Shot once in the throat, once in the back, and in the leg while trying to run away

The war on drugs just kicked down your doors, zip-cuffed you and your daughter, shot your dogs, then said "whoops," and left.

One of the dogs was shot three times: once in the throat, once in the back and the last time in the leg while trying to run away, Rita Patterson said.

They were probably afraid the dog was retreating to get a gun.

The police had a warrant for the home, but it named no suspects. It said only that investigators were looking for a white male and Hydrocodone. Information that led to the warrant, according to the warrant itself, came partly from an informant, Rita Patterson said.

Well, it was another warrant for a house (no word if they arrested the house) hastily drawn up on information from dubious informants whos' identities must remain sooper seekrit.

But at least they had a suspect. A white male. Hey... Are YOU a white male? Is there any reason to believe a white male might be in your home?

Do people realize the police can, at any time, break down your door, gun you down in self-defense (it looked like you were going for something, you gonna believe a cop or a dead man?), say "oh shit, sorry!" and leave?

"Executing a search warrant, police never know what they’re going to find on the other side of that door," DeGeorge said. "In most cases, these can be life and death situations."

He's right. Executing no-knock search warrants is very dangerous business.

So dangerous, in fact, that they should probably do things like, check who's home at the time, surveil the house, or even, hell, I don't know, check the goddamn address before they kill another 92 year old woman, protecting her life from unidentified assailants.

Tell me again why it's "life-or-death" important that the cops break down a door, and overwhelm the occupants with force, without so much announcing that they are policemen?

Oh yeah, because someone might flush a baggy a drugs down the toilet if they say they're police seconds before rushing in.

Hey, if these raids have the slightest chance of locking up people to do drugs, who cares how many innocent people are gunned down in the process?

Certainly not Obama.

Just more American collateral damage in the War on Drugs.

This just in: Murphy's Laws still active!

I misplaced my Leatherman Surge (the only REAL Leatherman multitool), and had been forced to use my Skeletool where it was not the best tool for the job. I waited a few months, and periodically went on the hunt for the Surge. It's a big tool in a small apartment, yet it repeatedly eluded my search.

So finally I gave up. I bought one on ebay last night (for a good price, too!), and was confident that my current Surge would either turn up in a very unexpected place when we eventually moved, or fail to turn up entirely.

I don't suppose I have to tell you what happened today.

It wouldn't have been so bad, had it not been in a place I checked frequently on past occasions, and IN PLAIN SIGHT. Surely something was recently moved to reveal it, but I'd been through and through that desk to no avail.

It's not so bad I suppose. I hold the Surge in high regard, and have recently taken to buying doubles or triples of objects that I like. It always sucks to enjoy a tool or article of clothing for so long, lose it, and discover it is no longer available for purchase.

Besides, the Surge is a very legitimate tool of impressive design and indisputable usefulness; and when it comes to such tools, two is one and one is none.

Notes from a Ca. Gun Show

There was a line to get tickets, a line to get in, and A LINE TO GET OUT.
No... Seriously.
The line to get tickets was the longest I've ever seen.

There was a 30 minute wait to make it through the three-deep wall of people surrounding the major ammo distributor.

Good, not great deals on .50 cal ammo cans.

Apparently some manufacturer has been convinced to convert Saiga-12s to California legal, and they will be more available soon. It was hard not to drop the plastic on a $1400 Saiga-12 AK Conversion. In a bit, they should become more available to us. Can't wait to find one for a good price.

EBR disease is spreading. A few years ago there was ONE booth selling AR lowers, and a bunch of people standing 8 feet away, expecting a Sheriff to tackle and arrest them if they go too close. Now, EBRs consume around 25% of the firearms offerings at the show. The genie is out of the bottle, and all the threats in the world won't get it back in.

Noticed a lot of the military surplus arms were inching below the expected prices. I wonder if the milsurp guys are feeling left out with all the EBR sales. I might show up to the next show ready to make some good deals.

I saw a Mas 36 at the show, and finally got a chance to handle what I drooled over when I first saw it at The Armed Canadian's place. I really don't need another rifle to feed, but if the price were a little bit better, I might not have been able to stop myself.

Complete AR rifles remain retardedly expensive. Found a "stock as you can buy 'em" carbine for $1500. Prices went up from there to just over 3K. Found a bone stock A2 upper (no bolt) for $575. They were selling the last bolt they had for $175. The prices were so high I even entertained the fool notion of selling one of my ARs under the expectation that prices might go down. Maybe time will prove me a fool, but I'll be able to cry my tears all over my bird in the hand.

Lying to win

CNN, yet again, faking demonstrations of weapons available at gun shows.

At 4:19, the ATF representative "demonstrates" one of the guns available at the gun shows.
Surprise, surprise, it's a fully automatic AK-clone.

Except you can't pop into a gun show, and walk out with a fully automatic ANYTHING.

Perhaps this detail is lost on the reporter, and the ATF agent was happy to exploit his ignorance.

Either way, it's wrong.

Go correct them in the comments, and pass this link around.

Maybe we need Wayne LaPierre to smack them down on this topic. AGAIN.

Obama has medical marijuana both ways?

A bit ago I was happy to write "Good job, Obama" in response to his apparent policy change toward medical marijuana.

He said he would stop the raids in states where medical marijuana is legal, he waited, then he issued this policy statement.

Yet here we are again.

So did Obama really change his policy? Or is this one of those, "I change the policy, wink wink, nudge nudge, and you can keep getting them on technicalities."

I guess we can find out when we find out either what he does about it, or if these "technicalities" keep popping up, and keeping the DEA door-kickers with doors to kick.

Obama, Legalization, The Economy, Change, Violence in Mexico, and Economics.

At a town-hall style meeting, Obama answered questions voted upon via internet.

But after 3.6 million votes were cast, one of the top questions turned out to be a query on whether legalizing marijuana might stimulate the economy by allowing the government to regulate and tax the drug.

Note, please, that the question was not; "Dude, like, dude, you should totally make bud legal, bro!" This was a legitimate question, made even more legitimate by California's consideration of doing the very same thing.

Obama's answer came as a surprise to me.

"I don't know what this says about the online audience," Obama said in the session in the East Room, drawing a laugh from his live audience, which included teachers, nurses and small-business people. "The answer is no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow the economy."

Of all the presidents in recent memory, I would expect Obama to be the one not to crack a joke at this question. Especially considering he was for legalization, before he was against it.

The debate tape from Jan. 21, 2004, at Northwestern University shows Obama proclaiming the war on drugs an "utter failure."

"We need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws,". he said to scattered applause. "But I'm not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana. What I do believe is that we need to rethink how we're operating in the drug war. Currently, we're not doing a good job."

This must be part of the change he was promising. I'm not sure what he means by saying we should "decriminalize our marijuana laws," even though he says he's "not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana." I'll just say he Kerry'd that line, and move on.

So Obama says, "I don't think that is a good strategy to grow the economy." Lets play for a moment in the fantasy world that the income from taxation of legal Marijuana, would be nonexistent. Lets assume marijuana sales bring in no additional income. What income does legalization free up?

How many people are incarcerated for minor drug offenses, and sucking money from state and federal coffers every day? How many man hours, and overtime hours are spent pursuing these same offenders? How much money is spent on investigations to stop large shipments of marijuana? How much federal money is paid out to families of accidental victims of the drug war? How much money is spent in court costs trying those same cases? How much money does the coast guard spend seeking, and destroying smugglers' boats? How much money can be saved by cutting the overhead and processing of almost every police agency in the country?

How much money (and lives) is that President Obama? How much money will that free up, which can be spent on economic problems elsewhere?

California estimates it can charge $50 per ounce of marijuana, and almost guarantee sales, because those prices still beat the black market. Do you have any idea what percentage tax $50 is on an ounce of a plant that grows in the dirt? It's practically criminal. But people will pay it. You will instantly have income from a billion (trillion?) dollar market, already in full swing.

There's also the added effect of striking a heavy blow against the drug cartels south of the boarder. Want them to stop fighting over territory? Take their buyers away. Stop a large chunk of their income. Give them less to fight over. I keep hearing you talk about the violence in Mexico, well now you have the chance to do something about it.

Hillary Clinton was wrong when she visited Mexico, and said America had an "insatiable" appetite for illegal drugs.

America has an insatiable appetite for drugs that have been declared illegal.

Politicians declared these substances illegal.
Politicians created the black market for these items.
Politicians are responsible, not the nature of humans to seek what they want.

All the force in the world will not eliminate market pressure.

The DEA commands billions of dollars, top-of-the-line guns, and even tanks. TANKS. Let that sink in! They're still being beaten. Soundly.

What does the DEA have to show for itself in THIRTY SIX YEARS in operation? Except a bottomless pit in which we dump money, people incarcerated and living off tax dollars, the blood of innocents caught in the crossfire, and an availability of illegal drugs that has never so much as stopped to catch its breath?

As long as someone wants something, and someone's willing to sell it to them for a reasonable price, that transaction will always take place.

You can either profit from that transaction, or waste money trying to stop it.

How's the latter been working out for us so far? I seem to recall a certain Senator calling it an "utter failure."

So what has changed since then, Mr. President?

Politics or reality?

California may ban certain colors of cars

Because if we all drove light colored cars, it would save the world.

Seriously.

You just can't make this stuff up.



Sooo, how long untilll.....

Can we talk about WMDs in Iraq yet?

Now that Obama is president, we can talk about how Saddam had 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" uranium?

No?

Maybe later?

Ok.

Only Obama had the vision to identify the threat of a WMD-capable Saddam, and bring him to justice! Even when the war was unpopular, Obama knew that he had to surge, and drive toward victory in Iraq. Obama pushed forward against the wishes of the opposition party, and even his own party, because he knew it was the right move, and that failure in Iraq would be a black eye for America that would embolden our enemies, and spur them to strike at our hearts yet again.

Truly, Obama is a man of vision, integrity, and strength.

From Dan

BUSH'S INCREDIBLE DEFICIT REMAINS MONOLITHIC!

We all know Bush raised the deficit by PRODIGIOUS amounts, finally, the Congressional Budget Office has been able to visualize this INCREDIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE tax on our CHILDREN!

CHARGE BUSH WITH TREASON!

Here's the horrifying graph! Be sure to pass this around to get people angry about Bush's "legacy" of almost 50 billion in debt!


Don't worry about that scribble on the right, that's nothing, and has nothing to do with Bush, pay no attention.

From Ravenwood

Bill asks a simple question

Bill goes straight to the horse's mouth to cut through the exaggeration and shock to find out if the weapon used to kill two Oakland SWAT team members really was a fully automatic AK-47.

The answer he get from a police official is actually surprising...

I cannot comment on any of that information.

Sorry,

Officer Jeff Thomason

Why on earth are the specifics of the weapon used to murder two officers privileged information?

Maybe the gun is part of an ongoing investigation. Perhaps revealing its identity would put it in danger of retribution.

Why would the Oakland PD refuse to release this information?

I'm not so cynical as to postulate that they wish to allow people to continue to believe this felon was able to obtain a fully automatic AK-47 and used it to gun down these officers just because they want to use the deaths of these officers to progress a political agenda of gun control.

But it does make one wonder.

The First Rebirth - Modeselektor

It's Ted!

Another awesome comic from A Simple Apology.

Quote of the Political Mindset

When asked if he was concerned about encouraging California Republicans to break their No Tax pledge, Governor Schwarzenegger said;

I am not running for anything. So they cannot threaten me.

Ladies...

Gentlemen...

Fellow taxpayers...

The political mindset doesn't get any clearer than that.

Fuck you Arnie.

A Tale of Two Vigils.

One Vigil
Big turnout at vigil for police

A thousand people gathered to honor four officers murdered in cold blood by a murdering rapist, who didn't want to return to jail.

Another Vigil
Vigil held for accused murderer, gunned down by police

As mourners walked through the streets, they chanted, "OPD you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!" The cousin of the accused addressed the small crowd, calling him "a true hero, a soldier."

If you couldn't already tell, these vigils are for the same event.

I've been told independently by two Sheriffs that places like Oakland and Compton are full of good people, just trying to get by, and a small percentage who want to ruin it for everyone.

At least the Oakland community realizes that they need to gather to support the police. When you keep telling the police to stop doing things, eventually, they do. These people realize that they need the police to keep violence from exploding.

It's the first step toward social change in that community.

You couldn't pay me to drive through Oakland. Hopefully, one day in the future, that will no longer be the case.

Bush's sinister touch remains! ... As Obama's middle class tax cuts.

Everyone keeps talking about the Obama pulling the middle class tax cut from his budget.

I just remembered something...

This isn't a tax cut.

Because taxes are not being cut.

This is a failure to EXTEND the Bush tax cuts for the middle class.

If Obama doesn't give the middle class its "tax cut" it doesn't mean your taxes stay the same, it'll mean your middle-class taxes will go up.

Interesting how hard you have to search to find any mention of Obama's amazing tax cut, really being the dastardly Bush's tax cut.

But this is a standard play.

California legislature does this too. They "cut spending," by removing planned spending from the next budget.

So, you say you're going to spend 1 million dollars on pudding snacks next year, and decide not to. You've just made the "tough decision," and reduced your spending by 1 million dollars.

Then, you can issue a press release claiming you've already cut 1 million dollars, that spending is already cut to the bone, and the only way to get out is to tax, tax, tax.

Obviously someone was paying attention.

Quote of the 90% tax

Congress can make no law that is unconstitutional on it's face. If such a law be passed, it is the duty of the president to repudiate it; and it must not be signed. If such a law is signed, it is the duty of the agents of the government to refuse to enforce it. If the agents of the state attempt to enforce it, then they must be resisted with force, at all costs.

Anything less is submission to tyranny, and the diminution of citizens, to subjects; or worse.

Chris Byrne will not obey.

And no, he's not a bank executive, and he doesn't work for AIG. Nor does he make over $250,000 a year. He's just another hard-working American who aspires to one day do so.

UPDATE:
All Chris' talk about "duty" reminded me of a quote from another document...

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

What document was that again?

Quote of the "why don't we just stop pretending and tear the damn thing up?"

You show me in the Constitution where the Treasury secretary has the power to "seize" anything other than his own trouser snake. As a matter of fact, you show me in the Constitution where there's even mention of a Treasury secretary. (Hint: there isn't.)

Why are we even going through the motions of Constitutionality anymore?
~Tam

Wait a second... you want to blame ME for the financial crisis?

A hedge fund manager is pissed.

Very pissed.

He gives a rundown of how we got here, from his view, in plain, simple English.

He points his finger directly at who is to blame, and explains why they are to blame, and what their motivations were.

He talks about how much money he makes, and what that money does. (Let me give you a hint: it's not all under his mattress. It's investing in businesses, and giving money to YOUR boss, so he can pay YOU, hire YOU, or give YOU raises.)

Then he talks about what he plans to do.

It's not pretty, but you need to read it, and pass it around.

I haven't linked to it yet because I want you to know what will be covered, and why you need to READ THE WHOLE THING.

You want to know who's at fault in this financial crisis?

You want to know who price fixed a fifth of the GDP?

You want to know how the people who pay 98% of the nation's tax income are going to react to this vilification, and congressionally approved piracy?

READ THE WHOLE THING.

It ain't pretty.

But it needs to be read.


From Tam

British PM gets nailed

StoutRepublican posted this great video, go give it a watch.

OUCH! I could feel that one all the way from across the pond!

Sadly, if you listen carefully, you'll discover a lot of parallels with our own situation over here.

They say Great Britain has always been societally 10 years ahead of us. Unfortunately, it looks like we might be catching up.

Quote of Soviet America

In soviet America, government steals from Charities.
~StoutRepublican

Drug war a tremendous success!

Huge Mexican heroin ring raided

Authorities arrested 48 members of the so-called Mendoza family, seized 20 kilos of heroin and $100,000 in cash during the early morning raids, officials said.

WOOO!!! Yeah! Take that drugs! 20 kilos! $100,000 in cash! Good luck making that up, motherfuckers!

The raids capped a seven-month investigation by immigration officials, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department...

Wow! 7 months of investigation! Cooperation between Immigration, DEA, and LASD! We're kickin' your asses drug lords!

...into a ring that allegedly made $2 million a month selling heroin in suburban L.A. County as well as Ventura and San Diego counties.

Wait? $2 million a month? They only caught them with $100,000. Oh, well, you know, they were doing this for a scant 7 months, and then, BAM! SHUT DOWN! Take that drugs! You may have made 14 million dollars during the investigation, but not any more, you sons of bitches!

On March 12, a federal grand jury indicted the 48 members of the Mendoza family...

YEAH! ROCK AND ROLL! Shut those fuckers down! 48 rats down the hole!

...who authorities said had arranged to smuggle large amounts of black tar heroin into the Los Angeles area from Mexico for the last 15 to 20 years.

Wait what? These 48 members of this drug "family" pulled in up to $480 million dollars smuggling drugs into our country, and selling them for up to 20 years?!

Well, at least this will take black tar heroin off the streets for a bit.

No?

Well, at least the gap left by shutting down these drug peddlers won't be instantly filled by another merchant of death.

Really?

Well, at least they got $100,000 out of the drug cartels' hands. It's not like the illegal drug trade likely nets billions a year.

Oh...

So this raid is barely a blip on a blip in the tremendous failure of the war on drugs?

Ahh.

Well, at least the fight is worth it, right?

Oh no...

BUSH PROMISES MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS!!!

AND THEN HE DELIVERED!

I'm not talking about Obama. I really am talking about Bush.

Figured I'd point it out because Obama is backing away from his promised middle class tax cuts.

I really can feel the change.

He's sucking it right out of my pocket.

UPDATE: These aren't the tax cuts you're looking for.

BUSH'S INTERNATIONAL IGNORANCE THREATENS RELATIONSHIP WITH U.S. ALLY

Oh, no, wait, it was Obama, and no one cares.

UPDATE: THIS IS INCORRECT!

Think this is just an isolated thing? Think Obama really is CHANGING things after Bush? Read more of these posts here and think again.

Listening to Obama's news conference

I see Obama hasn't backed away from his pre-planned, pre-approved reporter list for questions.

Any idea what would have happened if Bush was the one who-- you know what, never mind, you don't care. No one cares.

Quote of the blame

9.3 trillion dollar deficit over the next 10 years on my new budget? Well the Republicans gave me a 3.4 trillion deficit first! [paraphrased]
~Barack Obama

My, what a big deficit you have, grandmother.

Always trust the police to protect you

They are held to a higher standard than us.

Send this article to anyone who says the police are the only ones professional enough to carry firearms, or defend your life.

Glenn Beck: The One Thing 3/20

It's long.

Watch it.



From Hot Air, who can't help but note;

Whatever you may think of the man, he's touched a nerve: On Friday, he was number one in all of cable news in the coveted 25-54 demo, ahead even of Bill O'Reilly. ... God only knows what ratings he'd do with a real audience.

You can have my kids when you pry them from my cold dead hands. Part 2

Imagine for a moment if George W. "Little Hitler" Bush, made a program that required you to relinquish your children into the control of a program which undertook tasks and curriculums created by his administration, and wore uniforms created by his administration.

Now swap Bush out with Obama.

I don't care if the person pushing something like this is George Bush, Barack Obama, Jesus Christ, or the Antichrist. I don't want my kids to be forced to do or attend anything because a politician says so. Until my children are 18, they are under my supervision. If you got a problem with that, you take it up with me. You don't make a law that snatches my children from my watch, and requires they attend your "community service" camp.

Community service, itself, is not bad. In fact, it's good! It lets people feel like they're giving back, and gives them a sense of ownership in their community.

I'm not against community service.

I'm against mandatory community service as defined by congress and the president.

Not this president or that congress, ANY president, ANY congress.

The word mandatory is a big one. Because it denotes that if you do not comply, something bad will happen. Nothing congress does exists without teeth for long. This bill doesn't appear to have any teeth in it right now, but how long until non-compliance gets too high, and congress and the president start fining parents and charging parents with crimes, and ABDUCTING CHILDREN?

What? Was that too much of a leap?

That's their goal isn't it? To get the kids to the community service organization? Fining and charging parents doesn't get the kids to physically attend. Besides, it's for the kids' own good, right? It's for the children!

These politicians feel that it's the government's solemn duty to take your kids to these community service organizations.

Do you doubt that's where it'll end up? It might take some time, but have no misconceptions; there is no other destination.

I seem to remember writing about this way back when everyone was telling us to ignore this "Obama youth" idea, because it was something that Obama didn't really care about, and would never gain traction.

What was it I said about it then? Oh yeah...

You think I'll fight when you come to take my guns? You try to take my kids and I'll make that fight look like a motherfucking bake sale. I'll fight 100 times harder, nastier, and more ruthlessly when you come to take my children, and I'll feel good about it.

If you want to strike the misgivings and uncertainty from a possible insurgent's heart, go after his children.

Here's a funny little provision of the bill...

[PROHIBITED FROM] Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.

They use the phrase "religious instruction or worship," which covers either "religious instruction" OR "worship" instead of "and," which could be read as including the adjective "religious" as a descriptor of the verb "worship."

What does "worship" mean again? Isn't it something you could do to a glorious leader?

And why specify religious proselytization? Why not just proselytization? Oh, I suppose I'm just reading into it too much right? It's not like poor wording of a bill ever results in unintended consequences, and leaves congress saying "That's not what we intended!"


Look, this isn't that complicated.


Regardless of party, regardless of president, regardless of noble intentions, regardless of timing, regardless of everything else...

When a government requires youth membership in a government organization, the eventual result is teaching children to elevate state over family.

Teaching kids that their dad isn't their father; the glorious leader is their father.
Teaching kids that their mom isn't their mother; the nation is their mother.

Don't fall in the trap of Republican vs Democrat, because it'll probably take a few presidencies for it to change, and the only party that will have complete control during that time, is the party of politicians.

It won't happen immediately. It won't be someone flipping a switch, and turning this well-meaning organization into the Hitler Youth. It will follow the same pace of creeping incrementalism that has gotten us where we are today.

So long as the government directly commands any position of mandatory education or activity for the youth of the nation, that is the inescapable evolution.

If you ignore it now, you won't find out until one day at dinner, when your son will interrupt you, and say that your speech is illegal, and that you should stop or he will report you.

By then it will be too late.

Oppose mandatory youth activities with direct government control in any form, from any party.

Fight them as if your future depended on it.
Because your kids are your future, and they depend on you.

I bought ammo at walmart!

AMAZING!

Walmart has been bone-dry since the elections, save for a few 20 packs of some esoteric hunting rounds, or small containers of CCI .22. The answer was always the same... "Just keep calling." Well, a bit ago, I figured what the hell, called, and caught them with 4 packs of Federal .22 550 bulk. One high-speed chase later, they were in my hot little hands.

Apparently word got out that they'd have a shipment in early this morning, and there was a line when they opened, sucking up all the bulk .22, and winchester white box bulk packs of 9mm, .40, and .45. The four boxes of Federal .22 were all that was left of the shipment.

Nowadays I look at the contents of my safe, and can't keep my mind from wandering back to something Oleg did a while ago.

I want to laugh.

I want to be enjoying a drink with a fellow gun owner, and say, "Hey, remember when Obama came into office? And we all freaked out, thinking he was going to take our guns, or tax them into oblivion?" Then I want that fellow gun owner to smile broadly and say, "Boy were we wrong!" Then I want us to have a good laugh about our overreaction.

I'd love a living in clover beneath cloudless skies.

But preparedness is called preparedness for a reason. The possibility, however remote, of being without a gun and ammo is not the same as the possibility of being without a golf club and bag. The gun is civilization for a reason.

And as someone once said; the neat thing about stockpiling guns, food, and gold, is that if you're wrong; you still have guns, food, and gold.

Don't play with your food.

UNLESS IT'S DINOSAURS!!!11



Thought to be extinct; the PeanutButterAndJellyosaurus roamed the prehistoric plains with terrible wrath, and horrifying deliciousness.



Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!



Ahhhh! Pudding tar pits! Enticed by sweet, chocolaty doom!



Waiter, what are these goldfish doing in my applesauce? Having a good time!

Quote of the Enlightenment

Digging through some posts from years and years and years ago, and happened across this gem.

There was a slight pause, and then the room thundered, and filled with a shimmering light. A sudden silence fell, and the man's eyes grew wide. Through the blinding light you could see knowledge fill the man's eyes, and sense his grasp of reality strengthen. In a flash, all old thoughts were revisited with new clarity, soundly defeated, and expunged from his mind. He closed his eyes, and reopened them to a new world full of sublime perceptibility. He was enlightened. Though, sadly, as this new level of cognizance spread to the corners of his consciousness, his brain gave way, weak from years of liberalism and cognitive dissonance, reducing him to a vegetative state, and simultaneously increasing his IQ.
~Me

Barking in the dark.

You still call me every now and then. Whenever my phone lit up, I was excited to know who was calling me. (people calling me being such an infrequent thing :]) But seeing your number appear would take all the excitement and turn it sour and dry. I feel a little victory each time I see your number, and ignore the call. I know how to deal with it now. You always leave a voicemail, and despite what you probably think, I listen to them before deleting. Well... A little. I listen to the first few words before immediately deleting. I'm listening for the voice mail that begins with the words "I'm sorry". I'm not even sure if I ever want to hear it.

The voice mails are long. I can tell when the ringing stops, and it takes a long time for the voicemail notification to come up. I was struck by the idea that all those words, and all that emotion, stored in the ones and zeros of Sprint's voicemail service all just disappear into nothingness when I hit "7" mere seconds into the message. All that effort expended, the yelling, the cursing, and blaming, all vanishes into nothing with the press of a button.

It almost seems like a waste.

Almost.

I was thinking about it, and realized that you probably know that I delete the messages. On some level, you probably understand that you're only talking to yourself. Talking to yourself helps. I do it often, and find it to be very therapeutic. So if you need keep calling, and talking to yourself, I'll refrain from blocking your number.

With kind regards,
Your Former Son

Money in the closet

I was reading survivalblog, and saw that TA-312 field phones are selling for $110.

Damn. I had no idea. I've got four of those in my closet, and together they could be sold for more than most of my guns.

As far as investments go, these were good ones. Seeing as I got them for free... But the asking price will have to quadruple before I'll even consider selling these impressive pieces of equipment.

Class warfare at its finest

Upset about the AIG bonuses? Want to give them a piece of your mind? HOP ON THE BUS TOUR TO THEIR HOMES!

Saturday 3/21, give AIG execs a piece of your mind!
We're all mad at AIG. Their executives bear a large share of the responsibility for bringing the economy to it's knees, and now the same folks are getting hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses -- at our expense. Join us for a field trip to bring them the message.

This is amazing. This uninformed anger is so easily misdirected.

How much money did the AIG execs get in bonuses? How much of your hard-earned tax dollars went to those princes of excess?

One million?
One hundred million?
Forget it, for the sake of argument, lets just pretend it was one billion.

How much money is spent on people who don't work because they choose not to? How much money is spent on congressional toilets? How much money is spent on bridges to nowhere, and pet projects like "Cultural awareness centers"?

Congress spends billions of dollars before breakfast, and you're getting bent out of shape about some executives receiving their contractually obligated bonuses?

If you were really upset about the bonuses, you'd do better to go on a bus tour to the people who added the bonus assurances to the bailout, or the people who voted for it without reading it, or the president who was "outraged" when he signed something he didn't even read.

Congress builds monuments to waste, and your completely valid anger is easily redirected by these "organizers," who fight against the government spending whenever it's spent on anyone other than them.

Don't be fooled by these pipers. Do some research for yourself, and find out who the REAL princes of excess are.

Then stop them.

BUSH MAKES FUN OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS!!!

Oh, wait, it was Obama, and IT'S NO BIG DEAL, WE ALL KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. THERE IS NO STORY HERE! MOVE ALONG!

*sigh*

Think this is just an isolated thing? Think Obama really is CHANGING things after Bush? Read more of these posts here and think again.

Behold the Brilliant Orator...

Obama is asked a question at the Los Angeles Town Hall event, and answers in his own unique teleprompter-less way...

First the question;

In california we have the highest cost of living. Household income that is middle/upper class in other states isn't much here. But the recent stimulus addresses household income on a national level, and makes no accomidations for high cost of living areas. California also leads the nation in foreclosures. What can be done to address California's unique situation? Keeping in mind, household incomes, and we're not really apples-to-apples with other states, but we're taxed as if we are.

[paraphrased] California is in a different economic place than the rest of the country, and is having a particularly tough time, but we're being given a one-size-fits-all solution from the government. What can be done?

Obama's 3 minute, 48 second answer is a tale which bobs and weaves into and out of many cul-de-sacs and alleyways, eventually coming to what could only be his answer; "You'll bounce back."

But what were the topics he brought up on his way to his three word answer? Just a few...

• Cost of living is different in Ca.
  
• Salaries are different in Ca.
  
• Deductions (california killed child deductions, and Obama wants to cut charitable contribution deductions),
  
• Millionaires pay less taxes than secretaries
  
• Rich people do well when the economy does well
  
• Bubble and bust
  
• Bottom up economic growth
  
• The traffic is bad
  
• LA transportation needs are different from rural transportation needs
  
• More people live in metropolitan areas
  
• California gets hit harder when things are bad, but comes back faster.

I must say, I was so impressed by the length, and breadth of his answer, I just forgot what the fuck he was talking about! Maybe he's more brilliant than I thought...

This is the brilliant orator we keep hearing about? This rambling, stuttering, circumlocutious answer is what the girls are screaming beatlemania over?

Pretend you have a modicum of objectivity, and watch the video yourself...

Skip to 7:08 for the question, Obama's answer goes to the end of this clip.



Obama's answer continues from the beginning of the clip to 2:02.



Pull back the curtain on the wizard. All that's back there is a teleprompter.

Ride Fast's Baby Steps

I just returned from walking down the street to the mail boxes, while open carrying my unloaded and holstered HK USP (with a full magazine in my back pocket).

My Galco XD holster works great at home... Maybe I should see how it works on a walk to the mailbox.

Obama stops medical marijuana raids

He kept saying he was going to do it, and now he has.

The feds will no longer target medical marijuana distribution centers in states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes.

Good job, Obama.

UPDATE: Do I have to take that back?

You incredible fools. What have you done?

I'm pissed off. I'm angry, and I'm frustrated, and most of all, I'm disappointed.

I've written before how unpopular people have no rights, now unpopular people have no money. A 90% tax on the bonuses of AIG execs was rushed through congress, and will likely be signed by Obama.

Why is this bad?

I'm not going to argue about whether they "deserved it" or not, or if their pay was "outrageous" or not, or if they're "liars and thieves" or not, or if they "make too much money" or not, or even if they were "too rich" or not...

This is bad for one simple reason.

Because the federal government just proved they can ROB unpopular people of all their money.

I don't care if you agree or disagree, if you're black or white, if you're rich or poor, live in the city or the country... We just proved that if a majority of people are mad at a group, they can make the government take all their money away.

Yes, I understand there were limits on the 90% tax, and I don't care. The fedgov just said, "Hey, everybody, we're going to tax these folks at 90%, you cool with that?" and a majority just said "HELL, YES."

There's no coming back from this. Once this bill is signed, a very thick line is crossed.

How long until you somehow become the target of this hatred? First they came for the rich people, and I said nothing because I wasn't rich. Got any other unpopular groups you'd like the government to rob for you?

The next time you look at yourself in the mirror, lock eyes with yourself, and ask the following;

"Do I want to make over a million dollars a year?"

Well? Was the answer yes or no? Do YOU, not anyone else, just YOU.

Do YOU want to make over a million dollars a year?


YES! Of course you do! You know why? Because you want a good life, and good things for your family, and good things for yourself!

If you won the lottery, and everyone was pissed because they lost, would you want everyone to vote to tax your winnings at 90%?

If you started playing the stock market, and on a whim bought in a company that within a year blew off the charts, getting you 5 million dollars in under a year, would you want everyone to vote to tax your winnings at 90%?

If you came here from another country, with nothing more than the shirt on your back, worked 16 hours a day at two jobs, rented a large broom closet, saved your money, went to night school, got a finance job, worked 10 hour days to stay ahead of your coworkers, and kept going to school at night until you finally got your masters degree, got a raise and a promotion, and still worked 16 hours a day to become the top idea-man for your company, and made millions of dollars in bonuses, would you want everyone to vote to tax your earnings at 90%?

NO! Because it's YOUR MONEY! Through your actions, big or small, deliberate or accidental, YOU earned the money, and it belongs to YOU! No one else has claim to it!

No one else worked for it!
No one else had your idea to get it!
No one else did exactly what you did!

YOU did, and YOU deserve YOUR money!

Anyone who would take all your money is a thief, and should be treated as such.



Instead...


You've requested the federal government steal this money, and keep it for itself.



You incredible fools.


What have you done?

Unorganized Militia Propaganda Corps Hat

I've been wondering where to put the Unorganized Militia Propaganda Corps patch, given to me by Ry Jones, and last weekend I saw a flexfit hat, and realized it would be perfect. I had a little trouble with the woman working there though; I kept asking for the hat in coyote brown, and she kept insisting it was something called "beige." But she was foreign.

I was set to take the picture posing with the hat, and figured why wouldn't a gun blogger pose with a gun? So after a short session of indecision, the Enfield was the winner.

Quote of the double wtf

Credit cards are like exploding toasters. (paraphrased)
~Barack Obama

Obama's manufactured outrage.

Remember how Obama was OUTRAGED that AIG executives were receiving contractually required bonuses?

Dodd Fesses Up: Admits AIG Bonus Amendment Added at Behest of Obama Administration



Can you feel the hopechange?

Yeah, it's a whole new presidency... right... Maybe this was somehow Bush's fault...

Quote of the wtf

AIG is a suicide bomber. (paraphrased)
~Barack Obama

More Ca. Open Carry news, less PSH

Local views clash on carrying guns in public

A surprisingly fair article. One worth reading and passing around.

From Calguns, where the discussion continues...

Ca. Repubs called out on anti-tax stance.

No new taxes? GOP dollars support campaign Republicans abhore

It’s safe to say California Republicans weren’t pleased with the tax increases approved as part of the budget fix last month. Of the 44 Republicans in the State Legislature, only six voted for the plan — and at least three of them already are the subjects of recalls while a fourth was ousted from his spot as Senate Republican Leader before his vote was even cast.
...
So why is the California Republican Party contributing money to support the tax increases?

Hey California Republicans legislators! The jig is up! We get it now! You put on a tough face in front of the cameras, and plan on who's going to take the PR hit, and how they're going to be compensated after they're recalled with government board positions that pay 7 figures. We're not going to be fooled any more.

Writ of Habeas Circumstantial Evidence

Police: Calif. student missing since '07 overdosed

If he did it, he deserves everything that comes to him and more, but we'll have to wait for the trial to see if there is truly a preponderance of evidence to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt.

This kind of thing doesn't sit well with me.

Open Carry San Diego get some press

With a heaping helping of PSH.

SD Police Fear Growing Number of Activists Carrying Guns Openly

Paul Cooper is an attorney for the police department. He says the practice is dangerous to the public, the people carrying the weapons and to officers.

Dangerous to officers? I wonder why the OC'ers asked two officers to attend the meeting then? I guess that's not important. What IS important, is obviously ZOMG GUNS! THEY MITGH SHOT SOMONE!

Keep up the hysterics, you pantywaists. The more hysterical you are, the more regular people realize how foolish your ideas are, and the sooner you lose your pedestal.

Also, this.

Chicken butt.

I think I neglected to mention that I proposed to my long time grillfriend.

She said yes.

The ring has no diamonds (at her request), but instead has geometric and hemispherical cuts along the middle to catch the light, and sparkle rather brightly. She likes it.

Puzzle Quest is surprisingly fun

A mere $10 on xbox live arcade will get you this creative puzzle game.



It is deceptively simple. At first it appears you're just lining up three or more of a kind, and destroying gems for different colored mana, experience, gold, and attack energy. But the addition of spells which affect the gameplay in dramatically different ways, and items which modify your abilities, opens the avenues to some very creative strategies. Somehow, it's even fun to watch. My fiance and I frequently spot moves for each other.

(I mentioned I was engaged right?)

Also, this.

Obama's going to be in town

I have neither the patience nor the drive to take the day off work, and wait in line for the privilege of being herded into the "free speech zone" with the (undoubtedly) other protesters.

Instead I will work today, figure out how much money I earned, then spend that money on ammo.

While we're on the topic; which president is going to speak tonight? Bush? Or Obama? Is Bush still president, or is Obama in charge now? I get so confused when Obama keeps placing blame for his actions.

Heh. Obama's going to be at the same place where the crossroads of the west gun show is going to be at the end of the month.

EDIT: Wait, maybe I'm looking at this all wrong. I should go, and ask Obama to give me a house! From what I understand; I need only ask, bow, and kiss his ring, right?

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY! LOCK THEM UP FOR LIFE! REGISTER THEM AS SEX OFFENDERS!

WHO CARES IF THEY'RE KIDS! THE GOVERNMENT HAS A SLEDGE HAMMER, AND EVERY PROBLEM LOOKS LIKE A NAIL! NO DOUBLE STANDARDS!

Obama continues to impress... But not in a good way...

When I posted earlier on the Obama administration’s brilliant plan to stop paying for treatment for veterans wounded in the course of duty, I had kind of figured that this wasn’t so much Obama’s idea as it was some lower-level wonk on his team of lefties writing a bad decision into the budget, and that the administration would promptly back off it and throw the feckless ideologue on the growing pile of bodies under the bus as soon as the story went public.

I was wrong. The Best Plan Ever is, in fact, Obama’s Best Idea Ever- which he defended to the face of the American Legion representative that met with him in an attempt to talk him out of this boondoggle. Obama knows the moral arguments, he just doesn’t want to hear ‘em- because he plans to save five hundred and forty million with this cost-saving measure.

From Atomic Nerds

This shit ranks up there with stealing candy from children. We've got to stop assuming these guys hold anything sacred. They are recklessly obtuse, and they must be stopped.

A Simple Apology is back, and still awesome.

Mark hasn't been sleeping well, but there's good news!

Obama wouldn't be "outraged" if he had read it before signing it.

I'd be more inclined to share Obama's OUTRAGE!!!!111ONE if it weren't for the fact that the bill included a provision which specifically said the bonuses were allowed...

Dodd added an executive-compensation restriction to the bill. The provision, now called "the Dodd Amendment" by the Obama Administration provides an "exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009" -- which exempts the very AIG bonuses Dodd and others are now seeking to tax.

So Dodd adds the provision which basically says, "if you've got a contract with the company that says you get a bonus, you get a bonus!" AIG execs then get their bonuses, and then OH TEH NOES! LOOK AT TEH BONSUSUS! WE GOTTA STOP THIS INJUSTIS! So who stands up and demands that this be undone? None other than Dodd him-fucking-self.

Is it any wonder we're in this mess in the first place?

Quote of the day

It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.
~Samuel Adams

Pick up the fucking phone, and CALL ME!

This isn't the first time someone at work e-mails a request to me, I don't immediately reply (because maybe my outlook is hung at night, or maybe I'm ASLEEP in the morning), and I get a series of angry e-mails in all caps, red lettering, and marked urgent with a red flag that I get back to them NOW.

I, of course, eventually get the e-mails, and then call, and everyone's mad at me for not replying earlier.

There was an actual, real-life emergency, where a customer was sending people home, and no one would pick up the fucking phone and dial 7 numbers.

I know your fingers aren't broken, because you can still type angry e-mails. CALL ME!

That is all.

Looking for a job in this down economy? California gov is hiring!

Report: California continues to hire despite cutback promises

Looking for work? The state of California is hiring, despite promises to the contrary, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reports.

The Bee analyzed state employment records to reach its findings that put a different light on claims by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of a hiring freeze and massive cuts to the state's part-time workforce.

Hey, this is government spending! It's not affected by silly things like the economy!

BUSH LIFTS FEDERAL STEM CELL BAN, APPROVES BUDGET THAT BANS IT ANYWAYS

Oh, no, wait, it was Obama, and no one cares.

No, really, no one cares. StoutRepublican told me about this story, and I had to ask him for a link, because I couldn't find anyone reporting on it.

Move along! Nothing to see here! Obama said he approved federal money for stem cell research, so that must be what he did.

STOP ASKING QUESTIONS!

Think this is just an isolated thing? Think Obama really is CHANGING things after Bush? Read more of these posts here and think again.

Tip of the hat to SR

The recession catches up with me

Just received notification that we will be entering a no overtime period, and that my schedule will be moved to accommodate another employee's schedule to cover the OT usually spent by me waiting for him to show up.

This wouldn't be so bad if my raise wasn't predicated on a somewhat predictable amount of overtime. Sans OT, I'm down about 13k a year.

They're obviously aware how much pay they'll be cutting. Time to start considering my options. Particularly those options in states that don't squeeze small businesses.

If they think I'll be working unpaid overtime, they're nuts.

Quote of your own road.

I haven't put that price on my own head yet, the price at which I bail out on my free market convictions all just so I don't have to worry about what may or may not happen. I like worrying about it... it means it's something that I am in control of... me not worrying means it's been gobbled up by big government who thinks I have neither the right, nor the mental fortitude to walk my own road.
~Stout Republican

Watch that video, it's worth your time.

It's a good damn thing Ca passed those tax increases

Because they're 8 BILLION DOLLARS SHORT! I mean, imagine how bad that would have been had they NOT passed the new taxes?

So California refuses to come to the realization that taxing those in the top tax bracket, taxing businesses heavily, increasing sales taxes on everyone, doubling the car tax, and taxing our taxes (literally), will not increase revenue.

No, California's cunning strategy of tax and spend and tax and spend and spend and tax and tax and tax is somehow failing to balance the budget.

Clearly there is only one, unprecedented, course of action...

BANKRUPTCY.

Start over with a clean slate. Throw away all the irresponsible union contracts, flush the politicians, and START OVER.

It's the only way.

Quote of unnecessary quotation marks

I once saw a sign for a yard sale with Saturday in quotes. On that one I felt tricked. I happened to have a sharpie with me and crossed out the quotes but I wanted to go to the house and ask them if the yard sale really was on Saturday. It seemed I had stumbled across a sign that was part of a grander scheme. I pictured the evil villain sitting in his big leather chair. Stroking Muffin, his fat, white cat.
"Yes. We'll make the yard sale on [air quotes] Saturday [/air quotes]." Followed by a satisfied chuckle and a twirl to look back out the window of his high rise mansion.

I lol'ed.

Quote of impressive stupidity

From a fool so misguided as to be self-destructive... (seriously, maybe we can lock these people up for their own safety?)

That John Galt thing is the first constructive idea I’ve heard from Republicans during this crisis. If they all start working less, it will open up jobs for others, and jobs with good pay too. Bring it on!

To which Tam can't help but reply...

Does it hurt when you try to think?

The people that make $250,000+/yr are the kind of people who own businesses that employ other, less-skilled or -qualified, workers. When the doctor or lawyer cuts back, they lay people off. The cashier from Piggly-Wiggly is not going to step up and start performing cardiac catheterizations or doing patent attorney work to fill that "open job".

Worse, if the Piggly-Wiggly cashier has been going to night school to become a medical receptionist or a paralegal, she’s screwed now, because there are fewer job openings and more unemployed paralegals and medical receptionists competing for them.

How much more misguided can you possibly be? "If my boss/doctor/mechanic quits, then I'll just take his job?" Seriously??? What can you even do in the face of such ignorance?

If these people refuse to listen to the nice teachers trying to educate them in economic truths, then they're going to have to learn from the most unforgiving teacher of all...

Life.

It's not going to be pretty.

Just keep repeating...

Yes we CAN...
Yes we CAN...
Yes we CAN...

Lets Not Shit Ourselves - Bright Eyes

Just in case anyone was under the misapprehension, lyrics matter in music.

Listen to this.



No, really...

LISTEN.

Sad Songs and Waltzes Cake

A classic.

Endorphins, I has them.

Think I worked out a good... workout... [insert quasi-masterbatory explanation of what muscles I'm working out, and why they're awesome]

Everything feels better after you work out. Well, not immediately after... Or much later after... But there's a good bit right in the middle where you feel alert and full of energy. It's good stuff...

Dragon Food

My Hungarian surplus 7.62x54r light ball has arrived!

1976, eh? A good vintage.
(there's still some left, get it while you can)

One must keep his dragons fed.

And these dragons rather like this flavor.

Normally, I'd just toss these oversized spam CANs of ammo into the closet; sealed up tight, and ammo unchecked. But these are not normal times, and I'd prefer the peace of mind of knowing for sure that this ammo is clean and ready to go, no matter how unlikely the opposite may be. Besides, extra ammo cans are cheap.

So these two spam cans will be opened, the ammo inspected, and the contents portioned into two spare ammo cans. I decided that I might as well open and inspect the second can of '78 Hungarian surplus I already had, and join it with the two new cans of '76.


The '78 is the one in the bottom right, with the can opener duct taped to it. The ammo can on the right has the remnants of the first can of '78, already on stripper clips.


Make sure you've got a can opener. These cans are a bitch to open without one. Ask me how I know.

I recommend using a rag or cloth to make the can opener's operation easier. That thin handle has a way of digging into your hand part way into the first can. By the third, you'll wish you started with the rag.


Here's what greets you once you've popped the top.


Each wax paper wrapped bundle holds 20 rounds of rock and roll.


I cover the inside of the can with wax paper. While I'm not certain why it would be a problem to have the ammo touching the metal of the can, the spam can has the ammo wrapped in wax paper, and the insides of the can covered with cardboard, and that stuff keeps extremely well. It's only little extra effort, and it seems prudent.


Remove the ammo from the bundle, and inspect it for rust or heavy dents. I usually pick up five in my hand, and roll them back and forth to check all around the casing, then inspect the primer for any weirdness. This is a slow, time consuming process, but doing it now will save you a lot of headache later. Do it while listening to music, or in front of the teevee, but DO IT. Rust and corrosion likes to spread, and one bad apple can, and will, spoil the whole bunch.

The late 70s Hungarian surplus continues to impress me. Not a single dent or ding, or a spot of corrosion or rust. Each round is almost a perfect copy of the last in outward appearance, and makes you confident about the level of consistency you can expect. This surplus also is not covered with a light film of cosmo, that must be wiped off of each individual round. This is a welcome relief after spending hours at a time for days cleaning other surplus 7.62x54r. My thumbs ache just thinking about it. You couldn't just wipe it off, you needed elbow grease.


When you're done, it should look like this :) That's 500 rounds of 7.62x54r in that ammo can. It could probably take a few more bundles, but I decided to keep the number round.

The '76 differs slightly from the '78. It lacks the red sealant (lubricant?) around the primer and case rim. I thought the red rings added a nice flair to the ammo. :)


Also, the '76 seems to have a darker, smoother finish on the casings. At first the smoothness of the '76 seemed to be greased, but closer inspection does not support that. If they are greased, they may stick in a hot chamber. I'll be sure to watch out for that.


Inspected by lucky number 13. :)


As done as I'm gonna be.

I finished the first can of '76, and dug into the second can to get an even 500. The last spam can will stay like this until I get some more ammo cans from the gun show at the end of the month.

A time consuming process, but worth it when you pick up the heft of 1000 rounds of Dragon food, and carry it off to the closet.

JD has a question for you.

JD from Ballistic Deanimation has an important question for the times in which we live.

Go find out what it is, and answer it for yourself.

Got your answer? Good.

Even if you live in some socialist hell-hole that doesn’t recognize your right to defend yourself, like me, take a good long look at the issue and decided if the ability to defend yourself is worth it or not.

It's a valid point, and one that some gun bloggers don't seem to grasp. They carry with a permit because they are taking responsibility for the lives of themselves and their loved ones, but balk at the idea of someone carrying without a permit.

"Stuff and nonsense!" They say, "Breaking the law casts all gun owners in a negative light, and is counterproductive to our fight! If you can't get a permit where you live, it's as easy as renting a u-haul truck."

Clearly some gunnies still have a problem differentiating between malum in se, and malum prohibitum.

Lets focus on the main point here. You either believe that one should carry to be ready to stop violence wherever one goes, or you do not. The rest is really inconsequential when we're talking about what could be the difference between your life and your death. Or worse, the death of a loved one when you knew you had the training, skill, and ability to carry, but choose not to because you lacked a piece of paper.

As they say in certain places;

Concealed means concealed.

---

I am reminded of a post by Blackfork about Outlaws.

Pro-gun article from the BBC

UPDATE: Whoops, this is a bit old. Still good though. This revelation is almost a year old, imagine what they could have accomplished in that year? Oh bugger.

---

No, really...

America's 'safety catch'
Despite the fact there are more than 200 million guns in circulation, there is a certain tranquility and civility about American life.

The author begins talking about the incidence of violence and accidents with guns in America, but winds up talking about how surprisingly peaceful it is. Particularly compared to Britain.

Brits arriving in New York, hoping to avoid being slaughtered on day one of their shopping mission to Manhattan are, by day two, beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about. By day three they have had had the scales lifted from their eyes.

There are fiddly bits in the article that I'm not going to get into, because I have no interest in looking a gift horse in the mouth. The author seems to be genuinely surprised things are so peaceful here despite there being 90 guns per 100 people. (instead of being so peaceful BECAUSE we have 90 guns per 100 people)

Baby steps right? They'll come around. We have the facts on our side, and you can only argue with facts for so long.

From CalGuns, where the discussion gets interesting.

Blue jeans worn by other mass killers

Another dose of snarky goodness over at Tam's place. Go read.

You ARE reading her every day right?

*chuckle* ... breakfast cereals...

Everytime someone buys Benchmade

A butterfly knife gets its wings!

Always good to see people buying and carrying quality tools.

What's in your pocket?

Obama wins two awards!

Though he doesn't seem too happy about them...

Click through to find out why.

Who wants to buy expensive, store-brand butt-shelves when you can make your own!

Construction of a raccoon butt shelf.

Yeah, I know, why didn't I post the instructions from the many, many butt shelves I've built in the past? Well, I've been very busy with a demanding elbow pouch project that is taking up most of my time.

Three wrongs make a right?

"By the time we got here, there already had been an enormous infusion of taxpayer money into the financial system," he said in an interview posted Saturday on The New York Times' Web site. "And the thing I constantly try to emphasize to people if that coming in, the market was doing fine, nobody would be happier than me to stay out of it. I have more than enough to do without having to worry the financial system."

Barack Obama, from here.

Oh, well Bush, with heavy backing of Democrats (sorry, forgot this was an NY Times article) already issued a bailout! So it's not Obama's fault that Obama bailed them out two (three?) more times. So was Bush wrong to bailout, or right? And does that mean you support or don't support the bailouts you signed? For that matter; what was it about your new deficit-heavy budget kept you from a public signing?

Oh well. I guess it doesn't matter. What really matters is that BUSH DID IT! If I were you, (and good god am I glad I'm not) I'd make a recording of you saying "BUSH DID IT!" so you can turn the volume up, and play it without having to say it. Because it won't be long until your voice is hoarse from trying to repeat it on your own.


I'm not even going to bother with your "before me, the market was great!" statement. It arrives to my eyes pre-distilled for my blogging convenience. Thanks Obama, I feel the change already!

XD spring kits back in stock

This is required spending for any XD owner.

(actually spare springs for primary firearms are required spending for ANY gun owner)

BUSH SUBVERTS LAW-MAKING PROCESS WITH SIGNING STATEMENTS!!!

Oh, no, wait, it was Obama, and no one cares.

Think this is just an isolated thing? Think Obama really is CHANGING things after Bush? Read more of these posts here and think again.

I lol'ed

What are you doing here mouse?

Carteach reviews Ruger P-85s

The Ruger P-85/P-89. Tanks are built like this.

I had a problem with Bill Ruger's politics/policies, but after he died, and Sturm Ruger Firearms started selling >10 round magazines to "mere civilians," and started developing firearms meant to be carried by those same civilians, I ended my boycott and promptly bought two Ruger firearms that I have enjoyed immensely. My GP100 and 10/22 have been fun to shoot, and reliable. I certainly don't agree with the man, but he sure knows how to make a fine firearm.

Carteach is always a good read, and make sure you check out his other blog, Bear on a Bicycle.

We need to stop this kind of gun violence!

Without violence like this, a robber would still be alive.

Won't someone think of the robbers?!

Hat tip to Uncle

New Earworm

Not nearly as voracious as the last one, but some good chill-out music. Pogo has some great trip-hop. (I hate calling it that)

Dot's Vinyl Gone Bad - Pogo


Oh yeah, you can download the mp3 for free if you want. There's a link on the left of the page.

You're not "computer illiterate," you're STUPID.

I can understand what it means to be computer illiterate. There is an entire generation that simply does not understand how to interface with computers, and that's acceptable. But once you understand the basics, like clicking buttons with your mouse, and typing in things with your keyboard where the cursor is, there is no excuse for some things.

Like when I say, "Click there, and you're going to want to run the software."
And you say, "I clicked, and it says run/download. What do I do?"
And I sigh, and say, "Run. You want to run the software."
Then, you say, "Ok, it's asking me if I want to run it again. What do I click?"
To which I reply, "Kill yourself."

This has nothing to do with your level of computer literacy. There is a point at which you should be declared unable to process simple instructions, and turned into fertilizer.

How about this: You and I sit down in a white room with a table and two chairs. I sit on one side of the table, you sit on the other. There are two cards on the table, one red, one blue. I say to you;

I'm going to give you some instructions, and I want you to follow them. Your instructions are as follows; 'Choose blue.' That is the end of the instructions. I will now ask you two questions.

Then I will pick up the two cards in either hand, hold them up between us, and say; "Which one do you pick?" Your answer will be recorded. Answering "blue" will result in a passing grade. Answering "red" will result in a failing grade. Failure to answer within 5 seconds will result in a failing grade. Asking for help will result in a failing grade. Confusion about the question or the process will result in a failing grade. I will then put the cards down, wait 5 seconds, pick them back up in the opposite hands, and ask the same question again, "Which one do you pick?" Your second, and final answer will be recorded.

A score of 100% will allow you to leave the room, and return to the life you lead.

A score of 50% will get you locked in another white room with a toaster, a knife, and two pieces of bread. Upon use, the toaster is set to jam, and the toast will burn. Surviving this situation for longer than three minutes will result in you being allowed to leave the room, and return to the life you lead.

A score of 0% will get you locked in another white room with nothing more than a plastic bag grocery with the suffocation warning removed. There, nature will take its course.

GO OBAMA, GO!

I support the words coming out of your mouth, but there are COUNTLESS reasons why I really don't think you'll be able to make those words a reality.

I have yet to determine if Obama is intentionally misleading us, or is honestly that naïve.

LA Teachers "protest" the issuance of layoff warnings

Next time my boss tries to fire me, I'll just yell at him until he leaves.

THAT'S SURE TO WORK!

Seriously? The teachers' union is getting in our faces because they might get laid off in this, the worst economic position this country has been in in DECADES?!

NEWS FLASH: IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE LAID OFF!
WELCOME TO THE FUCKING JOB MARKET!

The teachers' union leader said they were ready to be arrested for their civil disobedience, and that this was how Ghandi beat British rule. This guy's such a huge slimeball, he's probably visible from space.

Fortunately, the School Board knew about the upcoming protest/sit-in/shouting, and simply recessed, and resumed the meeting in another room they had set up for this occasion. The teachers eventually left on their own accord; instead of bound in handcuffs, pepper sprayed, and dragged by riot police chanting "We shall not, we shall not be moved!" as they had hoped.

Sorry guys, maybe next time.

Of course the real losers here were the parents who took the day off to show up to the meeting to voice their opinion on an elementary school issue, who were unable to speak at the meeting after the interruption.

But who gives a shit about them, right? It's just their kids, and the teachers can't be bothered with them.

Yes we CAN...

... buy water CANs, CANs of food, and ammo CANs.

Patting yourself on the back for spotting the obvious

What would happen if you took a small bag of cocaine, lets say a 2"x1" baggy of the white stuff, and taped it to your inner thigh, or in your armpit, wore regular clothes, and tried to get on a plane and take a flight to another state in the USA.

Likely, you don't think you'd get away with it. Some kind of sensor would go off, a klaxon would flash, and wave after wave of drug dogs would charge you, right?

Well maybe not.

Apparently this man tried to smuggle four pounds of cocaine in his pants. He wore bicycle shorts with the cocaine taped to them, and wore some oversized pants over them. The TSA security person used his/her heightened sensory skills, and superhuman alertness to determine that the man was wearing baggy pants. They patted him down, and every local news outlet patted them on the back.

I've gone through that exact same airport, wearing my baggy pants, and usually a large fleece jacket without so much as a second glance. If I were John Wayne airport, I'd probably downplay the fact that post 9-11 technology that caught this was a pair of eyes that belonged to a TSA agent...

What does a trillion dollars look like?

Ok, right now, close your eyes imagine you standing next to a thousand dollars in $100 bills, lying on the ground in front of you.
Pretty easy right?

Now do $10,000.
Not too hard, right?

Now a million dollars.
Still possible for most of us, and probably pretty accurate.

Now a billion.
More difficult, more likely to be inaccurate.

Now a trillion!
I know it seems like too much, but just take a guess. Just pretend you are standing in an open area, with 1 trillion dollars in front of you. How much space would it take up?

Now check your answers.

How right were you?

Next time you hear "million," "billion," or even "trillion" uttered by a politician or talking head, just remember how much money it is.

Hat Tip to JayG

California Tax Revolt 2009

Supposedly more than 15,000 people spent their Saturday at this rally.

An impressive turnout.

Looking forward to more.



There WILL be more.

Quote of the "reasonable" people

If you reject the idea that gun restrictions equal crime control, and instead believe (as do I) that gun laws are not only counterproductive to their stated goals and an attack on liberty, but unconstitutional, you don't call for more enforcement of them. What would be the point in that, unless it's an unprincipled attempt to appear "reasonable" to people who know nothing of the issue and nothing of the constitution's history?
~Lyle

But! But! Baby steps! Pragmatism! More than we can chew!

How about PRINCIPALS?

NEW INVENTION REVOLUTIONIZING PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT!

Order one today!

But seriously, I wasn't much of a reader because I just couldn't find anything that would hold my interest long enough. But I made the effort and with the help of the library (sucks to buy expensive books and wind up not liking them), I was able to get into a niche, and ride that niche to some awesome reads.

I was thinking about a post about how cool it is in today's world of recharging batteries, and buying new games every few weeks to entertain you for ~10 hours, to have this tiny, light, box-shaped object that can entertain you for many more hours for less money, without recharging, or any other special care.

Books are pretty cool.

Those who do not teach their children history...

Some of Britain's school kids think Auschwitz is a type of beer rather than a Nazi death camp, according to a new study.

A survey of around 1,000 high school students aged 11 to 16 found 10 percent of youngsters were unsure of what [Auschwitz] was and 2 percent thought it was a brand of beer.

There's going to be trouble in the country where Great Britain was.

New name, new Digs, same ET

Ahhhh... That's better.

ExistingThing has been changed to ErnestThing

ExistingThing was something I chose back in '04 when this blog started. Since then, it's meant less and less in relation to this blog. Ernest Thing seemed like a good fit, and easy replacement to keep "ET" the same as it is how I'm known to some others.

Er-nest
   /ˈɜrnɪst/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ur-nist] –noun
a male given name: from an Old English word meaning "vigor, intent."

I think it works.

Additionally; existingthing.blogspot.com is now towhichireplied.blogspot.com

I like it.

Obama exceeds all expectations!

When a president takes office, it takes a few months for any presidential changes to actually make it through the legislative process. For this reason, it's usually incorrect to blame or praise a president in these beginning months.

But not Barack Obama.



Only six weeks into his presidency, Obama was the only president with the VISION, the STRENGTH, the HOPE to take control of the country, and effect his change so quickly.

Were this week six or any other presidency; you would be wrong to blame or praise the president for the state of the country.

But this president made sure that his CHANGE was so broad and sweeping, there there could be no one else to thank but HIM for the state of the country.

THANKS Barack Obama.

THANKS a lot.

Your trillions of dollars in HOPE and CHANGE have proven that with enough effort, a new president can make things worse in record time.

Look at the bright side; there's nowhere to go but up now, right?


Right?



Uh oh...

No. We can't.

Just saw my first Barack Obama "sign up to do community service because if you do, then the world will be a better place, and unicorns will totally fart rainbows, and other sweet-ass shit" commercial.

Really BO? Is now really the time for this?

You think people are sitting at home, wondering if they're going to have a job in the next month and how they're going to be able to pay the mortgage after their modest savings runs out when BAM! Your inspirational, uplifting, intellectual, thoughtful, engaging, 30 second spot comes on. Suddenly this person realizes how selfish they've been for working 50 to 60 hours a week for money to pay the mortgage, gas bill, car insurance, and tuition; and that they should spend their free time doing whatever you say for no compensation.

Tell me Barack; what color is the sky on your planet?

Louis CK: Everything is amazing; nobody is happy.

What an amazing time to live in.

I was going to buy something the other day, and realized that the smart and final I usually go to closed down. So I picked up my cell phone, opened google maps, typed in "Smart and final," clicked on the one I wanted to go to, and clicked "call." I spoke to a woman there, and she said they had what I was looking for.

What an amazing time to live in.

I shared my amazement with a coworker, and he related a similar story, wherein he was stuck in traffic, typed in "thai," got a list of nearby thai food places, clicked one an exit ahead, phoned in an order, and took the next exit to pick up his food and get back on the freeway.

This is incredible goddamnit! Do you remember what we were doing 20 years ago?! Compared to today, we were practically squatting in a ditch eating berries!

Don't take the apparently little things for granted.

Botach FINALLY lets me down!

I've made several orders from Botach, and have had zero issues, though others have had many problems. I just bought an Aimpoint ML3 and KZ mount from Botach at their retardedly low price plus a 10% off coupon code, and got an e-mail saying they don't have the item in stock, and will send it when they get it.

Except the e-mail kind of sucked...



So, does it suck that they said it was in stock, and it wasn't? Yeah.

Will it suck that I'll have to wait? Yeah.

Is the price AWESOME? YEAH!

So, we'll see. I'll keep you updated.

You say it like it's a good thing...

LA Times: California to resume issuing tax refunds, state controller says

Don't worry.

They'll be taking them right back.

What do you mean 'everyone'?

That's some vintage Gary Oldman right there.

Earworm from hell

I know I posted it before, but this song has been playing constantly--

constantly



CONSTANTLY








-- since late Tuesday.



Like, stuck in my head at work, at home, when I go to sleep, IN MY GODDAMN DREAMS, when I wake up in the morning, and repeat.

I think the only way I'm going to get it out is if I get it on my ipod, and play it on a loop for several hours.

*ET bounces to the beat slightly as he listens to it while writing this*