Five years after the bill becomes law — to allow time to comply with installing the technology — no retailer would be allowed to sell or transfer a firearm to a New Jersey resident who, at the time of sale or transfer, failed to present a valid driver’s license or ID card with the appropriate information.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Jersey's war on guns
Apparently the New Jersey senate has a humdinger gun control package it wants to unleash on the state. Among proposed provisions:
Steel coins proprosed
Looks like a move's afoot in Congress to further cheapen our coinage.
Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH) champions the idea:
Will we have to oil our pocket change at night to keep it from rusting?
Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH) champions the idea:
Currently, pennies are made of copper and zinc; while nickels, dimes and quarters are made of copper and nickel. A majority of the copper, zinc and nickel used to make these coins is imported from Canada. The Stivers legislation would require that all four coins be made of American steel moving forward, with the penny being dipped in copper. The appearance of the coins would not change, just the materials to make the coins, making it possible for American steel to produce U.S. coins.Sounds to me like these proposed U.S. coins would amount to little more than fancy steel slugs.
Will we have to oil our pocket change at night to keep it from rusting?
Raised on welfare
From the Boston Herald:
The Tsarnaev family, including the suspected terrorists and their parents, benefited from more than $100,000 in taxpayer-funded assistance — a bonanza ranging from cash and food stamps to Section 8 housing from 2002 to 2012, the Herald has learned.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Ruger financials rock
In case you haven't heard: Gunmaker Ruger is selling lots of guns these days.
From today's corporate release:
Democrats. And the anxiety they created with their raving demands for gun control.
From today's corporate release:
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announced today that for the first quarter of 2013 the Company reported net sales of $155.9 million and fully diluted earnings of $1.20 per share, compared with net sales of $112.3 million and fully diluted earnings of 79¢ per share in the first quarter of 2012.You know what moved a bunch of the firearms Ruger sold, don't ya?
Democrats. And the anxiety they created with their raving demands for gun control.
Moonbattery
"...we simply don't have the time or manpower to prosecute everybody who lies on a form, that checks a wrong box, that answers a question inaccurately." - Joe Biden, January 2013
Joe Biden already moans government can't pursue but a fraction of the gun law infractions it's aware of. Yet at the same time claims passing more laws and restrictions is the answer. That alone should suggest the dishonesty or insanity of the Democrats' approach not only to regulating guns but also governing the nation.
Joe Biden already moans government can't pursue but a fraction of the gun law infractions it's aware of. Yet at the same time claims passing more laws and restrictions is the answer. That alone should suggest the dishonesty or insanity of the Democrats' approach not only to regulating guns but also governing the nation.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Wasn't just Bonnie and Clyde who stole guns from armories
For the record: There have been far more recent cases where thieves have looted National Guard armories for weapons.
In the mid-70s, a massive bundle of guns and other arms was stolen from one California armory.
In 2010, close to a hundred guns were snatched from an armory in Minnesota.
Previous post
In the mid-70s, a massive bundle of guns and other arms was stolen from one California armory.
In 2010, close to a hundred guns were snatched from an armory in Minnesota.
Previous post
Sticks and stones may break some bones...
But the word "guns" is really scary.
C'mon, people.
If you don't like the word guns, why'd you put your kid on team where a gun store is the sponsor?
C'mon, people.
If you don't like the word guns, why'd you put your kid on team where a gun store is the sponsor?
Stolen guns: Contemporary reports and old government memos
Theft is key means for criminals to obtain guns. ABC News noted earlier this year:
And criminals don't just steal from civilians. They also steal from cops. I found a smattering of reports on Google. Here's a few:
Two AR-15s and a shotgun stolen from police cars in Kansas City in January.
An AR was taken from a police car in New Bedford, Massachusetts last year.
In Oakland, California, a SWAT team was dispatched last month to retrieve a an AR stolen from San Francisco police.
Gun thefts from government sources are nothing new for bad guys - or gals.
Bonnie and Clyde had a fondness for government guns - including Browning Automatic Rifles - taken from National Guard armories.
As an FBI memo noted in 1933:
There's also a letter in the FBI archive detailing the return of a stolen police revolver recovered from the Barrow gang.
An estimated 230,000 guns per year are stolen in home burglaries and property crimes, according to a study by the Department of Justice.Another 25,000 guns are stolen annually from firearms retailers, ABC said.
And criminals don't just steal from civilians. They also steal from cops. I found a smattering of reports on Google. Here's a few:
Two AR-15s and a shotgun stolen from police cars in Kansas City in January.
An AR was taken from a police car in New Bedford, Massachusetts last year.
In Oakland, California, a SWAT team was dispatched last month to retrieve a an AR stolen from San Francisco police.
Gun thefts from government sources are nothing new for bad guys - or gals.
Bonnie and Clyde had a fondness for government guns - including Browning Automatic Rifles - taken from National Guard armories.
As an FBI memo noted in 1933:
The number of rifles and automatic pistols found in possession of the Barrows, as well as the quantity of ammunition so found, indicates that the Government is furnishing ammunition and equipment to these outlaws.
There's also a letter in the FBI archive detailing the return of a stolen police revolver recovered from the Barrow gang.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
No cable or satellite necessary
Just saw a TV commercial for something touted as an amazing new device that lets you watch network TV without cable or satellite...
Yeah. So I went to the website, and it turns out this sensational new product is actually an indoor antenna.
Says it works best within 25 miles of a broadcast station.
How many Americans have no clue over-the-air free TV even exists? How many are too young to remember the days to roof-top rigs or "rabbit ears"?
Around here, we watch TV signals captured through a piece of scrap wire bent and shaped and tacked to a piece of wood sitting on our deck. The homemade antenna works just fine.
Yeah. So I went to the website, and it turns out this sensational new product is actually an indoor antenna.
Says it works best within 25 miles of a broadcast station.
How many Americans have no clue over-the-air free TV even exists? How many are too young to remember the days to roof-top rigs or "rabbit ears"?
Around here, we watch TV signals captured through a piece of scrap wire bent and shaped and tacked to a piece of wood sitting on our deck. The homemade antenna works just fine.
Friday bank note
Noted today that the FDIC has reported multiple bank failures in each of the past two weeks.
First time this year that's happened.
Yes, the numbers are small. So are the banks. Too soon to declare a trend.
But is it time to start paying attention to these again?
First time this year that's happened.
Yes, the numbers are small. So are the banks. Too soon to declare a trend.
But is it time to start paying attention to these again?
Chicago motorcycle club promotes gun raffle
Saw this posted at Second City Cop. Looks like lotsa hardware up for grabs for a five dollar donation.
The club's website says the American Knights membership is composed primarily of law enforcement and retired law enforcement officers. The raffle is also being promoted on a Chicago FOP website.
Obviously these folks don't see lawful gun possession as a problem in Chicago...
Unless maybe they think there's not enough of it.
Another stupid anti-gun ad
And it's from a Bloomberg backed group.
The ad uses the image of two little girls apparently sitting on the floor of a school library. One girl holds a copy of Little Red Riding Hood that's supposedly been banned in some California school districts because it shows a bottle of wine on the cover, the other girl holds an AR style rifle.
Have the Bloomberg idiots who staged this not heard that Joe Biden invented gun free school zones that banned guns in schools over 20 years ago?
Speaking of gun free school zones, were any laws broken in the staging of this photo?
If the photo was shot in California where the book was banned, the sale, importation or manufacture of high cap mags like the one shown in the rifle were also banned long ago.
At least the subject in this Bloomberg-backed ad has her finger off the trigger and the muzzle tilted up. She demonstrates a greater grasp of basic gun safety than the supposed life-long gun owner in a previous Blooomberg propaganda offering.
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| "One child is holding something that's been banned in America to protect them" From: Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America |
The ad uses the image of two little girls apparently sitting on the floor of a school library. One girl holds a copy of Little Red Riding Hood that's supposedly been banned in some California school districts because it shows a bottle of wine on the cover, the other girl holds an AR style rifle.
Have the Bloomberg idiots who staged this not heard that Joe Biden invented gun free school zones that banned guns in schools over 20 years ago?
Speaking of gun free school zones, were any laws broken in the staging of this photo?
If the photo was shot in California where the book was banned, the sale, importation or manufacture of high cap mags like the one shown in the rifle were also banned long ago.
At least the subject in this Bloomberg-backed ad has her finger off the trigger and the muzzle tilted up. She demonstrates a greater grasp of basic gun safety than the supposed life-long gun owner in a previous Blooomberg propaganda offering.
Baptists blocked? Blame malware, not censorship
Earlier this week, the Southern Baptist Convention website was blocked for a time on some military bases. The military now says it was a malware problem within the SBC site. The malware was removed and access was restored, according to Baptist Press.
It's not about logic or reason
The push for gun control is all about spinning people's emotions. But in the end, gun control advocated concede they concede those in support of the Second Amendment were more passionate in guiding Senate action earlier this month.
“We talk about that as the passion gap, and we have to close that,” Ladd Everitt, a spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, tells in National Journal.
Everitt goes on to say the anti-gun crowd now has a package of legislation in Toomey-Manchin they can spring immediately to exploit the "next Newtown."
“Those things can help inform debate and galvanize people to act.”
The gun grabbers know that nothing in the defeated bills or amendments would have prevented the Newtown killings. Background checks were not a factor. The Sandy Hook gunman acquired his guns by killing his mother.
The gun control crowd didn't weigh reason or logic last time around. I fully expect it to double down on misinformation and emotion should another shooting occur.
Meanwhile, here's a broader look at some of the plotting underway to put gun control back on the front burner.
“We talk about that as the passion gap, and we have to close that,” Ladd Everitt, a spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, tells in National Journal.
Everitt goes on to say the anti-gun crowd now has a package of legislation in Toomey-Manchin they can spring immediately to exploit the "next Newtown."
“Those things can help inform debate and galvanize people to act.”
The gun grabbers know that nothing in the defeated bills or amendments would have prevented the Newtown killings. Background checks were not a factor. The Sandy Hook gunman acquired his guns by killing his mother.
The gun control crowd didn't weigh reason or logic last time around. I fully expect it to double down on misinformation and emotion should another shooting occur.
Meanwhile, here's a broader look at some of the plotting underway to put gun control back on the front burner.
Friday, April 26, 2013
While you were sleeping...
"Mind you, these are no longer warning signs of a steadily encroaching police state. The police state has arrived." - John Whitehead, writing at the Rutherford Institute
Let's Keep the Glow in Old Glory, and the Free in Freedom Too
It was a popular tune in 1918 with some awesome cover art.
Apologizing for pressure cookers
At least one retailer pulled pressure cookers off its shelves in the aftermath of the Boston bombings. Daniel Greenfield says that's crazy:
It’s crazy enough when guns get this kind of treatment, but even crazier when pressure cookers do. If the Muslim terrorists had used a car bomb, would we be clearing away cars everywhere out of respect for the victims?
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Is this right?
The Oregon Firearms Federation reports Multinomah County passes local gun control ordinance that prohibits armed security guards except those at banks.
Armed security guards at schools, stores or other company offices pose a safety problem?
To whom? Armed perps?
H/T: War on Guns
Armed security guards at schools, stores or other company offices pose a safety problem?
To whom? Armed perps?
H/T: War on Guns
Two bombings of the past
For those who cling to the idea that some high level of sophistication or broader organisation must have played part in the Boston Marathon bombings, consider this page from history.
On September 16, 1920, a bomb believed set by anarchists killed more than 30 people on Wall Street and injured around 300 others. The criminal case was never solved.
Here's another bombing from the past: A Harvard professor set a bomb inside the U.S. Capitol on the July 4th holiday weekend in 1915. That bomb was timed to go off near midnight, according to a senate historical webpage, to prevent loss of human life.
Best I can tell, there were no calls for the Constitution or the Second Amendment to be "reinterpretted" like nanny state advocate Mike Bloomberg has called for in the aftermath of Boston's Marathon bombings.
On September 16, 1920, a bomb believed set by anarchists killed more than 30 people on Wall Street and injured around 300 others. The criminal case was never solved.
 |
| From: Wikipedia |
 |
| George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress |
Here's another bombing from the past: A Harvard professor set a bomb inside the U.S. Capitol on the July 4th holiday weekend in 1915. That bomb was timed to go off near midnight, according to a senate historical webpage, to prevent loss of human life.
 |
| National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress |
Best I can tell, there were no calls for the Constitution or the Second Amendment to be "reinterpretted" like nanny state advocate Mike Bloomberg has called for in the aftermath of Boston's Marathon bombings.
America has had bouts with bombings and terrorism before. But the modern era is the only one where government officials have actively sought to exploit the incidents in an organized fashion to peel away our Constitutional rights and protections.
Big Sis cuts ammo orders
Say it ain't so! Big Sis and the Department of Homeland Security says it's buying less ammo because of the sequester. But the DHS cupboard is far from bare, reports the Washington Times:
Begs the question I've been asking for some time: Why would DHS attempt to lock in contracts for huge amounts of ammo that would never be purchased? At the very least, it displays gross incompetence.
Why would ammo makers agree to contracts that would only result in a fraction of the business committed to? There's just no incentive, and it would impeded efficient allocation of resources. Even if DHS wasn't buying, manufacturers would still have to make contingency plans (such as holding capacity in reserve) should the agency suddenly decide it wants to max out its potential orders.
It's time DHS and its ammo buying got more oversight and transparency. Either the agency is being dishonest with its ammo purchase denials, or it clearly is making a mess of its ammo contracting efforts.
Despite the potential for cuts, the department still reported stockpiling more than 260 million rounds of ammunition as of November 2012 — a two-year supply, according to information provided to the committee ahead of a hearing on Thursday.The Times addresses the uproar in past year over DHS and its bid requests for huge amounts of both rifle and pistol ammo. It also speaks of DHS insistence that those contract requests were for "up to" amounts, not actual orders.
Begs the question I've been asking for some time: Why would DHS attempt to lock in contracts for huge amounts of ammo that would never be purchased? At the very least, it displays gross incompetence.
Why would ammo makers agree to contracts that would only result in a fraction of the business committed to? There's just no incentive, and it would impeded efficient allocation of resources. Even if DHS wasn't buying, manufacturers would still have to make contingency plans (such as holding capacity in reserve) should the agency suddenly decide it wants to max out its potential orders.
It's time DHS and its ammo buying got more oversight and transparency. Either the agency is being dishonest with its ammo purchase denials, or it clearly is making a mess of its ammo contracting efforts.
A one sided shootout in Watertown
Media accounts now say the 19-year-old bomber suspect found hiding in a boat was unarmed.
Seems the cops' tales of an hour long Friday evening shootout, and of finding an arsenal onboard were, uh, exaggerated.
All that gun fire ringing out Friday evening was apparently exclusively from police.
The Daily Mail runs through some of the early police and media inaccuracies and exaggerations. Including the apparent fabrication in the New York Times that an M-4 assault rifle was recovered from the boat.
Seems the cops' tales of an hour long Friday evening shootout, and of finding an arsenal onboard were, uh, exaggerated.
All that gun fire ringing out Friday evening was apparently exclusively from police.
The Daily Mail runs through some of the early police and media inaccuracies and exaggerations. Including the apparent fabrication in the New York Times that an M-4 assault rifle was recovered from the boat.
Reloading dies. Finally.
Amazon says it's about to ship a long awaited set of Lee 9mm reloading dies my way.
I had a set on backorder at a large and well respected shooting sports retailer for more than a month before I put the alternative order in at Amazon. Amazon's price was higher, but free shipping countered most the difference. I placed my Amazon order less than a month ago.
The other retailer still shows backorder, with fulfillment expected sometime in June. So I cancelled the order there.
Times like these, it doesn't hurt to duplicate orders. Go with the company that ships first, then cancel the duplicate(s) on file elsewhere.
Anything in 9mm ammo priced under 50 cents a round still sells out within minutes when posted by online sellers. And my time's too precious to play the hit or miss game of camping out in Walmart or some other store hoping I'll score a box or two.
Reloading is a practical step in these times. Fortunately, I assembled most the other necessary tools and components prior to shortages getting into full swing. 9mm dies are a late add.
By the way, similar sets of dies have been selling at a hundred bucks or more on eBay for the past month or two but the prices there, while still higher than traditional retailers, seem to be coming down. Suggests to me manufacturers are continuing to whittle down the backlog for high demand shooting related accessories.
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| Lee dies via Amazon.com |
The other retailer still shows backorder, with fulfillment expected sometime in June. So I cancelled the order there.
Times like these, it doesn't hurt to duplicate orders. Go with the company that ships first, then cancel the duplicate(s) on file elsewhere.
Anything in 9mm ammo priced under 50 cents a round still sells out within minutes when posted by online sellers. And my time's too precious to play the hit or miss game of camping out in Walmart or some other store hoping I'll score a box or two.
Reloading is a practical step in these times. Fortunately, I assembled most the other necessary tools and components prior to shortages getting into full swing. 9mm dies are a late add.
By the way, similar sets of dies have been selling at a hundred bucks or more on eBay for the past month or two but the prices there, while still higher than traditional retailers, seem to be coming down. Suggests to me manufacturers are continuing to whittle down the backlog for high demand shooting related accessories.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Hindsight 20/20
For whose on the Left who get so high and mighty when they say Bush didn't find WMDs in Iraq:
New details indicate the entire Boston area and surrounding 'burbs were on lockdown last Friday over a search for an unarmed and wounded lone 19-year old.
New details indicate the entire Boston area and surrounding 'burbs were on lockdown last Friday over a search for an unarmed and wounded lone 19-year old.
No background check, no waiting period
An apparent motive for last week's execution style murder of a campus police officer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. CBS News reports:
Just like Newtown's Adam Lanza.
Police now think they have the answer. Investigators now believe that Officer Collier was killed because the two bombing suspects wanted to take his gun.
Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev only had one real gun and one pellet gun. Investigators believe because the officer's holster had a locking system, they apparently couldn't get the gun out.See. We've said all along. When determined law breakers are intent on acquiring guns, they improvise. In the case of the Tsarnaevs, they apparently resorted to murder.
Just like Newtown's Adam Lanza.
General Electric ceases lending trade with gun shops
The Wall Street Journal reports today:
Sadly, this news didn't break until today, the same day GE held its annual shareholder meeting in New Orleans. The late disclosure effectively preempts stock holders from mounting protest at an annual meeting until next year.
General Electric Co. is quietly cutting off lending to gun shops, as the company rethinks its relationship to firearms amid the fallout from the school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
This month, Glenn Duncan, owner of Duncan's Outdoor Store in Bay City, Mich., said he received a letter from GE Capital Retail Bank in which the lender said it had made "the difficult decision" to stop providing financing services to his store. Other gun dealers have received similar notices.Did Bloomberg's hand (and his billions) play a hand in this? I also note GE is based in Connecticut.
Sadly, this news didn't break until today, the same day GE held its annual shareholder meeting in New Orleans. The late disclosure effectively preempts stock holders from mounting protest at an annual meeting until next year.
Demand for gold coins and bars remains strong
As noted by Debbie Carlson at Kitco News:
Demand for small-sized gold coins and investment grade bars continues unabated a week after prices plunged over $200 an ounce, with rising premiums over spot prices for prompt delivery reflecting the demand...
“There’s been very, very aggressive interest in the physical market for gold for prompt delivery,” said Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at trading house MKS (Switzerland) SA in Geneva.
There are many news reports of demand for gold out of Asia, but there is also very strong demand from the Middle East, Nabavi said, particularly out of Dubai, Saudi Arabia and from Turkey...
Fireworks
Looks like the Boston bomb suspects not only broke Massachusetts gun laws, they also apparently circumvented fireworks laws by buying out of state.
Shills and activists masquerading as journalists
So-called journalists no longer pretend to be objective. They see themselves as human shields, willing to protect those pushing pet causes like gun control.
When a gun control activist attempted to disrupt last week's proceedings in the senate with an outburst and police tried to remove her, Huffington Post's DC bureau chief tells MSNBC that journalists intervened:
When a gun control activist attempted to disrupt last week's proceedings in the senate with an outburst and police tried to remove her, Huffington Post's DC bureau chief tells MSNBC that journalists intervened:
I interviewed her along with a number of other journalists right afterwards. They were trying to escort her out of the building, but journalists kind of formed a human shield around her because they all had their microphone in front of her. The Capitol Police realized perhaps arresting a hero of Tucson, right after the Senate knocked down this sensible gun bill, wasn't the best move, so they let her continue to talk.More detail and video at Real Clear Politics.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Last week changed some minds
This lady didn't want a gun in her house until...
In the middle of that night listening to the Boston police scanner, I evolved.
Did they forget who won last week?
Battle won.
So why does the National Shooting Sports Foundation still seem obsessed with giving ground in compromise? War on Guns has more.
So why does the National Shooting Sports Foundation still seem obsessed with giving ground in compromise? War on Guns has more.
Elvis has left the building
Charges dropped, the man suspected last week of mailing ricin letters has been released from jail.
Now the question: Who'd want to frame an Elvis impersonator?
Now the question: Who'd want to frame an Elvis impersonator?
Sound familiar?
From Jim Sinclair's Mineset:
Posted April 23rd, 2013 by Jim Sinclair & filed under Jim's Mailbox.
Mr. Sinclair
As another bit of information, I check with relatives in Punjab, India, and they are unable to acquire any gold as dealers have sold out and are not giving timeframes as to when their supply will be replenished. This is a first in my lifetime that such an event has occurred.
CIGA GurrajI haven't vetted the claim, but it sounds a lot like the ammo shortage here.
Scary weapons?
Chicago teacher files lawsuit following his suspension for showing second graders what screw drivers, pliers and wrenches look like.
School officials deemed he was in possession of weapons.
Bloomberg spins the Boston bombings
The gun-grabbing New York mayor tries to use last week's terror events in Boston to launch another attack on the Constitution and the Second Amendment.
Mike Bloomberg fails to mention the bombs used in Boston weren't really that much more sophisticated than those used by anarchists in the late 19th and early 20th century. No one called for diluting constitutional protections then.
If Boston's events showed us anything last week, it was that America needs to do a better job of controlling who enters the country. And a better job deporting foreign citizens who manage to get in, but then display disturbing behaviors once they're here.
Mike Bloomberg fails to mention the bombs used in Boston weren't really that much more sophisticated than those used by anarchists in the late 19th and early 20th century. No one called for diluting constitutional protections then.
If Boston's events showed us anything last week, it was that America needs to do a better job of controlling who enters the country. And a better job deporting foreign citizens who manage to get in, but then display disturbing behaviors once they're here.
Back to school... With a little help from his friends
Excerpt from the Washington Times:
A West Virginia teen who was arrested and suspended for wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school returned to class Monday wearing the same shirt that got him into trouble.
Jared Marcum, 14, was joined by about 100 other students across Logan County who wore shirts with a similar gun rights theme in a show of support for free speech.Previous post
Dems double down on tired spin
Democrats are like a stuck record in touting their bogus spin that 90 percent of Americans supported last week's gun control push in the senate.
White House spokesman Jay Carney is among the worst offenders. Carney's message yesterday?
Gun Control Will Eventually Happen, Opponents Will "Go Down" For "Being Wrong"
How does a guy like Carney sleep at night? Look at himself in the mirror each morning?
White House spokesman Jay Carney is among the worst offenders. Carney's message yesterday?
Gun Control Will Eventually Happen, Opponents Will "Go Down" For "Being Wrong"
How does a guy like Carney sleep at night? Look at himself in the mirror each morning?
Monday, April 22, 2013
Suing the Federal Reserve
A woman in China says she's been cheated. Says the Federal Reserve over-prints money, devalues the savings she had stashed in U.S dollars. She's filed a lawsuit in a Chinese court.
Why did it take a Chinese national in Yunnan province to do this?
No potential plaintiffs in the U.S. smart enough to figure it out? No lawyers here willing to take on the Fed?
Why did it take a Chinese national in Yunnan province to do this?
No potential plaintiffs in the U.S. smart enough to figure it out? No lawyers here willing to take on the Fed?
Land of submission, home of the locked down
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| Source Police State USA |
The montage above appears to be mostly collected from Watertown, Massachusetts last Friday. Other photos posted on Facebook look like scenes ripped from Red Dawn.
I'd still like to know how many Watertown homes were searched, and how many times were occupants forced out at gun point with their hands up. Did any residents deny police permission to search and, if so, how did police respond?
In addition to snapshots, this video was posted on YouTube last Friday:
I will give the Boston/Watertown cops this: For all the hardware they had in action, they didn't open fire on innocents they way SoCal cops did in the quest for Dorner. And they didn't torch the boat.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Hidden inflation
New display shelf tag touts a "lower price" on the brand of dry cat food we buy.
I've seen this similar tags in several stores. I recall one said something like "Was $12.99, now $10.49!"
What the posts don't mention is that the bag used to hold 6.8 pounds.
Now it holds just five.
The new price per pound is actually higher.
I've seen this similar tags in several stores. I recall one said something like "Was $12.99, now $10.49!"
What the posts don't mention is that the bag used to hold 6.8 pounds.
Now it holds just five.
The new price per pound is actually higher.
A glimpse inside the Boston lockdown...
I think it's safe to say this guy's not a prepper:
"The Problem with One-Night Stands in Locked-Down Boston"
Alas, the loss of civil liberties can come at the most unexpected and inopportune of times.
"The Problem with One-Night Stands in Locked-Down Boston"
Alas, the loss of civil liberties can come at the most unexpected and inopportune of times.
Free will
"The left’s entire program is built on denying choice. On treating people like automatons who are forced by society to do what they do. That denial of free will is a lie." - Daniel Greenfield
Anyone remember this scene from 1984's Repo Man?
How about this song from Rush (not Limbaugh)?
Anyone remember this scene from 1984's Repo Man?
How about this song from Rush (not Limbaugh)?
The fight to maintain gun rights is as old as America itself
Citizen journalist and gun rights activist Mike Vanderboegh spoke Saturday at a rally in Connecticut, urging defiance of new gun control laws there and elsewhere:
Ten amendments were ratified as the Bill of Rights two years later in 1791. Be very careful not to surrender any of the rights included wherein. The words were intentional, and put in place by men of great foresight.
Yet despite the cost, these unconstitutional laws MUST be resisted. For if not now, when? And if not us, who? This is no longer a "slippery slope" leading to firearm registration and eventual confiscation -- it is a precipice that some states have already plunged over and that the federal government threatens to follow. Arrests are happening NOW. When, if not now, shall we resist? Will we allow ourselves to be shoved back once again, from the free exercise of our God-given, natural and inalienable rights to liberty? -- Shoved back once more, muttering but compliant?Vanderboegh's comments remind me of another's:
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?Most folks remember at least part of Patrick Henry's Liberty or Death speech as he railed against the British in 1775. But how many realize Henry later articulated fears of Congress implementing gun control and tyranny under a U.S. Constitution?
Your militia is given up to Congress, also, in another part of this plan; they will therefore act as they think proper; all power will be in their own possession. You can not force them to receive their punishment: of what service would militia be to you, when, most probably, you will not have a single musket in the State? For, as arms are to be provided by Congress, they may or may not furnish them.In 1789, a year after the second speech, Congress passed a series of amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for ratification. I suspect these amendments, including the Second Amendment, were added to allay the fears of men like Henry (who was very perceptive to anticipate the kind of so-called leaders we have today).
Ten amendments were ratified as the Bill of Rights two years later in 1791. Be very careful not to surrender any of the rights included wherein. The words were intentional, and put in place by men of great foresight.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Enemy combatant?
Best I've seen, the Boston bomb suspect in custody has been in the U.S since immigrating here. No summer jihad camps. And he's now a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Ugly as Boston was this week, it makes me nervous when guys like Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) want to embark on the slippery slope of naming American citizens as "enemy combatants" for crimes committed on U.S. soil.
I might take a different view if the suspect wasn't a U.S. citizen. But once we start declaring citizens as combatants on U.S. soil, were does it end?
And I'm doubly wary after seeing how Deval Patrick put Boston and surrounding 'burbs through a resistance test on martial law on Friday.
Ugly as Boston was this week, it makes me nervous when guys like Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) want to embark on the slippery slope of naming American citizens as "enemy combatants" for crimes committed on U.S. soil.
I might take a different view if the suspect wasn't a U.S. citizen. But once we start declaring citizens as combatants on U.S. soil, were does it end?
And I'm doubly wary after seeing how Deval Patrick put Boston and surrounding 'burbs through a resistance test on martial law on Friday.
Americans say guns make a home safer
It wasn't me that came up with the finding. It was an ABC/Washington Post pollster.
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| Source: Washington Post |
Sleepers
"The Tsarneav brothers probably weren’t sleepers. We’re the ones who are sleeping." - Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish
That NRA shirt got him arrested
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| The offending attire. From WOWK TV |
Eight grader suspended and arrested for wearing a t-shirt to school with the image of a gun... and, I might add, an NRA logo.
Happened in Logan County, West Virginia.
Yup. Sen. Machin's state.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Boston suspect in custody. Hospitalized in serious condition
I'm glad it's over, with no additional loss of life.
But the world has to marvel that a major American city and its 'burbs went into lock down for a full day over single teenage rookie terrorist. One publication estimates a billion dollar hit to Boston's economy.
How many terrorists and wannabes will be inspired by Boston's over reaction?
But the world has to marvel that a major American city and its 'burbs went into lock down for a full day over single teenage rookie terrorist. One publication estimates a billion dollar hit to Boston's economy.
How many terrorists and wannabes will be inspired by Boston's over reaction?
The ammo shortage drags on
Thanks largely to the rhetoric of the gun grabbers, the anxiety driven run on ammo is now entering its fifth month.
Memo to low information Americans
The Czech Republic and Chechnya are not the same thing.
From the Czech Embassy in Washington:
From the Czech Embassy in Washington:
Statement of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic on the Boston terrorist attack
19.04.2013 / 21:27
As many I was deeply shocked by the tragedy that occurred in Boston earlier this month. It was a stark reminder of the fact that any of us could be a victim of senseless violence anywhere at any moment.
As more information on the origin of the alleged perpetrators is coming to light, I am concerned to note in the social media a most unfortunate misunderstanding in this respect.
The Czech Republic and Chechnya are two very different entities - the Czech Republic is a Central European country; Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation
As the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman noted in his message to President Obama, the Czech Republic is an active and reliable partner of the United States in the fight against terrorism. We are determined to stand side by side with our allies in this respect, there is no doubt about that.
Petr Gandalovič
Ambassador of the Czech Republic
Question
Will copycats be inspired after seeing how two rookies terrorized and shut down a major U.S. city?
Lockdown
One 19 year old fugitive shuts down Boston and surrounding suburbs.
Eerie photos.
Is this really necessary, or is government testing to what extent it can control the people?
Not everything shut down, however. The Fiscal Times notes:
Eerie photos.
Is this really necessary, or is government testing to what extent it can control the people?
Not everything shut down, however. The Fiscal Times notes:
“At the direction of authorities, select Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Boston area are open to take care of needs of law enforcement and first responders," Karen Raskopf, chief communications officer of Dunkin’ Brands, said in an emailed statement.The Fiscal Times estimates the Boston economy could take a billion dollar hit today.
One Boston bombing suspect dead, another still at large. Report: Bombers from Chechnya
A police officer also shot and killed on the MIT campus.
Wild night in and around Cambridge and Watertown, Mass.
New York Times has as a decent write-up for those waking up and wanting to catch up.
One more thing. The bombers are believed to be brothers from Chechnya.
Wild night in and around Cambridge and Watertown, Mass.
New York Times has as a decent write-up for those waking up and wanting to catch up.
One more thing. The bombers are believed to be brothers from Chechnya.
Another rendering of a revolutionary call to arms
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| The "Minute-Men" of the Revolution Currier and Ives print, published 1876 Library of Congress |
Shot heard 'round the world
On April 19, 1775, the militia gathered on the village green in Lexington, Massachusetts...
An eyewitness account of the initial skirmish is recorded here. A better organized resistance to the British forces came later in the morning beginning at Concord Bridge.
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| "First Blow for Liberty" Scene from the Battle of Lexington, 1775 Engraving published 1863. From Library of Congress collection |
An eyewitness account of the initial skirmish is recorded here. A better organized resistance to the British forces came later in the morning beginning at Concord Bridge.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Getting a gun down under
An Australian applicant describes the paperwork process.
Please don't ever let it come to this in America.
H/T: View from the Porch
Please don't ever let it come to this in America.
H/T: View from the Porch
Boston bombing suspects
The FBI is out with a statement, photos and video of two suspects in Monday's Boston Marathon bombings. The statement says, in part:
The video:
After a very detailed analysis of photo, video, and other evidence, we are releasing photos of the two suspects. They are identified as Suspect 1 and Suspect 2. They appear to be associated.
Suspect 1 is wearing a black hat.
Suspect 2 is wearing a white hat.
Suspect 2 set down a back pack at the site of the second explosion just in front of the Forum Restaurant.
We strongly encourage those who were at the Forum Restaurant who have not contacted us yet to do so.
As you can see from one of the images, Suspects 1 and 2 appear to be walking together through the marathon crowd on Boylston Street in the direction of the finish line. That image was captured as they walked on Boylston in the vicinity of its intersection with Gloucester Street.The photos:
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| Higher resolution photos available here. Source: FBI |
The video:
In one form or another...
Gun rights advocates say they'll take to the green tomorrow in Lexington, Mass.
McConnell on gun control
From the Kentucky senator's Facebook page:
"We love the memes you send us! Keep them coming!" - Mitch McConnell
Sore losers widen their attack
Gabby Giffords wants to be front and center in the sore losers club:
Sorry, Gabby. It wasn't the gun lobby that won yesterday. It was Constitution and Americans like me who spoke up on behalf its Second Amendment. We wrote to our senators, and they listened.
President Obama calls us liars because we dared read proposed legislation, and considered how the words might be interpreted by bureaucrats and the courts. Thank goodness we had a chance to know what was in the bill's amendments before they were voted on. I suspect it was the dishonesty of the gun-grabbing left that drove many of the "no" senators to vote the way they did.
Giffords' own husband got caught in a pickle of a tale after trying to buy an AR-15 in Arizona. You want to hear a lie? Try Dianne Feinstein's claim that all police supported her so-called assault weapons ban. And there's plenty of questionable intent in the language of proposed legislation put forth by anti-gun Democrats.
The gun control crowd demanded an up or down vote. And got it. They lost.
Is anyone surprised they now widen their attack on the Constitution and its prescribed institutions and practices as a result?
Speaking is physically difficult for me. But my feelings are clear: I’m furious. I will not rest until we have righted the wrong these senators have done...Writing in the New York Times, Giffords goes on with the usual drivel about making things safe for children. And she rips the so-called gun lobby.
Sorry, Gabby. It wasn't the gun lobby that won yesterday. It was Constitution and Americans like me who spoke up on behalf its Second Amendment. We wrote to our senators, and they listened.
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| Gabby Giffords joined Pres. Obama and VP Biden as the president ripped those who oppose his anti-gun agenda |
President Obama calls us liars because we dared read proposed legislation, and considered how the words might be interpreted by bureaucrats and the courts. Thank goodness we had a chance to know what was in the bill's amendments before they were voted on. I suspect it was the dishonesty of the gun-grabbing left that drove many of the "no" senators to vote the way they did.
Giffords' own husband got caught in a pickle of a tale after trying to buy an AR-15 in Arizona. You want to hear a lie? Try Dianne Feinstein's claim that all police supported her so-called assault weapons ban. And there's plenty of questionable intent in the language of proposed legislation put forth by anti-gun Democrats.
The gun control crowd demanded an up or down vote. And got it. They lost.
Is anyone surprised they now widen their attack on the Constitution and its prescribed institutions and practices as a result?
Pray for the people in West, Texas
West, Texas is a community north of Waco.
KWTX reports:
Numerous structures are reported damaged, including a nursing home and an apartment building. West Middle School was said to be on fire.
Update: Death toll remains well under earlier estimate, but others remain unaccounted for.
KWTX reports:
West EMS Director Dr. George Smith says as many as 60 or 70 people died and hundreds were injured Wednesday night in a fertilizer plant explosion in West.It appears some underestimated the potential danger. A video on YouTube was shot by people watching the fire - until an explosion rocked their vehicle.
Numerous structures are reported damaged, including a nursing home and an apartment building. West Middle School was said to be on fire.
Update: Death toll remains well under earlier estimate, but others remain unaccounted for.
T'was the 18th of April in '75...
A few lines from the Longfellow poem:
A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night...
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| "Awaken..." Paul Revere's ride, 18 April 1775 Reproduction of painting by William Robinson Leigh. Library of Congress collection |
A less poetic, more factual telling of the ride can be found here.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Bloomberg the hypocrite
Bloomberg's money and influence failed to buy what he wanted.
So he lashes out, denouncing "special interests."
Not unexpected, but still pretty darn amazing.
So he lashes out, denouncing "special interests."
Not unexpected, but still pretty darn amazing.
Lashing out
President Obama, just on TV, blasted the senate, and denounced those who oppose gun control legislation as liars.But while Obama was fuming, I think he got upstaged by Joe Biden.
The VP didn't have to say a word. Joe just wore his grumpy face.
Bad day for Obama and Biden and the gun-grabbers.
A great day for the American people and the Second Amendment.
Gun rights rally permit yanked after Boston bombings
Officials in Lexington, Massachusetts pull permission for Friday's planned rally. The event was planned to coincide with the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington in 1775.
Update: Sipsey Street reports organizers have reached out to an attorney to fight the revocation, other events remain scheduled.
Update: Sipsey Street reports organizers have reached out to an attorney to fight the revocation, other events remain scheduled.
An arrest in Boston?
About the Boston bombings...
"Big Sis says Boston is not part of a bigger threat. How can she possibly know that? They have no suspects, no motive." - Todd Starnes via Twitter
Armed Americans
Woman in Billings, Montana uses gun to fend of intruder.
Would-be robber shot dead by his intended victim outside a store in Fort Worth, Texas.
One of two apparent home intruders is shot and killed after a couple in rural Washington state returned home and found the pair inside.
Would-be robber shot dead by his intended victim outside a store in Fort Worth, Texas.
One of two apparent home intruders is shot and killed after a couple in rural Washington state returned home and found the pair inside.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Report: Cruz introduces alternative gun bills
According to The Hill, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his allies have an alternative gun bill focused on enforcing the background check system already in place rather than expanding into new territory. Cruz's second bill will apparently target illegal straw purchasers.
Pressure cooker ponderings
More common in the Middle East, pressure cooker bombs like ones apparently used in Boston make for a more powerful blast.
Question: When and where did the Boston bomber or bombers acquire their pressure cookers?
New or used? Were they purchased online?
Few retail stores keep pressure cookers on their shelves. It's more typically an item that ships from a warehouse when purchased these days. And this is off season for pressure cookers, they're typically pressed into use in late summer or following fall harvest.
Question: When and where did the Boston bomber or bombers acquire their pressure cookers?
New or used? Were they purchased online?
Few retail stores keep pressure cookers on their shelves. It's more typically an item that ships from a warehouse when purchased these days. And this is off season for pressure cookers, they're typically pressed into use in late summer or following fall harvest.
"The Company You Keep"
In recent weeks, there's been some buzz about Robert Redford's new film, one with a story line focused on fictional members of the Weather Underground who remain at large under assumed identities until the present day. Here's part of a New York Times review:
Will the Boston bombings chill some of the nostalgic notions of 1960s idealism some hoped would come with Redford's new film? While Redford's film is fictionalized, the Weather Underground was real. So were the bombings it carried out.
The aging but still beautiful faces of its stars — especially those of Mr. Redford, Julie Christie and Susan Sarandon — convey an aura of tragic nobility. They portray former members of the Weather Underground, which plotted to blow up buildings in United States cities. Lem Dobbs’s clunky screenplay, adapted from Neil Gordon’s novel, maintains a scrupulously ethical balance in contemplating domestic terrorism, and the film gives the angriest of these left-wing radicals their say. If their rage has moderated, their basic feelings haven’t changed.In a recent interview with George Stephanopoulos, Redford describes himself as "empathetic" with the radicalism of the earlier era, including the bombings. "All of it," Redford said.
Will the Boston bombings chill some of the nostalgic notions of 1960s idealism some hoped would come with Redford's new film? While Redford's film is fictionalized, the Weather Underground was real. So were the bombings it carried out.
Kerry talks of scary guns
The Weekly Standard notes that Secretary of State John Kerry claims foreign students are "scared" of guns in America. Kerry's comments were made on CNN:
If guns are scary to people from other cultures, why do people from more gun restrictive nations continue to illegally swarm across our borders?
If guns are scary to people from other cultures, why do people from more gun restrictive nations continue to illegally swarm across our borders?
Another event to be exploited?
Truth About Guns asks the question: Could the Boston Bombings Spark Restrictions on Reloading Components?
American economic history
"What we desperately need to do is to teach the American people a little history lesson. The truth is that the greatest period of economic growth in U.S. history was between the Civil War and 1913 when there was no federal income tax at all." - Michael Snyder, as posted as Zero Hedge
Monday, April 15, 2013
Foreboding
"It feels like a calamity lies ahead. Something nameless, as yet. Perhaps we are over-trained. One reason for the conspiracy theories about Pearl Harbor is that, by today's standards, the Japanese practically sent engrossed announcements accompanied by a brass band. 9/11, now that was a sneak attack, yet since then we've become so much more alert to danger we wonder how we could have been blind sided. Some say we weren't. Not so long ago only combat veterans or big city cops thought like we do now." - Ol' Remus at the Woodpile Report
Some of today's thoughts on Toomey-Manchin
"The Toomey-Manchin Amendment which may be offered as soon as Tuesday to Senator Reid’s gun control bill are billed as a 'compromise' which contain a variety of provisions for gun control, and other provisions to enhance gun rights. Some of the latter, however, are not what they seem. They are badly miswritten, and are in fact major advancements for gun control." - David Kopel
"Alan Gottlieb and CCRKBA had no business getting involved in writing Manchin-Toomey. Gun control legislation was slowly dying in the Senate until the 'grand compromise' revived it." - Only Guns and Money
"Oh yeah, look at all the 'benefits' it’s going to give gun owners. It’s like putting warm 'showers' in the concentration camps." - Claire Wolfe
"Alan Gottlieb and CCRKBA had no business getting involved in writing Manchin-Toomey. Gun control legislation was slowly dying in the Senate until the 'grand compromise' revived it." - Only Guns and Money
"Oh yeah, look at all the 'benefits' it’s going to give gun owners. It’s like putting warm 'showers' in the concentration camps." - Claire Wolfe
Senate gun battle moves forward
An excerpt from Gun Owners of America latest alert on SB 649:
It’s not often that we agree with USA Today. But author, Gregory Korte, got it right in Friday’s column. The Senators who refused to cast a “no” vote on Thursday - and who refused to drive a stake through the heart of S. 649 - have given the President a key symbolic victory.
Senate voting commences as early as Tuesday. True, the battle is not over yet and we still think we have a good chance to defeat this bill. The Senate will probably commence voting on gun issues this Tuesday - possibly Wednesday - and it could continue for several days. But if we do win, it’s no thanks to your Senator(s) who stabbed gun owners in the back.
Columbia and Cloward & Piven
"While I never met Obama at Columbia, I can certainly put him at the scene of the crime. He either went to Columbia, or he didn’t. If he didn’t, he’s a fraud. If he did, he knew the Cloward & Piven plan like the back of his hand." - Wayne Allyn Root, writing at Human Events
Report: Suspect in Texas prosecutor slayings
No Aryan Nations. No drug cartels.
According to KTVT in Dallas, the investigation into the murder of a District Attorney and his wife and another prosecutor is now focused on a former Justice of the Peace who was prosecuted and convicted last year of theft of public property.
According to KTVT in Dallas, the investigation into the murder of a District Attorney and his wife and another prosecutor is now focused on a former Justice of the Peace who was prosecuted and convicted last year of theft of public property.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Now this is strange...
If so many Second Amendment advocates see danger in Toomey-Manchin, why's a supposed gun rights group claiming it played part in authorship?
"Gun nut"
With a gun control debate coming up in the U.S. Senate, do a detect a touch of Alinksky-style snark as today's New York Times profiles the NRA's Wayne LaPierre?
Dirty deeds done in secret
Immigration reform legislation appears ready to advance in the U.S. Senate. But Breitbart.com notes:
Sounds a lot like Nancy Pelosi's model of passing the Obamacare bill before allowing us to know what's in it.
And if you want to go way back...
According to an ABC News report, senators from the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” pushing immigration reform are expected to drop their bill, estimated at around 1,500 pages, on Tuesday, mere hours before the only scheduled Senate hearing on the topic.Sounds a lot like the same strategy Andrew Cuomo used to ram his sloppy gun control bill through New York's legislature.
Sounds a lot like Nancy Pelosi's model of passing the Obamacare bill before allowing us to know what's in it.
And if you want to go way back...
"What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information...The quote is from a book by Milton Mayer that speaks loudly of what can happen as a people place too much trust, and bestow too much power, in their government.
Two items from the Show-Me State
First: An update on the state's concealed carry permit data turned over to the Social Security Administration.
Second: Some people's carry permits may be in jeopardy after a firearms instructor allegedly took some major shortcuts in state required training.
Second: Some people's carry permits may be in jeopardy after a firearms instructor allegedly took some major shortcuts in state required training.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Ongoing exploitation
The White House continues to flatter and exploit the Newtown families.
Here's part of a White House message from the prez that I found in my email today regarding his weekly radio address:Each week, like many presidents before me, I sit down to record a short address to the nation. It's something I take very seriously because it offers a chance to bring focus to an issue that needs to be part of the national dialogue.
But today, I've asked someone to take my place.
Francine Wheeler is a mother. She and her family live in Newtown, Connecticut. Four months ago, her six year-old son Ben was murdered in his elementary school, along with 19 other children and six brave educators...I think it's possible at least some of these families will eventually realize they've been used as props in a campaign to betray the Constitution and the liberties it articulates. But it probably won't happen until the smothering and flattery from the Obama and Bloomberg camps subsides.
Ammo's out there. I know it for fact, I've seen it
Curiosity caused me to stop at three gun stores today; two near Athens, Georgia and one near Lawrenceville.
5.56 ammo was available in case quantities at one of the Athens outlets. 500 rounds of Independence brand (Israeli made, marketed by ATK) was selling for $299, and the store was even bold enough to have the stock and price noted outside on the sign.
The Lawrenceville store had PMC 5.56 in 1000 round quantities for, if I recall, for $699. Federal or Magtech by the case was also available, but it cost more. There were also some thousand round cases of Tula 7.62x39 marked $299 each.
Pistol ammo was not available in large quantities, but looked to be generally available. The exceptions being 9mm and .22LR. Two out of three stores had some 9mm, one said it had none. Sample pricing of what I saw in stock: Magtech 124 gr. FMJ for $19.95.
I think I saw a few 50 count boxes of .22 ammo at two of the stores. But I didn't look close enough to determine if it was plinker stuff or specialty. No bricks, buckets or large cartons on the shelves.
Firearms inventories continue to recover. But used selections remain well below what was customary until last December. My assumption, as I've said before, is that people aren't parting with guns right now.
Customer traffic at all the stores looked steady, but low for Saturday by standards set in recent months. Like last weekend, skies were sunny, temps in the mid-70s. I suspect most folks had better things to do than hang around a gun store.
5.56 ammo was available in case quantities at one of the Athens outlets. 500 rounds of Independence brand (Israeli made, marketed by ATK) was selling for $299, and the store was even bold enough to have the stock and price noted outside on the sign.
The Lawrenceville store had PMC 5.56 in 1000 round quantities for, if I recall, for $699. Federal or Magtech by the case was also available, but it cost more. There were also some thousand round cases of Tula 7.62x39 marked $299 each.
Pistol ammo was not available in large quantities, but looked to be generally available. The exceptions being 9mm and .22LR. Two out of three stores had some 9mm, one said it had none. Sample pricing of what I saw in stock: Magtech 124 gr. FMJ for $19.95.
I think I saw a few 50 count boxes of .22 ammo at two of the stores. But I didn't look close enough to determine if it was plinker stuff or specialty. No bricks, buckets or large cartons on the shelves.
Firearms inventories continue to recover. But used selections remain well below what was customary until last December. My assumption, as I've said before, is that people aren't parting with guns right now.
Customer traffic at all the stores looked steady, but low for Saturday by standards set in recent months. Like last weekend, skies were sunny, temps in the mid-70s. I suspect most folks had better things to do than hang around a gun store.
Friday, April 12, 2013
We go hot at 1 pm EDT
The April 12th Don and Doug to include, but not necessarily limited to, discussion of:
Update: The April 12th show's now available On Demand. First half hour focused mostly on today's volatility in gold, and a decline in commodities in general. Why are these data points something to pay attention to?
We're paying special attention the Second Amendment sell-out that being billed as compromise by its supporters in the Senate.
Meanwhile, there's a report the Social Security Administration is getting nosey about which recipients have firearms carry permits.
And have you tried buying shooting supplies lately? It's not just ammo that remains in short supply. We'll also dig deeper into Don's gun show observations from last weekend.Eavesdrop by way of TalkSouthRadio.com. Or access the stream directly by clicking here.
Update: The April 12th show's now available On Demand. First half hour focused mostly on today's volatility in gold, and a decline in commodities in general. Why are these data points something to pay attention to?
It's not just gold...
Copper's price has fallen in 2013.
Copper's a commodity used in all kinds of products and manufacturing. Is the declining price an early symbol of economic slowdown?
What perhaps makes this even more alarming is that no one seemed to see this coming. It was only a few months ago that financial gurus were calling for copper's price to rise in 2013.
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| Copper price chart courtesy NASDAQ |
What perhaps makes this even more alarming is that no one seemed to see this coming. It was only a few months ago that financial gurus were calling for copper's price to rise in 2013.
They say its not in there...
But the Toomey-Manchin plan seems to have a big loophole to allow a national gun registry.
The Heritage Foundation notes use of the word "notwithstanding," giving the Justice Department leeway to do pretty much anything other parts of the bill apparently seem to prohibit.
The Toomey-Manchin (Chuck Schumer is also now an official major sponsor) seems similar to Obamacare, it that would convey broad powers to bureaucrats and the executive branch without any pesky hurdles like needing congressional approval.
Deceptively crafted legislation seems the order of the day in DC. And remember, it's not just Democrats who fell in line to help this kind of treachery move forward.
The Heritage Foundation notes use of the word "notwithstanding," giving the Justice Department leeway to do pretty much anything other parts of the bill apparently seem to prohibit.
The Toomey-Manchin (Chuck Schumer is also now an official major sponsor) seems similar to Obamacare, it that would convey broad powers to bureaucrats and the executive branch without any pesky hurdles like needing congressional approval.
Deceptively crafted legislation seems the order of the day in DC. And remember, it's not just Democrats who fell in line to help this kind of treachery move forward.
Newtown families transformation into a lobbying force
As Politico points out, they're embracing shrewd tactics, they have money, and in many cases the Newtown gun control families who now lobby for gun control even employ lobbyists of their own.
But while some want to be seen as independent, other Newtown activists are clearly coordinated by Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns. According to Politico, some of these family lobbyists have even been flown to DC by Barack Obama aboard Air Force One.
Politico says the Newton families have "coalesced and bonded in ways the victims of other mass tragedies have not."
I have to ask how much of the coalescence came naturally. And how much came about because political exploitation of the shooting and the victims' families began before the crime scene was cleared. Professional advisers from the gun control camp began recruiting and coaching the families from the start. I suspect a solid flow of outside money, and perks like rides on Air Force One have also played part in pulling things together.
Would we be seeing the push we are now if Newtown families hadn't been recruited (perhaps seduced is a better term) by those with power and money from the git-go?
But while some want to be seen as independent, other Newtown activists are clearly coordinated by Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns. According to Politico, some of these family lobbyists have even been flown to DC by Barack Obama aboard Air Force One.
Politico says the Newton families have "coalesced and bonded in ways the victims of other mass tragedies have not."
I have to ask how much of the coalescence came naturally. And how much came about because political exploitation of the shooting and the victims' families began before the crime scene was cleared. Professional advisers from the gun control camp began recruiting and coaching the families from the start. I suspect a solid flow of outside money, and perks like rides on Air Force One have also played part in pulling things together.
Would we be seeing the push we are now if Newtown families hadn't been recruited (perhaps seduced is a better term) by those with power and money from the git-go?
GOA updates on the gun control push
Gun Owners of America's most recent action alert says, in part:
Are you in the game? Or just sitting on the sidelines? This isn't something that can wait until the next election before your voice is heard.
So, here's where we are. Right after the Senate proceeded to the gun control bill, Harry Reid used his privileged recognition to put a bunch of amendments in place. In Senate parlance, they are referred to as an "amendment tree;" and they contain the universal registry bill, the Feinstein gun ban, and the magazine ban. These will be voted on in upcoming days.
As for the Toomey-Manchin-Schumer universal registry bill, don't believe the press' efforts to sugar-coat it. If you have ever had an "Internet ... posting" on (or related to) your gun, you can sell it only by going to a dealer and filling out a 4473 and getting the government's approval. Only a cave man would be exempt.
And once you have a 4473? Well, the ATF is going from dealer to dealer, copying the information on these forms, and feeding it into a database. But, says Toomey, he's against universal registries. This is where it would have helped if Toomey had consulted someone who knew something about guns.And GOA highlights other dangers in the bill:
Because private shrinks will be able to add patients names into a federal database of the mentally ill - without due process - you will be at their mercy.
As Red State editor, Erick Erickson says, “Activist mental health providers will probably be overly aggressive in adding people to the list. Give it five years in liberal areas and people who believe in the physical resurrection of Christ will probably get automatic entry onto the list.”
And as for veterans? Toomey-Manchin-Schumer reinforces the proposition that bureaucrats in the Department of Veterans Affairs can take away veterans' rights without any due process. If a veteran has $30,000 to spend getting back the rights Toomey-Manchin-Schumer wrongly took from him, the sell-out creates yet another redundant money-trap for restoration of rights that shouldn't have been taken away in the first place.GOA believes things have gone too far to support a filibuster at this point. GOA says, at this point, give Obama what he wants, an up or down vote. Contact your senators. Urge them to vote no on the Toomey-Manchin sell-out.
Are you in the game? Or just sitting on the sidelines? This isn't something that can wait until the next election before your voice is heard.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Obamacare update
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius blames Republicans for Obamacare stumbles.
Investors Business Daily opines:
Investors Business Daily opines:
So let's see if we get this. Democrats shoved an unpopular, expensive, ill-conceived and poorly written law down the country's throat with no Republican support, and without bothering to see whether states would want to take on the thankless and costly task of helping the feds implement it.
And now that many of these states are rebelling, it's the Republicans' fault?
Hack politicians
"The Constitution and the Bill of Rights aren't up for election every two years with these temporary hack politicians." - Doug Ross
But exactly how much constitutional trampling by the hacks can the country take without suffering irrevocable damage?
But exactly how much constitutional trampling by the hacks can the country take without suffering irrevocable damage?
How'd we get to this point?
Booze and a boat appear to be contributing factors in the senate sell-out that moves gun control forward.
Above-the-law roguery at the IRS
From the American Civil Liberties Union:
New documents released to the ACLU under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the IRS Criminal Tax Division has long taken the position that the IRS can read your emails without a warrant—a practice that one appeals court has said violates the Fourth Amendment (and we think most Americans would agree).So, it seems the Left, like the political right, has growing concerns about the nature of our government.
Slippery slope...
"Today's exemption is tomorrow's loophole."
There's plenty of danger in the Toomey-Manchin "compromise" including the fact it may simply be a set-up for the next big moves.
There's plenty of danger in the Toomey-Manchin "compromise" including the fact it may simply be a set-up for the next big moves.
Social Security apparently joins government's civilian disarmament push
A report out of Missouri says the state's Highway Patrol gave the feds the state's entire list of residents with concealed carry permits. The Columbia Daily Tribune outed the move with a story that says, in part:
Has Social Security tried this alleged stunt in other states? If so, how many complied?
The list was given to the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, (State Sen. Kurt) Schaefer said he was told.
“Apparently from what I understand, they wanted to match up anyone who had a mental diagnosis or disability with also having a concealed carry license,” Schaefer said. “What I am told is there is no written request for that information.”Under Missouri law, the names of firearms permit holders are supposed to be confidential. Yet the Highway Patrol acquired the data, and passed it on to the feds - without so much as a written request?
Has Social Security tried this alleged stunt in other states? If so, how many complied?
Selling out the Second Amendment
Apparently it's part of Pat Toomey's strategy to "soften his image" with Democrats in Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Isakson must be feeling some heat from the folks back home
According to Politico, Senator Johnny Isakson fails to mention either guns or immigration in his recap of dinner with the prez.
Chicago...
A city where the perps have illegal guns. And the law abiding folk are forced to improvise.
Keep in mind, this is the model "progressives" have in mind for all of us.
Keep in mind, this is the model "progressives" have in mind for all of us.
Adios, Connecticut
Connecticut-based (at least for the moment) rifle maker PTR says the time has come to move on:
Although PTR has not decided upon a specific relocation site at this time, over the coming weeks the company will be actively considering offers from states that are friendly to the industry. We hope to have a site identified within the next six weeks, and hope to have our move completed by the end of this year. We plan to keep our business partners informed on the status of our move throughout this process in order to affect a smooth transition.Will Colt, Mossberg or other arms makers with Connecticut operations follow in PTR's footsteps?
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We have extended the invitation to join us in the move to all of our employees, as well as all of our vendors. We are pleased to say that we currently have commitments to move from a majority of our employees, which includes ALL of our management personnel, engineering staff and skilled gunsmiths.
The Toomey-Manchin senate "compromise" seems loaded with dirty tricks
Here's part of the initial assessment from Gun Owners of America:
Toomey and Manchin will claim that their bill only covers “gun show sales” and Internet sales. But if you’ve ever talked about your gun and /or let it be known you’d like to sell or buy a gun on the Internet, this language covers you. If you advertise your gun in the church bulletin and the bulletin is put on the Internet, you’re covered.
The only exemption is for sales that are sold exclusively by word of mouth. The increased number of background checks would likely exacerbate the system breakdowns (inherent to NICS) which have shut down gun shows over and over again. It would mean that Americans who were illegally denied firearms because their names were similar to other people's would effectively be barred from owning a gun. (We would never tolerate such delays for voting rights or other freedoms that we are guaranteed.)
And for those Republicans who think they’re going to be able to offer their useless amendments, guess what? Reid is reportedly going to use a procedure to block out all amendments (called an “amendment tree”). And there are plenty of Senators standing in line to make sure that the Senate doesn’t give “unanimous consent” to let those Republicans offer their amendments.
"Go To Hell Harry Reid and Dianne Feinswine"
Not a typo. And not my words. They come from Karl Denninger.
She gets even more strange
Talkin' about Melissa Harris-Perry. She's been getting blistered for her MSNBC promo where she says parents need to give up the idea their kids belong to them. Harris-Perry says kids belong to their community. Then I saw by way of Twitter how Harris-Perry has taken to her blog, where she says, in part:
When the flood of vitriolic responses to the ad began, my first reaction was relief. I had spent the entire day grading papers and was relieved that since these children were not my responsibility, I could simply mail the students’ papers to their moms and dads to grade! But of course, that is a ridiculous notion. As a teacher, I have unique responsibilities to the students in my classroom at Tulane University, and I embrace those responsibilities. It is why I love my job.Used to be those attending a university would have been considered adults or young adults by their professors. I wonder how students at Tulane feel about having a professor who sees them as children. I wonder how they feel about having a prof like Harris-Perry who sees them as being part of some collectivist hive.
More thoughts on consumer ammo demand
From Forbes:
How long will the shortages last? Given flat hunting participation, and assuming there hasn’t been a step-change increase in target shooting in America, the hoarding will have to come to an end sooner or later. Consumers will run out of room to store the stuff. Olin projected in its 10-k that supplies will be tight “at least into the third quarter of 2013.”
Turning gun owners into felons
There's much danger in the gun control bill our two Georgia senators seem eager to see advanced for debate in Washington DC.
National Review Online notes:
I also recommend those living outside Georgia find out where their senators stand on SB 649 and regardless of where they stand, let them know where you do. There's way too much danger packed inside SB 649 to sit by silently while this one is allowed to slip forward.
National Review Online notes:
Public-opinion polls about “universal background checks” for gun sales show widespread support. While President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg talk about “gun sales,” the actual legislation moving through Congress aims to regulate far more than sales. It would turn almost every gun owner into a felon. The trick is that the language under consideration applies not only to sales but also to “transfers,” which are defined to include innocent activities such as letting your spouse borrow your gun for a few hours.Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson act like a couple of moths drawn to a flame here. Why would any thinking person want anything to do with moving a bill like this foward, even if only for "debate"?
I also recommend those living outside Georgia find out where their senators stand on SB 649 and regardless of where they stand, let them know where you do. There's way too much danger packed inside SB 649 to sit by silently while this one is allowed to slip forward.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Homeland Security, 1942
No need for sixty to seventy thousand federal Homeland Security agents. Not a single MRAP.
The Woodpile Report came across of photo of a Northwestern University home guard unit in early 1942, and includes a few observations:
The Woodpile Report came across of photo of a Northwestern University home guard unit in early 1942, and includes a few observations:
Young women didn't always embrace the default anti-gun stance. A month after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, these Northwestern University girls went through a Home Guard rifle drill on the campus in Evanston, Illinois. Not a single Japanese soldier made it past Evanston.
My letter to Senator Chambliss
Dispatched by email earlier this evening:
Seriously, I have to ask. Are you short-sighted in your desire to help the Democrats move talk of gun control and background checks to the floor of the Senate. Or are you intentionally complicit in the treachery?
The Heritage Foundation notes:
"Under Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) gun control bill (S. 649), if somebody steals your firearm or you lose it, you can go to prison for up to five years if you have not reported the theft or loss to local police and to Attorney General Eric Holder within 24 hours.
"The provision merits ridicule for treating as a felon someone who misplaces a firearm and does not report it to the police and the federal government fast enough."
You've said in past letters you want a serious discussion on gun issues. Yet you help Democrats move forward despite their exaggeration and insincerity.
Even the president last week dared to claim the Newtown killings were carried out with a "fully automatic weapon."
You tremendously disappoint those who elected you. The legacy you are creating for yourself may well be one of someone who sold out liberty for the sake of debate and compromise with a den of vipers.
My letter to Senator Isakson
Sent this by email tonight. For subject, I put "Gun Control/Pandora's Box":
Sen. Harry Reid's gun control bill may be as much as finding ways to turn gun owners into felons as it is about conducting more background checks.
The Heritage Foundation notes:
"Under Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) gun control bill (S. 649), if somebody steals your firearm or you lose it, you can go to prison for up to five years if you have not reported the theft or loss to local police and to Attorney General Eric Holder within 24 hours.
"The provision merits ridicule for treating as a felon someone who misplaces a firearm and does not report it to the police and the federal government fast enough."
I believe you are making a short-sighted error in helping Democrats open this Pandora's Box.
Your dinner with Obama Wednesday night may become a defining moment of your service as senator. Your legacy is fast becoming one where you are seen as betraying those of us in Georgia you were supposed to represent.
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