This week, legislation to prohibit firearm confiscation (HB 285) was filed in Florida to help preserve the right of citizens to lawfully possess firearms during an officially declared state of emergency. The bill was filed by Florida Representative Mitch Needelman (R – Melbourne) and has the full support of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
The NRA is really pushing this Remember New Orleans thing.
The Gun Guy has lost his mojo:
What I had not realized was that when I made the decision to sell my guns, a little part of The Gun Thing would die inside me. And I don’t know if it will ever come back.
I have found that most of the enjoyment I get out of my guns (particularly the ARs and AKs) is building them. Once I invest the time and effort in assembling, modifying, using the Dremel, finding the right sight system, and adding all the bells and whistles that I can’t wait to get to the range. Then, after I get it sighted in and take it to the range three times, I see the next toy that I want. Suddenly, the old gun doesn’t do it for me. I want the next thing. That’s why I’ve basically turned over six AR-15s in the last year. It’s true.
The other thing is ARs are pricey. So, typically to justify my next project, I sell off or trade a past project. And I invariably regret selling off and trading them. So, I have decided in the future not to sell them off but to just amass a collection. The fact is, I miss my SigArms P220, my SigArms P226, my 20 inch AR configuration, my Charter Arms Bulldog 44, and my M1A (the latter, I miss most of all).
Anyway, enough belly-aching.
Momma Bear, who blogged at a site that has been on the blogroll since I had a blog, has died. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS “PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS ACT” LANDMARK NRA VICTORY NOW LAW
I don’t think so much misinformation has been perpetuated by editorial boards regarding this bill since the renewal of the PATRIOT Act and the assault weapons ban. It’s a victory for gun rights only in the sense that it gives the anti-gunnies something to cry about. And that was the only reason I really supported it. After all, special protection is special protection.
That said, what now? What’s next on the agenda? While the antis are down, will the gun lobby press the advantage or lay low? Not sure. Part of me wonders if getting aggressive would lead to opportunities for the press to successfully continue its vilification of the gun lobby. Another part says: kick their bitchy little asses. Quite a conundrum.
So, what next? National CCW? Repeal the NFA tax? Repeal the 1986 Hughes Amendment? My personal favorite would be repealing the Hughes Amendment.
Oh, where to begin?
Update: Thanks to GLN, I forgot all about that sporting purpose hooey. That’s probably first on my list now or at least tied with the Hughes Amendment.
I didn’t get into the whole blog promotion of the movie Serenity but I have a question: If blogs are the new media and a force to be reckoned with, why did Serenity lose so much money?
Everyone is linking to this, so I will too:
An uber-insider source has just reported the following to TWN (since confirmed by another independent source):
1. 1-5 indictments are being issued. The source feels that it will be towards the higher end.
2. The targets of indictment have already received their letters.
3. The indictments will be sealed indictments and “filed” tomorrow.
4. A press conference is being scheduled for Thursday.
Could be. But it could also be that blog credibility takes a hit if this is not the case.
First up is firing people: it sucks and I don’t recommend it. Every time I’ve had to do it, it wasn’t for cause (which I would think would be easier) but because positions get eliminated, restructuring, or insert other feel good business lingo here. And whenever I’ve had to do it, I felt like a bag of dicks after. But this ain’t a post about that. This is a post about this:
Currently, yours truly is seeking other employment options. The Mrs., who is always helpful, decided that she’d spend a portion of her lunch hour helping me in my search. She then sent me a list of opportunities that she thought I’d be interested in. That’s when it occurred to me: She has absolutely no idea what I do for a living.
Then, I had to update ye old résumé. Now, I’ve always abided by the rule that your résumé should be one page. Trouble is, not all the awesome and amazing shit I’ve done will fit on one page. Apparently, that’s no longer the rule as the four or so folks I’ve hired in the past year all had multiple page résumés. So, for the first time, I’ve expanded it to two pages. And it left me feeling quite unnerved.
So, last night, I asked the Mrs. to proofread my now updated, two-page résumé. She then informed me that, while it didn’t contain any spelling/grammatical errors that she could find, she didn’t know what half the stuff on there meant. Again, she has absolutely no idea what I do for a living.
Arfcom regular Shoot-n-Scoot has published pics of his current AR and AK build projects. Go have a look.
Looks like Cam Edwards got his way regarding Mike Wallace and his ties to the Brady Bunch. CBS Public Eye:
I trust Mason and CBS News to carry through with the pledge to turn down a Wallace story if there is a conflict involving his Brady Center appearance. It is the right thing to do. And I have no doubt that we’ll hear about it if that does not happen.
Don’t worry. We’ll be watching if he does.
Not sure whose site this is but it rounds up gun news. And it has a cool name: Guns, guns, guns!
Mike Spenis doesn’t blog much but when he does, you should be reading:
I have zero patience for the intellectual dishonesty already on display in some corners of the internet. On the one hand, we have people saying that perjury is a serious crime when the other guys do it, but when our guys do it, it’s only a technicality. On the other, we have people here who equate indictment with proof of a massive administration conspiracy, unless it was our president’s staff who was indicted, in which case it’s just unproven character assassination.
Let’s cut the crap here. Perjury under any circumstances is a serious crime. It’s serious because it undercuts one of the primary mechanisms of the balance of power; it’s serious because those in a position of public responsibility and public trust are rightly held to a higher standard when they misuse of their authority, and, most importantly, it’s serious because if I did it, I’d be in trouble, so if they do it then they don’t get a free pass.
When you dream about bloggers, that’s probably no big deal. But when you dream about bloggers then blog about it, you may have a problem.
No, not here. But Spoons:
I plan to keep the site up to maintain an internet presence, and to have an occasional bland post or personal update, but don’t expect to see any particularly no-holds-barred biting political commentary (as you haven’t really seen at all here this year).
Bummer.
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin demands the US crackdown on guns and will raise the issue with Condi Rice:
Guns are Prime Minister Paul Martin’s newest target in what seems to be a deliberate and continuing attempt to take some careful pokes at the United States.
Following on his increasingly hot rhetoric on the Canada-U.S. softwood dispute and vague hints about using precious oil as a bargaining chip in the trade wars, Martin is now making clear that his government is going to draw a line with the United States on guns as well.
“There is an estimate by the police that up to 50 per cent of the gun crimes in Canada are done by people with guns obtained in large part illegally from the United States,” Martin told an Ottawa news conference yesterday as he outlined his government’s still-developing plans to get tough on firearms crime.
Where do the other 50% come from? Say, wasn’t that billion dollar boondoggle registry of yours supposed to cure all ills? More:
“The Americans ask us to do things in terms of the border and the security at the border is very important for Canada and our ability to provide the Americans with their comfort in that area is something that we will do. I think that there is an obligation on their side to work with us to prevent gun smuggling into Canada,” Martin said yesterday. Up until now, the Prime Minister had been treating the growing concern over firearms crime as a domestic issue, even a Toronto-only issue.
Maybe if you secured those borders then, you know, those evil guns wouldn’t bet getting in? I mean, I’m just thinking out loud and all but seems that 50% of the illegal guns there come from the US would have had to cross the border.
The quick picks and why:
District 1
Joe Hultquist
No viable opposition and Joe has done a good job.
District 2
Kenneth Knight
The history of the Market Square Project and the sale of the Candy Factory have shown that Barbara Pelot is a champion of building and approving anything. She is so pro-development that it is clear no critical thinking is occurring. A very nice lady who is popular out West but she is a rubber stamp at a time when we need City Council members that will ask questions and consider the outcome before they automatically vote Yes. Her performance on the Market Square Project is more than enough reason to give someone else a chance. Kenneth Knight did this city a solid when he and others stood up and forced the proposed Convention Center Hotel to a voter referendum.
District 3
Steve Hall
This is a little more difficult only because of the Stacey Campfield and Lumpy Lambert static that interferes with a pretty basic choice. Do you want Steve Hall or Ellen Adcock/Victor Ashe? Steve Hall has done a good job and is not a rubber stamp. He is gruff and occasionally hangs out with Lloyd Daugherty on 1180 AM talk radio. His provision to require a supermajority for all eminent domain votes is good for Knoxville. This has brought Steve great opposition and is a key reason why we still need him on City Council. Parks are great until they come for your house to build the next park on. He voted against the sale of the Candy Factory and is popular in his district. Hall showed more leadership than any of the members of City Council on the Red Light issue that council approved against the wishes of the residents. This will be a close race.
On Sunday on the Gene Patterson TTW program Gene asked Ellen, “The argument goes that Ellen Adcock gets on city Council she’s going to take her orders from Poland. You will be calling Victor Ashe every time there is a major issue. Is that true?”
Ellen Adcock replied, “Gene, you know me and I was actually in the administration and I think I know when there is times to follow through on things, I’ll take his advice because he is a knowledgeable person, there are people here in this town now that value his knowledge but I certainly not taking orders from Poland I know how to hit a delete button.”
Translated into English it is an Ellen Adcock/Victor Ashe ticket. Remember the Convention Center and vote accordingly.
District 4
Rob Frost
This is easy. Vote for Rob Frost or for the Kim Litton/Knoxville Home Builders Association. Rob has done a good job and has shown he is an independent thinker. He voted against the sale of the Candy Factory. He is critical to a meaningful vote on eminent domain. After the recent Supreme Court decision we need a solid eminent domain ordinance in Knoxville. Victor might come back. Seriously.
District 6
Mark Brown
No viable opposition and no reason to change.
Last night, Bill Kristol was on The Daily Show. Bill Kristol, who is probably the only guy I’ve seen on the show shorter than Jon Stewart, was getting ribbed pretty hard. Why do I bring it up? Well, Kristol predicted that Miers would withdraw her nomination. Here’s hoping.
Update: Oh yeah, one funny bit was when Stewart said something to the effect of:
You guys have been waiting for this for a long time. You have the house, senate, presidency and the court. You must be very disappointed at the administration’s lack of competence.
Heh.
Sorry, Rich, but I love kim chee (or kim chi, never was sure how to spell since I see it spelled both ways). In other news, kim chee may treat or prevent avian flu.
Gov. Rick Perry ceremonially signed a new property rights law Monday in Waco, saying Texas will protect homeowners from losing land to private economic development projects.
The law, which the Legislature passed in August in response to a controversial June U.S. Supreme Court decision, restricts a governmental body’s power of eminent domain to seize private property.
“We believe government should not encroach upon the private property rights unless there is an eminent public need,” Perry said. “Eminent domain for public use is a necessary power. Eminent domain for private use is a great threat.”
Saying he and the Legislature attempted “to close a door the Supreme Court jarred open,” Perry received a standing ovation from more than 60 people at the Waco Association of Realtors office, which supported the legislation.
Andy Barniskis of the Federal Observer isn’t real happy with S.397, the gun immunity bill:
I am convinced that S.397, the federal legislation recently passed to protect the firearms industry from frivolous civil liability claims, was nothing but industry protectionism, with little or no consideration provided for the protection of the rights of gun owners. From the way it was passed, I suspect a segment of the sporting arms industry received undue benefits at the expense of our individual rights.
In general I do not support government protection of industries, but not all such protection is bad. Protection of an industry from competition is almost always bad. Protection of an industry from abuses of its genuine rights (which are extensions of the rights of the individuals who own it or benefit from it) is always good. The recently passed protection for the firearms industry would seem to fall in the latter category, but the non-germane, anti-gun amendments contained in it call to question the purity of the motives of its more strident supporters. There was no need for anti-gun amendments to be included, yet the loudest industry lobbyists insisted that only the bill containing those features be passed.
Which anti-gun bills? The only one I recall was the addition of the gun lock requirement for handguns, which is really irrelevant since I figure 99% of new handguns come with locks anyway.
As suggested by Angel Shamaya, founder and former owner of KeepAndBearArms.com, protection of the rights of the firearms industry should have been approached from a much broader, constitutional rights foundation, acknowledging the Second Amendment and other recognized civil rights.
Uhm, it did:
(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:
(1) The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
(2) The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the rights of individuals, including those who are not members of a militia or engaged in military service or training, to keep and bear arms.
If Mr. Barniskis is upset about the bill being protectionism, that’s not a very good way to express it. And it does some of the things he says it should. It doesn’t look like he researched the bill very much.
A while back, the trailer park FEMA built did not allow guns on the property. That is no longer the case:
Residents can now possess and store firearms in trailer parks or other temporary housing set up for hurricane victims by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under a new policy announced today.
Use of weapons is still prohibited in the parks, according to FEMA spokesman Butch Kinerny.
Gun rights groups had sought the change, saying the original policy violated Second Amendment protections for gun ownership. Kinerny said FEMA made the change after consulting with lawyers.
That, the citizens of Brazil rejecting a gun ban and a Brady Center person resigning all in a couple of weeks indicates trouble with the anti-gun crowd.
We’re winning.
TriggerFinger has an update to the case of David Bach, an upstanding citizen with a top level security clearance who wanted a CCW permit in New York, and links to this analysis of the case.
I’m often amazed at the way politicians, who spend hours poring over opinion poll results in a desperate attempt to discover what the public thinks, are certain they know precisely what God’s views are on everything.
It may be a sign that the .gov is a bit too big when it conducts clandestine surveillance on some U.S. residents due to administrative errors.
Heard City Council Candidate Steve Hall on the radio this morning. He, I’m pretty sure, referred to himself as a physical conservative. He meant, of course, fiscal conservative. That alone would be a reason why he wouldn’t get my vote. I don’t live in Knoxville, so it’s a mute point*.
Read the rest of this entry »
Nah, I’m fuckin’ with ya. Blogging will resume later.
***MUST CREDIT SAYUNCLE***
Bush is set to name Alan Greenspan’s successor to the Federal Reserve Board today at 1PM. In documents obtained by SayUncle, it can be revealed Bush is expected to announce Cris Comerford, the White House Chef, to the job.
Cris is highly qualified and, hey, cooking is no different from cooking books said Bush of the nomination. Most importantly, he continued, she has a vagina and that’s key to any presidential appointment.
In a memo written earlier this year, Cris said: You’re the most bestest President ever. Apparently, that’s a qualification for the job.
The appointment is subject to Congressional confirmation. Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Dude, what the Hell? and had had a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile, Arlen Specter refused to comment.
Blogger and radio host Hugh Hewitt opined Man, this shit sandwich keeps getting better and better. I’d have never thought to add capers. Really covers up the turd taste. Solid B+.
Update: Bush picks Ben Bernanke, chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, who, according to experts, doesn’t have a vagina. Stupid anonymous sources.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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