Police unions ...

.
... are going to get LEO's killed:

The end of 2013 brought a measure of closure to a long-running Milwaukee police scandal, though some say the officer — and his cohorts — who repeatedly and illegally shoved his fingers up black male suspects’ anal cavities got off with a light sentence considering the flagrant nature of his abuses.

The ringleader was identified as officer Michael Vagnini, a white man who routinely targeted black males as young as fifteen for sadistic — and blatantly illegal — anal searches.

It is police unions which have gotten officers out of hot water for years now. But you can't violate the Law of Unintended Consequences.

pm

Funniest thing I've heard all day ...

.

"Friend,

Thanks for standing with our Republican team and fighting for our conservative principles." - John McCain, from a please-send-us-money letter from the GOP

Gigglesnort! Mr McCain wouldn't know a conservative principal if it bit him on the ass.

pm

This case will be ...

.
... and interesting one to watch:

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review a Texas case and determine whether when a homeowner exercises his Second Amendment rights he gives up his Fourth Amendment rights.

In short, does the Second trump the Fourth?
The question is being presented by the Rutherford Institute on behalf of John Quinn of Texas.
Quinn’s home was the subject of a no-knock, SWAT-team style forceful entry and raid based “solely on the suspicion that there were legally owned firearms in the household,” the legal brief explains.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/supremes-asked-if-2nd-amendment-trumps-4th/#CK7u6w6TLpmZg4g3.99

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review a Texas case and determine whether when a homeowner exercises his Second Amendment rights he gives up his Fourth Amendment rights.

In short, does the Second trump the Fourth?

The question is being presented by the Rutherford Institute on behalf of John Quinn of Texas.

I don't see this one going very far, though it should go to SCOTUS and the conviction overturned.

How can a person be blamed for responding with deadly force when armed, organized invaders enter his home? John Quinn is lucky to be alive.

Unfortunately, and it pains me to say, this won't stop until some cops and judges start ending up dead.

pm

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review a Texas case and determine whether when a homeowner exercises his Second Amendment rights he gives up his Fourth Amendment rights.

In short, does the Second trump the Fourth?
The question is being presented by the Rutherford Institute on behalf of John Quinn of Texas.
Quinn’s home was the subject of a no-knock, SWAT-team style forceful entry and raid based “solely on the suspicion that there were legally owned firearms in the household,” the legal brief explains.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/supremes-asked-if-2nd-amendment-trumps-4th/#CK7u6w6TLpmZg4g3.99

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review a Texas case and determine whether when a homeowner exercises his Second Amendment rights he gives up his Fourth Amendment rights.

In short, does the Second trump the Fourth?
The question is being presented by the Rutherford Institute on behalf of John Quinn of Texas.
Quinn’s home was the subject of a no-knock, SWAT-team style forceful entry and raid based “solely on the suspicion that there were legally owned firearms in the household,” the legal brief explains.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/supremes-asked-if-2nd-amendment-trumps-4th/#dRSQ1uokDteXHrTH.99

Merry Christmas!

.
I hope your is a good one!

The free ice cream machine ...

.
... has been unplugged.

My dad's having a pacemaker installed this morning so I'm going out of town for a couple three days. I'll see you when I get back!

pm

I see this rifle ...

.
... being a safe queen:

As accepted by the school board, there will be one rifle each in Gainesville High School, Gainesville Middle School and Wood’s Mill Academy. The proposed gun, a Colt 6920 M4 carbine, would be kept inside a safe, accessible only by the school resource officer using biometric technology. 

Sounds like the police are trying to get the school board to help pay for new rifles, since the school board is splitting the cost.

pm

When are we going to end ...

.
... the completely ineffective drug war?

Police are now saying the shot that killed an unarmed Ohio woman during a botched drug raid was purely accidental–and the officer who fired the shot didn’t even know that his gun had gone off.

I would submit that if you can't be aware of what your gun is doing in your name you probably shouldn't be carrying one.

pm

.
... it certainly has:

The US political system has completely failed.

The GOP is our next-to-worst enemy, and the sooner we admitted it the better.

pm

Drew M points out why ...

.
... the latest budget deal is bad:

It became clear months ago when the House only passed appropriation bills that increased spending and not the ones that actually cut spending that the fix was in.

And don't buy the nonsense about fees (aka "taxes") or higher pension contributions offsetting some of the spending. First, like almost all stopgap gimmicks they are...gimmicks. Second, in the case of higher pension contributions, that should happen even with the sequester in place to reduce costs, not to offset new ones.

The biggest problem with the "off-set" flimflam is that even if it helps offset hiking the budget and the debt, it does nothing to shrink the size and scope of government.

I've got a suggestion for John Boehner; any budget deal should only go to Sept 30 of 2014. Then next summer, he should craft and pass a budget (a real budget that leaves Obamacare alone) and then let the senate do it's fucking job. The only thing coming out of his mouth until the senate signs it is "It's the constitutional responsibility of the house of representatives to write all legislation concerning finances; if the government shuts down it's Harry Reid's fault, not Republicans.

He might also want to have someone break Peter King's jaw just before the vote.

pm

They'll keep on and keep on ...

.
... until they start getting .22's to the back of the head:

City cops barged into the home of a Staten Island mom without a warrant, beat up her family and callously killed her pet parakeet, according to court papers . . .

They went into the house because a gentleman refused to answer their questions about an orange cone in the road.

I will not be sorry about it, either.

pm

My wife ...

.
... will be dealing with this family in a few years:

A bullet ripped through the woman's thigh, through a vein and out the back of her kneecap. It buried itself in the ground. But really, it shot straight to the heart.

Audrey Marie Mayo, 24, and Matthew Tyler Webb, 23, have known each other for about two months. When they first met, she said, he seemed nice, friendly, responsible. Plus, he liked the Grateful Dead.

But Mayo said the two didn't officially become a couple until Nov. 21, after Mayo accidentally shot her.

Yes, the man shot at movement in the bushes, not realizing that the woman was the movement. Bonus points for equating this with the way cave men got their women.

pm

I'm pretty sure it won't do any good ...

.
...but the comments window for the proposed rule to change the requirements for using a trust to transfer NFA weapons closes on Dec 9.

I've commented (maybe even twice, I can't remember!) and if you go here, you can, too.

pm

A woman shot and killed by police on Capitol Hill supposedly was a threat to public safety, but a review of the known facts shows it was the police who may have posed the greater threat to public safety.
It appears Miriam Carey never violated any law until police began pursuing her car. Officers, on the other hand, fired numerous shots at her in a crowded public space near the Capitol

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/capitol-cops-gunned-down-my-innocent-sister/#8vu2BQFwJZ6bOMH6.99

A woman shot and killed by police on Capitol Hill supposedly was a threat to public safety, but a review of the known facts shows it was the police who may have posed the greater threat to public safety.
It appears Miriam Carey never violated any law until police began pursuing her car. Officers, on the other hand, fired numerous shots at her in a crowded public space near the Capitol

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/capitol-cops-gunned-down-my-innocent-sister/#8vu2BQFwJZ6bOMH6.99

An 11-year-old Oregon girl who wanted to help her father pay for her braces by selling mistletoe over the holidays, found herself embroiled in city bureaucracy. On Saturday, Madison Root went to the downtown market to sell fresh mistletoe she cut and wrapped herself from her uncle’s farm in Oregon.
She told KATU News, “I felt like I could help my dad with the money.”
However, a private security guard hired by Portland Saturday Market blocked her path to a straighter smile by telling her to stop selling the mistletoe, citing city rules that ban conducting business or soliciting at a park without proper approval and documentation.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/city-stops-girl-11-selling-mistletoe-to-fund-braces/#dKf4YRHYK9uQ1FAO.99

An 11-year-old Oregon girl who wanted to help her father pay for her braces by selling mistletoe over the holidays, found herself embroiled in city bureaucracy. On Saturday, Madison Root went to the downtown market to sell fresh mistletoe she cut and wrapped herself from her uncle’s farm in Oregon.
She told KATU News, “I felt like I could help my dad with the money.”
However, a private security guard hired by Portland Saturday Market blocked her path to a straighter smile by telling her to stop selling the mistletoe, citing city rules that ban conducting business or soliciting at a park without proper approval and documentation.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/city-stops-girl-11-selling-mistletoe-to-fund-braces/#dKf4YRHYK9uQ1FAO.99

An 11-year-old Oregon girl who wanted to help her father pay for her braces by selling mistletoe over the holidays, found herself embroiled in city bureaucracy. On Saturday, Madison Root went to the downtown market to sell fresh mistletoe she cut and wrapped herself from her uncle’s farm in Oregon.
She told KATU News, “I felt like I could help my dad with the money.”
However, a private security guard hired by Portland Saturday Market blocked her path to a straighter smile by telling her to stop selling the mistletoe, citing city rules that ban conducting business or soliciting at a park without proper approval and documentation.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/city-stops-girl-11-selling-mistletoe-to-fund-braces/#dKf4YRHYK9uQ1FAO.99

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... to win gunnie goodness.

Maybe it's time for us ...

.
... to play the 'Knockout' game:

“As we speak, we have multiple cars monitoring us at our offices and filming us from the parking lot,” Mike McAlpine, who headed up the recall effort, told me yesterday. “This is not a one-off event. We hold sign-and-drive events on the sidewalks near to busy intersections, and we hold signs inviting people to pull over and sign the petition. Our opponents have taken to blocking us: as cars pull in, they run up to the driver’s side door and physically stand next to the door so that the person inside cannot open the door and come outside.”

Especially since you can reasonably assume that anti-gunners won't be armed.

Hey, we're just channelling  our inner JFK!

pm

Lots of bad decisions ...

.
... but that doesn't mean criminal:

Questions about Georgia’s “stand your ground” law will surely be raised after a 72-year-old Chickamauga man was shot dead in a residential neighborhood Wednesday morning.

Shortly before 4 a.m. a man who was staying at a residence on Cottage Crest Court in Chickamauga called 911 to report a prowler in the yard, according to Walker County sheriff Steve Wilson.

Less than 10 minutes later the caller, identified as Joe Hendrix, 34, of Chattanooga, Tenn., made a second 911 call, this time to report he had shot someone he believed to be the prowler.

This is local to me but I'm sure you'll all hear about it, since it went national on Friday.

As this is Monday, there has been a lot more information come out, but not nearly enough to make a good call (though the information that's come from the sheriff's department indicates no charges).

I would like to apologize ...

.
... for the conspicuous lack of posting.

I've had some internet problems, and I've had a dog missing for 3 days. The internet is working well now, and the dog returned this morning, so I'll be lovin' on her for a while (yes, I'm one of those!).

Given that this is a holiday week, it's not likely that I'll post much if anything the rest of the week. In any case, I wish everyone a safe and yummy Thanksgiving Day and I hope you all enjoy your family to the fullest!

pm

I've been thinking ...

.
... and my conclusions aren't pretty.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnfkenn101159.html#mrctmESowDiLIX2R.99

 Those who make peaceful revolution will make violent revolution inevitable. JFK

I've was thinking about the David Eckert case out of New Mexico, after reading an update by Mike McDaniel (he's an excellent read) and I came to a realization (trust me, it's not the first time).

No one, save perhaps the doctors, will be held accountable for what happened to Mr Eckert. The judge won't be punished; the ADA will not be punished; the officers likely won't be punished.

Nothing will change in our country until certain people start dying.

pm

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnfkenn101159.html#mrctmESowDiLIX2R.99

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnfkenn101159.html#mrctmESowDiLIX2R.99

Until the government can be trusted* ...

.
... I can no longer support the death penalty:

But of course we don't measure justice by how many people the state executes. We measure it by how well states and counties administer fair trials and due process. And the problem here is that there seems to be a strong correlation between counties that frequently send people to death row, and counties with high rates of wrongful conviction, forensics scandals and prosecutorial misconduct, as found by appeals courts.

 In my neck of the woods, it was the case of Tonya Craft who, after even the father one of her accusers told investigators that the daughter and mother were making shit up, was charged with 23-odd charges of child molestation.

She was found Not Guilty on all counts and spent $500k on her defense. I know that's not a death penalty case but if you pay attention, there are lots of folks getting out of prison and an equal number of prosecutors that double down on their convictions.

I believe that the death penalty, fairly applied is just. What we have now is anything but.

pm

*That's kinda self-fulfilling, isn't it?!

A call out ...

.
... to all Texas A&M alumni:

A full-time professor on the faculty of the newly-minted Texas A&M University School of Law called for the repeal and replacement of the Second Amendment on Friday.

Call the president of the university and tell him 'No more money until this bint is fired.'

pm

Finally got ...

.
... one of the new Marlin LTR's!

I haven't shot it yet (it's kinda rainy right now ... I know, not an excuse) but I fully intend to get it sighted in for dedicated Appleseed duty within a week. I jusdt need to check the instructions on how to adjust the Tech Sights. More to follow ...

pm

I've got an idea ...

.
... of how to handle this:



If you're walking down the street and 'urban youths' approach you, you should stop, face them and immediately be ready (as in it's half-way out already) to draw your firearm.

But that's just me.

pm

I hope this doesn't get kicked out ....

.
... when it gets to court:

Sheriff's deputies must face claims related to their shooting of a man who heard possible intruders outside his home and stepped out with a gun to investigate, the 4th Circuit ruled.

 This one is interesting because the man suing did have a gun, but the judge basically ruled that the deputies fear was unreasonable.

And just so they know; if you want to speak to someone at their house, knock on the door and announce yourself ... don't peck on the window.

pm

I would really like to help ...

.
... but alas, it seems you're on your own:

Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States.

 I applaud these two young men who protected themselves via the bet means available.

It's just too bad that the university would rather they be injured or dead.

pm

This is definately ...

.

... a goodness thing:

A couple of weeks ago we brought you up to date on the new Autumn blockbuster, Chevron’s Revenge: The Good Guys Strike Back. The huge energy company (and major American employer, let’s not forget) was taking New York lawyer Steven Donziger and his pals who had been attempting to pick their pockets to court for a RICO trial. The case has been proceeding in a stately fashion since then, with more witnesses appearing to describe the extremely shady events which led to the original judgement against Chevron.

Trust me, it gets better. Apparently the judge didn't remember even any of the less salient points of the decision, which is alleged to have been written by Donziger.

I hope they drain every penny ... corporations do enough shady shit without having plaintiffs resort to fraud.

pm

Happy birthday ...

.
... and Semper Fidelis!

238 years and going strong!

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... to win shooty stuff.

Go. Enter. Maybe win.

Either way, it pisses off the right people!

pm

Yeah, but it wasn't ...

.
... Rape rape:

So, whatever happened to "keep your laws off my body" anyway? And how does the so-called "War on Drugs" permit the police to rape innocent civilians? 

David Eckert underwent 2 instances of having fingers inside his ass, 2 x-rays, 3 enemas and a colonoscopy. All of this happened after the first emergency room refused to perform the exams (because it was unethical). But Gila Medical Center stepped up and gladly died the exams ... and then billed Mr Eckert!

I've already heard a couple of places advocating a .270 solution. Can't say I disagree.

pm

This is how the debate ...

.
... on Obamacare should go:

Napoleon once said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” House Republicans have decided to follow that advice, often reiterated by John Boehner, according to National Journal’s Tim Alberta and Billy House.  Rather than launch a public-relations attack on ObamaCare, they’re going to let it speak for itself and head home for the recess[.]

And every time a talking head asks a Republican what they are going to do to help fix Obamacare, the only thing out of their mouth should be "Well, we've voted how many times to repeal Obamacare but the Democrats in congress know what you need better than you do, and You're Welcome."

Oh, yeah ... Republicans don't want that to happen, because they might actually have to espouse true conservative principles.

pm

Vox shows that you should never ...

.
... shy away from hitting a girl:



Especially when the girl can't keep her mouth shut about how bad she is.

Also note that, so far, there have been no female officer graduates from infantry school.

pm

You can beat the rap ...

.
... but you can't beat the ride (action starts around 6:30):



I give full credit to the folks that calmly allowed themselves to be arrested. I also give credit to the TX officers that kept their cool during the arrests.

But if law enforcement keeps abusing the law to suit a political agenda (whether it's intended or not), it won't be long before citizens start taking things up a notch.

pm

I tire ...

.
... of this attitude:

OK, Libertarians you proved your point, you're the kingmakers here. Now suck it up and prevent disaster.

Someone explain to me why anyone (let alone libertarians) should vote for a candidate that doesn't hold a plurality of your values?

One of my senators is Saxby Chambliss (thankfully retiring), who, as a Republican would seem to be the default candidate for the frustrated libertarian in GA. But he doesn't ascribe to even a bare minimum of libertarian-ish policies ... why should I vote for him.

And why should conservatives be the ones who continually have to hold their noses come election time? Why can't conservatives start voting for the libertarians, especially when the libertarian candidate is much more likely to form a government that appeals to conservatives than Republicans?

The bi-factional single party we have now is hopelessly broken; voting for squishy Republicans who claim to appeal to the squishy middle is simply a recipe for prolonging the death of America.

pm

I wonder why Republicans ...

.
... don't attack media bias this way?

The BBC could lose its exclusive right to the licence fee if it does not tackle a “culture” of secrecy, waste and unbalanced reporting, a senior Cabinet minister warns.

I mean, it's not like there's not ample evidence to support a charge of bias, is there?

pm

The BBC could lose its exclusive right to the licence fee if it does not tackle a “culture” of secrecy, waste and unbalanced reporting, a senior Cabinet minister warns.
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/news-bias-could-cost-bbc-5-8-billion/#wKJTjQdKGh2hjx0E.99

The BBC could lose its exclusive right to the licence fee if it does not tackle a “culture” of secrecy, waste and unbalanced reporting, a senior Cabinet minister warns.
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/news-bias-could-cost-bbc-5-8-billion/#wKJTjQdKGh2hjx0E.99

Yeah, this Craigslist ad ...

.
... is epic!

-Why are you such a dick?
    Everything is relative; you should see my friends.

Read the whole thing and chuckle ...

pm

It's gotten to the point ...

.
... that everyone needs video:

Officer Philip Nace . . . is perhaps the first Philly lawman to get benched for what a police spokesman described simply as "idiotic behavior." . . .

"Nace is nasty," said Louis Goode, 55, who has lived on the corner of Park Avenue and Auburn Street for 30 years. "It's like he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed every morning."

And after several complaints, internal affairs took them seriously only when someone brought video of Nace' behavior.

pm

Because mistakes that paint Democrat politicians in a bad light ...

.
... are not to be tolerated:

The Huffington Post first reported Monday that the AP had fired veteran Virginia political reporter Bob Lewis and Richmond-based editor Dena Potter over an erroneous Oct. 9 report alleging that McAuliffe had lied to a federal investigator.

Atlanta-based AP editor Norman Gomlak confirmed Tuesday that he had also been fired over the McAuliffe story. (Politico was first to publish Gomlak's name after HuffPost revealed earlier Tuesday that a third employee had been fired.) 

If you're going to make mistakes that harm politicians, make sure that it's a Republican ...

pm

An interesting article ...

.
... about allowing firearms:

 Across the country, employers are grappling with new laws that bring guns closer to the office.

Starbucks Corp. SBUX +1.83% made headlines recently when its chief executive asked customers to keep guns out of company cafes. His appeal thrust the company into local and nationwide debates about the role of private business and public gun laws.

Today, some 22 states have passed laws that limit property owners’ ability to ban firearms in vehicles in parking areas, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco-based gun-control advocacy group.

It's always been my opinion that employers can proscribe, for their employees, firearms inside their premises.

It's also been my opinion that those businesses that operate as a corporation of LLC should be required to follow state laws regarding the carriage of firearms. After all, if you're going to take the protections provided by the state, you have to allow what the state allows.

pm

6.7KShare 34Tweet 1 2Share 6.8KShare

22 States Now Say Businesses Can NOT Ban Guns on Their Property

Share6.7K Tweet34 1 Share2 Share6.8K

in Email Featured, JMM news / by jmmedia / on October 17, 2013 at 2:19 pm

Across the country, employers are grappling with new laws that bring guns closer to the office.
Starbucks Corp. SBUX +1.83% made headlines recently when its chief executive asked customers to keep guns out of company cafes. His appeal thrust the company into local and nationwide debates about the role of private business and public gun laws.
Today, some 22 states have passed laws that limit property owners’ ability to ban firearms in vehicles in parking areas, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco-based gun-control advocacy group.

Read more at http://janmorganmedia.com/2013/10/22-states-now-say-businesses-can-ban-guns-property/#xtY1ktYBmdQ6D3Db.99

6.7KShare 34Tweet 1 2Share 6.8KShare

22 States Now Say Businesses Can NOT Ban Guns on Their Property

Share6.7K Tweet34 1 Share2 Share6.8K

in Email Featured, JMM news / by jmmedia / on October 17, 2013 at 2:19 pm

Across the country, employers are grappling with new laws that bring guns closer to the office.
Starbucks Corp. SBUX +1.83% made headlines recently when its chief executive asked customers to keep guns out of company cafes. His appeal thrust the company into local and nationwide debates about the role of private business and public gun laws.
Today, some 22 states have passed laws that limit property owners’ ability to ban firearms in vehicles in parking areas, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco-based gun-control advocacy group.

Read more at http://janmorganmedia.com/2013/10/22-states-now-say-businesses-can-ban-guns-property/#xtY1ktYBmdQ6D3Db.99

6.7KShare 34Tweet 1 2Share 6.8KShare

22 States Now Say Businesses Can NOT Ban Guns on Their Property

Share6.7K Tweet34 1 Share2 Share6.8K

in Email Featured, JMM news / by jmmedia / on October 17, 2013 at 2:19 pm

Across the country, employers are grappling with new laws that bring guns closer to the office.
Starbucks Corp. SBUX +1.83% made headlines recently when its chief executive asked customers to keep guns out of company cafes. His appeal thrust the company into local and nationwide debates about the role of private business and public gun laws.
Today, some 22 states have passed laws that limit property owners’ ability to ban firearms in vehicles in parking areas, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco-based gun-control advocacy group.

Read more at http://janmorganmedia.com/2013/10/22-states-now-say-businesses-can-ban-guns-property/#xtY1ktYBmdQ6D3Db.99

Across the country, employers are grappling with new laws that bring guns closer to the office.
Starbucks Corp. SBUX +1.83% made headlines recently when its chief executive asked customers to keep guns out of company cafes. His appeal thrust the company into local and nationwide debates about the role of private business and public gun laws.
Today, some 22 states have passed laws that limit property owners’ ability to ban firearms in vehicles in parking areas, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco-based gun-control advocacy group.

Read more at http://janmorganmedia.com/2013/10/22-states-now-say-businesses-can-ban-guns-property/#FsiSz3mwduF5GKIi.99

This explanation is much better ...

.
... than any I could pen:

A true “small” government conservative would say, “There’s no percentage in taking money from people only to give it back to them after the federal government takes a cut in managing fees and adds tons of regulations to it. Let the people keep their own money at home and make the closest and most responsible level of government handle it as the community sees fit. Get the know-it-alls in DC out of the mix.” 

If you read the whole thing, it's much worse.

As far as I can see it, there are few actual 'small' government conservatives left in Washington, which is why the GOP is, as a long-term party, is dead.

pm

Could this be ...

.
... what bursts the education bubble?

Starbucks’ 95,000 baristas have a competitor. It doesn’t need sleep. It’s precise in a way that a human could never be. It requires no training. It can’t quit. It has memorized every one of its customers’ orders. There’s never a line for its perfectly turned-out drinks.

Vox says it's at least the end of the liberal arts major (what the hell is a liberal arts major good for, anyway?!).

The more I live my life, the more I believe that economic laws of supply and demand are what actually rules the world ...

pm

I was going to dispense advice ...

.
... but I realized the GOP won't heed it.

We don't need a third party as much as we need two opposing parties instead of the bi-factional ruling party we have now.

pm

Rebecca Ann Sedwick is the particular ...

.
... Vox uses to discuss the general:

Society has become far too soft and tolerant of the wicked.

Indeed. I'm reminded of the case of Ken McElroy and how long it took for the townspeople to take decisive action.

The same should apply to our elected officials.

pm

If they figure this out ...

.
... they will have documented God:

“The heart of my interest is the dog-human relationship,” says Emory neuroeconomist Gregory Berns, director of the university's Center for Neuropolicy. His latest research involves training dogs to enter a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner (fMRI) and hold perfectly still, so that he can scan their brain activity.

pm

I knew ...

.
... it was only a matter of time:

The engine was printed by GPI Prototype and Manufacturing Services using a technique called Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). In this 3D printing process, a powder of the chromium-cobalt alloy is spread in a thin layer by the printing machine. A computer-controlled laser then fuses the powder into a cross section of the engine component. The machine spreads a second layer of powder and the process repeats until the component is complete.

And if University of California students have access to the technology, it won't be long before every engineering school in the country has it. And then it will make it's way into your garage.

pm

I wonder if there's been a run ...

.
... on these?

There are simply not enough rangers and law enforcement to contain the American people if they decide to rebel and enter national parks.

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... to win shooty goodness.

And who wouldn't want more shooty goodness?!

pm

Even though it's likely to be used against us ...

.
... it's still pretty cool!





pm

Got a new computer ...

.
... so I'll probably be occupied with the changeover.

pm

Something you'll never see ...

.
... coming from the Democrat caucus:

Ted Cruz faced a barrage of hostile questions Wednesday from angry GOP senators, who lashed the Texas tea party freshman for helping prompt a government shutdown crisis without a strategy to end it.

That's because they actually want to win politically.

The sooner the GOP collapses the better.

pm

Happy birthday ...

.
... to me!

I'll be eating your free ice cream ...

pmk

The federal government has shut down

.
Good ... at least we're safe until the Republicans cave yet again.

pm

Prof Jacobson reposts a fine article ...

.
... on sitting down in the snow:

Conservatives face a choice. Yield to “progressive” policies which, once implemented will take a generation to undo, or stand on principles of free enterprise, individual liberty, and capitalism? Giving in is much easier, but in the long run more costly. We can learn a lot about the power of standing on principle from Anatoly Sharansky ….

Sharansky sat down in the snow after the Soviets, who had just released him from 10 years of prison, had taken his cherished book of Psalms as they were leading him on the tarmac to the plane that would take him to freedom.

He wanted his book back.

They gave it to him.

WHY are rank-and-file Republicans not demanding that the elected GOP start actually acting like conservatives? Considering the GOP caves at every opportunity against those that are in opposition to them, is it not reasonable that they might be pursuaded to conform when they are in opposition to those who elected them in the first place?

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Sorry for the blogging disruption ...

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... you've no idea how loud a buggered laptop fan can be until you have a buggered laptop fan!

Maybe I'll get a new desktop box for my birthday ...

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Popular Science ...

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... eschews debate:

Comments can be bad for science. That's why, here at PopularScience.com, we're shutting them off. It wasn't a decision we made lightly. As the news arm of a 141-year-old science and technology magazine, we are as committed to fostering lively, intellectual debate as we are to spreading the word of science far and wide. The problem is when trolls and spambots overwhelm the former, diminishing our ability to do the latter....

As Vox said, it's not that the science is (or isn't) settled, it's because their writers can't advance arguments that can withstand scrutiny.

If you think back to 6th grade science class, there is nothing about most current science that remotely resembles the scientific method. h/t Vox Day

Movie review: Tha Art of the Precision Rifle

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I know, not exactly a fall blockbuster!

I've got Magpul's Art of the Tactical Carbine and have enjoyed it, so it was natural that when the opportunity presented itself to get Art of the Precision Rifle I jumped.

In the video, Travis Haley and Chris Costa (along with two other shooters) spend some time with Todd Hodnett at Accuracy 1st, a precision shooting camp in west TX. Todd and his company consults and teaches military and law enforcement, as well as civilian shooters. He's developed a system on getting quick, accurate shots on target at extended ranges as well as ballistics programs and graphic aids to help the shooter.

One of the most interesting things Hodnett demonstrates on the video is the capability of his ballistics program to 'true' the computations based on real-world conditions. As an artilleryman in a former life, I immediately recognized the process as equivalent to 'registering' and artillery piece. The registration process is one in which you take into account things that your gunnery solution can't (such as things like cant of the piece). His program has the ability to adjust the predicted solution to match what the bullet is actually doing based on current conditions.

Add to this a facility in west TX in which he can allow students to shoot at ranges up to 2K meters in all directions and you've got a slow-paced yet exciting video (the Mile Shot is particularly intersesting).

If you can find the video to borrow I encourage it ..;. when I win the lottery, I'll be taking a class!

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The IRS ...

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... gets caught again:

When the IRS starts targeting political dissent for scrutiny, they have stopped being a revenue collector and have become instead a political enforcer.  That’s dangerous for all Americans, and Congress needs to demand and enforce immediate reform in the IRS. 

I've got a better idea. If you're ever contacted by the IRS, tell them you'd be happy to meet in your attorneys office. If they show up, sit down, draw a handgun and lay it on the table.

Now lets talk.

Our society is doomed because we've taken all of the consequence out of bad actions. Jefferson warned us this would happen.

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Athis makes a certain amount ...

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... of sense:

Laws should be written in comportment with human behavior. It is normal human behavior to shoot a fleeing punk in this situation. The law should therefore bless it.

The law should not be an ass.

The law should be written to make sense to the common man, not the exceptional one. Perhaps an exceptional man places so much value on the life of the man who just beat him, threatened him with a shotgun, and stole his fortune that he would rather let a fleeing robber escape than fire a shot at him.

The story is about the French jeweler who is facing charges for shooting a fleeing man who had just robbed him and his store.

Some who know economic theory would tend to agree. The thought that possessions aren't worth someone's life is only valid if you believe that possessions just appear out of thin air. The things you have (unless you've stolen them) you've obtained by trading portions of your life for money, money that you then used to get your things. So one could make the case that by taking your things, a robber is taking a part of your life. I tend to agree.

How much of your life would you be willing to part with before you started shooting?

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Alan of the squirrel report ...

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... posted this picture on his facebook page:




As a former artilleryman, this made me laugh. Hip-pocket arty like mortars are capable of surprising accuracy, but they're still area weapons. It's hilarious that these gents are trying to 'lay' their piece when they really don't care exactly where the shell lands!

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Handguns for women bleg

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I was listening to one of Deviant Ollum's presentations about firearms and defense (watch it, it's good), and I heard something that made me think. Thus my bleg ...

When it comes to women and firearms, what 6 handguns would you select for a new female shooter to try at a range. Do not consider caliber, but do tale similarity between models into account (don't pick a Colt Commander and a Kimber Pro Carry).

During Deviant's Q&A, Mouse made the suggestion for women to go to a range and rent a bunch of guns (while noting that gun ranges have a vested interest in making you feel welcome). It made me think about a range putting together an 'Absolutely New Shooter' package with 6 handguns and appropriate ammo, priced at, say $100.

If you think that 6 is too many (or too few) make your case. Also make suggestions about price point (I don't go to an indoor range ... I have property on which I can shoot) since I don't know what a range charges.

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She's wrong ...

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... about so many things:

Here's what matters for the future of gun control: Advocates needed to send a signal that politicians could vote for gun control without fear of ending their careers. Instead, they sent the opposite message.

As shown in Colorado, gun-control support is truly a mile wide and an inch deep; even though they're well-funded gun control advocates can't deliver squat.

As much as I may not like them, the NRA knows wht it's about come election time.

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It's good ...

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... that sometimes there's accountability:

Former cop Joshua Colclough admitted Friday that he shot her unarmed son dead, during a botched drug raid that ignited racially charged tensions across the city.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and accepted a four-year prison sentence . . . 

There's video, though I haven't watched it (sometimes you just don't need to see yet another innocent gunned down).

Maybe all of the pinhole cameras showed that the DA had no choice.

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Who'd have thunk ...

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... that law enforcement, when watched, is more polite?

Earlier this year, a 12-month study by Cambridge University researchers revealed that when the city of Rialto, California, required its cops to wear cameras, the number of complaints filed against officers fell by 88 percentand the use of force by officers dropped by almost 60 percent. Watched cops are polite cops.

I remember when a local law enforcement agency first got cameras, and when it came to bolstering the cop's version, cameras were the greatest thing since sliced bread. When cameras went against the cop's version, not so much. Lawdog, on Alan's Vicious Circle, talks a bit about how the camera is your friend or your enemy, depending on your actions.

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This one from Hot Air ...

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... inadvertently shows why the GOP will always lose:

Take, take, take, wind industry — I have few doubts that what started as a five year exemption will be extended, and then extended another time after that, and another after that…

The exemption in question is the one granted to wind turbine companies which gives them a free pass when protected birds are killed by the spinning turbine blades, and it's up for renewal.

Now, if Republicans try to stop the exemption, they'll be tarred as being against clean energy and not caring about granny having electricity to run her vaporizer ... and they'll cave.

But Republicans won't even consider labelling Democrats as eagle-killers and not caring about endangered species. Nor would they consider agreeing with any conservation organizations who are against the wanton slaying of protected birds. Imagine the press release that the WWF or the Sierra Club would release naming the GOP as their friend in the fight to Save the Birds!

But no, the exemption will be extended ... because the GOP are wimps.

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Vox points out a truism ...

.
... mixing cultures doesn't necessarily end in happiness:

This multi-generational societal devastation is the cost of giving in to the multiculturalist dogma of half-savages like Jemisin and fatherless, clueless hypocrites like Scalzi. 

RTWT

Vox has long beaten the drum of Vibrancy and how it is destined to destroy western Civilization.

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Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

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... to win stuff.

Go. Enter. Maybe win something ... I don't mind!

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This open carry incident is a bit old ...

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... but that doesn't mean I can't comment:

The 23-minute video was posted the YouTube on Aug. 24. It shows three men sitting outside a San Antonio Starbucks displaying rifles. Several passersby stop and talk to the men. At least one woman stops to take video on her cell phone.

Police eventually showed up after they received a call from a woman who claimed she was “freaked out” by the display of weapons. Officers approached the men, questioned them about the situation and told the gun holders they needed to leave.

Legally, they were doing nothing wrong (their rifles were unloaded). But based on one woman being 'freaked out' about 3 men exercising their rights, well, none of that shit in my garden!

First, I have a real problem with having how someone feels dictating what I can or can't do. My example (not a very good one) is that if I intend insult and none is taken, no foul; if I don't intend insult and insult is taken the problem is with the insulted.

Second, as evidenced by the video, the three gentlemen were ... well ... gentlemen. They were respectful, they didn't raise their voices, they didn't even go into the typical 'Am I being detained' schpiel that you see a lot. they even told the police that they had tried to call the police in the area to give them a heads up about what they were planning (that they got an answering machine at the number they called - wrong - is beside the point). And they called the Starbucks to make sure that there were no restrictions by the store to them following state and federal laws.

In short, they did everything they could do outside of sending Royal Messenger Marvin ahead to announce their arrival to make those who might have to deal with them aware.

And it even looked like the young officer was at least empathetic to their cause, making sure the gents had the correct phone # in case they tried again. Of course, you should always get the name of who you talked to if you call a business about any kind of activism.

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I know Sebastian doesn't think much of these laws ...

.
... but the devil is certainly there:

Now the MSSA is preparing an appeal to the Supreme Court with the hope of convincing the court to overturn its previous decisions. The implications of a favorable ruling in this case reach far beyond the ability of individuals to avoid $200 tax stamps with 80% lowers and homemade suppressors. It will affect every aspect of federal regulation, business, and state legislation.

And it would.

If precedent is established that the states have the sole power to regulate purely state-intended commerce (that is, non-interstate commerce),then a whole system of federal regulation is in danger.

Which is why, after Scalia shut Alan gura down with his crazy-talk about Priveledges and Immunities in McDonald, cert will either not be granted or it will lose. Can't be following the constitution now, can we?

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I have arrived!

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I've been banned for 12 hours on Facebook.

The Facebook group 1 Million Moms Against Gun Control (1MMAGC) has been having a bunch of problems with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense (MDA) complaining about the way 1MMAGC treats MDA' founder, Shannon Watts (aka Shannon Troughton). It seems that Ms Watts has a CV in public relations and Democrat activism and she's appalled that any group opposed would bring up that she just might be a queen of astroturf.

1MMAGC has gotten a ruling from Facebook that Shannon Watts is a public figure as relates to Facebook policy and that they shouldn't have any more problems with MDA getting 1MM put into the 12-hour time out.

But yesterday, Hypocrisy and Stupidity of Gun Control posted a link to Miguels fine research on Shannon Watts, whereupon they were promptly put into timeout. Before the Facebook action, I was able to re-post what Hypocrisy had posted.

My turn was yesterday ... got out of timeout around 8:00 yesterday evening.

I'm not sure if there's anything I can do to prevent the same from happening in the future; all I can say for sure is that if she's the one responsible for my being banned, Shannon Watts is a miserable, thin-skinned, whiny bitch.

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PS: Yes, I immediately re-posted the link!

This concept ...

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... is a very interesting one:

For the weapon to be protected by the federal constitution, citizens must to be able to “keep” it and to “bear” it — and also to discriminate with it. This is why a handgun is quite obviously protected while a cruise or nuclear missile is quite obviously not.

I'm on record as being a 2nd amendment absolutist, leaving the fact that high-yield conventional and nuclear weapons are simply out of economic reach of most citizens to regulate their use. The idea that one must be able to discriminate (selectively target) with a protected arm is a novel one.

If you consider the discrimination argument as controlling, then most arms that utilize an explosive would be outside of constitutional protection since they are indiscriminate weapons. One could make the argument, however that these weapons aren't typically used for target practice outside of a designated firing range, but rather in a combat scenario where combatants aren't directing fire at non-combatants.

But that argument is way in the future. It's uplifting to hear that at least one justice doesn't automatically agree that some NFA arms are taboo.

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I know I shoudln't be surprised ...

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... but hearing confirmation is just chilling:

Fortunately for me, when my county's sheriff found out that they were purposefully putting my life in danger on bad calls, he ordered his deputies to come and back me up, no matter what. 

This from a letter to Radley Balko, following the release of his new book, from a retired female police officer.

I had no doubt that such behaviour went on in the LE community; still, it's heartbreaking to know that those who swore (or at least went through the motions) to protect will actively try to harm one who follows the law.

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Just saw this ...

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... while checking my feeds:

On August 22, 1992, Dale was an HRT Operator tasked to a mission in which he found himself facing armed adversaries. His thoughts were not only on the situation at hand, but the tragic death of a child and a U.S. Marshal. During this type of confrontation when people die, you don’t have the ability to pick sides, they are drawn before you arrive. Dale did what he was trained to do as a sniper / observer. He was fortunate not to have to take a life at this engagement. Special Agent Horiuchi made the regrettable shot, a mistake for which he will never be forgiven. Of the FBI Agents assigned to the Ruby Ridge tragedy, Dale has been one of the most outspoken. He has delivered dozens of presentations to more than 1000 civilians titled “Mistakes and Lessons of Ruby Ridge”.

This is a statement by Steve Troy, who owns Troy Industries and who has hired Lon Horiuchi's spotter/sniper Dale Monroe. During the congressional hearings of Ruby Ridge, Monroe defended Horiuchi and stated that he was ready to take the same shot.

Has no one heard about H-S Precision?

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Trouble brewing ...

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... in the NFA arena:

The bill would also increase the transfer tax on all weapons (except antique guns) covered under the National Firearms Act (which excludes most common guns) from $200 to $500 and index to inflation and  increase the transfer tax for any other weapon from $5 to $100.

I know that a lot of folks don't even know about the NFA mostly because suppressors and machine guns aren't in 'common use' these days (though suppressors are making inroads), and so there will probably be some support in general for this provision. It's therefore our responsibility to contact our legislators to make sure that this bill never gets off the ground.

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These are bad signs ...

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... for vibrancy in America:

This is the worst video of black mob violence you will see today. Maybe ever: Four black children beat and taunt a three-year old white girl. Then the cameraman posted it on Facebook over the weekend with the heading, “When white people piss black people off.”

This, combined with the racial grievance industry noting that black-on-white crime is "frowned upon", is going to lead to the lynching coming back as a means of controlling feral 'vibrancy'.

This is serious, folks. If politicians and law enforcement will not do anything to stop racial crimes for fear of being called racists, the public will start taking matters into their own hands ... and that is going to be very, very bad for this country.

And I'm not the only one to notice:

It increasingly appears as if the two choices facing America are peaceful segregation or ethnic violence and civil war.  Contra the expectations of the multicultis and the anti-racists, the vibrant community is becoming less civilized as they become more numerous.  The civil rights vision has failed and appeasement clearly works no better with vibrants than it did with Nazis.

 I hope against hope that we don't go there, but if it happens, I'll be ready to defend me and mine.

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Will no one rid me ...

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..,. of this intolerable man?

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell called the verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, “questionable” Sunday.

 His statements are a bit hard to pin down as to what he really means; leave it to the media to NOT ask the questions which would clarify.

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More evidence ...

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... that will be promptly ignored:

Once again, a study from an organization that you would never accuse of being “gun-loving” or “right-wing” seems to disprove the myth that the availability of handguns increases murder rates.  In fact, it doesn’t.

But you knew that already, didn't you?!

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