Be safe ...

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

Happy New Year!

pm

I'll go out on a limb ...

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

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

Instead, she was dragged out in cuffs.

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

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

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

Truth ...

.
... Living in Babylon haz it:

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

It goes downhill from there!

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

pm

JPFO alert

Aaron Zelman and the NRA.

I need to ...

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

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

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

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

pm

Radley proposes ...

.
... a new rule:

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

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

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

pm

Nomenclature ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

pm

Another warrior ...

.
... is at peace:

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

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

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

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

Bastards. May peace be upon you, Siobhan.

pm

Craftsmanship

.


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

pm

My newest ...

.
... email signature:

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

h/t Bruce (RTWT)

Police are brave ...

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

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

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

pm

JPFO alert

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

A Christmas message

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

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

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

Luke 2

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

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

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

God bless you all ... pm

Holy shit!

.
I dropped out of school way too early!



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

pm

More common sense ...

.
... about how to handle dogs:

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

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

pm

More common sense, Pt Deux ...

.
I almost couldn't contain myself:

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

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

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

Damn ... I mean, damn!

pm

damn it, damn it, damn it ...

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

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

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

I think I need to lie down ...

pm

I may get in a LOT of trouble.

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

It really doesn't matter to me.

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

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

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

pm

Hee hee hee ...

.
... moose hunting!

Of course ...

.
the charges against a former Only One were dropped:

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

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

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

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

pm

The Hobbit

.
It haz a trailer:



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

pm

JPFO alert

JPFO remembers Aaron Zelman.

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

I missed this ... L Neil Smith eulogizes.

pm

Is it any wonder ...

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

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

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

pm

JPFO alert

A Chanukah greeting from Rabbi Bendory.

So, who is ...

.
... the gun lobby?

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

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

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

pm

The time ...

.
... she gets closer:

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

You really need to read the whole post.

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

pm

Now this ...;

.
... is funny!

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

.

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

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

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

There is, predictably, much discussion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

pm

JPFO alert

Greeks bearing gifts.

But I thought ...

.
... drug dealers were dangerous!

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

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

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

pm

Presented ...

.
... for general information purposes.

Yep ...

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

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

Old-fashioned indeed!

pm

Notice ...

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

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

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

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

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

pm

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

.
... when there are better ways?

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

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

Kinda boggles the mind, don't it?

pm

This ...

.
... is getting attention:



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

pm

JPFO alert

Jewish groups ban concealed weapons.

Since I am obviously deficient ...

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

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

HB 679 would eliminate:

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

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

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

pm

Yes ...

.
... we are winning:

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

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

pm

Don't have much today ...

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

an absolutist, doctrinaire policy of pacifism

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

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

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

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

pm

It may be dreary ...

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

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

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

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

pm

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

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

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

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

pm

Vox points out ...

.
... yet more truth:

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

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

pm

JPFO alert

.
Open letter to the Arizona Republic newspaper.

Plus, they've got new T-shirts!

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... to win stuff.

pm

Be careful ... (graphic)

.
... all the time.

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




Be safe out there.

Unelectable!

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

pm

Call to action!

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

Do it for the children.

pm

I guess your home ...

.
... really isn't your castle:

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

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

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

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

pm

Puppycide strikes ...

.
... again:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thankfully, there's hope on the horizon:

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

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

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

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

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

pm

LSU vs Bama!

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

pm

JPFO alert

The anti-gun mind exposed.

One day ...

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

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

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

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

pm

Vox points out ...

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

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

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

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

pm

Blatant ...

.
... thievery:

Azmat: I think those guys were rob me.
Me: I agree.
Azmat: You scare them off?
Me: I didn't say a word to them.
Azmat: Your gun scare them off.
Me: Perhaps. You should call the police and report this.
Azmat: Yes, I will. You stay and talk to them too?
Me: Sure.

OC works ... get over it.

pm

This ...

.
... is my shocked face:

New research takes some of the most dire global warming projections off the table. A study published last week in the journal Science concludes that the more extreme climate change scenarios, which involve temperature increases of up to 10°F are implausible. Instead, the study finds, we are likely in the midst of a more manageable, but still potentially dangerous, shift in the planet’s climate.

Sorry we made such a big stink about climate change because all of that teeth-gnashing about the seas rising eleventy feet is kinda extreme and not really plausible but it's really really dangerous and you should give all your money to liberals for redistributing.

That about sums it up ... h/t Ace

pm

A quick note ...

.
... about things regarding the military.

I'm a Marine veteran, having served in Desert Storm. I joined the reserves because I wanted to give something back (but at the time had a sort of career, so didn't want to go full-time). When we got the phone call, I had no regrets or reservations. I went, I served and I came back.

I don't particularly try to remember about that time, and as a result of my Affliction, my memory of it gets dimmer and dimmer.

And on top of that, I'm not particularly witty or eloquent, so writing my thoughts about how I feel about the military is imperfect at best. Suffice it to say that I am eternally grateful for every man and woman who puts him/herself in harms' way to keep us (ostensibly) safe. I will always stand behind the men and women of the military who serve honorably.

The politicians who direct their actions, well, that's another story! Don't hate the player, hate the game ...

pm

Why do people willingly ...

.
... subject themselves to this:

Matthew Lopez went to the Wal-Mart in Porter Ranch on Thursday night for the Black Friday sale but instead was caught in a pepper-spray attack by a woman who authorities said was "competitive shopping."

I've never been OC'ed before (though I do have experience with CS gas), but I'm not sure I'd respond with less-than-lethal force.

Just sayin' ...

pm

Happy Thanksgiving!

.
Where ever you are, be safe!

pm

The free ice cream ...

.
... is off for the week. Besides, with Thanksgiving a day away, you really don't need it!

pm

JPFO alert

Do Jewish gun control advocates fuel anti-semitism?

This is why ...

.
... we have a Second Amendment (WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC!!):

No, I mean it ...



As long as we have the 2A, this sort of thing will never go unanswered.

pm

Just not feeling it today ...

.
... can't get the ice cream machine turned on.

pm

This ...

.
... is kinda scary:

And so, to the very unpleasant crux of the matter. The futures and options markets are no longer viable. It is my recommendation that ALL customers withdraw from all of the markets as soon as possible so that they have the best chance of protecting themselves and their equity. The system is no longer functioning with integrity and is suicidally risk-laden. The rule of law is non-existent, instead replaced with godless, criminal political cronyism.

RTWT, if you dare. It's about a fund manager closing her company, and why.

Vox Day has been beating this drum for years, and so far, I see no evidence that he is wrong.

pm

You know, Mike V ...

.
... can bring the satire!




This is, or course, Mitt Romney's campaign flag.

pm

Interesting points about ...

.
... why to carry a Glock:

There is not another gun I own that I would shoot for a week training class without cleaning and expect to run. There is not another gun that I would adjust sights on at the range with a carbide punch. And there is not another gun that I would carry to the range drop on purpose as part of a test and carry home!

The post details four reasons why Balloon carries a Glock. I can't argue with his reasoning, but I just can't shoot Glocks well (and the Hi-power clone I do carry is the limit of my hands). Single-stack single action pistols are what I shoot best, and are what I'm used to.

pm

Oh noes!!

.
That damned open carry activism:

The newly formed non-profit organization Idaho Open Carry is hard at work traveling around the state to educate Idahoans about their firearms rights. Among the goals of their mission, Idaho Open Carry aims to inform citizens about the Idaho constitutional right to openly carry a firearm and the laws pertaining to open carry.

Poor Sebastian ...

pm

I'm not sure ...

.
... they've thought this through:

I want them…I want them to make that decision so they can see…in a few days you going to see what a molotov cocktail can do to Macy’s.

Bring it.

pm

Tam shares ...

.
... true words:

Everywhere I go on my daily rounds, I keep an eye out for him, walking upright, staying alert and looking around, studying the people around me, and yet the monster never shows himself, never chooses me, but preys on the defenseless instead.

RTWT

pm

This is how ...

.
... you do it!

Is a mother required to tackle a grown man in order to save her child?

Sean is having his way with the elected bitches in Garner!

pm

You don't say ...

.
... CO2 is a trailing indicator:

Recently a Japanese Research Institute published a satellite map of sources of CO2 emissions. It was virtually ignored by the mainstream media, but that has become an inverse measure of its significance to the climate debate. It showed a pattern that most would not expect because of the misleading information presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) amplified by most media.

To understand the temperature example, think about a 2 liter of soda. When it's cold, it retains it's CO2 better than when it's hot.

Slowly but surely, the climate change advocates are getting their asses handed to them.

pm

Seems folks are always ...

.
... surprised when they learn more about the military:

“I knew I would have an evening that I wouldn’t forget… Something I could tell my friends about,” Timberlake wrote the next day. “What I didn’t know was how moved I would be by the whole experience.”

Yeah, even I admit that my eyes water a bit when I get around organized military functions.

pm

This ...

.
... is bullshit:

Diaz would normally be looking at 50 years--25 years doubled for murder and use of a gun--but Judge Daniel McNerney could tag on another 25 years at the Jan. 13 sentencing hearing because Diaz's conviction for a prior assault on a police officer could be deemed a previous violent felony.

It's no wonder that no one has any respect for the law anymore, especially when an offense that you've supposedly done your time comes back to haunt (and punish) you again.

This is why I'm against all of the NRA's efforts to more-criminalize crimes criminaled with a gun.

BOLO

.
It looks like the next episode of "Person of Interest" (Nov 17) will feature a rare suppressed pistol (as best as I could tell), a Welrod.

The Welrod also figures prominently in chapter 32 of Mike Vanderbeough's Absolved. But be careful reading it ... you'll be accused of some sort of geriatric militia plot to talk someone to death.

pm

I'm not so sure ...

.
... this is such a good idea:

Picatinny Arsenal is helping the Afghan National Army develop their indirect fire capability to bolster self-defense.

Picatinny, in conjunction with the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, will support the acquisition of 194 D30, 122mm Howitzers for the Afghan National Army.

In addition to supporting the acquisition of the howitzers, the Program Executive Office Ammunition, or PEO Ammo, has also helped establish a training and mentoring program at the Central Work Shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. At the CWS, mentors/instructors are teaching an Afghan work force how to properly overhaul, repair and maintain the weapons.

I can't see the benefit of helping people get better at doing the kinds of things these people have been doing to non-combatants for centuries.

pm

It's time for Christian soldiers to put on the armor of God ...

.
... and pick up a rifle:

The Tennessee church that gave a platform earlier this year to the Dutch politician who was barred from the U.K. for his view of Islam found itself in crosshairs once again when a conference billing itself as America's first on countering the rise of Shariah was forced to find a new venue after threats of violence from Muslims caused its host hotel to cancel.

Does anyone not think that if a Christian group had threatened violence to a hotel hosting a Muslim conference that the Christians would be hunted down by the FBI and persecuted prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law?

Sooner or later, Christians and conservatives are going to start acting in the manner in which they've been portrayed.

I predict it won't be pretty ...

pm

Is anyone ...

.
... surprised by this:

Several times throughout the course of the 90-minute presentation, Rep. Bachmann, R-Minn., attempted to follow-up questions and answers by other candidates – just as the moderators of the debate suggested they would be allowed to do at their discretion.

But despite often vociferous attempts to weigh in, the moderators chose other candidates.

Now the Bachmann campaign is going public with evidence CBS News planned all along to snub her.

The elites of ths stupid party don't care about conservatism, they care about continuing to be the elites. that's why they continue to let the liberal media set the terms for conservatives.

pm

Mayor Gayle McLaughlin ...

.
... fucktard:

The mayor of Richmond, CA is under fire for her decision to skip a Veterans Day memorial to attend an Occupy Rally.

Mayor Gayle McLaughlin sent an email to the San Jose Mercury News explaining why she would not be attending a Veterans Day salute that included a re-enactment of the launch of a World War II-era ship at the Richmond shipyards.

She claims that she honors veterans every day.

Like I said ... fucktard.

pm

Bet you won't see this ...

.
... in the MBM anytime soon:

The Florida pastor who wanted to protest jihad and Islamic Shariah law in Dearborn – but was jailed by a judge who worried about what he "intended" to say – has been cleared.

According to officials with the Thomas More Law Center, a circuit judge in Wayne County, Mich., has overturned the decision by Dearborn District Judge Mark W. Somers.

Because it doesn't fit the meme.

We can argue 'till the cows come home on how much of a douche the good reverend is; that doesn't mitigate the fact that the state fucked up.

pm

Happy Veteran's Day!

.
To those of you who have served or are still serving, thank you!

pm

This is good news ...

.
... but hopefully Officer Harless gets punished for his part:

ALL CHARGES AGAINST BARLETT DISMSISED BASED ON A MOTION TO DISMISS BY THE DEFENSE

I wonder why Off Harless wasn't called as a witness?

h/t David

pm

Amazing!

.
You'd never think the government would assert an unlimited right to snoop on it's boss:

Chief Justice John Roberts, "Your argument is you can do it. Period. It doesn't have to be limited in any way."

"That is correct," said Michael Dreeben, the deputy solicitor general who argued the case.

This case could be a bell weather for the coming Restoration.

pm

Happy Birthday!

.
To the Marine Corps .......... Semper Fidelis!

Respect.

.
My. Authoritah!

Watts did not show any professional courtesy; rather, with gun drawn, she screamed at Lopez, handcuffed him and tossed him in the back of her squad car. He was later charged with dangerous driving.

But the story does not end there. Many officers are critical of Watts, saying once she realized Lopez was a cop, she should have showed him some respect.

I have some experience with professional courtesy. In the food service industry, if you're an under-aged server or kitchen employee, you can usually get a couple of drinks at a competitor's lounge, provided the bartender knows who you are and you don't act a fool.

Not acting a fool is the important part. Officer Lopez was definitely acting a fool.

pm

This begs the question ...

.
... when do we start shooting:

“We have natural rights. The ri“We have natural rights. The right to self-defense isn’t negotiable,” stated Casper resident Robert Malloy. “You see, the purpose of the Second Amendment is to maintain the security of a free state; that’s the purpose of the second amendment, self-defense against an overbearing government ...”ght to self-defense isn’t negotiable,” stated Casper resident Robert Malloy. “You see, the purpose of the Second Amendment is to maintain the security of a free state; that’s the purpose of the second amendment, self-defense against an overbearing government ...”

This article about the hoplophobes not wanting openly carried firearms in government meetings.

Notice it's always those who would claim authority over you who are the most afraid of an armed citizenry.

pm

This doesn't surprise me ...

.
... in the least:

You have people right now within the party taking this moment to once again push for gun control and using the scandal – Fast and Furious, using that to do so. They are saying these things openly. It’s astonishing to me. They are very confident – or very afraid. I think it’s fear that is now motivating them. When you have Feinstein coming right out and saying we need enhanced gun control because of Fast and Furious – days away from the Attorney General giving sworn testimony…something is up. Something big. She is attempting some serious damage control, trying to get out in front of the story.

Jeff has interesting points, points that I'm sure the NRA won't pay any attention to.

pm

Everything you need to take away ...

.
... is in the last paragraph:

Americans should remain mindful bringing military-style training to domestic law enforcement has real consequences. When police officers are dressed like soldiers, armed like soldiers, and trained like soldiers, it's not surprising that they are beginning to act like soldiers. And remember: a soldier's main objective is to kill the enemy.

RTWT ... it's a pretty good read.

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

.
... who knows, you might win something!

Unpossible!

.
The popo never lie!

It looked like an open-and-shut case. A cop pulls over a car, walks up to the driver's door, and sees a plastic baggy of marijuana. He brings in a drug-sniffing dog to prove probable cause for a search, gets a warrant, and finds a kilo of weed in the trunk.

That's what Officer Steven Lupo put in his report and testified to in Philadelphia Municipal Court.

Then defense attorney Michael Diamondstein produced the video.

Turned out reality was different.

I suppose the police need to understand that they don't own all the video camera's out there ...

pm

While we're at it ...

.
... a joke about Marines:

A Marine was deployed to Afghanistan...
While he was there he received a letter from his girlfriend...
In the letter she explained that she had slept with two guys while he had been gone and she wanted to break up with him, and she wanted the pictures of herself back.
So the Marine did what any squared-away Marine would do...
He went around to his buddies and collected all the unwanted photos of women he could find... he then mailed about 25 pictures of women (with clothes and mostly without) to his girlfriend with the following note:
"I don't remember which one you are. Please remove your picture and send the rest back."

h/t FJt!IID3@th

Does anyone know the easiest way to get Marines to piss in the direction of Mecca?

.
Tell them not to piss in the direction of Mecca!

When nature calls, Uncle Sam has decided he wants every U.S. Marine equipped with a map and compass, or some other way of knowing direction. This is to ensure that no U.S. Marine in Afghanistan urinates in the direction of Mecca ever again.

Now, I don't know how accurate this report is, but it wouldn't surprise me at all.

I'm just thankful that Marines everywhere will give this the attention it deserves, and piss away.

pm

Seems like ...

.
... I've heard this before:

Despite warnings from opponents of medical marijuana, legalizing the drug for medical purposes does not encourage teens to smoke more pot, according to new research that compared rates of marijuana use in Massachusetts and Rhode Island after the latter state changed its laws.

Just not from anyone that matters.

Governments should not make things illegal; they should make actions illegal.

pm

This ...

.
... bears some thought:

Why is unreliable eyewitness identification any different from unreliable anything else?

— Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, at oral argument in Perry v. New Hampshire,

It seems that some of the justices are fine with unreliable evidence, since a defense attorney can point that out to the jury.

Never mind that some judges don't actually, ya know, follow the Supreme Court's dictates anyway.

pm

Greece is screwed ...

.
... is this our fate, too?

It therefore becomes clear that any bailout package by the EuroZone just delays and amplifies the inevitable default.

The true intent of the bailout package itself also comes into question. Is the EuroZone trying to save Greece, who has clearly rejected the terms of salvation, or is it trying to save its own financial institutions that have invested heavily in debt that will never be repaid without some sort of bailout package?

Can you say ... TARP II? I thought you could. h/t proteinwisdom

pm

If you're a bit ... excitable ...

.
... you might not want to watch this:



Judge William Adams, I have no problem saying that you are an out-of-control man, and if your daughter put a bullet in your head I would not mourn your death. Resign immediately and find a fire to jump into.

pm

I wonder ...

.
... are there any encryption apps for text messages?

The portable device, which is the size of a suitcase, pretends to be a legitimate cell phone tower that emits a signal to dupe thousands of mobile phones in a targeted area. Authorities can then intercept SMS messages, phone calls and phone data, such as unique IMSI and IMEI identity codes that allow authorities to track phone users’ movements in real-time, without having to request location data from a mobile phone carrier.

I know that there are a few computer-based PGP apps for the phone, but I wonder if anyone will develop a PGP app for text messages.

Not that I have anything to hide, but it seems it would piss of the right people.

pm

Good question

.
I wonder what the answer will be?

Would you repeal nearly all 20,000 gun laws if it meant getting a handle on the budgets and curtailing shortfalls? Would you look at the repeal of gun control if it meant tax revenues went further with no need for increases?

I would repeal all gun laws, if for no other reason that they don't serve to prevent even one instance of a criminal getting whatever firearm he wants.

pm

SC sheriff ...

.
... speaks truth:

Sheriff Chuck Wright opened his news conference by saying, "Our form of justice is not making it."He said, "Carry a concealed weapon. That'll fix it."

Hmmm, where have I heard that before?

pm

Who knew ...

.
... the Restoration would begin over food?

And then, …

for a few moments, it felt like the rug was pulled out from underneath us and my wonderful world came crashing down. As guests were mingling, finishing tours of the farm, and while the first course of the meal was being prepared and ready to be sent out, a Southern Nevada Health District employee came for an inspection.

It gets much worse ... RTWT.

Fortunately, the correspondent is a member of the Food-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which has a 24/7 800-number for members to call, and in short order, the inspector was on her way home.

pm

Now this ...

.
... is awesome!

Part Three of our helpful advice to the 'I am the 99 percent/occupy wall street' movement. We are givers.

A thoughtful take-down of the protesters whiners of the 99%. RTWT

pm

Couldn't have happened ...

.
... to a more financially unsustainable industry:

Homeowners who fitted solar panels will soon be left out of pocket according to a leaked document which reveals the government is planning to slash the amount of money it pays for generating renewable energy.

In an embarrassing slip-up, the Energy Savings Trust charity accidentally published confidential details of proposals to cut renewable energy payments by more than 50 per cent.

This should happen in the US, but there's just too much money being thrown at our legislators.

pm

Happy Halloween!

h/t Darleen



pm

This ...

.
... is a bad idea:

A Houston area law enforcement agency is prepared to launch an unmanned drone that could someday carry weapons, Local 2 Investigates reported Friday.

I weep for our country that anyone is in support of this.

pm

I'm confused ...

.
...the internet is made of CATS! the internet is made of CATS! CATS! CATS! CATS!!!!!!!!!!

Because of this, ;lkjdasfoiuwerjj;ladfioul.

CATS! CATS! CATS!!!!eleventy!!!!!!!

You keep using that word ...

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

Through a tip, PJ Media learned that Kevin O’Reilly was unexpectedly named director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau for Iraq (INL-Iraq). Long-time INL-Iraq employee Virginia Ramadan had been expected to get the position — many were quite surprised when she did not.

On October 21, PJ Media reporter Patrick Richardson called the number for Office of the Director, INL-Iraq:

1-240-553-0581, ext. 3275

Richardson reached a voicemail message confirming that it was indeed the correct number. He left a message that was not returned.

On Monday Richardson called again, and an assistant answered. Richardson asked to speak with Kevin O’Reilly, and the assistant asked who was calling. Richardson gave his name and stated he was with PJ Media.

The assistant said O’Reilly was currently on a conference call, and asked if Richardson wanted to leave a message. Richardson gave his phone number. His call was not returned.

The next day, the outgoing phone message noted that the number was out of service. I guess it's hard to find good help these days .....

It's also interesting to note that INL-Iraq is a part of the State Dept, which is headed by none other than Hillary Clinton, who is no stranger to cover-ups.

Rep Issa's work is cut out for him.

pm

Maybe Sebastian has a point ...

.
... the FBI wouldn't be the ideal agency to oversee the NFA and GCA:

Sometime in 2012, I will begin the ninth year of my life under an FBI gag order, which began when I received what is known as a national security letter at the small Internet service provider I owned. On that day in 2004 (the exact date is redacted from court papers, so I can’t reveal it), an FBI agent came to my office and handed me a letter. It demanded that I turn over information about one of my clients and forbade me from telling “any person” that the government had approached me.

It's mostly unrelated, but goes to show just how far the FBI will take a bad law and turn it into monstrous enforcement.

pm

Mencken knew what he was talking about

.
When he said "The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels."

Apparently, the couple who named their children Adolph Hitler have lost custody of their 3 children:

Parents who named two of their children "Adolf Hitler" and "Aryan Nation" lost custody of all three of their children Thursday, even though they say a New Jersey appeals court found no evidence of abuse, ruling the children have been taken away without cause, MyFoxPhilly reports.

Even though the appeals court found no cause to take the kids, they found that there was "domestic violence: in the home, so it's OK to remove kids from the home.

My wife has worked in the DFACS world, and I've told her many times that anyone coming to my house to get my kid will be met in the driveway with the heaviest weaponry I can muster. Maybe that sounds a bit 17th century, but you do not fuck with my kids.

pm

Hey ...

.
... fair is fair:

The Richmond Tea Party wants its money back from the city of Richmond for the cost of permits and other fees to use the same area in which Occupy Richmond has settled for nearly the past two weeks for free.

The local branch of the Tea Party says it should be reimbursed for all the fees accrued and paid over the past three years for use of Kanawha Plaza, a city-owned square across from the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank and a few blocks from Virginia state capitol buildings. Occupy Richmond, an affiliate with the Occupy Wall Street movement, moved into the square on October 15 and has not been charged a bill from the city.

Goose, meet gander .....

pm

Common sense ...

.
Update: Guilty

... unfortunately isn't that common:

The judge presiding at the homicide trial of gun rights advocate Jesus Gonzalez ruled Wednesday he will instruct the jury on self-defense even though Gonzalez didn't testify or even raise the issue at trial.

Gonzalez, 24, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the May 9, 2010, shootings of Danny John, 29, and Jared Corn, 22, outside Mamie's bar on the south side. John died; Corn was left paralyzed.

Gonzalez is an open carry advocate who has been arrested a couple of times but not charged.

What I think is interesting is that the judge is ruling this way because, apparently, some of the prosecution testimony causes the self-defense ruling to apply, even though Gonzalez didn't raise the issue.

Good to know that a judge somewhere is keeping tabs on things.

pm

You can talk the talk ...

.
... or you can walk the walk (or "Why Ron Paul gets my vote"):

No. 2, says Pruett, was that the practice would not participate in any federal health programs, which meant, as Paul described it, "that we will see all Medicare and Medicaid patients free of charge, and they will be treated just like all of our other patients, but we're not going to charge them and accept federal funds."

Still in debt from his medical training, Pruett said that was a little harder for him to swallow. "But I liked Ron, so I decided I would agree to that, too. And in all those 20 years, we never accepted one penny of federal money. We saw all those patients for free, delivered their babies for free, did their surgeries free; whatever they needed we did, and we didn't charge them."

I could give a flying fuck about Ron Paul's foreign policy stance or that he's reported to be an anti-semite. He knows why the country has gone off the rails, and he's the only candidate that I see that will try to do something about it.

pm

SWAT teams, I fear ...

.
... have jumped the shark:

The Seattle Police Department and the mayor's office have repeatedly insisted that marijuana possession, per city law, is the lowest law enforcement priority. They also adhere, they say, to a state law that makes it legal for authorized patients to use and grow marijuana.

But last night provided evidence that Seattle police are willing to invest tremendous resources in the smallest of pot cases—even cases where the pot is legal—and the mayor’s office will remain silent.

They did this by sending a drug dog to sniff the gent's front door (of an apartment), the sending the SWAT team to execute a search warrant. The "perpetrator"?

A 50 year-old disabled Airborne Ranger with medical authorization to grow marijuana for his condition. The police found?

Two 12-inch high marijuana plants.

Two ...

Now, forgive me if I'm a bit ignorant about Seattle laws, but surely there is some sort of registry by which the cops could have known in advance that this gentleman was a legal marijuana user, right? Right?!

Either way, it's time that SWAT teams have their leashes put back on, and their funding eliminated.

pm

The new civility ,,,

,
... how's that working out for you?

Actor Orlando Jones on Saturday celebrated the death of Libya's Moammar Gaddafi by taking to his Twitter account and calling for American liberals to kill Sarah Palin.

"Libyan Rebels kill Gaddafi, if American liberals want respect they better stop listening to Aretha & kill Sarah Palin"

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I think I'd be making a visit to Mr Jones ...

And Twitter needs to cancel his account.

pm

Again, it only makes sense ...

.
... if you're the government:

Sheehan and her attorney, Michael Dowd, still have an appeals process to deal with to try to get Sheehan acquitted of the criminal possession of a weapon charge she was convicted of in the self-defense shooting of her husband Raymond in February of 2008.

"It doesn't make sense," Henry said. "You've been acquitted, but you're guilty of having a gun?" That potential legal conflict is likely to be the crux of Dowd's appeal argument for his client.

This regarding the woman who killed her police officer husband after claiming years of abuse. In my mind, if there's credible evidence that the husband did abuse her, the fact that she used his own weapons (two of them!) to kill him and that she killed him while he was brushing his teeth is irrelevant. She had suffered abuse, and was likely to suffer abuse in the future.

Why can't people understand things like this?

pm

It only makes sense ...

.
... if you're the government:

The U.S. government unconstitutionally prohibits people who hold state-issued medical marijuana cards from buying guns, says a medical technician who was not allowed to buy a gun for self-defense.

S. Rowan Wilson sued the U.S. attorney general and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Federal Court, challenging Section 922(g)(3) of the federal criminal code, which "prohibits law-abiding adults who have obtained medical marijuana cards pursuant to state law from lawfully purchasing what the Supreme Court has called 'the quintessential self-defense weapon' and 'the most popular weapon chosen by Americans for self-defense in the home,'" (citing District of Columbia v Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 128 S. Ct. at 2818.)

I know that most of the Elmer Fudds in the NRA won't agree with me, but if a state authorizes the use of marijuana under certain conditions, the feds really don't have a leg to stand on as far as banning things.

I also understand that the way the feds read the constitution is nothing at all like the way I read the constitution.

Oh, to live in a society in which citizens are held accountable for their actions, not the things they own ...

pm

This ...

.
... is close to my heart:

Having spent much of his adult life coping with multiple sclerosis and trying various medical options, former talk show host Montel Williams decided an experimental -- and controversial -- treatment was worth the risk: liberation therapy.

"The only way I can figure out whether or not this works is if I do it myself," he said of the June 30 medical procedure, which involved a balloon angioplasty to open three narrowed veins in his neck and chest.

The procedure is called liberation therapy, and it was brought to the worlds' attention by Dr Paolo Zamboni of Italy. Like Montel Williams, most (if not all) of his initial patients showed immediate relief of symptoms.

Unfortunately, the medical community is divided as to the benefit of the therapy. My own neurologist admits that it may be beneficial, but that in this country, it is prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, there are studies being done now to actually find out what's what.

Of course, the free market comes to the rescue sort of - you can get package deals to fly to Romania (or some other such country), have the tests and the angioplasty, and a couple of days recuperation and observation (airfare included) for $5-6,000.

I have been tempted. I'll settle for watching the progress of the studies for now.

pm

Unpossible ...

.
... handguns are banned in New York City:

Bullets are flying over Broadway -- and everywhere else in the city.

The number of people shot surged 154 percent two weeks ago -- to 56 from 22 over the same week last year -- and spiked 28 percent in the last month.

Last week tallied another increase in victims -- 22 people had been hit through Friday, including the three victims gunned down outside a Brooklyn school Friday.

How could this happen? Just because the police are keeping the OWS whiners in check ...

pm

JPFO alert

Trick or Treat for Freedom

Contempt of cop ...

.
... may suffer a setback:

Erich Campbell’s offense was clearly contempt of cop. A police officer forgot his priorities and took offense at a “law breaker” who dared to warn other potential lawbreakers. What’s missing, of course, is any evidence that anything Campbell did was illegal or actually interfered in any real way with the officer. That, no doubt, is ultimately why Campbell’s citation was dismissed. That is also why the police agency involved should carefully review its training and procedures.

Campbell may very well win his class-action suit. If he does, whether some police realize it or not, it will be a defeat for unprofessional, contempt of cop outbursts, and a victory for professional policing and positive police-community relations.

Mike is an excellent co-blogger with Bob Owens at Confederate Yankee. Look for him there.

pm

Vox Day ...

.
... has it exactly right:

Good for him. I wouldn't have any problem with his actions if he had killed both women after they were "incapacitated". Police commit "justifiable homicide" in far less dangerous circumstances all the time and are infamous for firing dozens of shots after their target is already down. It's simply not always possible to turn off the adrenaline-fueled aggression, particularly if you aren't sufficiently accustomed to experiencing it.

And more importantly, once you attack someone unprovoked, all bets are off and you merit no protection from the law. The fact that the attackers were women is irrelevant, a two-on-one attack absolutely merited such a vigorous response.

This regarding the incident where a McDonald's employee beat two customers senseless when they jumped over the counter and attacked him. I guess they had no idea that the employee is an ex-con, and that he probably knows a thing or two about dealing with aggressors.

This is my main reason I don't try to carry less-than-lethal products like Sebastian does - once an attack has been started by someone else, it is incumbent on you to end it. When someone invades your personal space, your hand should go to your handgun, not your pepper spray.

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Why are the Left ...

.
... so violent:

A federal judge has ruled that individuals do not have the privilege under Washington state's open records procedures to keep their names secret when they sign a ballot issue petition – even if they are facing death threats because of that signature.

I know we should expect the malcontents of the Left to do these kinds of things. I also think we should be letting them know that their threats have consequences.

For example; though the article doesn't name it, there is a group of individuals who entered this legal action against the petition signers. They need to be made aware that they own these threats and that they will be held personally accountable for anything that happens to any petition signer.*

Second, when uninvolved family members are threatened, the gloves need to come off, and there needs to be, in my opinion, some judicious pre-emptive force applied.

These leftist thugs only think they know how the world works. Homosexual activists wanted the names so that they could engage in "uncomfortable conversations". What they don't understand is that freedom of speech on their part is not a requirement to listen on my part.

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*The first person to bully my daughter will become her guardian angel, because of anything happens to her, I'm coming for the bully.

If ever there was a case of "nothing to see here" ...

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... this would be it:

Collier County Sheriff's officials say a clerk at a 24-hour food store shot and killed a man who attempted to rob her and take her 1-year-old daughter.

Mosbach says the clerk shot the man as he headed toward the door with the child. He was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries.

See, nothing to see ... move along. Just as it should be.

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Al Gore ...

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... lying ManBearPig?

Mr. Gore’s Climate 101 experiment is falsified, and could not work given the equipment he specified. If they actually tried to perform the experiment themselves, perhaps this is why they had to resort to stagecraft in the studio to fake the temperature rise on the split screen thermometers.

The experiment as presented by Al Gore and Bill Nye “the science guy” is a failure, and not representative of the greenhouse effect related to CO2 in our atmosphere. The video as presented, is not only faked in post production, the premise is also false and could never work with the equipment they demonstrated. Even with superior measurement equipment it doesn’t work, but more importantly, it couldn’t work as advertised.

Mr Watts tried to duplicate Gore's experiment as closely as possible, and did it 7 different ways, and in none of them did he get the results that Gore claims to have gotten. RTWT

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It's almost like ...

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... the police don't care:

Atlanta police are launching an internal investigation into the case of a woman who was arrested by mistake and held in jail for nearly two months, Channel 2 Action News reports.

Police are seeking to determine what happened and if any policies or procedures were violated in the arrest of Teresa Culpepper, who spent 53 days wrongfully incarcerated in Fulton County Jail because she had the same name, Teresa, as a woman wanted by authorities.

The news station found the right woman, and even got her to come to court.

But don't worry, the police department will be found not to have done anything wrong, and the public need not fear a repeat. h/t Radley

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Yeah ...

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... you can't make this stuff up!

A man used a frozen armadillo to attack a 57-year old Pleasant Grove woman, Dallas police said.

According to investigators, the altercation occurred when the suspect was selling the carcass to the victim, who planned to eat the animal.

Looks like she got the meat for free! h/t Radley

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I weep ...

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... for this nation:

It is astonishing that after three full years of populist revolt against bipartisan big government, the best that the disloyal opposition can cough up is a telegenic B.S. artist who has the least credibility in the field when it comes to restraining, let alone cutting, the size of government.

Astonishing indeed.

Romney scares me so much, I would rather have Obama re-elected with a Republican house and senate than to have Romney as president with only a Republican house. In one breath he says he'll repeal Obamacare, then in the same breath maintain that MA loves Romneycare (upon which Obamacare was based).

But it is with regards to the Second Amendment that I believe Romney is the greatest threat. He has repeatedly sung the praises of MA's stringent (nay, draconian) gun control laws, and that he's in no mood to change them in any way. Does anyone believe that he won't be just as antagonistic on a national level? Anyone?

I know that a lot of folks are down on Ron Paul because of his foreign policy stances, but consider this: he would be forever at odds with the collectivists of both parties, guaranteeing that nothing really bad happens for four years.

And there just might be some good come of a President Paul. h/t Jeff

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