Archive for September, 2008

September 08, 2008

For the traveling gunny

Go here. Click your state and print a wallet sized card telling you where your gun permit is honored.

September 07, 2008

Quote of the day

Seen here

Sheep have only two speeds – graze and stampede.

Via reader John.

September 06, 2008

Small Government Champion?

Or maybe not:

WASILLA, Alaska — The biggest project that Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town was an indoor sports complex, where locals played hockey, soccer, and basketball, especially during the long, dark Alaskan winters.

The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin’s legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla.

…snip…

Ms. Palin marched ahead, making the public case for a sales-tax increase and $14.7 million bond issue to pay for the sports center, which was to feature a running track, basketball courts and a hockey rink. At the time, the city’s annual budget was about $20 million. In a March 2002 referendum, residents approved the mayor’s plan by a 20-vote margin, 306 to 286. The city cleared roads, installed utilities and made preparations to build.

Later that year, Ms. Palin’s final one as mayor, the federal judge reversed his own decision and ruled that the property rightfully belonged to Mr. Lundgren. Wasilla had never signed the proper papers, the court ruled.

Mr. Lundgren said he had offered to give smaller parcels to the city free of charge, but the city held out for a larger tract. The former chief of the city finance department, Ted Leonard, says he doesn’t recall such an offer.

After Ms. Palin left office, the city decided to take 80 acres of Mr. Lundgren’s property through eminent domain. An Alaska court confirmed the city’s right to do so and ordered that an arbitrator determine the appropriate price.

Last year, the arbitrator ordered the city to pay $836,378 for the 80-acre parcel, far more than the $126,000 Wasilla originally thought it would pay for a piece of land 65 acres larger. The arbitrator also determined that the city owed Mr. Lundgren $336,000 in interest. Wasilla’s legal bill since the eminent domain action has come to roughly $250,000 so far, according to Mr. Klinkner, the city attorney.

Never mind the jumped-gun and the legal mess and eminent domain abuse that ensued: championing a nearly $15 million dollar public spending project for a rec center for a town of 9,000? That’s about $1,633 per resident: not exactly what I think of when I think of “small government” and “fiscal responsibility.”

I was ridiculed on this site earlier in the week for claiming that Palin was “just another politician.”
Massive public spending projects, hiring lobbyists to win earmarks for her town, for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it — laugh all you want, but it sure looks like politics as usual to me.

H/T: Obsidian Wings

Obama on guns

From an email, a letter received from Obama when asked why he didn’t sign the congressional brief on Heller:

Dear *.:

Thank you for contacting me regarding gun policy. I appreciate hearing your perspective on this important issue.

I respect the Second Amendment and responsible gun ownership. But I am also concerned about the human consequences of guns falling into the wrong hands and being misused. I do not find objectionable the goal of keeping firearms out of the hands of children, terrorists, gang members and criminals in general. The question for me is how to best accomplish that goal without abridging the rights of hunters, sportsmen, and other legitimate gun owners. As I consider gun legislation, I will work to find the appropriate balance between these two objectives.

For example, Senator David Vitter (R-LA), in response to complaints about the confiscation of firearms during the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, offered an amendment that would prohibit such confiscations in areas hit by natural disaster. I voted with Senator Vitter on this amendment. On the other hand, I support the re-imposition of the ban on the sale of assault weapons that expired in September 2004 because I believe these guns are used primarily for criminal rather than sporting intent. I also support requiring gun manufacturers to install child safety locks on all of their products.

Again, I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. I do not believe that these two principles – the individual right and the rights of a community to maintain public safety – are contradictory.

On June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court endorsed that same view. Although it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe.

Anyone who lives in a large urban center like Chicago is aware of the terrible toll gun violence is taking on American society. As a statewide elected official who has traveled our state extensively, I appreciate how strongly sportsmen, hunters and collectors feel about their rights to own firearms. But I am convinced we can more aggressively attack the problem of gun violence without interfering with the rights of responsible gun owners.

Again, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to keeping in touch.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

September 05, 2008

Quote of the day

Barack Paradiddle Obama:

Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said. “This can’t be the reason not to vote for me. Can everyone hear me in the back? I see a couple of sportsmen back there. I’m not going to take away your guns.

It’s exactly why I won’t vote for you. Well, that and the socialism.

Words that are fun to say but shouldn’t be

Putinism.

Obama on guns

Swamp Politics:

“I believe in the Second Amendment, and if you are a law-abiding gun owner you have nothing to fear from an Obama administration,” Obama said. “This has been peddled again and again. Here’s what i believe: The Second Amendment is an indvidual right. . . people have the right to bear arms. But I also believe there is nothing wrong with some common-sense gun safety measures.”

No mention of the AWB, even though it’s officially part of the party platform. Which means they don’t believe in the second amendment.

Continuing:

“That kind of thing is common sense and has nothing to do with the guy who has got his rifle and wants to go hunting,” Obama said. “Now the NRA — I’ll be honest and I’m sure there are NRA members here — their general attitude is that we don’t want anything, and if you even breathe the words ‘gun control’ or ‘gun safety’ then you must want to take away everybody’s guns. Well, that’s just not true.”

But you use the terms ‘gun control’ or ‘gun safety’ synonymously. I have no issue with ‘gun safety’. Four rules should be taught in school, along with Eddie Eagle programs. Gun control, however, is what you do instead of something.

Protect kids from bullying

By banning assault weapons?

Seriously?

Speaking of matches

Mr. C. tells us that the Glock Regional Classic is this weekend.

HopeChangetm

Heh.

How it should be

I went to the local sheriff’s department to get my NFA item approved. I walked in. Made small talk. And it was signed on the spot.

How you can tell Sarah Palin is a force to be reckoned with?

Suddenly, all the spam that’s hitting the blog references her.

Gun Blogger Rendezvous Sponsor

Mr. Completely reports a new sponsor for GBR3. Crimson Trace Laser Grips. I highly recommend them. And they’re pretty liberal with free swag.

Restraining orders and gun rights

People wonder why I find restraining orders restricting one’s right to arms a bad idea? This is why. Rights stripped without due process.

Robb for president

He’s now a community organizer.

More on Mass gun laws

Sebastian looks at the guy who didn’t dot his i’s and cross his t’s.

Being evil

Seems Google Chrome may be loaded down with spyware and other bloatware you don’t need?

Kung Fu Grip

SailorCurt looks at Todd Jarrett’s pistol grip. With pics and the how and why.This is the grip Jarrett taught us at the Para USA blogger event.

A few things: Todd grips the pistol with a lot of power. He came by while I was handling the gun and squeezed my hands into it and told me that was how hard he held it. Another advantage is that after recoil, the gun just goes back to where it was. Follow up shots were much faster using the grip.

USPSA

Continuing coverage of the event by Paul at DRTV.

Opposing views

Notice anything different?

They changed the pic so the gun is not pointed at you, thanks to NRA.

Palin comparison

37 million watched her speech. 38 million tuned in for Obama’s.

Not bad for a first try.

Who was that masked man?

Ruger 10/22 advice from an unnamed source.

Gun porn

Firearms in slow motion.

Cake or Glock?

Wheel guns.

Chicks and Guns

Kim has pics and a report from a new shooter.

And, as I told our reporter from France, check out Laëtitia Daguenel.

September 04, 2008

Return of the echo chamber

On the day of John McCain’s speech at the Republican National Convention our favorite progressive site returns to its Stalinist ways. Via la purge.

KnoxViews is a private club yet again. Only registered users may speak.

Free Speech is a dangerous idea. We like danger here.

By the way, great speech John. I mean Mr. President.

Update: Anyone can comment now. The wall is down.

DIY Shotgun Pellets

Make shotgun pellets like they did in the 19th Century: by dropping molten lead from the roof.

Guns in DC

Go on sale Tuesday.

Via ILA.

pitbull and lipstick

Heh.

For the record, there’s probably no way to get Politically Incorrect Dog to cooperate for that without eating the lipstick.

gun questions for Palin

The Brady Bunch has some. PGP has answers.

Other Palin Concerns

Your misogyny is showing.

Seems some folks have some concerns about Sarah Palin’s priorities. They seem to think she should be at home, barefoot and pregnant. Turns out, they have other concerns with her too. This list of talking points addressing Sarah Palin came to me via email so consider it a SayUncle exclusive:

  • Needs to have a state trooper drive her around because, you know, she’s a woman and they can’t drive for shit.
  • She once worried her pretty little head about something.
  • Once accidentally burned dinner, when her sweet little ass was in the kitchen where it should be!
  • She wants to be Vice President? Well isn’t that just cute!
  • Her daughter is a slut because she’s a woman.
  • She’s known to be indecisive. Because she’s a woman.
  • She irons one hell of a shirt.
  • She was chummy with the Alaska secessionists because, as a woman, she’s obviously a home-wrecker.
  • Palin left the small town she was mayor of deeply in debt. Because she’s a woman and you know how they are when it comes to money and shopping.
  • Update: Who are the feminists again?

    And KAG agrees with Dr. Helen?

    Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.

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