I’ve been in the market for a 22 caliber sound suppressor for a while now. I’ve been checking out a few brands:

Advanced Armament
Gem-Tech
Reflex

I decided that they were too expensive. In addition to those prices, you also have to pay a $200 transfer tax. Then I had a thought: Being the cheapskate that I am and my tendency to build things, I’ll build one. Then I’m just out money for parts and the $200 tax.

Long story short, I did some quick web searches for suppressor designs and the searches always linked to thousands of things that were either links to books you could buy from shady people, or militia whackos. The searches were pointless. I don’t want to buy a book and I don’t want to support some separatist weirdos.

What was the solution to finding suppressor designs? Well, (dramatic pause for irony) the solution was none other than the US Patent Office. I particularly like this one, complete with pictures (click the Images button).

Anyone out there a machinist?

The NRA has responded and is denying rumors that it cut a deal to get the immunity bill by not opposing the gun show law and the Assault Weapons Ban.

KABA states it’s the first time the NRA has issued a response to their criticism. Also, the Geek’s unverified facts indicate that people were burning up the phone lines.

Publicola explains (and I agree) why the rumor may have been a good thing.

Cool. I am the number one google for maryland assault weapons ban. Beating out Join Together, The Brady Campaign, and Cease Fire Maryland. Go me.

I got a calendar that lists dumb things people have said. Today’s is a beauty:

My colleagues and I are upset by this blatant attempt to replace diversity with fairness.

NJ State Assemblymen Joseph Doria - D on a bill repealing racial and gender preferences. Little Freudian slip.

The geek reports the anti gunners are getting more desperate:

In a move that indicates an acknowledgment that this bill has no chance at all of seeing the light of day, McCarthy and several other representatives introduced H.R.3831 several days ago.

Shockingly, this bill only appears to renew (for another 10 years) the “assault weapon” portion of the ban, and allows the “high capacity” magazine restrictions to sunset in September of this year as provided for in the original law. Clearly, these anti-gun politicians are hoping that, with the removal of the magazine ban, opposition to the AWB will wane as fewer gun owners feel they will be directly affected by the ban.

Desperate, indeed.

Jed emails a link to this:

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence this morning delivered a complaint to the Senate Ethics Committee, arguing that Senator Larry Craig has “impermissibly acted in his capacity as a Senator to further the interests, including the financial interests, of an organization for which he serves as a member of the Board of Directors.”

Senator Craig (R-ID) is the Sponsor and Senate Floor Manager of the bill before the Senate that would provide broad immunity from civil litigation to gun manufacturers, gun dealers and trade associations in the gun industry. As a trade association under the definition of the bill, the National Rifle Association (NRA) would benefit from the legislation. Senator Craig serves on the Board of Directors of the NRA. “Because of this conflict of interest, Senator Craig should immediately recuse himself from any further action on this bill, including any votes,” said Michael Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March.

The complaint states “nothing could present a more obvious and glaring conflict than that presented here, where an agent or representative of the NRA (Senator Craig) is attempting to carve out unique and unprecedented immunity from the civil justice system for the NRA, some of its members, and the rest of the gun industry. What makes the conflict here particularly extraordinary is that Senator Craig is using his legislative position to carve out a narrow, special exemption to the law that only applies to his organization and its gun industry members and allies, in order to further their financial interests.” It is signed by Barnes.

Nevermind that Craig has used, ya know, facts and stuff to support his contentions. It really is a sign of desperation, in my opinion. 36 or so states with concealed weapons permits, gun control is unpopular, the house won’t renew the ban. They’re on the losing side, they know it, and they’re desperate for something.

The guy considered the swing vote says he won’t vote for it. Cool.

Tom says find the NPR bias. I’m pressed for time but figure I’d do something. Well, a quick google and:

NPR admits it.

A FAIR alert.

NPR’s coverage of the Israeli conflict.

Update: Rich found some bias there today.

The continuing war against the self-employed:

Via Mises, a teen who started his own successful business of rat proofing roofs has been shut down by the state.

Reuters:

South Korea’s third-largest credit card issuer fired a quarter of its workforce via mobile phone text messages on Friday, after negotiations with striking unionized workers broke down.

When I was finishing up graduate work, I was looking for a job. I interviewed with SAP. The interview went well and the interviewer told me to expect a call some time soon. Long story short: SAP started not doing well.

Then SAP did one of the dumbest things in the history of dumb things. They sent out a mass email to 60+ potential employment candidates that had a Power Point attachment. I get the email and am excited. I think that it’s an itinerary, some HR paperwork, or a schedule of some kind. I open the Power Point file and it’s one page instructing all 60+ of us that SAP was going through lay offs and wouldn’t be hiring any of us.

SAP should have called each of us individually. At the least, they should have sent individual emails without the Power Point files telling us that. The group was pretty mad about it and a volley of emails went back and forth telling them how unprofessional they were. Some SAP shill intimated that it was the most efficient way and SAP was an efficient company. Lame. No excuse for treating people like that.

I hoped some HR peon got fired over that. I didn’t want to move to Atlanta any way.

On a lighter note, in 1997 a girl I was dating dumped me via email. That was pretty bad but I don’t hold a mildly neurotic woman to the same standards as I would a company like SAP.

I told you Jeff’s banner looked like boobs.

A must read.

I gave the recipe for Mustgo a bit back. Tommy has some advice on what to avoid.

I guess it is odd to list a recipe that tells people to use their own judgment.

I have confirmed my editorial is in The Prince George’s Sentinel. It’s not on their online version. Any Maryland residents out there who want to send me a copy?

Here’s a discussion of the armor piercing bullet amendment.

The Senate passes the amendment to the bill for safety locks.

The special privilege law exempts cops and retired cops from local CCW restrictions.

The DC chief of police is telling Hatch to withdraw the amendment that repeals the DC gun ban. Chief, how’s that ban working out for you? DC still have that low crime rate? No. Oh, wonder why.

DiFi and company are accusing Bush of political trickery. Bush said he’d sign the ban and they’re upset that he’s not really twisting arms to push this political placebo through.

The Democrat amendments could kill the bill. Well, yeah. I think that’s the point. At this point, I hope it’s killed too. I’ve always been kind of lukewarm over the immunity bill. I like it because it’s a slap in the face to the anti-gun folks but if it didn’t pass it wouldn’t break my heart.

Another liar intimates the AWB affects machine guns. Give it a rest guys.

Spoons opines on the coincidience of the Columbine report being released and the senate debating the gun bill.

Publicola has more. As does the geek.

The NRA has rather strongly denied rumors of some back room deal on the gun bill as has been speculated. Still, I think the rumors (if founded or not) were good because it got a lot of people to call their senators and it got people to call the NRA and tell them no dice.

First, I thought this was hysterical. But this is just brutal.

Meanwhile, Day by Day is (as the saying goes) like Doonesbury but funny.

Tom is looking for examples of liberal bias at NPR. I would research it but me and the Mrs. are busy packing knickknacks while watching CSPAN’s coverage of the gun bill.

Go show him some. I should point out that it is hard to do a post on because NPR’s site posts everything in audio and not transcripts. No, I don’t think it’s a conspiracy to avoid being fisked but it is odd.

If I understand this right, Mikulski wants an amendment that would exempt any case involving Malvo/Mohammad from protection that would be provided by the protection bill. Ludicrous.

While senators accuse judges of legislating from the bench, she’s advocating judging from the floor of the senate. Dumb.

They’re voting on the armor piercing bullets amendment, which is lame. It increases penalties for using armor piercing bullets in crime. Unfortunately, it looks as though they have defined armor piercing bullets to be any centerfire rifle cartridge. Of course, they need that definition as cop killers don’t really exist.

Looks like they’re back on topic. Craig is discussing how none of these laws would have stopped the DC snipers.

CCW in Missouri. Go team.

Michael is blogging it too.

Go read him and the Geek. I’m getting tired of watching and they’re discussing some unemployment stuff.

Kennedy babbled on about cop killer bullets, which coincidentally have killed exactly zero cops because they don’t exist. Mumbling about Al Qaeda buying these non-existent rounds at gun shows.

Kennedy opposes the law enforcement carry bill (I guess because he doesn’t want off duty southern police roaming through Mass).

Other stuff about handgun .50 cals taking out helicopters.

Looks like they’re voting to add a child safety lock amendment which requires child locks on all guns and that they meet some sort of standard set by some arbitrary official.

This idea is lame. Sure, they may come with locks but if people don’t put them on they don’t function. Plus, someone said 90% of current guns come with them any way.

Update: I’m hearing an awful lot of Ayes.

More: Frist said Aye.

Still more: Amendment passed, will be attached. Reed says to reconsider. The special privilege law enforcement bill (allows current and retired police to carry nationwide) is up next.

Unimportant update: Dodd is lying through his teeth. Now he says he represents more gun manufacturers than any other senator (he is in CT) but he calls the immunity bill unforgivable.

Unimportant update again: Dewine wants to name the CCW bill after somebody. Because that is apparently important. Don’t these morons have better things to do with their time and my money?

Supposedly, my editorial will appear in today’s Prince George Sentinel. If any readers are in MD, can someone send me a copy. The online version isn’t up.

The geek:

Hon, they where flat out lying. Bold faced lying. As in pissing off God, making baby Jesus cry, goin’ to hell lying.

Looks like yesterday’s amendments are up:

EXTENSION OF THE TEMPORARY EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION ACT OF 2002.

No comment

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SAFETY ACT

Exempts law enforcement from CCW requirements. Special privilege nonsense.

That’s only two. Supposedly, there were four then a slew was added last night.

The AP:

Legislation that protects gun manufacturers and distributors against lawsuits involving gun crimes passed its first Senate test Wednesday.

Democrats said the cost to Republicans would be public votes on extending the assault weapons ban and requiring comprehensive background checks at gun shows.

The bill providing for immunity from lawsuits won the support of 75 senators in a test vote, and opponents acknowledged the measure has the backing to pass. Still, several Democrats and Republicans plan to force votes on less popular gun measures.

“We all know this underlying bill has legs. That’s why we want to get some amendments on there,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

Democrats want to add a plan that deals with gun shows, where unlicensed sellers do not have to check buyers’ backgrounds. They also want to extend for 10 more years the ban on assault weapons, which will expire in September.

“If we can’t amend this bill to add the assault weapons ban, we’re not going to have another vehicle this year,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

But the bill’s Republican supporters insist that any attempt to make changes would simply amount to an attempt to kill the bill. For example, the GOP-controlled House already has said it does not plan to approve an extension of the assault weapons ban.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, a sponsor of the bill, said the amendments were an “attempt to divert legislation and delay final consideration.”

The White House, which has indicated support for the assault weapons ban and the gun show measure, called on the Senate to pass the legislation without amendments.

“Any amendment that would delay enactment of the bill beyond this year is unacceptable,” according to a White House statement released late Tuesday.

Democrats took that statement as an indication that President Bush was backing off his support for those two separate measures. “For the president to say he’s for the assault weapons ban and act against it, that is a flip-flop if I’ve ever seen one,” Schumer said.

John Lott warns the immunity bill could be shot down. If there are AWB and the other amendments attached, it needs to be shot down.

John Warner (RINO-VA) has completely reversed his position from ten years ago. Guess he doesn’t like his day job because I doubt he’ll have it much longer.

Speaking of, it is odd that Daschle co-sponsored the immunity bill and has been satisfied with Bush’s Iraq efforts. I think Alphie is right, Daschle must be in election trouble at home. Liberals in conservative states usually are.

And in case you don’t know it, Lautenberg is a liar. It was funny to watch his Freudian slip in which he referred to liberal, uhm frivolous lawsuits. I’m not being smarmy, he really said it like that.

Well, this is pretty bad (it’s New Zealand):

Christchurch’s menacing dog breeds to be neutered

Christchurch owners of American Pit Bull Terriers and Dogo Argentino dogs will be visited in the next few weeks to be informed that their dogs are now classified as menacing and need to be neutered.

Christchurch City Council Animal Control Team leader, Mark Vincent said, members of his team will visit the dog owners to discuss the new classification recently introduced by central government and the Council requirement that they be neutered. The breeds and types of dogs that the Council is now required by law to classify as menacing are Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Brazilian Fila and American Pit Bull Terrier.

“There are currently three dogs registered as Dogo Argentino and 265 registered as American Pit Bull Terriers and American Pit Bull Terrier Crosses in Christchurch,” Mr Vincent said

So, they are done for the night. After several hours of nothing, they took a break for several hours. They come back and some guy droned on about considering amendments. Some words thrown out:

DC gun ban amendment

Sniper amendment

Assault weapons amendment

Concealed carry amendment

Gun show amendment

Cop killer bullets

Kennedy amendment

They will resume debate tomorrow and try to vote on Tuesday (hoping maybe Edwards and Kerry show up?).

The saying is true (paraphrased): Law is like sausages. If you like either, you should never watch them being made.

Update: Publicola has more. It appears some sort of deal has been made and it’s not looking good. Call your senators. This would seem, on the surface, to support some of the allegations that the NRA is willing to sell gun owners out for this immunity bill. It does fit their MO to cater to industry first and gun owners second.

Peggy is rightly upset about Bush’s stance on gay marriage. In fact, one of my favorite quotes from her site:

George Bush, I will not be your post-modern nigger.

Good for Peggy. Oddly, Kerry gets a pass from Peggy. On her main page, I counted three instances of the word Kerry (nothing dealt with him having the same position on homosexual marriage as Bush: marriage is between man and woman) and sixteen instances of Bush.

Odd how Kerry seems forgiven by gay groups in general.

Some people are still unconvinced that the NRA hasn’t sold out gun owners. I remain skeptical. I hope Clayton Cramer is right but, as I’ve been told, the NRA could have stopped the first Assault Weapons ban but didn’t.

Oh and for the record, I’m not too scared about the Senate as I’m fairly sure the AWB won’t pass the House.

Larry Craig R-Idaho for referring to the Assault Weapons Ban as a political placebo. He then compared gun shows to car shows. Sweet.

And he said: What happens when we no longer produce high-quality firearms in this country for our military and our police? Do we rely on China?

The SayUncle kick in the nuts goes to the opposition for using the following rhetorical references:

Good for the economy because emergency room jobs would increase.

Saturday Night Specials.

Racists use these guns

Carnage in the streets

Cop killer

And the whole host of other anti-gun rhetoric.

Update: Hatch threatens to add a repeal of DC’s gun ban to the bill. Nice.

Another Update: At this point, it looks like they may vote and there is talk about adding four amendments. No one knows what those are but I hope one is Hatch’s DC bill.

More: They pointed out neither Edwards nor Kerry was present. Shocking.

This would say:

Kucinich, Sharpton to stay in race to end. Nobody expected to really care.

Over at the High Road thread on the gun immunity bill (which the bill isn’t but I call it that to save typing, for future reference):

Don’t forget, when unloading a firearm, especially a Saturday night special, be sure to point it at the kid you are babysitting.

I just noticed that Jeff’s banner graphic across the top of his page looks like boobs. And I thought he was gay.

The AP:

A Republican-led bill to shield gun manufacturers and distributors from lawsuits arising from gun crimes passed its first Senate test Wednesday, but Democrats plan to complicate its future by forcing votes on extending an assault weapons ban and requiring background checks on purchasers at gun shows.

The Senate, with a 75-22 test vote, showed that there is enough support from both parties to get gunmaker immunity legislation through, but Democrats plan to try and add their gun legislation to the package before it heads to the House.

Democrats want “provisions that will close the gun show loophole, that would reauthorize the ban on assault weapons,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. “We should require effective safety locks on handguns. We should improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check system.”

Those measures are less popular with the Senate’s GOP majority and could cause problems for the bill if included. The GOP-controlled House already has said it does not plan to approve an extension of the assault weapons ban.

“Some of our colleagues already announced they intend to play politics with this bill,” said Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, one of the legislation’s main sponsors.

The White House — which supports the gunmaker immunity bill, extending the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole — nonetheless called on the Senate to pass the legislation without amendments.

“The administration urges the Senate to pass a clean bill, in order to ensure enactment of the legislation this year,” the White House said in a statement. “Any amendment that would delay enactment of the bill beyond this year is unacceptable.”

Republicans, along with some Senate Democrats, have been pushing for the gun immunity legislation for some time. Gun advocates say firearm makers shouldn’t be forced to spend millions of dollars fighting off lawsuits designed to win large rewards and bankrupt them for making legal products.

Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota agreed to back the legislation after gun supporters accepted a specification that firearms manufacturers and distributors would not be immune to lawsuits involving defective products or illegal sales.

But getting the 1994 assault weapons prohibition renewed also is Democratic priority this year. They picked up support Tuesday from GOP Sens. John Warner of Virginia, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.

Not out of the woods yet but it’s close.

The senate just called for cloture on the bill limiting frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers. The High Road is providing up to the minute coverage, if you’re interested. CSPAN’s site sucks. The video won’t play.

Update: Looks like cloture is the order of the day. Depending on your reading of the cloture rule, no amendments can be added or they can but have to do so quickly with the blessing of Frist. I don’t trust Frist so I hope the former is true.

Boortz is quoting Spoons.

“Orrin Hatch is less likely to bark at a Democrat than to wet himself at the sight of one.”