… he did what he considered to be the humane thing and beat them to death with a hammer.

Alrighty, then.

Barry:

On the side of the road I noticed a campaign sign for Sheriff Tim Hutchison that said “For Safer Neighborhoods”. Nothing unusual in and of itself, but then I thought…shouldn’t they be about as safe as you can make them by now? Sheriff, you’ve been in office for, like, 16 years. Are you implying that you haven’t gotten around to it yet, but if we reelect you, you’ll now get to work on making our neighborhoods safer?

Heh.

Kim is looking to move and he has criteria that are important to him. Go help him out. A commenter there noted a website called Find Your Spot. You enter your info (including political, weather, economic) and it tells you a place that fits the bill. Turns out, it recommended to me the town that I already live in. The city (my the city) of Maryville, TN. Cool.

ABC 7:

The state’s highest court has ruled that Marylanders can lend a gun to a friend without going through the seven-day waiting period and background check required by state law before guns can be transferred or sold to a new owner.

The Court of Appeals, in a 4-3 decision, said lending a gun to another person does not constitute “transfer” of a weapon and therefore is not covered by the gun control law dealing with the waiting period and police background checks of potential buyers.

The ruling came in an appeal filed by a District of Columbia police officer who had lent a handgun to a friend. The friend’s guns had been confiscated by police because he had a Glock pistol in his car but did not have a permit to carry it. The officer was convicted in 2003 of illegally transferring a regulated firearm and was fined 200 dollars.

The Court of Special Appeals had upheld the conviction, but the majority of the state’s highest court disagreed and overturned the conviction.

I’m shocked that the vote was close. But, it is Maryland.

Friend of mine: So, what’d you and the Mrs. do on your vacation?

Me: We went on a booze cruise.

Friend of mine: What is that like a Japanese children’s show?

Bug out bag, for those not in the know.

Seems that talk of survival kits and emergency supplies are all the rage these days. Insty, Les and Kim chime in. I’m surprised Glenn doesn’t mention firearms and that Kim only takes a 22 rifle and handgun. A firearm is important, I think. If the SHTF, then you’ll need to protect all the stuff you worked hard to prepare. After all, you don’t want some schmuck like me using his AR-15 to take your crap.

Update: This topic seems to come up on the blogs every once in a while. Must be something in the water.

Denise says something oughta be done:

As Lott and Bane point out, we can no longer buy guns in Wal-Mart or other stores. I remember when a trip to Sears involved a good look at their guns. That’s a thing of the past.

Now, I’m not saying that Wal-Mart or Sears are the best places to buy guns. They’re not–Support your local gun shop and all. But we’ve lost a time when guns were common, ordinary tools to where they’ve become mythologized and demonized.

Michael Bane has more. It is hard to be in the gun business (believe me, I’ve thought about it – too much hassle). Regulations get in the way and, until recently, the threat of being financially ruined through litigation was a major concern.

it’s what’s for dinner.

At Google Watch:

Federal agents requested and retrieved records from Google concerning a Gmail account that contained threatening speech, Google Watch has learned.

The agents requested the records on June 22nd, 2006 after the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) notified the FBI they had received a threatening e-mail.

It’s not like I didn’t know that was going on as I’m pretty sure the feds snooped in mine recently. But I have to say that, in this case, there’s no foul. Google was served a warrant and they complied with it.

B4B says:

I just learned that on July 26, 2006, the Gun Owners of America (via their GOA Political Victory Fund) announced their endorsement of Ed for the U.S. Senate.

Rob Huddleston says:

I have been informed that Gun Owners of America, in a letter from the Gun Owners of America Politiical Victory Fund Vice President Tim Macy, has endorsed Ed Bryant in both the GOP primary and the General Election against Harold Ford, Jr. in November.

It’s significant because the GOA is the hardcore pro-gun group. They don’t cater to only the Fudds like the NRA. I can’t find any info about the endorsement on GOA’s site. They did endorse Bryant in 2002 so I’d say it’s a safe bet they did. I also notice they gave Ford an F ranking.

Nate Anderson:

The case made its way to a Nevada court, which found Romm guilty. An appeal of the case went to the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, which was charged with deciding an important issue: can border patrol agents search laptops without a warrant and without probable cause? The court’s ruling was handed down on Monday, and said that yes, agents can search laptops for any reason.

The court argued that the forensic analysis fell under the “border search exception to the warrant requirement.” This exception was established by United States v. Montoya de Hernandez in 1985, and says that “the government may conduct routine searches of persons entering the United States without probable cause, reasonable suspicion, or a warrant.” The court goes on to note that international airports count as border terminals, even if not physically located on a US border.

Hats off to Charleston Daily Mail’s reporter Justin Anderson who writes:

On the Fourth of July, Raleigh County Sheriff’s deputies killed a man they said was shooting an “AK-47” off in his neighborhood.

Four years ago, police said a man walked into a Kanawha County school board meeting and shot a teacher with one.

But when police talk about a suspect wielding, possessing or shooting a so-called AK-47, it isn’t the World War II-era Soviet machine gun.

The gun that hits the news is typically a semi-automatic replica. You can buy them from licensed gun shops with a fistful of cash and a relatively clean criminal background.

The original AK-47s, and variations on the originals, are fully automatic and can’t be bought from just any gun shop like their civilian counterparts.

At least one expert estimates West Virginia collectors own only a handful of the originals. They have to be registered with the federal government.

Gun manufacturers trying to capitalize on the true AK-47’s mystique churn out the replicas.

But there’s no reason to fear a proliferation of so-called assault weapons in West Virginia. Even the replicas are rarely used in state gun crimes.

I’ve said all that a thousand times. Good to see someone in the press try to clarify. I am speechless.

Gun laws don’t stop illegal possession of guns. The AP:

Investigators seized 100 firearms including assault rifles, machine guns [there’s no difference in the eyes of the law – ed.] and a grenade launcher from homes of two men with previous weapons convictions, authorities said Thursday.

It was unclear how the pair had acquired the weapons, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said, calling the collection of firepower “a police officer’s worst nightmare.”

Somehow, this will be blamed on rogue gun dealers even though the sale of those three items by gun dealers to civilians is illegal. And I’m sure the other firearms were obtained illegally as well. More:

Acompora’s attorney, Frank Panetta, declined to comment on the specific charges, but said his client has cooperated with investigators and did not believe he was doing anything wrong. Prosecutors did not immediately have information on who represents Brozski.

Acompora was released on $5,000 bail and was due back in court on Friday. Brozski was released on his own recognizance and was due back in court on Aug. 9.

A while back, I wrote about some Illinois police officers with illegal guns and how the police were like you and me only better. Well, one of the guys plead guilty:

Illinois State Police trooper Gregory Mugge pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing an unregistered machine gun in federal court on Tuesday, according to an announcement from the U.S. attorney’s office.

Mugge, 52, of Jerseyville, was indicted in January, along with Illinois State Police Sgt. James Vest, 39, of O’Fallon, and John Yard, 36, an Illinois State Police special agent assigned to the Collinsville office, each face separate charges of illegal gun possession.

Mugge faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a maximum three years of supervised release.

His sentencing is in October. Twelve local police chiefs and sheriffs, and two state senators asked to give him administrative punishment instead of prosecution. I doubt they’d extend such a courtesy to me or you.

Doug Black. Mr. Black pulls some real whoppers:

New York City suffers hundreds of gun-related deaths each year, but some weapon manufacturers are bent on boosting the toll in 2006.

But carrying guns is already illegal in NYC, unless you’re well-connected or famous.

And if the last week is any indication, the city’s murder enthusiasts had a lot to be thankful for.

Ah, hateful rhetoric. The mark of any clear thinker.

three men were found in possession of “cop-killer” handguns that are specially engineered to penetrate the protective body armor of police officers.

Er, handguns don’t penetrate anything. The ammo does. The armor piercing ammo for this gun is already illegal for civilian ownership.

While the lives of our friends and neighbors are doubtlessly valuable, you have to sympathize with our nation’s beleaguered artillery merchants. These days, it’s getting harder and harder to make an honest buck selling killing machines.

Feel free to E-Mail the Editor.

I am in the process of filling out ATF Form 1, Application to Make and Register a Firearm so that I can turn El Nino into a short barreled rifle. One question on the form is:

State why you intend to make firearm

As such, I present to you the top 10 answers I considered for that question:

10 So it will fit in a pizza box
9 For the hell of it
8 Because I collect tax stamps
7 Because it looks cool
6 To defend against invaders
5 To make Diane Feinstein cry
4 So an angel will get its wings
3 To compensate for the size of my penis
2 To annoy my wife
1 Actually, the real reason I put on there is For any and all lawful purposes.

Or this would be illegal when that law passes:

The State of California, however, required that anyone who had such a rifle prior to the ban undergo a special registration with the California Department of Justice. More recently, California required the registration of 50 BMG rifles by April 30, 2006, after banning their sale and importation.

Surprise! Officers from the Los Angeles County Gun Task Force have now started serving search warrants to residents who are suspected of holding unregistered “Assault Rifles” including 50 BMG target rifles. This “task force” has reportedly confiscated firearms and issued felony charges on at least one individual who was deemed to be out of compliance. If convicted on a felony, that gun owner will never be allowed to legally own any firearms for the rest of his life.

And Xavier also notes:

It is beginning to appear that the confiscations in California are the work of a police informant, not the use of recorded sales of weapons to locate unregistered guns among multiple gun owners.

Can’t blame you for thinking that before. It has happened in the past.

Les has the skinny (and pics) of S&W’s new bear/survival guns. Pretty slick.

For the forseeable future, I have stricken the terms sock-puppet, Greenwald, and snatch from my vocabulary. The first two, because I’m tired of reading about them. The last one because it may be the ugliest word in the English language. For those of you who know what I’m talking about, pat yourselves on the back. For those who don’t, look, a monkey.

What do these three things have in common:

The AP:

Even though Republican Michael Steele says he probably wouldn’t want President Bush campaigning for him in Maryland and that he considers his party affiliation a scarlet letter, the White House said Wednesday that Bush still is backing Steele in his Senate race.

The AP:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a longtime supporter of Senator Joseph Lieberman, said Tuesday she will not back the Connecticut Democrat’s bid for re-election if he loses their party’s primary.

NPR:

The beleaguered campaign of Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman is expected to get a lift today from two prominent Democrats, including one former President. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to headline an event at the Palace Theater in Waterbury this afternoon designed to shore up support for Lieberman, a three-term incumbent in the political fight of his life.

They illustrate a problem with our two-party political system. Party is first. Always. Second to party is status quo. Lieberman and Steele, as incumbents, take precedent over any in-party upstart. Ideals are last. Good to know where we stand, eh?

Update: Steele isn’t the incumbent. But he still represents party. I think the point stands. Thanks for the corrections.

Heartless Libertarian has a list. I’d add the airlines circa 2002.

David Hardy notes:

One more nail in the coffin of “collective rights” comes from the discovery, in the 1980s, of a draft for a bill of rights by Rep. Roger Sherman, who, with Madison, was appointed to the committee which reported out the bill of rights.

The draft reads:

The militia shall be under the government of the laws of the respective States, when not in the actual Service of the United States, but such rules as may be prescribed by Congress for their uniform organization and discipline shall be observed in officering and training them, but military Service shall not be required of person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms.

David notes:

The historical point here is that the members of the First Congress knew how to write a “collective rights” amendment, that would only have safeguard State rights to control the militia, if they’d wanted one.

In my post on the lawsuit against Bloomberg (where his investigators broke the law), I asked:

Is there a fund to contribute to?

Reader John says there is one here.

The Ohio Supreme Court did it. The skinny at the Volokh’s:

We hold that although economic factors may be considered in determining whether private property may be appropriated, the fact that the appropriation would provide an economic benefit to the government and community, standing alone, does not satisfy the public-use requirement of Section 19, Article I of the Ohio Constitution.

Update: Another Volokh (I can’t tell them apart) has a lot more.

Via les, comes brass fetcher:

Welcome to the Brass Fetcher Online! Here you will find ballistic gelatin test results for rifles, pistols and shotguns.

Click on your favorite caliber and see some results.

A proposal at the gun blogs. Err, doesn’t get rid of the whole due process of law issue with Lautenberg but it’s a start.

At least, I hope you were looking for me. Otherwise, you got some issues.

Blogger and TN house candidate Bob Krumm cut a commercial. See it here.

Apparently, the biggest threat to positive urban development is the fact that people own property:

Fifty-one out of 73 parcels on the 22-acre site “exhibit one or more blight characteristics,” the study found, including buildings that are at least 50 percent vacant or are built to 60 percent or less of their allowable density. The study also noted that, before Forest City came along, 76 parties controlled the land making up the site. Such fragmented ownership, real estate developers say, is what makes large-scale private urban development difficult without government intervention.

The nerve of them, to own stuff.

In an update to this, the AP:

A judge ruled Tuesday that a 16-year-old cancer patient who has refused conventional medical treatment does not have to report to a hospital as previously ordered and scheduled a trial to settle the dispute.