Friday, May 31, 2013

As political forces continue to fundamentally transform America...

Few Americans seem willing to take notice of what it really means.

It's one of the primary themes of today's (May 31st) Don and Doug program.

Today's show is available from start to finish by clicking here.

Back to basics

Gun rights activist Nora Craig speaks her mind to members of the New Jersey Senate public safety committee.

California senate advances plan to regulate ammo sales

From the LA Times:
Californians who want to buy ammunition would have to submit personal information and a $50 fee for a background check by the state, under a bill passed by the Senate. The state Department of Justice would determine whether buyers have a criminal record, severe mental illness or a restraining order that would disqualify them from owning guns. 
Ammo shops would check the name on buyers' driver's licenses against a state list of qualified purchasers.

Our fundamental transformer

"Obama is not a creature of the old partisan politics of a balance of power. He prefers imbalances. He chooses chaos. By exercising power he destroys and in his ideological sphere, that destruction is creative. Destroying health care will usher in national health care. Destroying public trust in government will usher in an even more oppressive government." - Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish

Dispatchers turn down woman's calls for help

Reads like another tale from unraveling America. This one from Oregon.

Law enforcement refuses to respond to a woman's call for help. The sheriff's office and the state police simply said they had no one to send. The violent ex-boyfriend then breaks in and allegedly rapes the woman.

The article says deputies were laid off when federal funding dried up. Strikes me that local law enforcement shouldn't be dependent on federal aid.

Story says local folk have since voted down a tax increase that would have provided more law enforcement.

If people there are too cheap to pay for their own cops, why should anyone else foot the bill?

What else does the county spend money on? You'd think basic law enforcement would be a top priority.

Also strikes me this should be a lesson for those who cling to a false belief that they don't have to plan for their own personal safety because government has it taken care of.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

So, what happens when the bad guys show up...

And the bad guys have AK-47s, or even Mosin Nagants? 

And what's the with Marines complaining about shotgun recoil? I'd love to see 'em try to handle a Garand.

Yeah. It's gone about this far...

From Hope n' Change Cartoons:


Boycotting Eric Holder

Dylan Byers writes at Politico:
The Associated Press says it will not attend this week's off-the-record meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder unless the Justice Department decides to change its mind and conduct the meeting on the record... 
The AP's decision comes over an hour after The New York Times announced that it would not be attending the meeting, citing concerns about the DOJ's off-the-record provision.
If Eric Holder's lost the New York Times and the AP, how much value does he still bring to the Obama administration? How much longer can he hold on?

The absurdity of Eric Holder

Even the National Review Online seems to have had it's fill of the attorney general:
What Eric Holder has done is so troubling to everyone, including Eric Holder, that President Obama has ordered a review of Justice Department policy — to be undertaken by the single most appropriate man for such a task: Eric Holder. Eric Holder has a tight July 12 deadline to report back on Eric Holder. Let’s hope he can manage to be fair-minded to Eric Holder, despite his bitter disappointment upon learning of his practices. 

Brits and guns

The U.K. Daily Telegraph asked readers to suggest new legislation for Parliament to consider. A repeal of the country's handgun ban and a reopening of shooting clubs appears to be the most popular among the Telegraph's readers.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Ammo shortages persist

KHON TV reports the Honolulu Police Department is among agencies with training impacted by ammo shortages.

More Obama administration conspiracy fodder?

From the Washington Post:
A Chechen man who was fatally shot by an FBI agent last week during an interview about one of the Boston bombing suspects was unarmed, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. 
An air of mystery has surrounded the FBI shooting of Ibragim Todashev, 27, since it occurred in Todashev’s apartment early on the morning of May 22. The FBI said in a news release that day that Todashev, a former Boston resident who knew bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed during an interview with several law enforcement officers.
Remember how the initial story involved a knife?

Salute or handshake

CNN picked up on this.

Harry's wish and the compromising GOP

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urges the GOP to rid itself of Tea Party Republicans.

Sounds like the Dems want the GOP to do their bidding where the IRS failed.

Sadly, there are those in Republican leadership who would love to comply with Reid's wish. They're all too comfy with the unchallenged power sharing that agents of big government have shared for years.

Remember this strip from Day by Day Cartoon?


How about the GOP stand on principle and tell the Democrats to rid themselves of the Marxists and other socialists in their ranks who are hell-bent on transforming the country into something it was never intended to be?

No, I'm not holding my breath.

Ten ton projectile

From Southern California's KCET:
The 315-megawatt Ocotillo Express Wind project in Imperial County is shut down today after a 10-ton blade came loose from one of the project's 112 wind turbines, landing about 100 yards away on a public road. 

Judge shopping

It reportedly took three tries before DOJ found a judge willing to go along with its plan to target Fox's James Rosen with tactics that included nabbing his phone records

Revealing Trayvon Martin... but not at trial

Recent evidence indicates Trayvon Martin was young man on the wrong path, prone to violence and actively conspired to obtain a gun.

But while images of a younger Trayvon and now dubious tales of stuff like his aspirations of becoming a pilot helped fuel a surge in public opinion that led to murder charges against George Zimmerman, a judge now rules unsavory revelations should be be kept from jury when Zimmerman goes on trial next month.

Ol' Remus ponders economic depression

Is economic recovery around the corner, or is it the shadow of a coming depression we see in the offing? 

The Woodpile Report ponders the question, and weighs in on some possible steps to consider should you lean to the depression side of thinking.
Nothing lasts forever. You'll be living among the newly poor and they will be unpredictable, even dangerous, but it's out of confusion and desperation. Remember, your friends and neighbors actually are blameless for what has befallen them, aside from being unprepared, and they'll still be around when the hard times have passed. For your part, you don't have to be a self-sacrificing martyr but you do have to acquit yourself honorably. There will come a time when you'll have to answer for what you did and didn't do. You'll want to look back and know you did the best you could with what you had. 
Get out of debt. What you actually own may be all you actually have. You'll be sacrificing for the present, not the future. You can't do either if you're sacrificing for the past. Debts that are manageable now will crush you in a Depression, pay off those loans. If you must have credit cards, treat them like a thirty day interest-free loan and carry a zero balance. Own at least one vehicle outright, preferably a plain, utilitarian, economical model of good quality, well maintained. If you're a city person or an apartment dweller, consider getting a habitable RV-style vehicle and a well situated parcel of land as well. After you've attended to the basics, insulate yourself from currency disruptions with cold hard cash, meaning precious metals. For most of us that means silver. 
Save. Live within your means. Have a savings account and an adequate checking account, yes, at a bank, if the banks collapse money will be the least of your problems. In some phase cash will be king, keep a few hundred dollars in small denominations squirreled away. You might put aside trading material too: liquor, ammunition, medical supplies, tobacco, that sort of thing. 
Stock up. Don't buy groceries, lay in supplies. Better yet, hoard. Look at it this way, if it comes to where food is more valuable than gold it's better to have the food in the first place. Keep a perpetual three to six month's supply of long shelf-life staples, even hard times have their hard times. Next time you're shopping, look around. How many light bulbs do you have? Durable clothing? Tough and comfortable shoes? Consider what you might need when you're down with the flu and threatened by roaming gangs or looters or partisan raids. And whatever you buy, buy quality. Reliability is more valuable than features. Experienced engineers adore robust simplicity, you should too. 
Learn the basics. Carpentry, vegetable gardening, emergency medical skills, that sort of thing. You don't have to be a back-to-the-land fanatic or do your own dentistry, but you do need to be minimally competent and self-reliant. If you can set up a surround-sound system you can replace a light switch. Equip yourself with excellent hand tools and basic components. Most of what you'll be doing will be maintenance. What you don't know your friends and neighbors will.  
Learn from each other, widen your skills, become more valuable to yourself and others.
Arm yourself. There's no need to outfit yourself like a comic book commando. A .22 rimfire rifle and a shotgun will do nicely for taking game and protecting home and family from casual intruders. For those special occasions, add a center-fire rifle, capable but mild enough for your smaller adults to handle with confidence. There won't actually be much call for shooting through engine blocks half a county away. Handguns are a weapon of last resort, if a bad guy gets within whispering range your fitness to survive is questionable on other grounds. Plain vanilla is preferable to high-tech. Figure five tough years and think about how much ammunition you might need, worst case, then triple it. 
Anticipate trouble. Expect bizarre and violent behavior at the outset from the kind of people who take gravity personally. They're not the real threat however, the improvident and irrational will expend themselves early on, it's the mid and later phases that bring out the really dangerous sorts. A Depression is the sort of change that favors competent gangs, urban demagogues and rural populists, and semi-official committees of this and that, usually more or less lawless and eager to back up intimidation with force. Your mother's advice is the best, be seen as no better off than your neighbors whether you are or not, be polite to strangers but don't trust them, stay away from crowds, fasten on fundamentals...
The suggestions continue at the link provided.

Moving forward amid scandal

Has the atmosphere in DC really changed as a result of the Obama administration being entangled simultaneously in multiple scandals?

With the Obama administration ensnared in scandal, and revelations of the a disaster unfolding with Obamacare, why does Congress appear on track to double down on its follies by recklessly pushing through ill-conceived immigration reform?

Monday, May 27, 2013

Observing Memorial Day

"In memory of American soldiers of the wars of 1775-1783, 1812-1814, 1846-1847, 1861-1865, 1898."
Lithograph poster from 1917.


"Girl scouts folding up the flag after the Memorial Day ceremonies"
Ashland, Aroostook County, Maine
May 1943

Right to carry

Second City Cop takes issue with someone who thinks law enforcement should be "the only ones."

All this fuss over a mere $80 million?

Apparently the new Commerce Secretary nominee says she "inadvertently omitted" $80 million dollars in income on her financial disclosure.

Blast from the past





To any sources needing to anonymously call their favorite reporters: There's still an operating phone booth at Eden Park in Cincinnati.


Friday, May 24, 2013

Teacher arrested and charged with having gun at school

Supporters rally to help him keep his job. 

"They want to criminalize journalism"

NBC's Chuck Todd on Morning Joe:

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." - Benjamin Franklin

Government enlisted to wage war on conservatives

And the strategy appears to have begun in earnest in 2008 with a push from the Obama campaign.

More morning coffee scenes

From Hotel de Gink in the Bowery section of New York City, 1915:

Hotel de Gink was billed as a hotel for hobos and other itinerant workers.

But Wikipedia describes the Hotel de Gink concept as something more in line with a largely self supporting homeless shelter.

Photos from Bain News Service collection, Library of Congress

"Coffee for breakfast"

Build your own untraceable AK-47

According to Mother Jones, it's an easy thing to do.

The more government regulates (or attempts to regulate), the more some folks will engineer a work-around.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

How many miles on your car?

Energy independence? Or are government mandates for more efficient vehicles just pricing more Americans out of the new car market?

The bump in price to meet the new CAFE standards seems to offset the so-called energy savings.

Thank goodness the cars of the last couple of decades are good stock because it's looking like a bunch of folks are stuck with what they got.

We have three vehicles. All over 100k. The newest is a 2005 minvan. A comparably equipped new model of the same van today costs about 40 percent more (Got ours for about $26k, new today about $37k when I did an item by item on Edmunds a while back).

Cash for Clunkers also helped inflate car prices. Good used cars, and the good parts they contained, were crushed for the sake of a political feel good.

I have a 2000 Ford Ranger. 117k miles. Bought it used in '03 for about ten grand. Last week, I saw car dealers with similar 2000 Rangers advertised. One had 225k miles, ask was $6,200. The other had 200k miles, and was listed at $6700.

Without the government actions on CAFE and Cash for Clunkers, these Rangers would probably be down in the $1500 to three-grand range.

Cuban mechanic works on old car
US government photo via Wikimedia Commons
We had some work done on the minivan this week, and got to talking with the shop owner and some others
when picking it up.  200k mile vehicles are becoming the norm. 300K cars not unheard of. One of the guys  at the shop has more than 400k on his '92 vehicle.

So, are the CAFE standards making us energy independent?

Or is government meddling turning us into Cuba; where cars are being made scarce or otherwise out of reach by the government - and we may be handing down those we have to the next generation.

Denver tale of detained gun exec was a hoax

"Who would even think of making up a story like that? And why?"

Previous post

High school student shoots one of two intruders

Good thing he was armed. The would-be home invaders also had a gun. A stolen gun.

And yes, another news story likely written by someone with little knowledge of guns.

How many ".380 revolvers" are out there?

Tired of shrugs and excuses

Congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina questions former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman:

Coffee improves any morning


Cops and coffee. 1919  or 1920.
National Photo Company Collection. Library of Congress

Coffee's on!


While cleaning out a vacated rental property years ago, we came across a Pyrex glass percolator.

These things aren't recommended for electric burners or glass cooktops. But every once in a while, I get the urge for percolated coffee.

And there's a gas burner on the grill.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

PMAGs in stock at AIM Surplus

PMAGs in stock at AIM Surplus. 30-rounders. $12.95 each plus shipping. No limit.

Encouraged that they've stayed in stock for what's now 47 minutes since the advisory hit my email. And the site hasn't been crashed by traffic.

No telling how long this will last. But it's nice to see these available online again. At darn close to old prices.

Update: About to call it a night. But at 11:30 pm EDT, I see the Magpuls are sold out. For now, anyway.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Who'd want to hack Sharyl Attkisson?

The hackings apparently started about the time Atkisson was gearing up her coverage of Fast and Furious at CBS News.

Sign of the times

Among the signs at today's IRS protest in Atlanta:


Ol' Remus waxes philosophical...

Among the musings at this week's Woodpile Report:
The Constitution describes a brilliantly decentralized system; resilient and responsive yet limited and deliberative, and nimble where it has to be. It's designed to fit with human nature itself rather than its transitory ambitions and contrivances. It concerns itself with how society may affect the person, not vice versa, and so the list is short and its institutions few. They've inverted this, to our cost. Instead of the hulking Kremlin on the Potomac we should have a DC of largely empty buildings, its institutions resized to that of, say, Jackson's era. Doing time in Congress should once again be a duty by real people on periodic hiatus from the real world. Such a DC would be unattractive to the Holders and Pelosis, Schumers, Boxers, Feinsteins, Reids, et al, and for that reason alone the benefits are incalculable.

Monday, May 20, 2013

DOJ targeted two Fox reporters and a producer

The UK Daily Mail reports:
James Rosen, the network's chief Washington correspondent, has become a First Amendment cause celebre over his treatment by the Obama administration. But the DOJ, Fox says, also investigated the Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter William LaJeunesse and Fox News producer Mike Levine.

Update on a Fast and Furious player

David Codrea writes:
A report released today by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General pronounces a harsh assessment of former United States Attorney Dennis Burke, and leaves open the real possibility that the one-time confidante and staffer to Janet Napolitano, key contributor to drafting the first federal “assault weapon” ban legislation, and White House Senior Policy Analyst in the Clinton administration, could be stripped of his license[s] to practice law.
Codrea's full story is at Examiner.com.

A familiar pattern

CBS's Bob Schieffer asks why Obama's White House is acting like Nixon's.

Vet questions IRS seizure of his bank funds

Was it because he became associated with Tea Party type activities? 

Shotgun exec detained in Denver

Report: A cabbie and law enforcement in Denver apparently thought it suspicious that the president of a shotgun manufacturing firm would be going to a high-end gun show accompanied by wares from his company.

Update May 23, 2013: Story was a hoax.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Word of planned IRS protests

1:00 pm local time, May 21, 2013

Don's gun show report for May 18th

Don Dickinson went to the gun show Saturday held in Gwinnett County just outside Atlanta. Among his observations: Ammo prices appear to be coming back down while supply continues to catch up with demand:

Gun Show Report
18 May 2013

Don Dickinson

This morning I went to the gun show at the North Atlanta Trade Center. This is always a big show with hundreds of vendors. I got there at 8:30 and the line was already 100 yards long. By the time the show opened at 9:00 the line was 250 yards long. The crowd was very large but only about half or slightly less of attendance levels at big Atlanta shows in the Dec-Apr time period.

Ammunition and reloading components were the hottest selling items and were in much greater supply than at any date since the end of 2012. Ammo is back in case lots at the show, with even the centerfire scarcity leader, 9mm Parabellum, readily available at 35 to 40 cents a round and small pistol primers available for $35-40 per thousand. From Commie calibers to the most popular America center-fire rifle and pistol calibers, ammo is back at or only slightly above prices prevailing before the Democrat assault on gun rights.

There was still no .22LR generally available except secondary vendors selling their personal stocks at about $65 for a brick of 500.

There was only one big reloading components dealer present and he had about half his usual stock of items. All calibers, though not many specific popular bullets or powder types, seemed to be available at the start of the show but buying was brisk and the dealer was running out of key items by noon.

As with the last show, the Georgia Arms ammo tables were swamped but this time the crowds were only one deep around the tables and other ammo dealers were present and providing product at or below Georgia Arms prices. At this gun show, the ammo crisis is broken for calibers other than .22LR.

Guns also were in much better supply and generally $100-150 more than before the unpleasantness. I even saw two of the highly desirable Beretta CX4 Carbines being offered. One was priced at $1,100 and the other at $1,700. This points to the fact that there is still a considerable premium for especially popular guns and the buyer is advised to shop carefully.

While the shortages are largely gone, buying is still very heavy. I hope this indicates a widespread new found interest in guns and maintaining a large personal stock of ammunition and components. This period of relative calm and supply normalcy will last only until the next inevitable Democrat anti-gun outrage again stirs unprecedented demand.

Take advantage of the long awaited opportunity and get your gun and ammo stocks up to a high level while you still can.

More outta Jersey

There's more video posted online of the April 30th session in New Jersey where state lawmakers apparently cut public comment short when things weren't going their way.



Previous post

New York Times spin

The New York Times spins the IRS scandal as little more than over-worked agents trying make do under a crush of applications from Tea Parties and the like.

The Times also manages to serve up a glowing spin piece on White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and the great job he's doing.

Resisting "puffy-bunny socialism"


“The idea that all 50 states are going to be content to slide off the cliff in a kind of haze and a drone of sort of soporific princess fluffy-bunny socialism is completely false. I mean, there will be - you’re going to have serious secession movements if some of this stuff isn’t turned around, not just in Texas.” - Mark Steyn, speaking on the Dennis Miller radio show

Friday, May 17, 2013

Fascist America

Where the IRS appears to persecute those out of line with values declared by the nation's progressive leadership.

The Thomas More Society is a public interest law firm. Among the instances it cites:
Coalition for Life of Iowa found itself in the IRS’s crosshairs when the group applied for tax exempt status in October 2008. Nearly ten months of interrogation about the group’s opposition to Planned Parenthood included a demand by a Ms. Richards from the IRS’ Cincinnati office unlawfully insisted that all board members sign a sworn declaration promising not to picket/protest Planned Parenthood. Further questioning by the IRS requested detailed information about the content of the group’s prayer meetings, educational seminars, and signs their members hold outside Planned Parenthood.


What to talk about


Coming up at 1:00 pm EDT on today's Don and Doug

We'll chime in on the scandals that have beset the White House.  

While the White House attempts to deflect scandals, Mayor Bloomberg is still working hard to push more gun control. 

And you may have read reports that the federal deficit is on the decline. But is it  a trend, or just a one time burp that resulted from dodging the so-called fiscal cliff?

Access the webcast by way of TalkSouthRadio.com. Or access the player directly by clicking here

Update: The May 17 program is available from start to finish here.

If gold's such a loser...

Why are central banks gobbling up all the gold they can get their hands on?

The World Gold Council, an industry trade group, notes:
Central Banks remained significant acquirers of gold, making purchases in excess of 100t (109t) for the seventh consecutive quarter. 
Overall total global demand for gold in Q1 2013 was 963t, down 19% from Q4 2012.
I don't think there's a serious gold bug out there who hasn't warned there'd be wild volatility in the gold markets as economic uncertainty deepens.  And despite swings in price, gold appears to be consistently moving to those with strong hands.

More thoughts on the Kokesh DC gun march

If anyone is considering participation in the announced July 4th event, here are some serious thoughts and questions they need to consider.

H/T: Sipsey Street

Another White House Marine photo staging

Thursday's use of U.S. Marines as umbrella holders was odd enough.

But I see the White House posted another photo featuring Mr. Obama and two Marines earlier in the week:

President Barack Obama waves to Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom as his car
departs the North Portico of the White House, May 13, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

More gun related regulation

A proposed Atlanta city ordinance could place new restrictions on indoor shooting ranges.

Ammo maker expands in North Carolina

Cape Fear Arsenal will create 150 jobs with a new ammo manufacturing facility in Robeson County, North Carolina.

And according to a news release from the North Carolina governor's office, the ammo jobs will be good paying ones.

"Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $41,559, plus benefits. The Robeson County average annual wage is $26,832," according to the release.

Just the facts, Joe...

According to FactCheck.org, Joe Biden blew it big time in a commencement speech last weekend:
Vice President Joe Biden falsely claimed that U.S. workers “are three times as productive as any worker in the world.” He’s not even close. By the standard measure for productivity, American workers ranked third in the world behind Norway and Ireland in 2011. 
Biden also stated that the U.S. economy is “two and a half times bigger than any other in the world.” That’s close, but still wrong. Last year the U.S. economy was not quite double the size of China’s economy, which is the second largest in the world. 
The vice president made both statements in a May 13 commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania — home of FactCheck.org. He spoke about the prowess of the U.S. economy and worker and how the graduates were taught to challenge orthodoxy.
Doesn't this administration vet anything it says or does?

Tingles no more

Chris Matthews is no longer a cheerleader for Obama.



Politico has a transcript

With Chavez gone, socialism's facade crumbles

Toilet paper in Venezuela is apparently as hard to find as 9mm ammo in the U.S.

It made the rounds last year...

But this online poster has a message that likely resonates even louder today.

A different kind of IRS leak...



Evan Mathis of the Philadelphia Eagles Instagrams a photo of himself and an IRS sign.

Read more at Philly.com.

Say what?

Among the most absurd lines of the week is this one from the Atlantic Wire:
Contrary to expectations, the Democrats on the committee were willing to provide Holder with some cover. 
Gotta ask: When have Democrats ever failed to give Eric Holder political cover? And who would expect otherwise this time?

H/T: War on Guns 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sound familiar?

As seen on Twitter:


Hawaii requires gun registration...

Honolulu looks for ways to reduce long lines as gun registrations soar.

Hold on just a minute...

Maybe you've seen the rosy stories this week that tax revenues are rising and the deficit is shrinking.

Well hold on.

Remember the fiscal cliff?

There was a bunch of stock and even some real estate selling near the close of 2012 as people sought to avoid risk of drastically higher tax rates that could have been triggered if no fiscal cliff deal was reached.

Many companies went so far as to pay dividends early, dispersing first quarter 2013 payouts in December 2012 rather than waiting until March.

Anyone not expecting a big bump in tax revenue as a result of this is grossly unaware.

Remains to be seen how much of this rising revenue is a trend. And how much was a one-shot wonder.

Deliberately incurring taxation in 2012 may actually mean 2013 collections could take a hit this time next year.

Fraud or errors in confusion?

Some Cincinnati area voters attempt to explain why they voted twice. From Cincinnati.com, the online site of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
An Enquirer review found the voters cast ballots on Election Day as a precaution, worried their absentee ballot didn’t arrive in time, didn’t have enough postage, or wasn’t completed properly.
Have too many options made voting too complicated?

"Signs of tyranny"

What a difference a week makes.

Here's another 'toon with a variation on the same theme.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

To close for comfort

Can't really expect the MSM to go after Obama or the Democrats. It's like asking brother to go after brother, wives to go after their husbands.

Chris Muir's Day by Day Cartoon:













One more obvious coal to throw on the fire... CNN's morning anchor is Chris Cuomo, brother of New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

Then and now



Strikes me the commentary in this online poster goes well beyond Hillary Clinton.

It reveals how far the whole county has fallen in demanding accountability in government.

"Rot" detected in the ranks of U.S. nuclear strike readiness team

The Associated Press reported last week 17 launch officers were relieved from duty at a state-side nuclear missile base over what a commander called “rot” in the force.

Too little detail to core missions, too much attention to PC make-overs in the Obama era military.

Just another sign America and its military are being fundamentally transformed in the worse possible way.

If the Obama administration doesn't allow the Marines to have bolts in aging M-1 rifles on Inauguration Day...

Why should anyone assume morale and command integrity among Air Force nuclear forces would be holding up?


Will the media finally wake up?

Fast and Furious. The raid on Gibson Guitar. DHS or related entities labeling returning military vets or voters with Ron Paul bumper stickers on their cars as potential terrorists. Benghazi. The IRS putting the screws to Tea Party and other conservative groups.

All these met with what mostly amounted to collective yawns from the so-called mainstream media.

Now this revelation suddenly generates buzz from the Associated Press:
The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.
Will the mainstream media finally wake up? Will they suddenly realize they and the First Amendment are just as likely to be targeted by an out of control administration as gun owners and the Second Amendment have been?

Monday, May 13, 2013

Have the scales fallen from their eyes?

"For a long time, it seemed like the idea of a coverup was just a Republican obsession. But now there is something to it." - Alex Koppelman, writing in the New Yorker, regarding Benghazi

Your face has a place inside the proposed immigration bill

Wired reports:
Buried in the more than 800 pages of the bipartisan legislation  is language mandating the creation of the innocuously-named “photo tool,” a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID. 
Employers would be obliged to look up every new hire in the database to verify that they match their photo.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Claims of smuggling a 'printed gun'

The U.K. Daily Mail claims two of its reporters were able to smuggle a "printed" firearm on a passenger train going from London to Paris.

Of course, they didn't take any ammo for their single shot "0.38-calibre" handgun. Or even a firing pin.

If anything, the demonstration shows the futility of trying to restrict firearms in this age of high technology.

The article states a government license is necessary to legally produce such a pistol in the U.K, but doesn't say if the Daily Mail possessed one. Any chance those responsible will be prosecuted if they didn't? Or did leaving out the firing pin provide cover?

More ammo's on the way

Remington is adding ammunition production capacity. Ammo imports from overseas also on the rise. 

Media mocks Americans over Benghazi concerns

"Is there any wonder why distrust of arrogant, out-of-touch media is at an all-time high? During today’s Benghazi hearings, the Washington Post actually tweeted: 'Who's tweeting about Benghazi? Rich, middle-aged men and Chick-fil-A lovers.' This would be the same Washington Post that broke the story on Watergate. Now they just mock concerned Americans who want answers to why four brave Americans died, including two distinguished vets. And the Obama administration asks, 'What does it matter?' "
- Sarah Palin via Facebook

And yes, the Washington Post really did tweet what Palin said it did.


Via Twitter

Lady Macbeth, Hillary Clinton and Benghazi

"Lady Macbeth only wanted power, but she lacked an ideology that would allow her to believe that she was doing the right thing.  There was no Wellesley College senior thesis about Saul Alinsky on her shelf and she was left unequipped to believe that the ends justified the means and that rivers of blood could be spilled in a good cause." - Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish

Some items to keep a low profile with...

Daily Sheeple takes note of some personal possessions burglars love to target. 

You may have already seen this...

But IRS targeting of Tea Party groups may have gone on longer than previously admitted to.

Same IRS is going to be in charge of policing individual compliance with Obamacare.

Switching off a God-given right

Dangerous moves afoot in New Jersey. Ammoland reports a proposed requirement for a new firearms ownership ID card is among them:
According to Senate President Stephen Sweeney, the right to purchase a firearm under the new card could be electronically switched off by local police “if they have a suspicion or concern.” Under current law, Second Amendment rights can only be suspended after conviction of a serious crime – not based on mere “suspicion or concern.” The new approach turns the presumption of innocence on its head and violates due process.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Watch where you do those Craig's List deals...

A man who thought he was meeting a Craig's List buyer in a church parking lot found himself confronted a by a couple of armed robbers.

If you're going to do a Craig's List deal, try to steer clear of empty or abandoned areas.

Another lesson here: .32 acp in hollow point can be a very ineffective pistol round. In this case, that turned out to be a good thing. The bad guy's bullet just bounced off the intended victim.

"Confiscate, confiscate, confiscate"

A microphone stayed hot, and  some Jersey lawmakers apparently spoke how they really want to deal with guns. David Codrea shares details.

GOA: Machin's dishonesty in trying to ressurect gun control

The latest legislative update from Gun Owners of America says, in part:
Senator Joe Manchin Steps up his Campaign of Lies 
Don’t let your Senator fall for his "superficial" changes! 
Recently, we alerted you to the intense pressure that pro-gun Senators are experiencing right now. You guys unleashed a torrent of grassroots activism in response, and we are starting to get great feedback as to where Senators currently stand. 
Within the past 48 hours, we have seen clear evidence that West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and his staff have openly lied about the status of talks with two Republican Senators. 
Manchin is claiming that two Senators who originally opposed his background-registration check amendment would flip their votes if "superficial changes" were made to the text. 
But at the request of Gun Owners of America, a prominent constituent spoke with his U.S. Senator in regard to the allegations that Manchin was making about that particular Senator. The constituent reported that his Senator called Manchin's representations a "lie." 
In a separate case, Manchin claimed to have been in talks with a particular Senate office; but three staffers who would have been part of those talks denied the truth of Manchin's public representations. 
Since Manchin had earlier lied about the status of talks with Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, a standard operating procedure is becoming clear: Manchin is obsessively lying in order to create a false sense of momentum...

The GOP's Benghazi ad

The Republican National Committee had an ad citing unanswered question regarding Benghazi prepared, ready to go in the final months of Campaign 2012. But according the ABC News, which obtained the ad, Mitt Romney's campaign nixed it.

It's only natural...

That a freedom loving cartoon remains dedicated to the idea of printed guns.

Global warming and warning

Rising temperatures were noted in the arctic in the early 1920s. The phenomenon got play in the press of the era.

There were also efforts to explain scientifically what was happening.

An article in the New York Times in 1921 theorized space dust was responsible.

New York Times, November 20, 1921

Seems that bouts of warming and cooling have been going on as long as the Earth's been around.

The difference between now and in the past is that in the past, scientific theory was presented as theory, and wasn't designed or exploited as an excuse to control or manipulate people or whole populations for political purposes as it is now.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Road to nowhere

"Whether or not amnesty comes, the United States of America is becoming too much like Mexico; a society of limited possibilities and diminished social mobility. A road to nowhere." - Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish

Jodi Arias means nothing to me

Why are Americans obsessing over a freakish murderess when their liberties are being stolen, and their country led to ruin?

Benghazi and political priorities


Strikes me that Democrats have higher allegiance to their chief than they do the flag, nation or the Constitution.

Fast and Furious is among the things that tipped their hand.

Their blind eye to the souls sacrificed in Benghazi is another.

From Day by Day Cartoon:


From Hope n' Change:

The Chavez model

Andres Oppenheimer recently wrote in the Miami Herald:
Venezuela not only has the highest inflation rate in Latin America, record crime rates and growing food and electricity shortages, but has also done poorly in poverty reduction when compared with its neighbors... Ironically, Chávez’s self-described “socialist revolution” has resulted in a decline of Venezuela’s public school system and in a boom of private schools.
Does this not sound like where Obama is taking America?

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

They used to say "it can't happen here"

A snippet of commentary from Ol' Remus as he assesses our current state of affairs:
Now we have an economy run like some rent-to-own ghetto scam, with a bubble-based financial system peddling the exact funny money the founders thought they'd abolished, and farcical entitlements designed to drain their funding many times over, all urged on by a Malthusian central government staffed top to bottom with the otherwise unemployable. We have imminent and actual collapse of central banks with confiscation of depositor's funds as their backup plan. We have a four hundred thousand-strong army of occupation with their own armored corps, secret police, informer's network and disinformation service. They tell us it's to protect the homeland. They tell us security requires zero tolerance, which is exactly how Goebbels put it.

Obama administration insanity

Saw this in a column at the Washington Times from last March:
One major national firearms retailer, for example, has been under fire for more than two years from the Obama administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It seems the company won’t hire convicted felons, which the commission claims amounts to illegal racial discrimination...  
Company officials pointed out to commission investigators threatening to charge the company with discrimination that they couldn’t hire felons even if they wanted to, because federal law prohibits federal firearms licensees from hiring felons. The investigator’s response was, according to a company official I talked to: “That’s your problem, not ours.” 
After reading the Times column, I got curious.  Seems Bass Pro issued a statement in 2011:
"This investigation and the EEOC's conduct demonstrate a troubling tendency by the EEOC to stereotype those who love outdoor sports and support conservation as people who unlawfully discriminate or oppose equal opportunity for all," Mr. Rowland said. For example, EEOC staff investigators have suggested on several occasions that because Bass Pro sponsors a NASCAR race team the company is more likely to discriminate against minorities.  
In addition, the EEOC staff raised questions about Bass Pro's policy against hiring convicted felons, claiming it discriminates against certain minority groups, even though federal regulations prohibit convicted felons from handling firearms, and Bass Pro sells firearms, ammunition and explosives
So why does the same Obama administration that insists we need more background checks to keep ineligible persons from having access to guns also insist we need felons working in guns stores where they would have access to all kinds of arms and ammunition?

H/T: Matt Bracken who tweeted the Washington Times link earlier today

Georgia senator said to be working to revive gun control

The Washington Post says two Republicans have signaled willingness to help revive the senate debate on gun control. The Post cites Senate aides and spokespeople:
The aides, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the talks, refused to identify the two Republicans. 
But through spokespeople, Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who voted to block the background check proposal, signaled they are open to a new debate if Democrats make significant changes to the plan.
Harry Reid still collecting favors for taking Isakson along on that plush China trip two years ago? Would be gun grabber Chuck Schumer was also part of Reid's China delegation.

Update: For the folks back home, Isakson's people seek to distance him from a Toomey-Manchin revival. If that's the case, why can't Johnny leave well-enough alone?

Monday, May 6, 2013

I like Ike

Over at the Woodpile Report, Ol' Remus seems to wax nostalgic for the way America was under Eisenhower. Among his reminisces:
The reader is advised to grip the chair tightly for this next one. Through all the Eisenhower years the dollar was backed by silver. Paper dollars were directly convertible to silver coinage on a 1-to-1 basis, on any business day, at any bank with a national charter, in any amount an ordinary person was likely to have, with never a thought it would be otherwise.
Have you priced an Eisenhower era roll of silver quarters lately?  Despite the recent drop in market silver prices, most ten dollar rolls of run of the mill silver quarters still sell for more than 200 bucks on eBay.

I was going to say it was a bad idea...

But so many others seem to have beat me to it.

I'm talking about Adam Kokesh and his announced plans for an armed march on Washington DC this summer.

Some of the write-ups I've seen:

Hot Air: An armed march on Washington? Let’s not.

Bob Owens: This would not end well.

Sipsey Street has a compilation of thoughts and commentary.

Ultra-lib Daily Kos also seems to cast a cynical eye.

And yes, this is the same Adam Kokesh who promoted "dance" protests at the Jefferson Memorial a couple of years ago.



Any chance some of these same folks plan to strap on rifles, and join Kokesh as he crosses the bridge into DC on July 4th?

CBS updates Benghazi story

First with Fast and Furious, and now with Benghazi, CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson continues to out-report most all the MSM in Washington DC.

Here's just one line she had in her Benghazi update reported over the weekend:
Counterterrorism sources and internal emails reviewed by CBS News express frustration that key responders were ready to deploy, but were not called upon to help in the attack.
Whistleblowers with previously undisclosed details of what happened on the ground in Benghazi, and how the response was handled, are finally coming forward. A Congressional hearing featuring some of these witnesses is scheduled for Wednesday.

Confiscation expansion

New law in California prepares to ramp up gun confiscation. The New York Times cheers:
The law allocates $24 million to hire 36 state agents specifically assigned to confiscating, over the next three years, an estimated 39,000 handguns and 1,670 assault weapons now in the hands of potentially dangerous Californians. A confiscation law has been on the books in Sacramento for six years, but enforcement has languished because of budget shortages, with the list of disqualified gun owners growing at the rate of 15 to 20 a day. The allocation of revenue required a two-thirds vote of approval, which the Legislature’s supermajority of Democrats delivered.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Which voice(s) should you trust?

"Unfortunately, you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can't be trusted." - Barack Obama

Consider these voices of the past. Do you dare discard them?

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson

"If your American chief be a man of ambition and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute!" - Patrick Henry

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution are worth defending at all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy Ancestors: They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense or treasure and blood; and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle; or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." - Samuel Adams


The founders championed individual liberty. Limited government. Power in the hands of the people.

Obama champions the collective, and ever expanding big government. He pretends his goals and ambitions are in-line with America's foundational ideals, but they are not.

A college senior opines on the gun control debate

Barry Snell writes at Iowa State Daily:
I’ve come to realize after the Sandy Hook shooting that the reason we can’t have a rational gun debate is because the anti-gun side pre-supposes that their pro-gun opponents must first accept that guns are bad in order to have a discussion about guns in the first place. Before we even start the conversation, we’re the bad guys and we have to admit it. Without accepting that guns are bad and supplicating themselves to the anti-gunner, the pro-gunner can’t get a word in edgewise, and is quickly reduced to being called a murderer, or a low, immoral and horrible human being.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Palm Beach County and its new political policing

The Florida legislature is giving Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw a million bucks to kick off a new violence prevention unit. But the pilot project is built on snitchery and seems intent on casting a wary eye on those expressing views of political dissent.

The Palm Beach Post reports:
Bradshaw is readying a hotline and is planning public service announcements to encourage local citizens to report their neighbors, friends or family members if they fear they could harm themselves or others. 
The goal won’t be to arrest troubled people but to get them help before there’s violence, Bradshaw said. As a side benefit, law enforcement will have needed information to keep a close eye on things. 
“We want people to call us if the guy down the street says he hates the government, hates the mayor and he’s gonna shoot him,” Bradshaw said. “What does it hurt to have somebody knock on a door and ask, ‘Hey, is everything OK?’ ”
Sheriff Bradshaw sees his model as prototype for state-wide or even national duplication.

Do we really want to live in a land where every perceived criticism of government may mean a knock on the door?

From Chris Muir's Day by Day Cartoon


Who are the 'dangerous' people?

President Obama was in Mexico this week and used the visit to blame America as the source of guns used to commit violence there. Never mind that during Mr. Obama's term in office, the ATF help shepherd thousands of guns to Mexico with Operation Fast and Furious, and the White House continues to shield documents that could determine how high the authorization went. But there may be an even more sinister side within the context of his comments this week regarding guns.

The president's defenders say he articulated a defense on of the Second Amendment while being critical of gun trafficking. But to others, it was just typical Obama double talk.

Here's context of what Mr. Obama said when he supported the individual right to bear arms:
And we also recognize that most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States. (Applause.) I think many of you know that in America, our Constitution guarantees our individual right to bear arms, and as President I swore an oath to uphold that right and I always will. But at the same time, as I’ve said in the United States, I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common-sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people. That can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States. It’s the right thing to do. (Applause.) So we’ll keep increasing the pressure on gun traffickers who bring illegal guns into Mexico. We’ll keep putting these criminals where they belong -- behind bars. 
Criminals. And dangerous people.

What dangerous people?

Veterans? Those guilty of seeking mental health counseling for counseling - only to have the shrink report them as dangerous under proposed regulations now proposed by HHS?

The progressive mindset insists that most all gun owners are dangerous, exposing people to either a means to carry out evil intent or cause potential accidents.

There's even a progressive newspaper editor from Colorado who thinks the NRA and its members should be shipped off to Gitmo without trial. Dave Perry writes at the Aurora Sentinel:
No more due process in the clear-cut case of insidious terrorism. When the facts are so clearly before all Americans, for the whole world to see, why bother with this country’s odious and cumbersome system of justice? Send the guilty monsters directly to Guantanamo Bay for all eternity and let them rot in their own mental squalor.  
No, no, no. Not the wannabe sick kid who blew up the Boston marathon or the freak that’s mailing ricin-laced letters to the president. I’m talking about the real terrorist threat here in America: the National Rifle Association. 
Perry is furious that the gun control crowd didn't prevail in the U.S. Senate last month. His editorial seethes with anger much like Mr. Obama's televised comments after the senate vote. Senators too, are villainized for not coming under the spell of Obama, Bloomberg and Feinstain. Anyone who lobbied against the gun control bill, he labels a coward or a terrorist.

What are the chances that when Mr. Obama claims to support an individual's right to bear arms, it's only window dressing? Something he has to say until the would-be gun grabbers build a bigger power base or bully through gun control legislation that guts Second Amendment protections.

Earlier this week, Fairleigh Dickinson University released the results of a national poll that found 29 percent of Americans believe an armed revolution may be necessary in the next few years to protect our individual rights and liberties. With a president working to broaden the definition of "dangerous" people and guys like Perry blowing his horn, I suspect that 29 percent will continue to rise - if pollsters are bold enough to keep asking that particular question.

If you want to define who the dangerous people are, I'd say those seeking to undermine the Constitution and dismiss its protections as odious and cumbersome are among the most dangerous.


H/T:  David Codrea, who also offers commentary on the Perry editorial.

Friday, May 3, 2013

"See a shrink, lose your guns"

The Obamacare champions at the Department of Health and Human Services are engineering a backdoor approach to gun control, one that would strip away your medical privacy rights to take a grab at your gun rights.

Gun Owners of America has issued an alert which says, in part:
Understand a couple of things:  First, the standard which your doctor would use to turn you in is embodied in Clinton-era ATF language and in the anti-gun Veterans Disarmament Act of 2007. Specifically, you doctor would "drop a dime" on you if he suspected you were even a slight "danger to yourself of others" or were "unable to manage your financial affairs." 
So if they say you can't balance your checkbook, then you lose your constitutional rights. 
But there's another problem:  The day these regulations become law, lawyers will be lining up to sue "deep-pocket" psychiatrists for every case where they failed to turn in a patient to NICS - if the patient subsequently engages in a horrific act. 
The bottom line?  Any psychiatrist who failed to report all of his patients to the NICS system risks losing everything if any of them engages in harmful conduct.  Soon the rule of thumb will be: See a shrink; lose your guns. 
And the regulations will apply to private, as well as government-employed psychiatrists.
The proposed HHS remaking is now in a required public comment period. GOA advises it's time to speak out:
ACTION: Go to the Federal Register - at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-04-23/pdf/2013-09602.pdf - and respond to the regs entitled “HIPAA Privacy Rule and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).”

Kansas responds to Eric Holder's warning

A new law in Kansas says that firearms manufactured inside the state are immune from federal regulations so long as they stay inside the state. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder claims in a letter to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback that the law in unconstitutional, and that the Department of Justice may challenge it in court.

Brownback has now responded to the attorney general's letter with a letter of his own, now posted on the state government's website:

May 2, 2013 
Attorney General Eric Holder
Office of the Attorney General
Washington, DC 20530 
Dear Attorney General Holder: 
            The State of Kansas is in receipt of your letter in which you place Kansas on notice regarding the view of the Obama Administration concerning the state’s Second Amendment Protection Act. 
 The right to keep and bear arms is a right that Kansans hold dear.  It is a right enshrined not only in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, but also protected by the Kansas Bill of Rights.  The people of Kansas have repeatedly and overwhelmingly reaffirmed their commitment to protecting this fundamental right.  The people of Kansas are likewise committed to defending the sovereignty of the State of Kansas as guaranteed in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. 
The state’s Second Amendment Protection Act, which expressly restates our commitment to these rights, was approved by wide, bi-partisan margins in the Kansas Legislature.  The measure was adopted by a vote of 35 to 4 in the Kansas Senate with the Democrat Senate Minority Leader supporting the bill.  The measure was adopted by a vote of 96 to 24 in the Kansas House of Representatives.  Again, the Democrat House Minority Leader voted for the bill.  This is not a partisan issue in Kansas.   
The people of Kansas have clearly expressed their sovereign will.  It is my hope that upon further review, you will see their right to do so. 
Sincerely,
Sam Brownback
Governor

Democrats and Communists

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois was caught on camera at a May Day rally in Chicago.

When asked by Rebelpundit about addressing a rally with large numbers of Communists present, Durbin asked what made him think that was the case.

Sen. Durbin addresses May Day crowd
Rebelpundit via YouTube
Maybe Durbin didn't recognize Che Guevara or the other Marxist symbolism present?

Callaway Gardens sends Georgia Carry packing

Okay, the headline's a bad attempt at a pun.

What's not funny is how the privately owned Georgia resort gave preliminary okay to Georgia Carry's summer convention months ago, but now reneges citing a no guns policy.

From Fox 5 Atlanta:
Callaway Gardens issued a statement to FOX 5 explaining the mistake and apologizing saying, "Unfortunately, two team members did not properly convey our weapons policy, which like many other family-friendly destinations, does not permit weapons on the premises."
The Atlanta Journal Constitution also picked up on the story, and says the cancellation of the August meeting followed a contract review by Callaway Gardens' legal team.

Georgia Carry is now looking for another venue.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Twenty-nine percent

A national opinion survey on gun control attitudes post-Sandy Hook conducted by Fairleigh Dickenson University' PublicMind Poll sees Americans as deeply divided on the issue.

But the survey takes its questions on the issue in a direction other pollsters have not. A news release containing the poll findings says, in part:
Partisan divisions on gun control go deeper than the legislation being fought over in
Congress. Supporters and opponents of gun control have very different fundamental beliefs about the role of guns in American society. Overall, the poll finds that 29 percent of Americans think that an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years, with another five percent unsure. However, these beliefs are conditional on party. Just 18 percent of Democrats think an armed revolution may be necessary, as opposed to 44 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of independents.  
Only 38 percent of Americans who believe a revolution might be necessary support
additional gun control legislation, compared with 62 percent of those who don’t think an armed revolt will be needed. “The differences in views of gun legislation are really a function of differences in what people believe guns are for,” said (Dan) Cassino. “If you truly believe an armed revolution is possible in the near future, you need weapons and you’re going to be wary about government efforts to take them away.
Dan Cassino, cited in the release, is a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson who served as an analyst on the poll project.  For those unfamiliar with it, Fairleigh Dickinson is the largest private university in New Jersey.

The billboard

It's reportedly been posted along a couple of roadsides out west.

A billboard that reads: "Turn in your guns. The government will take care of you."

The media's full of reports of how the billboards are allegedly disrespectful to native Americans.

But does someone's or even some groups' hurt feelings over a billboard alter the truth that a disarmed people are at the mercy of the state when the state has a monopoly of force of arms? It's a circumstance that tyrants have exploited time after time throughout history.

The native Americans are only one example.

Silverware scarcity

An online reseller of sterling and stainless flatware says some patterns in silver are harder to come by. An email from Replacements.com says, in part:
As we've noted previously, economic conditions have caused significant volatility in the silver market. This volatility has impacted not only silver pricing, but the availability of silver tableware pieces. Availability of silver tableware has been impacted during the past couple of years when many silver dealers were selling significant portions of their silver flatware in bulk to bullion dealers, who were in turn melting the pieces.
A reseller like Replacements is just one alternative for filling out a silverware set.

Pieces of most popular patterns still show up on eBay, but prices are far higher than a few years ago. I've seen instances of a single fork in some patterns that now sell for as much as you might have picked up a four piece place setting, or even a twelve piece service for four, as recently as 2005 or 2006.

"Whotesale violent revolution"

Nigel Farage sums up where he sees things going in Europe. And, if you look, he's sitting next to Ron Paul.

H/T Zero Hedge