Sunday Music

"Doctor Detroit" - Devo. Continue Reading

Perspective

So, Big Albert Haynesworth signed a huge contract to play football. In these days of billion and trillion dollar government spending, an hundred million sounds like chump change.

Unless you go here and enter your annual salary. If you do, you'll get some interesting numbers, and this sentence:

You will need to work xxx.xx years in order to make Albert Haynesworth's annual salary

Ouch

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Dan Snyder is an Idiot

Why do I say that? Because he just spent $154 Million on two players, DeAngelo Hall and Albert Haynesworth.

I'm not saying this because of the money, we all knew Big Al was gonna make the big bucks.

I say it because, once again, Dan Snyder is trying to buy his way to a Super Bowl. He tried it once before, getting Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Joe Gibbs, etc.

It didn't work then, it won't work now.

Dan, it's called a football team for a reason. A winning team is more than the sum of its' parts, it's something developed over time. Ask Jeff Fisher. He and the Titans' front office have built a couple of good teams over the years, all while losing their star players to free agency. They do it by focusing on team chemistry, not by buying up every star player on the market.

Dan, the Titans will be in the playoffs again this season. Will your 'Skins?

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Friday Funny

I heard this on the radio yesterday:

A crusty old Marine Sergeant Major found himself at a gala event hosted by a local liberal arts college.

There was no shortage of young, idealistic ladies in attendance, one of whom approached the Sergeant Major.

She asked "Excuse me, Sergeant Major, but you seem to be a very serious man.

Is something bothering you?"

"Negative, ma'am. Just serious by nature."

The young lady looked at his awards and decorations and said, "It looks like you have seen a lot of action?"

"Yes, ma'am, a lot of action."

The young lady, tiring of trying to start up a conversation, said, "You know, you should lighten up a little. Relax and enjoy yourself."

The Sergeant Major just stared at her in his serious manner.

Finally the young lady said, "You know, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but when is the last time you had sex?"

"1955", he replied.

"Well, there you are. No wonder you're so serious. You really need to chill out! I mean, no sex since 1955!"

She took his hand and led him to a private room where she proceeded to 'relax' him several times.

Afterwards, panting for breath, she leaned against his bare chest and Said, "Wow, you sure didn't forget much since 1955."

The Sergeant Major said in his serious voice, after glancing at his watch, "I hope not, it's only 2130 now."

Again, it's the Marines who have all the fun.

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Blogroll Addition

Please welcome COUNTERCOLUMN: The Adjunct of Evil to the Mighty Fine Blogroll.

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Round 'em Up!

Second Amendment News Roundup for 2/26/09

Lots of coverage on Holder's call for an "Assault Weapons" ban.

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The Real Bobby Jindal

I didn't watch the speech the other night, not one bit. Watched the last two episodes of Leverage instead. (more episodes this summer!)

I heard Bobby didn't fare well, which surprised me after seeing him speak at the NRA convention last year. He knocked it out of the park there.

Here is the Bobby I saw:



He's the real deal.

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So Holder Wants an "Assault Weapons" Ban

He says it will help curtail the violence in Mexico.

Let's see. The ban didn't reduce crime in this country last time they tried it, but it will help Mexico with its crime problem this time around?

Do they really think we're that dumb?

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What's That On Your Forehead?

It's a sobering reminder -

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

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Guns Aren't the Only Hot Items These Days

Looks like a certain book is flying off the shelves as fast as 9mm ammo:

Washington, D.C., February 23, 2009--Sales of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” have almost tripled over the first seven weeks of this year compared with sales for the same period in 2008. This continues a strong trend after bookstore sales reached an all-time annual high in 2008 of about 200,000 copies sold.

One commenter here says:

I read it years ago, but i recently when to my public library to try to take out a copy to re-read it. All 16 copies in the system were checked out. I then went to borders and there were only two copies left.

Hey, Breda, you all have any left?

I better get me a copy.

Thanks to Scalawag for the pointer.

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Oh Great

Another Memphis shooting by a permit holder.

Details are still coming in, but from what I gathered from witness statements on TV, the shooter, like the one at Trinity Commons, had been drinking.

Which renders the possession of a permit moot. You can't carry while drunk.

That won't stop the Commercial Appeal from posting up names of permit holders, of course. Nor will it keep anti-gun morons from blaming the gun for the crime.

And, of course, they'll leave out the whole drunk thing.

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Blogiversary

Not here.

Here.

Happy third, LawDog.

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Business Opportunity

My Patriot Guard buddy Rick is starting up a business, Lightyear Wireless. Well, he's an agent of theirs.

At any rate, go check out the site, and see if there's anything he can do for you. Gotta help a brother make a buck, ya know.

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I Did Not Know That

Got an email from the NRA concerning the gun bills the Tennessee house is considering. Here's what I didn't know (emphasis mine):

House Bill 962, sponsored by State Representative Curry Todd (R-95), permits citizens with a handgun carry permit to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol as long as the person is not consuming alcohol. This does not apply to bars, restaurants, and clubs where one must be a certain age to enter.

So, all that pissing and moaning about "guns in bars" is complete bullshit, at least where real bars are concerned.

Let's hope it passes.

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2A News Roundup

Second Amendment News Roundup for 2/24/09

Over at the Liberty Sphere, of course.

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A Quick Refutation of The Gun Guys

Fish in a barrel, I know, but I'm compelled:

• The Arkansas House just voted to allow guns in churches--despite strong opposition from pastors.

Pastors can still ban guns from their churches. It's their job anyway, not the governments.

• On January 9th, it became legal to carry loaded weapons into national parks after a more than 20 year ban.

National parks observing national rule of law? Whoda thunk it?

• A bill to allow the open carrying of handguns has been sponsored in South Carolina--one of only 6 states remaining that do not currently allow open carry in some form.

Sounds like South Carolina is behind the times. Also, why aren't there "wild west shootouts" in the other 44 states?

• Utah allows college students to keep guns in their dorms and carry concealed weapons on campus.

And yet, no bloodbaths happening there. Wonder why?

• An Illinois panel has recommended that Illinois residents be allowed to carry guns in public--one of only two states remaining that bar the practice.

Looks like Illinois is even further behind the times than South Carolina. And again, where is the "blood in the streets" in the other 48 states?

• A panel in Tennessee has recommended four bills for legislative approval including allowing concealed weapons in playgrounds and bars.

You say playgrounds, I say parks. Not as scary sounding, but more to the truth. Like the national parks, this is simply the state following its laws.

You say bars, I say (as the law says) places that serve alcohol, including Applebees, etc. Any bar owner can (like the pastors in Arkansas) ban weapons from their establishment.

I know it goes against everything you believe in, but what's happening here is freedom of choice. Deal with it.

Thanks to Joe Huffman for the pointer. He handles the "Abnormal behavior", I took the other stuff. =)

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State Gun Laws

Over at Traction Control. I got mine. =)

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New Revolver

Highly recommended for anti-gun types:



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Newsflash! Army Makes Soldiers Repay Loans!

Those bastards!

Thanks to Jeff Donn, AP reporter, we all know just how mean them ol' Army guys are. Actually, what we get is a hatchet job on AER - Army Emergency Relief.

Between 2003 and 2007 - as many military families dealt with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures - Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, according to an AP analysis of its tax records.

First off, you have to know what AER does and does not do. It does help if, for reasons beyond your control, you can't make a house payment. "A" house payment. It does not prevent you from going into foreclosure.

Tax-exempt and legally separate from the military, AER projects a facade of independence but really operates under close Army control.

The Army has an interest in what Army Emergency Relief does? Inconceivable!

The massive nonprofit - funded predominantly by troops - allows superiors to squeeze soldiers for contributions; forces struggling soldiers to repay loans - sometimes delaying transfers and promotions; and too often violates its own rules by rewarding donors, such as giving free passes from physical training, the AP found.

By "squeeze" they mean saying things like "Donate to AER!". Granted, some leaders feel strongly and like to use the term "highly encouraged" to apply pressure, but a dollar an month isn't going to kill anyone.

By "forces" they mean "You agreed to terms, now live up to them." Granted, in this age of bailouts it may seem foreign to many of Jeff Donn's readers, but yes, Army folks are expected to pay back what they owe.

If giving someone a day off PT because they donated to charity is against the rules, then I'm guilty. So is every other First Sergeant who held the position. Waaaah.

Much more after the jump! (and thanks to MadRocketScientist for the pointer)

Instead of giving money away, though, the Army charity lent out 91 percent of its emergency aid during the period 2003-2007. For accounting purposes, the loans, dispensed interest-free, are counted as expenses only when they are not paid back.

Yep. Loaning instead of giving. That's how we develop character. You get pansies when you give instead of loan. No one wants a pansy in the military now, do they?

While independent on paper, Army Emergency Relief is housed, staffed and controlled by the U.S. Army.

That's not illegal per se. Eric Smith, a spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, said the agency can't offer an opinion on a particular charity's activities. But Marcus Owens, former head of IRS charity oversight, said charities like AER can legally partner closely with a government agency.

Per se? It's either legal, or it's not. That's a cheap attempt at casting doubt, no doubt to set up this next nugget:

However, he said, problems sometimes arise when their missions diverge. "There's a bit of a tension when a government organization is operating closely with a charity," he said.

Missions diverge? How much divergence can there be? "Loan money to soldiers in trouble" is pretty easy to figure out. I would have loved to see an example of this divergence, but none is provided.

Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, said that AER collects money "very efficiently. What the shame is, is they're not doing more with it."

Well, Danny boy, it's their money, they manage it as they see fit. You call it "hoarding", they call it "playing it safe". Not like the Market's all that stable these days.

National administrators say they've tried to loosen the purse strings. The most recent yearly figures do show a tilt by AER toward increased giving.

Still, Borochoff's organization, which grades charities, gives the Army charity an "F" because of the hoarding.

Still, if you're talking about giving vs loaning, AER will most likely never give as much as it loans. Because we don't want pansies, remember?

Now, to these AP findings:

- Superior officers come calling when AER loans aren't repaid on time. Soldiers can be fined or demoted for missing loan payments. They must clear their loans before transferring or leaving the service.

I've addressed this one a couple times already, no need to do it again. (pansies) I will, however, briefly visit the term "superior officers". We don't use that term, Jeff. It's not accurate. We use terms like "Senior officers" and "Junior enlisted", but "Superior" and "lower" are right out. Just so ya know.

- Promotions can be delayed or canceled if loans are not repaid.

Well no shit, Sherlock. Would you promote someone who wasn't holding up their end of an agreement?

- The Army sometimes offers rewards for contributions, though incentives are banned by program rules. It sometimes excuses contributors from physical training - another clear violation.

Yep, guilty as charged, except those are called "incentives" not "rewards". And, they weren't directly for contributing to AER as much as it was a case of "It's your platoon, if you feel they deserve a day off PT, go for it."

- AER screens every request for aid, peering into the personal finances of its troops, essentially making the Army a soldier's boss and loan officer.

You mean to tell me, after twenty-plus years, that the Army wasn't my boss? Damn. Life woulda been much easier if I had known that.

Now for the worst use of ellipsis today:

"If I ask a private for something ... chances are everyone's going to do it. "

Huh?

One last thing, and I'll leave the rest:

Neither the Army nor Sgt. Major of the Army Kenneth Preston, an AER board member, responded to repeated requests for comment on the military's relationship with AER.

That's because you're a douchenozzle, Jeff. Your hit piece on AER might read well with the latte sippers, but here, it's just so much crap.

You aren't fit to carry the soiled undergarments of a buck-private chapter baby, let alone a real soldier. Continue Reading

NRA Website Solicits Member Hunt Reports

Again, via email:

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

INCORPORATED 1871

11250 Waples Mill Road - Fairfax, VA 22030

NRA Website Solicits Member Hunt Reports

Did you have an exceptionally good hunting trip last season you'd like to share with other NRA members?

NRAhuntersrights.org is accepting brief reports and photos from members who want to tell others about their recent hunting experiences. We're looking for information that could help your fellow hunters plan an exciting experience afield, with a great outfitter and guide, as well as sort through any confusing regulations you may have encountered or travel issues along the way. Don't think of it as writing an article - think of it as telling your hunting buddies what the trip was like.

All we're looking for is about 500 words, but you can go longer if you need to. We have to have a good, sharp photo from the hunt, contact information for the guide and outfitter, plus any other information about the hunt you want to give us.

How to Submit a Report: It's easy. Just write it up in your own words and send it to huntersrights@nrahq.org. Write "Hunt Report" in the subject line. We'll consider it, and if it meets our criteria we'll post it and let you know when it's up.

Submission of a Member Hunt Report does not guarantee it will be posted, and there is no payment.

If you have not visited http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/ recently, here are a few headlines you've missed:

California: Statewide Ban on Lead Ammo Weighed

HSUS Files to Stop Colorado Elk Culling

Conservation Groups Urge Obama to Delist Gray Wolves

Should South Dakota Hunters Have to Pay for Road Repair?

Diverting Hunters' Dollars Unfair - and Shortsighted

Keep up with how NRA is defending your freedom to hunt at http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/.

I'm such a shill. =)

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Y.E.S Application Deadline Approaching Fast

Via email:

$30,000 in College Scholarships Available to Students

Application Deadline - March 2nd

Just a reminder that the National Rifle Association is currently taking applications from outstanding high school sophomores and juniors to participate in the 13th Annual Youth Education Summit July 6th-12th. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity!

Approximately 40 students are chosen to take part in this expense-paid, seven-day event in Washington D.C. The summit encourages young adults to become active and knowledgeable U.S. citizens by learning about The Constitution and Bill of Rights, the federal government, and the importance of being active in civic affairs.

Activities on this year's schedule include:

• Guest speakers at NRA Headquarters and the National Firearms Museum.
• Competitive debates with other high school students from across the nation.
• Informative tours at historic sites and monuments in and around Washington, D.C.

YES participants also compete for a total of $30,000 in college scholarships. $10,000 is given at the conclusion of the week, based on their initial application, on-site debates and speeches, and participation during the week's activities.

$20,000 involves a second application, available to the participants after they go through YES. Since the program's inception in 1996, over $200,000 in scholarships have been awarded.

For additional information on the 2009 Youth Education Summit, please visit www.nrafoundation.org/yes, or call 1-800-672-3888, ext. 1342.

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A Message to Our Military

Got a bunch of these in email recently. I'll post one up from time to time. Continue Reading

Sunday Music - Late is Better than Never

Especially when it's the Derek Trucks Band:



"Joyful Noise" Continue Reading

Where There's Smoke.... Updated - Invasion Training Called Off

There's a bunch of pissed off bloggers.

First, we have Bloviating Zeppelin talking about the Mileage Tax:

Do what BZ calls The Logical Extension. Always do The Logical Extension.

- It would increase taxes on drivers. More money for government to spend foolishly;
- It would tend to keep some people out of their cars for two reasons:
* To avoid extra cash paid
* To help keep their individual privacy

Next, here's Michael Bane on the National Guard conducting urban warfare training in an Iowa town. The military says this:

"It will be important for us to gain the trust and confidence of the residents of Arcadia," said Kots. "We will need to identify individuals that are willing to assist us in training by allowing us to search their homes and vehicles and to participate in role-playing."

"We really want to get as much information out there as possible, because this operation could be pretty intrusive to the people of Arcadia."

Michael responds:

Intrusive? This is the stuff of Nazi Germany, of Stalin's Russia, of Third World Banana Republics. Gain the trust and confidence of the residents? Right, and arbeit macht frei. Look it up if you don't already know what it means.

His take on why they are doing this?

My opinion? This "exercise" is a test run for door-to-door gun confiscation. There is no other way to read it.

Finally, MadRocketScientist comments on this proposed bill:

Bill proposes ISPs, Wi-Fi keep logs for police

What does the Mad One say about it?

There is absolutely ZERO information that you could possibly glean from a Wi-Fi access log that would help any law enforcement investigation, and you have no right to know what I've been doing on my network unless you suspect me of a crime. I mean, have you ever heard of spoofing?

Probably not.

What's my take on all this? Well, numbers one and three are there for all to see. It's what our government wants to do for to us.

Number two? I admit at first I was hesitant to jump on this bandwagon. I even remembered "back in the day" we used to train in the West German towns and countryside all the time.

Then it occurred to me - that's where we were expecting to fight.

Update: The National Guard says never mind:

DES MOINES, Iowa – Following publicized reports that the Army National Guard was planning a military training exercise

on the streets of a rural Iowa town, the commanding officers have called off the mock "invasion."

Well alllrightythen. Thanks to commenter Kevin for the heads up.

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Badass Gun Chicks

Ziva's a badass, for sure, but I bet Burn Notice's Fiona would give her a run for her money.

(turn down the sound if you're not a fan of Weird Al, it's the best video I could find)

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Student Found With Gun

At Johns Hopkins University. To their surprise,

Reportedly, Wang did not resist or flee the officer in any manner.

...

Wang was considered to have no malicious intent to use the weapon for harm.

...

"There was never was any hint whatsoever of imminent danger to the student body," O'Shea said.

I bet that short-circuited their little pantywaist brains. A gun that hasn't taken control of its owner! Inconceiveable!

Of course, all's not ending well for Mr. Wang:

The University plans to set an example by treating Wang harshly and justly with expulsion, according to O'Shea.

Harshly, yes. Justly? Bullshit.


h/t Pro Gun Progressive

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Why Didn't I Think of This?

In comments on this story:

Maybe people want guns because they're so prevalent in tv and film. Let's pass legislation to ban guns from movies and television. I'm sure Hollywood wouldn't mind and or even bother sending their lobbyists to oppose this.

posted by gearrunr

(emphasis mine)

I mean Jodie Foster, Daniel Craig and many more in Hollywood hate and fear guns. Why not take them out? Just quit making movies with guns in them. Yeah, that's the ticket.

I'm sure they'll not miss the revenue.

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Second Amendment Roundup

Over at the Liberty Sphere.

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I Agree With Atty General Holder

He said:

in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards

We are cowards. When Al Sharpton, Rep Meeks, Barbara Ciara and others goes public and yells racism over this story, we are cowards for not telling him to shut up and grow up:





Newsflash, morons, the President doesn't write bills, he signs or vetoes them.

Also, why can one President be called a chimp on a regular basis:

But the next one can't? I think the word "coward" would apply there, too.

Racism is racism, folks, there's no "reverse" about it.

The only problem I would have had with the cartoon would have been if it was referring to the President. Not because of the monkey thing, but because of the bullet holes in the monkey. That's not cool.

(thanks to Conservative Scalawag for the above photo)

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Stimulating?

Blue Collar Muse looks at what the stimulus plan does for Tennessee. The short answer? Lots of money, little stimulus.

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Morning LOL

This is why learning to spell is important:



Found at Failblog.

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New Definition of "Carload"

Vineland cops find carload of guns

Or more to the point:

a vehicle full of handguns and ammunition

So, what's a carload in New Jersey?

a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol;
a loaded .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun with five rounds in the magazine;
a .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun with five rounds in the magazine;
a .32-caliber revolver loaded with three rounds;

There was also

a prop handgun; and a magazine containing three .22-caliber bullets.

Three loaded small caliber handguns with 13 rounds between them. My Smith 6906 holds that much by itself. I guess it must be an "arsenal".

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Commas

David E. Young talks about them. It's a good read.

The bottom line?

Commas Don't Count

Not unless you're trying to change the meaning of the Second Amendment, that is.

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Crimson Trace DVD Has Arrived

Remember that free DVD I talked about last month? It came in the mail yesterday.

Hosted by Michael Bane, it features such shooting luminaries as Julie Goloski (Go Army!), Ken Hackathorn, Todd Jarrett, and Wes Doss. And then there's Mark, the "bad guy" who gets shot all the time.

They cover sight picture, how to use the laser to improve your trigger control, low light situations, shooting on the move, on target from any position, and gunfight psychology,

Run time: Just over 30 minutes.

I learned things, and highly recommend this DVD.

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Sidebar

Put up a link to the NRA Membership site. Wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm a shill, or anything....

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Newbie vs Catherine

Check out the back and forth over at Newbie Shooters place. My old friend Catherine (no link for her) continues to show her bias.

I especially like the summation, in where Newbie says:

Catherine, you have sated many times that you have an opinion, and are entitled to it. And I agree, you are absolutely entitled to your opinion. But, when you present an opinion based on emotion rather than reason, delete comments of people who disagree with you, and ignore facts that don’t sit your world view, you make your opinion look silly and bigoted

I bet using the term "bigoted" in reference to anti-gunners hits them right where it hurts. As it should.

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The China Norinco Experiment

Just checking something Kevin found.

Ok, the title was too long, gonna shorten it up a tad.

Bah. URL won't change (kicks self)

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Cornered Cat on Gun Nuts Radio Tonight

Via Breda:

I want you to tell your wives, girlfriends, daughters, sisters, mothers, best friends - all the women in your life - to listen to tonight's Gun Nuts Radio. Caleb and I will be talking to Kathy Jackson, freelance author and owner of The Cornered Cat, one of the most important resources for women beginning to consider shooting and self-defense.

Good catch for Caleb and Breda. Check out Gun Nuts: The Next Generation tonight at 9 PM Eastern. More chicks n' guns than you can shake a stick at.

Of course, if you do shake that stick, do it in a non-threatening way. They'll be armed, ya know.

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Sad NFL News

The NFL announced today that for financial reasons they had to eliminate
one team from the league.

So they've decided to combine the Green Bay Packers and the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers and form one team, causing many layoffs but saving
millions of dollars in costs.

They will be known as the...*TAMPACKS.*

Unfortunately, they're only good for one period and have no second string

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Commercial Appeal - Wrong on Two Out of Three ...

... "Wrong Ideas"

-- Wrong idea No. 1: The newspaper is against the Second Amendment that gives Americans the right to keep and bear arms.

-- Wrong idea No. 2: The newspaper is invading people's privacy by posting the permit-to-carry-guns list on its Web site.

-- Wrong idea No. 3: Posting the list is empowering criminals.

And the only reason I give them credit for being right on one is [because I] can't prove beyond a shadow of a doubt they aren't against the Second Amendment. I can, however, make a strong circumstantial case by showing how they are wrong in numbers two and three. So, let's look at #2:

-- Wrong idea No. 2: The newspaper is invading people's privacy by posting the permit-to-carry-guns list on its Web site.

While they never come out and say "This is why it's not an invasion of privacy", they do list some privacy concerns. Of course, their justifications ring false:

The posting of this list somehow conjured up deep fears about personal safety, criminals and the media being soft on crime and hard on the Second Amendment.

This newspaper isn't soft on crime. We know that crime is the No. 1 issue that needs to be addressed in Memphis. We urge public officials to get tough on crime. We back Republican-led efforts to take a hard line on gun crimes and repeat offenders. Only last week we gave prominent coverage to Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton's call for a tougher gun-offender registry in Tennessee. We hope that proposal comes to pass so we can post the names of all who commit gun offenses and the names of all those arrested for carrying a gun without a permit.

Crime? Who said anything about crime. Nice strawman there, Chris. Also, it's nice to see your paper backs some Republican positions. Too bad it rings of "Some of my best friends are black Republican."

As to posting the offenders, go for it. I bet some of them respond with harshly worded emails and blog posts as well. Or not.

Funny how, once again, the publication of this registry is linked to criminal activity. more than anything I can say, your actions speak volumes.

Now, here are some scenarios where this database might do some good:

A mom might now check the list to see if the parents at her kid's sleep-over next door had a concealed weapon permit. If so, maybe it would be worth talking to them to make sure the gun is locked up.

And, maybe they should do it on June 21st. Seriously, if someone were to ask me that, I'd have to find out id the kid knew anything about gun safety. You know, the "Don't touch it, go tell an adult" kinda stuff. Gun safety is a two-way street.

A school official, concerned about whether teachers were bringing guns onto school grounds, might check the list to see whether anyone on the staff has a permit to carry, and then have a discussion about it.

Yeah, a discussion ending in "You're suspended", or "You need a psych eval." Or any number of other things.

Business people who sell goods and services that might be of interest to those who carry concealed weapons might use the list to generate new leads.

The gun business isn't that large, I doubt the database would do much good. It will, however, benefit a certain um, "clandestine enterprise" called the black market. Which leads us to the next point:

-- Wrong idea No. 3: Posting the list is empowering criminals.

To prove their point, they say:

Think about it for a minute. Many, if not most, households in Memphis possess a firearm. So you don't really need a list to find a house with a gun.

True, but why make their job easier?

And, if criminals were checking the permit-to-carry list before picking a target, would they likely choose a house where they know the owner could be carrying a gun, or would they more likely steer away from that house to avoid a possible confrontation?

Well, that would depend on the motivation of the criminal. If they wanted to steal guns, they'd simply wait until the house was empty and then enter and steal. Barring that, they'd go in armed, and bad things would happen.

Then again, maybe they don't want a gun. Maybe they're stalking someone. Maybe they want a fine piece of tail and are willing to take it by force. Maybe they want to do a home invasion. Maybe they just want to see what it's like to kill someone. This isn't an exercise in "what if?", it happens every day.

Good try, but in my opinion, you don't give a damn about legitimate gun owners and the Constitutional right they choose to uphold.

Update - Anonymous commenter makes a point I should have:

Wrong idea No. 1: "...the Second Amendment that gives Americans the right to keep and bear arms."

It does NOT.

The Second Amendment acknowledges a pre-existing, inalienable right while placing limits on the infringements the government may place on it; i.e. None.

I can't believe I let that slip.

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NRA to CA

NRA Chief Lobbyist and Tennessee native sent this letter to the editors of the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Tuesday, February 10.

To date, the paper has not published the letter or returned phone calls that we left for them. As a result, we are posting this letter.

Go read now!

In other news, who knew Chris Cox grew up in Tennessee?

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Sunday Music

"Will it go round in circles" Billy Preston. Continue Reading

Superhero

(You can be a superhero too!)

Yeah, I know. I bet 'm not the only one!

Found via Sergeant Caped Hottie.

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Press Release From My Rep

Via email from my state rep. Please take the time to read the whole thing:

Rep. Barrett Rich Works to Protect
Second Amendment Rights

(February 12, 2009, NASHVILLE) – Representative Barrett Rich (R-Somerville) announced today that he will be working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to protect the Second Amendment rights of Tennesseans by ensuring that gun owners have certain rights to privacy. His announcement comes on the heels of the publication of every handgun carry permit holder in the state on the Commercial Appeal’s website. In 2007, the Nashville-based Tennessean published the list as well, raising the concern of Second Amendment advocates.

“As a former law enforcement officer, I have seen the kind of violence that this knowledge can perpetuate,” said Representative Rich. “No one wins when a newspaper publishes the names of handgun carry permit holders. This action puts the permit holders at risk to have their weapons stolen, and it especially puts non-gun owners at risk by giving criminals a list of easy targets who are not armed,” he added.

Current law provides that the list is public record, but some lawmakers are working to change the law. Rep. Rich pledged to work with his fellow lawmakers on the issue, to protect gun owners and non-gun owners alike.

“It was irresponsible of the Commercial Appeal to publish the list, and I see nothing positive coming from it. I will work with and support efforts to stop things like this from happening this year in the General Assembly,” Rep. Rich concluded.

That's what I'm talking about!

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The Weather

I'm under it.

Hope to get something up later.

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It's Busy Over at the Liberty Sphere

First, there's the daily 2A Roundup, but, more than that, looks like the Welshman's going mainstream.

Congrats!

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Facebook Fail? Updated

Update:

CNS News reports that Social Media giant quickly reversed their decision to pull an ad by Conservative activists at Americans for Prosperity.

Via Blue Collar Muse, natch.

....


I don't "do" Facebook, but according to Blue Collar Muse, they are showing signs of an agenda:

CNS News is reporting FaceBook has pulled an ad promoting NoStimulus.com which they had previously approved. Not because ad content changed. That remains same content FaceBook approved. What changed was “public” input.

In other words, people complained, so Facebook went against their own policies and pulled the ads.

More detail at BCM's place. Continue Reading

Handgun Permit Holders = Hate Crimes and Felons

Looking once again at the Commercial Appeal's Handgun Permit database (not link for that again), I clicked the "Return to Data Center" link to see where I would go.

I had heard they put the database under "Public Safety", so I wanted to see what else fell into that category. Here's what I found:

We permit holders are on par with convicted felons

Hate crimes

Crime in general

Unsafe aviation

Railroad accidents

The Commercial Appeal's bigotry is on full display, and undeniable.

Update: John Scott has similar thoughts:

I can't begin to understand why they feel compelled to do this. They also post searchable databases of felons and people convicted of hate crimes. Do they see gun owners in this same light? I remember at one point groups were making public the license plate numbers and information on people going into X-rated clubs around town - I assume that was to open them up to harassment and shame. Is the CA trying to do something like that to people practicing their constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms?

That, or they are just bigots intent on depriving us of our civil rights.

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2A News Roundup

Over at the Liberty Sphere.

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Army Training!

So, this is how they train Minesweepers now?

Soldiers these days.

Back in my day, we used live mines! And our minesweeper was a stick!

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The Public's Right to Know!

Update - I re-checked the database, and indeed, they removed the street name as well, so I'm going to do the same thing.

Rich is all over it:

Public Records: Let the Sun Shine!

Here's an excerpt:

Joseph Pepe president and publisher [street name and number deleted] Germantown, TN 38139

Steve Tomb VP of Operations [street name and number deleted] Collierville, TN 38017

Chris Peck editor [street name and number deleted] Dr Memphis, TN 38104

Otis Sanford editor/opinion & editorials [street name and number deleted] Memphis, TN 38111

Eric Janssen VP of Digital Media [street name and number deleted] Germantown, TN 38139

Just like the CA, I took out the [street and] house numbers. No way to find them now, is there?

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Commercial Appeal = Fail

Update - Here's a feedback submission form. Please be as nice as you can.

Via SayUncle, we see that the Memphis Commercial Appeal has followed in the Tennessean's footsteps and published a searchable database of Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit holders. Uncle says:

Perhaps someone should publish a list of their reporters names and home addresses. Then someone could compare them to, say, unpaid tax records or some such?

I say - What the hell do you think you're doing? Not only are you telling the bad guys where the guns are, you're also telling the stalkers that their victims are most likely unarmed.

I'd cancel my subscription, if I had one.

Guess I'll get my grocery coupons from other sources now.

Pardon me while I write my State Congress folk.

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What's Worse Than Deleting Comments on Your Blog?

Editing them, of course. What a putz.

Update - Ok, we have a new standard of blogging douchebaggery. Edit the comment, then delete it. There has to be something else he can do to score the trifecta. Or would that me a hat trick?

Update the Second - Mike W in comments:

He actually can drain the three!

He re-posted the "edited" comment but deleted both the original and response comments.

WTF?

That's funny, right there.

Thanks to Mike W. for pointing that out.

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Titan Thoughts

It's now the off season in the NFL. Free agency and the draft are the only big things going on until summer camp, so I'll opine on those two things.

Free agency has a lot of our key players getting ready to make some big bucks.Albert Haynesworth, Kerry Collins, Bo Scaife, Rob Bironas and Chris Carr to name a few.

Here's how I think it will play out:

Rob Bironas PK - He'll get signed

Chris Carr CB - He said he'd take a pay cut to stay with the Titans. I say give him a raise and work him in more at Corner.

Kerry Collins QB - He'll get signed, the Titans would be crazy not to.

Vincent Fuller S - He's worth keeping, but may find money elsewhere.

Albert Haynesworth DT - If we don't lock him up prior to the beginning of free agency, he's gone. He's gonna be the highest paid player in football. The funny thing is, I don't think our defense will suffer as much as people say it will.

Craig Hentrich P - He's thinking about retiring. We'd better have a backup plan in place.

Reynaldo Hill CB - Buh-bye.

Brandon Jones WR - He's a keeper. Although he wasn't productive this year due to injury, he's a good prospect. I think we'll wind up signing him.

Eric King CB - I think the Titans will let him go, or sign him for cheap.

Daniel Loper OT - We need to keep him, he's part of a great offensive line rotation.

Justin McCareins WR - Meh. He's not the Justin we had before.

Bo Scaife TE - Scaife is an up-and-down kinda player. We should keep him if the price is reasonable, but getting into a bidding war over him isn't worth it.

Chris Simms QB - If we re-sign him to a long deal, expect Vince Young to walk at the end of next season.

Kevin Vickerson DT - He's getting there as a player, it would be nice to have him back, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Detroit native goes to the Lions this year.

So, with all that being said, what do the Titans need to get in free agency? T.J. Houshmandzadeh. That's it.

As for the draft, we're pretty low in the queue, so dealing it away isn't likely. Most pundits say we should get a WR for our first round pick, but that's not likely, either. If we do manage to get TJ, that'll be off the table anyway.

We'll probably go for the best player available, unless the genius that scouted Chris Johnson has another trick up his sleeve. Let's hope so.

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Doubletapper Sets the Record Straight

In this post, I wondered about Rahm Emanuel:

Rahm, were you a real soldier, or a John Kerry sailor?

I had heard (on Tee Vee, so it must be true!) that Emanuel was an IDF vet and served during Desert Storm.

In comments, Doubletapper says:

He is NOT an IDF Veteran

Cool! I feel better now.

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NRA News for Tennessee

Via email. Emphasis mine:

TENNESSEE: City of Crossville Capitulating on Right-to-Carry Assault The city of Crossville has postponed a city ordinance that would ban concealed carry on city-owned property. Thanks to your phone calls to voice your concern, the city of Crossville has decided to reconsider this ordinance. Currently they have simply moved the final reading to a later date while they review the proposed legislation one more time. Please continue contacting the members of the City Council to voice your opposition. Contact information can be found here.

Show Your Pride With an NRA License Plate! The Tennessee specialized NRA license plate provides an ideal opportunity to showcase your pride as an NRA member and your steadfast dedication to preserving our cherished Second Amendment freedoms. Your support of this program will help ensure hunting and shooting traditions in the Volunteer State for generations to come. To learn how to get one of these special license plates, please click here.

Nice to see Crossville showing signs of common sense.

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NRA Lawsuits in Illinois

Several Diverse Coalitions File Amicus Briefs in Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Supporting NRA Lawsuit in Illinois

Today, the Congress of Racial Equality, the Independence Institute on behalf of a coalition of law enforcement organizations, Institute for Justice, the Constitutional Accountability Center on behalf of constitutional law professors, and 70 state legislators from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin submitted amicus curiae briefs in support of National Rifle Association’s (NRA) appeal of the City of Chicago and the Village of Oak Park’s unconstitutional bans on handguns.

Good deal.

I got this last Friday, but figured I'd put it up today so it wouldn't get lost in the weekend shuffle. =)

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I Have to Wonder About Rahm Emanuel

I thought, being a former IDF soldier, he'd have some common sense. After watching this, I have to wonder.

Rahm, were you a real soldier, or a John Kerry sailor?

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Sunday Music

Posting this in honor of Roy Clark's induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. (h/t Aunt B)

Clark’s musical prowess is often overlooked by the broader country music community.

A guitar player on par with Chet Atkins, Clark could tear up a banjo, too. And a mandolin. And a fiddle. Trumpet? Not so much. =)





"Rocky Top" performed by Roy Clark and the Muppets. Continue Reading

Results of Cuts in the Defense Budget

Man, I hope President Obama doesn't change the Defense budget. This could be the result:

New patrol vehicle:

Air-to-air guns:



This could get serious....

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Catherine Responds

Here it is, fisked for my your enjoyment

The NRA United Propogandists[sic] Cointinue[sic] Obfuscating

As you may recall, I gave a personal opinion on my blog that I believe that assault weapons should be banned. Some NRA proud propogandists[sic] (they displayed a badge stating “NRA propoganda[sic]” blogger) came on my blog and harassed, used my blog for their own concerted agenda and then one of them refered[sic] to me as a crazy person on his blog simply because I had the audacity disagree with their viewpoint on the Second Amendment and other issues.

No, I (and others) came on your blog to explain why we felt you were wrong. Please show where you were harassed.

I am a lawyer but I don’t understand the Second Amendment, but these non-lawyers get it better than me. Oh, and I am crazy, according to them.

The Second Amendment isn't hard to understand, but I guess 25 years of indoctrination education causes words to mean something other than, um, what they mean. It's not rocket surgery.

Because some of the posting was abusive and the blogging was so intense, I decided, according to the rules of my blog that I do not want to subject myself to continue to deal with them because they are not interested in discourse.

Abusive? I didn't see it. Intense? Yes, somewhat. But to say I'm not interested in discourse is not true. The whole thing is about trying to engage in discourse. That's why I blog. That's also why I don't delete comments.

It's your blog, do with it as you see fit, but don't think just because you say something, someone else isn't going to take exception, even umbrage, with your statements. When they do, they will tell you. That's the beauty of the Internet.

They ridicule viewpoints different from theirs. I will not engage in that. See my comments. That is my right.

You won't? I guess "Wingnuts" is a term of endearment?

Their comments are not posted on this blog and will not be in the future. That is my choice.

You hear that? That's the sound of your credibility being sent down the drain. You've committed the cardinal sin of blogging, you deleted comments because they didn't echo your views.

I hope that one day they will let it go and realize that a conversation gets much farther when you don’t ridicule, accuse or otherwise engage in confrontations.

Let it go? So people like you can trample my rights? Not bloody likely.

I have posted a comment from one person who was interested in a discussion and will always do that.

One comment? Oh, thank you, your highness. You are a paragon of objectivity.

Nonetheless, the blogger has continued to harass and post on his blog that he has been nice and polite. That is false, but whatever. The discussion is over people. Let it go.

Point out one comment where I conducted myself in a harassing way. Oh, that's right, you can't. You deleted all my comments.

Also, point out where I said I was being nice and polite. I never said that. I said "it was not in any way harassing or malicious in nature". A bit of a difference there.

You persuaded no one and never will by ridicule. Good bye.

Like I said before, I wasn't trying to persuade you, I was hoping to communicate to some of your readers. The ones not already in lock-step with the Brady Bunch. You're a lost cause, in my opinion.

Buh-bye

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Reasoned Discourse = Comments Deleted

Another Update: Joe Huffman has engaged the blogger in question and got a response:

Reply: This is my personal opinion. I could get very technically legal. I felt it would be much easier to understand, particularly where it was right and the interpretation given by your friends was totally out there.

That king of question is interesting. I can quote statistics, but as far as i am concerned, this disscussion [sic] is over and has been for about 10 days.

I was going to [sic] the word "king", as it's most likely supposed to be "kind", but upon further reflection, Just One Question is the king, so to speak. It's funny that the only one to supply a satisfactory answer was someone on his own blog.

....

Update: This is too good not to share. From comments:

RuffRidr said...

I've found that Catherine also likes putting all of her posts up on Digg. I have taken to commenting on her posts there instead of her actual blog, since she is unable to moderate the posts on Digg. She made herself to look like quite the ass last time.

Good deal, I'll remember that for this and future gun banners.

....

Remember this post? It was highlighting some good commenting to an anti-gun post here.

Guess what? That comment is gone (bleeding demised).

I wouldn't have even gone back and looked at that post if it weren't for the fact she deleted my comment to this post:

Gun-Loving, NRA-Loving Conservative Right Wingnuts

In this post, she trots out the usual language of prejudice, calls me a propagandist, then proceeds to quote chapter and verse from the Brady Bunch.

She called me [gasp] an NRA shill.

She said the following:

Now they want you to believe that they need to cling to high powered
military-style rifles so that they can protect this country from an evil
government that they may need to overthrow?

Bellevue anyone?

She also said:

I really don’t see why, for example, any citizen needs an AK-47. Whether a gun is automatic or semi-automatic, certain guns can do tremendous damage and they are intended to do that.

I left a comment there, taking her to task for these and other erroneous statements. I checked back today to see if she had responded to anything I had said. I was really interested in seeing what she had to say about my statements on civil rights and bigoted language in relation to gun rights. She is a lawyer, after all, with over a quarter century of education at some very good schools, according to her.

Education, indoctrination, all the same these days.

At any rate, I was fairly proud of that comment, as it was not in any way harassing or malicious in nature.

My comment is gone. Poof! Down the memory hole.

I could understand it if my comment were insulting or hateful. It could have been, as I usually respond with the same tone as the poster, but it wasn't. It was a simple refutation of her post, nothing more.

Then again, some people seem to think any disagreement backed by facts is insulting, I guess. Or, maybe she lacks the courage of her convictions. I don't know. I just know my comments are gone, as are many others on those posts.

Dang, it was one of my better ones, too.

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NFL Pro Athletes and Guns

Looks like Blackwater has identified a new revenue stream:

Blackwater Worldwide has started marketing a personal defense course for professional athletes, pushing firearms training just two months after NFL star Plaxico Burress shot himself in the thigh.

Damn fine move.

h/t Uncle

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Second Amendment News Roundup

Over at The Liberty Sphere.

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More Reasoned Discourse

Sailorcurt has been getting himself banned/ignored.

At any rate, I think it's pretty funny that I scored not one, but TWO banishments today, all without hurling an ad hominem, or breaking a sweat.

Good on ya, Chief!

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Quote of the Day

Sailorcurt, on the Mexican gun problem:

If it's our demand for drugs that fuels the drug cartels, it's your demand for guns that fuels the gun running. If it's our responsibility to secure our borders from drugs and illegals flowing from Mexico, it's your responsibility to secure your borders from guns flowing from the US.

Folks, that's what's called Common Sense.

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Global Warming Protest

Via email, here's a photo of a recent Global Warming protest:



More than your typical anti-gun protest, eh? =)





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Literacy Test for Gun Owners?

Holy Jim Crow, Batman!

From the late 1890s through the mid-1960s, African-American citizens in the Deep South were systematically and egregiously denied their voting rights through the administration of so-called "literacy tests."

....

One should not be required to obtain a license or pass a government-administered test to exercise any constitutionally-protected civil right. If the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s taught us anything, it is that all civil rights are sacred, one is no less important than another, and all of them are worth defending because a threat to one puts all rights in peril.

Like Sebastian says:

If he were proposing this for voting he’d be banished from town. I guess in Congressman Rush’s world, some rights are more equal than others.

Yep.

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Comedy Gold

Uncle knocks one out of the park:

More Zombies

In Illinois. Well, the election is over. No doubt, they are returning to their graves.

I didn't know my monitor could hold that much coffee.

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Just When You Thought Memphis ...

... couldn't get any stupider, they do this.

Memphis City Council OKs police living beyond Shelby County line

After weeks of studying the issue following a controversial November vote, the council on Tuesday approved 8-5 allowing new police hires to live within 20 miles outside of the Shelby County line if they pay an annual fee of $1,400.

(emphasis mine)

And, because we can't have Memphis doing dumb shit all by itself, we now have this:

Lawsuit Filed Over Police Residency

A lawsuit, you say? Someone pointing out that the annual fee is Just Plain Stupid, you say?

Not hardly:

Bailey claims the move is a way to hire more white officers

[headdesk]

Memphis Tennessee, pushing the limits of stupid one day at a time.


I've talked about this issue before, but if you want a great rundown on what's taking place, go check out Mediaverse: Memphis.

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So, Who is Really Peddling Fear?

Yesterday, Unc linked to a letter to the editor over at knoxnews.com. The title of this letter, Gun shows exploiting gun-control fears, plays on the same tired mantra gun controllers have been chanting for years.

Namely:

These type weapons serve no purpose in a society

Fully automatic carbines and pistols are not sporting weapons

No biggie, those are easily dispatched, as they have been in comments.

What I want to touch on, in addition to the title, are comments like these:

The primary use of these weapons is superior fire power over the police and army.

Too often, these weapons fall into the hands of thugs, the mentally ill or rural terrorist types

I guess the only bleeding hearts are the innocent victims left lying at the crime scene.

So, who is really using fear to advance their agenda? Who is invoking mental images of dead innocents, the victims of thugs, nuts and inbred rednecks?

You are, Jim Winston.

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2A News Roundup

The Welshman runs down all the news thats fit to link.

Sorry for the double post. Blogger's acting funny.

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Blogroll Addition

Please welcome Newbie Shooter to the Mighty Fine Blogroll. Any shooter who's also a fan of Alton Brown has a place here.

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Word of the Day

On my Google homepage:

defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care

Timely, no?

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Sorry, Memphis

February 2nd is not "Hedgehog Day".



Next thing you know, they'll build a Pyramid along the banks of the Mississippi or something....

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Turnabout...

... is fair play, so I've been told. So, in the wake of the Federal Government's non-action, we get to read this:

With nearly 1.5 million people in the mid-west without power during a cold snap, what other possible reason is there that this new "competent" administration and FEMA would be failing so spectacularly in helping in this natural disaster?

It's got to be that Obama hates white people and wants them to die!

Of course, I am just aping what lefty blogs were saying about Bush less than 24 hours after Katrina's hurricane winds stopped blowing. But AP is reporting that Midwest disaster relief people are none too pleased with our new president's FEMA.

Yeah, gotta wonder where Mike Myers and company is when we flyover country folk are in dire straits.

The Anchoress has an excellent rundown on the situation:

When a million people in flyover country are suffering, and 42 people have died, we don’t hear much about it. If this was New York, Washington, Boston, (or if the president had an R after his name) you’d see non-stop reports, and the press would be roundly criticizing FEMA’s absence, and the White House’s disregard. Right?

I wish I could say I'm surprised.

h/t to Breda, who has the Mike Myers/Inarticulate racist asshole rapper video there.

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NRA Points Out Deception

Via email:

Anti-Gun Deception On The Senate Floor

As we reported last week, legislation to require a federal license to possess any detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifle or shotgun, or any handgun, has been introduced in Congress. Bills to re-impose the federal "assault weapon" and "large" magazine ban, or to impose a much broader ban, have been introduced in Congress since 2003, and will likely be introduced in the current Congress soon.

Already, the deliberate deceptions we heard from anti-gunners previously are resurfacing. Anti-gun Sen. Carl Levin, (D-Mich.), said Thursday on the floor of the Senate that "assault weapons" are "capable of firing up to 600 rounds per minute" and that they are "once again pervading our streets and neighborhoods."

Did we mention that our opponents are deliberately deceptive?

Many fully-automatic firearms can fire 10 rounds in a second, which theoretically would work out to 600 rounds per minute, but they cannot be reloaded fast enough to achieve anything near that rate in reality. But we are not talking about fully-automatic firearms—we're talking about semi-automatics, and the difference between them need not be explained here.

For folks not in the know, there is no difference.

Go read it all, there's lots more.

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Not to Sound Too Whiney

But, those refs really screwed the Cards tonight. Some ticky-tack calls.

Running into the holder? Dude was off balance. There was no way he could have not run into that guy.

And why didn't they review Kurt's "fumble" at the end of the game?

Bullshit.

Nothing against the Steelers, they played well enough to win.

But, the Cards were denied some key opportunities due to the refs calls/non-calls. Continue Reading

Sunday Music

More Kings of Leon



"Arizona" Continue Reading