JOHN TIERNEY writes about Republicans rolling back the mild socialism founded under FDR:

To some Republicans, the start of this presidential term is their moment, their chance to become the permanent majority party with a new vision that goes by various names: the ownership society, the Conservative New Deal, the New New Deal.

But can they really significantly trim seven decades of ever-growing programs? Can the New Deal government be rolled back?

A good read. I’d like to see many government programs scaled back. The beast is almost too big to feed.

The prominent gun site AR15.com has been host to great info regarding guns in general. I’m a member, have used their info, and have bought stuff there.

This thread really reinforces this notion that gun owners are racists and homophobes. Note the references to being anti-gay is OK because gays are typically anti-gun. They imply the same thing regarding American Jews. Pretty abysmal stuff.

They don’t realize or don’t care that the number of gun owners in this country seems to decrease (though there was a post 9/11 spike in gun sales) and we are the minority. By a alienating any particular group, they do a disservice to gun rights. There are a few gay gun nuts who are better to have as allies than enemies.

There’s a lot more on this subject here, here and here. And a lot more here. Also, some folks chided the AR15ers in the thread.

As Deb said in an email: I guess they haven’t noticed that gays are perhaps the best organized
minority in America today. You’re not doing gun owners any favors with this stuff, guys.

Cube has a round up of some gun videos. Make sure you watch the one entitled Negligence. Hopefully, that person is now unemployed.

Reader Jay sends this story detailing a death involving a pit bull. The dangerous breed in this case may surprise you.

Chad of Ohio CCW:

For the gun grabber, crime isn’t a problem—it’s an excuse. And gun control isn’t a debate—it’s a state of mind.

Independence Bowl turns down strip club sponsorship.

Deja Vu, the notorious chain of strip clubs, grabbed some headlines this week when it made a very public offer of $1 million to become the Independence Bowl’s title sponsor next season.

I-Bowl officials are very reluctant, mainly because the $1 million would be paid in $1 bills.

Heh. Those of you who have driven through Nashville, TN, are probably familiar with the Deja Vu chain of strip clubs (you know, they have that big billboard with the legs right there on I-40).

Spoons refutes The Geek. I think the compromise is to just aim between the nipples.

Got the latest Consumer Reports. In this issue, they test condoms. The two lowest ranked condoms for reliability were the freebies given by Planned Parenthood. Egad.

I consider myself fairly fluent in the language spoken by gun geeks but the occasional term throws even me off. I did find it odd that my Google to find the definition of a particular TLA resulted in a site for a video game.

Update: Man, that TLA thing is annoying, ain’t it?

This year, Microsoft Windows turns 20 years old.

Proof the MSM doesn’t get blogging: Read this article featuring Jerome Armstrong and Markos “Screw ’em” Zuniga. Now, think for a minute about what is missing.

No links to their sites appear in the article.

Of course, it is also the rather tiring code of ethics bit. The media seem to be trying (for good or bad, mostly bad) to equate blogging with media, which apparently does have some sort of code and maybe a handshake. It’s not an apt comparison to hold a blogger to the same standard as, say, the AP now is it? After all, I have my own biases and so do others. It’s just that in the case of bloggers, the particular bias is known instead of subtle bias hidden behind what appears to be objectivity.

We’re not journalists, guys. And I find it disingenuous to try to hold us to those same standards, particularly when you can’t even hold your own to them. Get over it.

Update: Michael Silence notes the lack of links too. Great minds, and all that.

Update 2: My proposed rule for this blogger code would be link to stuff.

The Geek has a post about shooting with the one stop drop in mind. A must read with pictures.

Clayton Cramer on Lott v. the NAS non-report.

Michael has the first one of these we’ve done in a while. Click to see what Tennessee is thinking.

Find the pit bull. I did first time but I know more about them than most people.

A reporter gets a concealed carry license and writes about it. Ought to get the gun too.

Gunner has a couple of interesting reads for you:

It’s hard to obey the rules if you don’t know them.

And are we all criminals? We can’t help it.

Half-Bakered is back, blogging up a storm.

Bubba is interviewed in our local not so alt weekly.

Like you and me, only better:

Filmmaker Michael Moore’s bodyguard was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon in New York’s JFK airport Wednesday night.

Police took Patrick Burke, who says Moore employs him, into custody after he declared he was carrying a firearm at a ticket counter. Burke is licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and California, but not in New York. Burke was taken to Queens central booking and could potentially be charged with a felony for the incident.

Wasn’t Bowling for Columbine about America’s gun culture leading to the death of, well, everybody?

Update: The Geek details that NY laws are a bit silly.

And Confederate Yankee lists other gun hypocrites.

Update 2: Joe Gandelman says this does not make Moore a hypocrite noting that: his bodyguard’s arrest has nothing to do with what he has advocated. I disagree. Mr. Moore has advocated banning handguns for private citizens. Mr. Moore’s bodyguard is likely a private citizen engaged in the protection business. He has a carry permit valid in certain states (just like I do). He is likely not a duly sworn peace officer. A ban on handguns would disarm this guy.

Update 2: Apparently, the guy is not Moore’s bodyguard. More ammo for Moore against Fox, eh?

Update 3: The guy has in fact been Moore’s bodyguard in the past so it doesn’t excuse the hypocrisy.

Weekly gun links. Looks like the AK edition. Bummer on the Saiga, though.

Almost related is John links to the developmental history of assault rifle ammunition:

There are basically two approaches to designing a suitable intermediate cartridge with the appropriate compromise between long range and light recoil. One is to retain the same 7.6-7.9mm calibre as the full-power round, but with a shorter cartridge case firing a lighter bullet at a lower muzzle velocity (let’s call these “full calibre assault rifle,” or FCAR, rounds). The other is to reduce the calibre while retaining the same, or a higher, velocity (reduced calibre, or RCAR rounds). Please click here for a photo gallery of all the rounds discussed in this article.

Or as I like to call them big and slow vs. light and fast.

First, Lobbygow reminds us that the Bush administration is considering filing a friend of the court briefing in Kelo v. New London.

Next up, my old friend Tearsa Smith has an article on how property is acquired through eminent domain. She left out the phrase usually unconstitutionally.

I am a bit annoyed that Wally, the owner of the property the county is looking to take, has apparently taken down most of the information on both his pages. He goes through the trouble of alerting local blogs, gets my panties in a bunch, then takes it down. What gives, Wally?

Update: Michael Silence notes: Board of Education chairman said Wednesday that he is going to return to the school system’s traditional method of negotiating for land.

Returning to the traditional method of actually negotiating in the first place?

Update 2: Info removed for now.

Update 3: For reader Steve K., Wally emails:

It’ll be back. It had nothing to do with anyone being upset about it. There were some inaccuracies that we were trying to get corrected.

Please let everyone know. I am not upset with the people on the School Board or in the School System. I believe that this is the “Wrong price, therefore, the wrong location” for a school.

Only this time, it seems like they got real machine guns thanks to a DOD program:

The 1033 program is designed to transfer excess DoD property to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with special emphasis given to counter-drug and counter-terrorism activities.

A Maryland Senator, who thankfully failed to pass a state ban on rifles that look like assault rifles, has now proposed a law increasing the prison time of a person convicted of using rifles that look like assault rifles in a crime:

Surrounded by officials from throughout the state, Garagiola announced the “Assault Weapons Criminal Penalty Enhancement Act” at a news conference.

The bill would add up to 20 years to a sentence for the crime in which the weapon was used. It has wide support, with more than 18 senators set to back it and numerous law enforcement officials writing supportive letters, Garagiola said.

I think if you murder someone it shouldn’t matter if you use a rifle that looks like assault rifle or a spoon. The point is that you killed someone and you should go to jail. CCRKBA calls it frivolous pandering.

Note to CCRKBA: Not that I’m not guilty of it myself, but you may want to spell check your press releases.

It’s a matter of gibbon take.

No, I’m a frayed knot.

The lesser of two weevils.

And, though I can’t find a related news story, I’m rather fond of breakfast epiphanies.

Reader Airboss sends this cool page with animation of how the 1911 works. Pretty slick.

The NRA (not exactly an unbiased source) notes Guns, Gun Ownership, & RTC at All-Time Highs, Less “Gun Control,” and Violent Crime at 27-Year Low.

You should read this.

WBIR:

Authorities across East Tennessee are on the lookout for two men who assaulted a woman while pretending to be police officers.

The men reportedly used a blue flashing light on their dashboard to pull over the woman on
Highway 411 in Loudon County.

They were driving a white Crown Victoria that could be mistaken for an undercover police car.

I advised the Mrs. that if she’s unsure when being pulled over to be sure to pull over in a very public place. If that’s not an option, keep driving and call the police to verify that it’s actually an officer behind her. However, she’s not had to do it yet.

Congrats to RTB’s Andrew who is now a quoted expert.