28 December, 2010

QOTD -

Why do firearm fetishists always conveniently forget the first part of the Second Amendment (“A well regulated Militia”)? Those intent on packing heat everywhere are not members of a militia and are clearly unwilling to be well regulated.

found via

First off, well regulated, when the Second Amendment was written, meant well disciplined. With few exceptions, gun owners are disciplined enough to not indiscriminately fire their weapons in an unsafe manner. Second, if enduring Brady background checks, seeking permission to conceal a weapon upon one's person, and having fingerprints taken when buying ammunition, is not regulation, I don't believe I can define it then. And we willingly endure those things to exercise a right. - TotC

25 December, 2010

Christmas Dinner.... Alone

Yesterday, I finished up my Christmas holiday shopping and bought groceries for the next two weeks. (I hate going grocery shopping and plan out a two week menu.) Celebrating Christmas with my family will come next week, due to my nephew and his wife spending Christmas with her family this year.

I bought fixin's for a Christmas dinner, including ham and stuffing. I forgot a few things and the guy I live with went back out for the last of it. He wanted ham and all the trimmings so I obliged. I fixed it all and have in and out of the kitchen for the better part of the afternoon.

He hasn't come downstairs out of bed, once. He was supposed to clear off the kitchen table so we could eat a meal there. Fat chance of that happening. I fixed it, ate my fill of it, in front of this computer in my bedroom. Never. Ever. Again. I want to eat dinner at a regular table.

Never again.

GBC Secret Santa 2010

This year, the Gunblogger Conspiracy decided to do a Secret Santa. Whitebread drew my name. He sent me two fully loaded Pmags and a box of Speer Gold Dot ammunition in 9mm.

Photobucket

Thank you very much Whitebread. It is most appreciated and will definitely be put to good use.

23 December, 2010

Doublin'down on teh Mexican Gun Canard


BATFEIEIO decided to quack a little over the Mexican Gun Canard via Ken Melson.




Transcript of ATF Acting Director Melson — Webcast
December 20, 2010

Acting Director Announces Demand Letters for Multiple Sales of Specific Long Guns in Four Border States
Hello, I’m Ken Melson, the Acting Director of ATF.

A recent initiative by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has caught the attention of national media outlets. I wanted to make sure everyone heard from me about this law enforcement initiative so there isn’t any confusion.

Recently, ATF announced through the Federal Register our intent to initiate a new Demand Letter requiring the reporting of multiple sales of certain long guns by Federal Firearms Licensees, known as FFLs, in the four Southwest Border States. We took this step as a way to help gain actionable law enforcement intelligence which we believe will help reduce criminal firearms trafficking along the Southwest border.

Before we can actually issue the Demand Letter we must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget for purposes of the paperwork reduction act. We expect to receive that approval in early January, 2011.

As many of you already know, the goals of ATF’s Southwest border firearms trafficking strategy are:

•: To prevent violent crime;
•: Ensure the safety of the communities and law enforcement situated along the Southwest Border;
•: And to disrupt and dismantle the firearms trafficking networks responsible for the diversion of firearms from lawful commerce into the hands of the Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs)
Since 2006, there has been a significant increase in drug and firearms-related violence in Mexico and along our Southwest border. In response to this increased violence, ATF has deployed focused resources nationally to prevent the firearms trafficking along the Southwest Border and into Mexico.

According to ATF trace data, investigative experience, and Mexican law enforcement officials, a large number of rifles are being used in violent crimes in Mexico and along the border. Our new Demand Letter will implement a limited reporting of multiple sales of certain long guns that functions similarly to the current practice of reporting on the multiple sales of handguns. Currently, all FFLs in the country are required to submit a report of multiple sales to the National Tracing Center when an FFL sells two or more handguns to the same purchaser within five consecutive business days.

The proposed Demand Letter, which is narrowly circumscribed to meet our objectives, will apply a similar reporting requirement to certain long guns, but with these distinct differences:

First, the reporting requirement will apply only to FFLs doing business in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, which are major source states for crime guns seized in Mexico and traced to federal firearms licensees.

Secondly, the reporting requirement applies only to those rifles having all of the following characteristics:

•: A semi-automatic action;
•: A caliber greater than .22; and
•: The ability to accept a detachable magazine.
These specific characteristics subject a very narrow group of long guns that have been identified by ATF and the Government of Mexico as being involved in violent crimes in Mexico to the reporting requirement.

This reporting requirement would apply to the disposition of all rifles in the inventory of the FFLs exhibiting these characteristics, both new and used.

Third, we propose to implement this initiative as a pilot project for a period of one year.

Taken together, limiting the geographic scope, impacting a limited number of licensees, affecting a specific group of rifles, and limiting the duration of this reporting requirement, form a tailored, discreet, responsible and proactive response to a significant law enforcement issue.

Let me be absolutely clear. The purpose of requiring FFLs to report the specified multiple long gun sales in these four source states is to identify criminal firearms traffickers, not to prevent the full and free exercise of our Second Amendment rights, or to encumber the FFLs with burdensome paperwork.

These reports will give ATF real-time leads for the investigation of gun trafficking. ATF’s experience in these source states proves that multiple purchases of the described rifles are strong indicators of firearms trafficking to Mexico. By obtaining information about these multiple sales, ATF increases the likelihood of uncovering and disrupting trafficking schemes before the firearms make their way into Mexico.

I know that FFLs are good citizens who share ATF’s interest and commitment in keeping guns out of criminal hands. Working together we can do that without infringing on the rights of law abiding Americans.



h/t to No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money

A tarnished silver lining among the clouds

On the one hand, I am glad to read that freedom loving Chicagoans are purchasing handguns. That they have the McDonald decision to enumerate for them what is a natural right to self defense, I am thankful for. But stupid statements like this make my blood pressure start to rise.

Chicago residents remain under a handgun ban but Tropino says residents have visited his store to see what is available.

No, they DO NOT remain under a handgun ban. Oh, Dick Dailey would like that to be, but the fact remains that as long as you jump through all of their hoops, you can now legally own a handgun in Chicago.

22 December, 2010

commentary. the sports bar doesn't has it.

Is it just me, but shouldn't a sportsbar, I don't know, have the accompanying sound to a game? Rather than 70's butt rock. The sportsbar is Hot Shots in St. Charles.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

21 December, 2010

Explanations

These two videos are quite hillarious and most definitely NSFW. The first explains IDPA. The minutia involved with it would drive a Philadelphia lawyer apeshit crazy.



The second video takes a look at every question and answer on a gun forum. The truth does sting a little, so if you're an Arfcommer, well, just watch the video.

20 December, 2010

You'll shoot your eye out with layers upon layers of editorial oversight

Dr. Phillip L Kauffman has been playing Burgermeister Meisterburger has surveyed toy stores since 1977 in an attempt to take the fun out of Christmas.

At the top of Dr. Meisterburger's...errr Kauffman's list is an "open barrel cross bow for 12 year olds." Ahh, those layers and layers of editorial oversight there. I wouldn't have been surprised to see the phrase, AK-47, somewhere in that description.

I betcha this killjoy is partially responsible for banning my lawn darts.

17 December, 2010

Friday Fun Track - INXS

BATFE seeks to circumvent Congress and add onerous regulations to purchasing long arms

Kurt Hoffman brings us up to date on an NRA-ILA alert. This is all in relation to Mexico's assertion that many of the guns used by drug gangs in Mexico originate here in the U.S.  For more history on this, go here.

Of course, the BATFE is trying to enact this new regulation bereft of congressional input at all.  Currently only multiple handgun purchases are required to be reported per the Gun Control Act of 1968.

They are trying to sneak this past without passing a new law.  I can't think of a better time for them to attempt this, than right now, with Congress' collective attention on another Omnibus spending bill that has the nations undivided consideration. 

16 December, 2010

QOTD -

You aren't paranoid when you're in Lon Horiuchi's reticle.... Weerd Beard

Obama Administration is pushing for Global Gun Control

Dave Kopel has a great piece on the Obama administration's subtle push for stricter gun control.  And while CIFTA has not been brought to the Senate Floor for ratification, the UN Small Arms Treaty when completed by 2012, will most assuredly be. 

This particular piece of UN garbage is ostensibly designed to fight against 'insurgency' 'terrorism' and 'criminal syndicates.'  What it will actually do is toughen up licensing requirements where such exist.  Any unauthorized weapons will be confiscated and destroyed.  Finally, it will create an international registration that will lead to confiscation. 

The anti freedom forces are marshalling their hosts for an all out assault on our liberties.  Let's make sure we give em hell and make them pay for their evil. 

15 December, 2010

Kinda like cousin Thing, if his bugger hook were on the bang switch

Out in Goodland KS, a momma didn't particularly care for the never do well choir boy, intent on dating Karen Vondemkamp's 16 year old daughter.  So she grabs her bolt action varmint gun and points it at said choir boy's tires, more than likely demanding that he let the daughter out of his car.  Somewhere in this whole incident, apparently, Ms. Vondemkamp's trigger finger decides to take matters into it's own errr... hands? knuckle joint? fingerprint?

"As I aimed at his tire ... I just decided not to go ahead and fire at the tire. I thought 'what if I missed' ... I thought this probably isn't the right thing to do, so I lowered the gun, and my finger still pulled on the trigger more out of frustration than anything."
Gee whiz, you think it's not the right thing to do.  I understand that he's become physically menacing with you prior.  However this time, he was not.  This time you decided to back up your anger with a firearm. 

Remember folks, you are responsible for the administration and function of your firearms.

Happy Bill of Rights Day

Wherein we go out, engage in making fun of some politician, throw some lead downrange, tell the redcoat that they can't sleep in your bed and when the police show up, you can tell them to get bent until they have a proper warrant. 

13 December, 2010

Making our DemocracyRepublic Work

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has come out with a book titled Making Our Democracy Work. The title itself is misleading in that America is not a democracy, despite what statists and socialists would have us believe.  It is in fact, a constitutional republic

In an interview with Christopher Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Breyer states that the Second Amendment was meant to place a restriction on the right to keep and bear arms. 





In the interview, Breyer goes on to talk about how the court should take a pragmatic view.  His judicial philosophy is to view the Constitution as a core set of values that must be applied according to the moment. 

Of course, values are flexible and can be changed.  One might value a seemingly rare item, and once that item has outlived its usefulness, it's value would decline. 

A judge, a politician, the average citizen that adheres to a set of core principles is much more interesting and is the answer to restoring the republic.  Allowing democracy to take hold is a recipe for disaster. 

07 December, 2010

Brady Campaign files lawsuit on behalf of Milwaukee Police Officers

It appears the Brady campaign has injected itself into a lawsuit against Badger Guns.  Where does the money come from? I know the Brady campaign is but a shadow of its former self. 

05 December, 2010

Bend one's elbow

Both Roberta X and Tam remind us that today marks the end of Prohibition.

The twenty first amendment nullified the eighteenth.  This was the first time that something was prohibited specifically by the constitution in regards to an individual. 

For a great read on how Prohibition affected our nation, read Daniel Okrent's
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. 

Oh, and if your state allows it, hoist a pint and celebrate. Cheers!

03 December, 2010

Friday Fun Track - Jingle.. err Tootin Bells



Presented without comment (I am still laughing)

01 December, 2010

QOTD - Allen Rostron

Learning from the pitfalls and building on achievements of the past, the Obama administration can make progress on the gun issue with a strategy that emphasizes the compatibility of gun rights and sensible gun control.
- Allen Rostron

William R. Jacques Constitutional Law Scholar and Associate Professor of Law
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The source of the quote I found here.

There is no compatibility between gun rights and sensible gun control. Since the National Firearms Act of 1934, we've been exploring that compatibility. It's like the vegetable your parents made you eat as a child. You did it, because it was put in front of you. Now that you're an adult, that vegetable is no longer on your menu.

30 November, 2010

It sure seems that way




Of course, being despised by the despicable is as good as being admired by the admirable.        

Poll numbers for gun control show a downward decline in favor of stricter controls

A recent Rasmussen poll shows only 39% of Americans favor stricter gun control. 

50% are opposed to stricter control and 87% of Republicans, 52% OF Democrats, and 11% unaffiliated say cities  do not have a right to ban gun ownership.

71% say that Americans continue to believe that the Constition guarantees the right of an average citizen to own a gun.

Also a recently release Gallup poll shows a steady downward decline of favoring gun control.

In all U.S. adults an eighteen percent decrease was noted between 2000 and 2009, from 62% to 44%.

By region, the East, South and Midwest show 17% less people surveyed favor stricter laws.   The West drops a further three points with 20%. 

Overall, America seems to be learning and understanding gun ownership is not some dark path to criminal intent.  On the contrary, with gun ownership on the rise, and crime rates holding steady, it could be concluded that same said ownership is a deterrent.

29 November, 2010

Bill Whittle on What We Believe Part 7: American Exceptionalism



Having roughly 5% of world's population and yet, producing 24% of the world's GDP is extremely encouraging, given the regulatory climate that exists here. Were government to get out of the way of business and let it produce, I can see another 10% easy. 

Scientifically, we kick ass.   So back off man, we're a nation with a lot of scientists.

28 November, 2010

Into the Dustbin of History

Linoge asks the question of where the anti gunners are finding fresh anti gunners KKK members . Their one tarnished beacon of hope lies in Colin Goddard, the heir apparent to the Grand High Wizard of gun control

According to the recent Gallup Poll, the age groups 18 to 29 year olds and 30 to 49 year olds have dropped their support for gun control by 21 and 20 percent respectively since the year 2000. Also, those persons 64 years old plus show a 19 percent drop in support of gun control in the same time frame.

We are winning. The fight is not over, but the crap that anti gun organizations fling is drying up as the support for their ilk flakes away.

27 November, 2010

Remodels and Additions

No doubt you can tell I've been swingin' my HTML hammer and knocked out a couple walls, made some additions and repainted the place. 

The blogroll has been simplified.  No more categorization for anyone. It was too much trouble trying to figure out where everyone should go.

I added links to a couple of podcasts I really enjoy.  Vicious Circle, it's just what it says it is.  Not for the faint of heart or the delicate of ear.  And B&B Guns, Breda and Bonnie do it right.  Make certain and give them a listen. 

I also added a bunch of new people, so if you find yourself on here, thanks for publishing your thoughts and allowing me to link to them.  If you don't find yourself on my blogroll and wish to be added, please drop me a note and I'll add you.


Questions, comments, or complaints will be handled on an individual basis.  All rights reserved, void where prohibited, copyright 2010, me!

24 November, 2010

A whole lotta Magic Bus

 This was sitting out back of work when I came back from lunch yesterday.  My boss was not very pleased, and immediately called the police.  Apparently, my co worker talked to the driver and said it could sit there for up to 2 weeks.  My boss didn't think so. 

In looking over this hippie bus, the paint job is brushed on and consists of a gold roof and three shades of pastel, I could forgive. But, in looking at the rear window, I found this.


That's right, it's Justin Bieber.  That right there offends my sense of the aesthetic.  Something in 20 mm should do right nicely in removing the offensive collage, don't you think? 


20 November, 2010

If you believe in it hard enough, it won't necessarily come true

So there's some government study that claims one in five Americans suffer from mental illness. Well sure, I can believe it, when people believe the teleprompter in chief can piss scotch and fart rainbows, and then consistently fails to deliver. That is the clinical definition of crazy, expecting one outcome and receiving another.

19 November, 2010

Mexico cries to the U.S. about it's crime and it's criminals appetite for guns

NPR recently published an article short on facts and long on conjecture concerning Mexican drug cartels thirst for American guns and America's craving for Mexican drugs.

The article here claims that the U.S. has little incentive to stop drug cartels from legally purchasing guns in the states and smuggling them over the border.  But really, for someone to walk into a gun store and purchase a gun, they must submit a form 4473 and a background check is performed before the gun is allowed to leave the store.  Further, the purchaser, in submitting to the background check, has fore sworn that this is not a straw purchase.  So the statement that guns are being bought legally here and then smuggled over the border is a bit misleading. The guns are purchased here under a false pretense and smuggled into Mexico.

Of course, the ATF has problems tracing guns with the backlog at it's Martinsburg tracing center.  On average it took two weeks to complete a request from Mexico. Also, the ATF no longer releases an estimate of how many straw purchases  as it has become a political mess.  Seeing as how the ATF will no longer release any hard numbers,  the 90% of guns seized in Mexico can be traced back to the United States is even harder to believe.  In fact, the correction is that of those guns seized and submitted, a much smaller number than the total, 90% of them came from the U.S. As of December 2008, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora put the number of recovered crime weapons in the country over the past two years at nearly 29,000, according to USA Today.
Of those nearly 29,000 guns 7,743 were submitted in 2008 and 3,312 in 2007. 

Americas appetite for narcotics is insatiable. So long as Mexican cartels have a black market to supply, their  wish to drive the competition out of business by violent means will prove equally rapacious.  However, the problem is not one of America's Second Amendment being to blame for Mexican violence, it is Mexico's ineffectiveness in controlling it's own criminal element. 

Friday Fun Track Barefoot through the Bluegrass Edition

A person I know has a foot fetish.  As far as fetishes go, pretty tame, but still.  For those that know of it and know this person, we find it humorous.  Enter The Cleverly's, a bluegrass band that tickles my fancy.  The song is a dedication of sorts to those fortunate soles with just such a fetish. 

16 November, 2010

Bill Whittle on What We Believe Part 5: Gun Rights



"Once the Second Amendment goes, the First will soon follow." - Bill Whittle

12 November, 2010

Friday Fun Track - Halls of Montezuma edition

Since the Marine Corp had a birthday this last Wednesday, I thought this would make an appropriate Friday Fun Track.

11 November, 2010

Bill Whittle on What We Believe Part 3: Wealth Creation

Happy Veterans Day

On this day, we celebrate those men and women who have chosen to step up and defend our most cherished ideals.  Thank you very much for your service.

10 November, 2010

Happy Birthday to the Marine Corp

On this day, in 1775, the Marine Corp came into being. Happy Birthday to Devil Dogs everywhere!

Bill Whittle on What We Believe, Part 2, The Problem with Elitism



"How do ten Harvard educated whiz Kids in a very nice office in Washington D.C. know more about how to run a gas station in Boise Idaho, than the guy who actually runs the gas station in Boise Idaho?"

They probably don't.

09 November, 2010

Bill Whittle on Small Government and Free Enterprise

Bill Whittle, formerly of PJTV, has produced a series of video essays.  The man is truly eloquent.  Please share these and enjoy.







You can't legislate efficiency, it is the natural evolution of competition.

06 November, 2010

Why not with their bare hands?

George Will, speaking at the Milton Friedman Prize dinner relates this story about Milton Friedman.

Milton Friedman, whose name we honor tonight, was honored often for his recondite and subtle scholarship. But it was complemented by a sturdy common sense much in fashion nowhere now. About forty years ago he found himself in an Asian country where the government was extremely eager to show off a public works project which was inordinately and excessively fond – it was digging a canal. They took Milton out to see this, and he was astonished because there were hordes of workers, but no heavy earth moving equipment. And he remarked upon this to his government guide, and the man said "Mr. Friedman, you don't understand this is a jobs program. That's why we only have men with shovels.” To which Friedman said, "Well, if it's a jobs program why don't they have spoons instead of shovels?"

And why not with their bare hands? They could have put far more men to work with only their hands to carry the soil. Government does not, never has, and will not be a job creation machine. A shovel, why that takes away at least two jobs for someone else, maybe three if you hire someone to carry the soil away. Ah, but government does what it does to serve it's own self interest and that brings me to this quote by Thomas Sowell.

(Y)ou can't depend on the government because the government is not some brooding presence in the sky. The government is an organization with its own interest which it will serve over and above whatever interest it is supposedly being set up to serve. -- Thomas Sowell, interviewed at Right Wing News

h/t to Kevin for both of these.

03 November, 2010

An Open Letter to all the Senators and Congressmen elect

This is addressed to those people who your constituents deemed the most pallatable of two or more bad choices.

First off, congratulations are not in order. You frankly don't deserve them. We haven't seen what you're going to do to roll back big government. We haven't seen what you're going to do to roll back all of these damnable taxes that we are sick and tired of paying. Start with those, and you MIGHT begin to earn my grudging respect.

Second, and this is addressed to Senators exclusively. You are a choice I, nor any other voter should be making. Had I my druthers, you'd be appointed by your respective state houses and the 17th amendment would be repealed.

Third, for those politicians who have held multiple offices throughout a political career, you are the worst of them all. You somehow feel that when your colleague retires, his seat should become yours. Along with this, if you've held any office more than two terms, I will cast my next ballot to vote you out of that office.

Fourth, the next time you decide not to listen to the people, we might just decide to skip the ballot box and go straight for the jury box. As your peer Phil Hare found out, We The People do care about The Constitution and what it says and what the founders intended it to be. It does not live, it does not evolve. It is timeless and a foundation of bedrock that you damn well better use in deciding if that legislation you're supporting is consistent with it's content.

The tone of this letter has been deliberately belligerent. Why, you may ask. Because the gloves have come off. You don't deserve, nor have your earned our respect. You better work for it. 2012 is not that far off.

Reluctant regards,

Top of the Chain

02 November, 2010

There's something we're all supposed to be doing today

I can't quite recall, it's important.  It's part of our civic duty.  Oh Yeah!!


Vote the bastards out!! Vote em' all out.  

31 October, 2010

Friday Fun Track Sunday Halloween Edition



I posted this song last year, right after Halloween. Well, this time I remembered. Happy Halloween, and may your belly ache from your kid's score.

29 October, 2010

Friday Fun Track Rock the Victory Edition



Irish bookies are already paying out that the Repulicans will take the house next Tuesday. So with that in mind, I thought this video appropriate.

27 October, 2010

Ambiguous Criteria for Gun Ownership in Furious Mike's Paradise

The city of New York is proposing new criteria on who may legally own a gun in the Big Apple.  Of course, Paul Helmke pipes in on the part that would deny someone their natural right to own a gun if they failed to pay taxes.

Imagine if this were applied to being Jewish, or Black or Gay. People would be up in arms. To me this is like the arbitrary laws that were put in place to prevent blacks from voting in the south after the Civil War. Bigots are still among us. Let's call them out for what they are.

25 October, 2010



This video of Alan Gura explains his reasoning of picking litigants and the path & sequence he' taking to secure our Second Amendment rights.  He also clearly differentiates between his litigating and the NRA-ILA's lobbying. 
"My copy of the the Second Amendment does not have a little copyright NRA-ILA sumbol on it." - Alan Gura

Watch the whole thing.  I learned more about securing this basic civil right by watching this than in 2 years of trumpeting for our cause.

h/t to No Lawyers 

21 October, 2010

A most perplexing issue

Living in a practical libertarian manner can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.  Case in point, the Boy Scouts are denying a gay father a leadership position in their organization.  Now, I was a Boy Scout and support and understand their right to choose who they allow into their organization.  On the other hand, who you decide to be intimate with is none of mine or anyone else's concern.  Where does the privacy of the individual end and the requirements of the organization begin? It is quite the conundrum.

20 October, 2010

Apostasy

Alan might very well have committed it, and has charts to lay out his reasoning.

I can probably distill it down to one statement.

You are responsible for the administration and function of your firearms, and the consequences thereof. 

14 October, 2010

Give & Take

I saw this bumper sticker on a Toyota Prius and felt really torn as to how cool it was. 

So I'm going to assign 100 cool points for the bumper sticker.

I'm going to subtract 1,000 cool points for driving a car that is not all those who own one think it is.

Net result -900 cool points.

13 October, 2010

Paradise....


via XKCD

A more appropriate place for these there is not


via Failblog   h/t to RNS

November 2nd is approaching fast.  Keep this picture in mind when you go to the polls. No go out there and enjoy your day.

12 October, 2010

QOTD - calling out the bigot

Mr. Baird, you're a bigot. An angry bigot. You are prejudiced against guns, and by extension the people who own and carry them. You have very little self-control, and you believe that's normal - you must be normal, right? Therefore no one should own a gun, much less carry one - except for those who collect a government paycheck. Somehow that distinction makes them special, different, trustworthy.
Kevin Baker at TSM

Joe Huffman rightly points out that people like Mr Baird who would oppress a minority and actively seek to berate them should be treated as the bigots that they are.

11 October, 2010

I for one welcome our new automotive overlords...

Yeah, right.  The visceral pleasure I receive in being in control of my own automobile has me quite miffed about this.  Not only is it a Prius, with all of that wrongly held smugness that says, "Look at me, I'm saving the environment," it also will drive you there on it's own.

NO. THANK. YOU. You can have your robot car when you pry the gas pedal out from under my cold dead lead foot.  

08 October, 2010

Friday Fun Track - Paranoia Edition



Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you. 

07 October, 2010

Why Han Solo was the way he was



I always suspected Han was more an entrepreneur than an outright criminal.  Had the Empire not been so heavy handed, that smuggling would have turned into being a small independent businessman.

Like today where everywhere you turn, some new government regulation is turning everyday people into criminals.

Birthday Range Report

To treat myself for my birthday, I went to the new Ultimate Defense Range and Training Center.  I shot my CZ P-07 and my Dan Wesson revolver.

At paper man size targets at yards,  I am fairly confident I can put lead on target with the CZ. 

With my Dan Wesson,  I am a wretched ball of suck.  I have a wicked flinch that is going to require lots of dry fire time. 

That brings me to another thing I discovered, those CCI 550 primers I used for my .357 magnum loads are awfully hard.  I had more soft strikes than I'd care to admit.  Any recommendations for a small magnum pistol primer? 

06 October, 2010

More on Doug LaDouche

Doug LaDouche does not have a website for his campaign, but I have found four radio spots that outline his platform.

Spot 1


Spot 2 

Spot 3

Spot 4

Doug LaDouche is my candidate. 

Negative there....

NO!

HELL NO!

NO WAY IN HELL!

05 October, 2010

Pot. Kettle. Black.

Lisa "Wendy Whiner" Murkowski it seems is upset that Alaska TV & radio stations are running ads for the Tea Party Express. Ads, Murkowski says they are under a "legal and moral obligation" not to run. 

Murkowski is all butt hurt because the claim is being made that her interest lies solely in self preservation, not in serving the people of Alaska.

Pot, I'd like to introduce you to kettle. Kettle, please meet pot, you're both black. 

I MIGHT consider voting for this guy

Rather than voting his opponent out. Of course, he promises to do nothing to make any issues worse. 

I'm forty years young today.

Fourteen thousand six hundred and ten days ago, I was born in trendy Town & Country Missouri, with a silver spoon in my mouth. As soon as the doctor learned that my parents were from Florrisant, MO., he yanked the silver spoon out and replaced it with stainless steel. I am truly amazed that I've made it this far.

How cool, I share a birthday with this fellow. Fine company indeed. If you're so inclined, toast the aforementioned fellow, for he is far more noteworthy than I.

04 October, 2010

The tennis match that is the Korean M1 Garand saga has just had another point scored by the pro liberty side. H.R. 6240 has been introduced by Representative Cynthia Lummins R-WY.

The bill will amend the Arms Export Control Act in such a way that the State Department or Department of Defense will have no say in regards to certain curio and relic eligible firearms. The importer will not have to seek a permission from either entity to import these certain firearms.

A quote from Rep. Lummins,

“The State Department does not have the authority to deny legal firearms to law-abiding citizens. These firearms have historical value, are legal, and their importation is already highly regulated by the Justice Department. There is no basis for State Department involvement. This is not about diplomacy or foreign policy — this is a domestic issue and a Second Amendment issue.”

h/t to Firearms Truth

02 October, 2010

Submit or Die

I'm not certain what this video's meaning was beyond, "submit or die." I suppose whoever pitched this idea found humor in it. And with seven different individuals exploding at the push of a button with the accompanying gore, well, I hope those who view it have a strong stomach.



How about if I raise my carbon emissions by ten percent. I know, I'll take ten ten round magazines and shoot at "green" targets. And I'll even recycle my brass.

01 October, 2010

Friday Fun Track Corpse Edition

October, the leaves are turning and in thirty days, all the ghosts, goblins and whatever the latest "in" costume is will be running from house to house collecting treats. This song always reminds me of the season.

30 September, 2010

Join me and together we'll crush the em.... forces of darkness

PSH is rearing it's head over a proposed law loosening New Jersey laws that pertain to concealed carry of a firearm.

Senator Van Drew, for whatever reason, is kowtowing to the pro-gun forces of darkness who want to turn this country into an armed society. It’s very simple: Do we want to be standing in line at a grocery store, at a movie theater, sitting next to someone in a church or anywhere else not knowing whether that person is legally carrying a handgun?

Bryan Miller
September 26, 2010
Executive director of Ceasefire NJ

Come to the dark side, we have cookies and cool guns.

Monster Hunter Vendetta - A Review

Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Vendetta has been released to the public and I picked up my copy this last Sunday. If you don't know about Larry Correia, he is an accountant with a thing for B grade horror movies and guns.  This shows through in his writing.  For accurate firearms information in a story, Larry gets it right. 


I always love reading the books in the beginning of an author's career. It allows one to chart the progress of how an author develops, and from what I read in Monster Hunter Vendetta, Mr. Correia is maturing quite nicely as an author.The book flows quite nicely without any kind of scenes that slow the plot down. Even when introducing new characters or information about a character, the author makes it so the action moves right along.

Mr, Correia is not afraid to turn accepted fantasy norms on their ear, as witnessed by the trailer park elves introduced in Monster Hunter International. In Vendetta, he has taken a cherished part of fantasy and twisted them in such a way that leaves the reader chuckling. Also, the enigmatic Agent Franks of the Monster Control Bureau is a twist on a famous literary and movie monster. 

I do believe that Larry Correia has written a book, that will satisfy the action palette of the reader.  Especially those that are looking for a fun fall read coming into Halloween season.

29 September, 2010

Woops! be careful of where and when you raise your hand

It seems that someone playing an expensive practical joketrying to be helpful bid on a Bugatti Veyron.  The winning bidder then stated his intention to renege on the deal and Barrett-Jackson, in protecting the buyer bought the car.  All $700,000 of it.  


Be careful of how you scratch your nose the next time your at the local estate sale, that armoir that youfind hideous but that your great aunt thinks would look great in her spare bedroom may be yours.

28 September, 2010

New Onine Ammo retailer

It seems that despite whatever others might say about the firearms industry, new retailers just keep popping up.  Online retailers are becoming especially prevalent. The latest one to come to us for shooty goodness is Bulk Ammo . For their grand opening, they are offering $25 off your first order over $200. 

They have Winchester White Box 100 rd 9mm 115 FMJ for $26.50. This seems right in line with what Wal Mart charges and if your not incline to buy from the big box stores, this is quite a sweet deal.  Please go check them out.

27 September, 2010

Politicians - showing them the love/hate

Politicians, from the root Politics - Poly - meaning many and tic meaning blood sucking parasite.  I still chuckle at Dave Berry's definition.  With that in mind, those who seek political office are courting us for our tick (heh, totally unintentional) next to their name come November.  The Democritters are running scared, as it looks like they are going to have their heads handed to them on a platter.  The Rethuglicans are biting their nose despite their face and not kaboshing incumbents who won't take their ball and go home after getting trounced in primary races earlier this year.  Summing up a lot of people's thought on this election are these gems from here.

Again: Just because I'll probably vote for you, doesn't mean I like you.


And just because I don't like you it doesn't mean I like the other guys. 

Another: Nor does it mean I will continue to vote for you.

Even the one or two candidates that spout pretty words and MIGHT actually have a shred of integrity in their souls I wouldn't invite into my home.  I'd have to decontaminate the entire place afterwards. 

11 September, 2010

a burning

We all know what happened this day. I won't go over it. Too many others do a far better job. What I will say is that my passion for liberty is far greater than those who would have us submit to tyranny. lan astaslem
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lan astaslem
It found us to be courageous
and able to withstand this horrible
affront to nation.
We got back up and licked our wounds.
And to those who would attack us I have but this to say.
Remember this day
for it marks a moment
when our countrys resolve
and mettle was tested.

10 September, 2010

Friday Fun Track The Beat is Nude Edition



I heard this track on Pandora today and had to share it. Oh, and ignore the cheesy special effects.

09 September, 2010

National Sovereignty stands in the way of the UN

This last Sunday & Monday, Ban Ki Moon and sixty of his top lieutenants met in Austria for the Secretary General's retreat. Among the topics discussed was re-instituting the failed climate change agenda. Among the reasons to blame for the failed Copenhagen summit was national sovereignty. A position paper even spells it out.

National sovereignty — meaning the refusal of major powers like India, China and the United States to go along with sweeping global agendas — was specifically indicted for the failure of the much ballyhooed Copenhagen summit on climate change. “National sovereignty remains supreme,”

Ahh, isn't that just too damn bad? A national government knows better how it wants to govern than what the UN does.

I've skimmed over the paper and will have more on it as soon as I can read it in depth. The one thing I took away from my skimming is that this is a long term goal. Subtle machinations will be in play to bring about the eventual fall of those countries too weak or unstable to resist such meddling. Be vigilant.

07 September, 2010

Are you an SAF member?

With a lame duck Congress a near certainty, gun owners need to be vigilant to legislation that would infringe upon our rights. The temptation to pass anti gun legislation for those with nothing left to lose will be great.

The organization that leads the fight against those infringements is the Second Amendment Foundation. They, along with Civil Rights attorney Alan Gura have been kicking ass and chewing bubble gum. And they are all out of bubble gum.

Contrary to what other national organizations would have you believe, it was the SAF and Alan Gura that led the charge in McDonald v Chicago. It is the SAF that has filed for strict scrutiny in Nordyke en banc. It is the SAF that has filed suit against North Carolina in regards to disarming peaceably armed citizens during declared states of emergency. It is the SAF in concert with many fine state gun rights organizations that are challenging in court, the constitutionality of many gun laws.

Joining is easy, just go the Second Amendment Foundation's online registration page.

There you can make a donation in addition to joining an organization quietly fighting the good fight.

I'm a member and would encourage any and all to join as well.

06 September, 2010

Never trust a tumbleweed


When I saw this, the soundtrack in my head immediately thought of this.

04 September, 2010

Paranoid - nah, they really are out to get you

About a year and a half ago, I heard tell of a story. Seems that a gentleman wishing to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer was automatically put on hold for whatever reason. The NICS system was doing its job. This gentleman patiently waited the required time to see if he would be denied or not. Without a phone call back from the NICS system, the FFL sold the firearm to the gentleman.

Everything was okay. People are put on hold for a variety of reasons and eventually the transaction is approved. Not that I care for this system as it infringes upon an enumerated right.

Fast forward a couple of months now when the same gentleman is wishing to expand his firearms collection. He goes to a second dealer, where he attempts to buy another firearm. This time when the NICS check is done, he is informed he is a convicted felon and cannot legally own any firearm. This shocks the gentleman to his core. He already owns one firearm and is wishing to expand more into the gun culture. NICS cannot tell him anymore and the gentleman leaves the store to investigate further.

He goes to the local police department where he requests a background check on his person. It seems that as a young adult this gentleman did something rather stupid that could have resulted in a felony conviction. Instead a prosecutor with enough foresight to realize that the young man before him had merely made a stupid choice and would go on to become a productive member of society.

A deal was struck and the gentleman was sentenced to time served (about 24 hours) and released.
Everything was fine at the time. The young man is free and attends college to earn a degree. He applies for a job that requires a security clearance with the accompanying background check, a most thorough background check. With nary a hiccup, the gentleman is granted the job and is most productive.

In further looking into his denial to purchase a firearm, the paperwork that the court filed to prove he was not a convicted felon so long ago, had been mis-marked and was now causing him grief. It was eventually straightened out and the gentleman's good name was restored. He went on to purchase that second firearm and now owns many more.

And while the gentleman had to go through nowhere near the trouble the next two links are going or went through, it is still a system that is often too far wrong.

And that story brings me to my point, just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they are not out to get you.

Update: More evidence for you to don a tinfoil hat.

h/t to Wirecutter for the 2nd link

02 September, 2010

QOTD - Free Country (NOT) edition

Massachussetts governor "Cadillac" Deval Patrick recently spoke on a radio show about Glenn Becks recent 8/28 rally. Governor Patrick had this to say.
“It’s a free country. I wish it weren’t, but . . . it’s a free country,”

Now let that sink in and percolate in your grey matter for awhile.

IT.

IS.

TIME.

TO.

VOTE.

THE.

BASTARDS.

OUT.

01 September, 2010

QOTD - Equality defined edition

Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent , a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.
- Alexis de Tocqueville

So the question to ask yourself is this; Do I wish to restrain my fellow man and perhaps drag him down to my level, or do we each work so that others may attain our level and perhaps surpass us?

30 August, 2010

Knife Rights are gun rights and vice versa

The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed does not stop at those tools that require gunpowder to operate. 

The big rotten apple apparently feels that knives must be regulated.

27 August, 2010

Friday Fun Track - Rush Edition



Since I went to the Rush concert last Sunday, I figured I'd share some Rash.. er Rush with you all.  (hint, GO SEE THEM ON THIS TOUR!)

26 August, 2010

The EPA, under Lisa Jackson, is seeking to ban lead based ammunition.  Currently, the EPA is seeking comments on this proposal.  This is the same woman who feels that carbon dioxide is a threat to human life, and is leading the charge to regulate it.

The NSSF is urging people to be respectful when submitting their comments. 
You can submit comments here. 

Of course, it's not quite time yet to saddle up & shoot the bastards, so Tam is holding her snark in check for the time being, but I share her sentiment.

 There is anecdotal evidence that the banning of traditional ammunition would have an adverse impact on government bureaucrat populations.

Call, write, pester the shit out of, your local congresscritter as well and express your displeasure in a polite, respectful way. Yeah, you gotta eat some crow to show them some respect, but it might head off this clusterfuck of an idea.  

24 August, 2010

Hey there red man, you can't trust the white devil

Mayor Connivin' yellow coward Bloomberg is in hot water over a comment he made in regards to cigarette taxes that the Seneca nation is refusing to pay.  Bloomberg said last week on a radio show,
"that New York Governor Paterson needs to grab a "cowboy hat and a shotgun" and demand the money himself."

The Seneca tribe called for Bloomberg to apologize, which Bloomberg refused to do. The Seneca tribe is considering pursuing a hate crime accusation against him.

Of course, Bloomberg believes that the state should have a monopoly on power. I guess Bloomberg would have NY Governor Patterson hire it done to collect the tax. It's surprising because Bloomberg seems to think that enforcing select federal laws is just fine and dandy.

23 August, 2010

Since when is being a Muslim being part of a specific ethnic group?

Recently countering demonstrations were held near the site of the former World Trade Center twin towers, commonly referred to as Ground Zero. Demonstrators in favor of the Ground Zero Mosque were heard chanting, "Muslims are welcome here. We say no to racist fear."

But, a Muslim is an adherent to Islam, a religion. Muslims are not a specific ethnic group.

The only conclusion I can draw is that that word does not mean what the demonstrators in favor of the said mosque think it means.

The original source material can be found here.

22 August, 2010

Liveblogging from the Rush show

as it should be this band is tight and worth the price of admission. They can even poke fun at themselves.
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20 August, 2010

Friday Fun Track Evenin' Stroll Edition

There are many things that make summer such a great time.  Among them is this Patsy Cline classic.  Enjoy, oh, and take a stroll past 12 bells.

19 August, 2010

HTF are we educating children these days?

The answer is;  WE ARE NOT.

From comments at Tam's, found at KB's.

The teacher said, "Well, we're not as concerned about their knowing the exact answer as how they feel about that answer." 

How a child feels about an answer? Um, yeah, it's no wonder accounting practices are what they are today.  That above quote was in regards to a student having arithmetic challenges.  Luckily, the student found a tutor who cared enough to search out the root cause. 

18 August, 2010

 One of my Facebook friends pointed me to this article.   It is written by a pagan and is in response to the tea party.  Let's explore this poor deluded creatures thoughts, shall we?

At this point, as a liberal, I'm right with them. I voted for President Obama and, although I think he has potential, I have been less than pleased with his administration so far. While trying to be positive, the economy isn't looking good, and it's hurting my community. He's perpetuated the previous administration's power grabs and, while I understand the need for the economic stimulus package, the national debt worries me. Not to mention we are still losing American lives in wars overseas and basic rights for detainees still haven't been achieved.

First off, she states who she voted for, President Obama, and she thinks he has potential. Everyone has potential.  What does President Obama have potential for, becoming a disciple of Al "release my Chakra" Gore?  No thanks, I don't want another sex poodle in the White House.   She goes on to say she understand the need for the economic stimulus package, but yet the national debt worries her.  Where does that national debt come from?  Among many parts of the stimulus package was funding for Chinese Prostitutes in China to learn how to drink responsibly.  I guess that is so Al Gore can release his Chakra without the Chinese lady passing out on him.  
 

At this point I diverge from the Tea Party as represented in this poll. I think Obama's choice of Evergreen Chapel as a home church is laudable, I think our best years may be ahead, I'm generally happy with the reform of health insurance company practices, I don't feel there is a racial bias in the White House, I'm cautious about vague terms like "smaller government," and I feel that policies should favor the poor in this time of economic upheaval.

Surprisingly, I agree with the author that our best years are ahead of us.  Although I suspect, not for the same reasons.  I do disagree that there isn't a racial bias in the White House.  It's a class bias, and President Obama feels he's yours and mine better.  How can you be cautious about vague terms like "smaller government?"  But hold onto that thought, I'll address it here in a minute.  Policies should favor the poor?  We've had one hundred plus years of welfare and entitlement programs here in the United States and yet, poverty is more prevalent than ever.   I personally favor policies that put government out of the wealth distribution business. 

So far we're about 50/50. Looking at the Contract from America gives me far more food for thought than expected. Let's look at the article's points one by one, beginning with the preamble:

Individual Liberty: I'm with this 99 percent. I want my freedom of expression, of religion, and of economic choices to be protected. I want to be able to speak, read, and write freely without worrying that the government is invading my privacy; to practice my faith openly without fear; to be able to marry regardless of gender; and to be able to purchase herbs, tarot readings, hemp products, and local edibles without government interference. That said, I do like having food inspectors to make sure I don't buy hamburgers tainted with Mad Cow disease and I think it's reasonable to have a license for gun ownership, as a gun is just as lethal as a car in uneducated hands. So I have no issue with my economic freedoms being limited by basic concern for my safety.

Well, why not one hundred percent.  You cannot pick and choose which enumerated rights are enforced and which are ignored.  And even with USDA inspectors, we still have food borne illness.  Here's where I wholeheartedly disagree with you,  and that's a license for gun ownership.  Try this statement on and see how uncomfortable it makes you, "I thinks it's reasonable to have a license to worship pagan gods, as religion is just as lethal as a pen & paper in uneducated hands."  I bet you feel a tad bit upset that I would advocate licensing to practice your religion.  Look at it from a peaceably armed citizen's point of view.  I can't say it any better than Benjamin Franklin, so I'll use his quote to rebut your last statement here, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

  
Limited Government: I do think the government should have a limited presence in our daily lives. They shouldn't be concerned with what I'm reading or what happens in my bedroom between consenting adults. It's none of their business if I burn non-addictive herbs for their scent or for their relaxation properties. However, I recognize that my effect on other people is limited, while corporations, insurance companies, and Wall Street can have a disastrously detrimental effect on society at large if allowed to function unchecked. A corporation's first priority is profits, not the welfare of the society it exists in, so regulation of industry is for the public good.

Ah, so you are for limited, albeit, smaller government. The leviathan has too many heads and needs to be pruned.  I bet every time, Congress has acted to limit business somehow from "trampling over the poor and middle class," business has found a new way around said law.  

Economic Freedom: I think this is a bit redundant, and I've already expressed my thoughts on this.

No, you wanted YOUR economic choices protected.  How about my economic choices or the economic choices of the store where you buy your tarot cards?  

1. Protect the Constitution: I think identifying the Constitutional right of each piece of legislature is a fine idea, as long as it doesn't become a tool to reinforce bizarre interpretations of the Constitution.

Right now, the way the current administration is interpreting the Constitution is pretty bizarre.  Where exactly does it say that I have to buy health insurance, I can't seem to find that clause.  

2. Reject Cap & Trade: I don't think industries should be able to buy and sell emissions allowances. I think giving incentives for companies to reduce their emissions, and take steps to "green" their businesses, would increase domestic jobs.

Hallelujah!! Let's make this a free market solution.  But wait a cotton picking minute!  Give incentives?!?!?!? That national debt you're worried about, well those incentives I bet would take the form of tax breaks.  And who is the business gonna pass their costs along to, that's right, you and me.  

3. Demand a Balanced Budget: County governments in the State of Georgia must have balanced budgets to remain an incorporated government entity in the state. I think it's reasonable to ask our government to be fiscally responsible in this manner.

Sorry, can't do that with that Economic Stimulus Package you see the need for.  

4. Enact Fundamental Tax Reform: I am in favor of the general principal of tax reform, but I advocate a simple graduated income tax over a flat-rate or so-called "fair tax" scheme. That could be another article entirely.

How about we raise taxes on imports into this country and do away with the income tax.  A national sales tax would also work better, as people are consumers and boy do we ever consume.  

5. Restore Fiscal Responsibility and Constitutionally Limited Government in Washington: Creating an "Internal Services" to police the Constitutionality and efficiency of government offices sounds like a disaster, quite frankly. Aside from the irony of creating a new far-reaching government entity to ensure the government stays small, one of the biggest areas of waste in the federal government is the military. How would this task force handle that while protecting national security? How Constitutional is the war in Iraq, and what is the exact total of money, arms, and lives that could be saved there with greater fiscal and moral responsibility at all levels of the federal government?

You ask how the war in Iraq is Constitutional, and yet you don't ask if anything else the government is doing nowadays is Constitutional.  EVERY. SINGLE. PIECE. OF. LEGISLATION.  needs to & must be scrutinized by the constituency of Congress and the President.  We the People are the ones responsible to correct and direct our elected leaders into a more responsible course of action.  

6. End Runaway Government Spending: Capping spending by inflation and population growth may sound good at first, but I'm skeptical on the wisdom of such a scheme. I would rather the government have flexibility to adapt to contingencies rather than be bound and financially strapped for cash in an emergency. That said, I don't have any better ideas.

How about Congress takes each 'emergency' on a case by case basis?  Otherwise, everything becomes an 'emergency."
 
7. Defund, Repeal and Replace Government-run Healthcare: I've already stated I'm in favor of the health care reforms enacted by the current administration, but this section of the Contract is worded broadly enough to do away with Medicare and Medicaid, which would be a disaster to millions of our elderly.

 Again, I point to my rebuttal of point five; Why aren't we seriously looking at the constitutionality of health care reform?  

8. Pass an "All-of-the-Above" Energy Policy: I agree that we need to take a fresh look at our energy options in the U.S., but I also think that means we need to seriously promote alternative energy options. The oil spill in the Gulf has hurt the livelihood of the men and women living along the coast, from fishermen, to shrimpers, to folks in the tourist industry. We need to make sure our energy investments going forward are responsible, clean, and fiscally sound. Ranchers can harvest wind energy in the same pastures they run their cows. That's the kind of solution that helps the American farmer and works toward solving our energy issues.

Does this mean that you don't mind if we drill in the ANR?  Or in shallow waters off the coast of California?  Recently,  I took a trip to Wisconsin and saw hundred's of Wind Turbines.  I can truly understand the Not In My Backyard mentality of the Kennedy's.  Huge pylons with three bladed props turning did nothing to improve the natural beauty of an otherwise pristine landscape.
 
9. Stop the Pork: I think limiting the use of earmarks is a good thing. If government organizations don't have their funds micro-managed by Congress then they have the flexibility they need to be efficient and effective, and perhaps this will reduce the special favors granted to lobbyists.

Me too, however, let's also, do away with some government organizations, like the Dept. of Education, Energy and the ATF.   While we're at it, let's get rid of the EPA.  After all, they are the ones that will enforce Cap & Trade.  
 
10. Stop the Tax Hikes: I dislike paying taxes as much as the next guy, but I honestly believe that since we aren't going to reduce the over-abundant coffers of the military and that BP will not bear the cost of cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico effectively, adding in the fact that we've had an ongoing deficit that the current economic slump has deepened, the money has to come from somewhere. It's sad but we need to do what we can to improve our future. 
 
Yes, I'd rather have the extra cash in my pocket, but I'm also thankful for the unemployment extensions and tax cuts that have helped so many through this recession. It sucks, but if the government honestly reduces the deficit, it's worth it to me. Sure, we could pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan and use those funds to pay down the debt while saving the lives of our service members, but we all know that won't happen. We could repeal all the extravagant tax cuts for the oil companies. We could legalize marijuana and tax it. We could legalize prostitution and tax it. We're not going to do those things, though. It will come out of our pockets and it's the price we pay to keep from sinking into an economic Depression as bad as or worse than that our grandparents and great-grandparents lived through.


How about we stop extending jobless benefits and give people some incentive to find work or create new business'?  It seems to me that the government told BP to set up a $20 billion dollar fund to help clean up.  Wait, let me guess, the government is wise enough to know that $20 billion is enough to clean everything up.  No, well then what is the magic number?



We've had national debt for decades, long before it started to climb out of control in the ‘80s. What people tend to forget is that our national debt went way out of control during the ‘40s, when our national debt equated to 120 percent of our GDP. It took us until the ‘70s to bring that back down to a reasonable level. Right now, our national debt equates to approximately 80-90 percent of our GDP. Is it scary? Of course it is, but we have been here before. We handled it then and we can handle it now.
Maybe there is some small truth in Tim's assertion that liberals don't like white, male, 45- year-old Republicans. I think it's the median age we don't like: 45. While their parents survived the Great Depression and a World War, the folks currently in their mid-to-late 40s and early 50s had to survive Abba, the Berlin Wall collapsing, the flourishing economy of the late ‘80s and the ‘90s, a President's getting nookie on the side, and the amazing advances of the tech industry. They had the limited Gulf War but haven't had their generation swept up in the aimless morass of Vietnam, Afghanistan, or the current Iraqi war. It has nothing to do with their being white, male, or Republican; it has to do with their sense of entitlement and jaded pessimism.
As a liberal Pagan, I think I have enough in common with the Tea Party Movement to engage in respectful, serious, and practical dialogue about how to solve the problems facing our nation. Our civic pride and values are very similar. We love liberty, America, and a strong economy. We simply don't always agree with how to preserve those things.
What do I really think about the Tea Party Movement? I think they have interesting ideas, ones that need to be discussed, debated, and taken seriously nationwide. The Tea Party is a corrective action taken against the lack of public discourse about the direction of our country. Politics was once the dinner table conversation of America. Now, we so readily accept all "news" as entertainment that we bypass those posing as objective reporters and go straight to the clown-pundits: Coulter, Colbert, Beck, and Stewart.
I sympathize with the problems the Tea Party has had with the media, with fringe elements, and with being taken seriously. Pagans have been dealing with those issues since the ‘60s and could offer a few pointers, if they'd care to listen. The Modern Pagan Movement is grappling with how to form loose unions in which to promote the interests of our very different autonomous Pagan groups without infringing on their liberties or imposing values on them from the outside. We as a religious movement are deeply engaged in the same issues as the Republic in which we stand. We like tea, we like parties, and we could learn from each other. We should talk.

Sounds good to me, how about over a cup of tea?
 

17 August, 2010

QOTD -

, “At the heart of the egalitarian left is the pathological belief that there is no structure of reality; that all the world is a tabula rasa that can be changed at any moment in any desired direction by the mere exercise of human will.” - Murray Rothbard

And you see proof of this when anti gunners like the Brady Bunch, the VPC, and the SPLC try to state that the 2nd Amendment is a collective, rather than an individual right.  

16 August, 2010

QOTD - Nullification edition

As we join together against a common foe, it is long past time that we started treating each other as human beings, rather than as categories.  We ought to recall Murray Rothbard's refusal to accept that "our enemy today is the poor, who are robbing the rich; the blacks; who are robbing the whites; or the masses, who are robbing heroes and businessmen." To the contrary, he said, "it is the government that is 'robbing all classes, rich and poor, black and white, worker and businessman alike" and "ripping us all off."

From "Nullification; How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century" by Thomas E Woods Jr.

The government has to take that funding from somewhere.  Whether it's directly out of someone's pocket through taxes or handing out entitlements that are worth less because of inflation, it is government that is responsible for this because of it's actions.

12 August, 2010

Using your intelligence, intelligently.

Kevin Baker has a post up in regards to how one student, at her graduation, sees the education system.

At the end of the post, he links to a Thomas Sowell piece.

A quote from the piece is thus;

The reason a surgeon can operate on your heart, while someone of equal intelligence who is not a surgeon cannot, is because of what different people actually did with their intelligence. That has always varied, not only from individual to individual but from group to group-- and not only in this country, but in countries around the world and across the centuries of human history.

And that made me think of this.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;[6]

You, me, the guy on the street corner cleaning your windshield with a dirty rag and a bottle of Windex all were born with the same set of tools to accomplish something. It is our use of what was given to us that sets us apart from one another.

Again from the Sowell piece;

One of the biggest fallacies of our time is the notion that, if all groups are not proportionally represented in institutions, professions or income levels, that shows something wrong with society. The very possibility that people make their own choices, and that those choices have consequences-- for themselves and for others-- is ignored. Society is the universal scapegoat.

If Society, with its inclusion of all races, religions, income, education, etc., is to blame, how can those parts of society that actively pursue inclusion be held accountable. In this, I am not my brothers keeper.

Now go RTWT.  

11 August, 2010

Equating a celebrated tool with lethality

The VPC's Josh Sugarmann is decrying the use of a particular model of pistol that was used by the alleged gunman during last week's horrific shooting in CT.

Sugarmann equates the Ruger SR9c, a pistol named Handgun of the Year, with his view that the firearms industry is producing increasingly lethal firearms.

Sugarmann's ignorance of why compact pistols are a compromise would be laughable, if not for the tragedy he attempts to profit from.

Had the alleged gunman used a Ford Fusion, would Sugarmann bemoan over the Ford's 263 hp V-6 being used to run down one of those killed? I highly doubt it. Perhaps Josh Sugarmann shouldn't ever buy a Ford Fusion, it's **** of the year status might mean he could run someone over someone.

06 August, 2010

Friday Fun Track - Explosive Edition



Enjoy the lovely ladies pulling their bows across strings.