The TSA: Stealing your Christmas goods

while 'protecting' you

Which fits right in with this picture
(thanks, Unc)


Japete: either one of the most dishonest people out there, or someone in serious denial.
Really? 'Unexpected'? 'You'd never have thought that of him'? Jeez.

Also from Weerd, an Anti-Gun Talking Points Collection


No, don't store your piece in the oven. ESPECIALLY a loaded one.
Few years back a gunsmithing mag had a piece by a smith who had a customer walk in with a blob of blue plastic and the question "Can you get my pistol out of this?" He'd stuck his Beretta in the case, then stuck it in the oven for safekeeping. Wife came home from work and turned on the oven to preheat it for the pizza she'd brought home. Happily he got home just a few minutes later, in time to confess to wife, as he pulled his now hermetically-sealed pistol case out of the oven, what that smell was.

The smith wound up putting it in a big pot, filling it up with corn oil and turning the heat on low: as the plastic began melting it would float to the surface and he'd skim it off until all that was left was a very oily 9mm. Lost the grips, but the rest of it was fine.


Good question: if a phone call worked here, why do we have all these terrorized children and dead dogs across the country?


Speaking of the fast-food rejects with police powers of the TSA: Molesting and Humiliating the Handicapped, for fun and power. Plus the fact that so many of them either don't know their own rules, or are lying about it.



No, I will not be out partying tonight; among other things, I really don't like loud bars full of people trying to get drunk.

'Tis better to light a candle and carry a sidearm

than to be unarmed in the dark.

Or something like that.

Awww, the Brady Bunch is all upset with Codrea

and is trying to screw with him on his blog.

They're so cute when they throw tantrums

You know who Ron Paul reminds me of?

Calypso Louie. That's if you'd never heard them speak before. Because they start off with things that make you think "I like that... sounds good... this guy's not bad!"

And then they hit the next level. And you're sitting there thinking "What happened to the guy I was listening to a minute ago? The one who was sane?"

Obama would like to destroy the 2nd:

not exactly a surprise, is it?


Over at Insty, the NYEffingTimes pushes hysteria. Again. Also,
“Comparatively speaking, Mayors Against Illegal Guns members are almost eight times more likely to be convicted of crimes than Florida concealed firearm license holders – but that number is based off 23 years of licenses versus four years of MAIG. Assuming the mayors had as much history as the licenses, and assuming the same trend (11 mayors convicted in four years – a sizeable assumption, but it is all the data we have to operate on), you are looking at MAIG members being over 45 times more likely to be convicted of crimes than Florida concealed firearm license holders. How funny is that?”


Moving on, I wonder if we'll ever find out how many bodies Holder participated in the creation of?


And, from Sipsey, on that guy Burke:

It should be noted that Burke is not a newcomer to the business of gun control. In an article in the Arizona Republic about the political ramifications on Arizona politicians for supporting gun control, former Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), a supporter of the Clinton "Assault Weapons Ban", had this to say about Dennis Burke:

DeConcini credits Judiciary Committee staff aide Dennis Burke, now the U.S. attorney for Arizona, for much of the work in developing the ban, which became law during DeConcini's final year in the Senate but expired after 10 years.

Burke also was Senior Policy Analyst for the White House's Domestic Policy Council from 1995 to 1997. This time overlaps with when Elena Kagan - now Justice Kagan - served as its Deputy Director. It was during this time that Executive Orders were used to further extend the ban on so-called assault weapons and to implement the Brady Act. Given his prior work on the Assault Weapons Ban in the Senate, it would not surprise me that Burke assisted in this effort.

Looking at Burke's background and his attitude towards gun rights and those who support them, I see this as even further confirmation that the intent of Operation Fast and Furious from the very beginning was to build support for another so-called assault weapons ban. I just don't think it was coincidental that Operation Fast and Furious was centered in Arizona as opposed New Mexico or west Texas where the U.S. Attorneys have long careers as prosecutors. -- John Richardson.

...

Ah, yes, George H.W. Bush, the recent annointee of Mitt Romney as the next GOP presidential candidate. Many trace the elder Bush's treason to the Second Amendment here as one of the principal cause of his reelection defeat in 1992. A read of Dave Kopel's George Bush and the NRA is instructive for background. DeConcini continues:

. . . At this time I received intense lobbying from both camps. Several police organizations, supportive of gun control in general and of the Metzenbaum bill in particular, approached me with the intent of seeking my endorsement of the legislation. At first, I rebuffed these overtures because I thought Senator Metzenbaum's bill was too draconian and could not generate enough support to become law. I agreed with the motivation and intent of the Ohio senator's legislative proposal, but after seriously reviewing the bill I had deep reservations about its broad provisions. . . I consulted with my majority counsel to the Judiciary Committee, Dennis Burke, who rightfully informed me that I could not turn my back on the police organizations, who, like the NRA, had supported me. -- pp. 108-109.

Ah, yes, the "police organizations," who were so very happy to be federalized and militarized and pampered and supported with ever greater budgets throughout the ever-growing drug war. Of course they were the "Only Ones" who could be trusted with guns, weren't they? You know why they call tyrannies "police states" don't you? Because the police call the shots. DeConcini:

(The NRA's) inflexible stance, coupled with the pressing need to take action, prompted me to offer a middle way through this political quagmire. . . (DeConcini then crafted, with the help of Dennis K. Burke, the "Anti-Drug Assault Weapons Limitation Act of 1989.) . . . In effect, my bill banned future sales of several types of semiautomatic assault weapons, both domestic and imported, but allowed present owners to keep their firearms. S747 called for prohibition of nine specific firearms, none of which was typically used for hunting . . . Dennis Burke helped navigate this legislation through seemingly innumerable obstacles. He has recalled that NRA officers and members "went through the roof" because to them I had defected to the other side. They immediately began a direct mail campaign against me. They also instituted a mass phone campaign to derail the proposed legislation. One humorous memo from Senator John McCain suggested the degree of commitment the NRA had in trying to scuttle my bill. . . "I mean, how many times can you hear the argument that it's every red-blooded American's right to carry an AK-47 to defend himself against those really vicious attack deer wearing Kevlar vests?" -- pp. 109-110.

...

. . . Dennis Burke reported that the lies and exaggerations (of the NRA) stretched credulity and were almost humorous, but we had to acknowledge that the NRA was sending this material to the voters of Arizona. Although this mailing no doubt caused me political damage, I knew that the NRA was hurting itself with this extreme reaction. My bill would prevent even harsher legislation . . .(Here, DeConcini recounts the struggle to get his version of the ban out of the Senate Judiciary Committee which was split along party lines. In the footnotes to this chapter he tells us: "Dennis Burke had many duties, but he was one of my primary staff on the Judiciary Committee." DeConcini indicates that a crucial vote was Arlen Specter, GOP Senator from Pennsylvania, who played coy games about the vote.) Although the Republicans on the committee remained calm, my counsel, Dennis Burke, informed me that in this particular instance Specter could be a wild card. . .

As Dennis and I waited and watched while the deadline for voting approached, we noticed that the Republican on the committee grew increasingly nervous. Several aides were sent to find Specter. Judiciary Committee Joe Biden (D-Delaware) counted off the final seconds. As he prepared to announce that the bill passed seven to six, Specter entered the room and stunned all of us with his actions. He looked at Biden and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, I can't vote on this bill. My staff has not briefed me adequately." Then he turned and walked out. With that weird ending to the hearings, the Judiciary Committee moved my bill to the Senate floor. -- pp. 111-112

So Burke's been right in the middle of trying to ban everything in sight, and was bigtime involved in Gunwalker. And we're supposed to believe it was a 'sting gone wrong'?

Bullshit.

I wonder if this is why the names weren't spoken on the news

for so long?
Aziz Yazdanpanah, a Muslim, didn't like his daughter's non-Muslim boyfriend and was exhibiting stalker behavior. “She couldn’t date at all until she was a certain age, but when he was going to let her date she couldn’t date anyone outside of their race or religion.”

The all-too-often cop attitude nowadays

An altercation allegedly broke out after the police officer told one of the friends ‘I’m better at darts than you are’, Chris Hull, 39, told Patch.com.

‘My buddy says, “Aw, you suck at darts”. (The man) says, “That’s why I’m a cop, I can do whatever I want to do”.’

Hull said his friend asked; ‘Really, you can do anything?’

The police officer then pulled out his gun, Hull claimed and after the group repeatedly asked him to put it away he ‘pops three rounds into my friend Sam’.

Question: Nasti-Nose tool

Gerry mentioned in comments he's used one; anyone else? Results?

Razor blogging

Seems to have had some interest lately, so I'll throw mine in.
Back when I was doing a lot of black powder stuff, hitting rendezvous when possible, I did a lot of research, both for general data and to find patterns for ironwork I could make. Among the stuff I found pictures or drawings of were personal gear that included shaving stuff. So, decided to give it a try. Here's the shaving case I made, copied from that drawing
Hinge pin for the lid at the bottom, and used a brass tack to lock it closed. I took a piece of walnut and cut the top off so I had a thick body piece, and a thin top. Cut the top at a suitable angle and bevel. Then used a router to hollow out the body. Glued the handle end of the top back on, then used a coping saw to cut it to shape, then sanded a nice bevel all the way around. Put the door on, drilled the base for the pivot and used that to hold it in place while sanded it all smooth, then oiled it. The pivot is held in place with a small brass tack in the end. Here it is open
I used to have a flat horsehair brush for the soap, and a small piece to carry, but they've disappeared; I'll have to find or make another brush.

On the back, the notes in the book said there was a piece of leather glued on for stropping the razor, so did that
and worked some fine buffing compound into it.

The razor I picked up at a flea market, not having tried my had at those blades yet
It's marked 'Carl Monkhouse Illicottville N.Y.' on the tang, and yes, I did shave with it for quite a while. Once you get the hang of it, works quite well.

Y'know, I think I've still got grandpa's mug and brush around here somewhere...

Back when I knew more folks in the local pagan community

once had a discussion of the dates on some festivals, particularly Candlemas: February 2, supposed to be noting 'the first signs of green returning to the earth'. Slight problem: that may work in Britain and northern Europe, but here it's not unusual to have green grass in January. Which brings me to what brought me to mind: I just mowed part of the back yard.

After that erffing hot & dry summer, with some rains everything started growing, and it still is; I have grass six inches tall in the areas I didn't cut today, and the compost heap is piled up again with what I dumped there. Which doesn't include the other bags I dumped in the trash can(grass and all the oak leaves I raked away from the fence).

Ah, Oklahoma.

Remember Officer Daniel Harless? The poster child for bad cops?

Harless, 45, was placed on administrative leave shortly after the incident, and he later was moved to medical leave. In an interview with The Plain Dealer, Police Chief Dean McKimm would not be specific about Harless’ medical condition, saying only that the leave “was related to a doctor’s recommendation.” Harless has been with the department about 15 years.
So... threaten to murder people, abuse people, bring disgrace on your whole department, and you get medical leave. With pay, of course.

By the way, I wonder if the department had any words with his partners who just stood there and let him do this crap(when they didn't assist)?

Electronics are great, but who decided pilots didn't need

to practice without all the stuff? Just in case?

And how the hell did someone think it was acceptable to have two controls that give no indication of what the other is doing?

The Spokane Police Department: "We can kill you for no reason

and nothing will be done about it."
I'd suggest making sure breakables are out of reach before you read this; 'disgusting' doesn't even begin to cover this murder under color of law. And the other crimes.

And what kind of fucking nutcase with a badge has custom-made, over-sized ironwood nightstick?

Couple of things I didn't post yesterday, in the heading of

really bad cops:
"Hey, we're not just some lousy commoners, WE should be able to have assault weapons!"


The photo shows the Ohio man restrained inside the Lee County Jail with his body covered in pepper spray.

"This photo is a picture of a man who is strapped to a chair naked inside a jail for hours with a hood over his face. That evokes thoughts of being tortured," says Cleveland-based lawyer Nick DiCello who represents the Christie family.
It doesn't 'evoke thoughts of', it IS torture; and every bastard involved should be prosecuted. If they're not, the brass who refuse to act should be fired. At the least.


And found this morning: Diversity, islam-style:
That’s right: the men are identified and individually pictured, but for each female staff member there is a photo of a woman wearing a burqa, so that only her eyes are showing. Not only that, it is the same photo in each case; not a picture of the female staff member at all, but a generic image of a woman wearing a burqa.


More on a lot of leftists with fond memories of the Soviet Union. Especially since they didn't have to live there. Havel, you'd be really pissed.


What Californicated is. It's one of those places you couldn't pay me to live in. And a good shot at what a lot of 'progressives' and amnesty-for-illegals clowns would bring to all of us.
Reporting to the local police or sheriff a huge pile of refuse in your yard — even when the address of the tosser can be found from power bills or letters — or the theft of a tool from the barn is simply not worth the effort. It is not even worth the cost and trouble of activating a high-deductible farm-insurance policy. I guess the reasoning is that you in fact will replace the stolen item, and even if the criminal were apprehended, the costs of arrest, trial, and incarceration — even without the entrance of immigration authorities into the matrix — are too steep for a bankrupt state.

Indeed, farmers out here are beginning to feel targeted, not protected, by law enforcement. In the new pay-as-you-go state, shrouded in politically correct bureaucratese, Californians have developed a keen sense of cynicism. The scores of Highway Patrol cars that now dot our freeways are looking for the middle class — the minor, income-producing infractions of the generally law-abiding — inasmuch as in comparison the felonies of the underclass are lose–lose propositions.

If I were to use a cellphone while driving and get caught, the state might make an easy $170 for five minutes’ work. If the same officer were to arrest the dumper who threw a dishwasher or refrigerator into the local pond among the fish and ducks, the arrest and detention would be costly and ultimately fruitless, providing neither revenue from a non-paying suspect nor deterrence against future environmental sacrilege. We need middle-class misdemeanors to pay for the felonies of the underclass.


One sucky politician kissing the ass of another for political purposes, using our money and endangering our government to do so. Guess which party?


Krauthammer on Eric Holder:
“It’s clearly a cheap shot of an attorney general who is in political trouble,” Krauthammer said. “The reason he is, he is one of the most incompetent attorneys general in U.S. history. He is the guy who brought on gratuitously the fiasco of the KSM [Kalid Sheikh Mohammed] trial in New York that even the Democrats rebelled against. He has led a department that has been either totally ignorant or disingenuous or worse on the Fast and the Furious scandal.”

Krauthammer said this use of the race card was dangerous, particularly when it could stoke “racial animosity.”

“And now he plays the race card,” Krauthammer continued. “I think it’s, to use his word a cowardly use of the race card and it’s unbecoming. It also is dangerous in a country where it can stoke that kind of racial animosity. He shouldn’t be using it. I say it with all due respect. Merry Christmas, Mr. Attorney General.”
I think he misses something: that Holder & Co. WANT to stoke racial animosity, it being part of their standard package of grievance-mongering.


Seems that 'voted for Nixon' quote was a little off: here's the actual:
On Friday, on the New Yorker’s website, the magazine’s film editor Richard Brody offers what may be the first accurate version of the quote I’ve ever seen (I’m assuming it’s accurate because it comes from the New Yorker itself): “Pauline Kael famously commented, after the 1972 Presidential election, ‘I live in a rather special world. I only know one person who voted for Nixon. Where they are I don’t know. They’re outside my ken. But sometimes when I’m in a theater I can feel them.’”

Merry Christmas, etc.

And if you're one of those offended by such greetings, eff off*.

Last year at this time, and the year before, we had a foot of snow on the ground. This year the blizzard stayed north & west of here, which is just fine; not only do I not have to shovel it, the areas that got the most snow are among the ones that have been hit hardest by the drought, so it'll help them a lot.

Your regular bitching and yelling will resume later.


*No, I'm aware that's not a very Christmasy sentiment: bite me

Have you shaved? Bought premium self-defense ammo?

Then they're watching YOU
Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities Related to Firearms Shops and Ranges.

Larry Niven wrote some sci-fi in which punishment

for many crimes was being sentenced to the organ banks; looks like the PRC liked the idea.


Ah, President Lightworker says "The law? I don't have to obey the law if I don't like it." He really doesn't like that 'separation of powers' thing, does he?


And, just as a ho-ho-ho,

Shooting a piece of history: K-22 Outdoorsman

Remember the question about ‘plated vs. lead .22 ammo’, and the pistol with the dry parkerized finish? Well, this is the beast that was about, borrowed for a tryout and a picture:

At Cosmoline and Rust Tam had a post about the K-22 Combat and Target Masterpiece pistols, beginning 1940; this pistol is part of The Rest of the Story.

In 1931 S&W started selling a .22 revolver made on the K frame, called the K-22 Outdoorsman(collectors say First Model). The early production had a gold bead front sight, changed to a stainless bead after September 1931. During the depression this thing sold pretty well, which tells you something about the accuracy and reliability; people looking for an accurate .22 revolver for target or small game use liked them. A lot. Originally it had grips similar to these, then in 1936 the Magna grips became available for it. There was also an option for a ‘hump back’ hammer, designed to make for faster cocking.

In 1939 they stopped production, after making a little over 17k of them, which included a group made with fixed sights for the Coast Guard shooting team, in order to bring out an improved model . The Second Model, the K-22 Masterpiece, came out 1940 and had the shorter action(shorter hammer throw), overtravel stop and click-type adjustable rear sight. Those also had either the gold or stainless bead front sight and Magna stocks; both these and the Outdoorsman had round non-ribbed barrels. Production stopped after one year (in 1941 for all target models), with the start of wartime production for the military forces(if you haven't read Tam's piece yet, it starts with the 1940 model).

The owner says this one had no grips when he found it, the proper would be this design but with the S&W badge on them. From what we could find out the parkerizing was done sometime after it left the factory, I’m guessing someone wanted it for hunting or trapline use; it’s obviously been used, and cared for: holster wear in the places you’d expect but no rust or pitting, and the bore and chambers are spotless. The action is smooth, lockup tight, single-action pull light and clean. No bead on the front sight, just a Patridge square post; special order, maybe, or changed same time the parkerizing was done.

It shoots like you’d expect from a pre-War S&W: very well. Better than I can do justice to without better eyes. Shooting at an indoor range with slightly dim light, single-action at 20 yards from a rest I was able to shoot a couple of groups of right at 1"; the trigger's a bit heavier than my later K-22 Combat, but breaks clean. For myself I'd put a set of bigger grips on, but that's personal preference added to a fine piece of design and craftsmanship.

Oh, the weasel's in the DOJ henhouse for real!

Borrowing this post from Sipsey:
I met the Daily Caller's Matthew Boyle when I went to DC for the 8 December hearing. He's young, 24, driven and very smart. He was the guy whose stories on the increasing cascade of congressional calls for resignation provoked Eric Holder into his paranoid episode.

Matthew was as proud as a frog eating fire that Darrell Issa used that now semi-iconic photo and quote as a backdrop for the 8 December opening questioning.

Well, if Holder didn't like that, he's sure not going to like this troika of Boyle stories today. This is what I was hinting at earlier in my post about the possible opening of a Second Front in the Gunwalker investigation. The Second Front is here.

First, comes this lovely line from Congressman Jason Chaffetz: “The Attorney General is always involved in very serious matters . . . It’s the nature of the job. If he can’t handle it and thinks it’s somehow based on something other than his performance, maybe it is time for him to get another job.”

Next, young Matthew brings us this: "RNC chairman promises to make Fast and Furious a 2012 election theme."

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus reiterated his call for Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation on Wednesday, and promised Operation Fast and Furious will be an election issue in 2012. “Holder may want to point fingers and play the blame game, but as the Attorney General, he bears the responsibility,” Priebus told The Daily Caller. “It’s past time for the attorney general to come clean and take responsibility and if he doesn’t, he has a boss who should.” “Obama’s leadership deficit in holding the members of his administration accountable demonstrates yet again that the president is taking Washington in the wrong direction and only making things worse,” said Preibus. “If Obama won’t fire Holder, we will,” Priebus added. “We’ll fire the whole team in just 11 months.”

Ah, yes, the stone albatross of a dope-on-a-rope. Of course the Obamanoids knew that that was part of the equation when they backed Holder and embraced him, hair on fire and all. But this next story. . . this makes it even worse.

"Lieberman directs staff to investigate Fast and Furious coordination."

Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman has directed the staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which he chairs, to investigate miscommunication between law enforcement agencies related to the Justice Department’s Operation Fast and Furious.

A spokesperson told The Daily Caller Wednesday that Lieberman “believe[s] that the lack of interagency coordination along the border merits further examination, and as Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he has directed his staff to follow up with the relevant federal agencies on that topic.”

OOOOOH. "Interagency coordination." Watch out Bobby, Janet and Hillary. Yer underwear is showing.

Worse for the Gunwalker Conspirators is that with the addition of Joe Lieberman to the sleuthing team, this has suddenly become a bi-partisan "witch hunt."

The Second Front has arrived, with hearings promised for the rest of the Obama presidency, however long that may be.

Now, I'm not all that trusting of Lieberman; he's been a big 'We should control what/where/how much guns and ammo the peasants own' guy for a long time. But there's a fair chance that he'll actually want to DO something about this mess; we'll see. In any case, hearing about this has got to be giving the Obama administration piles on their hemorrhoids. Especially with this going public:
On March 24, 2009, David Ogden, who was Deputy Attorney General at the time, announced new efforts with Project Gunrunner "as directed by the president." Ogden says he and Attorney General Eric Holder are taking "several new and aggressive steps as part of the administration's comprehensive plan."
"What was that, Mr. Holder, about




Along with Gunwalker, let's look at some other things at DoJ that should have people in prison:
A career employee in the Voting Section of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has confessed to committing perjury, sources say. The employee, Stephanie Celandine Gyamfi, reportedly told investigators from the Inspector General’s Office that she perjured herself during an inquiry into Justice Department leaks during the previous administration. Despite the admission, she has not been fired for criminal malfeasance. Indeed, it appears she has not been disciplined in any meaningful way at all.

The genesis of Ms. Gyamfi’s perjury is apparently rooted in political attacks on the Bush Justice Department. Throughout 2005-2007, numerous attorney-client privileged documents, confidential personnel information, and other sensitive legal materials were leaked from inside the Voting Section to the Washington Post and various left-wing blogs.

One of the most prominent leaks involved the Voting Section’s privileged, internal analysis of the 2003 Texas congressional redistricting plan, submitted to the Civil Rights Division in October 2003 for review under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The contents of the internal memorandum appeared on the front page of the Washington Post on Dec. 2, 2005, to great fanfare from Democrats on Capitol Hill and their surrogates in the liberal blogosphere.
...
...In a third interview, she was once again questioned about her role in the leaks. At first, she adamantly denied involvement. Then, however, she was confronted with e-mail documents rebutting her testimony.

At that point, she immediately broke down and confessed that she had lied to the investigators three separate times. Since IG interviewees are all required to take an oath to tell the truth upon penalty of perjury, and investigators record all interviews, an audio recording of these admissions must exist in the IG files. Mind you, Ms. Gyamfi did not say she misunderstood the questions. She did not claim to have forgotten something and later remembered it. Instead, she plainly admitted her deceit and ascribed her motive to attempting to protect the “other people” involved, i.e., the other career staff (mostly attorneys) who also violated their oaths of office and their professional obligations by publicizing confidential legal opinions and analyses.
...
Amazingly, despite Ms. Gyamfi’s admission of committing perjury not once, but three times, she so far has been neither terminated nor disciplined by the Justice Department. In fact, her boss, Voting Section Chief Chris Herren, continues to assign her to the most politically sensitive of matters, including the Department’s review of Texas’s congressional redistricting plan.

More disturbing, according to my sources, is that Ms. Gyamfi is now being treated as a hero by some of her Voting Section colleagues. Many of them are gratified at her efforts — illegitimate or not — to make the Bush administration look bad in its preclearance of Texas’s earlier redistricting submission.
Assuming the DoJ actually gives a rats ass about honor and the law, she AND EVERY BRASS HAT WHO TOLERATED/HELPED IN/REFUSED TO DEAL WITH THIS should be fired and prosecuted. If there were a place where zero tolerance belonged it's in the DoJ toward people who commit perjury and those who assist them.

They do grow up

Son has advised that, due to circumstances, won't be coming home for Christmas. Going to save the (short)leave time available and try to take a bit longer leave early next year. Before they deploy to bloody Afghanistan, which he just found out for sure early this month.

After reading, this past while, about the Afghan government telling rape victims "You can be pardoned from your death sentence for illegal sex if you marry the rapist" and other such things, and its working with terrorists and so forth, I'm about convinced that
A: Bombing most of Afghanistan back into the stone age might well be an improvement, and
B: The world would be a safer and happier place.

I can't remember who wrote it a while back, that the best solution would be to, after sufficient cause, going in with a force and stomping hell out of the bad guys and their supporters and telling them, just before we leave, "Don't make us come back." Problem is, we don't have enough politicians with the balls and sense of reality to do it.

Amazing how some sleep helps you hit the right keys

So the PRC must be in a real hole: too many people know what's going on for them to just disappear the problem into camps and graves. So they agree with some points. As to whether they'll actually honor the agreement, we'll see.


So 'ultra-realistic' Nerf guns are a threat to the mental health of the children...


At that point Monckton asked him to acknowledge that the science was nowhere nearly as clear cut as he had proclaimed. The official refused to do so, asserted “I have work to do,” and walked off.

Josh had been filming the entire exchange, but now an aide put a hand over the camera lens. When I remarked that just walking off was bad manners, the aide said “You are not worth debating.” I replied, “All he had to do was answer two simple questions.” I was amazed when the aide responded, “He is the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation. He does not have to answer your questions.” The aide then walked off just as rudely as his boss had.
What, you expected Annointed Ones of AGW to answer questions from peasants? Really.[/sarcasm]


Make no mistake: These bills aren't simply unconstitutional, they are anticonstitutional. They would allow for the wholesale elimination of entire websites, domain names, and chunks of the DNS (the underlying structure of the whole Internet), based on nothing more than the "good faith" assertion by a single party that the website is infringing on a copyright of the complainant. The accused doesn't even have to be aware that the complaint has been made.



Yeah, I want to see it

Hey, that's Watson as Bilbo!


Damn.
When Sara got an offer to go watch the Houston Texans play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, she jumped at the opportunity. She knew her husband would have loved to have gone to Reliant Stadium to watch his beloved team play. Plus, she and Landon had never been to a game before.

... the team brought Sara to the game under the pretense that she and her son would be part of a halftime ceremony in which Landon would receive a bike and Scott's memory would be celebrated by the 71,500 in attendance. Both those things happened, but a much bigger surprise awaited.

The team told Sara she and Landon would be receiving a custom-built, mortgage-free house in a Houston suburb. It's courtesy Operation Finally Home, an organization that builds houses for wounded and disabled veterans or their widowed families.
Damn. That's excellent.


Ah, the wonderful people of the Brady Campaign; lying by, ah, 'leaving out' some inconvenient information... just the kind of thing we've come to expect of them.

Speaking of these bigots, yeah, it must have been painful to write it:
Brady Campaign Amicus Brief, DC v Heller, 2008:

I. In holding that the Second Amendment protects
ownership of handguns for private purposes such as
hunting and self-defense, the lower court read out of
the Amendment its first thirteen words, thus violating
the fundamental rule that the Constitution must be interpreted
to give meaning to all of its words.... etc.

Brady Campaign Amicus Brief Embody v Ward, 2011:

Because assault weapons, unlike handguns, are not widely used for defensive purposes, and because such weapons pose particularly acute public safety concerns, restrictions on their possession and use do not offend the Second Amendment.

I have the image of a Gollum-like "AHHHHHHHH! It BURNS!!!" as they typed it.


Also, speaking of gun bigots, some commentary on their arguments(which often seem primarily to be insults and bullcrap)


My, the Sheriff seems to have upset the feds a bit.


And that's it for the morning.

So; while that idiot Goldberg has 'my fingers crossed'

for communism, in the PRC,
The villagers continue to police themselves but remain on alert for government snatch squads.

Lin says he believes the authorities will keep their word to avoid more unrest.

"Zhu and other officials stressed over and over again they would not come in the village and arrest people," he said.

"If they do not agree to our three requests, with the release of Xue's body pending within about 10 days, we will go on the march as planned," he warned.
The PRC probably doesn't know just how many people it's killed in the name of communism; North Korea was one of the finest examples of what communism tends to be; people still risk their lives to get out of Cuba, Venezuela is being ruined, and on and on, and idiots like Goldberg still have hopes for it...

I'll note she was the clown who defended the drugging and rape of a girl because 'it wasn't RAPE rape'.

Gotta agree with Reynolds, if you're boycotting Chiquita

that's an interesting image

So Mitt Romney supports the 2nd Amendment; but only IF... Updated

Handgun Ownership: In order to understand Mitt Romney’s actions here, it is necessary to give a little background information about Massachusetts gun control laws: In 1998, Massachusetts established a list of “safety” criteria for handguns sold in the state. The criteria were designed to disqualify most handguns. The Roster is the list of those few makes and models which have passed the testing requirements.

Mitt Romney created two exemptions: One for handguns already licensed in the state prior to October 21, 1998, and one for “match-grade” pistols (high-dollar handguns purpose-built for shooting competitions).

The 1998 exemption is significant when one understand the “preban effect”: Some gun laws are written with an effective date, where firearms sold after the date are subject to the law, while those sold before the date are “grandfathered”. Since there is a limited supply of grandfathered items, the sale price of those items skyrockets.

The net effect of Mitt Romney’s exemptions was this: In Massachusetts, a person now has three options for legally owning a handgun: 1) an expensive pre-1998 handgun; 2) an expensive “safety-approved” handgun; 3) an expensive match-grade handgun.
Much more at the link. Including how his "We worked this out with the support of gun owners, And It Was Good" line is a load of crap.

Update: from Jay G in comments:
Mitt Romney had nothing to do with the 1998 Gun control Act in MA.

That was Paul Cellucci.

Mitt Romney signed the 2004 Assault Weapons Ban in MA.

Completely different animal, but same sentiment. I can own a 17 year old magazine that holds 11+ rounds, but not a new one. I can't have a bayonet on my new AR-15, but if I find one made before Sept. 1994 it's fine.

Romney sucks on 2A issues, but he can't be saddled with the 1998 GCA.

Just what kind of effing idiots does Las Vegas hire

for their LE people?
Las Vegas police had a plan to end an hour-long standoff with an unarmed Gulf War veteran: One officer would fire a non-lethal beanbag shell at the window of the man's Cadillac, and another officer would follow-up with pepper spray to force the man from the car.

But that plan went awry when another officer fired a military-style assault rifle into the car, killing 43-year-old Stanley Lavon Gibson, police said Friday.

"Almost immediately after the beanbag round penetrated the rear passenger window, a second officer discharged seven rounds from an AR-15 rifle, striking and killing Gibson," police said.
One of the questions that comes to mind: was this a AR15, or a M16 variant? If the latter, dumbass may have had the selector on 'full'; if the former then the brainless moron actually pulled the trigger seven effing times.

I finally made it to this place;

if you're in central OK and have a chance, you should. I mean, they've got a freakin' whale skeleton hanging up there! And gorillas, and people, and birds, and snakes, and an elephant, and... a bunch of other critters.

Added: Dirty Jobs did a segment at Skulls Unlimited a couple of years back, found part of the show here

Our noble AG Holder: "You're just after me because you're a racist!

Oh, that's not really what I meant!"

Also, some comments on the NYEffingTimes clown Charlie Savage and his sucking up to Holder & Co.

Speaking of Gunwalker, Sipsey has something interesting, printed in full:
Interesting new ATF internal document generated the day before the 4 February "withdrawn" (lying) DOJ letter to Grassley.
The link for the pdf of this letter is here.

U.S. Department of Justice

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

www.atf.gov

February 3, 2011

MEMORANDUM TO: Special Agent in Charge, Dallas Field Division

THRU: Resident Agent in Charge , Lubbock Field Office

FROM: Gary M. Styers, Special Agent, Lubbock Field Office

SUBJECT: Contact with Congressional Investigators

On February 2, 2011, at approximately 1500 hours, ATF Special Agent Gary Styers was contacted telephonically by Robert Donovan and Brian Downey, representing United States Senator Chuck Grassley and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Downey and Donovan after identifying themselves asked Special Agent Styers if he would be willing to answer some questions regarding the time Special Agent Styers spent on a detail to the Phoenix Field Division, Phoenix Group VII Office. Special Agent Styers said he would be willing to answer questions to the best of his knowledge.

Special Agent Styers was asked if he was familiar with the large firearms trafficking case in Phoenix Group VII and Special Agent Styers said he was. Downey and Donovan asked if Special Agent Styers knew the name of the case and he responded that it was "Fast and Furious". Downey and Donovan then asked if Special Agent Styers knew who the case agent was and Special Agent Styers said it was Special Agent Hope McAllister. Special Agent Styers was also asked who the supervisor of the group was and Special Agent Styers said it was Group Supervisor David Voth. Downey and Donovan also asked who helped Special Agent McAllister, Special Agent Styers said that Special Agent McAllister had a CoCase Agent from hnmigration and Customs Enforcement CICE) as well as an agent from Group VII. Downey and Donovan asked who was the Agent from ICE and Special Agent Styers told them it was Lane France.

Downey and Donovan asked Special Agent Styers ifhe knew what the agents were assigned to do on the investigation. Special Agent Styers explained that a group of agents were assigned to the case and that since the case was in the stage of an active wiretap, some agents were working within the group and others were working at various functions related to the wire. Special Agent Styers further said that he did not specifically know the role of each individual agent.

Downey and Donovan inquired as to the role that Special Agent Styers had in this case and Special Agent Styers advised that he had assisted with some surveillance operations with the case. Special Agent Styers was asked to describe the operations and relayed that one of the operations was a suspected transaction that was to occur at a gas station and detailed agents were asked to cover the transaction. While positioning to observe the suspects, Special Agent Styers and other detailed agents were told by Special Agent McAllister that agents were too close and would burn the operation. Special Agent McAllister told all the agents to leave the immediate area. While the agents were repositioning, the transaction between the suspects took place and the vehicle that took possession of the firearms eventually left the area without agents following it.

Downey and Donovan asked Special Agent Styers ifhe ever saw guns actually go into Mexico. Special Agent Styers said he did not see any firearms cross the border to Mexico. They also asked if Special Agent Styers had worked with any agencies in Mexico, Special Agent Styers relayed that he had not, but had knowledge that other agents within Group VII spoke of communication with other ATF Special Agents assigned in Mexico.

Downey and Donovan then asked if Special Agent Styers had any knowledge that Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) were reporting suspected straw purchasers. Special Agent Styers explained that FFLs were indeed reporting such situations and that Special Agent Styers had numerous contacts with FFLs in the Phoenix area and had also worked inside of an FFL in an undercover capacity, while an individual attempted a large scale straw purchase. Special Agent Styers told Downey and Donovan that in speaking with the FFL holder and owner of the gun shop, he told Special Agent Styers that he had asked ATF to install cameras inside his shop and to have an undercover agent inside on a more regular basis. Downey and Donovan inquired as to what the procedures were and who handled the calls from the FFLs when they reported such suspected transactions. Special Agent Styers told them that he had no knowledge of any special procedures. If the FFLs called during normal business hours, Special Agent Styers assumed that, if they called the office number, their call was handled by the Group Supervisor.

Special Agent Styers also told Downey and Donovan that if the FFLs were calling individual agents within the group, he had no direct knowledge of those calls and what the ATF response was to those reports. However, Special Agent Styers did tell Downey and Donovan that he had heard from within the group that FFLs were calling case agents.

With regards to statistics and reporting, Downey and Donovan, questioned Special Agent Styers as to whether he had any knowledge of "padding of statistics or inconsistent reporting". Special Agent Styers advised them that he had no knowledge of a wide scale effort to skew statistics. However, Special Agent Styers relayed that he did question the Group Supervisor as to why he wanted Special Agent Styers to trace firearms that had not been recovered. Special Agent Styers was assigned to the investigation and provided the ATF Form 4473s, the Firearms Transaction Record, and told to trace said frrearms. Special Agent Styers asked as to why, when ATF has the Suspect Gun Database, which is designed for such firearms that have yet to be recovered by law enforcement. Group Supervisor Voth said he wanted them traced so that if someone else traced the firearms, they would know the firearms were connected to the case Special Agent Styers was assigned. Special Agent Styers relayed that even though he disagreed with the requested procedures, he follow the request of Group Supervisor Voth. Special Agent Styers also informed Donovan and Downey that he asked several agents also assigned to Group VII if they had to submit similar firearms traces and they replied that they in fact also were told to trace all firearms in a similar fashion.

Special Agent Styers was then asked about his general impression of the Fast and Furious case. Special Agent Styers stated that the case had systematically divided and isolated agents from the group. The case agent had solicited the advice of numerous experienced agents, inclucding Special Agent Styers, regarding how to conduct and end the wiretap operations and case overall. Special Agent Styers gave the case agent his honest opinion and advice since Special Agent Styers had worked two wiretap investigations in his career. Special Agent Styers felt that his advice and opinions, as well as other agents' advice and opinions were widely disregarded. Along with other agents within the group, Special Agent Styers explained that he was no longer asked to assist with Fast and Furious and concentrated on his assigned cases and provided necessary assistance to fellow agents within the detail and group.

Downey and Donovan asked Special Agent Styers what he felt was incorrect about the way the Fast and Furious case was conducted. Special Agent Styers explained that first and foremost, it is unheard of to have an active wiretap investigation without full time dedicated surveillance units on the ground. Special Agent Styers relayed that no agents in the group were assigned to surveillance on the Fast and Furious case. Special Agent Styers said that other agencies or task force officers may have been used to conduct surveillance and respond to calls of FFLs, but it seemed that either the case agent or Group Supervisor would poll the office for agents who were available to respond at short notice.

Secondly, Special Agent Styers said that it appeared odd to have a majority of ATF Agents working on a wiretap investigation, who had never worked such a case. Especially, when numerous, permanent Group VII agents and detailers had previous wiretap experience.

Special Agent Styers was provided with contact information for Downey and Donovan and the conversation was ended. Special Agent Styers contacted the Lubbock Resident Agent in Charge, Jim Luera at 1545 hours after the conversation with Downey and Donovan ended, to inform him of the contact. Special Agent Styers was later asked to document the conversation herein and attempted to do so to the fullest extent possible.

Respectfully,

Gary M. Styers

Special Agent, ATF

I heard this morning that one of the worst communist dictators

in modern history died. Due to circumstances I've been concentrating on trying to sleep instead of listening to news, so I wonder: have any of the major media weenies talking about his assumption of ambient temperature mentioned the 'communist dictator' part?
(someone just said about reports of people 'wailing in the streets' over the death: "Yeah, tear gas does that to you.")


Speaking of that part of the world, ran across this on the current 'mass incident' in China.
...since farmers are neither allowed to negotiate directly on the compensation package, nor are they allowed to develop their own land for non-agricultural purposes. They have to sell their land to local government first, which defines the price then leases the land to industrial and commercial/residential users for a profit. As land prices keep rising in China, it is not surprising that farmers with rising expectations are becoming increasingly unhappy. As a result, mass incidents, sometimes as violent as in Wukan, are inevitable. Local authorities in China, in their pursuit of revenue via aggressive urbanisation and industrialisation, are also undermining the country's grassroots democracy.
He says that almost like he's surprised a bunch of communists would screw up a move toward actual representative government.
A little further along,
One township party secretary I interviewed in Fujian province said: "If election rules are followed strictly, [we] will lose control of the rural society. Village cadres will be afraid of villagers, not the township government. They can put off assignments from the township government and compromise the tasks during implementation. Therefore … local officials are willing to introduce rules that subvert the true meaning of village democracy. This is also the case in Wukan in which farmers are protesting not only against local governments, but also against villager cadres who worked with the authorities in abusive land requisition.
Gee, that sounds like communists and corrupt officials wanting to keep running things, doesn't it?


In opposition to the dictator, Vaclav Havel died the other day; I doubt he'll get as many good mentions as the Nork dictator, since he opposed communism.


Rep. Nancy Pelosi: corrupt bitch.


On this day in 1944 a bunch of under-equipped troops in absolutely effing lousy weather were stopping the last major German attack in the west. Some units, with lots of replacements fresh out of training, broke; a bunch of them in small groups still kept annoying the nazis. And they stopped them.

I read a couple of years ago that Patton didn't want to move to relieve Bastogne; he wasn't really worried about the Airborne holding it. He wanted to drive something like 15-20 miles up the German left flank and THEN turn west, and cut them off. Experience had shown that troops unable to receive supplies and replacements were a lot easier to convince to surrender, and easier to kill if they didn't. And he was still pissed about the number of German troops who escaped from the Falaise Pocket and had to be fought again later because he wasn't allowed to close it off completely*.


Speaking of dealing with enemies: Joe Biden; is there any level of stupidity he can't stoop to? 'The Taliban is not our enemy' my ass.


No, that is NOT a comforting thought


War dogs. One question: how the HELL did a Yorkie wind up in the bloody New Guinea jungle?


*Until I read about some of this, I didn't realize just how badly a lot of people, including a lot in the British Army, despised Montgomery. Apparently the only thing keeping him from getting thrown off the Staff was political considerations; he tended to write checks his troops couldn't cash. Tough, experienced, GOOD troops, but if you get them into something they can't do in the time allotted...

People they really shouldn't have messed with

It's 1939 New York, and a diminutive Jewish gentleman is strolling the streets, just generally going about his business, which may or may not revolve around being Jewish and tiny -- we're not here to assume. And then he spots a sign outside an unadorned building simply reading "No dogs or Jews allowed." Anger wells up within him, and despite all better judgment, our 5'4" hero storms off to fetch himself a ladder and a bat. When he returns, he tears the sign from the wall and hurls it to the ground, where it lands ... right at the feet of the 20 or so angry Nazis watching from below.

Yes, the building was a Nazi headquarters, and it was just chock full of violent, racist assholes. They knocked over the small man's ladder and closed in on him from all sides. One thing was for sure: Somebody wasn't walking away from this fight.

And that "somebody" was 20 Nazis.


and #2,
In Manchester, England, a group of lazy car thieves were walking down the street, just trying all of the car doors and hoping for an open one. Lo and behold, glory and hallelujah, they found one! Geoff's gettin' his Burberry on tonight, yo! Inside, the boys found a sweet haul of stereo equipment, personal valuables and, oh yeah -- four armed members of the British Army's Special Air Service.

The whole list here

I'd forgotten this: a Christmas Story

from Lawdog

Never saw this strip before

Now I'll slowly be catching up. Damn you, Correia!

In other news, whatever tripped my allergy, I really wish it'd go away.

"Looks like they’re replacing the kilt with a skirt."

Anyone caught carrying a knife in town and city centres in Scotland in the coming weeks faces a potential four years in prison, under a new crackdown announced today.

The six-week pilot scheme will see cases automatically prosecuted as more serious offences, increasing the length of jail terms available to sheriffs from one year to four.
Not for actually doing something bad, mind you; just for carrying a knife. Like the pocketknife I never leave home without. Because it's the objects, not behavior, that's important.

Have I ever mentioned how glad I am some of my ancestors got the hell out of (fG)Britain before it turned into what it is?

Two critter posts:

one funny
Well, I wasn’t about to let go of the damned gun. Yes, there was an insane ravenous hellbeast on the other end of it, but the last thing I wanted was an insane ravenous hellbeast in my backyard with a GUN, right?


And the other, not funny in the least
With confirmation the other day by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game that at least two wolves were responsible for killing a young high school teacher, the debate about wolf management in the Pacific Northwest has erupted anew.
Years back did some reading on the subject of maneaters(ok, a lot of reading over time) and one thing that's kind of striking is the way wolves have been, call it 'cleansed' of such things in North America, at least among the many affected by Disney Syndrome. Look at the history in Europe, Russia and some of Asia and they've got a long record of people-munching, though it tends to get clouded over nowadays; but in the US it's largely been, as I say, cleansed. Reason more of a record in the Old World? Probably a combination of better records and more population for a long time there, combined with- in many areas- the peasants being rather discouraged from having weapons suitable for killing them. Here the critters were facing people armed as a matter of course, which probably made things quite a bit more difficult*.

Simple situation: put big predators back- in numbers- in places were there are people, and the people are prevented from killing the predators(sufficiently to instill a bit of respect for the two-legs) and people are going to get munched.

Hard to disagree with the Terry family

Terry’s family wants Obama administration officials held accountable with criminal charges.

“Our priority continues to be the successful arrest and prosecution of all the individuals involved in Brian’s murder,” the family said in a statement. “However, we will continue to press for answers and accountability from our government. Those responsible for such a misguided and fundamentally flawed operation must be held fully responsible for their decisions which allowed so many weapons to flow to the criminal element on both sides of the border. We now believe that if it can be shown that laws were broken, then all those responsible for Fast and Furious should be held criminally liable.”
...
“The family believes in the rule of law,” McGroder told TheDC. “Brian Terry upheld the rule of law and all they want is to ensure that whoever may have criminal culpability as measured by the investigation’s results and the discretion of the U.S. Attorney’s office that whomever may have criminal culpability is brought to answer for those criminal charges. That’s all they’re saying. They’re not pointing the finger, they’re not trying to do the job of the FBI, they’re not trying to do the job of the U.S. Attorney’s office — they’re simply ensuring that that which Brian stood for, and that is upholding the rule of law, in fact does apply to their family.”
Let's add to that 'those who lied under oath should be prosecuted to the fullest extent for doing so.'


Speaking of whom, the reason some don't want Holder fired or to resign:
If Eric Holder resigns, it could bring the investigation to a halt, because in the public’s mind, that would suggest Holder was admitting responsibility and falling on his sword as the 2012 re-election bid of his boss, Barack Obama, shifts into high gear.
Which may mean Obama will start pushing for Holder to resign, possibly for reason of health("You stay in place and ruin my chances for reelection, I'll see you dead!" possibly?)

And don't let people forget:
Fast and Furious is even worse than Watergate for one simple reason: No one died because of President Nixon’s political dirty tricks and abuse of government power. But Brian Terry is dead; and there are still 1,500 missing guns threatening still more lives.

What did Mr. Obama know? Massive gun-smuggling by the U.S. government into a foreign country does not happen without the explicit knowledge and approval of leading administration officials. It’s too big, too risky and too costly. Mr. Holder may not be protecting just himself and his cronies. Is he protecting the president?—Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Washington Times

Well, yeah

Baldrick: "What I want to know sir, is before there was a Euro there were lots of different types of money that different people used. And now there's only one type of money that the foreign people use. And what I want to know is, how did we get from one state of affairs to the other state of affairs"

Blackadder: "Baldrick. Do you mean, how did the Euro start?"

Baldrick: "Yes sir"

Blackadder: "Well, you see Baldrick, back in the 1980's there were many different countries all running their own finances and using different types of money. On one side you had the major economies of France , Belgium , Holland and Germany , and on the other, the weaker nations of Spain , Greece , Ireland , Italy and Portugal . They got together and decided that it would be much easier for everyone if they could all use the same money, have one Central Bank, and belong to one large club where everyone would be happy. This meant that there could never be a situation whereby financial metldown would lead to social unrest, wars and crises".

Baldrick: "But this is sort of a crisis, isn't it sir".

Blackadder: "That's right Baldrick. You see, there was only one slight flaw with the plan".

Baldrick: "What was that then sir?"

Blackadder: "It was bollocks".

Found at Theo

yeah, Obama seems allergic to the word 'victory', doesn't he?

At least when applied to the US.
Those are fine and inspiring words to be sure. But what is more notable is the one word America's commander in chief could not bring himself to say to the assembled troops: Victory. He called the end of the American sacrifice in Iraq a "moment of success." And he called it an "extraordinary achievement." He even called it the fullest "expression of America's support for self-determination than our leaving Iraq to its people." But he didn't call it a victory, even though by his own description, Iraq was, before the arrival of American troops, a land of intense suffering under one of the most cruel and ruthless dictators in history. Today, the people of Iraq are no longer terrorized by their own government; they are instead its masters. If that result does not deserve to be called a victory for America, Obama owes an explanation to the families of the 4,500 Americans who gave their lives to bring it about.


The PROM State Police: "We don't want to, so we won't; screw you peasants." When cops start acting like a Praetorian Guard, it's bad. Seriously bad.




Ah, Texas:
A few folks may remember the killing and shooting on Falcon lake down here. I know bass fisherman from Michigan like to fish the lake. The Sheriff down here requests you be armed(sure hell won't see that in the PROM). Well I am happy to let the tourist fishermen know the first Texas DPS Gunboat (There will be atleast 6) has been commissioned today. And yes, those are machineguns. Texas is not counting on the Feds anymore to protect bass fishermen or jet skiers on the border! Come on down and visit!

Gun mounts are a twin M240 (7.62) in the front, single mounts on the sides. Secondly, these things were built expressly for Lake Falcon and the border down by Brownsville.
Son spent a lot of time with the M240; he likes it. A lot. Reliable, accurate, and .308.

Yeah, this has downsides, on the 'militarization of law enforcement' problem. It's also probably their only real option: when the feds won't do crap, the state will have to. And when they're dealing with armed drug/illegal alien/weapons smugglers(and considering the information on Hezbollah working with the cartels), there's no telling what they'll run into.
Found at Sipsey; other links here and here
I'll note that in Oklahoma, the Lake Patrol is part of the Highway Patrol, but nothing like this. Of course, we don't have lakes on the border with Mexico, either.


"We broke the law, and got people killed, which proves we need more gun laws!"
"Earlier this year, the House of Representatives actually voted to keep law enforcement in the dark when individuals purchase semi-automatic rifles and shotguns in Southwest border gun shops," Holder said. "Providing law enforcement with the tools to detect and to disrupt illegal gun trafficking is entirely consistent with the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens."

But Republicans take issue with that point.

Law enforcement was not 'in the dark' when individuals purchased Fast and Furious weapons, they say. Rather, ATF agents received real-time -- and sometimes advanced -- notice from cooperating gun dealers when suspected straw buyers purchased weapons. Buyers frequently called in their order before showing up. Gun store owners would give the straw buyers a pick-up time specifically to give ATF agents plenty of time to set up their cameras and surveillance teams.

In one email, Burke called the gun stores 'evil' and ATF brass in Washington also cooperated for a story in The Washington Post in December 2009 suggesting border-state gun stores were responsible for Mexico's cartel violence.

Internally, ATF officials admit cooperating gun stores like Lone Wolf in Phoenix -- singled out in the Post story -- actually helped the operation, dutifully faxing the names, addresses and serial numbers of the guns that the straws bought, often the same day. Lone Wolf also allowed the ATF to install cameras inside the store, giving ATF officials coast to coast real-time information about purchases and purchasers.


This shouldn't be a surprise: you make it hard for businesses to operate, and you want to ban/restrict what a company makes, they'll start looking for another place to set up.
Hey, S&W: Oklahoma would love to have you move here.


I'll borrow a post from Sipsey(again, for those who can't go there):

From Tickle the Wire:

Thomas E. Brandon, the straight-shooting, well respected and extremely able veteran of ATF, who was sent around the country this year to try and mend some of the agencies pressing problems, has been named ticklethewire.com’s Fed Of The Year for 2011.

Brandon, an ex-Marine who is currently ATF’s number two person in Washington, started the year off as special agent in charge of ATF’s Detroit office, where he was very well respected.

In the spring, after the agency started coming under Congressional fire for Operation Fast and Furious, Brandon was sent off to Phoenix to head up that office and try and improve morale and straighten out matters. . .

In late August, acting director Ken Melson stepped down. In October, as part of a major shakeup at the agency, Brandon was summoned from Phoenix to become the number two guy in Washington.

Much respected? Yes. Even the guys at CleanUpATF.org welcomed him. "A straight shooter"? Well, you be the judge. Sources tell Sipsey Street that right after he was transferred to Phoenix, Brandon screwed up. That is, he took his charge to clean up Phoenix seriously. In the process, he began to follow the leads that the dissident agents of Phoenix Group VII had followed before being pulled off the surveillances of the straw buyers which were leading to the smugglers and money men.

In short order, Brandon was told to back off, say our sources. He continued to push -- until he was summoned to a meeting with the FBI and DOJ higher ups and given the "national security" warning. The FBI paid informant that the ATF agents had unknowingly identified was a "piece of slime, but a protected piece of slime," according to one source. Brandon was ordered to back off and he very meekly did.

My sources say that the Issa Committee could very profitably interview this "stand up guy" for information on who warned him to stay away from the protected FBI paid informant.

So, is he "Fed of the Year"? Oh, yeah, I'll go along with that. Brandon is everything craven and cowardly that we have come to expect in the senior executives of the ATF and FBI.

Fed of the Year? Yeah, I'll sign that.

Yeah, sounds like someone Issa and Grassley should talk to.


Oh man, if I had one of these it'd be the centerpiece on the dinner table.


Nancy Pelosi really is a corrupt bitch, isn't she?

People where Great Britain used to be freak out over pocketknives. I do have to note that just having that in (fG)Britain will get you thrown in jail, even if all you use it for is opening boxes, cutting rope and other useful purposes.


Jennifer also notes
A: Reporting that was an attempt to be thorough, but someone who should have had a gunny check it before publishing, and
B: Some really bad gunhandling by a cop.

Obama's DoJ really doesn't like whistleblowers

Especially when they get in the way of his 'save Gaia' scheming.

Should be a rule: you see something really bigoted/idiotic/stupid on a site,

save it, so when they realize just what they've done, it'll still be around. Among other things, I like the "Jews who aren't as well-educated and experienced as I might fall for something bad here" crap.


Yes, Breuer and Holder and every other clown who lied under oath should be prosecuted for it. As to whether there's enough ethical sense and balls in DC to do it, that's a question.



If the OWS movement had any brains, they'd throw this frickin' idiot out. Immediately.

And that's about all I feel like putting up today. More later, if I start feeling more like a human being.

The Empire Strikes Back is the title at one blog;

seems a reasonable assumption.
CLIMATEGATE UPDATE: UK police seize computers of skeptic blogger in England. Hmm. Could it be politically motivated? Some think so.
Two links there with lots more. Might it be that some government weenies with a stake in AGW hysteria are upset over the second batch of Climaquiddick e-mails?

About the NTSB demand to ban cell phones while driving,

found this through Insty; an excerpt:
Yes, texting while driving is inherently dangerous: It takes your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel. That is presumably why texting while driving is already illegal in Missouri for drivers under 21. But there’s a big leap from the Missouri accident to the NTSB’s suggestion for a broad, new national ban.

First, the Missouri crash was largely caused by more mundane safety issues that the NTSB seems to have deliberately downplayed. For all the discussion of the dangers of texting and driving, the NTSB report contains this rather significant finding: “Had the driver of the following school bus maintained the recommended minimum distance from the lead school bus, she would have been able to avoid the accident."

That’s right: Don’t follow too closely, just like they teach you in driver’s ed. And why did the first school bus rear-end the pickup? According to the NTSB, that was “the result of the bus driver’s inattention to the forward roadway, due to excessive focus on a motorcoach parked on the shoulder of the road."

So, despite the focus on texting as a cause of this particular accident, and on this accident as purported evidence that drivers should be banned from using portable devices, NTSB’s own report shows that the drivers involved in this scary wreck were involved because of driver inattention having nothing to do with cellphones, texting, or any other personal electronic devices. It was just the old-fashioned kind of driver inattention that has caused most accidents since the beginning of the automobile age, and that could have been prevented by a little attention to proper following distance and the road ahead.

Yet the No. 1 recommendation of the NTSB to the states is to "ban the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers." This selective focus suggests an agenda, and certainly those of us who have been paying attention to the various pronouncements coming from the NTSB and other highway-safety advocates have noticed a strain of hostility to cellphones and other devices for quite some time, despite a paucity of evidence suggesting that such devices are especially dangerous. (As the Cato Institute’s Radley Balko notes, while the number of cellphones on the road has skyrocketed in recent decades, traffic deaths and traffic accidents have declined.)

My suspicions here are only supported by the NTSB’s leap from the already-banned texting to something completely different: talking. The Missouri accident had nothing to do with hands-free talking, and it’s not at all clear to me that talking on a hands-free cellphone is any more distracting to drivers than talking to passengers in the car—or having screaming kids in the back seat, something that the NTSB has not, as yet, sought to ban.