In the People’s Republic of Illinois, an elderly couple converted the Volkswagen to run on vegetable oil. Apparently, that requires a license and payment of a fuel tax at either the gas or diesel rate:

The agents informed the Wetzels that they were interested in their car, a 1986 Volkswagen Golf, that David Wetzel converted to run primarily from vegetable oil but also partly on diesel.

Wetzel uses recycled vegetable oil, which he picks up weekly from an organization that uses it for frying food at its dining facility.

“They told me I am required to have a license and am obligated to pay a motor fuel tax,” David Wetzel recalled. “Mr. May also told me the tax would be retroactive.”

Since the initial visit by the agents on Jan. 4, the Wetzels have been involved in a struggle with the Illinois Department of Revenue. The couple, who live on a fixed budget, have been asked to post a $2,500 bond and threatened with felony charges.

More:

According to the Wetzels, May told them during his Jan. 4 visit that they would have to pay taxes at either the gasoline rate of 19½ cents per gallon or the diesel rate of 21½ cents per gallon.

A retired research chemist and food plant manager, Wetzel produced records showing he has used 1,134.6 gallons of vegetable oil from 2002 to 2006. At the higher rate, the tax bill would come to $244.24.

“That averages out to $4.07 a month,” Wetzel noted, adding he is willing to pay that bill.

Via David.

Poker hand from last night. Loose table. I’ve not hit a hand all night except the very first hand I played. I get absolutely nothing playable for an hour and a half. Creates the image that I am a much tighter player than I really am. I am a bit bored and decide it’s time to play a hand no matter what it is. I get:

5♥4♣

Crappy hand. I’m first to act. I raise it up to six times the big blind. Two callers and the button raises it to 12 times the big blind. It comes to me. I move my whole stack in the middle. The callers fold. The button thinks for a long time and says You’ve not played all night. You must have me beat. He folds and flips his cards over:

A♦K♦

Stupid play on my part, really. But it worked out. Remember kids: Don’t play poker when bored.

Mike emails this story. Long and short: Two guys driving down the street and notice a man shooting at people. Two guys (who happen to have concealed weapons permits) turn around and draw down on the man (who is black – important later) and tell him to stop. Two men viewed as heroes.

But wait, there’s more: Turns out the original shooter also had a permit. He says his car was rammed and six men approached him, one with a gun. So, he was firing at them. He has been charged with reckless endangerment. Notes on this fellow:

He had a handgun carry permit.

He called the police.

That indicates he’s not a criminal and I don’t think his intent was criminal. But it was rather cowboy to shoot across traffic. And he did hit a bystander’s car.

Mediaverse thinks there’s a racist element to it, noting:

The brothers are being called heroes because they did something. Roberson, who did something too, is being called a “gunman,” a criminal. No, he should be called a hero too.

What did he do so differently than the Webbers?

Probably because he endangered others by firing across traffic. As a permit holder, you are responsible for any shot you fire. You can’t go shooting across traffic. I’ve seen no indication in the story that the assailant he was shooting at actually fired shots. I think his crime here is being a bit overzealous.

Not too bad. It doesn’t acknowledge that machine guns can, in fact, be lawfully owned but the transformation of a Fudd mini-14 gun into an EBR is effective:

Seems there’s a couple of dog bills up for a vote in Tennessee. The first increases the penalties of spectators from $50 to $2,500 plus up to a year in jail. Another bill increases owner liability in the event of a dog attack and increases penalties for dogs running loose.

Good.

Ben notes that Sarbanes Oxley is killing jobs. Well, it’s doing wonders for accountants and auditors. Now, Sarbanes admits as much. Remember, it’s more important for congresmonkies to do something. Not necessarily something good.

Who really needs a titanium spork?

Via tam.

Cali court suppresses search resulting from NFA inspection.

Despite my past comments, rendezvous is apparently not gay. It is, however, still hard to spell.

What do you call a black man flying an airplane?

Read the rest of this entry »

I think I have a fan at the New York Times. This is the second time they’ve linked me up. First time was here.

Also, I was contacted earlier in the week by foxnews.com about gun blogs and the Zumbo affair. She wanted me to call her. I said I’d be happy to talk to her via email as phone calls weren’t exactly conducive to my secret identity and, when you have an email copy, you can be assured of providing proof when someone misquotes you; uses something out of context; or Dowdifies you. Never heard back from her. And we know how I feel about talking to the press.

Today, for the first time in probably three years, I wrote a check.

Seen in Blount County yesterday: Hillary 08.

I’m not the only one:

Kevin accepts his apology.

SAAM says welcome back.

Update: link fixed. My copy-and-paste-fu is weak.

Update 2: We’re winning: Astroturf blog The Gun Guys opines as stupidly as he usually does. Via Rustmeister. As far as I know, all he does is preach to the converted and get laughed at by pro-gunners.

Nothing to talk about today. So, I’ll ask you:

What’s the best music download site? I don’t like Napster because, even though it’s a monthly fee, I don’t actually own the tune.

I hate itunes because Apple does what it always does which is to modify the MP3 files so that they’re proprietary and, therefore, generally fucking useless in other applications. That’s why I’ll never own anything ever created by Apple.

Update: Maddox agrees that apple sucks. And what is with the whole quicktime, itunes install. It really attaches its retarded self to the whole operating system.

Randi Rhodes changes her position on the second amendment. Well, in that armed insurrection kind of way. I guess whoever’s political party is not in power is motivated to be pro-gun.

Автомат Калашникова образца 1974 года. That’s AK in English.

Looks lie the Gun Blogger Rendezvous may have a special guest.

And, seriously, can we change the name? Not only does Rendezvous sound gay, it’s hard to fuckin’ spell.

The sky is blue. And Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership lies.

Tilapia.

against guns?

I support the second amendment by wanting to ban guns.

Cut taxes and allow medical marijuana.

Captain America, 1941-2007.

Update: Cause of death: Political statement.

Pro Poker Player Daniel Negreanu on the number of poker players in the US:

What journalist hears a man say there are 70 million poker players in the U.S., and then tries to argue that by saying only 23 million people played online poker last year? Then goes on to basically insinuate that D’Amato is a liar. Mr. Kriedler, don’t you see the holes in your article? Did D’Amato say that 70 million people play online poker, or did you make a boo-boo? Which is it, because based on what you wrote, you come off though you really don’t have a clue what you are trying to say?

70 million! That’s a lot. There are an estimated 80-100m gun-owners, for reference. And politicos fear the NRA. Poker players would be dangerous to politicians if they managed to get organized. They cost one man his congressional seat in the last election cycle. Negreanu also notes:

Just like liquor, in other words. Well, drinking, gambling, you get the idea. Try to ban card games online, and they’ll only start playing poker in somebody’s living room late at night, buying their own chips or using makeshift materials like pretzels and M&Ms as token “money.” Where will the madness end?”

[…]

What Mr. Kreidler fails to understand is that online poker isn’t going anywhere. There will always be ways to fund online accounts, so while they can make it harder to play by putting pressure on companies like Neteller, they won’t put an end to online poker in this country. In fact, the bill that was passed doesn’t make playing poker on the internet illegal for the player.

Indeed. I have noticed that in my small hometown, many home games are cropping up since the ban.

Sheets have one side that is the good side and one side that is the bad side. The good side is the one that looks nicer and the bad side is the one that looks like the fabric was turned inside-out that also has tags on it. When you make the bed, do you put the good side up so that, well, the good side is up? Or do you put the good side down so that when you flip over all the covers the good side is showing?

This is what married folks argue about, btw.

Sean Braisted announced the creation of Liberate Tennessee. It’s purpose is to:

promote efforts in the Tennessee Legislature to liberalize Tennessee liquor laws

An excellent idea since at least three bloggers in this state owe me a beer to pay up for a bet. I guess we need to liberalize gambling laws too.

Seems to me though that this project might be misnamed. Tennessee liquor laws are pretty liberal since liberal to me implies wanting to excessively control via government.

Sebastian reports that yet another mayor has dropped out of Bloomberg’s anti-gun group. Says Mary B. Wolf, Mayor of Williamsport, PA:

I have learned that the Coalition may be working on issues that conflict with legal gun ownership and that some action on your behalf are dubious. I have also learned that other mayors from cities large and small across the country have withdrawn their names as supporters of the Coalition. This letter informs you that I too, am withdrawing from the Mayors Coalition Against Illegal Guns.

Somebody tell Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam.

Chris is right: real Chili has no beans. But I don’t call it Chili Bean Stew. I call it Chili with beans.

An explosive I-Team Investigation:

Right now in Wisconsin, it’s illegal for a felon to buy a gun. But it’s not illegal for a private citizen to sell a gun to a felon.

Wrong. It is illegal for a private citizen to knowingly sell a firearm to a felon.