Michael Silence opines:

Is it just me, or are there a lot more John Kerry bumper stickers around GOP East Tennessee than ones for President Bush?

Background: The 2nd Congressional District (Knoxville) has not sent a Democrat to Congress since 1861.

I just returned from a meeting downtown and a Republican source of mine said in his travels with his business throughout the Southeast he’s seeing more Kerry than Bush stickers.

Being the good blogger I am, I paid attention to bumper stickers since reading that yesterday. The majority of cars had no bumper stickers. I noticed some Kerry/Edwards stickers. I noticed, I think, slightly more Bush/Cheney stickers (but you have to be on the lookout for the the almost-innocuous-looking and hard-to-spot sticker that just says W). I also noticed stickers that were of the anybody but Bush variety (Defend America – Defeat Bush). I only saw one sticker that was anti-Kerry (it said Not Fonda Kerry, get it?)

The result of my scientific study concludes that most East Tennesseans won’t vote because most cars didn’t have stickers. Or that Republicans and Democrats who have nicer cars just don’t want them cluttered with crappy looking bumper stickers.

Matt chronicles a gun control debate. Good stuff.

You town is decimated. You may or may not be able to account for all your loved ones. What do you do? You go looting, of course:

After the hurricane ended, the looting began.

Among the first targets, officials said, was the Charlotte Harbor Fire Department. Firefighters arrived early Saturday to find that their computers had been swiped in the night.

Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Robert Carpenter said his office is getting regular reports of looting from residents of the area’s many storm-wrecked neighborhoods. Carpenter said his officers are responding when able, but that they are saddled with more pressing demands, such as caring for survivors.

“No question about it,” he said. “We are behind on these types of calls.”

The fear of looting is so widespread, many residents are staying in their damaged homes to protect their valuables. Emergency shelters have far fewer people than officials had expected given the extensive damage in Charlotte County.

Abysmal.

Update: I think this is a case for semi-automatics if there ever was one.

Update 2: Ravenwood points out a guy who isn’t going to take it. Love the sign:

Looters will be killed

Some folks wonder why it is I keep wasting my time pointing out these stupid anti-gun editorials. One reason, is because I enjoy it. The fact that somebody can be so scared over something so small amazes me.

But also, when 9/14 gets here and there’s no blood in the streets and violent crime remains the same, I want a chronicle of the stupid shit these anti-gun organizations have said. Like this:

These are the same weapons our troops are trying to take off the streets of Baghdad.

What an idiot. The ban doesn’t affect AK-47s. Just rhetoric designed to scare the hell out of people.

The other biased Washington paper reports:

The federal assault-weapons ban, scheduled to expire in September, is not responsible for the nation’s steady decline in gun-related violence and its renewal likely will achieve little, according to an independent study commissioned by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

“We cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence. And, indeed, there has been no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence,” said the unreleased NIJ report, written by Christopher Koper, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

“It is thus premature to make definitive assessments of the ban’s impact on gun violence. Should it be renewed, the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement,” said the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times.

The report also noted that assault weapons were “rarely used in gun crimes even before the ban.”

NIJ is the Justice Department’s research, development and evaluation agency — assigned the job of providing objective, independent, evidence-based information to the department through independent studies and other data collection activities.

The NIJ is apparently in agreement with the Centers for Disease Control, which an AP report about it said:

A sweeping federal review of the nation’s gun control laws — including mandatory waiting periods and bans on certain weapons — found no proof such measures reduce firearm violence.

The review, released Thursday, was conducted by a task force of scientists appointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said the report suggests more study is needed, not that gun laws don’t work. But the agency said it has no plans to spend more money on firearms study.

And the Fraser Institute agrees that Gun Laws do Not Reduce Criminal Violence.

The article goes on to say:

The assault-weapons ban is set to expire Sept. 13, and at least six bills reauthorizing it are pending in the Senate and House.

Six bills pending? Geez. Got our work cut out for us.

A doctor in Kentucky, who obviously doesn’t know shit about dogs, says pit bulls shouldn’t be allowed around children because of a recent attack he had to treat:

“I just don’t understand with all the breeds available, why people with these children have to have these aggressive dogs,” said Cummings.

“I think that’s just like keeping a loaded pistol on your coffee table saying kids don’t touch it,” said Josh Wilson, Jada’s father. “Course I’m mad that my daughter’s face has stitches all over it. I’m not nearly as mad as I was yesterday.”

It’s terrible that this happened but the owners of the dog should have paid attention to who was entering their house. No dog is inherently any more aggressive than any other based entirely on its breed. It’s about socialization and proper training. Don’t look now Doc, but here’s an image of a vicious dog and a baby.

I was stuck in a traffic jam this afternoon, so I turned to the local Evil Right-Wing Talk Radio station to get the traffic report (which, in hindsight, is kind of like turning on the Weather Channel after a tornado has wrecked your double-wide, but that’s another story altogether). Unfortunately, my local ERWTR station has Sean Hannity on during my evening commute.

Now, on a normal day, I don’t much care for Hannity. For one thing, his voice is Yankeely annoying. And from what I’ve managed to glean from listening to him, it strikes me as if he were trying to do Rush Limbaugh’s schtick, without Rush Limbaugh’s talent* (maybe Hannity ought to ask God for a loan…).

But I digress. During the little bit I caught, he was talking about how John Kerry was into windsurfing and how this somehow reinforces the image that he’s not In Touch With The Common Man. Hannity started mimicking Kerry asking his butler to make him a PBJ sandwich or something. Now, in my younger, less-busy bachelor days, I was an avid board-sailor. I guess that means I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, too?

Now, I’ll admit that board-sailing (which is the correct generic term for the activity; as Xerox is to photocopying, so Windsurfer is to board-sailing) is not the most popular of recreations. However, it is definitely not something restricted to the elite. Sure, it costs a couple grand to own your own equipment, but how does that compare with a good set of golf clubs, or, heck, a motorcycle? A low-end Harley will set you back quite a bit more than top-notch board-sailing gear, and I don’t see anybody suggesting that Harley fans are some kind of Elite East-Coast Establishment types.

Nosir, from my experience, board-sailors are just like everybody else. Except we have more fun!
Read the rest of this entry »

The AP reports that the FBI is tracking potential GOP protesters.

The Tennessean has a crappy editorial on the assault weapons ban:

No one needs an Uzi

Assault weapons exist for one purpose: To kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

They are inappropriate for hunting, for self-defense and for target practice. Nevertheless, Congress cannot muster the collective guts to extend a ban on the world’s deadliest weapons. And that’s pitiful.

What’s need got to do with it? The people at the matches at Camp Perry and The Texas State Rifle Association will disagree about target practice and civilian need. And the Korean shop owners who used their rifles to defend their livelihoods during the LA riots would disagree about self defense. Additionally, Uzis would be classified as machine guns and covered under the 1934 National Firearms Act. Semiautomatic Uzis (i.e., not machine guns) have been banned from import since 1989 by Executive Order.

The assault weapons ban which passed in 1994 prohibited 19 classes of semiautomatic weapons from being manufactured or sold in the United States except for police or military use. That ban is due to expire Sept. 13 unless Congress passes an extension.

No, it doesn’t. It limits certain aesthetic, non-lethal features that semiautomatics can have to one of the following: pistol grip, folding stock, bayonet lug, grenade launcher, flash suppressor, and threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor. The only difference between the banned weapons and your daddy’s semi-automatic hunting rifle is the exclusion of those non-deadly features.

Here’s what the law does not do. It doesn’t require the confiscation of any gun: Automatic weapons in existence in the United States prior to 1994 were grandfathered in to the law, and can be kept, sold or given to anyone who is legally authorized to own a weapon. The law also specifically protected 670 types of hunting rifles and shotguns.

So, I should be thankful that no one is knocking on my door to get my guns? The law doesn’t specifically protect 670 types of weapons. It lists 670 guns supposedly not affected by the ban. However, those guns must meet the same criteria as the supposedly banned 19 rifles (i.e., only one of the aesthetic features above).

Additionally, the ban has nothing to do with automatic weapons. Period. Never has. Implying that the ban somehow affects machine guns is misleading at best and outright lying at worst.

Yet the law is still valuable because it has prevented new weapons in these classes from being made and sold — thus protecting this nation’s streets from being flooded with the weapons of choice of terrorists.

Playing the terror card wreaks of desperation. Additionally, there has been no evidence that the ban has had any effect on crime nor any evidence that it has increased terror attacks in the US. The hateful rhetoric is quite desperate.

And here’s the kicker:

The absurdity is that in an era when American citizens can’t carry pocketknives onto airplanes, and are required to walk through metal detectors to enter many buildings, the U.S. government is about to remove the safety on one of the nation’s few significant gun laws.

I’m not real happy about the pocketknife thing either. And if you are, you are a fool.

The Tennessean does offer this counterpoint article by Chris Cox.

Contact info for The Tennessean can be found here.

Jeff has the Olympic shooting sports edition this week. Cool.

George Schwab writes:

I would like to clarify a couple of things.

First, your “Choosing sides — Will lawmakers stand with NRA against assault-weapons ban?” editorial last month referred to the “deep-pocketed National Rifle Association” as if it were some type of monster that hides under the bed and will come out to eat you up if angered. The NRA is nothing more than a group of American citizens who pay their dues to belong. It is really no different than the AARP, the AAA or the NEA. All are organizations that exist to make sure the voice of their members — seniors, drivers and educators — get heard by the government.

Second, there is no data that I could find to suggest that the assault-weapons ban has had any effect on crime overall. While the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms says that the incidents of these weapons used has gone down clearly, the crimes themselves have not. The U.S. Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control and the FBI Web sites contain data that says, in essence, that the ban has had no discernible effect on crime or gun-related deaths.

Third, and most important, is the fact that the elected officials you mention are clearly doing what their constituents have told them to do. They are not supporting the renewal of the ban because we, the people, have contacted them and asked them not to. If I’m reading your editorial correctly, it would seem that you would have them ignore the will of the people.

We live in a democracy; the people have the right to elect representatives and a duty to inform those elected as to our wishes. It is their duty to create legislation that conforms to these wishes.

People forget often that the NRA is the nations oldest civil liberties watchdog (gun rights are civil liberties, whether you like it or not). The NRA didn’t get into lobbying until the late 1930s as a result of the 1934 NFA. They are viewed as evil because they have lots of members and lots of money. I’ve never been a member of the NRA because of the few times they sold gun owners down the river to protect manufacturers (1968, 1986 and 1994). No gun control law has passed in this country since 1934 without their support (passive or active). Yet, they’re labeled extremists in the media.

Turns out the increasingly popular SOG Seal Revolver knife (seen here) was invented by a local Blount County man.

Heck, they practically give them away.

The KNS reports the number one major at the University of Tennessee is Psychology:

It is the undisputed heavyweight champion of majors at the University of Tennessee.

The number of psychology majors is so overwhelming that last year you could add the numbers of students majoring in logistics and journalism (the second and third most popular UT majors), and the sum still wouldn’t equal psychology.

The numbers don’t surprise UT Professor James E. Lawler, head of UT’s psychology department.

“It’s the No. 1 major at state universities across the country,” Lawler said last week. “It’s been this way for quite a few years.”

But while psychology is the single dominant major at UT, the College of Business Administration dominates the top 10 majors.

They speculate as to why psychology is popular. I’ll tell you why. It may as well be called a major in drinking beer and partying. It’s an easy major. It doesn’t take much time or effort compared to other majors. This allows you to spend your time doing more important things like drinking, hanging out, and showing up at a few peace rallies. You know, important stuff.

In LA, officials are taking land from a sporting goods store to build proposed 15.5-acre retail and residential project. Again, the powers that be are taking private land from private individuals under the threat of force or lawsuit to provide benefit to other private individuals. That does not pass the public good test.

Meanwhile, in Normal, Illinois, the powers that be are taking private property to build a hotel and convention center. Again, not passing the public good test.

And the powers that be elsewhere are taking one man’s parking lot to make renovations to a hotel.

The Toledo Blade:

A Toledo man found guilty last month of violating Toledo’s vicious-dog ordinance has appealed his case, as expected, and a national organization fighting against breed-specific legislation is picking up most of the tab.
“It’s a stepping-stone to where this needs to be,” Paul Tellings, Sr., said of his case.

Mr. Tellings appealed a Toledo Municipal Court decision in which Judge Francis X. Gorman ruled that Mr. Tellings had violated the city’s vicious-dog ordinance because he owned more than one pit bull and had no insurance for his dogs.

Pit bulls are the only breed presumed vicious under state law and Toledo Municipal Code. Owners in Toledo are subject to certain restrictions and must carry extra liability insurance.

Mr. Tellings argued that the law is unfair.

Judge Gorman upheld the law, but he said individual owners could ask the court to determine if their pit bull is not vicious, thereby relieving them of the extra responsibilities of owning a vicious dog.

He could have paid the fine but chose to fight the law. He has filed an appeal. The American Canine Foundation is picking up the bill and they have fought other BSL laws.

This time, at Newsday:

If you think streets awash in Uzis, AK-47s and other military-style firearms are just what the country needs, then you’ll love the game that President George W. Bush and House Republican leaders are playing. They’re about to let the 1994 assault-weapons ban slip into the dustbin of history without so much as a vote in the House.

The law that prohibits the manufacture or distribution of 19 kinds of semiautomatic weapons will sunset on Sept. 13. It should be extended.

The ban doesn’t affect Uzis, AK-47s and other military-style firearms. Those weapons are machine guns, which are covered under the 1934 National Firearms Act. The ban also doesn’t prohibits the manufacture or distribution of 19 kinds of semiautomatic weapons. It limits the number of features that any semiautomatic weapon can have to one.

However, this article is right about one thing, Bush is playing politics.

Kathy K. has apparently weathered the hurricane and MommaBear reports she’s OK.

No, not the Catholic kind. Spacewar reports the US will be pulling 100,000 troops out of Europe and Asia. Good. About time they paid for their own defense.

Gunner addresses the pending expiration of the assault weapons ban.

I tend to share his assessment that:

So the Republicans in Washington are trying to look good, and the Democrats cannot pass a rifle range without a photo-op occurring. What does that say to me? They are buying our love until they can get the votes. Then it’s 20 dollars on the hotel nightstand with “don’t call me, I’ll call you” written on it.

I think the ban will sunset. I think it will come back after the elections and it may even be more stringent. As such, I plan on buying a lot of stuff in the interim.

Matt at Triggerfinger is more optimistic.

At three days, I see the first mainstream media outlet cover the Kerry in Cambodia flop. However, it’s an opinion piece. And it’s assuming the AJC is mainstream media:

Kerry claimed in a March 27, 1986, speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate that he vividly remembered Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. “I remember what it was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have the president of the United States telling the American people that I was not there; the troops were not in Cambodia. I have that memory which is seared — seared — in me.”

It was a story he had told earlier, as well, blaming President Nixon for lying to the country. Kerry’s swift-boat superiors deny that he was ever in Cambodia — the border region was not in his division’s area of operation — and, according to another book about Kerry, “Tour of Duty,” he spent Christmas 1968 in Sa Dec, more than 50 miles from the border. And, of course, on Christmas of 1968, Lyndon Johnson was still president.

Or good rather, just bad for the journalists:

Earlier today two Middle Eastern men attempted to penetrate our security. They telephoned one of my helicopter FBOs and asked about a charter flight. After discussion of price and directions to the business, they arrived an hour later. When the office agent asked how they were going to pay for the flight they produced cash. When asked for ID, they produced driver’s licenses from two different states and they were driving a car licensed in a third state.

Things didn’t smell right so the mechanic took them into the hangar to see the aircraft while the office person called the FBI and local police. The helicopter they were going to fly was blocked in by other aircraft so the mechanic was able to stall them by having to slowly shuffle the blocking planes. Meanwhile the two men got their backpacks and odd-shaped luggage out of their car. Soon the local police arrived and they were hauled off to jail in handcuffs.

After a little time behind bars, the FBI verified that the two men were employed by NBC New York and were on assignment to get a story of how easy it is to charter a helicopter for a terrorist attack. The men had stayed in a local hotel and purchased box cutters, leather-man knives, and other potential weapons at the local Wal-Mart using a credit card. The box cutters had been hidden in the lining at the bottom of the back packs and the other weapons were hidden throughout their baggage. They had audiotaped the telephone conversation with Arlene and were going to use it as part of a national news story about how easy it is to get information and directions to the location of the helicopter and then hijack it to commit a terrorist attack.

So, in an attempt to create a sensationalistic story (instead of like, you know, reporting) a couple of morons decide to charter an aircraft while fitting the near perfect description of a terrorist. They got busted. And jailed.

As the site says, the story won’t be seen much since they were caught. No sensationalism = no story.

Via Fark, whose Farklanche shut down the original story.

The Geek has an email from Bill Frist that states further federal regulation of gun ownership is not the best answer to preventing violent crime, and I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

Excellent. Given that Frist did not allow the ban up for vote before the recess, things are looking up. I applaud Frist.

Matt has some info on Seegars v. Ashcroft, which is one of the cases challenging the D.C. gun ban. I actually thought the case was done for.

You wouldn’t know it by all the cries of cuts, but Bill has the latest on Tennessee’s $380 million dollar surplus.

If you ever take up carjacking, make sure you know how to drive the car you’re taking.

Still checking to see if a major American news source is going to cover the Kerry/Cambodia flop . . . . hang on, I’m looking . . .. Nope.

It’s possible I missed it so if you have a link, let me know.

Update: Countertop has more in comments.

For updates of asses at the Olympics pictures, see comments

Reuters apparently needs to hire a female photographer because the guy there doing it is apparently taking pictures of random butts. For example, these two:

Brazil’s swimmer Mariana Brochado stands near the pool before a training session in the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Athens

Russian water polo player Maria Yaina prepers her team training in Athens Olympic Aquatic centre on August 13, 2004

Apparently, it’s asses from the Olympics week. Notice, the spelling isn’t too good either.

Apparently, lots of men are liars.

The funny thing is how they did the study:

Company representatives went to Cancun, Mexico, at the heart of spring break, hoping to get 1,000 guys to drop their trousers, get aroused, and let a team of nurses measure them individually.

Spoons reports that the author of the article has a follow up, which includes an interview with another passenger.

I bet Bubba wants to bid on this one:

The Walther PPK, engraved with the star’s motto “TCB” (“Taking Care of Business”) was to have been one of the stars lot in the rock’n’roll memorabilia sale on European cable channel Auction-world TV.

But advertising guns in England is illegal so no one gets to see it.