While all candidates for Senate in Tennessee have a blog advocating them, only two are written by the candidates. Jeff Moder blogs here. And Bo Heyward, a particularly interesting fellow, blogs here.
I think Blogging for Bryant was the first.
The Kelo story gets a bit more interesting:
The city council has voted to sever ties with the quasi-public development authority at the center of a national debate over eminent domain powers.
The council voted 6-0 Monday night to revoke the designation of the New London Development Corp. as the city’s “implementing agency” for its Fort Trumbull development. The agency has guided the $73 million state-funded project since its inception in 1998.
As for why, it seems the development corporation acted to evict some residents after the state asked them to hold off while they contemplate changes to the law. That last bit is some good news.
Via Bob, a judge has ruled:
Requiring voters “to purchase a photo ID card effectively places a cost on the right to vote,” he said, adding that is the equivalent of a poll tax and is unconstitutional.
I concur with Bob. The solution is to eliminate the fee for the ID cards.
Tam made it further in the Brady anti-gun game than I did. She notes:
The absolute best part? The Brady Center has wasted all this time and effort on this corny game to teach kids Three Things to Do when they see a gun. Can you guess what those three things are? That’s right: Stop, don’t touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult. [isn't that four things? - ed] Where have we heard that before?
Heh.
Guns are dangerous. But myths are dangerous, too. Myths about guns are very dangerous, because they lead to bad laws. And bad laws kill people.
“Don’t tell me this bill will not make a difference,” said President Clinton, who signed the Brady Bill into law.
Sorry. Even the federal government can’t say it has made a difference. The Centers for Disease Control did an extensive review of various types of gun control: waiting periods, registration and licensing, and bans on certain firearms. It found that the idea that gun control laws have reduced violent crime is simply a myth.
I wanted to know why the laws weren’t working, so I asked the experts. “I’m not going in the store to buy no gun,” said one maximum-security inmate in New Jersey. “So, I could care less if they had a background check or not.”
“There’s guns everywhere,” said another inmate. “If you got money, you can get a gun.”
Talking to prisoners about guns emphasizes a few key lessons. First, criminals don’t obey the law. (That’s why we call them “criminals.”) Second, no law can repeal the law of supply and demand. If there’s money to be made selling something, someone will sell it.
A study funded by the Department of Justice confirmed what the prisoners said. Criminals buy their guns illegally and easily. The study found that what felons fear most is not the police or the prison system, but their fellow citizens, who might be armed. One inmate told me, “When you gonna rob somebody you don’t know, it makes it harder because you don’t know what to expect out of them.”
What if it were legal in America for adults to carry concealed weapons? I put that question to gun-control advocate Rev. Al Sharpton. His eyes opened wide, and he said, “We’d be living in a state of terror!”
In fact, it was a trick question. Most states now have “right to carry” laws. And their people are not living in a state of terror. Not one of those states reported an upsurge in crime.
An interesting fact I also learned from the piece is that Alex Kozinski is an Eastern European immigrant.
WBIR:
Authorities have eradicated an estimated $1.2 billion in marijuana in the state this year.
More than 440,000 plants were seized in 2005 — 20,000 more than last year. Advertisement
Each plant is believed to be worth about $2500. The figures are estimated to rank the state second in the country, behind only California.
The DEA, TBI and THP are just some of the state agencies working together in the marijuana crackdown. Five helicopters from the Army National Guard were used.
In years past, officials would find huge patches of pot plants, but now say one or two plants are found here and there. They say this is a direct result of their crackdown.
That’s a lot of money.
Yes, I bought tickets. From Countertop, comes the Powerball meme:
1) $17 million a year for 20 years or $164.4 Million Cash Value
Cash, upfront. Remember, for tax purposes you can give up to 50% of AGI to charity. Seriously. More importantly, this keeps you from giving this cash back to the .gov.
2) First purchase
A good tax lawyer to help me figure out how to maximize my charitable contributions. And stay rich. Again, seriously. If you win, your first call should be to your spouse (to tell them or to tell them to leave) then your second call should be to a tax lawyer.
3) Statement to the Today Show?
I wouldn’t go on their show, unless they let me do it naked.
Look, I’ve got nothing against hybrid cars, except that their owners are smug, self-important imbeciles who save $100 a year on gas by spending an extra $5,000 on their car.
Yeah, here locally, there is some Hybrid car (maybe the Prius) that has a license plate that says 72 MPG or some such. I’m familiar with it because I occasionally have the misfortune of getting behind this imbecile on Alcoa highway while he or she is doing 40 MPH in the passing lane.
A blog advocating Rosalind Kurita for Senate means every Tennessee Senatorial candidate now has a blog.
Miers pledged her support for an amendment banning abortion during a run for city council. I heard this covered on the radio yesterday and a White House spokesperson said something to the effect of: Running for office is different than a court nomination and, basically, we can’t hold her to that.
First, why can’t we? Has she since changed her mind? That’s the implication. Or has she not changed her mind but they know that having that position would jeopardize her nomination or be bad for the Republicans and the administration? If that’s her view, why try to hide that?
Also, this statement basically confirmed that politicians admit that they lie and it’s OK since it’s for elected office.
Seems that blogs were all aflutter with rumors that Cheney may resign. I personally don’t see it happening but, if it did, the celebration in the streets from the left would be quite a sight to behold. Also, if it happens, who would replace him? I’ve seen Rice kicked around.
But, dear lefties, I wouldn’t be getting my hopes up.
HR 2088 is a bill which would allow WWII vets and their heirs to possess certain war trophies and DEWATs (deactivated war trophies).
What prompts the legislation is that during WWII, commanders were authorizing soldiers to own and take home war trophy guns, including machineguns. Many of the vets didn’t realize that such a written authorization doesn’t get them around the National Firearms Act; they weren’t lawyers, were in war, and had a letter from their commander authorizing them to take the gun home, and figured that covered it. As a result, there are a considerable but unknown number of MGs out there where the owner thinks everything is legal, and it isn’t.
If this bill has legs, I’ll predict a sudden increase in sales of parts kits for older military rifles.
I was going to comment on this misleading and hysterical piece on the bill in the paper of only occasionally making up the record but Denise beat me to it:
Here’s what’s wrong (and I will pick a couple of nits). The Bushmaster is not gleaming. It has a matte-black finish. It’s not a telescopic rifle. They mean it’s a rifle fitted with a telescope. More seriously, it is not an M-16 assault rifle. At no point does the article point out that the Bushmaster is semi-automatic like many classic hunting rifles and not capable of full auto burst-fire like an M-16.
Publicola was on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show to discuss Miers and the second amendment. He posted a transcript.
Kevin and I don’t agree on much. But when we do, I like to point it out:
First, it turns the justices into just partisan hacks. Regular vacancies would increase the pressure on judges to rule the “right way”. If a person’s future employment depends upon making political patrons happy, then they have almost no chance to develop any independent thought.
Adam Groves reports there may be some link between the Black Caucus and The Tennessee Waltz:
The Legislative Black Caucus, which has recently come under fire for gaps in disclosure of funds for its annual Legislative Retreat, now appears to be linked to Tennessee Waltz, the undercover FBI operation that exposed several corrupt law makers. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that undercover FBI agents posing as E-Cycle reps hosted a dinner during the legislative retreat and along with Charles Love, an indicted “bagman,” tried to convince several black legislative leaders to take an E-Cycle junket to Miami.
So, our reps are ready to apologize and make it right, you would think. Guess again:
Some black leaders say they are concerned that most of those indicted in Operation Tennessee Waltz are black, but investigators in the federal bribery sting say they don’t, and can’t, consider race.
State Rep. Ulysses Jones, D-Memphis, said the racial breakdown “raises eyebrows” and that blacks and whites are discussing it.
“Within the political community, a lot of people are starting to see there are a lot of African-Americans targeted,” said Rep. Jones, who has said he was offered bribes in the case and suspects he was videotaped by the FBI.
How about being concerned that most of those indicted in Operation Tennessee Waltz are crooks?
Update: Joe Public:
I really can’t say for sure that there was no racial bias involved in the FBI sting. I can’t read the investigators’ minds.
I have covered Sunshyne Video many times, a local porn shop who has been given a hard time by local authorities. Well, now they have (WARNING link is not safe for work) a blog. One story is (AGAIN not safe for work): Wife Arrested for Having Sex With Another Woman, but not letting husband join in.
Via NIT.
Update: Somehow I missed it but (AGAIN not safe for work) Sunshyne has closed up their store.
Update 2: David says in comments they are not closed. The post linked above mentioned they’d closed the retail store but the web site is still up and running. Sent David an email to clarify.
Last Update: Uncle so stupid. They were closed for a holiday, as mandated by law. I didn’t pick up the smarmy, which is odd because I’m usually good at being smarmy.
Can I get an AR-15 lower and upper receiver made out of transparent aluminum:
In Star Trek IV there is made mention of transparent aluminum. Very cool idea, huh? Well… science and engineering have nearly caught up with that science fiction material. It’s aluminum oxynitride that the US Air Force is testing for transparent armor:
Cool.
For some reason the Knoxville City Council Candidate Forum tonight at 7:30 PM at West High School has received little public notice. The event is sponsored by League of Women Voters. This is curious because Knoxville News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy will be present with other local media representatives on the panel that will ask the questions of the City Council Candidates. If you are one of the less than 12 % of registered voters that give a damn about this election you may find the Forum entertaining.
The Knoxville News Sentinel has a Politics Section in the paper but for some unknown reason this off year City Council election is not “news worthy”. Neither WATE nor WBIR have had much coverage over the election. I wonder if the lack of coverage of this election has any relationship to the voter apathy?
Metro Pulse has given their endorsements but who really cares about the Metro Pulse these days? The consolidation of power in Knoxville continues unabated, as the voters have not turned out in record numbers in early voting. This election may set a record for low voter turnout.
Over at http://www.knoxblab.com in the Forum section there is some lively debate on potential questions to be asked of the City Council Candidates. Much of them centering on the dreaded red light cameras, the Candy Factory debacle, the perpetual kissing of the City Mayor’s behind, and environmental concerns.
Katie Allison Granju is a moderator on the panel and is requesting questions from the public. You can drop her an email at kagranju@gmail.com or go over to http://www.knoxblab.com and join the fray.
Is that Chuck Schumer has issues with her. Apparently, Feinstein takes issue with her as well. I’d consider both of those good things.
Update: Guess you take the good with the bad:
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers pledged support in 1989 for a constitutional amendment banning abortions except when necessary to save the life of the mother, according to material given to the Senate on Tuesday.
“If Congress passes a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit abortion except when it was necessary to prevent the death of the mother, would you actively support its ratification by the Texas Legislature,” asked an April 1989 questionnaire sent out by the Texans United for Life group.
Miers checked “yes” to that question, and all of the group’s questions, including whether she would oppose the use of public moneys for abortions and whether she would use her influence to keep “pro-abortion” people off city health boards and commissions.
And with that, I can see her nomination caving. The senate may get all nuclear over this one. Of course, if some of the conservative dissatisfaction with the Miers’ nod manifests itself, that option may not be enough.
Messing around with Google Ads so if you see the template jump around, don’t panic. Also, even better than the ad revenue I may make is watching to see what Ads pop up on a particular post. When the post has questionable content (like one of my posts on gun porn or strippers), it displays a public service announcement.
Update: $0.16 in two hours. That’s $0.08 per hour. I’m rich, bitch! Anyone want to buy my Powerball tickets? I don’t need that pesky $340M anymore.
Spring Hill aldermen are facing a decision over whether to go after do-it-yourself enthusiasts who violate an ordinance banning construction work on Sundays.
According to city code in this Nashville suburb, no construction work of any kind can be done on Sundays. Spring Hill aldermen are now debating just how strict that ordinance is.
And why you may ask:
“What about Seventh-day Adventists?” Alderman Charles Raines said. “They go to church on Saturday.”
On Sunday, you should be in church, you Godless heathen. That, for example, is why you can’t buy booze on Sunday in my hometown. If the ACLU wanted an establishment case folks would get behind, this is it.
Jed links to a Brady Center game that educates people about guns. Looks kinda dumb to me but I didn’t get too far.
Looks like Stacey Campfield is back and has again enabled comments (and maybe pasted to code wrong).
As if to prove the UN is losing it’s grip, it gets Mugabe to address a hunger conference. Why not just put Libya on the Human Rights Commission? It gets better:
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Monday railed against U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, calling them “unholy men” and “international terrorists” bent on world domination.
Mugabe departed from his text at a ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to accuse Bush and Blair of illegally invading Iraq and looking to unseat governments elsewhere.
“Must we allow these men, the two unholy men of our millennium, who in the same way as Hitler and Mussolini formed (an) unholy alliance … to attack an innocent country?” he said, occasionally gesticulating for emphasis.
As long as the UN gives relevancy to these sorts, it will continue to become less relevant itself.
Anyone heard from Ravenwood? Site’s been down a couple days.
Update: Nevermind, he’s back with pictures of Paris Hilton screwing.
Kevin reports that in Cookeville, TN buying 1,000 rounds of ammo makes you a drug suspect (it’s an older case as the article is from 2002):
While it is not necessarily illegal to possess such ammunition in that quantity, detectives working this case have reason to suspect “it is drug related,” he said.
Necessarily? I don’t think it’s ever illegal. I buy my rifle ammo 1,000 rounds at a time all the time. See, I go to Ammo Man and get my 7.62X39 and 5.56X45 ammo in thousand round lots to save some cash. I buy my 45ACP, 22LR and 9MM at Wal-Mart because they have the best prices I’ve found. In Cookeville, that makes me a suspect and not a guy trying to save a few bucks. More details:
“Our detectives did not wait for somebody to get hurt, but took a proactive stance and moved to track down this ammunition,” Honeycutt said.
The arrest of Mendoza was the first result, and more arrests are expected, he said.
When the officers and DTF and ATF agents arrived at Mendoza’s residence last Friday about 11 a.m., they found him there with his girlfriend, and he was arrested without incident, Honeycutt said.
But he made no statements, Honeycutt said.
Allegedly, he had a handgun and methamphetamine, and his arrest was based on those items.
But the officers did not find the 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
“So it is still a very, very active investigation,” Honeycutt said this morning.
He praised the work of the Cookeville Police detectives and the “excellent cooperation” of the ATF and the Drug Task Force.
Mendoza was taken to Nashville, where he will be arraigned in federal court.
David Hardy notes:
The media once again goes out with a story that repeats whatever an official wants to tell them. In this case, an ATFE agent saying that (1) lots of criminals buy guns at flea markets (last study I saw indicated a bit over 1% do, the same as with gun shows) and (2) they’re driving from NY to Kentucky to get around NY’s gun laws.
The media are quite happy to repeat talking points.
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act is no doubt wanted because of stupid lawsuits like this one from a Brady Presser against Cary Jewelry & Pawn:
In November 2003, Van McQueen and Matthew Grant went to Cary Jewelry & Pawn to buy a firearm. McQueen planned to purchase a firearm as a straw buyer for Grant, because Grant was a felon prohibited from buying guns, and in return Grant promised to buy McQueen a beer. McQueen was mentally deficient and was obviously intoxicated, and the shop’s clerk refused to sell him a gun. Three days later, McQueen returned to the pawn shop with Grant, again wanting to buy a firearm. Although his home address was a local mission, McQueen had $120 in cash to buy the weapon. This time, even though the same clerk who had seen McQueen intoxicated three days earlier was on duty, the shop completed the all-cash sale. McQueen then transferred the shotgun to Grant, who used it to shoot Investigator Tucker in the face, killing him. Grant was arrested, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Investigator Tucker.
I see no evidence that the dealer violated the law. This lawsuit’s only purpose is to put the gun dealer out of business.
Ricky notes that Boortz has taken on Tennessee Reps. Lincoln Davis and Zach Wamp. On Zach Wamp:
I’ve told you that the FairTax would be the biggest transfer of power from politicians to the people since the Constitution was ratified. This may be the true reason Wamp is so opposed. When he ran for his seat in the Congress he promised to serve for only six terms and then resign. Well .. his time is up, and he’s now telling voters that he “made a mistake” when he made that promise.
He’s not going to quit after all. In fact, he sees himself as part of the new leadership in the Congress. What we may very well have here is a congressman who has become addicted to the prestige and power that comes with serving in Washington. This love of political power will be a primary influence on many elected officials who stand in opposition to meaningful tax reform
On Davis:
So … here is another congressman who simply hasn’t read the bill.
Reaganite on Ted Kennedy’s attempt to rescue some fishermen:
Sen. Kennedy’s 0 for 2 in Water Rescues
Ouch. Via Ace.
Kevin notes a twist to the upcoming National Ammo Day:
On the afternoon of Nov. 19, at 3:30PM Central time or as close as practicable, a bunch of us (me included) are going to go to our local WalMart and buy as much of the Winchester white-box or Remington value-packs of ammo as we can afford – preferably every bit in stock, in our preferred caliber(s). We’re kind of interested to see if it rings any bells anywhere.
I cheat a bit because, as I’ve said before, whenever I am at Wal-Mart, I pick up a box.
A while back, comment spam was huge. I implemented controls for that. Then, trackback spam became huge and I again implemented controls for that after going months with trackbacks disabled. Months ago, my referral logs became useless due to referral spam. Now, various other blog measures are getting inundated with spam. I’ve found blogpulse and blogsnow to be getting hit regularly with linky spam, wherein some blog is setup to pimp a product and links to everyone it can. So, when you go check out who is linking to you, you are exposed to the crap.
About the only decent measure of readership these days seems to be Technorati, Google Blog Search, and Sitemeter.
Update: Just Johnny on Splogging:
I thought it would be commercial advertising in RSS feeds that dampered the growth of Insta-blogs; it now appears that the culprit will be spam based blogs infesting our favorite blog-regators like technorati and google.
Do we now need spam filters and virus protection for our RSS feeds?
J.J. Horner, who is from my hometown, has a blog. It’s already a success since it’s getting spam. Here, he ponders the establishment clause and the ACLU’s interpretation thereof.
So, I assume that everyone can agree that 23 does not equal 21. This whole naming convention for hurricanes has always bugged me but now it seems the math is off. People keep calling Wilma the 21st storm/hurricane/weather anomaly/whatever this year. But W is the 23rd letter of the alphabet. Do we skip letters?
Update: OK, d in comments says we skip Q and U. That was fast.
The supposed Toledo race riot was pretty heinous. But check this out. Actual headline:
White Supremacists Riot in Toledo, Ohio
But what really happened:
Protesters at a white supremacists’ march threw rocks at police, vandalized vehicles and stores and cursed the mayor for allowing the event.
Mayor Jack Ford said when he and a local minister tried to calm the rioters Saturday, they were cursed and a masked gang member threatened to shoot him. At one point, the crowd reached 600 people, officials said.
[snip]
Ford blamed the rioting on gangs taking advantage of a volatile situation. He declared a state of emergency, set an 8 p.m. curfew through the weekend and asked the Highway Patrol for help.
Doesn’t sound to me like the white supremacists were the ones rioting. It seems the white supremacists got what they wanted. Malkin has a round up.
World Net Daily has picked up on the story about Mike Wallace appearing at an anti-gun fundraiser.
Blake, guest posting at Nashville is talking, has posted some gun porn. Here’s his AK in 223 and here’s some more gun pics.
I’ve mentioned the supposedly staged teleconference president Bush participated in. SGT Ron Long was there. He says it wasn’t staged but they had a rehearsal.
Via Mr. Completely.
The media, who were all aghast at a supposedly staged teleconference by the president, aren’t above staging stuff on their own:
In one of television’s inadvertently funny moments, the NBC News correspondent was paddling in a canoe during a live report about flooding in Wayne, N.J. While she talked, two men walked between her and the camera _ making it apparent that the water where she was floating was barely ankle-deep.
Staged news? Who’d have thunk it?
Update: Jeff has a pic.
Never been a fan of Colts. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fine guns but they are way overpriced. You can get plenty more gun for plenty less money. Tam wonders why top gun makers are located in states not particularly friendly to gun owners. Meanwhile, our local gun maker of note, Barrett Rifles, has gone to bat for gun rights plenty of times.
How would you feel about a US Army private telling you, at gunpoint, that you no longer have rights afforded you by the constitution? His authority given to him by our elected leaders.
I’d feel like shooting back.
Alphie as the skinny on some local concealed carry laws that may be important to Tennessee permit holders.
A presidential teleconference with troops was staged:
It was billed as a conversation with U.S. troops, but the questions President Bush asked on a teleconference call Thursday were choreographed to match his goals for the war in Iraq and Saturday’s vote on a new Iraqi constitution.
Complete with a rehearsal! Why is this surprising or newsworthy? We live in a country where the presidential debates are essentially staged.
Cam Edwards notes that CBS Public Eye, whose fundamental mission is to bring transparency to the editorial operations of CBS News — transparency that is unprecedented for broadcast and online journalism was initially unconcerned about 60 Minutes anti-gun bias and that its journalists were speaking at anti-gun fundraisers while they have been known to bloviate about gun control. They have now responded thusly:
“We allow CBS correspondents to speak at various functions and occasionally show video. We have strict regulations that if a CBS correspondent becomes identifiable with one side of a controversial issue, they will not be allowed to cover that issue in the future.”
They are looking into the issue to see Wallace’s appearance qualifies as identifiable. I guess hidden is OK? Vaughn says:
Here’s my take: It never looks good when a correspondent (or any member of a journalistic enterprise) appears at events connected with a controversial cause. Speaking at an event to raise money for breast cancer, heart disease or AIDS, fine. Speaking at one for either side of the gun control, abortion or Iraq debate is only asking for trouble. You can debate this issue all day but the bottom line is that it creates a perception problem at the very least. CBS News and all news organizations are right to be sensitive to the point of pettiness about this.
So is the apparent mocking of Charlton Heston identifiable? Or how about the time 60 Minutes glorified a gun runner who was providing arms to terrorists, while the man lied on TV about gun laws in the US to advocate a ban on guns?
Loophole. It conjures up nefarious attempts to thwart a law via technicalities. Unfortunately, what it usually means is shit happens we didn’t think of. And the media swallow it. Like this case where a local sex offender lives within some random number of feet from a school:
So why can McGill live so close to young kids? It’s a legal loophole.
McGill was convicted of a sex crime in 2000, four years before Tennessee put restrictions on where a sex offender can live or have a job.
I’m not defending the guy at all. But it’s not a loophole. Someone didn’t think of it when they wrote the law (or maybe they did but made it effective at that date so they didn’t have to forcibly relocate people). It’s inaccurate and misleading to imply this is a loophole. Like the gun show and campaign finance reform loopholes, it’s a scare word. The solution was to write the law correctly the first time but people aren’t perfect and don’t always get it right the first time.
Gunner notes that in Hawaii (a place I used to call home) that used car buyers are being forced to assume responsibility for parking tickets that were given to the previous owner. The crime, it seems, is attached to the vehicle and not the owner. As someone else once said:
Tree, noose, some assembly required.
Out of town on business so blogging will be sporadic or nonexistent. Why is it every time I travel, I get the little TSA tag informing me my fourth amendment rights have been violated err that my checked bag has been searched? [Maybe it's the gun? - Ed. or the razor]
Commentator anoymous said:
Please, more articles on building rifles, fewer articles on what’s happening in the “blogosphere” (yeech!).
Well, I would. But I only blog about those things when I’m engaged in them. Since I’m waiting patiently on one guy to help me finish my four 0% AR-15 lower receivers and another guy to help me finish my AK parts kit, I’m out of gun projects. So, gun porn has been light. But no worries as Tam can hook you up with some of that.
Hey, this qualifies as a major announcement!
AnalogKid on Democrats getting his vote:
I’m a full on supporter of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, although I would like less pussyfooting around and more dead terrorists. It is great to have a President that doesn’t treat the murder and assault of our armed forces and our citizens as a crime. I am also happy at the tax cuts that I and 10 million of the working poor received. But other than those, I’m having to grasp at straws for other reasons to be happy with this administration and this Congress.
Ayup.
The VPC is asking the Washington Redskins to Withdraw From Shooting Fundraiser With National Rifle Association as NRA Lobbies on Capitol Hill to Overturn D.C.’s Gun Laws . Their list of grievances:
The letter notes that the National Rifle Association is currently lobbying Congress to overturn Washington, D.C.’s gun laws.
That’s a good thing.
The bills to repeal the District of Columbia’s gun laws promoted by the NRA would: legalize handguns
Well, the murder capital of the world doesn’t seem to have a handgun shortage, currently. They’re just in the wrong hands.
as well as semiautomatic assault weapons
There is no such thing. That arbitrary illegal construct has disappeared at the federal level and only banned cosmetic features when in place.
and 50 caliber sniper rifles;
Which have been used exactly how many times in a crime?
allow any person to carry, openly or concealed, loaded handguns and other concealable firearms in houses, places of business, or other land “possessed by that person”;
Oh my God! People can have guns in their homes and on their property! Just like most other places in the country.
and, severely weaken the District’s ban on armor-piercing handgun ammunition.
There’s a federal ban on that stuff, folks.
David Codrea relates the story of a Texas politician named Juan Hinojosa who was busted with a gun in his bag while boarding a plane. A judge dropped the charges. Needless to say, if it were you or me, we’d be in jail. Mr. Hinojosa is also a gun control advocate who voted with Ann Richards against the Right to Carry in Texas. Wanted to add a $1.00 tax on each bullet sold in the state. He doesn’t want you packing but he can.
From Gunner:
Progressives cannot allow libertarians to lead the fight against the misuse of eminent domain
From Chris Kromm:
It’s time for all progressives to make Gulf Reconstruction a top priority.
So progressives should only take a stance when they’re trying to teach conservatives a lesson? Try doing stuff because, you know, you actually believe what you’re doing is the right thing to do.
In Nashville, they’ve apparently solved all problems because their Titty Council has enacted a law that says strippers must stay three feet from their customers. Blake, on the $100K per year it will take to enforce, notes:
Out of that $100,000 about $55,400 will be for salary for the inspector, more than 400 background checks per year for the pole professionals and around $2,600 for court reporter fees.
$55K to inspect titty bars? Sign me up.
Bill Frist now has a blog. Presidential bid? I wonder if he’ll answer the question about whether AIDS can be transmitted on a toilet seat?
Bill Hobbs is not not blogging. Just like Countertop continues not not blogging.
I’m glad they both continue blogging.
In an update to this, here’s the major announcement:
This blog will remain open for the foreseeable future, but I may be indisposed throughout the rest of the day, and Big Red is my favorite brand of gum.
I just thought I’d try that teaser nonsense out. Seriously. All four of these posts were written within five minutes of each other. Mostly because I thought this post was funny.
I’m guessing you’re not amused? Remember, I do this to entertain me . . . not you.
Some people don’t like permalinks being in the title (or at least couldn’t find them). So, permalinks are now in the title and at that handy little Permalink at the bottom of each post.
Update: No, this is not the major announcement.
R. Neal runs down the horrendous lack of accountability in tracking down Katrina money. Read it all.
Yeah, we know they have an anti-gun bias at 60 Minutes. But this is quite questionable. Mike Wallace appeared at a Brady Campaign fundraiser. Sure, he has a right to participate in whatever causes he chooses and he’s entitled to his opinion. But this alleged news show you work for may want to disclose that the next time CBS is scaremongering regarding the gun issue. Cam Edwards has more and this particularly pompous bit annoys me:
At the event, held at the French Embassy, Wallace played a clip of his “60 Minutes” interview with then-NRA president Charlton Heston, whom he described as the “self-righteous enemy of the Jim and Sarah Brady Bunch”. Afterwards, he mocked Heston by holding his hands above his head (as if holding a rifle), and said “in my dead hands… remember when he used to hold up…” while the crowd tittered. He told Buchwald he’d made his $250 contribution to the Brady Center. And I haven’t seen any mention of this at CBS.
Cam has sent a letter to CBS wanting to know:
Does CBS have a policy regarding on air talent appearing at special interest events like this, and does CBS have a policy regarding use of their broadcast material at events like this? Further, do you believe Mr. Wallace and “60 Minutes” have an ethical obligation to disclose Mr. Wallace’s support for the Brady Center the next time the program does a story on guns and/or gun control?
Another report notes that post-Katrina gun sales are on the rise:
All the attention focused on home protection after hurricanes Katrina and Rita has increased sales of guns, earthquake insurance and home alarm systems locally.
People are looking for ways to protect themselves in the event of a disaster in the Victor Valley.
Lock Stock and Barrel manager Gabe Antravious said he attributes about 50 percent of their gun sales since Hurricane Katrina to customers worried about a disaster. A month and a half later, customers are still arming themselves.
“Most people buy one shotgun and a handgun,” Antravious said. “If someone breaks into the house, all most people need is to hear the cocking of a shotgun and they’re shaking out of there.”
I’d also recommend a good carbine.
Via Mike Hollihan, comes this:
From the descriptions of what happened at the coffee, Ford seems to be buckling under the pressure.
During the coffee, Ford took questions from the attendees. They asked very pointed questions about the bankruptcy bill, Schiavo, his failure to vote on the budget rather than miss the coon dinner, and other issues. Apparently during the questioning, something snapped in Ford’s head. Maybe he realized that these were democratic activists who, no matter what he would do, will not support him and he doesn’t have a chance of winning without them. Ford became agitated by the questions, snapping at the audience and dismissing their views. He raised his voice several times. Afterwards, attendees described Ford as coming “unglued.”
If you can’t address people who are inclined to vote for you, you’re doomed in the general.
The consensus seems to be that, while Michelob Ultra sucks ass, Miller High Life is pretty good. I concur. I switch from Sam Adams to The Champagne of Beers when the weather gets warm.
I linked to the nonsensical report about Miers owning a gun yesterday. I just assume the press gets gun stories wrong and don’t bother commenting on some of it. But not Phelps. He decided to fisk it. I think it’s a record when he says:
Oh, OK, four paragraphs into the story they tell you that everything up until then has been a complete waste of your time. Way to go, Fox.
I usually figure that out about the third sentence. Stupid media tricks.
Chris wonders if Kos is selling email addresses of subscribers to spammers. He has a convincing tale.
Update: In comments, Ravenwood notes that spambots are probably scanning the user profile pages.
I keep hearing these advertisements on the radio for Green Power. Apparently, TVA now offers people the alternative to switch from what is probably nasty coal-fired power to green power, which in the commercial they only list solar but I’d assume they have wind and others. The issue that I have with it is that they want to charge you more for it than regular old, nasty coal-fired power. I’m guessing not a whole lot of people have signed up for it.
Also, it seems to me that those green power sources are already in place. Why not use them? Or are they building windmills on request or something.
Tennessee blogs reacted to the news that Bill Hobbs was shutting down with disbelief and accolades. Except A.C.:
It has always amazed me how Hobbs has managed to hold the position he does in the Nashville Blogosphere — most specifically the conservative side of it. He is considered “The” conservative blog in Nashville. Why? His commentary is not especially incisive, he doesn’t really strike me as having any discernible sense of humour or wit, he doesn’t post that extensively or often (considering his traffic). I don’t get it.
That’s a bit harsh. I’ve read Hobbs for a while and have noticed that the quality of his posts deteriorated recently [like you're one to talk there Mr. all linky - no thinky - ed.] into parroting the party line. I’ll miss the Hobbsy Wobbsy of old. A.C. speculates it’s a ploy to drive up traffic and the whole teaser bit was out of line. Teasers are out of line?
Update: Will Pinkston of Go4Truth in comments at Bill Hobbs:
This is crushing news. After giving billhobbs.com $80 for a three-month blog ad for go4truth.com, now I find out you’re quitting? It seems that you’ve misrepresented your product. It’s almost as bad as a political party raising money to elect candidates but instead spending it on scholarships and Katrina relief …
Ouch. Via Matthew White. Bill is offering a pro-rated refund on Blog Ads.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer claimed that legislation “offered by Rep. Jim Aslanides of Coshocton would end journalists’ access to the list of people granted a concealed-weapons permits [sic]“, and repeating the lie a second time by saying that “lawmakers are seeking to close off public access completely”. The bill did nothing of the sort and Buckeye Firearms pointed that out. They also contacted Brent Larkin, who had agreed … six days before that the editorial misrepresented House Bill 347, and that “if there is an error in the story, I will address it.”
However, Buckeye notes there have been 10 issues since then and 16 corrections. None of those address the error in the story.
Before I thought The Plain Dealer was just ignorant. Now, I know they’re just biased.
Matt Rustler thinks the recent string of (underreported, I might add) bombings in the US may be holiday wishes from Osama:
Anyone see a trend here? The fact that all the bombs have been relatively low-powered and unreliable would seem to suggest amateurs. It wouldn’t be the first time that weak-minded college students have become fascinated with radical, anti-American politics. And the bombs don’t have to work well in order to terrorize people.
Well, the press would actually have to devote significant coverage to the incidents for that.
Note to self:
Self,
Never again try to blow your nose with a mouthful of mouth wash.
Love,
Self.
Stupid multi-tasking.
Update: Despite the general feeling of Ick!, it cleared my sinuses and my nostrils were minty fresh.
Heard on news radio this morning that a local politico is proposing that state reps who violate the law be denied their pensions. My question is this: Why do we give pensions to state representatives in the first place? That seems to encourage career politicking and that’s no damn good for anyone, except career politicians.
Via Gunner, comes this story:
For anyone who has ever said “there oughta be a law,” a Queens politician is offering the opportunity of a lifetime.
Assemblyman Jimmy Meng (D-Flushing) is sponsoring a “Make Your Own Law” contest – inviting his constituents to write legislation with the promise that the best proposal will be introduced as a bill in Albany.
First, in this country we have too many laws that are rather asinine. If you’d like a list of some I take issue with, go here. Now, as if to delegitimize them, we’re giving them away like children’s toys that come free when you add soda and fries. This really makes a mockery of the law, if you ask me.
The politicians will pick the winner to submit as a law. Gunner notes they may be trying to avoid something similar that happened in England:
He likely is trying to avoid what happened in England not so long ago. They let people submit and pick the bills. What occurred when the people finally picked one that would legalize shooting criminals was that politician who promised to submit it commented.
“The People have Spoken – the Bastards”
He also did not submit the bill.
Here’s my idea for a law: Don’t have contests that give away laws.
Update: Ravenwood says the idea stolen was stolen from Pennsylvania. I like his idea for a there ought not be a law contest.
The press is all goo-goo because, well, I’ll let them tell it:
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, who once owned a .45-caliber revolver, is not licensed to carry a concealed handgun in Texas. State officials refused Monday to reveal whether she has ever been licensed.
Miers’ brother gave her the Smith & Wesson handgun when he was worried about her living alone in Dallas. Judge Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court, a longtime friend of Miers’, has said she kept the gun for a long time.
State law requires the release of information about license holders but not former license holders, said Pamela Smith, assistant general counsel for the agency
A person in Texas can own a gun without a concealed handgun license. Texas is one of 43 states that allow concealed weapons, and more than 230,000 residents are registered under the law.
So, she owned a gun. Big deal. Say, I never recall one story about the Chinese assault rifle that John Kerry may or may not have owned.
I prefer the EOTech. But Mr. Completely has the skinny on the C-More Red Dot Sight.
Tired of gun acronyms and abbreviations? The guys at AR15.com have thought of everything, here’s a list.
Oh that major announcement I promised yesterday, I’ve postponed it until tomorrow.
This article was listed on Yahoo! news main page with the headline:
Environmentalists at war with SUVs in Paris
The would be one headline. Another would be Vandals Targeting SUVs. The LA Times reports it as:
SUV Drivers in Paris Get Wind Knocked Out of Them
tomorrow.
Some folks on the right support the Miers’ nomination. Some don’t. In the some don’t camp, there are basically three reasons that right-leaning people don’t support her:
1 – Her qualifications are questionable.
2- Her positions on various issues are unknown.
3 – Both
My position, honestly, is that 1 and 3 don’t matter one bit. At all. Focusing on number 2 is what scares the Hell out of me. We don’t know how she feels about the commerce clause, second amendment, eminent domain, ad infinitum. The Bush administration says trust us. After record spending, the biggest federal bureaucracy ever, lax immigration and border controls, and the whole list of grievances that conservatives have against this big-spending administration, trust us doesn’t cut it. And it never will again. You’ve ruined that and it cost you my vote in 2004.
In terms of her qualifications (or lack of), I could really care less. Bush could nominate a monkey and if the monkey came down on the right side of the issues, fine with me. It does help credibility if Bush nominates someone who is qualified because this nomination stinks of cronyism. But it’s not necessary. There, I said it. Happy now?
We haven’t even seen how Roberts (who is highly qualified) is going to go. And if you expect me to trust a person with minimal qualifications, no record to speak of, and whose only reason for consideration is that she’s the president’s pal on the high court, forget it. I ain’t buying.
The NRA, who endorsed George Bush despite his support for extending the assault weapons ban, is happy that gun crime prosecutions are up under this administration:
The data, obtained by TRAC from the Department of Justice, show that federal prosecutions are up across the board in the Bush Justice Department, and that cases filed on gun charges are a primary reason for the increase.
In 2000 there were 5,490 such prosecutions. In 2004 there were 10,937. That increase in gun crime prosecutions makes up almost one-quarter of the total increase in federal prosecutions in that period. The data suggest a significant change in priorities between a Janet Reno vs. a John Ashcroft-run Justice Department: the latter went after criminals who misuse firearms, not law-abiding citizens.
Assuming that gun crime prosecutions are up for actual gun crimes and not technical violations of arbitrary laws, that is good news.
Via Phelps, I tried the new Google news reader. It’s slow, has an ugly interface, and is not very intuitive. I’ll stick with Bloglines.
Defense Review has the skinny on (and lots of pics of) the new Bushmaster 5.56mm Subcarbine/SBR and 9mm. Sweet!
James Rummel, a self-defense instructor and blogger, has apparently received death threats from anti-gunners. Odd. Since they’re anti-gun, I wonder how they’d plan on doing that? I wonder how those threats went? Something like: Violence is horrible and you’re encouraging it, so I must kill you.
Pure idiocy. I’m happy to report I’ve never received any death threats, that I remember. I must be doing it wrong.
Not to make light of the situation at all, really. But it is another reason for at least pseudonymous blogging.
Robert received his AK mags and has a good report regarding quality. Guess I’ll have to get some now.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
Uncle Pays the Bills
blog advertising is good for you
You are currently browsing the SayUncle weblog archives for October, 2005.
Powered by
WordPress
Theme provided by Robb Allen
1.793 seconds.