Measuring is the enemy of precision.' - Chris Schwartz on the WoodWrights' Shop

Don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I'm an amateur woodhacker. I've not done much of anything in my life, but I aspire to, one day. My grandfather was an avid woodworker, specializing in his later life on grandfather clocks (he primarily worked in walnut ... his favorite).

And being an anal process freak, I enjoy the Woodwrights' Shop. Not that I'm averse to using power equipment, I just enjoy the process of working wood.

I'm in the process of building a Roubo book stand (of some nice curly maple) for my dad and his new bride for Christmas, and I need to construct a router plane to use when I attempt to build my daughter a 3/4-sized Les Paul (take that, Robb!) and yes, it will have a carved top using the templates that Scott so graciously developed for the luthier community (if you're into it, check out his LP builds ... they're things of beauty).

Anyhoo, I just thought that someone, comewhere might be interseted in what I find amusing!

pm

Regarding those pencil dicks ...

.
... Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock:

Gentlemen: I see that you have chosen to use the horrific crime of the murder of Kasandra Perkins to express your belief that guns are the problem, not the men who wield them. I am utterly certain that you believe that you have the moral high ground on this matter. I am equally certain that such a belief is appallingly wrong, not to mention terribly misogynistic. Why do I say this? Because had your desires on gun control been in place, I would not be alive to be writing this now. 

Alexthechick is a frequent commentor at Ace of Spades HQ  ... glad to know she gets around!

pm

In California?

.
Really?

Taking stock of the fact that San Bernardino’s murder rate has jumped 50 percent over the last year, that the city has been cutting its police force by about 80 officers, and that there is no good news in sight, [City Attorney of San Bernardino] Penman stated, “lock your doors and load your guns.”

But then he doesn't advise anyone actually, you know ... getting a gun. And he graduated college ... h/t WND

pm

I agree ...

.
... 100%:

At this moment, Republicans in Congress need to examine which presents a more dire threat to the country:
A) A double-dip recession driven by the sequester and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, or
B) the public’s belief (verified through polling) that our giant debt, our ticking time bomb of entitlements, and our gargantuan government can be solved by “asking the richest Americans to pay a little bit more,” as Obama insists.

Option A is terrible, but Option B is the giant locked door blocking all of the real solutions.

So if we must have tax hikes, let the tax cuts for every income level expire and let everyone of every income level pay higher taxes. Destroy the illusion among so many voters that they can get all the government they want without paying more in taxes.

 Except that's not the epiphany. The epiphany is when the middle class (where the real money is and who has been getting not nearly all the government they've been paying for) realize that they're the ones will have to ultimately foot the bill.

And I'm afraid that won't happen until It Burns! h/t Ace

pm

Religion of Peace strikes again ...

.
... Sigfreid and Roy not consulted:

A Jewish woman in Isfahan, Iran, was murdered and cut in half by Muslim extremists who wanted to take over her home, Israel Radio reported on Thursday.

Relatives of the woman said she had lived next to a newly built mosque, and worshippers had demanded that she and her family leave their home so the mosque could be expanded.

Ah, those moderate and friendly Muslims ... always looking for an opportunity for community outreach!  h/t WND

pm

I find your ideas ...

.
... intriguing:

So what do they do? They’re stuck in a no-win situation. The answer is simple: Give Obama what he wants. All of it. Don’t negotiate. Just say “Put your plan up for a vote and we’ll pass it. You will own everything that happens moving forward. We’ll do it your way.”

This is not the first time I've seen this idea floated, though I would have it done a bit differently. I wouldn't have the GOP vote for anything of Obama's if it comes to a vote, but rather have them abstain vote 'present'. That way, it all belongs to Democrats.

Let it burn!

pm

I got a phone call ...

.
... last night from a staffer with Sen Johnny Isakson.

Ryan (she was very nice) was calling to get back to me regarding a letter I sent Sen Isakson some months ago (so long that I forget what the letter was about, but it seemed to involve Afghanistan-on-US fratricide).

Ryan wanted to assure me that the senator was working hard to ensure that the troops in harms way were supplied with the equipment and training the needed to complete their mission (whatever the fuck that is) and that he fully supported the troops and blah blah blah ...

I thanked Ryan for calling me and reassuring me about Sen Isakson's intentions (of which I had no doubt), and I told her that I had neither the time nor the inclination to bore her with my stance on the middle east but that my overall view was that we had no business in Afghanistan (having mucked things up badly enough already) and that in the future we should just drop nukes on any other bad actors.

She claimed to be 'right there with [me]'.

Sigh ...

pm

Vox makes a good point ...

.
... and promises more:

For the record, I am in favor of self-determination.  That is the key, I think, for secession supporters to win liberal/progressive support.  American liberals, for all their ability to double-think, simply cannot permit themselves to oppose self-determination, since it is one of the foundations of their perspective on foreign policy.  While some of them will be able to concoct a convoluted conceptual structure that allows them to vehemently support foreign self-determination while denying it to Americans, most of them will not.  It is too integral to their view of the world.

He promises to address the liberal mantra that blue states support red states.

I can't wait!

pm

Ah, yes ...

.
... the wonders of vibrancy:

One of the reasons that the historical Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Japanese cultures remained distinct and significant for so long is that their words for foreigner translate to "barbarian", "barbarian", "barbarian", and "round-eyed, red-haired, butter-stinking devil".

Vox has long spoken of the fact that we are not seeing an "immigration" so much as we are seeing a "migration" of the peoples who vote for policies antithetical to conservatism, and yet the very people the GOP now screams that we must cater to.

Where might it end.

pm

Best. Idea.

.
Ever!

h/t Robb Allen

pm

Happy Thanksgiving

.
Enjoy the day with family and friends, be safe and be thankful that it isn't worse than it is!

pm

Ron Paul ...

.
... sure has a way with words:

“And if people or states are not free to leave the United States as a last resort, can they really think of themselves as free?"

Huh ... I never thought about it like that. h/t proteinwisdom

pm

Relax, nobody's after your guns ...

.
... oh, wait:

I submit that there has been no real solution to this issue as we do not deny access to guns based on ideology.

I submit that when you feel froggy, don't get a bunch of innocent public servants killed, come take them yourself.

I'll be waiting.

pm

The next time we invade a country ...

.
... we need to plant a fucking flag:

1. A top Iraqi diplomat urged Arab states to “use the weapon of oil” against the United States because of its alliance with Israel, raising more questions about the Middle Eastern nation’s allegiance to the nation that freed it from a ruthless dictatorship.

Ingrates.

But then, we should have left them to their dictators in the first place ... elections having consequences and shit ...

h/t proteinwisdom

pm

Ok, I'm officially tired ...

.
... of hearing the sour grapes about those who voted for Gary Johnson.

I reference the vote map found here.

For most of the night on election day, there was focus on "swing" states - Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Colorado ... and maybe Pennsylvania.

In only one of those states did Barack Obama not receive a mathematical majority of the votes, and that was in Florida, where he received exactly 50%.

So in those "swing" states, if all of the Johnson voters had held their noses and voted for Romney, Romney would still have been defeated. Likewise, even if all of the Republicans had voted for Gary Johnson, he still wouldn't have won.

Mitt Romney lost this election all by himself ... Gary Johnson voters had no effect.

pm

The best distillation of ...

.
... Keynsian economic tomfoolery I've seen yet:

Actually, I could have written in in a single sentence: More public debt and more government spending is the solution to this economic depression because government spending is capable of creating the jobs necessary to produce economic growth, while the resulting public debt is not a problem because any country with its own central bank can issue an infinite amount of it without any long-term costs.

It's a shame that folks these days don't know what a scratched record sounds like ...

pm

JPFO Alert

.

Gun 'Buybacks' Endanger Citizens, Help Crooks and Crooked Officials

Layers ... and layers ... and layers ...

.
... of editorial oversight:

ABC Denver reportedly misnames Petraeus book: “All up in my snatch”

Wow ... just, wow. And they have video.

 pm

This is why ...

.
... I can no longer support (even pragmatically) the GOP:

 And now it is time for the Republicans to rethink their platform in order to attract new voters--or doom themselves to permanent minority status.

I think the obvious place to start is with immigration reform.  Increase the number of visas available.  Explore guest-worker programs.  Establish a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who were brought here as children and have never known any other home.

Republicans cannot nay, will not save us. It will be much better if they die, quickly, so that we might see if anything better replaces it. h/t Vox

pm

Aaron's ...

.
... monthly opportunity!

Here we go ...

.
... these life-forms are not reality based:

Among the commandments of life under the Obama administration: thou shalt not speak ill of Obamacare. Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter was hammered with Twitter abuse after informing shareholders and franchisees in August that implementing Obamacare would necessarily increase costs of running the business.

Ah, to live life in ignorance and complete faith in the righteousness of your cause ...

pm

I'm back!

.
Back to the grind ... and setting up a workable back-up strategy!

pm

Computer problems ...

.
... don't know how long I'll be in the dark.

pm

And no, I'm not suicidal!

A word back ...

.
... at Bill Whittle.

You know, I hear you ... Libertarians and other 3rd party types have no chance of winning. And yeah, I understand that this is the most important election evah!

But what you won't admit is that you could have put the names on the ballot in the last 20 years in place of Romney and Obama and made the exact same case as you do in your passionate video. The fact is, Republicans don't stand for limited government or personal freedom anymore (though they will hold the little folks personally accountable, just not those big banks ... or themselves).

What specific act has a Republican president committed that expanded personal freedom in the last 20 years. What specific act has a Republican president committed in the last 20 years that has reduced the size and scope of government?

I'm still waiting. How am I to then put any faith in your statement that next primary season you'll go as far as bringing down the Republican party if your (our) demands aren't met? How effective do you think that'll be?

The Republican party as it's presently constituted is Democrat-lite ... nothing more. I'll not vote for them if there's an option available.

pm

JPFO Alert

.
Chasing Constitutional Carry.

JPFO Alert

.
The need for self-defense.

Matt Bracken ...

.
... brings up another interesting point.

I can't find a good quote from the article, and I'm not conversant enough about the issue to discuss, but read the whole thing. It may prove to be enlightening.

Keep in mind that I wouldn't put anything past Obama.

pm

I wonder why ...

.
... this gentleman is a former network news analyst?

Barely 10 days before the election, the persistent whiff of scandal surrounding Barack Obama exploded into the banner headlines of a cover-up – at least among certain press outlets. Everything changed Friday afternoon with the stunning revelations by Fox News that CIA operatives defending the embattled consulate in Benghazi, Libya, called three times for emergency assistance while the attack was in progress. Each time, they were shamefully turned down. One of those defenders, Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, was apparently able to use a laser designator to pin-point the location of the mortar that eventually killed him. It would have been an easy shot for American pilots had any been ordered to respond. Another new and critical detail: An American drone was overhead transmitting live video of the battle scene below.

Oh ...

I was an artilleryman in the Marine Corps (FDC, if you must know!) so I was pretty far from any real action, but this kind of shit really burns me up. Yes, we're talking about Libya ... I'm sure it's not on anyone's short list of vacation spots. But Jesus H Christ, if you're going to have personnel in country and they call for help, you'd better help.

I'd also mention that, though I don't know that much about former SEALS, I'd imagine it would pay a person not to get on their bad side.

pm

JPFO Alert

.
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Now I have a machine gun ...

.
... ho, ho, ho:

A Downey police officer who shot and killed a man using a submachine gun in a case of mistaken identity acted lawfully and won't face criminal charges, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

The situation was handled badly by all parties, but I can't see how an officer feels that he's in danger from a man who's running away.

I'm just as concerned that an officer had his safety on 'burst' while apprehending a suspect. h/t Radley

pm

Al Gores life ...

.
... in vain? Say it ain't so:

Sometimes silence can reveal more than words. And the complete silence of both candidates during last night’s (and previous nights’) presidential debate on climate change speaks volumes about just how dead the issue now is. Indeed, this is the first time in 24 years that neither candidate thought it fit to mention what Al Gore has billed the biggest threat ever to “human civilization as we know it.”

I'm sorry Al ... no one takes you seriously anymore.

pm

About the law and rights ...

.
... a federal appeals judge has it dead wrong:

But Judge Albert Diaz sounded skeptical, noting that the law “places the burden on the people” to provide a justification to police.

A just law doesn't place a burden on the citizens; a just law shows why it's necessary to violate a citizens' rights.

And God love Alan Gura ... he remains calm even when facing such monumental idiocy as this:

Judge Andre M. Davis asked whether the state could permit the open carrying of a handgun but not a semiautomatic weapon.

It's a wonder we have any rights at all ...

pm

JPFO Alert

.
Why I am a 'one-issue voter.'

The media continues ...

.
... to get it dead wrong:

"I'm not crazy," Picuti says. "I know they can't predict earthquakes. The basis of the charges is not that they didn't predict the earthquake. As functionaries of the state, they had certain duties imposed by law: to evaluate and characterize the risks that were present in L'Aquila." Part of that risk assessment, he says, should have included the density of the urban population and the known fragility of many ancient buildings in the city centre. "They were obligated to evaluate the degree of risk given all these factors," he says, "and they did not."

But that's the narrative  ... a bunch of anti-scientist Republicans infiltrated the Italian judiciary and  jailed some of our sciencey friends, nay ... heros!

No, the scientists tried to operate outside of their field of expertise and people died as a result. It's not surprising that the survivors are a bit miffed. h/t Vox

If Iran really wants to use nuclear power ...

.
... why don't we help them with some thorium reactors?

So why didn't we pursue this path for nuclear power?

That's simple: It is entirely-unsuitable for production of nuclear bombs as it produces negligible amounts of plutonium.

 Oh yeah .... h/t Vox

pm

This had to hurt ...

.
... and it was expensive, too! Click on the play button ot get the slide show. h/t Klavdy

pm

JPFO Alert

.
The inaccuracy of the term 'assault'.

I've got an idea ...

.
... that I'm sure a lot of people won't like.

A couple of years ago, in my area ... the syphillitic whores at the Freedom from Religion Foundation filed suit against cheerleaders at one high school, asking that their use of bible verse on their banners be stopped, because  blahdy-blahdy blah ... or something.

They won, even though congress hadn't passed any law and they don't have a right not to have to hear religiousity. I digress...

But in Austin, Texas, a judge has issued an injunction against a school who had banned their cheerleaders from using bible verse on their banners, saying that it violated the cheerleaders' free speech rights. Being E Texas, the cheerleaders will probably win.

So, here's my idea. We can do away with SCOTUS if we implement this rule. A law can only stand if all the circuits agree that a law is constitutional; if there is any disagreement, then the law is null and void.

Simple. And it's always been my opinion that a supreme court justice shouldn't have to have an advanced law degree, just some common fucking sense.

Imagine that if in 1939, the justices of the supreme court had asked a simple question regarding the NFA: Does this law infringe on a citizens' right to keep and bear an arm? I don't think there's any question that it does, therefore the NFA should have been struck down.

And a decision like that wouldn't have required a lawyer to hand down, simply someone with some common sense and an eye toward liberty and the sovereignty of the citizen.

pm

This administration ...

.
... is absolutely the worst in my memory:

State had watched the attack unfold in real time at Foggy Bottom through its security video system, a fact that got revealed at the House Oversight Committee hearings.  That’s why State insisted that they had never considered this a “spontaneous demonstration” that “spun out of control,” as Rice insisted on five Sunday talk shows and as Carney tried to claim two days earlier. 

 Watched ... in real time.

And apparently had popcorn while they did.

Look, if Sean Smith posted his concerns to someone not connected with the State Dept, one can only assume that there was a lot more official communication of the potential danger. I'm just an average former Marine, but if I hear that someone in my employ is in fear (and I have the US military at my disposal), I'm gonna get some force on station ... especially if it's an Arab country and it just happens to be Sept 11. And in the event that American citizens are killed, then the host country will pay a hundred-fold ... immediately.

But not this administration; if you're going to make an omelet, you gotta break a few eggs.

That is absolutely unacceptable.

pm

I'm going to say it ...

.
... Bruce Springsteen and his I've-got-near-terminal constipation singing style is one of the worst things to happen to music in a long time, and I refuse to take any critic seriously who tells me that I simply must see him.

pm

JPFO Alert

.
Special offer: Innocents Betrayed

L Neil Smith: Is civil argument possible with a gun-grabber?

Jeebus H ...

.
... can't these statists just mind their own fucking business?

We see kids' lunches called non-nutritious and replaced with pink-slime nuggets or a child arrested for a plastic knife. Something similar happened this week in Newport, California when the lunch brigade noticed a boy's glass bottle (safely inside a foam sleeve) and confiscated his healthy Kombucha beverage which is comparable to apple cider.

The next day he was required to visit the Vice Principal's office where a uniformed cop was waiting there to give him the third degree. The administration claimed the drink violated the no-drugs-and-alcohol policy. The officer wrongly told the child that Kombucha was illegal and dangerous to mix with medicines or antibiotics - then asked him if and what medications he was taking.

This happened in Kalifornia, land of fruits and nuts and all things healthy, so naturally they confiscated ... kombucha.

There is not enough scorn that can be heaped upon these school busy-bodies.

pm

Why does the GOP ...

.
... not have a goon squad?

“If [Lugar] had fully embraced and done some campaigning for Mourdock, it would have put a stamp of acceptability on Mourdock. The fact that he has been so lukewarm has peeled off some support.” 

I can understand that a sitting senator might be a bit miffed at losing in the primary, but someone needs to have a heart-to-heart with Mr Lugar.

You can't tell me the Democrats wouldn't do the same if it were them.

pm

Stay classy ...

.
... stay classy:

An 81-year-old school-bus driver in Wisconsin who had a spotless record has been fired from her job after allegedly telling a 12-year-old boy he should have been aborted because he supports Mitt Romney for president.
Some might take that as a threat.

Glad that she's been fired, though she'll probably petition the school board for her job back.

pm

Once again ...

.
... the first rule of policing claims another victim:

A police officer fatally shot an unarmed 22-year-old man early Thursday morning during a traffic stop on the side of a highway in Queens, the police said.

The shooting occurred at 5:15 a.m. on the Grand Central Parkway near La Guardia Airport after the police pulled over the driver, who had been driving erratically and twice cut between two police vehicles from the Emergency Services Unit, the police said.

What they don't mention until near the end of the article is that the two police vehicles were unmarked and full of SWAT personnel, so there's that. h/t Radley

pm

It's time ...

.
... to start pushing back:

In a rare example of political unity, both the Romney and Obama campaigns have expressed concern to the Commission on Presidential Debates about how the moderator of the Tuesday town hall has publicly described her role, TIME has learned.

While an early October memorandum of understanding between the Obama and Romney campaigns suggests CNN’s Candy Crowley would play a limited role in the Tuesday-night session, Crowley, who is not a party to that agreement, has done a series of interviews on her network in which she has suggested she will assume a broader set of responsibilities. As Crowley put it last week, “Once the table is kind of set by the town-hall questioner, there is then time for me to say, ‘Hey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?’”

I don't know about Mitt Romney, but I can't see Newt  Gingrich letting a moderator get away with violating the rules.

It's time that Republican candidates started calling the media out on their bias; forget that some may see it as a bullying tactic. A skilled debater could certainly work in a comment about how he's glad to be here and he hopes the moderator abides by the rules that both candidates agreed to for the debate. that right there would put the moderator on the defensive, because, having been called out at the beginning a candidate could simply start with "Well, Candy ... there you go again.".

Go big, SMitt ... or get sent home. h/t Ace's Top Headline Commentws

And still ...

.
... we're losing:

You'd think that the American people would want a better return for their money. h/t Radley

Couldn't have said it better ...

.
... myself:

The “pragmatic” strategy, apparently, requires gun rights activists to count on the Constitution for protection against people who have made it absolutely clear that they consider the Constitution to be so much Charmin substitute. At least one “prag,” for example, has railed against some other gun rights advocates, for their refusal to vote for one of the chief architects of one of the most brazen attacks on the First Amendment in recent history.

The sentiment is noted that Republicans aren't so much liberty-oriented as they are statist-the-other-direction ... compared to Democrats. I'd only wish that more 2A activists would realize it.

I'd also point out that the colonies were trying to work 'within the system' when they  had to declare war on England - statists don't care about you, only power. h/t Mike

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... to win stuff. Go. Enter!

Police state?

.
You be the judge:

On June 3, 2011, three plainclothes New York City Police officers stopped a Harlem teenager named Alvin and two of the officers questioned and frisked him while the third remained in their unmarked car. Alvin secretly captured the interaction on his cell phone, and the resulting audio is one of the only known recordings of stop-and-frisk in action.

Interesting that this takes place in the progressive Utopia of NYC. h/t Radley

pm

JPFO alert

.
Do Jewish 'leaders' want us all to be victims?

It's no wonder ...

.
... McCain lost.

I was watching the Today show yesterday morning and was 'treated' to Matt Lauer interviewing John McCain. In that interview, Lauer continued to press McCain about Mitt Romney's specific proposals regarding foreign policy, and while McCain didn't provide those specifics, he missed a perfect opportunity to point out Obama's failures - by answering like this:

'Mitt Romney wouldn't have pulled 2 security teams from Libya. Mitt Romney wouldn't have farmed the security of an American consulate out to a foreign firm, and allowed Libyan militia to be responsible for security. Mitt Romney wouldn't have blamed a terrorist attack on an American citizens' exercise of his first amendment rights. And Mitt Romney certainly wouldn't have told the consulate in Benghazi to stop asking for more security.'

But he didn't, because he's a squishy RINO - and that makes him the perfect Republican for the media to be talking to.

pm

This ...

.
... will not end well:

With nearly half of all suicides in the military having been committed with privately owned firearms, the Pentagon and Congress are moving to establish policies intended to separate at-risk service members from their personal weapons.

Service members will continue to commit suicide no matter what the brass do (just like the general public will).

Perhaps the military should grow a pair and tell the political hacks who get them in these un-winnable wars (at least, unwinnable the way they're currently prosecuted) to wise up.

pm

Tone deaf ...

.
... yes, the NYPD are:

The 27-year-old coffee barista died in April after being struck by an NYPD squad car that began chasing him as he swiped paver stones in the predawn light at his Brooklyn housing project.

Now his mom’s being chased anew, hounded by a collection agency hired by the city with a cruel final demand, the Daily News has learned.

The city has ordered her to pay the $710 cost of repairing the police car that killed her boy.

You just can't make this stuff up, folks!  h/t Radley

pm

JPFO alert

.
The young Holder.

Obama's a racist?

.
Say it ain't so, Joe!

I saw the Hannity piece on Fox, where a more complete accounting of the Obama speech from 2007 was discussed.

I'll admit I was underwhelmed.

Not because the rhetoric isn't vile, it's that no one in the MSM will care.

And sure enough, yesterday morning NBC gave the item a perfunctory treatment, 'We covered that, nothing new to see here'.

We are so fucked.

pm

One might think this happened in another country ...

.
... one would be wrong:

Police cars screech to a halt outside your door, six deputies approach along with two social workers who warn they have information from an anonymous tipster and threaten that unless you allow them to enter RIGHT NOW, the armed officers will take your children away from you.

So your decision to allow the authorities to enter is completely voluntary?

That’s the determination of a federal judge who has relieved two social workers – Rhonda Cash and Jenna Cramer – of liability for their actions in a case brought by homeschooling parents John and Tiffany Loudermilk in Arizona.

I really, really hope they appeal -  it's way past time that the government showed its hand and let us know out in the open what the score is.

pm

Yes ...

.
... this is truly bizzare:

The TSA’s bizarre new policy where it orders travelers who have already passed security to “freeze” on command has been caught on camera, with the clip illustrating once more how the federal agency has implemented a series of ludicrous policies that seemingly have no other purpose than to act as an obedience test for the traveling public.

Can't remember where I saw this, but I did see a lot of commenters saying that TSA'd just have to arrest them. I agree.

pm

JPFO Alert

.
Hitler was a piker.

Is it any wonder ...

.
.... that Republicans are quickly going the way of the Whig?

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said on Thursday that he does not intend to put money into the race of controversial Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin.

“We have no plans to do so,” Cornyn told The Courier-Journal in an interview just a short time ago. 

This is another of the many reasons I can no longer support the Republican party. And please, don't give me that crap about wasting my vote; by that metric, anyone who didn't vote for the winner wasted his vote.

The lesser of two evils is still evil.

pm

You keep using that word ...

.
... I do not think it means what you think it means:

A jihadi writer who has praised the murderer of a Dutch filmmaker is offering a suggestion to cut down on the criticism of Islam around the globe: Behead the critics and post their heads along roads.

Oh, and post a sign that says, “This is the punishment of those who insult our prophet.”

Peace, that is.

Islamists don't have a clue what it means.

pm

KTKC results ...

.
... Jay G is the Big Kahuna!

Second place goes to Michael (of Evyl Robot fame) and Stingray comes in a very close third.

I won't bore you with my totals, but I had fun, again, and I'm looking forward to next year!

pm

Vox pegs it ...

.
...'You'd better sit down for this one':

U.S. intelligence officials knew within 24 hours of the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya that it was a terrorist attack and suspected Al Qaeda-tied elements were involved, sources told Fox News -- though it took the administration a week to acknowledge it.  The account sharply conflicts with claims on the Sunday after the attack by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice that the administration believed the strike was a "spontaneous" event triggered by protests in Egypt over an anti-Islam film.

Don't expect to hear any spittle-flecked ranting from the media, though ... wouldn't fit the narrative.

pm

Today ...

.
... I have nothing.

Ah, to be a blogger who can glean content from thin air ...

pm

At least someone's ...

.
... being compensated:

The April verdict by a Frederick County jury that awarded $620,000 to a Taneytown family after their dog was shot by a sheriff's deputy was upheld by a Montgomery County judge. 

The award was reduced to a statutory amount $7500 v $20k  ... the rest is for emotional distress.

I generally disagree with 'emotional distress' arguments, but whatever needs to happen to get law enforcement to start thinking.

pm

MPAI ...

.
... and this tends to prove it:

About half of the participants did not detect the changes, and 69% accepted at least one of the altered statements.

People were even willing to argue in favour of the reversed statements: A full 53% of participants argued unequivocally for the opposite of their original attitude in at least one of the manipulated statements, the authors write. Hall and his colleagues have previously reported this effect, called 'choice blindness', in other areas, including taste and smell² and aesthetic choice³.

This article is about a 'survey' in which a deliberate trick is used to get people to answer questions and then have it revealed that they've answered the exact opposite .

And 53% are willing to argue against themselves.


This reminds me of the Great Foggy Interstate Wreck on 75S around Calhoun, TN (there's a big paper plant there that is generally considered to 'cause' the heavy fog in the area). I was selected to be surveyed by (it turns out) a legal firm that was considering legal action against the paper company. During the survey, I noticed that I was asked the same question with different nuances several times, and when I answered differently on a set of questions, it was pointed out that maybe I did consider the company at fault for the crash. I told the surveyor that no matter how many times she asked me the same question different ways, I would not believe the company to have caused the accident.

She promptly hung up.

pm

Of course they did ...

.
... his questions won't follow the narrative:

Seems the trickle-down theory must work, as a Democratic candidate for state office in Colorado worked to exclude a member of the clergy from moderating a local debate because his supporters were “uncomfortable” with a church leader asking questions.

One day Republicans will come to the realization that the media and Democrats (BIRM) will not play fair, nor will they give any quarter.

Republicans - bringing knives to the gun fight for over 100 years.

pm

i really didn't think ...

.
... this would happen:

Three-year-old Kydalynn Robinson was playing with her 2-year-old cousin when the pair apparently found a .45-caliber handgun and Kydalynn was shot in the head.

Kydalynn lived with her grandparents, mother, aunt and cousin in one house in the Benwood subdivision off Old Parksville Road in Bradley County. Her mother was home when the accident occurred.

The pistol belonged to a retired state trooper, who is charged with criminally negligent homicide;  he, along with three other family members, is also being charged with reckless endangerment.

I really don't see the charges against the 3 non-owners of the firearm; that said, it's amazing what a grand jury will do when you bring an event in front of them.

pm

OK ...

.
... this is funny!

Wow ...

.
... just, wow:

A key realization: the enemy uses cheap night vision gear in the form of cameras that have night functions.  When our IR lasers, our IR strobes, our IR illumination or our IR spotlights are radiating, they can easily be seen using cheap digital cameras.  I recently told this to some Norwegian soldiers, who were as surprised as our soldiers to learn it.  I learned this from the enemy, not from our guys.  The Taliban even use smart phone cameras to watch for invisible lasers.  The enemy in Afghanistan has been caught using cameras for night vision.  It is just a stroke of common sense: I have been doing it for eight years since I noticed an IR laser one night in Iraq.

Now I know that the militant muzzies are a pack of camel-humping inbreds, but that doesn't mean that they're completely stupid. When you realize that the gap between what the military uses on a regular basis and what's available to the general public is not that large, then you shouldn't be surprised that someone within the terrorist ranks figures it out. They're 15th because they want to be, not because they can't handle the 20th.

Technology doesn't discriminate.  h/t Ace's ONT

pm

Sounds to me like ...

.
... vaporizing 100 cities is gaining popularity:

Our foreign policy towards the Muslim world should simply be this: leave us the f*ck alone, if you don't we will utterly annihilate you. We will not invade. We will not depose. We will not nation build. We will destroy.

And if after being destroyed you choose to f*ck with us again, we will destroy you again. Until either you stop f*cking with us or you are all dead.

The nuclear option is on the table.

 The process he went through to arrive here is interesting, so read the whole thing.

pm

What if ...

.
... people voted in a strategic manner?

In a post at PA Gun Blog, Sage Thrasher makes a point that got me to thinking:

if you are a Democrat in Wyoming or a Republican in California, the electoral college guarantees your vote for president is a waste of paper.

There's been a lot of talk about how real conservatives don't trust Romney, and with justification (though I sense there's a coalescing of voters, holding their noses!).

So why don't conservatives (whose vote is destined to be 'wasted' anyway) in deep blue states start moving the Republican party to the right? How?

By voting for libertarian-oriented candidates in both the primary and the general election (and no, not necessarily Ron Paul!).

Unless there's a modern Reagan, California will not vote for a Republican ... they just won't. So why then, does the conservative electorate not use it's vote strategically? I don't mean voting for the most conservative Republican, I mean voting for the most conservative candidate regardless of party (and arguably, not in the Republican party).

The GOP will never get past their moderateness until they understand that they will not get conservative support until the GOP starts meeting conservatives needs.

The NRA understands this; look at what happened in TN. If you don't support us, we won't support you (and might even work for your opponent).

pm

Damned if you do ...

.
... damned if you don't:

In a complaint filed Wednesday and settled the same day, Justice claimed that California-based Luther Burbank Savings violated the 1968 Fair Housing Act and 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act by setting a policy that had a "disparate impact" on minorities. Between 2006 and mid-2011, 5.2% of Luther's single-family residential mortgage loans went to African-Americans ...

What the DOJ means by "disparate impact" is that the bank set standards that would ensure repayment of loans, and blacks couldn't meet them. h/t Radley

pm

May soar?

.
I don't think there's any doubt:

President Obama and the Democrats won't be the only big winners if he's reelected in November.

Gun retailers and manufacturers are expecting a significant rise in gun sales if the president remains in the White House for a second term, The Wall Street Journal reports.

And God help you if you don't have a gun if Obama wins.

pm

So I was thinking ...

.
... about the conversation going on at Sebastian's place about machineguns.

Now Sebastian is not anti-machinegun, he just doesn't see a way to either 1) get Hughes invalidated legally or 2) get Hughes repealed.

As far as getting Hughes repealed, I believe that Sebastian has no faith that if put to a vote that Hughes would be repealed. I say that our side should at least try; after all, it was 12 years ago that the Democrats snuck Hughes into the FOPA in the first place, fraudulently and against the wishes of (apparently) a majority of representatives, and at a time when the tide was just beginning to turn towards our side, culturally (meaning that we were at a low point).

And, wow ... if the NRA got behind a push to get Hughes repealed and return machineguns to their original regulated status, then there would be a much better chance of getting something done. They are, like it or not, the 800lb gorilla.

As far as getting Hughes invalidated legally, well that's a tougher row to hoe. Right off the bat I'll concede that Sebastian is correct regarding the NFA tax argument on machineguns, and that 922(o) is controlling.Heller

Think back to the 'assault' weapons ban of '94. The ban never touched on the type of weapon with regards to how it operated; rather the ban simply said you can't have an AR-15 that looks like an AR-15 (insert your favorite EBR for AR-15). Can't have detachable magazines? Then we'll make them with 'buttons'. No muzzle devices? Then they come with bull barrels. No pistol grips? Then have a thumbhole stock.

Don't even get me started on reduced capacity mags ...

As we all know, the AWB had little effect on the functioning of the weapon itself (you can still get AR pattern rifles in ban or pre-ban configurations ... they all shoot bullets).

But a machinegun is different. The only qualifying trait of a machinegun that differentiates it from non-machineguns is that it fires more than one round per pull of the trigger, an actual design element of the firearm. It matters not how sedate or menacing a weapon looks, if it only fires one round per pull of the trigger, it's not a machinegun.

So 922(o) actually bans a whole class of firearm ... machineguns. That has never happened before. And it would seem violate the police powers inherent with the states, which the statists that gave us the NFA regarded as a disqualifier (relying instead on Congress' power to tax). It would also seem to go beyond what is currently thought of as appropriate commerce clause jurisprudence (Raich not withstanding) as 922(o) doesn't regulate commerce as much as it bans commerce for post-May '86 machineguns, while at the same time regulating commerce for pre-May '86 machineguns.

So it seems to me that a truly gifted genius like Alan Gura could design a case and the arguments* surrounding it to take a stab at Hughes in the courts. Locate a willing plaintiff that is squeaky clean, file in a friendly court and go from there. It would only take a favorable decision at the appeals court level, for the government would surely appeal to SCOTUS.

But hey ... what do I know?!

pm

* I know there are some that say that Scalia in his opinion in Heller all but green-lighted machinegun bans - I disagree. He mentioned that in Miller, both prongs mentioned must be considered - military utility and common use. Given that later in the opinion he notes that even though a militia might not have the weapons capable of defeating it cannot mitigate the right. I'll admit that Scalia's declaration that machineguns don't fit the 'commonly in use' standard, that is not the militiamans fault, especially when machineguns were (and pre-May machineguns still are) regulated with no problems by the government.

If only ...

.
... Republicans were this smart:

The goal is to create an enveloping data matrix which gives the Honey Boo Boos a sort of half-aware impression that the narrative we’ve concocted for them is not simply a partisan narrative fighting for their allegiance but rather is simply the way things are.

To that end, the headlines need to be as unsubtle as possible, but still hewing to reality — reality through our lens.

I call this approach “truthaganda,” to contrast it with the leftists’ more traditional and more mendacious “propaganda.” The progressives have a massive advantage over us because their Gramscian predecessors have gotten a hammer-lock on the mainstream media which they have no intention of ever letting go; but we at least have truth on our side. All we’ve got to do is turn that truth up to 11. Perhaps even 11.5.

RTWT ... it's informative, and nothing conservatives (who want to win) should find out of line.

I've thought the same thing myself. Instead of Romney playing the medias' game, he should respond to questions of his timing thusly:

"So, after we know that there was lax security (authorized by Hillary Clinton) at the consulate, that the whereabouts of the Ambassador were unknown for roughly 10 hours, that the president couldn't be bothered to answer the 3am call, and instead of getting to the bottom of having a US ambassador assasinated he jets off to Las Vegas for a fundraiser ... you want to question me on my timing?"

The media are not our friends ... I see nothing wrong with turning their malfeasance back on them and making them justify their choices.

pm

More of this ...

.
... and as quickly as possible:

A few months ago, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signed a bill declaring that "in all criminal proceedings the court shall permit the defense to inform the jury of its right to judge the facts and the application of the law in relation to the facts in controversy."

It seems to have worked,too, as a 59 year old Rastafarian was acquitted of marijuana cultivation when it was revealed it was for his own personal religious and medicinal use.

The judge even got into the act, stating "even if you find that the State has proven each and every element of the offense charged beyond a reasonable doubt, you may still find the defendant not guilty if you have a conscientious feeling that a not guilty verdict would be a fair result in this case."

Wow!

pm

Machinegun bleg ...

.
... if Hughes were repealed (or invalidated), how many of my loyal readers (or folks you know) would buy a real assault rifle (select-fire)?

How many would buy light or crew-served machineguns up to .50 caliber if you had the money?

pm

JPFO alert

.
Rosh HaShannah greetings!

Join together ...

.
... with the band:



pm

JPFO alert

.
Taking aim.

Unfortunately ...

.
... nothing will be done:

He approached the gate without entering and whistled to Scout, saying, “Come here pup,” and the dog “jumped off the deck and ran at me. I began backing away as fast as I could in a backward direction. I immediately noticed the dog was showing its teeth and I could hear the dog growling very loudly.”

The 'he' is a police officer, who, after calling the dog, was astounded that the dog actually came towards him ... got scared and shot the animal.

Of course, the chief circled the wagons and declared the officers' actions justified.

pm

Damn!

.
This guy is good:

The gallows structure seems to be complete. There are four square holes under a single beam. Workers are screwing down some hardware for traps not yet installed. The grim work of execution will be done in two shifts, on consecutive mornings. I shall outlive Dennis by twenty-four hours. At times like this, I almost wish I believed in an afterlife, like those fools deluded by the opiate of religion. The only afterlife I shall achieve is what I am writing on the pages of this spiral notebook, and they will be cold comfort in the ground. To come so far, to get so close, and then to be consigned to oblivion—it just seems so damned unfair, after three generations of dedicated struggle.

Matt Bracken has another essay up at Western Rifle Shooters ... kind of a companion to the last one.

Read it!

I especially liked Rule 308!

pm

This needs ...

.
... wider distribution:

You see, now that the 4th DCA has said an officer can arrest Scummy McScumbag for being on his own property and accidentally exposing his pistol, it means Officer Friendly can do the same thing to you. When you refuse to stand up for rights, you lose yours. It’s cases like these where they violate the rights of someone nobody wants to defend that the violation becomes precedent . When it’s your turn in court, don’t expect the judge to suddenly realize you’re the good guy and that you should get better treatment.

Robb gets it exactly right ... it's the worst actors in society whose rights we should protect the most.

This is one of the reasons that I butt heads with Sebastian so much. Yes, Leonard Embody is probably a douchebag and has questionable legal sense, but, dammit, he still has rights that deserve to be defended.

Because Embody's rights are your rights ... and Sebastians rights ... and my rights.

pm

Matt Bracken ...

.
... puts some fucking knowledge:

In response to recent articles in mainstream military journals discussing the use of the U.S. Army to quell insurrections on American soil, I offer an alternate vision of the future. Instead of a small town in the South as the flash point, picture instead a score of U.S. cities in the thrall of riots greater than those experienced in Los Angeles in 1965 (Watts), multiple cities in 1968 (MLK assassination), and Los Angeles again in 1992 (Rodney King). New Yorkers can imagine the 1977 blackout looting or the 1991 Crown Heights disturbance. In fact, the proximate spark of the next round of major riots in America could be any from a long list cribbed from our history.

The spark he uses in his example? Welfare payments stop one day..

If you don't take any of my advice but this, Read. The. Whole. Thing.

I also note that it's not strange that you should see an article this dire on a website like Western Rifle Shooters, but I saw this on protein wisdom - not your usual source for subversive dogma.

It's getting believable, folks.

pm

We already knew this ...

.
... the TSA is not about security:



Time to out this organization out of our misery.

pm

Why can objectively smart people be so fucking stupid?

.
A relative of mine is going through a divorce, she has a restraining order on her ex-husband-to-be and she's considering getting a permit and a handgun. But given that, within the family at least, I am the recognized duty expert on firearms and legalities, does she take my advice?

Of course not ...

She was offered her mother's revolver for the immediate need (a horrid thing, in .22lr and a 20lb double action pull) but she didn't want to do that.

Another relative said she needed to pick something with 'real stopping power' like a .38, but she doesn't want anything too heavy.

I also took that pistol to the house and ran a brush through the bore and cylinders (it looked like it hadn't seen solvent in 20 years), gathered up some ammo, and brought my pistols back with the revolver, offering to let her shoot any of them. Nope ... she didn't want to do that.

What did I suggest? Spend the $100 or so it would cost to go to the local indoor range and rent a variety of handguns and find one that she could handle and shoot well, and pick caliber later. Then buy the handgun she likes. But is she going to do that?

Of course not ...

She's going to run by the local pawn shop (which, admittedly has the largest selection in town but that's not saying much) and pick something.

Living in a rural area has a lot going for it with regards to firearms and sho)oting in general. It also has a lot of out-dated notions about some of the finer points of gun ownership and self-defense.

But, hey ... I made my offers ... it's out of my hands now.

pm

Teacher's strike ...

.
... for the children!

For the first time in 25 years, teachers in the Chicago school system will walk off the job Monday after failing to reach a contract deal with district officials, NBC Chicago reported.

I note that there are no 'children's' issues at stake here, so the next time you hear a teacher say this, you need to call bullshit!

This is the reason that public sector services should not be allowed to unionize - because it's a rigged game. Unions donate (monolithically to one party) to politicians, who are then beholden to labor unions and then who negotiate for the people who pay teacher's salary.

And trust me, the only reason that teachers don't strike more often is that the public wouldn't stand for it.

pm

I'm traveling today ...

.
... going to take my daughter to spend some quality time with my dad before the amusement park seasons close.

pm

JPFO alert

.
"Innocents Betrayed" showing in Arizona.

About pleating a kilt ...

.
... I'm telling you fellas, you need to Google 'pleating board'!

Where have you been all my life?!

Of course, the most easiest way to wear a kilt is to buy one. Well, I did, but they haven't arrived yet so it's up to me to make one (ok, my wife's going to do all of the stichery, I just have to do all the grunt work!).

Maybe tomorrow?

pm

War on Drugs + Civil Forfieture ...

.
... = Utter Fail:

…I believe that they came into the house, and they found what they were looking for, and that after that all they continued to look for was money. I think they were trying to find a lot of money, which we had none…they ripped our whole house apart looking for that, because what they were looking for was pretty obvious, the grow was pretty obvious…

Yes, I know that growing marijuana (in most places) is illegal but come on ... one plant? One plant does not a growing operation make.

You would think that our infatuation with prohibitions would have ended in 1933 ...

pm

JPFO alert

.
Who is the gun lobby?

I knew they were bad ...

.
... but not this bad:

“There’s nothing American about what just happened,” protested Nevada Republican delegate Wiselot Rouzard after the convention refused to seat the delegation from Maine. “This is the death of the Republican Party.”

What Wiselot and fellow Ron Paul delegates had experienced was a memorable display of the Republican Party’s fetid essence. The tactics employed by the GOP establishment to isolate, intimidate, and ultimately to expel Ron Paul delegates were the natural product of the party’s totalitarian genetics. By using criminal means to impose a monolithic, top-down process in which an entrenched oligarchy can re-write the rules to suit its whims, the Republican Party was simply living down to its odious pedigree.

From what I've read, what the party has done is make it almost impossible for us knuckle-dragging Hobbits to mount challenges to those who more closely hew to the party lines (like Dickie Lugar and Bob Bennett), and given the uneasiness that some conservatives have in supporting Mitt Romney, folks should be a lot more worried about this.

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... go here and win!

And don't forget to give at the links at the top of my home page ... it's for the children!

pm

Kilts ...

.
... will be delayed.

Who knew setting all those pleats was such a pain in the ass ...

But this is the real reason it's taking so long ...




pm

I don't mean to harp ...

.
... but maybe the GOP should have at least counted to ten:

A new poll paid for by the Family Research Council, a pro-life group, indicates pro-life Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin now leads pro-abortion Sen. Clair McCaskill in the race despite the controversial comments he made about abortion and rape.

Now, I know that on the face of Akin's comment, it was ripe for misinterpretation. That said, given that the media and Leftists (BIRM) will try to misinterpret anything a Republican says the GOP should have had that fact as their guiding principle ... NOT how the media was going to portray Akin and how he would be perceived.

Now a poll that indicates that Akin leads McCaskill. Granted the internals of the poll are a bit suspect (but not to the level of campaign internal poll) but it does make the point that maybe the GOP has miscalculated.

And if they insist they won't help Akin no matter what, then I suggest that if Akin wins, he needs to have a little sit down with Reince Priebus and Mitch McConnell and let them know that in response to the shunning and brow-beating, he would return the favor by opposing every rule change and political manipulation that the GOP supported as long as he was in the senate.

pm

JPFO alert

.
Help boost the 2nd Amendment.

Note: this drive is cheap considering all that JPFO does. pm

I've wondered ...

.
... why this threat isn't immediately on the lips of every gun maker:

Two venerable American gun manufacturers — Remington and Colt — could head for the West their weapons helped win if New York and Connecticut force them to implement microstamping technology.

Especially since the experience of Smith and Wesson when they slighted the very people who buy their wares.

Every gun maker should be prepared to move to more favorable climes any time the politicos mention any of this kind of crap, and also not to sell to areas that mandate this kind of crap (a la Ronnie Barrett).

And you know there are plenty of vacant manufacturing facilities that would gladly take them in.

pm

The fundraising ...

.
... begins today! Click on the link of your choice at the top of my blog. Give 'till it hurts!

Because my 5.11 Tactical Kilts are going to be later than hoped, I may be in pants for a couple of more days ... I'm going to attempt to cobble together a kilt to get started (hopefully by the first day of daughter's school).

Until then, pay no attention to that scary looking Italian who's wanting you to donate (or else!). I mean ... he rides a Hardley fer Chrissakes!

pm

The jig is up ...

.
... we are now the Whigs:

That is, what is the Romney camp — and the non-existent GOP establishment — trying to insulate itself against, particularly if it wins the election? Or rather, going back to interest in why rather than what, why, if they are preparing for an election win, would they be working preemptively to weaken the state delegations and the grass roots movement?

And the answer that keeps occurring to me is that the GOP must already fear a challenge to its authority from the TEA Party and the movement conservative base — they can see what’s happening at the state levels to any number of incumbents who have been defeated by upstarts and political outsiders — and they are concerned enough about such a challenge going forward that they were willing to alienate the conservatives now, at a time when We Simply Must Defeat Obama, essentially daring the base to walk away and give Obama another term, which they’ve calculated the base won’t do.

Or, to put it another way, never let a crisis go to waste.

They are who they have been waiting for, and who we will learn to hate (if we didn't already). They aren't the stupid party any more, because they know exactly what they're doing.

pm

But ... but ... but ...

.
... you only have to put gas in it once a month:

General Motors plans to idle the plant where it assembles the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid for four weeks starting next month, two people familiar with the plans said.

Union thugs hardest hit.

You reckon that nobody's buying these pieces of shit? You can do a lot of things in business, but the market will NOT be denied!

pm

Wow!

.
Someone has just removed the first supporting card:

A Florida appeals court has granted George Zimmerman's request for a new judge to oversee his trial for second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting.

A three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal found that Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. cast doubt on his impartiality when he wrote in his July 5 order setting $1 million bail that Zimmerman showed "blatant disregard for the judicial system" and that he was "manipulating the system for his own benefit."

If Esq O'Mara is playing hardball, then more power to him.

It's just my opinion, but a civil liability attorney who had half a brain and wanted to make his bones should start collecting all the evidence of the media shilling for that hag of a DA and the malfeasance that Corey has engaged in and be ready to present it to Zimmerman the minute his charges are dismissed. h/t palaeomerus

pm