Friday, November 30, 2012

Wow!

From your lips, Katie, to God's ear. [Read]

This could be the biggest development to date in terms of giving incentive to roll. If so, what a scoop!

SAF: I hope you haven't engraved the next "Journalist of the Year" plaque yet.

We're the Only Ones Rear-Ended Enough

A Mercer Island police officer accidentally shot himself in the buttocks while on duty Thursday. [More
I'm trying to imagine how you would...never mind, I don't want to know.

[Via Bear]

Bring It On, You Moron

Can you imagine being stupid or racist enough to vote for this addled...thing? [Read]

Has Guam tipped over yet?

In a Crossbow-Free Zone?

Earlier, Casper College spokesman Rich Fujita said the incident involved a crossbow or another similar weapon, Fujita said. [More
And now they may be changing it to a "sharp-edged weapon"...?

But what about the rules...?
UPDATE: At least it wasn't a crossbow used in a Gun-Free Zone. But the "safety" policy still didn't work, did it?

City attorney’s comments spotlight how California gun laws endanger citizens

Here you have a municipal legal official admitting murders are on the rise, criminals are running rampant, a dwindling police force is powerless to prevent it, and the same city and county authorities who have only approved 2,800 people out of over 2 million residents in an area of over 20,000 square miles won’t give their permission to carry the means of defense unless you can satisfy them that your “cause” is “good.” [More]
Today's Gun Rights Examiner report looks at a place that's morally, as well as fiscally bankrupt.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

I haven't read this book, so I don't know the exact circumstances that led to these peoples' ordeal. The advice given in this column looks good from what I see. [Read]

I'd add one more caution and be real careful what I said on that 911 call.

[Via W3]

DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS: Revised and Updated

From Stephen P. Wenger:
If you have been waiting to purchase autographed copies of my book – for yourself or as gifts – a new shipment arrived yesterday and I'm ready to ship again. Fairly detailed instructions for either purchase with a mailed check or online are posted at the link below. Particularly if the copies are to be use as gifts, don't forget to include the name(s) for the inscription. Feel free to add any appropriate comments, such as “from your friend...” and/or a date other than the one of the actual purchase. If you make your purchase online, you should find ample room for that in the box for the name. Just make sure, if purchasing more than one copy, that it is clear what is to be inscribed in each one. Again, thanks for your support – the small revenue from purchases directly from me helps support both the website and these mailings. (If you are unfamiliar with the book, scroll upward on the linked page.) 
That would be this linked page...

Not Our Job

Of course, neither is protecting you, which we do our best to make impossible for you to do yourself... [Read]

[Via Harvey]

Meanwhile, Across the Pond in Sarah Brady Paradise...

Lord Justice Leveson has condemned decades of "outrageous" behaviour by newspapers as he urged the Government to set up a new media watchdog underpinned by legislation. [More]

You know, "Authorized Journalists."  Or over there I think they spell it with an "s" instead of a "z."

We're the Only Ones First-Responding Enough

A 43-year-old state trooper has been charged with larceny, accused of stealing jewelry and cash from the victim of a fatal motorcycle crash on Route 15 in Fairfield ... [More]
I was wondering where the third leg of that spate I'd talked about the other day went...

The Cattle are Lowing

Meat-eaters "easily cheat, lie, forget promises and commit sex crimes," an Indian school textbook for 11 and 12-year-olds writes. [More
I guess an herbivore would tend to think unkindly, if you can call cud regurgitation thinking.

Me, I agree with A no. 1: "You can be a meat eater, kid."

And speaking of A1, tonight's steak night. I need to go get some good mushrooms for that.

Day of Rage

If you're going to carry, don't go starting arguments over bumper stickers. Legalities aside, this should never have got started in the first place. [Read]

[Via Carl S]

'Author Korwin disavows e-mail scare under his byline'

Veteran Arizona gun rights advocate Alan Korwin, author of several gun law books and a prolific writer, is scrambling to distance himself from what appears to be a rather cleverly concocted fraud that takes something he wrote almost four years ago and makes it look like some brand new sinister scheme he has uncovered. [More
I got an email from Alan the other day about this and was going to write something about it, but Dave Workman beat me to it.

Those of us who keep abreast of such things had our spider senses tingling when the old gun list with the fake front end first appeared, and resisted weighing in until we could verify things--a good rule of thumb I've repeated time and again: Unless an email comes with a link to a credible source, treat it as suspect, particularly if the sender doesn't seem to know what "BCC" is and the last line urges you to "SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!"

Which hasn't kept those who don't keep abreast of such things from rendering snotty, ignorant judgments.  I've been relatively silent about the "prags" in recent years, because the flame wars are a distraction, and I figure I'll do my thing and they can do theirs.  But this comment  demands an apology, and an honorable man would give it, meaning don't expect one anytime soon:
countertop Says:
November 28th, 2012 at 8:15 am
As credible as the lists author. Or the first “gun rights” group he lists at the end.
He's more credible than you. And a better man.

I have no problem with bloggers who wish to remain anonymous due to political repercussions to their real lives--some of them can make valuable contributions, and it's not exactly like it isn't a time-honored American tradition. But when they use that anonymity to disparage and insult people who work under their own name, that's just plain cowardly, despicable, and revealing of character, or lack thereof.

Speaking of characters, last time I crossed paths with this Fairfax über alles pole-smoker, the "fairly well-connected lobbyist [and] former trial attorney" recommended that I be sued (which shows how incompetent he is, how he has no understanding of the Bill of Rights and is indicative of why we're in the mess we are with boobs like him having access to politicians) and ended up promising to  issue a rebuttal--which he never delivered on.

If you want to reply, "Countertop," you worm, you don't get anonymity here. You lost that privilege when you sniped at a good man from the shadows like the ... what did Vanderboegh call you? ... like the "swinging cod" that you are.  Post under your real name and I'll be happy to publicly slap you around like you deserve.

My bet is, if you choose to reply at all, you'll only do it from a safe haven and prove my point.

Direct Links

A gun smuggling operation run by former Columbus town officials had a direct link to targets of the bungled “Fast and Furious” operation run by federal officials in Arizona, according to reports obtained by the Journal. [More]
And there's another direct link to DOJ in that case as well.

What's to "negotiate"?

The Thinking Machine

This is a bit before my time, but I did work with similar technology--I recall filling out engineering parts lists on 80-column forms that would then go to the keypunch department to create cards to feed the tape drive mainframe, and then receiving the resulting (massive) tractor feed-printed indentured bills of material/exploded product structure tab runs...that and everybody smoking cigarettes in the office... [Watch]

Damn the Principles, Full Speed Ahead

While I have concerns about the "Sportsmen's Act" and he supports it, John Richardson's endorsement of holding fast to principles is exactly right. [Read]

It's amazing, the hostility that inflames some ostensibly on "our side" who are so quick to abandon them in order to score a perceived benefit.  Nothing comes without a cost.

Sounds of Silence

Proponents say there's no reason to ban the devices that screw onto the muzzle of a firearm to catch the blast and muffle the sound of a shot. Not only do they prevent hearing damage, supporters say, they also reduce noise pollution. [More]
So why just for Fudds?  And why the damn tax?

This Day in History: November 30

Although appearances are not very flattering at present, I hope they will in time become more so. Patience, prudence, and perseverance sometimes effect much. It is in my opinion very important that no dissatisfaction be expressed in America at the conduct of Spain. Complaint and disgust can answer no good purpose, but may be productive of many disagreeable consequences. A cautious silence is the more necessary, as I am confident that there are persons in America who would make a merit of collecting and transmitting the sentiments of Congress, or members of Congress, on subjects interesting to the views and objects of persons in power here. [More]