Kyle from South Park:

Yeah, it just proves we need to learn not to profile just one race of people. Because, actually, most of the world hates us.

A felon with a gun. I wonder if the ATF will come by my house to ask me if I witnessed this one?

M1A. A Scout Model, I believe.

Well, The Second just had his first, err, well . . . let’s just say his lipstick was out.

Sarah Brady is blogging. Be nice. You can make your smarmy, witty retort without being a jerk, you know.

Via PGP.

Update: oh yeah, details on the straw purchase of a high-powered sniper rifle here.

Update: Numerous reports of comments going down the memory hole.

Context.

go to jail. Though there is no evidence he drew down, the man probably should have kept the weapon holstered.

Last nights South Park introduces the newest terrorist weapon, the snuke.

Has to be seen to be believed.

I am speechless.

Here, I wrote of the bill to repeal the DC gun ban:

I would not want this bill to interfere with Parker heading to the supreme court.

Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky, PLLC (or at least someone claiming to be confirmed via email that it is him) comments there:

We urge everyone to contact Congress and urge your Representatives and Senators to REJECT the Huchison and Ross-Souder bills.

These bills will destroy the Parker case, plain and simple. They are totally unnecessary — if we win, they will be pointless, and in the unlikely event that we lose, there is plenty of time to respond legislatively.

There are many ridiculous and harmful laws on the books that were not addressed in our case which Congress can and should repeal to fully implement the Parker decision. We have suggested language, which may yet be introduced, that would enable Congress to vote on the D.C. gun bans without hurting Parker.

Anyone who believes that mooting Parker will avoid a Supreme Court showdown on the meaning of the Second Amendment is delusional. Inaction by our community has led to losing the Second Amendment right at the federal level in 47 out of 50 states, because nobody controls the criminal defense bar.

Considering the aggressive way in which criminal defendants are now making Second Amendment claims, the circuit split, the DOJ’s pro-individual rights position, the level of debate in the legal academy, and the seven decades of Supreme Court silence on the topic, it is just a matter of time — and not much of it — before the issue goes to the high court.

It is Parker, or the next case. Plain and simple. You’re not going to like the next case.

It is nice that Sen. Huchison and NRA have expressed a desire to be supportive of Parker. Let’s see some conduct that is consistent with that position. This bill doesn’t cut it.

If you agree, then call Sen. Huchison, call your Senators and your Representatives, and by all means call NRA, and let them know that you understand this issue.

Thanks,
Alan Gura
Lead Counsel, Parker v. D.C.

P.S.: As for en banc, it will probably be a few months before we find out. We will probably be ordered to respond to the en banc petition. We’re confident of prevailing at any en banc rehearing and after that, if need be, at the Supreme Court.

Update: BTW, for you locals, Corker and Alexander are co-sponsors of the bill.

Some folks take issue with the gun snobbery over at Insty’s:

I do take exception to the gun snob comments about the Beretta 92. That’s the civilian version of the M9. I could not hit squat with the service .45 I carried in the 1970s while on duty in Germany. The weapon was a rattle trap, which was no doubt part of the problem. However, a couple of the NCOs told me my accuracy problem “isn’t entirely the weapon’s fault.” Hah. Well, I agreed. I was adequate with a rifle, but the pistol? Yes, I can see the barn’s broadside. No, I cannot hit the barn’s broadside — not with my service .45.

But the Beretta I had in Iraq was something else entirely — I managed to qualify sharpshooter with it. I know, the superior gunfighters out there will dismiss that as the sorry effort of a chronic poor shot. However, I came within two rounds of qualifying expert. That’s a huge change. I had confidence I could hit a target.

I don’t particularly care for Berettas. They’re fine guns (assuming you don’t have an 1980s model – there was a defect in the slide causing it to crack). But I just don’t dig them. The cool thing about the Beretta compared to, say, Sigs/Glocks/H&Ks is that it has a fixed barrel. So, you don’t need a Linear Inertial Decoupler (fancy gun nut term for spring in a tube) to cycle the action when you put a suppressor on it.

My preference is for Sigs and Glocks. Here they are:

I like Glocks because they are indestructible, reliable, low maintenance, and, honestly, I could care less if I scratch one. I like Sigs because they are reliable and they simply feel good in my hands (they’re slightly less indestructible and low maintenance than a Glock).

And, you JMB diehards, I just don’t like how 1911s feel. They’re fine guns. But, in my hands, they feel like I’m shooting a brick. Well, except that new Sig GSR. That’s one fine 1911.

Via Sebastian, who says: It all comes down to what works for you.

Update: And how could I forget the Kel-Tec:

Another Update: Dr. Strangegun sets me straight in comments:

92s don’t have fixed barrels. They stay aligned with the frame because the 92 uses the locking block system.

In VA, they passed a law that prohibits anyone but law enforcement officers from trying to make an illegal gun purchase from a firearms dealer. More here.

AC has an analysis on the negotiated bill to prevent taking guns during disaters.

Looks like Stacey Campfield’s tax on masturbation is heading to committee:

This bill will tax porn and porn items (things you have to be over 18 years old to view or purchase),strip clubs and escort services. The tax would raise 50 million dollars and would be dedicated to allow the state to drop the sales tax on whole foods (Foods that are more healthy, fruits, vegetables, non processed meats and non processed canned goods,ect.) down to one percent in year one and down to zero in year two. The estimated drop in porn sales is only 3%.

I’m gonna go ahead and call the $50M bogus. Did someone do a porn study? A strip club study? Show me the numbers, man. Estimated drop of 3%? Want to bet?

And, you know, porn is free on Al Gore’s Internets.

I like Newt Gingrich. He, like Fred Thompson, reminds me of a time when Republicans were cool. You know, back before they were just big spending democrats who happened to cater to the religious right instead of the coo-coo-banana left? Remember those days? I do.

Anyhoo, Newt on guns. He says the AWB was crap (he’s right) but citizens shouldn’t be allowed to own machine guns and tanks. Well, Newt, citizens can own both of those.

Seen at the Geek’s, Zumbo writes to Congress. I’m reprinting it here:

March 28, 2007
An Open Letter to the
United States Senate

Dear Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen:

It recently came to my attention that one of your colleagues, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, has chosen to attack firearms owners using remarks I wrote in mid-February as his launch pad. As you probably know, Sen. Levin has been making anti-gun speeches every week for the past eight years because of a promise he made to the Economic Club of Detroit in May 1999.

Mr. Levin has an agenda, and he should have spoken to me before using my name in one of his speeches, especially since his remarks were entered into the Congressional Record. I would like my remarks here entered into the Congressional Record as well.

Sen. Levin is only one of 16 members of the Senate to vote against the Vitter Amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This amendment prohibits the confiscation of a privately-owned firearm during an emergency or major disaster when possession of that gun is not prohibited under state or federal law.

Eighty-four senators voted for that amendment, inspired by the egregious confiscation of firearms from the citizens of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005. Those seizures, you will recall, led the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association to join in a landmark civil rights lawsuit in federal court that brought the confiscations to an abrupt end.

The taking of private property without warrant or probable cause – even firearms – was considered an outrage by millions of American citizens, and yet Sen. Levin joined 15 of his colleagues in voting against this measure. It is no small wonder that Sen. Levin gets an “F” rating from gun rights organizations. He would have American citizens disarmed and left defenseless at a time when they need their firearms the most, when social order collapses into anarchy and protecting one’s self and one’s family is not simply a right and responsibility, it becomes a necessity.

That in mind, Sen. Levin must know that almost immediately after I wrote those remarks, I recanted and apologized to the millions of Americans who lawfully and responsibly own, compete with and hunt with semi-automatic rifles. I took a “crash course” on these firearms and visited with my good friend Ted Nugent on his ranch in Texas, where I personally shot an AR-15 and educated myself with these firearms.

Some of us learn from our mistakes, others keep making them. Legislation to which Sen. Levin alluded, HR 1022, would renew the ban on so-called “assault weapons,” and dangerously expand it to encompass far more perfectly legal firearms. For the Congress of the United States to even consider such legislation is an affront to every law-abiding firearms owner in this country.

This legislation that Sen. Levin appears to endorse is written so broadly as outlaw not only firearms, but accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle. As I understand the language of this bill, it could ultimately take away my timeworn and cherished hunting rifles and shotguns – firearms I hope to one day pass on to my grandchildren – as well as millions of identical and similar firearms owned by other American citizens.

It is clear to me that the supporters of this legislation don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones out of people like me, and many of you, and your constituents, friends, neighbors and members of your families. They will do anything they can, go to any extremes they believe necessary, to make it impossible for more and more American citizens to legally own any firearm.

In his final paragraph, Senator Levin misrepresents what I said. I never spoke in favor of a general assault weapons ban. Again, I immediately apologized for my blog statement that was exclusively directed toward hunting and not gun ownership.

I will not allow my name to be associated with this kind of attack on the Second Amendment rights of my fellow citizens.

A few weeks ago, in a letter to Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, I promised to educate my fellow hunters about this insidious legislation “even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done.”

I will amend that to add that I will bring my effort to Capitol Hill if necessary, even if I have to knock on every door and camp in every office of the United States Senate. In promoting this ban, the Hon. Carl Levin does not speak for me, or anybody I know.

Sincerely,
James Zumbo
Cody, Wyoming

Senator Hutchison’s presser:

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act of 2007, a bill to restore Second Amendment rights in Washington, D.C.

“The constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens do not end when they cross into the borders of the District of Columbia,” said Sen. Hutchison.

“The gun ban has been proven ineffective by the trend of increased violent crime in the District. The citizens of Washington, D.C., deserve to have the same right to defend themselves and their families in their homes that lawful Americans enjoy.

“This requires both a legislative and judicial remedy. I hope the Parker case goes before the Supreme Court and that the court asserts that the right to bear arms is an individual, and not a collective, right as the D.C. Circuit and Fifth Circuit Courts have affirmed.”

The District of Columbia enacted the Firearms and Control Regulations Act in 1976 that banned handguns and required rifles and shotguns to be registered and stored unloaded and either locked or disassembled, giving it the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation. Prior to the gun ban’s implementation, the murder rate in the District was on the decline. Following the ban, the murder rate began to rise while violent crime was decreasing nationally. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, in 2005, the most recent year from which statistics are available, the District of Columbia led the nation in violent crime.

This comes up every couple of years. With Parker v. DC, it might actually get done. But I would not want this bill to interfere with Parker heading to the supreme court. My source says:

As I understand it, the goal is to put this legislation on the table to be enacted after a SCOTUS review of Parker, so that it would not interfere with the Parker decision.

Well, in theory, it wouldn’t be needed then.

Over at Insty’s. I like how the Webb incident is shedding light on DC’s stupid, stupid gun laws. If this happened a couple of years back, there may not have been Parker v. DC.

Bredesen is exploring toll roads to pay for TDOT. This is despite TN’s surplus. Let me be the first to say fuck that. Toll roads are inconvenient, delay traffic, require me to keep change/method of payment in my car, and are generally a pain in the ass. Here’s an idea: use the surplus or cut spending.

Reader Jon is reporting the site is slow to load. I haven’t experienced that at home or the office. Anyone else having trouble?

I ordered a book from Amazon that was published by Two Plus Two. They publish poker and gambling books. Anyway, I get the book which is unread. After page four, it skips to page 37. Later in the book, I find pages 22 – 36. But pages 5 – 21 aren’t there. I send an email to the feedback link at their site and ask if I could get the missing pages and if this was a common problem.

In a couple of hours, I get a response telling me to send them the front cover and they’ll send me a new book. Excellent customer service!

A Firefox extension that allows you to log in to multiple gmail accounts. Sweet.

Seen at NSH:

I’m told the blogosphere is going to eat our lunch. Well, the blogosphere, for the most part, spends its infinitely expanding gas talking about what we – newspapers – write, not what some blogger reported. If newspapers disappeared tomorrow it would be like pulling the fuel rods from a nuclear reactor: the lights would go out and the blogosphere wouldn’t produce a single BTU of intellectual heat.

Listen up, Sparky:

The significance of blogs is not that they break news. It’s that they criticize the news and opine on the news. See, years ago, some journalist could print the talking points of some activist group, display obvious bias, or mislead readers and the only thing that would happen would be a few folks might send a letter to the editor that would probably not get printed. Now, you guys have to kinda watch out for that. That’s the point. Like R. Neal said about blogs: it’s letters to the editor without the letters or the editor.

What is it with gun bloggers and poker?

Creative.

A to the C:

It just seems funny how folks seem to hold to authentic conservatism or libertarianism before or after they get into office, but never during.

Pollen angels

But I laughed my ass off.

San Francisco has banned plastic grocery bags. This is to save the planet. You may remember it wasn’t that long ago that only eco-terrorists asked for paper bags. People would turn in horror and explain how a living tree had to be sacrificed to make that paper bag.

Today we are much wiser. Paper bags are back. We understand that trees are a renewable resource and actually using plastic grocery bags is eco-terrorism. We just didn’t know. Of course really eco-conscious people bring there own burlap bags.

Let me clue you in. There is no right answer. No matter what you do someone will say it is not enough. The reality is we live in a world of Hobson choices.

Let me tell you the next eco-scare that will take about five years to come to fruition. Compact fluorescent bulbs will be banned. California is currently considering banning incandescent lights bulbs because the planet has a fever. Even though most people know compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury they will buy them because sheeple are followers. Better to do what you are told than to think for yourself.

Do you think the people in California will start recycling programs for Compact fluorescent bulbs before they ban the incandescent bulbs? Probably not. Sheeple have to be led.

Fuck the census bureau. Sitting on my desk right now are the following forms:

No shit. And, per each form, YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW. Title 13, United States Code, requires businesses and other organizations that receive this questionnaire to answer the questions and return the report to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This, in addition to registering in every state, dealing with unemployment in every state, licenses in every state, compliance audits from random fed/state/city entities, misc. bullshit in every state, etc. And that’s not counting income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes (for every state and many cities – on that note, I’d personally like to say fuck Alabama), quarterly filings, and other crap that requires a return of some sort.

Now, I know people in government* don’t understand this but us folks in the private sector got shit to do. Our shit, unlike your shit, generally adds value. This is time not spent doing shit that, uh, matters. Why not get this info from, say, the 4,392 other forms I send to the other people in government? Bastards.

My assistant is gonna be pissed.

* note: not applicable to the ones that actually provide a valuable service, like police, fire fighters, military, etc.

Heh.

Recent poker tourney at the final table with 6 players, I’m the short stack due to a bad beat two hands before. I’m the big blind, which is about a third of my stack. I have no choice but to take any two cards and go all in. In this situation, most of your opponents will call since putting you out is a priority at the final table. I get 9♠ 10♣. Last to act with three limpers, I go all in. Limpers call. Flop:

9♣ 9♥ 9♦

I quadruple up, now have the second biggest stack and take second in the tourney due to bad beat in the coin flip err heads up portion.

The Munchkin Wrangler: why the gun is civilization.

Hell in a Handbasket: Everything a Beginner Needs to Know About Hollowpoints

Publicola: Cats and AKs

Snowflakes in Hell: Windex to clean your AK?

Egregious Charles: Bore cleaning trick

Dr. Strangegun: Marlin 60 gun porn

PawPaw’s House: Daddy’s guns

The Sopranos returns. Sweet.

In Ohio, a lawfully-owned M-60 and Uzi machine gun were stolen.

I’ve already said that I believe Jim Zumbo and take his apology and his pledge to fight for gun rights at face value. And his attonement continues:

He has publicly apologized on Ted Nugent’s Internet forum, and he offered the same apology to Gun Week and its readers. The experience has humbled him.

But the disaster to his career has not made Zumbo want to run and hide, though many of his critics say he should. Instead, Zumbo is going to use this experience to become what he hopes will be the worst nightmare that gun-grabbing politicians and gun control activists could imagine.

“I want to join the fight, do whatever it takes,” he said in earnest. “Let’s educate the other dumb people like me who didn’t know about AR-15s. I will lead that charge.

“I’m stupid,” he added, admitting that he has never had what some people might call a “fascination” with firearms. “From my ignorance, let’s enlighten everyone else.”

Zumbo said he could have retired a year ago, and he could do likewise today, but in his heart, he feels a responsibility to square himself, and use his energies to unite the hunting and shooting fraternities, which do not always see eye-to-eye, even in this controversy.

Welcome back, guy.

Series 80 Colt Gold Cup

Heh:

Question:

What would happen to a pistol like the Glock if it was submerged in a container of drano (Drain Cleaner)?

Answer:

Since Drano is safe for plastic and metal pipes, I think it would only dissolve the hair clog in the barrel.

However, in just a few minutes a Glock fanboy will come by and post a link to a test where a Glock was put in a blender filled with Drano, sulfuric acid, Coca-Cola, pirahna, and 2 pounds of industrial diamonds. A CAT D8bulldozer was then dropped on it from 1000 feet. The owner picked up the Glock, chambered a 155mm HE round, hit a post-it note at 917 miles, and then proceeded to run 726,761 rounds of Wolf ammo coated with Gorilla Glue with no failures.

Seen at Terry Frank’s:

Sen. Jackson’s “Girls Gone Wild” bill moves forward

If they can come up with this much stupid being part time, imagine how much stupid they could come up with if they were full time.

Not sure I agree with this:

I agree that Webb should get on the repeal DC gun ban issue pronto.

I think congressional intervention would completely ruin any chance that Parker v. DC has of making it to the supreme court. For good or bad.

As told to me by Junior:

Junior: Knock, knock

Me: Who’s there?

Junior: Orange

Me: Orange who?

Junior: [runs away laughing hysterically]

It made my day.

The Corner notes a press conference by Jim Webb:

QUESTION: Do you, Senator, feel that you are above Washington, D.C.’s gun law?

WEBB: I’m not going to comment in any level in terms of how I provide for my own security.

You weren’t asked about your own security. You were asked about violating the law (for little people). Now, Webb is pretty darn pro-gun. But that doesn’t excuse how the wealthy/powerful/white get off in this town. And I have some more questions:

What type of gun was it? After all, if (in DC) you have a semi-automatic that holds more than 12 rounds it is a machine gun.

Has it or will it be returned?

Is each round of unregistered ammo a separate violation?

Is there a congressmonkey exception to DC law?

What about other DC residents who want to provide for [their] own security? And they don’t have the capitol police on guard.

Via Insty.

Update: Webb says he didn’t give the guy the gun but he doesn’t say if the gun is his or not. He also says:

“I believe that it’s important — it’s important for me, personally, and for a lot of people in the situation that I’m in, to be able to defend myself and my family,” Webb said. “Since 9/11 for people who are in government I think in general there has been an agreement that it’s a more dangerous time. Again, I’m not going to comment, again, with great specificity about how I defend myself, but I do feel that I have that right.”

Good. But what about other DC residents?

And there’s this:

Capitol Police rules allow members and their employees to bring a weapon onto Capitol grounds if it is unloaded and securely wrapped. In this case, it was allegedly neither.

Even if the guns are illegal? Which they would be if they are 1) in DC and 2) not registered prior to 1976.

The story so far. A new twist to the tale of me and my privilege to be allowed to engage in my chosen profession. The latest conversation:

SayUncle: Hello

Tax Collector: This is blah-blah-blah from the waivers department calling about your request for a waiver for penalties on your Professional Privilege Tax payment.

SayUncle: You have a waivers department?

Tax Collector: Yes.

SayUncle: Odd. So, you have an entire department dedicated to the fact you guys make a lot of mistakes.

Tax Collector: Sir?

SayUncle: Nothing. How can I help you, ma’am?

Tax Collector: Well, we show your address as [old address from a number of years back] and I have this letter from you requesting a waiver.

SayUncle: I no longer live there. Like I told the last guy, I let you guys know that via your handy little website that exists expressly for the purpose of letting you know that.

Tax Collector: We need to get your current address.

SayUncle: Well, on that letter that you have, just below the words I can be reached at.

Tax Collector: Yeah.

SayUncle: Well, you’ll notice that the first line ends in the word Road and the second line, oddly enough, ends in a five digit number. We commonly call that a zip-code. It typically indicates that, uh, that would be an address.

Tax Collector: *silence*

SayUncle: It also matches the top left portion of that thing it came in. You know, an envelope?

Tax Collector: So your current address is?

SayUncle: My address is blah-blah-blah.

Tax Collector: Thank you, sir.

SayUncle: Have a good day.

Wow. Just wow.

I know they got it rough due to bureaucracy and red tape from our alleged health care system but at least kiss me first. In the past, I’d go to the doc and he’d see me. On the way out, they’d ask for their money. Now, the want it in advance. The Second is having a very minor procedure (ear tubes) and the Dr.’s office called today to say they’ll need payment ($500, btw, that’s with insurance). But they haven’t even scheduled the procedure yet.

You’ll recall that TN Governor Phil Bredesen wanted to retain the power of restricting the ability to purchase guns and ammunition during times of natural disaster or declared emergency. He has since had a change of heart, reports Bob Krumm:

Gov. Phil Bredesen, who was at one time leery of giving up that power, signaled his support Monday for a plan to prevent Tennessee officials from suspending the sale or transport of guns during a Hurricane Katrina-like emergency.

Glenn has more.

In addition to publishing the names of concealed carry holders and comparing them to sex offenders, he’ll endanger people because he doesn’t like their bumper stickers. I wonder if he’ll get some pre-paid postage again?

A senate staffer working for James Webb was busted trying to get a pistol into the senate building. It was the senator’s gun. I guess the senator was taking advantage of the recent Parker v. DC decision? Nah, he’s one of the privileged who gets to disregard laws for little people. Anyway, if you’re just going to violate the law willy-nilly, you may as well do it big and go ahead and get the machine gun.

Silly people in Parker had to actually, you know, sue to make progress in this area.

Heh.

I need some legal advice. I also need some guidance.

Per Randy Neal’s request to me to not link Copyrighted material from YouTube on KnoxViews I requested via email permission from Community Television of Knoxville (CTV) to continue to provide Knox County Commission meetings on YouTube as I have done for several months now.

I received a reply email from David Vogel, the General Manager of CTV. It read, “Please remove all segments of the Knox County Commission Meetings that you have uploaded to YouTube, until proper copyright clearance has been obtained.”

I replied back that I did not recognize the alleged Copyright per the fair use doctrine of Copyright law. I ask what I had to do to receive permission from CTV to continue to post the County Commission meetings on YouTube. I also requested that CTV provide the service I have been providing for several months. I explained I did not want to provide this service as it was very time consuming and I hoped that CTV would decide to take this off my hands.

Today I received from Mr. Vogel an email stating, “As a non-profit corporation, CTV has the same rights under the copyright laws as any other company. CTV owns the copyright to any program produced by its employees. As the copyright owner, CTV maintains its right to exercise all privileges of copyright, which includes the right to exclude others from making and publishing copies of its programs and the right to exclude others from making derivative works using its programs. If someone edits or changes a CTV program, this constitutes a “derivative work.”

As a matter of policy or choice, CTV will allow others to publish copies of our programs under certain conditions. In order to make and publish unedited and completely unchanged copies of our programs, a Permission Request must first be submitted in writing, along with a copy of your personal identification (eg. driver’s license or passport). As a general rule, we do NOT grant permission to publish edited or changed versions of our programs (derivative works).”

I replied to Mr. Vogel that the Knox County Schools already has an Internet Archive of school board meetings and asked him if there was a way for CTV to do the same with Knox County Commission meetings. Mr. Vogel responded and said there were exploring this with the same firm that does the Knox County School Board meetings. He explained there was no time table as yet.

That is the background so let me explain my problem. CTV does not “produce” Knox County Commission meetings. They “film” the meetings. Today’s meeting may be historic on both the Storm Water issue and the Metro Government issue.

What should I do? I understand Mr. Vogel’s position and I don’t know the fine details of Copyright Law or what the right thing to do is. I feel that the idea of Copyrighting a public meetings is ludicrous. I see this as a violation of my First Amendment rights. But I may incur legal action if I continue. How can anyone Copyright a Knox County Commission meeting?

If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

Via PGP comes a run down of the Democrat party platform on guns from 1956 to 2004 (It’s at DU so if your moonbat quotient is exceeded for the day, you may want to wait until tomorrow). Meanwhile, I present to you a well-known Democrat on guns:

By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia’, the ’security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms’, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.

I’ve linked before to silencertests.com. Now, there is SilencerResearch.com. I’m still trying to decide which suppressor I want. Three candidates:

Gem-Tech Trinity. Pro: Designed to be a single solution to three areas (subguns, handgun and rimfire). Has many different mounting systems for many different applications. Con: pricey at $525 not counting mounting solutions. Not the quietest 9mm can. And the different mounting systems are all pricey too. I’ve seen no info on its performance with rimfire calibers.

AAC Evolution 9. Pro: Supposedly, the quietest 9MM suppressor around. Has built in device for use on recalcitrant (i.e., Browning style or non-fixed) barrels. Con: Even more pricey (at $795). Not designed for a subgun and needs a special gizmo to work on fixed barrels.

Gemtech Outback: Pro: Least expensive ($325). Super quiet. Con: It’s only for 22 calibers. It’s a con but, honestly, I’d probably put more 22 through it than anything else.

Any advice? Decisions, decisions.

Boobs. And not just one, there’s two.

Darren Seiber. Fresh from making the same tired joke about guns compensating for penis size [What about my wife's gun? -Ed.], comes proof of an utter inability to do the slightest bit of research:

However, the truth of the matter is, that Texas gun laws are no less lax than that of other states.

Really? Tried buying a gun in DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, NC, MD or NY? Also, this is wonderful:

We are wrong because guns are wrong. They are deadly, unethical creations that do not save or secure any number of lives that could build a reliable statistic. Instead, there are mountains of statistics telling us otherwise.

Guns are ethically neutral. And, depending on who you believe, guns in the US are used defensively between 700,000 times and 2,000,000 times per year.

And from that, we go to making shit up:

Take, for instance, this statistic: for women, having a gun in the house increases the chances of being murdered by 172 percent. If that’s not good enough, chew on this for a while: one study showed that people who attempt to use a gun in self-defense are four times as likely to die. Having a gun in the home does not make you safer. It is not an imaginary insurance policy.

Now, I’ve read probably every gun statistic on the planet and I’ve never heard that one. I even spent five minutes trying to Google it. Can’t find it. Someone let me know if they locate a source but, for now, I’ll go ahead and call it bullshit. Also, a Florida study concluded that active resistance to crime (preferably while armed) was the best course of action.

Other whoppers in the story: blaming male dominance and America is the leader of gun fatalities.

And, at the end, the source for his statistics is the International Action Network on Small Arms. So, this idiot just parrots the made up talking points of an anti-gun group.

I love, particularly, the rather unsophisticated manner in which he implies the bogus gun statistics for the world as applicable in the US.

What a complete and total dumb ass.

The Roanoke Times, on their brilliant idea to post the names and addresses of people who have concealed carry permits:

Oops. We screwed the pooch. Sorry about that. Please buy our paper again

Heh:

The Population of the nanny State, being composed of irresponsible rednecks, rejects, and retards, must not be allowed to have Arms.

On Eminent Domain:

“Cities use code words,” explained Supervisor Chris Norby, a longtime foe of eminent domain abuse. “In the 1950s and 1960s, governments used the term ‘urban renewal,’ but critics knew that it was widely called ‘Negro removal.’ These days, we’re looking at forced gentrification,” as cities try to redevelop poorer areas into wealthy areas.

Well, I think it’s more poor removal.

A sound suppressor for a, wait for it, tank. Not very practical but as an added bonus: it looks like a penis.

A sound suppressor made of wood.

Traction Control praises Henry Repeating Arms. I had a similar experience with Smith and Wesson.

The ACLU has won another battle against censorship. The Children’s Online Protection Act sought to make the entire internet safe for little children by restricting online speech that is “harmful to children”. All adult-themed material is by definition harmful to children.

Thankfully the court struck down the law and told parents to protect their own kids instead of gearing up the full force of law and bureaucracy to make sure nobody sees any penises. Love that ACLU.

Seen at KDT’s, this is disturbing on many levels:

A German judge has stirred a storm of protest here by citing the Koran in turning down a German Muslim woman’s request for a fast-track divorce on the ground that her husband beat her.

In a remarkable ruling that underlines the tension between Muslim customs and European laws, the judge, Christa Datz-Winter, said that the couple came from a Moroccan cultural milieu, in which she said it was common for husbands to beat their wives. The Koran, she wrote, sanctions such physical abuse.

Wow. Multicultural sensitivity at its most perverted. If it keeps up, society there will reach the point that it so culturally sensitive that it cannot survive.

Tock.

Just sayin’.

Update: I’m not advocating military action against Iran. But the whole Iran situation will come to a head. And this is one more step toward that.

Les has the lowdown. Seem kinda spendy.

I was the luckiest man on Earth. Me and the Mrs. exchanged vows. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long but it really has. We have a good life with two wonderful kids, a beautiful home and a slightly annoying Politically Incorrect Dog. I wouldn’t trade it for any thing.

I love you, honey.

And no jokes about five years being the wood anniversary.

An open letter to gun store clerks. Heh. My response is usually: then why do you sell this shit?

Property rights. I love ‘em. Seems in Texas, they’re pushing a bill that forces employers to allow employees to keep weapons in their car. Sebastian says that’s not cool:

It’s true that employers are preventing employees from exercising a right, but employers are generally free to do this. Employers may dictate how you dress, what time you come to work, what you may or may not say on behalf of the company, what you can or can’t say in the workplace or to customers.

Here’s where I disagree. And it’s not because I’m the gun-nuttiest gun nut of all time but rather it’s because of one simple thing: My vehicle is my property. No matter where I park it. It’s my little portable home. I control what’s in it. And my employer will not tell me what I can and can not have in it.

Banning them on-premises, however, is a different ball of wax.

Confessions of an ex-Zumbo.

Congrats to Jeff, Gunner and Gun Law News for their press coverage on the Zumbo affair! Not a bad piece.

As said before, I was contacted for the story. I told the nice lady I’d be happy to chat via email but that’s the extent of my talking to the press. And here’s why I don’t talk to the press. I might change my policy for foxnews since they did respect Gun Law News request to not be identified.

Apparently, sitemeter.com (sort of the standard for blog traffic measuring and what I use because my internal stats package picks up everything) is installing spyware or some such. You can avoid that by using various spyware removal programs or Firefox. You’ve been warned.

I’d dump it but it’s just so darn handy.

Thanks to Georgia Packing for the heads up. Jeff has more.

SKS mods. That’s a lot of work on an SKS right there.

The Editorial staff of the Knoxville News Sentinel has penned yet another in the series of “Can I carry your water Mr. Mayor” Editorials. Except this time it is a different Mayor, it is Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam. Bonus points for also carrying the water of the Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV.

The subject of this waste of ink and paper is how the defeat of a bill in the General Assembly that would require 5 second Yellow Lights where there are Red Light cameras is a victory for public safety. It is not a victory for the people, it is a victory for the revenuers.

C.E. Petro at “Thoughts of an Average Woman” has more as does Joe Powell at “A Cup of Joe Powell”. Over on KnoxViews a poll shows 97% of 77 respondents prefer a 5 second Yellow Light over a 3 second Yellow Light.

The Red Light cameras from RedFlex Inc. have been a stunning success. With over 62,000 violations the City of Knoxville and RedFlex are in the money with much more money just around the corner. Both the News Sentinel and the City of Knoxville know that increasing the Yellow Light duration from 4 seconds to 5.5 seconds reduces Red Light tickets by 96%. You can read the Virginia study here that proves just that. It also makes intersections safer, something that Police Chief Owen says he wants. Yet for some unknown reason he will not support a safe Yellow Light duration.

Which is worse in this Editorial? The glee the News Sentinel has that the bill was “properly killed”, or the closing line, “It would have been better for the lawmakers to seek those answers directly from city officials before trying to make a circus out of a serious traffic issue”? What kind of writer uses “properly killed” in an Editorial about public safety? The News Sentinel goes on to say, “The Tennessee Legislature certainly has better things to do than second guess and micromanage Knoxville’s decision to use traffic-light cameras to ticket speeding motorists.”

Let’s be clear about this. This is not “micromanagement”. The Tennessee Legislature had to step in because the Mayor and the Police Chief have put revenue over public safety. Yet the pressure from the public is beginning to show. The Sentinel quotes Police Chief Owen, “Owen said he was not necessarily opposed to a longer yellow-light time if it can have a positive effect on reducing accidents, although he acknowledged the matter was more for traffic engineering than law enforcement. Let traffic engineering follow it up, then, perhaps giving the benefit of any doubt to motorists and increase the yellow-light time where warranted.”

So what exactly does Police Chief Owen mean? Does he mean if enough people are hurt then the traffic engineering people will increase the Yellow Light duration? Do people have to get hurt for the City to do the right thing? We live in a place of unaccountability. Neither the Mayor nor Police Chief Owen have any accountability for public safety, only the few people in the City traffic engineering department? Wonder if those poor people in traffic engineering are under orders from high above?

It’s the fact you can’t stick them in a stripper’s garter.

Ever done something stupid? Who hasn’t?

Cheated on your wife?

Missing a finger because you didn’t see the sign on the mower that said don’t stick your finger by the blades when they’re moving?

Feeling a bit hypocritical because you travel the world by plane telling people to conserve energy while your residence consumes more energy than a household of 8?

Want to fine TeeVee stations for playing Girls Gone Wild commercials?

Feeling misunderstood for wanting the state to decide if God created the world?

No problem.

For the price of only $10, you can buy one Stupid Offset and it will completely erase the impact of one stupid thing you’ve done. It’s true.

Snake oil sold separately.

stile over at The Gun Blogs:

Although it wasn’t asked for he has my forgiveness. We are a community and like any community we can’t expect to get along all the time. Unfortunately, I can see this as a dividing line between the hunters who have their sport and the shooters. This is the time when we all have to be aware of the attacks that our way of life is coming under. Hunters are loosing lands that they can hunt on while shooters are having a hard time finding ranges due to closures. Why is this continuing to be an issue? Mr. Zumbo has apologized. Time to move on. Mr. Zumbo should take another chance and make himself heard again and his prior sponsors should give him the opportunity to do so.

I concur.

Update: Speaking of, Mr. Completely has invited Mr. Zumbo to the Gun Blogger Rendezvous.

What happens after a gun fight, from notes at the Front Sight Training Academy. Via KDT.

I always assumed that Alabama was a shall-issue state. Turns out it is not but, according to my sources, it may as well be. Chuck has more on how the local sheriff’s rule their fiefdoms:

Since Alabama is a hodge podge of separate county’s with different rules for issuing a state concealed carry, would you be willing to support a Alabama “shall issue” permit like Georgia, Florida and most other states?

In other Alabama news, I was unaware that Alabama is not particularly NFA friendly and that short barreled shotguns and rifles were banned there. There is, per subguns.com, a bill to remedy that. So, if you’re in Alabama, contact your congressmonkey.

Rustmeister gets emails from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership. Seems they’re all spooked by Parker:

Last week, a Federal Appeals Court overturned Washington D.C.’s long-standing restrictions on handguns — a decision that endangers all of America’s gun laws.

This case is most likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court and we have a tidal wave of work to do before it gets there.

This battle — to its very core — is the most important battle we have ever waged. We need your help today to build a strong Brady Gun Law Defense Fund to save America’s gun laws.

This fight is so critical to the safety and sanity of our nation that an anonymous donor has extended his challenge and will match dollar for dollar all gifts to this Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Your gift will be fully tax deductible.

Gee, wonder who the donor is?

Just wow.

To Aunt B. whose play will be performed by real actors and stuff.

Capri pants: They are evil, and should be wiped off the face of the planet. Wear pants, or wear shorts. Pick a side, we’re at war!

Pics and video of H&K’s MP7A1 Personal Defense Weapon.

Opposition to Carolyn McCarthy’s new and worse ban on weapons that look like assault weapons from, and I am not making this up, dailykos bloggers. Good. See summary of the bill in question here.

WREG:

State lawmakers want to broaden civil liability protections for private citizens who hurt or kill someone in self-defense.

Multiple bills circulating in the Tennessee General Assembly are touting the ‘Castle Doctrine.’ The legislation’s language says it would “…provide immunity from civil liability for a person who uses lawful force in defense of self, others or property…” In short, a private citizen could not be sued by an attacker or the attacker’s family if the attacker is hurt or killed by the citizen’s lawful act of self-defense.

We have some cute photos of Junior in the bathtub. And she’s just adorable. These photos decorate our downstairs bathroom wall. Last night, I had The Second in the tub and was trying to get some cute photos of him to match. Trouble is that boys have dangling junk and it’s hard to take a photo where it’s not visible when they stand in the tub.

And baby boys crawling nude: not cute.

In Hendersonville:

Several teenagers were cited for firing air soft pellet guns in Hendersonville, because of the town’s tough stand on toy guns.

The teens claimed they never knew they were breaking the law when they gathered in a vacant school yard Sunday afternoon to shoot air soft guns at each other.

Several officers raced to the scene and cited the eight teenagers who had the store-bought toy guns.

Apparently, toy guns are illegal in Hendersonville. And no one knew that. Like everyone else, the kids assumed Hendersonville wasn’t run by idiots who decided to make kids’ toys illegal.

I said before that it will soon be stated as fact that the NRA was responsible for Zumbo’s loss of his job for saying something stupid even though that is not the case. What really happened is that a few message boards and blogs noticed it and left comments, sent letters, etc. and that resulted in Zumbo losing his job. The NRA, a full week after the fact, merely announced it was severing ties with the guy. But don’t let those facts get in the way when there’s hackery to be made by lying. Says Ray Schoenke:

Before today’s presidential candidates go courting the National Rifle Association for support (witness Mitt Romney’s sudden enrollment), they should be aware of the case of Jim Zumbo. One of nation’s most famous and respected hunting and outdoors journalists, Zumbo was professionally assassinated by NRA hysteria for simply uttering a single and — many hunters would say — reasonable point of view.

and

The NRA whipped up a frenzy on the blogosphere, where a rabid fringe element of the hunting community denounced Zumbo in the harshest terms, even attacking his patriotism.

Remember, the NRA had nothing to do with Zumbo’s firing.

Mr. Schoenke is either a liar; misleading intentionally to score political points; or a hack for an anti-gun group. Three guesses:

Ray Schoenke is the president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association, a former Washington Redskins football player and a lifelong hunter.

The American Hunters and Shooters Association is an anti-gun group that holds itself out as a pro-gun group.

And the media is happy to print the AstroTurf.

See past Zumbo coverage here.

Update: Apologies to Tam, who said:

they’ve been playing on astroturf so long that they don’t know grassroots even when fed a mouthful of divot.

Looks like a bill out there wants to change juvenile to person who is less than 21 years of age. And ban possession by a person who is less than 21 years of age of supposed assault weapons. Alphie has the skinny.

Cops in Ohio: We won’t enforce illegal laws. Good for them.

So, uh, what’s up with all the pro-freedom news lately?

ColtCCO is talking about gas piston systems in ARs. He even has two really cool animated images of how they work. Cool.

Looks like another radical judge went against 70 years of legal precedent to uphold that the second amendment does, in fact, guarantee a right to bear arms. In New Jersey. No, really. There really are snowflakes in Hell.

1911 time.

Dr. Helen is talking about bumper stickers:

Do you ever wonder at the bumper stickers people have on their cars and feel thankful that you have been warned about their thinking processes in advance?

Yes. I don’t do bumper stickers. Any thing I have to say would be offensive to somebody. And I don’t want to risk annoying someone to the point that they feel inclined to damage my truck. I do like Kevin’s bumper sticker.

* That’s actually a lie. In my vehicle right now is 45 rounds of Remington Golden Saber 230g 45ACP (about $20 per 50) and 25 rounds of Remington Golden Saber 102g 380 (about $13 per 50). That’s about $24.50 plus tax.

If last Sunday’s opinion column by News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, on the need for a County government Ombudsman, was not enough hypocrisy, then how about today’s unsigned Editorial in the Knoxville News Sentinel advocating the loss of Constitution Rights for Knox County employees?

The all knowing oracle of what is right and just, the News Sentinel, has now decided what rights Knox County employees should be allowed to have. In a stunning act of again carrying the County Mayor’s water the daily paper has endorsed the breathtakingly unconstitutional Maury County bill in the General Assembly that forbids Knox County employees from being allowed to hold elected office.

What are the implications? Adios to Knox County schoolteacher and County Commissioner Tony Norman. Likewise Commissioners Craig Leuthold, Sharon Cawood, Chuck Bolus, and of course Lee Tramel. If they could only hire Lumpy Lambert for a part time County job they could get rid of him too. In the U.S.S.R. purges were a common occurrence. They are rare in America.

In a demeaning unsigned Editorial, the Sentinel’s Editorial staff writes, “Commissioners have family members who work for county government, calling into question their objectivity on various measures, including finances.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale said the topic should be taken up by the nine-member Ethics Committee just appointed by the Knox County Commission. We agree.

We all deserve representatives who have the best interests of their constituents foremost in their minds, rather than thinking first about how they can help a family member or themselves. It should be about service, not one’s own interest.”

One must wonder at this time what the keen interest the News Sentinel has in redoing the Knox County Commission. Curious how the News Sentinel calls into question the objectivity of County Commissioners, isn’t it? One might question the objectivity of the daily Knoxville paper. Today’s Editorial wins this weeks Pot and Kettle Award.

Mmm, corned beef.

Seen at David’s.

Would tighter restrictions on handgun ownership increase or enhance public safety in your jurisdiction? 88.2% say no.

76.5% of those saying no say it’s because the rules would only be obeyed by the law-abiding.

Duh.

I got little to say today. So, I’ll bore you with my tales of pressure washer fun. I borrowed one of these this past weekend to do some cleaning. We moved in hurriedly because our house sold fairly quickly. The result was that our builder didn’t quite get to finish some touch-up stuff, like pressure washing the driveway and back porch. So, I said I’d do it. I decided to play with the pressure washer some too. Stuff that was cool:

Stuff that was not cool:

300 whisper. Sweet.

The cops show up to serve civil papers without a search or arrest warrant. The woman of the house attempts to close the garage door. The cops force their way in, attempt to subdue the woman who screams in pain. Out comes the husband who takes a cop’s Taser, smacks him in the head with it, and beats the crap out of the two police officers.

A judge ruled that the man had a right to defend himself from the police officers because they unlawfully entered his home.

I concur, it makes little sense:

Two wrongs don’t make a right: Washington, D.C., overreached in banning handguns; a federal appeals court overreached in striking down the ordinance.

Sorry but the ban was blatantly unconstitutional and the means of recourse was such a challenge.

The guy who famously attacked that statue of Hussein with a sledgehammer now wishes he could trade the US occupation for the old Hussein regime. The man, who did time in Abu Ghraib under Hussein, pines for the old days.

“The devil you know [is] better than the devil you don’t. We no longer know friend from foe. The situation is becoming more dangerous. It’s not getting better at all. People are poor and the prices are going higher and higher.”

Saddam, he says, “was like Stalin. But the occupation is proving to be worse”.

That’s just one guy’s point of view, but he’s not alone in wishing he could turn back the clock. The article cites a recent poll as showing that 26% of Iraqis also prefer the days of Hussein. 49% disagree and believe that life under US occupation is better than living in the old regime, which at first sounded like good news until I realized it meant that half the people in Iraq don’t think they’re better off today than they were four years ago.

Iraq is a very divided country, and the foreign occupiers have neither the trust nor the confidence of its people. Meanwhile, in America, we still don’t have a plan or any reason to think we can overcome the challenges in Iraq.