The Roanoke Times:

Behind a table bearing shotguns and revolvers, and next to a hand-written sign that read “Private Sale; No Paperwork!,” Mike Smith sat waiting for business.

Smith’s gun sale was private in one sense. But it was held in a very public place — the Salem Civic Center, where hundreds of gun lovers browsed through thousands of shotguns, rifles and handguns at a recent gun show.

If someone lingered at Smith’s table long enough to strike a deal, the transaction was fast and simple.

A Virginia law that requires potential gun customers to pass a criminal background check does not apply to transactions by unlicensed vendors such as Smith, whose occasional sales don’t generate enough business to subject them to government scrutiny.

Mr. Smith is not an unlicensed dealer. He’s a citizen engaging in lawful commerce. However, if he did enough volume, the ATF could attempt to prosecute him for being an unlicensed dealer and that would lead to quite a few years in the pokie.

Resized the columns a bit. Any viewing issues? Some folks with Firefox said the sidebars were at the bottom. Still the case?

Update: How about now?

Apparently, the news flying through blogland this weekend was this study by a UCLA political scientist, which says, shockingly, there’s a bit of a leftward slant to the media. Even though there is such a slant, it’s merely a lean to the left.

My take on the media is pretty simple. I don’t find them to generally sway left or right per se. My impression is that, first, they’re motivated by selling ads and that means getting your attention. Hence, stories like Can Your Dog Spontaneously Catch Fire? News at 11. Secondly, I find they are generally pro-establishment but this gets back to the first point. See, if they’re not, they can lose access and that means they can’t sell ad spots. The third point is that I think media bias is issue specific and not necessarily left or right leaning. In very general (yet issue specific) terms, I find their slant breaks down like this:

Death penalty: Slant against
Abortion: Slant for
Guns: Heavily slanted against but probably because they’re ignorant
Crime: Tough on crime (including drug war stuff)
Establishment: for it
Pork: For it
Taxes: Split down the middle
War in Iraq: Against
Israel: Sympathetic to the palestinians

And on and on. But that’s just one guy’s opinion.

Jed reports that Congress is looking to create a fertilizer registry:

A Homeland Security Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attacks Subcommittee Wednesday approved a bill that would regulate production and sale of ammonium nitrate, which is typically used by farmers as a fertilizer, but could be used to create a bomb.

[snip]

The measure calls for any individual who produces, sells or buys ammonium nitrate to register with the Homeland Security Department.

I have two large dogs so I can make my own.

Seen at Alphecca:

The U.S. attorney for New Hampshire is firing back against charges that lax gun control laws in northern New England are partly responsible for an increase in gun crimes in Boston.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Colantuono told Foster’s Sunday Citizen that’s an “urban myth” that doesn’t stand up to the facts.

Tam has a pic of some sharp looking AR-15s.

Kevin at The Smallest Minority notes:

They’re [NPR - ed.] going to do a piece on gun control early next year, and they’re looking for questions from their audience. The site is WeekendAmerica.org, and if you look over at the right-hand column, you’ll find this link to click

So, head on over and make yourself heard. I like Kevin’s question but think it needs some specific examples, like the press lying to/about Barrett; or CNN breaking the law by transferring a rifle over state lines (though the fact they didn’t do it willfully means no prosecution but they did, in fact, assert that what they did was legal); or that time they lied and said a Glock was a plastic gun that could beat metal detectors at the Capitol Building; Or that one time at band camp . . .

Update: And, of course, Joe Huffman’s One Question:

Can you demonstrate just one time, one place, throughout all of human history, where restricting the access of handheld weapons to the average person made them safer?

No, really, a round up of Earls.

Good:

The Democratic Party, long identified with gun control, is rethinking its approach to the gun debate, seeking to improve the chances of its candidates in Western states where hunters have been wary of casting votes for a party with a national reputation of being against guns.

The Democrats’ effort to soften their rhetoric on gun control is similar to the party’s recent efforts to recast its message on abortion, maintaining their support of abortion rights but welcoming more Democrats who favor restrictions on the procedure.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, who had been a critic of some forms of gun control during his tenure as governor of Vermont, has urged candidates to view gun control laws as state issues, allowing those in rural states to reflect the values of hunters and others hostile to gun control, while supporting restrictions in urban areas with serious crime problems.

And this quote from the Montana Governor (a Democrat) is worth pointing out:

”I guess I kind of believe in gun control: You control your gun, and I’ll control mine,” Schweitzer said.

Update: Coincidentally, this is why I like Bredesen. Any Democrat who signs Shall Issue NFA Approval into law can’t be all that bad.

Xrlq has more on Aubrey Ellen Shomo, who may have violated the law by taking a CCW class. I discussed her here.

Note to George W. Bush: Interrupting The Family Guy will not win you any hearts or minds.

Messing with the template so if things look goofy you know why.

Again, cool:

The Senate on Friday rejected attempts to reauthorize several provisions of the USA Patriot Act as infringing too much on Americans’ privacy and liberty, dealing a huge defeat to the Bush administration and Republican leaders.

In a crucial vote early Friday, the bill’s Senate supporters were not able to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a threatened filibuster by Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and their allies. The final vote was 52-47.

Jason at Fish Or Man:

Oh, boy… ok… the bottom line is I WON MY APPEAL against the conviction of “warranting alarm” for open carrying a handgun in the city of Ellensburg.

Yeah, that’s right. The Ellensburg case is dismissed, conviction over-turned. The city code was ruled inconsistent with the state version and preemption applied. The law was repealed!

Good job and congrats. Lesser folks would have crumbled.

Mark Twain once said, “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits”.

He hit the nail on the head didn’t he? Today we learn that well-meaning totalitarian type folks have decided that you should not be allowed to smoke a cigarette in your own home if you have children. Soon other well-meaning totalitarian type folks will decide that you shouldn’t smoke anywhere.

You may remember that back in 1920 some well-meaning totalitarian type folks decided that people shouldn’t drink alcohol. That went over well. The day smoking is prohibited is the day to buy stock in organized crime. Here is a novel idea, if you don’t want to smoke then don’t.

First it will be smoking in your own home. Then what? Will well-meaning totalitarian type folks decide that you really shouldn’t have that piece of chocolate cake for desert? I am sure there will be good reasons for these intrusions. “For the children” or “to combat the growing obesity epidemic” or “to keep insurance rates affordable for less fortunate people”. Just say no to well-meaning totalitarian type folks.

God help us from those trying to save us. The world would be a better place if people would mind their own business. Since that is not going to happen you will need to stand up for your rights. If you elect not to you may lose those rights.

Last night, me and the Mrs. were watching Live at Five and they were reading kids’ letters to Santa. One letter stated:

And my brother wants a Big Woody

You know, from Toy Story, you pervert. The host could not quite regain his composure. But he continued:

And a Big Buzz.

Wow:

Iraqi security forces caught terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the Fallujah area last year but released him because they didn’t realize who he was, the deputy interior minister said in an interview broadcast Friday.

The deputy minister, Maj. Gen. Hussein Kamal, told the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., that Iraqi police “suspected this man” and detained him “along with other members” of his group.

“Afterward, he was released because we did not know the identity of this criminal,” Kamal told LBC. The station said the remarks were made Wednesday but were aired Friday.

Oopsie.

On a piece in the Chicago Tribune that instead of, for once, blaming guns blames bullets, Tom Dunson points out:

It’s not until the 10th paragraph of the article that anyone even mentions the shooters.

I think that sums up the last 15 years of media coverage of guns.

And more importantly, he’s healthy and has all appendages and digits!!!

Since I call the girl Junior, guess I need a name for him.

Oops: I got excited and typed that real fast. I should point out that we just had the ultrasound and determined the gender. The Second hasn’t been born yet.

JJ says:

Okay, in the next few months, I’d like to spend a little money and get a weapon. I’m also going to try to spend a little money to get an alarm system.

First, how much money? Second, forget the alarm and get a pooch. I have an alarm and only use it when on vacation. And I’m posting my other answers here because your comment system is a pain in the ass.

Further, he wants info on other stuff and I’ll give my $0.02 here:

caliber to stop an invader

Any .4X caliber would be adequate. I personally favor the 45 ACP with Golden Saber 230 grain jacketed hollow points. Enough oomph to stop someone but big, slow and hollow points means the odds of it penetrating a few walls are lessened.

# rounds in the clip to handle a home invasion (I’m a superior marksman in the .45, or I was in the Navy)

First, having been in the Navy, you should know that it’s called a magazine and not a clip. Since your Navy training probably was with the 1911, I’d recommend one since you know how it works. They hold 7 or 8 rounds. There’s also the various 45s by Glock, H&K, and Sig. All are fine weapons. But they’re also among the more pricey (expect to pay a minimum of $550). But, with guns more than most other things, you get what you pay for.

weight, in case the Mrs. has to use it

I wouldn’t be concerned about weight. She should be able to handle any handgun. I would be concerned about trigger pull weight and grip size. My wife has trouble pulling the trigger on my double action Sig. It’s one of the reasons I opted for my second handgun to be a Glock. The trigger pull is 5.5ish pounds as opposed to the Sig which has 12 pounds on the first pull and each subsequent pull is 4.5 pounds. She has to cock the Sig before firing. For women, a Glock or 1911 trigger pull should be more than manageable. However, the double stack magazine of the Glock (while offering more rounds) may be a bit thick for girly hands.

type of ammo most appropriate to stop a home-invasion scenario

Any jacketed hollow point round (see above).

the name of a good shooting range to bone up

Coal Creek Armory has a good indoor range.

location of a good training class, perhaps with a CCW class

Again, Coal Creek Armory who is also running a special.

information on trigger locks, such as pros and cons

I use my trigger locks as targets or on the gate to my fence. They are useless.

some good gun cases to prevent little hands from touching the gun

I keep my handgun out of reach (top shelf or in a drawer, depending). As she gets older, that will get more difficult but, as she gets older, she’ll understand more and we’ll talk about guns. I’d recommend one of those quick release, PIN activated gun safes (like this one). An invader will not wait for you to remember the combination and dial the little knobs.

Head on over and leave a comment. Or leave it here if you find his comment system to be a pain in ass too.

CounterTop:

Jeff Jarvis is rightfully pissed off at the continuing erosion of the 1st Amendment and media freedom.

What I’d like to know though, is when the American media has been front and center in the plot to disarm America and sell the 2nd Amendment down the river through lies, distortions, and manipulated reporting where do they (as in Jeff Jarvis and the Journalism generally as an industry) come off complaining that the 1st Amendment is now going down that same path.

I don’t know about front and center as I’m more inclined to believe that the explanation isn’t some sort of conspiracy but rather ignorance and stupidity. Gun groups do usually rally around the first amendment in addition to the second. The press, however, is loathe to give a squirt of piss about the second (and ninth and tenth for that matter). What gives?

R. Neal looks at Gov. Phil Bredesen’s woes. It’s a good read detailing his reaction to things. R. thinks he may overreact but I guess that beats the alternative of not doing anything.

This time, it’s the psychotic-looking Goth chick version.

Again?

The Blount County Commission delayed the vote.

Via Gun Law News, meet Aubrey Ellen Shomo who went out and took a class to get her handgun carry permit (good for her). However, she decided that attempting to get said permit would be for the benefit of posting an article at Democratic Underground to make fun of gun nuts and the CCW process. It concludes with:

A few days later, I got my certificate in the mail. I am now qualified for a concealed weapons permit.

You’ll note the weasel words that imply she has a permit but she actually states she’s merely qualified for one. To me, that intimates she doesn’t actually have one and that’s a good thing because on another page she maintains, she writes:

I am a twenty-one-year-old psychiatric survivor. I found my way into the system at eight, by way of a child psychiatric hospital unit. Deemed to have a chronic psychotic disorder, I would remain a mental patient for eight years.

During that time, I was hospitalized seven times, all but the first two against my will, treated with numerous medications, and diagnosed with everything from Schizoaffective Disorder or Psychotic Bipolar Disorder through emerging cluster B personality pathology. My most painful memories are of being held down by five men in a seclusion room.

I left the system at 16, when I was old enough to fire my psychiatrist.

Unfortunately for her, according to the Colorado State Shooting Association, anyone precluded by state or federal law from owning a firearm may not obtain a permit (see question F on ATF form 4473). So, Ms. Shomo, you are not qualified for a concealed weapons permit because you were locked up in a mental institution. I hope you’ve not applied to get said permit because to do so would involve lying on the application and that is illegal. In the event that you actually did get a permit, you have violated state law.

The city of Nashville, like most places in Tennessee, is trying to make life hard on strippers:

For the first time, Nashville’s exotic dancers have been forced to get permits identified by their number, not their name. The Sexually Oriented Business Licensing Board approved the permits on Wednesday night. Now dancers will be known, to Metro at least, by a number.

Wednesday night’s agenda for the board listed nearly 200 entertainment permits. All those dancers were approved in the first wave of permits considered by the board. The permits issued represent the majority of adult performers in Metro. A lobbyist for the industry says many performers find the new system dehumanizing.

Also, there’s a move on to legally challenge the recently enacted three foot rule. And I found this odd:

“The whole process is criminalizing from the begininng…inappropriate and unnecessary,” said Tenn. Caberet (sic) Association lobbyist Tracy O’Neill.

Strip clubs have their own lobbying group.

Coal Creek Armory has a lot of new gun porn up. And the stuff is for sale.

Michael Silence writes today about the end of Internet privacy, as we know it. The Internet is not private today but a new chip being designed will remove what remaining privacy exists. Your ISP knows who you are and if you violate the Patriot Act the Government will knock on your door.

But when you are blogging only the blog owner knows your IP address. If you are behind an AOL Proxy Server or use Anonymizer no one will know who you are from day to day.

So these new chips will mean the end of Internet blogger sock puppets. People will see your unique identifier. Buying a new network card or cable modem can change Mac addresses but the ID in these new chips will be difficult to defeat. While there may be a few benefits like the end of sock puppets in blogging the end result is a very bad idea for privacy and liberty.

So what can you do if you don’t like this idea? Just keep your old computer for Internet use. The value of used computers just went up.

SayUncle wrote a post about how the movie business isn’t doing very well. Today we see another reason for the sharp decline in movie theater attendance. Movie critics. There is only one movie I want to see. King Kong. But now I learn that “movie critics” have discovered troubling metaphors in the movie. Damn movie critics.

For once can’t a movie about a giant ape and his girl friend just be about a giant ape and his girl friend?

I concur:

“More power and more money. That’s what this is about. I think they have got enough already.”

U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, on the Patriot Act.

In the summer 1986, I was fourteen years old and dad decided that I needed to learn a lesson about, err, something. So, he sent me to work. I worked for a couple of months on a farm in Dandridge, Tennessee for a man named Earl. He was about a hundred years old then and I’m fairly certain he’s no longer with us. Working in hay in July in East Tennessee is excruciating. It’s hot, sticky and, well, those bales are awful heavy for a 120 pound skinny white boy to haul around.

I’d come home at night with cuts and gashes on my forearms from working in hay, my leg muscles cramping, signs of heat stroke, and my hands stained brown from working in tobacco. We’d spend our days walking a field behind a truck in the middle of summer throwing hay bales on a trailer then haul the trailer to a barn where we’d toss the bales up on a top shelf in the barn (about 15 feet – that was the hard part). Or we’d top tobacco. Or chop it. Or hang it in a barn. Or other tasks that were equally tedious and strenuous.

I worked eleven hours a day (six to six with an hour for lunch) for six days a week. It was probably illegal since we got paid in cash and I wasn’t old enough to legally have a job. For my trouble, I made (and I am not making this up) $2 per hour. So, a week’s wages (which we received on Friday) was a whopping $132.

Working there was me and three other boys about the same age and a guy we’ll call the foreman. The foreman was probably about 40 years old and looked like he was in his late 60s. Farm life is hard on a body. I can’t imagine the foreman made much more money than the rest of us and he had a house, a wife and two kids. For him, the work was obviously painful but he’d done it for years. He had a habit of bringing up topics that were probably inappropriate to talk about with 14 year old boys, such as what a clitoris was. I’m not making that up either. Some stuff I learned from that experience:

What a clitoris is.

How a farm works.

How tobacco is processed.

That if you work in hay, it’s going to suck. You’ll either wear long sleeves to avoid the cuts on your forearms and collapse from heatstroke or you’ll wear short sleeves to avoid the heatstroke and reside yourself to cut up forearms.

That tobacco stained hands can’t be washed clean. Just have to wait until it fades.

And, most importantly, I learned that manual labor is a shitty way to earn a living. Something I’ve said before:

If your only marketable skill is that you can lift heavy things, you’re career is time-limited and low-paying.

I’m not an accountant because I wanted to be one as a child. And most of you aren’t what you wanted to be as children either. I, for example, wanted to be a ninja. Sadly, this job is hard to get. I’m not Japanese enough, the agency told me. It’s a pity. They have really good dental and the uniform allowance is fantastic. I spent a lot of time perfecting my ability to disappear in a cloud of smoke for nothing. I’m an accountant because it’s marketable, opens up to other industries through wide exposure, and I’m good at it.

Kids today need marketable skills. There are plenty of fields that are quite marketable. The problem is these fields aren’t particularly fun or are particularly difficult. I’m thinking of law, accounting, engineering, software development, medicine, etc. There are also fields that provide great satisfaction to people but are low paying (teachers, nurses, policeman come to mind). These are all noble endeavors but may not pay the bills.

There is also the danger of overdoing it in one particularly unpopular field. I know a guy with a PhD in physics who manages a Subway restaurant. I know a person with a Masters in biochemistry who is in sales. Also, the Simpson’s had a joke about PhD’s at the bookstore. Bart walked up to the service counter and said a professorship opened up at the local college their faces lit up. Then he instructed them he was joking. If the people I mentioned above could get jobs in their field, they would likely be paid fairly well. Problem is that it’s just tough to get jobs in those fields.

There is a balance. Finding something you enjoy, are good at, and that pays decently isn’t that tough. I enjoy what I do but if you’d asked back when I was going to be a ninja if I ever thought I’d be an accountant, I’d have responded with a resounding No way, Jose*. However, marketability is something to consider in this day and age.

*By the way, if Earl is still in business, I’m sure Jose is working for him.

Bryan Miller, the executive director of Ceasefire New Jersey, writes a response to Lawrence Braico of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs that says in part:

Gun-lobby rhetoric is awash in false patriotism and incorrect reading of constitutional principle, and Braico didn’t spare us either. But in his rambling and parental letter taking Gov. Rendell to task for signing legislation enabling law enforcement to remove guns from domestic abusers, Braico defined what really motivates pro-gunners to fight against every limit on gun possession or use: emotion.

Really? Now, for the question. Given that the anti-gun lobby has misrepresented (and often lied about) assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles, concealed carry permits and a host of other gun related issues by using scare tactics, who really plays on emotion? You can email him at cfnj@aol.com and ask him.

Ravenwood reports:

Fifty-eight year old Patricia Konie from New Orleans filed a federal lawsuit over excessive force used by police during Hurricane Katrina. She’s suing for injuries she sustained at the hands of police officers, for violation of her civil rights in forcing her to evacuate against her will, and for the unlawful confiscation of a firearm.

Good. Is there a legal fund set up?

Speaking of how I only know that a movie is out because it makes the news due to controversy, gay cowboys doesn’t seem like a movie I’d want to go see. Gay cowgirls, on the other hand, would get two err one thumb up.

Sorry ladies but when men see a tattoo in that location, all we see is a target.

The difference between the South Park and Farrelly’s versions is that the South Park version would actually be, you know, funny.

Heh:

I knew Glock made a .380 and that it wasn’t available in the US. I never really knew why. Now, I do. It seems the ATF has a point system that determines if a pistol can be imported. A pistol must score 75 points. Here’s the point system:

That seems rather, uhm, totally random. The site also notes:

Changes and features made to Glocks to comply with the BATF rules:
- all models are imported with a cheap click-adjustable rear sight that is replaced at the factory with the stock sight
- target (grooved) trigger added to compacts & subcompacts
- target grips added to all models (required for the subcompacts)
- due to their caliber, .380 autos (G25 & G28) do not score enough points to be imported

Via Brutal Hugs, comes this Slate comparison of Dogs and guns:

In a span of decades, we bred ferocity into Dobermans and then, with equal deliberateness, bred it out. We treated dogs like guns. We designed and bought them for protection, then complained when they hurt us. When cities banned pit bulls, we bought Rottweilers. It was as easy as replacing an illegal assault weapon with a legal one.

I’ve been saying that for years. Read the whole thing entitled FrankenFido Our creepiest genetic invention, the dog for a good history on how dogs are basically our first genetic experiment and how humans have sort of screwed dogs up.

The House passed the PATRIOT Act. Some in the Senate plan a filibuster. And more drug war legislation has been added to it. At first, I was against it. Then realized some opposition to it was nonsense because its provisions were blown out of proportion. Now, the act is just becoming a big, fat police and law enforcement wish list. So, kill it. If the Democrats want to show the country they actually have a set and can take an identifiable stand on something, this is that opportunity.

Everything is Rosie

Bruce points out that Boston City Councilor Maureen Feeney wants all Boston gun owners locked up.

Head is building the shortest AK pistol of all time.

He also created a handy little diagram of AK front end parts.

No, a gun is not a pacifier.

Update: CounterTop beat me to it.

Mr. Completely looks at the Grendel P-10. I also recall that they made a pistol that held 20 rounds of .380 and one version of it didn’t have a detachable magazine. Grendel, if I recall correctly, went out of business but the owner started over and it’s now Kel-Tec.

The Hitman, on recent allegations he’s a goverment or other plant to discredit folks, says:

I state plainly and unambiguously that the opinions expressed on Bring the Noise are mine and mine alone. I started this blog of my own volition, and I continue to post of my own volition. NO ONE – period – asked me to start this blog, nor has ANYONE – period – ever asked me to post anything on this blog.

There you go.

We bloggers like to track our site data, including visits, page views, and where they come from. In fact, we’re real concerned with where they come from. One thing that is often overlooked, however, is where we send people. One of the neatest ways to measure this is to find a smaller, newer blog that gets only a few hits and then send a link that way. Then check their stats.

For example, I linked yesterday to TN Political. I checked his stats and see, basically, the effect of an UncleLanche (more like a trickle, really). He averages about 30 to 50 page views a day and yesterday he got about 145. So, I’ll call the effect 100. Of course, there were other referrals as well. That post was a congratulatory post.

Now, if I link to a smaller blog and mention there’s gun stuff there, the effect on traffic is greater. Alston averages about 30 to 50 page views a day as well, yet it looks to me like the effect of an UncleLanche involving guns is about 200 page views. And, of course, there were other referrals as well.

So, uh, more gun stuff?

And, yes, my example is oversimplified. And no I’m not a statistician. And if you feel the need to tell me the many errors in my assumptions, feel free.

Update: For context, I figure my recent Instalanche sent about 8,000 people my way but the resulting links from other blogs added several thousand more. The KABA link about 500. Totalfark sent a few hundred. So, I’m still small taters.

Gunner, of No Quarters and occasionally here, has published a children’s book.

President George W. Bush:

It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As president I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq. And I’m also responsible for fixing what went wrong by reforming our intelligence capabilities. And we’re doing just that.

Holy crap.

I’ll let you decide if I mean the girl or the gun.

This is pretty lame:

Susan Gaylord Buxton wants her gun back.

She could have a long wait, given how slowly the wheels of justice can grind.

Buxton, known from hither to yon as the gun-toting granny, is confused about why Arlington police seized her handgun after she shot an intruder Nov. 9. It’s not as if the circumstances under which Buxton used the Smith & Wesson .38-caliber featherweight are in question. The 66-year-old Buxton shot Christopher Lessner, 22, as he lunged at her from inside her hall closet. He’d broken into the house after fleeing from Arlington police at a traffic stop.

[snip]

Buxton, who has not been criminally charged, understands that the officers who responded to her 28-year-old granddaughter’s 911 call needed to secure the premises. She willingly handed over her gun — actually, she dropped it to the ground when directed to do so by an officer who was pointing his sidearm at her. Why police confiscated the gun is what has her baffled.

“What does it have to do with the case against Lessner?” Buxton asked. “It’s not like he’s charged with getting himself shot.”

Her gun should never have been taken other than a cursory attempt to secure the area when the police arrived.

In an update to the Wisconsin Senate passing the CCW bill, the Assembly has passed it as well and they’re prepared to override the expected veto from Governor Doyle:

Republican leaders in the state Assembly worked into early this morning to amend a measure that would allow Wisconsin residents to carry concealed weapons and rounded up enough Democratic support to fuel an override of the expected veto from Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

The bill, SB 403, passed the Assembly at 3:10 a.m. on a 64 to 32 vote.

A couple other points in the law:

Require a refresher training course for permit holders every five years.

Make the filing of a false application a felony, not a misdemeanor as it was written.

The Dumb Network features Dumb Criminals and Dumb Laws. You should check them out. They also feature other dumb stuff:

Oh, those crazy Brits, what won’t they try? Their newest strategy in the fight against crime seems to be using cardboard cutouts of police officers placed strategically in order to stop crime.

It’s apparently working, too.

Via Insty, Tammy Bruce laments that cultural issues account for the fact movie sales are at a 15 year low:

Americans will no longer go see movies which are nothing more than the manifestation of the backwash of malignant narcissists. We’re also sick and tired of listening to actors lecture us about how awful the US is, and more recently, why a cold-blooded mass murdering gang founder should have been given clemency.

My explanation is simpler. Three factors have attributed to poor movie sales:

1 – TiVo: I have it and love it. I now never watch commercials, ever. Other than when a movie creates a buzz in the news, I never know it’s out. Currently, the only movie I know of that is playing is Narnia and that’s because it has made the news for being Christian or anti-Christian (I can’t remember which).

2 – Alternative media outlets: DVDs, pay per view, and Al Gore’s Internets are much more convenient. I can get DVDs delivered to my house. I can push three buttons and get pay per views. I think Hollywood would increase their margins by just bypassing theaters altogether. You want me to watch? Then pump it into my house. I’d rather wait four months for pay per view than load up the car, find a sitter, shell out $16 for tickets, another $8 for refreshments, sit in a chair less comfortable than my couch, deal with the idiot who wants to yell at the movie, to watch a crappy movie. That brings us to 3.

3 – The movies suck. Hollywood is out of ideas. They remade The Dukes of Fucking Hazzard, for crying out loud. Nothing original, it’s all been done. They’re all remakes or novel adaptations. Do something interesting. Not only are they getting content from things already done, they’re re-doing some of it in the same format: at the movie (like King Kong*). Here’s an idea plucked fresh from my website: Find the most complex, attention getting conspiracy theory and make a movie out of it. Seriously, New World Order, black helicopters, John Titor, Scientology, pick one. Sure, they’re so far-fetched but, dammit, they’re entertaining. Is it sad that I’d rather read the ramblings of crazy people and scam artists than go to a damn movie.

Feh.

Update: *And the only reason I realized King Kong was out was because I checked email and it’s advertised on Yahoo.

It’s happened again. The billboards around town tell me that there are two gun shows the weekend of 12/31, Mike Holloway and RK Shows.

A man in Oregon had his concealed handgun permit revoked when he admitted he had a medical marijuana card and that he used it frequently. A judge has ruled the man can keep his permit:

A Washington County judge ruled that a Beaverton man can hold a concealed handgun permit despite being a medical marijuana user.

Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon revoked Steven Schwerdt’s permit three months ago when Schwerdt indicated on a form that he had a medical marijuana card and frequently used the drug.

Judge Marco Hernandez said Monday that the county did not convince him that Schwerdt was violating a federal law that prohibits a habitual drug user or addict from possessing a firearm.

Update: David Codrea, on the NRA’s drug stance:

I’ve never understood the affinity of “conservatives” to support prohibition.

Radley Balko notes:

The gun was stolen, not unregistered. Mississippi doesn’t require guns to be registered. The prosecution apparently wanted to push the fact that the gun was stolen in an attempt to discredit Maye

We knew that already. Radley also has a rundown on the story with new facts, notably:

The narcotics task force did have a warrant for Cory Maye’s apartment.

Maye was not listed on the warrant.

Via Robert, who should blog more, Tapco has a deal on HK91/G3/PTR91/Cetme mags. 50 for $50. $1 each, can’t beat that.

Via Michael, here’s a rundown of plagiarism in the press for 2005.

Another interstate highway running through it. No matter how many come in, there’s only two lanes out going east.

This product, make because of a desperate situation, simply disturbs me. A product being sold by James McAdams of England is so wrong on so many levels.

It is reported that 50% of people in London are worried about security and sleep with some form of self-defence to hand, for use against intruders.

The ‘Safe Bedside Table’ has a removable leg that acts as a club and a top that doubles as a shield for self-defence. This is for people who are willing to take on an intruder, providing an extra sense of security whilst in bed.

This is what a criminal wants to see. While a club is better then nothing, it is sad they cannot meet the criminal with a nice .357 magnum.

So club and shield against yobs armed with a gun. GUESS WHO WINS?
[Boing Boing]

Paraphrased from Sunday’s The Boondocks:

Could you repeat that? I’m afraid I couldn’t hear you over the sound of me shitting my pants.

Radley Balko writes:

District Attorney Buddy McDonald emailed me yesterday to tell me the gun Maye used to shoot Officer Jones was unregistered, and possibly stolen.

Of course it’s unregistered, as the state of Mississippi does not require guns to be registered, as our friends at the Brady Campaign will attest. So, the claim that the gun is unregistered is, well, silly. As to stolen, Radley reports that doesn’t seem to be the case either.

Yes, with all the ills facing society, it’s good to the Senate tackling something important:

The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is considering legislation to limit the size of carry-on luggage, saying the suitcases he sees going into airplane cabins are far too large.

If you’re rich and famous, you can get a permit there. Ask Sean Penn. Timothy Wheeler endorses shall-issue CCW laws in California:

Thirty-eight states now issue permits to law-abiding citizens to carry personal firearms for self-protection. But California’s law leaves permit-granting authority to local chief law enforcement officers, making for a complex patchwork of rules that are often unfairly applied. Some sheriffs grant permits to any good citizens who apply. But in Los Angeles or San Francisco, you can forget it unless you are a celebrity or other well-connected worthy.

I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

JJ and wife are expecting.

The return of hollow-points:

Hollow-point bullets like the one used in the slaying of Officer Daniel Enchautegui are much deadlier than ordinary bullets – and nearly as easy to get.

Actually, they’re just as easy to get.

Cops favor using the hollow-point bullets because they are less likely to pass through a target and ricochet into a fellow cop or bystander.

And, of course, because they have much better stopping power than ball ammo.

But they want their public sale banned to keep them out of the hands of thugs like Enchautegui’s alleged killers, Steven Armento and Lillo Brancato.

They do? So, they want non-police to stick with ammo that will pass through a target and ricochet into a fellow cop or bystander.

Anyone with a gun permit can buy the hollow-points in a gun shop. They also are readily available on the black market.

And, in just about any place that isn’t New York, you can get them at Wal-Mart.

The main difference between hollow-point and regular, “full-metal jacket” bullets is that the hollow-points flatten on impact and expand inside a target.

Yeah, that gets back to that stopping power thing I mentioned earlier.

An on-duty cop’s bulletproof vest would likely provide the same protection from a hollow-point as a regular bullet.

Actually, a vest offers a bit more protection from hollow points, which like to expand when they hit stuff and, therefore, penetration would be much less.

Update: Brutal Hugger in comments:

I’ve bought hollow points in New York. Never at a Wal Mart, but a friend of mine who makes all his non-Internet ammo purchases at Wal-Mart buys hollow point 9mm ammo there all the time. I demand a retraction!

Heh! Silly me, relying on the word of a reporter when it comes to gun laws.

I’ve offered my opinion on the issue before, but let’s have a second opinion on the AK-47 v. AR-15 debate:

It is true that Kalashnikov (the inventor, not the weapon) was an able weapon designer, but he was not superior to Eugene Stoner (the father of the M16/M4). Kalashnikov designed a weapon for an ill-trained conscripted army. For that purpose, the AK47 was and is a superb weapon. Stoner designed a weapon for a professional army. Any professional soldier would prefer the M16/M4 family over the Kalashnikovs.

Via Mr. Completely.

Here’s the headline of an AP story:

Anti-Syrian journalist killed in Lebanon

Just curious why the press would refer to someone with an obvious slant (i.e., being anti-Syria) as a journalist? Why not, say, activist or some other term that isn’t usually associated with objectivity?

In Tennessee, the dead have risen from the grave to vote for Ophelia Ford:

Election records of a September special election that put Ophelia Ford in a state Senate seat show that someone may have used the name of a man who had been dead for six weeks to vote.

Ford, a Democrat, beat Republican challenger Terry Roland by 13 votes in a race in which 8,750 ballots were cast. The election was to replace Ford’s brother John Ford, who resigned in May after being indicted on bribery charges.

A razor thin margin and dead people voting. Why, if this keeps up, I’ll lose faith in our Democracy.

Drug laws, particularly meth laws, are making their way into the PATRIOT Act:

A conference report by Senate and House negotiators to extend for four years provisions of the USA Patriot Act includes a comprehensive anti-methamphetamine package restricting the sale of products containing ingredients needed to cook the drug and providing new tools to police and prosecutors to combat dealers.

Via Insty.

To preface this, I’m against the death penalty. Not for any touchy-feely, hippie tree hugging reason like most folks. I oppose it because it’s disproportionately applied to poor minorities. And, as AC Kleinheider says:

A society that uses capital punishment must be comfortable with one fact: You are going to kill innocent people. I don’t care how many appeals you exhaust or how much science you bring to it. Human error or human malice will result in the death of an innocent or two.

All that said, here’s a question I’ve proposed at other blogs but I’ll ask again:

Why do they schedule executions of the condemned at such God-awful hours?

During all the hooey about the 1,000th execution, number 999 or maybe 1,000 was executed at 2 in the morning. Tookie was executed after midnight.

Seems to me the real punishment when the death penalty is used is waiting around and knowing it’s going to happen. That’s compounded by the fact it’s going to happen at some odd hour.

Apparently, the key to successful blogging is to, you know, not blog. Good to see Spoonsy blogging again, though.

In Tennessee, where you happen to commit a particular crime will affect the fine you receive:

The Alcoa Police Department is using a new law to discourage drug violations in the city.

Police Chief Ken Burge issued a warning: “If you manufacture, sell, buy or possess to sell drugs in designated drug-free zones, your offense will be aggressively prosecuted and may cost you much more money.”

A law in effect for some time designated schools and areas within 1,000 feet of school property as “drug-free zones” and made drug transactions within those zones more serious crimes than similar activity in other locations.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that took effect July 1 increasing the number of locations designated as drug-free zones. The original law specified “public or private schools.” The new law adds pre-schools, child care facilities, public libraries, recreational centers and parks.

The new law regarding drug-free zones provides fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, depending on the offense, in addition to the fines usually imposed for drug convictions.

I understand the desire to keep drugs out of schools and such but that shouldn’t carry that much more weight.

Head is building an AK pistol. It’s time he obtained one of these.

Update: Perused the web a bit and have basically decided that this story is not credible. The source is not credible and the claim is unsubstantiated. Moved below the fold. Consider it redacted. Still, it reminded me of this:

Click below to see original post.
Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Helen:

Remember when kids could play with toy guns and they were not a symbol of all that was evil in the world? My daughter doesn’t. She warned me that she could never bring the potato gun to school without the risk of expulsion.

At 15 months, I built Junior her first AR-15. I’ll probably build her one of these too.

I was reading the tale of the nutjob on a plane who threatened to kill a child, tried to barge into the cockpit, but was thankfully subdued by passengers when I read this line:

The man was put in plastic “tough cuff” restraints aboard the plane and detained for the remainder of the flight, said Scott Ishikawa, state Department of Transportation spokesman.

Seriously, it’s probably not a bad idea to buy some of those next time you fly. You can get them here.

Update: Chris in comments has a better idea, Zip Ties. Much less conspicuous.

Despite passage of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 allowing police and retired police officers to carry weapons across the country, Chicago has to be different:

Retired Chicago Police officers will be getting letters in the mail soon saying the city won’t certify them to carry guns — a move that angers the head of the local Fraternal Order of Police.

Supposedly, this if for liability reasons. However, given the city’s apparent fear of guns, I have my doubts.

Or Sharon the love

And through absolutely no fault or effort on my own part. Sharon Cobb says in comments:

I am requesting the owner of this site verify that I explicitly explained to him that Michael Moore was in no way involved in my film, that No one was profiting from it,etc., and yet you went ahead and wrote this inspite (sic) of the facts.

I am confused, of course, because in the harassing emails that I have received from her, she asked me not to post her emails. I abided by that. But she did mention that Moore had nothing to do with her film. However, his name does appear in the credits and she says she’s given him permission to use her footage in his upcoming film. I dunno, you tell me.

She sends me these requests because troublemaker #9 posted some less than flattering things about her, which in that email even I said to her I thought they were a bit much. Now, she’s demanding we correct assertions we never made, something she’s good at herself. As Les put it in comments:

Your correction takes the form of making corrections to mistakes that weren’t made.

Now, for the big kicker, she has threatened to sue me for libel, slander and intentionally inflicting emotional harm. It’s probably my fault for telling her that her allegations were unfounded and unless they came from a lawyer, I wouldn’t take them seriously. And if they did come from a lawyer, it’d have to be a pretty stupid lawyer. That said, here’s the deal, I’ve only linked to Sharon a handful of times. I liked her TennCare stuff, wished her well on her surgery, and linked to her insight on Tennessee politics. I’ve not linked to her all that much because, frankly, I don’t generally read her site. If I do, it’s because someone else I do regularly read linked to it. But because she can’t take the criticism leveled by #9, I’m in a pickle. Do I pull the posts to avoid the hassle? Or do I stick to my proverbial guns? Well, I like guns whether they’re real or proverbial. This is not the first time I’ve been threatened with legal action for this blog. It won’t be the last. You will not silence me and your petty threats are laughable. So, bring it.

If you’re going to blog, you need to toughen up. Not everyone who links to you is going to send you accolades, praise, and support. If you can’t deal with criticism, whether you think it’s founded or not, then take your blog down and apologize.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

David Hardy provides a summary of the Colt v. Bushmaster lawsuit. Here’s the whole thing.

No, not that kind. Defense Review looks at the Stag Arms left-handed AR-15, for you southpaws out there.

Heh!

As though this wasn’t bad enough, this is an all time low:

Charles Atherton, a former secretary of the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts that advises the government on architecture and design in official Washington, was hit Thursday while crossing busy Connecticut Avenue. He died Saturday night at George Washington University Hospital.

Although witnesses said he was badly injured and unresponsive at the scene, police issued him the ticket. His family found it with his belongings when they went to the hospital.

CounterTop has the latest!

Sitting in the bathroom giving Junior her bath when I hear the Mrs. yell from the office: You’re running porn ads on your site?

She’s referring to second one from the top over there on your right. Then I had to explain the whole MSNBC massive blogads purchase thing. And Ace already explained it so I don’t have to explain it to you.

One other thing, if you ever run a blogad, put a picture of a hot chick in it. According to my blogads stats, those get significantly more clicks than the non-hot chick ads. Of course, the MSNBC porn ad is doing very well too.

No one likes to be fooled. When Michael Moore’s first film “Roger and Me” came out I was fooled like many people were. I fell for the Michael Moore shtick. Back in 1989 when “Roger and Me” came out it was difficult to do any fact checking. Never having seen Michael Moore I did what most people do and took him at his word. Big mistake. Like the song goes “I won’t be fooled again”.

Michael Moore is not sincere and he is not your friend. So when did I first perceive that Michael Moore was not what he seemed to be? I began to have my doubts when “TV Nation” appeared in the mid nineties on television. There was something formulistic that caught my eye. The way it was edited made me wonder if it was a sham. But the moment of clarity came with “Bowling for Columbine” in 2002. After seeing this film I understood I could not trust Michael Moore. With the advent of the Internet it took little time to verify that Moore will do anything to make money, achieve fame, and seize power. That is job one for Michael Moore. When a filmmaker has teachers guides for his movies you have to wonder how much power will be enough?

It was clear to me in 2002 that Michael Moore was not a leftist, a social democrat, a socialist, or even your regular run of the mill Democrat. He is a sham. Like the CCR song “when the taxman comes, the house looks like a rummage sale”, Moore is 180 degrees not what he appears to be. Don’t let the baseball cap and sneakers fool you, he is a thoroughly dangerous man. I have no doubt he votes straight Democrat but it is just for show. Very little about the urban myth of Michael Moore is true. He is not a “working class boy from Flint, Michigan” as he so often alleges. In reality Moore is from Davison, Michigan an upper middle class suburb 10 miles east of Flint. His father worked at GM in the AC spark pug division and retired at age 53 with a full pension. His mother was a clerk and secretary for GM.

Moore’s early infatuation with himself reached national prominence when he was 16 years old and CBS called to ask him about his views after he had won a local contest for public speaking. In his speech he condemned the Elks Club for barring blacks. Moore claimed it even prompted the Elks to change their policy. At age 18 Moore became the youngest elected city official in America when he won a seat on the City School Board by promoting a platform of “Fire the Principal”. The same principal who had been kind to Moore as a child resigned and died soon thereafter of a heart attack.

The myth that Moore cares about the people of Flint, Michigan has been dispelled many times. With the exception of a $2,000 scholarship to a local Flint school that expired years ago Moore has contributed nothing to the people of Flint, Michigan. Moore made 3 million dollars from “Roger and Me”. “Mike is always out for Mike, Mike is always out for money,” said former high school classmate Kevin Leffler. Leffler is making his own documentary aimed at exposing the truth, called “Shooting Michael Moore”. While Moore could not get elected dog catcher in Flint over 6,000 people have signed a petition for Moore to run for President of the United States. Some people can be so easily fooled. Some of them live in Tennessee.

Moore has not only been shown to be a difficult employer but also an adversary of the Writers Guild, the union for movie and TV writers. Pot, kettle, you know the story. Lowell Ponte writes, “When two of the show’s young writers, who had been given the title Associate Producer, took steps to join the Writers Guild (the powerful union for movie and TV writers), Moore took them aside. “I’m getting a lot of heat from the union to call you guys writers and pay you under the union rules,” Eric Zicklin recounted Moore’s words for MacFarquhar. “I don’t have the budget for that,” Moore threatened them, “But if they keep coming down on me that’ll mean I’ll only be able to afford one of you and the other one’s gotta go.” “We were scared out of our minds,” recalled Zicklin. “It was like a theme from Roger & Me” with Moore as the unfeeling, anti-union boss.”

Mark Twain used to say there were three kind of lies. Lies, damned lies, and statistics. When it comes to Michael Moore there are five kind of lies. Kay S. Hymowitz wrote an excellent article, “Michael Moore, Humbug” that digs deep down into the muck and deceit that is Michael Moore. Hymowitz wrote, “the five Michael Moore lies are, bold-faced lies, lies of omission, artistic lies, slanted insinuating lies, and lies of exaggeration.”

You might ask why should we care?

We should care because Michael Moore’s next project may involve each and every one of us in Tennessee. The film “Sicko” is Michael Moore’s next project and sadly TennCare may be a focal part of this film. At this point it is not clear how much focus will be on TennCare. A thirty-minute documentary on TennCare has recently caused concern by a few observant people. At the end of this documentary when the credits run there is a credit for Michael Moore. What is the credit for? Was Michael Moore a consultant on this documentary?

Will “Sicko” be just another Michael Moore attack on the drugs companies or will it be a push for socialized medicine? What role will TennCare have in this new film? Most importantly, will the people of Tennessee be fairly portrayed in this film?

Where do these people come from? And these? One more for good measure.

Or I have a pipe dream.

Blount Today is reporting that the latest in the epic battle for the Civic Arts center is an idea to have it paid for by hotel/motel taxes:

In a phone conversation on Friday, Keeble explained how the facility could be funded. Keeble and McCall had not yet spoken with other commissioners to get thoughts on their plan, Keeble said.

According to Keeble, 37 percent of the hotel/motel tax collected in Blount County goes into the county general fund. Hotel/motel tax dollars are supposed to be used for tourism, he said.

Instead of property tax dollars, hotel/motel tax funds would pay for the county’s portion of the facility.

“I feel this is a good use of that money. Tourism is people coming into our area, spending money and going home. That would be an excellent opportunity for the arts center,” Keeble said. “The entire portion payoff on the art center would be done with hotel/motel money, so no property tax money is involved.”

So, the hotels in our county (both of them) may draw enough in taxes to cover it. Also, there is this:

According to the original plan, funding for the facility would come from the county, the cities of Alcoa and Maryville, the college and the federal government. More than $20 million in funds raised by the college and $8 million in federal dollars would pay the bill until 2014 when the county and cities would start paying their shares. The facility would be owned by the Industrial Development Board and leased to the college.

Ah, first mention of federal pork for the project that I can recall. Guess that explains Jimmy Duncan’s interest. Boondoggle, ho! Looks like the powers that be really want this thing.

Or, as he might say: I’m dead now, motherfucker.

The year end edition of The Carnival of Cordite is up with all your gun blogging needs.

I have been having some inter-dog aggression issues among my politically incorrect dog and my politically correct dog. As a result, we decided to take PCD to the doggie psychologist. I made my predictions about what I thought they would say here. I was largely correct but it was good for my recommendations to be affirmed by a professional.

What surprised me about the visit was that the neurologist didn’t seem to know a lot about my particular breed of dog, the American Bulldog. She stated that she was concerned because he’s genetically programmed to fight other dogs to the death. I then stated that she has him mistaken with the Pit Bull Terrier, which was bred for that purpose by (according to some) crossing American Bulldogs with Bull Terriers. Bull Terriers are also noted for fighting. Further, she recommended that a good family dog based on research was the Golden Retriever. I kept my mouth shut even though I knew that Pit Bull Terriers score better on temperament tests than Golden Retrievers.

The behaviorist person basically affirmed what I had said. She recommended that we keep dogs and the baby separate when we’re not capable of close supervision (duh, like we didn’t know that). She also said that the other changes we had made (restricting treats, food, etc.) were good (again, duh). But, and here’s where it paid off, she stated we should implement a policy of Nothing In Life Is Free. In other words, for the dogs to eat, go through a door, get attention or nearly anything, they must perform a command (most notably sit). Excellent idea. And, of course, regular obedience training, which we’ve been slacking on lately with the new baby.

Another interesting thing that she stated (and which really seemed to work in one day) was an attitude of aloofness. Given my dog obedience background, I’m inclined to correct behavior by essentially asserting dominance. A glance and a sharp No is my method, generally, for correcting behavior. But this aloofness thing works. The concept basically is that as long as the dog is engaging in inappropriate behavior, you act completely uninterested. Even to the point of getting up and leaving the area. Apparently, this aloofness thing is what alpha wolves engage in to keep the pack in line. It shows confidence and calm. For example, when the dog wants affection and comes up and nudges, I would have, in the past, said No. And later invited the dog back on my terms. Under the new method, such nudging isn’t even acknowledged. At all. Just ignored while you act interested in something else. And it works very well. A nudge by PCD that I ignored turned into a brief bit of anxiety on his part. However, he soon came up to me and sat patiently, wherein he was rewarded with a head scratch.

The point to all this is that as your life changes, you must expect the way you interact with dogs to change. In our single days, it was OK for the dogs to be a bit rambunctious and playful. Or for them to lounge on the couch with us. Now that they (at 75 pounds each) have toddler they can knock over or hurt, things must change. And as the dogs get older, they change too. PID as a pup was never concerned with dominance. Now, he is and that must be corrected.

Now, PID and PCD are on an 8 week program.

Blount County officials will not disclose the details of their deal with Denso and its pending $185M expansion:

Blount County economic developers have declined to release details of incentives offered to Denso Manufacturing Tennessee for the company’s $185 million expansion in Maryville, even though those incentives are funded by tax dollars.

The refusal comes on the heels of controversy over another incentive package, a nearly $200 million deal that lured Nissan’s headquarters to the Nashville area.

Blount officials say they can’t disclose promises made to Denso until a Blount County Economic Development Board meeting Dec. 21.

So, why the refusal?

Colorado: New Mexico Added To Colorado Reciprocity.

Sometimes I rant on the fact that everything is illegal in one way or the other. Somedays the story tells that without any real commentary from me.

Transit police handcuffed and cited a man who sold a $1.75 subway token to another rider who was having trouble with a token vending machine. Transit authority spokeswoman Jocelyn Baker said Friday that the officer “acted within the law” after he spotted Donald Pirone, 42, selling the token Nov. 30 inside the West End subway station

Instead of giving Pirone a warning, the officer decided to handcuff him and give him the misdemeanor citation under a 1992 state law that bars passengers from selling Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority tokens, she said.

“What you’ve got to keep in mind is that fare abuse is a chronic problem,” Baker said. “It costs MARTA millions of dollars every year.”

Baker acknowledged that Pirone sold the token at face value and did not make a profit. But the law is the law, she said.
……………….
As for the handcuffs, Baker said the officer felt they were necessary.

“Our officers do that for their own safety,” Baker said.

(((Gunner walks away shaking head sadly)))

First, for those who seem to be unaware, there are a few bloggers here at SayUncle. Sure, I blog the most because my name is on it. However, there are other (though lately it only seems like only one other) bloggers.

Second, I don’t have dog in this #9 (a co-blogger here) v. Sharon Cobb thing. Sure, I take issue with Sharon trying to out an anonymous blogger and I take issue that, in the middle of that, she does a teaser post that’s about John Lennon. But that’s the extent of any issues I have with Sharon.

There you have it.

Confederate Yankee notes:

And so Ward’s transcendence to the top of the Gun Blogging world begins. Sure there are folks with “Commie Cannons” and other large guns, but does anybody have a destroyer? I think not.

If I had a battleship, it’d take up too much room in the gun safe.

The Civic Arts Center is rearing its head again:

A civic arts center, presumed dead after a 10-10 vote last month, will get new life at the Blount County Commission meeting next week.

Commissioners John Keeble and Jeff McCall have resurrected the center with a resolution that would designate the county’s share of the hotel/motel tax to the debt service fund. That money then would be used to pay for the county’s portion of the project.

A separate resolution, rejected Nov. 17 because it did not get the 11 votes needed to pass, would authorize the Industrial Development Board to issue a $45 million, 25-year bond to pay for the $55 million facility. The county would be responsible for $11.9 million, while the other funding would come from Maryville College ($20 million), Maryville ($9.4 million), the federal government ($8 million), Alcoa ($3.8 million) and the state ($2 million).

Those are just principal payments, however. With interest, the civic arts center would cost the county some $25 million, Finance Director David Bennett said in a telephone interview Thursday.

Still, the county is the only entity that has not approved its funding. The agreement hinges on all partners giving the plan the go-ahead.

The powers that be are damned determined to get this boondoggle going.

Heh.

Team Swap looks at Christmas in and from Knoxville.

I posted the follow up to my Dog Psychologist predictions over at No Silence Here.

Ling-Ling find the best shampoo, as well as worst lingual enemy

Racist humor seems to be making quite a comeback. I have to confess that I enjoyed Chapelle’s show. And currently, I really do enjoy The Boondocks (animated series), Drawn Together, and Mind of Mencia. The shows are really funny but they definitely have a racist element to them. I wonder when this became hip again? Or even acceptable, with the PC police that own the networks.

The Boondocks, Chapelle and Mencia are done by minorities, which may explain letting some of that stuff slide. Not sure who does Drawn Together. Wednesday’s episode of Drawn Together was particularly racist with all the Asians getting their eyes widened. But it was hysterical. The Boondocks racist humor seems to be particularly offensive, as illustrated by the bit on A Nigga Moment.

Maybe, as a culture, we’re getting over some of this PC business. Or at least the 18-24 year old demographic targeted by Comedy Central and Adult Swim is. There is hope for the future of humor.

Update: *And if you don’t get the joke, you should watch Drawn Together.

Update 2: Maybe, like South Park, it’s OK because two of these shows are cartoons?

Head, who is finally back to blogging, thinks that the letter I mentioned before isn’t all that great:

In light of this, I have stocked up on Romanian G kits and Yugo M70 kits. The Romies, well they are beautiful. The Yugos? Ugly now, but when AK barrels are $150 for a stripped sewer pipe, these will look pretty nice. I hope its not necessary, and I hope the ATF signs those form 6 import docs for our wonderful importers, but I’m not holding my breath.

Speaking of AKs, I think this poster is one of Oleg’s best.