Update: Hats off to Comp USA who recovered all the images (and some more from ages back) from a Mini SD card.

==================================

Last night, the desktop computer crashed hard. We’re pretty good about backing up stuff but we haven’t done a back up since last week. So, all of our Christmas photos were on there, including my boy’s first Christmas. We want the pictures back.

After it crashed, I kept trying to reboot and googled up the error message. The solution from Microsoft was the same as it always is and they said to reinstall windows. I did. However, in the reinstall, it kept getting to a point where it said something like unable to create file system32 and it kicked out of reinstall. I went to Comp USA and grabbed a USB external HD case. Put the hard drive in it to see if it could be read and it could. However, all that is there is the Windows directory. It’s all gone.

So, first, when did reinstalling windows format a hard drive? Second, can I get my stuff back?

Update: Also, the data was on our flash card but was deleted. Is that a better route?

A Shrike (a belt fed upper for the M-16) in action:

Seen at Brittney’s:

Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah’s flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

I have a hard time believing this is true. But if it is: Wow.

Update: It’s not true. See comments. Apparently, I need to start clicking links.

Via an ad I clicked somewhere, Jillian Michaels is both 1) hot and 2) capable of kicking my ass. Not sure which of those I like better.

There is apparently a push now in my fair state to ban smoking in public places (for the children, of course). As someone who until recently was a very heavy smoker, you’d expect me to be like every other ex-smoker and become a total dick about it and support this nanny-state bullshit. You’d be wrong. Here’s the deal: If I don’t want to be around smoke, I don’t go where the smoking is. It’s quite simple. Smoking is bad for you and it will kill you, which is why I quit. But if I own a business, I and not the state should decide what happens there. There are establishments that forbid smoking and there are establishments that allow it. Go to the one that suits you. And, for fuck’s sake, don’t take your damn kids to a bar.

But Uncle say the nanny-state pricks in between heading to soccer practice, Starbuck’s and spending time not minding their own business smoking causes cancer, emphysema, other health problems, impotence, global warming, and the uncontrollable urge for people not to mind their own business. It leads to increased healthcare costs and is a drain on society. And it may complicate pregnancy And Uncle says So fucking what? Plenty of other things do all that too. Like drinking

What it boils down to is that a bunch people don’t like smoking and want to be able to go add a few ounces to their thighs by sucking down bacon-double cheeseburgers at the local Ruby Tuesday’s and not be exposed to something they find distasteful, stinky, or unhealthy. And here’s the other deal: Once you start using the threat of force (i.e., passing a law) for this kind of objectionable behavior, where does it end? Do we ban drinking? Trans-fat? Bacon double-cheeseburgers? Cars? Etc. And, of course, this will eventually lead to calls for the banning of smoking in your own home if there are children there. Sound far-fetched? Just wait and see.

I find all kinds of shit objectionable but that doesn’t mean it should be banned under the threat of a gun. For example, I don’t like seeing your big ass in a shirt that is two sizes too small. Not only that, one of those buttons could pop loose and put out my eye. But I don’t cling to the skirt of the .gov demanding that you wear shirts with soft foamy buttons that fit and that you run your ass around the block a few times (you know, for the children).

Sean Braisted sums it up nicely: No surprise here…most people will support taking away another person’s freedoms if it means a little more comfort for themselves.

If this shit keeps up, I’ll have to start smoking again to keep from choking some busy-body nanny.

These nanny-state pricks even have a blog. And they have poll.

Via Brittney.

Good. Xavier breaks it down for those who’ve not been following it:

Today, the state grand jury finally called bullshit on the New Orleans Police Department’s version of what happened on Sept. 4, 2005. The killings have been portrayed by the officers involved, the NOPD, and the MSM as an appropriate response to sniper fire at rescue workers near the bridge in eastern New Orleans. The dead victims have been demonized as criminal snipers. The injured survivors fled New Orleans in the aftermath, and gained little exposure in the press as they tried to tell their story. The facts demonstrate that the only people shooting at people that day were officers of the law. Indeed, the grand jury cleared Lance Madison, a man whom police had arrested that day and booked framed with attempted first degree murder for supposedly shooting at law enforcement. Lance Madison had no firearm. No person in his group had a firearm.

There’s more. Also, one of the victims (a mentally-retarded man) was shot in the back five times by police.

Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee). This genius thinks that unused gift card dollars are free money and those big ol’, evil capitalist companies shouldn’t profit from it. No, really:

Kessler said millions of dollars a year go unused by gift card recipients, and retailers are allowed to book the unused values after the cards expire. He cited figures from Consumer Reports showing that 19% of all gift cards are not used because they are lost or expired.

Kessler called that a “windfall,” which he said could be used to support schools, health care or roads. Under his bill, after a one-year expiration date on all cards, 80% of the value of unused cards would go to the state treasury. Merchants could keep 20% of the value of an unused card to pay for processing, Kessler said.

Our good comrade would rather the state take the money than for a company to profit a bit. I think someone should take Mr. Kessler out back and kick him exactly once in each ball.

Anarchangel has a post up about it.

Paul Helmke:

“I’m not anti-gun,” he said. “It’s a question of what can we do to make our neighborhoods safer. I absolutely don’t want to do anything to make it harder for the legitimate hunters or gun collectors or anybody who even wants it for personal protection.”

You’re not anti-gun? Then why do you head an anti-gun organization?

And you don’t want to make it harder for collectors? Then why does that anti-gun organization you run promote one-gun-per-month laws?

And you don’t want to make it hard for people who want it for personal protection, why does your organization support the near total ban of weapons in DC and Chicago?

Paul Helmke has to lie through is teeth to appear moderate.

I’ve often said that there are a few recession/depression proof industries (porn and booze). Check it:

Vice beat virtue in 2006. Putting your money into sinful industries such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling and arms beats the market comfortably. In the US, the Vice Fund, which invests only in these sectors, is up 23 per cent for the year.

The Ave Maria Catholic Values Fund, which excludes companies that violate Catholic doctrine, is up only 13 per cent.

Via reader d who says: you can take comfort that Libertarians won in the market, if not in politics this year.

And arms are not sinful.

And scope options.

By now most people have learned of the disharmony between the City of Knoxville and Knox County government over the South Grove Shopping Center. Harmony is very important in Knox County. It appears that it is even more important than either ethics or the law.

The disharmony is over an allegedly illegal “One Man One Vote special election” which allowed a finger annexation of Knox County property into the City of Knoxville. There are many problems with the procedure and qualifications of this “special election”. Knox County Law Director John Owings thought it was so irregular he immediately filed a law suit.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale asked county Law Director John Owings to dismiss a law suit challenging the annexation. Mayor Ragsdale said he thinks fighting the annexation is a bad use of tax money. Mayor Ragsdale was quoted in the Knoxville News Sentinel, “Spending tens of thousands of dollars in a lawsuit to contest a voluntary annexation would be a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. It would also be a huge step backward in city and county relations, which are better now than they’ve ever been.”

You can see Mayor Ragsdale explain his ideas here:

City of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam wrote a commentary this past Sunday in the Knoxville News Sentinel entitled, “South Grove annexation: Much ado about a good thing”. Mayor Haslam requested the special commentary from News Sentinel editor Jack McElroy stating that a prior commentary by John Emison, the President of Citizens for Home Rule, was “misleading in many respects”. Ironically Mayor Haslam then made charges which are verifiably wrong on Jack McElroy’s blog “The Upfront Page”. Mayor Haslam charged that John Emison was a paid by Citizens for Home Rule, a charge which is not true. Mayor Haslam wrote, “Emison’s assertion that the referendum for the South Grove area violated the boundary and thus the agreement is simply incorrect.”

The City Mayor now owns those words.

The most surprising development is this convoluted revolting matter is the dramatic acting done by Mayor Mike Ragsdale in the December 18th Knox County Commissioners meeting. As you can see in the Part Three YouTube clip Mayor Ragsdale pleads with the Knox County Commission not to ask the State Attorney General to investigate the “One Man One Vote special election”. Yet Ragsdale’s top Lieutenant John Griess sponsored the resolution asking for the State Attorney General to investigate the special election. So are we to think that Mayor Ragsdale and John Griess disagree? Or is the more logical conclusion simply that the County Mayor wanted to have plausible deniability to maintain the illusion of harmony? Apparently if you want to be the next Governor of Tennessee you must maintain the harmony, whether that harmony is real or just an illusion doesn’t matter.

Both of these Mayor’s reportedly will seek higher office. Can you choose which one is the most ethical?

YouTube clips of the December 18th meeting in Knox County Commission:

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, and Part Six

We’ve been farked. Looks like my host doesn’t like Fark so half of them can’t get here. Bummer.

I don’t read a lot of the lefty blogs so I did miss the alleged NRA graphic novel. Via Nylar:

In short: Wonkette posted jpeg scans from a digital copy sent in by an anonymous tipster. Elsewhere, some at Daily Kos and a popular gun law forum (and, for a while, me) expressed doubts over authenticity (c’mon, it was so far-out! lobsterrorists!). Then, Wonkette shared the original doc with BoingBoing (PDF link), a Wonkette commenter determined it appears to have been illustrated by Chris Gall, and everyone agreed — not a hoax (though we’re still awaiting response from the NRA). Here’s a link to the updated BoingBoing post with embedded blog-drama, and there are fresh posts at Wonkette (Link), Kos (Link) and the CA-CCW forum (Link). And below — readers say Adobe Reader reveals what are apparently hidden notes from the NRA assigner to the illustrator.

Having seen it, I’m calling bullshit. And it seems others concur. I’m gonna call some people.

Update: Others do not concur. I called bullshit earlier because one image I saw had some reference to killing minorities which I knew was total bullshit. But it seems that bullshit image was bullshit and did not come from the alleged novel. A direct link to it is here.

Update 2: If you post at wonkette the images with these bullshit captions, don’t be so surprised when someone thinks you’re full of shit. Images from it without all the crazy crap would have been more credible.

If you think the NRA has gotten all crazy, don’t get all crazy right back.

Just saying.

David Codrea says (and USCitizen agrees) that the Bush administration has now taken a collective rights interpretation of the second amendment. Recall that back in 2002ish, the Ashcroft Justice Department changed the formal JD policy to the individual rights view of the second amendment, or as it should be called the correct view. At issue with this reversal is (and I am not making this up) the FAA issuing regulations on (again, not making it up) space travel and whether or not people could take guns with them. See the regs here:

XCOR inquired whether the FAA had the authority to impose security requirements under its statute and the U.S. Constitution. The Second Amendment to the Constitution provides that “[a] well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This right is not unfettered. Nearly every statute restricting the right to bear arms has been upheld. For example, in 1958, Congress made it a criminal offense to knowingly carry a firearm onto an airplane engaged in air transportation. 49 U.S.C. 46505. Additionally, nearly all courts have also held that the Second Amendment is a collective right, rather than a personal right. Therefore, despite the Second Amendment collective right to bear arms, the FAA has the authority to prohibit firearms on launch and reentry vehicles for safety and security purposes.

Apparently, they don’t want you packing on a rocket ship. The issue that David and USCitizen are concerned about is that this interpretation was signed off by the President’s office, implying that it is an endorsement of the collective rights model of the second amendment. I think it’s an implication that the president doesn’t want people packing on rocket ships.

Though it is a misstep on the second amendment, I don’t read too much into it. But, as USCitizen notes:

The FAA indeed appears to be codifying constitutional interpretations of the Second Amendment into federal regulations.

Kevin has a lengthy piece on what the other side believes.

How can that be?

LaPierre on the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership’s grade system:

Maybe an “A” grade means “Anti-gun,” and an “F” stands for “Freedom.”

Heh.

Snoop Dogg now anti-gun. Of course, he’s anti-gun because he was just arrested with one.

A Sig 7.62X39? Looks like it might take AK mags too.

The WAPO:

The Justice Department is building a massive database that allows state and local police officers around the country to search millions of case files from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal law enforcement agencies, according to Justice officials.

The system, known as “OneDOJ,” already holds approximately 1 million case records and is projected to triple in size over the next three years, Justice officials said. The files include investigative reports, criminal-history information, details of offenses, and the names, addresses and other information of criminal suspects or targets, officials said.

Suspects, targets? What’s the difference?

Colt CCO has some. He confirms that, again, H&K tells the civilian market to get bent. That is precisely why I never buy anything (not even a hat) from H&K.

If your dog is wondering loose, it is a nuisance. End of story. So, check this out. Police dog decides to leave its house and runs loose (it is therefore a nuisance). It is threatening a neighbor and his kid (therefore is a nuisance again). Man shoots the dog, which is what you should do.

Now, he’s charged with cruelty to animals and third degree felony assault. That’s bull shit. The only one who is responsible here is Police Officer Bryon Deeter for failing to contain his dog. He is, of course, not being charged.

Blaming castle doctrine laws for the death of 92 year-old Kathryn Johnston. I’m more inclined to blame shoddy police work.

Squirrel pack kills dog. The suspects:

The Akins Folks have posted the letter rescinding prior approval of the stock system for a Ruger 10/22 that facilitated bump-firing. They have the other approval letters and such too. Very inconsistent and, honestly, just made up as the ATF went along.

Translation: Wait, it works? Then it’s a machine gun. By the rationale they’re using here, any semi-automatic firearm capable of being bump-fired (i.e., all of them) is potentially a machine gun. Some notes on the fly:

Says someone asked them to review the device. I wonder who? My guess is: someone who bought one wanted to get their own letter or a gun maker who didn’t want their gun associated with the device.

Basically says: We changed our mind.

trigger has been re-defined

anything without a trigger can’t be a machine gun

your finger acts as an auto-sear yet a finger is not a firearm

any semi-auto can “shoot or readily restore to shoot….. by single function of the trigger” by this logic

Post 86 MGs can’t be registered, so many people are out some major $$$

Background here.

LaPierre says it was a good year for gun rights. Indeed it was one of the better we’ve seen with castle doctrine, more states allowing concealed carry, the ban on gun confiscations during emergencies, and some significant state level victories. But what next? I have some ideas.

First, with the change in power going to a San Francisco liberal, expect a push to ban weapons that look like assault weapons. So, go on offense with that one now.

Second, time to get rid of the sporting purpose language in the law.

Third, will somebody please do something about the ATF? I’m not calling for them to be disbanded like the purists. The fact is, we are going to have federal gun laws. And, if we do, someone will enforce them. Their recent troubles include:

A circuit court smacks them down for their ruling on model rockets;

An agent testified under oath that the NFRTR (the NFA weapons database) was corrupt;

Having budget issues due to mismanagement;

Being investigated for breaking he law at Virginia gun shows.

And they’ve had funds cut for some of their rather, err, dubious programs.

The ATF Director has resigned over excessive and lavish spending.

The now former head of the ATF ordered staff to do his nephew’s homework.

And there may be somewhat of an internal revolt at the agency. David Hardy posts an email from a group called ATFers United against Mismanagement and Misconduct.

Also, their fickle minds are potentially bankrupting people and making criminals out of the law-abiding since they can decide what is or is not law. There needs to be oversight of the agency.

Win a Winchester Model 70 Stealth

Briefcase machine gun.

High Impulse Weapons System (via Ringo)

The MK11 7.62 Carbine.

Radley is tracking botched police raids so I don’t have to.

Unclear on the concept:

Polcie in Arizona raided the home of a 73-year-old man with Alzheimers this week. The flash grenade they deployed during the raid set the home on fire, and burned it down. No one inside heard a police announcement, though the police of course insist they made one. They claim they were looking for a wanted burglar, and insist they had the right house. But they found none of the evidence they claimed they would find on the search warrant.

Then what is a botched raid?

Shades of Goose Creek:

About 30 police officers, narcotics detectives and five drug-sniffing dogs descended on Bonneville High School in Washington Terrace on Tuesday in a search for drugs being dealt out of lockers and hallways.

The officers walked away empty handed.

Meanwhile, on another famous botched raid:

Some of the worst abuses of government force in recent years were precipitated by technical and victimless gun-law violations. For example, the BATF claimed that the Branch Davidians possessed machine guns without paying the required federal tax and filling in the proper registration forms. So a tax case worth less than $10,000 led to a 76-man helicopter, machine gun, and grenade assault on a home in which 2/3 of the occupants were women and children.

Unreal:

“If someone has a gun in their home around children, it is not necessarily a case of endangerment,” Marlowe said. “It all involves weighing risk factors that a child might be injured. So it is speculation on the part of the person doing the reporting.”

Seems the ATF can bankrupt a gun maker by issuing an approval letter for a product and then revoking. That’s what they think over at subguns.

Whether Bush versus Kerry or Corker versus Ford these two cartoons sum up nicely our current political system. Does it ever seem that you only have a choice between the two worst choices?

Read the rest of this entry »

So sad. Not for the squeamish.

We interrupt this Christmas Break for the following:

Bitter has a job for you:

I have a couple of requests for media contacts that I still need to send out. Because I’m going to submit several searches at once, consider this a call for more volunteers. I’m really looking at those of you in states where Bloomberg has targeted shops. That would be Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

I’m likely out of here for a while. So, Merry Christmas to you and yours. And some holiday cheer for those of you with a sense of humor. And for those of you without one: God is gonna kick your ass, you infidelic, pagan scum.

Remember how the powers that be in Australia credited their near total ban on gun ownership with a reduction in mass shootings? They never noted that it also correlated with an increase in violent crime but that’s beside the point. Turns out, those charged with enforcing the law weren’t complying with the law:

A review of gun laws a decade after the Port Arthur massacre has found all states and territories have breached the national firearms agreement.

Oops.

Any reader here registered over at the Huffington Post?

Paul Helmke of The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Ownership is pushing his ‘assault weapons and fewer cops’ are responsible for violent crime nonsense. He’s pushing it at the WaPo, The Hill and the HuffPo:

Over the past few years, however, the federal response seems to have reversed its efforts – COPS funding has been cut, the Assault Weapons Ban was allowed to expire, and the Brady background checks have been weakened. In effect, our national approach to fighting crime has gone from “more police and less guns” to “more guns and less police.” Is there any wonder violent crime is on the upswing?

I’ll repeat: Brady has issued grades for states. These grades are gun control rankings from A to F, with an A indicating more gun control and more in line with Brady’s goals. Strangely, most of the increase in violent crime occurred in states that earned higher Brady rankings. That’s unpossible!

Somebody go post that at the HuffPo.

Update: Federal background checks have been weakened? How is that? News to me.

Meet the JIC (Just In Case). It’s a PVC tube with a survivial kit in it, with matches, medicine, fish hooks, rope. Oh, and a 12 gauge pump. You know, the important stuff.

It’s like it comes ready to be buried in the ground, or something.

Via The Geek.

Speaking of being prepared, Les looks at Inexpensive Alternatives to Emergency Generators.

From someone:

anyone know where I can get my semi auto NEW auto ordinance machine gun fixed so it will fire faster.

My response:

If it’s semi-auto, it’s not a machine gun. If you try to turn it into one, that’s illegal.

So, wayward boyscout? ATF? Bloomberg cronie? Brady staffer?

Heh.

metulj, who I rarely agree with and who I largely think is a dick, has called it quits:

My brother, with whom I am estranged to a degree, called me tonight to complain that someone had called him asking questions about me. Judiciously, my brother told him he had no idea who I was. This person promptly called my sister-in-law” threatening to expose details of “her relationship with me and identified himself as associated with the University of Tennessee where he said I am a student and, weirdly, as part of a Trade Commission investigating me. She hung up and got my brother to call me.

There’s a few crazy people out there and, thanks to Al Gore’s Internets, you’re more likely to run into them. Careful out there. It sucks that it happens and I wish metulj the best,

Phil, on the TN bill i mentioned yesterday, says:

My rational, though utterly non-legal, opinion tells me that if I harm an atacker in self-defense that I cannot be sued by family of said attacker after the legal system decides: 1. Not to try me, or 2. I am found not guilty.

Via The Ninth Stage comes Justice For Sal. Sal was shot and killed during a SWAT raid for sports gambling with his friends:

Dr. Salvatore J. Culosi. Sal was unjustly shot and killed by a member of the Fairfax County, VA police SWAT team on January 24, 2006. Sal was under investigation by Fairfax County police for supposedly taking sports bets. Police sent a fully-armed, paramilitary SWAT team to his home to serve a documents search warrant and killed him with a .45 Heckler & Koch handgun – a powerful weapon typically used by U.S. military forces in combat. Sal was alone, unarmed and cooperative outside his home – in plain view when he was shot and killed. He had no criminal history and did not own a weapon.

Ninth Stage has more here. Looks like two things killed Sal:

1 – A SWAT raid for a non-violent, non-imminent danger situation.

2 – Incompetent policeman who should have kept his finger off the trigger.

Cowboy attitude and incompetence don’t mix.

I appreciate LaPierre’s post tyring to get people to call the ATF to report the fact that Michael Bloomberg’s people broke the law. And I do hope the NRA makes that a campaign.

But dealing the The Gun Guys is a waste of time. They are paid liars. And that is, generally, all they do. It’s one of the many non-grassroots, shill organizations funded by the Joyce Foundation. It’s ran by Mark Karlin & Associates, who also does Buzzflash. And this guy is affiliated with them, per THR. Here’s a big list of Joyce Funded, Karlin run sites. And there’s some sites the Brady Bunch runs there too.

But Wayne catches them in a couple of big lies.

Seen at Les Jones Joint:

In his first study, 33 male and 13 female officers of different ranks and years of service, were sent into a room to arrest a “suspect” and to “act in a way they thought appropriate” while doing so. The officers were armed with a SIG-Sauer P226 that was rigged with force sensors on the trigger and grip. All the officers were instructed that if they drew the gun during the exercise, they were to keep their finger off the trigger unless they had made the decision to shoot, per their training and department regs.

There’s more. Go, read.

Some Bests about my home county. But stop telling everybody. We already have quite the influx. My former subdivision had like 6 people from Chicago and two from Boston. Of course, being in Blount County, it did make for an interesting cross section of American accents.

BC Local: Howdy, neighbor. Whatcha doin’?

Bostonian: Wuhkin on mah cah.

BC Local: huh?

Chicagoan trying to translate Bostonian into Redneck: He’s working on his car, dere. Eh, fuck it. Let’s go have a couple two-tree beers.

BC Local: Beer, cool.

Bostonian: Beeh, cool.

Project Boresnake. Send our troops a boresnake to keep their weapons operational.

Basic AR-15 operation:

Via the Ninth Stage.

Tam:

Square up towards the opponent, lean in, toe of the stock high on the shoulder (bring the weapon up to your eyes, don’t duck your eyes down to the weapon), elbows in, weak side foot slightly forward.

Uncle concurs:

Photo courtesy of USCitizen.

Next, we’ll be banning them:

One of the males suddenly tackled the man, threw him to the ground, and threatened him. The other male, holding his dog back, then threatened to have the dog attack if the man didn’t hand over his cash.

Over at the moderate voice, Paul Silver asks:

I came across these reasonable comments from Paul Helmke, a former Republican mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., and the new president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

…Concerns for gun violence prevention and public safety should not be categorized as pro-gun versus anti-gun.

What’s “anti-gun” about wanting background checks to make sure that those with criminal records aren’t buying guns legally?

What’s “anti-gun” about restricting bulk sales of handguns, a sure sign that someone wants to sell those guns illegally on the secondary market?

Why isn’t it “pro-gun” to want to crack down on the 1 percent of gun dealers who sell 57 percent of the guns that end up being used illegally; or to support more financing for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives?

Everyone else is having the second amendment fight but I answered questions about reasonableness here.

David Kaplan has a blog called Bad Guys.

Ben emails a link to this TN bill:

Criminal Procedure – Extends circumstances under which there is a legal presumption that a person using deadly force in self defense had a reasonable belief of death and confers civil immunity upon person properly using self defense. – Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 11, Part 6.

Does that mean what I think it means? Anyone heard?

Transformers movie trailer. Live action. Via Kit.

Phil talks about his SHTF equipment review due to recent events. Good lessons to learn for you survivalist nuts err responsible and prepared individuals.

Read it.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership:

Violent crime is up in America for a number of reasons, but one very likely cause is that it has become easier for criminals to arm themselves, and with ever more deadly weapons.

It was never hard for criminals to arm themselves. They don’t obey the law, remember?

For almost six years, many have systematically made it easier for criminals to have access to firearms by weakening enforcement of laws that cut illegal gun trafficking, supporting policies that encourage more firearms on the streets of American cities, putting AK-47s and other military-style semiautomatic weapons back onto our streets and even placing huge restraints on the ability of governments and individuals to hold the gun pushers accountable through the civil court system.

The military uses automatic weapons. Again, the Brady Bunch is trying to obfuscate machine guns and weapons that look like assault weapons. Meanwhile, Brady has issued grades for states. These grades are gun control rankings from A to F, with an A indicating more gun control and more in line with Brady’s goals. Strangely, most of the increase in violent crime occurred in states that earned higher Brady rankings. That’s unpossible!

Update: David Hardy says funny how crime rates declined for years, as Americans bought more guns.

Mr. Completely is putting together the Gun Blogger Rendezvous II for October 2007. Also, there’s a blog for it here.

While in Reno, I thought that we all agreed that Rendezvous sounded gay and we’d work on a name change. Guess not.

A post at the gun blogs is asking for info:

I need some help
I recieved my grandfathers rifle after he passed away and i had it reblued and had a new butt and stock made.
I have been trying to research the Data sheet. I have gone to the winchester site and from there i got lost. Here is the data on the weapon

New Haven Co
Winchester repeating rifle arms Co
Model 64
30 W.C.F.
Serial # 1091961

I know nothing of them, being more an Evil Black Rifle guy.

Congrats to Rich! He’s a new grandpappy.

Jeffy Weffy says that a MA mayor wants AR-15s banned, because someone used one in commission of a crime. Well, they already did that in 1998 with the passage of their assault weapons ban. Says some nanny state prick:

“There’s no rhyme or reason to have civilians with this type of firepower,” Lang said. “It’s not something that you could ever possibly justify. It’s insanity and it doesn’t fit in society in any way.”

The beauty of being a free man is I don’t have to justify a fucking thing to you. Never mind the fact that the AR is essentially the same as any other .223 caliber rifle. Or the fact the military is looking at scrapping the M-16 because it’s not powerful enough.

Ooh, AR-15:

Isn’t she? I mean the suppressor. Kids not bad either.

Taking a metal firearm into a giant magnet is not a good idea. ND results.

South Dakota has the Highest Per Capita Rate of Licensed Concealed Carry.

Speaking of South Dakota, Jeff Martin is a dick.

Pascagoula Shooting Club:

This is a fully functional machine gun, legal for most American citizens to own. All NFA laws apply to this raffle. Please check your state and local laws concerning ownership of NFA firearms. Winner must be at least 21 years of age. The firearm pictured is the actual firearm being offered.

Ticket price: $50

Only 300 tickets will be sold. The drawing for the firearm will be held as soon as all 300 tickets have been sold. This offer void where prohibited by law.

For more information, contact Jerry Frayser at (228) 875-0708

Monday was a sad day in Knox County Commission. In one of the most confused meetings, that often resembled the Keystone Cops more than a Commission meeting, the Midway Industrial Park received 7.5 million dollars of funding from the Knox County Commission. This happened even though there is a lawsuit seeking an injunction against any breaking ground on this project. It was a tortured, confused, and often comical 45 minutes that made those who watched in person or on Cable Television wonder about the old joke of “Who is on first”?

The Midway Industrial Park is covered in great detail at the website KnoxAction.com. There have been many web posts on KnoxViews and at Say Uncle. It has received much coverage also at the News Sentinel blog No Silence. So with all of the known information that questions the risk and return on investment of taxpayer dollars the Knox County Commission chose to ignore the demands of those in the Thorn Grove community and the voice of taxpayers who see this as the biggest gamble since the Farmers Market.

The MPC hypocritically and perhaps illegally ignored their own sector plan to choose the Midway Industrial Park site. The Development Corporation chose to ignore its main requirement that the slope of the site no exceed six percent. Both of these entities and the Knox Area Chamber of Commerce ignored that this site had much greater financial return as a tourist area or subdivisions and that those ideas would not require over 57 million dollars of taxpayer investment.

Most importantly all parties ignored that the Thorn Grove community is one giant karst sinkhole waiting to happen. This will literally be a black hole that money is poured into never to be seen again. The Ragsdale administration is its most irresponsible move yet has bragged that the Midway Industrial Park will create 4,600 jobs and bring over 12 million dollars a year of tax proceeds to Knox County government. That is an abject falsehood.

Lets review who will be around when this goes bad. Mayor Ragsdale is in his final term. So are Commissioners Griess, Leuthold, Hammond, Guthe, Schmid, Ivan Harmon, Cawood, Moore, Tindell, Strickland, Jordan, and Pinkston. The vote was 15-4 with only John Mills, Phil Ballard, Larry Clark, and Mark Harmon voting against funding the 7.5 million dollars for the Midway Industrial Park.

So you may see your government in action I have posted the entire Midway Industrial Park discussion on YouTube. I have done so to create a record of how this happened so in the future when this blows up in the face of the taxpayers you will know who was responsible. It is said that people deserve the government they get.

No one deserved this disaster.

YouTube coverage of the Knox County Commission meeting on the Midway Industrial Park:

Part1, Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6, and Part7

Bitter has one:

Now, I’ve seen several of you blogging about Wayne LaPierre’s official call to call the ATF out on why Mike Bloomberg is getting a pass on illegal staw purchases. He wants people to call 1-800-ATF-GUNS and ask them to investigate. Now, aside from being a nice little personal “up yours” to Bloomberg, with enough phone calls and follow up from citizen media, they will have to start giving us answers. They will eventually have to either admit that there’s a need for evidence because a crime may have been committed or that no crimes were committed and Bloomberg has been targeting innocent businessmen without evidence.

However, this needs to be a campaign. I don’t know what the NRA’s plans are with this move, and I won’t pretend to speculate. However, I do know some things that we can do which may get things stirring just a little. All we need is a little stir to get our answer. Remember, ATF guys are government workers. Eventually, they will get us an answer. If anything, they’ll do it so we’ll leave them alone and let them nap in peace.

So that said, I want to cut a deal with you. I want you to forward the information about this effort on to your local paper or television news stations.

She even has a way to make it easy for you and a sample letter. It’s a good idea. So, get over there and get to work.

Another shooting in a gun control utopia. How does it keep happening in Chicago? Don’t people know guns are essentially banned there?

Clearly, we should ban cities.

First, asking people to contact the ATF to report gun crimes being committed by Michael Bloomberg was genius. Now, it seems LaPierre is all Bloomberg all the time:

Bloomberg and Menino have been trying to blame violent crime in their own vicious cities on the gun laws of Vermont.

And they want Vermont to pass New York City-style gun bans ’cause they claim it’ll cut crime in their own cities.

But who are they to tell other people what their laws ought to be? Their cities are both disasters compared to the state of Vermont. And yet they want Vermont to adopt their lame laws?

Massachusetts requires a permit to purchase handguns, a special ID to purchase a long gun, and every gun owner has to be licensed by the state. Yet their murder rate is double Vermont’s and their violent crime rate is triple Vermont’s.

Look at New York City. In New York City, you need a permit to purchase any firearm, and every firearm has to be registered. Yet New York State’s murder and violent crime rates are almost four times as high as Vermont’s.

New York State and Massachusetts are two of the only states in the country that routinely deny the Right to Carry to honest citizens.

Vermont is one of just two states that requires no permit whatsover to carry a concealed firearm.

Yet more people are killed in one week in New York City than in the entire state of Vermont all year.

If the NRA keeps up the pressure and has a decent result, hats off to them. Keep it up.

I’m reaching for my checkbook.

The AP:

Two experts on SWAT team missions question the use of a battering ram by New Hanover County deputies to knock down a door in a raid that led to the shooting death of a college student suspected of stealing Playstation 3 sets.

Such a “dynamic entry” tactic is commonly employed during life-threatening hostage situations or drug raids as a way to seize narcotics before they can easily be dumped down a toilet or drain.

“They can’t flush a PlayStation,” said David Klinger, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “Why not just surround the place and give ‘em a shout? They come out, you cuff them and you go in and find the evidence.”

Err, because that doesn’t let them use all that cool ninja gear and battering rams and subguns that Uncle Sam gave them as part of the expanded homeland security bill? Give men toys and they use them.

Unite. Or something. Trouble is, people who share the same views unite behind each other. Diverse groups with varying points of view tend not to. For example, I’d just as soon kick an anti-gunner in the balls as look at them. You know, little differences. Smarminess aside, moderates and libertarians don’t jive. Because moderate tends to mean popular with a hint of nanny thrown in (or if you’re John McCain – who people say is a moderate – a whole bunch of nanny is thrown in). And libertarians don’t like that.

Even for spammers. I’ve had a few spam comments hit the site with titles such as Help find missing children and the link goes to Viagra spam. I realize people are trying to make a buck but that’s a new low and a pox on them all.

Translation: She’s got a wee wee.

Random crap below the fold. Those of you who may be offended by, err, pornographic language, look away.

Read the rest of this entry »

Carnaby made it to the range with the Ko-tonics 6.8SPC upper that we bloggers will be reviewing. Here’s the upper.

You know, the language of business. That secret code that MBAs come up with so it looks like they know what they’re talking about and have marketable skills? Still not getting it? Ok, some samples with Uncle’s translation:

Core competency – Shit to do
Leveraging resources – Borrow money
Value-added – Management likes this idea
Catalysist for change – Someone’s getting fired
Shifting paradigms – Either management likes this idea or someone important is getting fired

Those. I hate them. Yet, every office has someone who always uses them. I wish they’d knock that shit off. Every time I hear those phrases, I want to leverage someone’s jaw.

Wayne LaPierre:

There’s someone out there telling folks to buy guns illegally, and I think it’s time we put a stop to it. He’s directing contract employees to walk into gun stores, lie on the paperwork about who’s buying the gun, and walk out after making a straw purchase.

Even worse, he’s bragging about what he’s doing. He’s holding press conferences to tell the world about what he’s done, but so far law enforcement doesn’t seem to be listening.

Well, I think it’s time we help out the ATF agents that enforce our nation’s gun laws. We need to call their Illegal Gun Hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (that’s 1-800-283-4867) and alert them to this illegal firearms activity. Tell them that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is hiring private investigators to initiate straw purchases in several states, and you want them to enforce the law.

Capital idea. I’m going to call today. You should do the same thing.

It’s good to see the NRA finally pushing the Bloomberg-broke-the-law angle since the blogs have been saying it for a while.

Bitter:

Remember, an armed society is a polite society and polite people say thank you.

The Changing Face of the Shooting Sports.

So yes, a personal endorsement, amateur science hour, and gun porn, all in one post.

9 things you can do before severe weather hits.

If you guessed terrorism, you’d be wrong.

Xrlq has a long list, start here and scroll:

On computer programmers:

And you know what else you’re not? As important as you think you are. And neither is your application. So please, stop writing applications that yank themselves into the foreground while I’m trying to work on something else.

He also wants to ban bumper stickers. I just want to ban the ones with small print. Someday, I’ll have to explain to a cop that I rear-ended somebody while trying to read their bumper sticker. Worse, I’ll have to explain it wasn’t worth it because the bumper sticker wasn’t funny.

Tom:

Comedy Central: There’s a reason Greg Giraldo and Patton Oswalt are available whenever you want them.

Fodder has a list too:

The next door neighbor that likes to stand in his backyard (ten feet east and one story down from my bedroom window) at oh dark hundred in the morning and yell into his stoopid cell phone. You’ve been quite for awhile, keep it that way. Major pain has been prepared and is waiting.

Last year’s grievances:

It’s the end of the year, holiday time. A time for reflection. A time for a look back. A time to be thankful that the baby Jesus was born, died and resurrected as a fat guy, who delivers presents, chants Kujichagulia through a menorah during his month long fasting because he’s trying to lose all that weight. Or something, I tend to get my holidays confused. I think it may also involve fireworks. It’s also Festivus, which completely unlike the aforementioned holiday montage, is actually made up. As part of Festivus, we are to air our grievances. Tommy wants someone to start so I’ll start with a list of shit I hate:

People who use non-standard, colorful fonts in their email

People who don’t flush toilets

People who don’t realize that in email there are separate buttons for Reply and Reply To All

Gum on sidewalks

When people make weak coffee. Here’s a newsflash, if you like weak coffee, you can add water to strong coffee. Those of us that like it strong can’t make weak coffee stronger, unless we use instant coffee which happens to taste like ass.

People who can’t walk with either a distinct sense of purpose or in a straight line. Walk through the mall and there will eventually be a dumbass in front of you who you’ll try to get around. They will zig to the left and zag to the right getting in your way both times without a clue they’re doing it. Those are the morons I mean. If you’ve never seen these people, you are these people. Walk like you have a sense of purpose or, at least, like you know where you’re going.

Hidden songs on CDs. Hey, dumbass, how am I supposed to get to the song when it’s after the 10 minutes of silence after the last song.

The 20 minute feedback/wall of noise/jam session at the end of recorded songs. No one wants to hear that unless they’re at a show and had a beer or 6. Save that shit for concerts.

People who drive in the left lane who are not passing or turning.

Knoxville traffic.

When I’m checking out the donut spread and I grab what I think is a custard filled donut but it turns out to be lemon. Lemon donuts? What the Hell?

Computer applications, particularly GMail, that set focus or whatever the Hell it is that causes them to think they’re the most important application I’m running on the computer. Apparently, it has decided it’s so important that it should be the top window.

Coffee stir sticks/straws. Seriously, these things are so thin they cannot adequately stir coffee (which SayUncle happens to take with a little sugar and he likes it strong). I always wind up using three of them to get an adequate level of stirriness*. Why not just make the damn things three times thicker?

* People who make up words.

People who insist that I call them Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Doctor [their last name].

People who think turn signals are completely optional.

Websites whose main page (i.e., the one that ends in .com, .net, etc.) has a Click To Enter link. Obviously, I want to enter or I wouldn’t be there.

Sweaters. Can’t stand them yet every year the wife buys me one.

When people post lists of stuff they hate.

Crappy TeeVee shows turned into crappy movies.

And a Meppy Chrisamadkwanzakuh to you, unless you’re an overly sensitive shit stirrer. In which case, piss off.

Here in UncleLand, it’s about 70 degrees out. So, outside with us all. The second gives a class on swinging. Start out in the back:

Then move to the front:

Repeat for minutes of fun.

More chicks in tanktops and revealing clothing please. As illustrated at right. I don’t care what you’re selling but eye-candy is good. Heck, I might even give a hot chick discount. That is all.

At jib jab.

I’d like to give a shout-out to my homie Ray-ray from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce Implementation Center.

Given the ATF’s recent ruling that the Akins Accelerator is a machine gun after having ruled it wasn’t (be wary of fickle bureaucrats), there have been quite a few searches for Akins Accelerator landing at this site from various .gov agencies, including:

U.S. Dept. of Commerce Implementation Center
DOJ
Dept. of Treasury
Office of asset forfeiture
NYC.gov

And they’ve been hanging out for a while when reading. I never bought one but was going to after I got my Christmas shopping done. Guess that’s out of the question now.

Just a warning that they’re looking. Careful out there and don’t do anything stupid. My advice if you have one is disassemble the unit now and keep checking the AA website for updates. And avoid speculation and that crazy-ass gun-nut talk we sometimes engage in.

Update: And I’m fully aware that there are a few friendlies out there that read the site and this is not an attack on you (hi, guys!). And don’t take it as such.

Update: First report of confiscation:

My AA was confiscated today

Are customer lists being provided to the BATFE? I had two agents come to my house today and request that I turn over my “machine gun”. I complied.

Update and bump: Advice from a subgunner:

Don’t fill out an abandonment form if they come for it because you will never get it back. Not sure if you have a choice but ask to get recipt that they have it so if the outcome is reversed you can get it back.

The Akins folks are challenging the law. Get a reciept so that if they win, you get yours back.

Oh, and call your lawyer if you own an AA. Now.

Update: link to confiscation is gone. Someone at subguns yanked it.

=========================
Update: Statement from the Akins folks:

Allegations are being posted on the Web about ATF Agents showing up on customer doorsteps and confiscating product. This is not happening. Please consult the company webpage http://www.firefaster.com/ regularly and treat it as your only reliable source of information. All updates will be made to this page first.

Attorneys for Akins Group Inc. have submitted a written Compliance Plan which is under review by ATF. Upon agreement on the details by all parties, those instructions will be posted here.

If accepted by ATF, that Compliance Plan will contain instructions which, if followed by consumers, will eliminate the need for any face-to-face interaction with any law enforcement people from any agency.

And what is said plan?
=========================

Via the NRA, comes this:

In a lengthy and carefully reasoned decision read from the bench December 13, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli declared Jersey City’s one gun a month handgun rationing law null and void, holding that it violates state pre-emption, equal protection, and was “arbitrary and capricious.”

Ordinance # 06-116 – whose stated objective was to reduce crime – wildly missed the mark by rationing handguns to persons pre-certified by the State as non-criminals after undergoing extensive background checks.

Plus what is to stop one gun a month from becoming one gun a year, decade, lifetime or generation?

Update: Oops. Bitter was on this yesterday. Sorry, but usually when I see the phrase New Jersey, I don’t look much further.

Because I’ve decided that airing grievances is fun and want to spread some holiday cheer. Remember, I do this to entertain me . . . not you.

Timing: The holiday season apparently starts right after Labor Day. The stores put their Christmas stuff out in September. This has to stop. A full one third of the fucking calendar year is the Christmas season. That’s stupid. Hell, let’s just make every day a holiday.

More timing: Every year, I put out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier. I’ve always been a Day After Thanksgiving guy myself. But that was back when I was a bachelor and my only Christmas decoration was a festive basket with pine cones in it. After thanksgiving, I’d put it on my coffee table and I was done. Now, decoration day is a full two weeks before then. And it takes up a whole weekend. And that’s just stupid too. One good thing is that the new pad is on a sloped yard and the house has two floors. So, the sides of the house are a full 80 feet off the ground. Therefore, for safety’s sake, I don’t decorate that side. My annual work has been reduced by two thirds.

Santa: He’s a fat bitch. Seriously, can’t we have someone who can teach our children a healthy lifestyle bring them cheer and presents? And how about a haircut and a shave? Right now, it looks like we have an overweight hippie in his damn jammies spreading cheer. Is he joyous from smoking dope? I prefer a nice, clean cut dude who looks healthy spreading wonder and amazement. ‘Cause when a hippie spreads wonder and amazement, you blame the weed.

To the guy in my neighborhood: Sorry, but a 15 feet tall inflatable Scooby Doo wearing a toboggan is not a Christmas decoration. It’s a fucking eyesore. It may have a date with my Gamo 220 Hunter.

Toboggan: To the people commenting on this post on roadside survival kits, when a white boy from Tennessee says toboggan, he means a wool knit hat not a sled. You really think I keep a big ass sled in my truck?

Today, at Junior’s and The Second’s school it’s PJ day. They wore pajamas to school this morning. I think it’s a great idea and think workplaces should have a PJ day too.

Heh.

If concealed carry is ever allowed in Chicago.

A court has ruled that a BB gun is a gun in the legal sense of the word:

A convicted felon barred from carrying a firearm broke the law when he started toting a BB gun, the Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled.

John Fleming Jr. couldn’t legally carry a gun because of two felony assault convictions, so he packed a BB gun instead.

Ramsey County prosecutors decided Fleming was splitting hairs and charged him with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Fleming won when a Ramsey County District judge threw out the charge, ruling the statute doesn’t apply to BB guns. But the appeals court ruled prosecutors could again take aim at the two-time felon.

The appellate court reinstated the charge against Fleming, finding that a firearm is “any gun from which a shot or a projectile is discharged by means of explosive, gas or compressed air.”

Fleming is accused of carrying a black metal BB gun that discharges a pellet by means of a CO2 cartridge.

Typically, a firearms is defined as shooting a projectile by means of explosives and, at least at the federal level, blackpowder weapons are excluded from that definition. So, when someone enacts an assault weapons ban, will it affect BB guns?

Stupid ruling.

Update: That’s a helluvan airsoft gun.

I had one the other night for the first time. Tastes like a green Jolly Rancher. But in Cali, they want to tax girly drinks. Why? Well, because:

Heeding the pleas of teenagers to help curb underage drinking, California authorities Wednesday moved to raise taxes on sugary alcohol beverages and remove them from convenience stores.

Err, isn’t it illegal for teenagers to drink? That’s just fucking retarded.

The story about the NY Cops firing 50 rounds into unarmed people keeps getting worse:

Four of the five officers who fired a total of 50 times at the car of an unarmed man on his wedding day hadn’t completed mandatory firearms training, a group of black officers charged on Thursday.

[snip]

The report lists the last time each officer was at the shooting range: Mike Oliver — who fired 31 of the 50 rounds — was there on April 5; Marc Cooper on March 3; Paul Headley on Jan. 12; and Mike Carey on March 21. The undercover detective last took practice on Oct. 4, it says.

The report also notes that none of the officers had ever fired their weapons before the Nov. 25 confrontation outside a seedy Queens topless bar where Bell’s bachelor party intersected with a police undercover operation targeting alleged prostitution.

It’s obvious they weren’t pistolsmiths since out of 50 rounds, only 21 hit the car. And 14 rounds hit people in the car.

I’d rather they received training on Shoot – Don’t Shoot scenarios rather than marksmanship. But at least with marksmanship training, when they make the wrong call and shoot in real life, they don’t look like trigger-happy yahoos.

I had some fun at the fact that my traffic has increased a bit due to being ranked high on Google for the search small dicks. Seriously, people google that? Like you don’t get enough sent to your inbox you have to go searching for it?

But this ain’t a post about that, it’s a post about this:

There is an obscure publishing doctrine known as “the small penis rule.” As described in a 1998 New York Times article, it is a sly trick employed by authors who have defamed someone to discourage their targets from filing lawsuits. As libel lawyer Leon Friedman explained to the Times, “No male is going to come forward and say, ‘That character with a very small penis, ‘That’s me!’”

Heh. Via Terry, who apparently thought of me while reading that.

Seen at Publicola’s:

Give everything to your friend, except your car, your wife, and your gun.

Also, what he said.