I got an email from Crystal yesterday.  It said, in part:

Did you send your renewal paperwork in? Maybe it hasn't been input yet, but licensing data this morning shows July 1, 2005 as expiration and doesn't indicate a pending renewal. Licensing goes by received date, not postmarked date.

Ouch!  I was thinking it was July 29th, not the 1st.  I sent a reply back thanking her and started hustling: Fingerprints, special photo, lots of forms to fill out, create a map of the water flow near the manufacturing site.  This morning I still had a question and called her.  She had a great answer and said she would call the recipent of my paperwork to let her know it was coming and that Crystal had signed off on things in May.  Crystal called a few minutes later saying things were fine and send it to a different address, directly to the person reviewing the material.  I got it into the FedEx box a few minutes ago.

Note to all the people who filled out the Employee Possessor Questionnaire for the next Boomershoot: Those questionnaires went in with my renewal.  Thanks everyone.

I received my personal belongs from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory yesterday.  I haven't opened everything up yet--I've been way to busy with other stuff.  But it's clear they really don't like me.

In addition to taking three weeks to ship me my stuff they overloaded two of the boxes and they were falling apart on receipt.  Add in they didn't send me my performance reviews (and some other favorable material) it's pretty obvious they don't want me to be having any happy days anytime soon.

One more post then I'm going off to the range soon to put some holes in some cardboad of my own.

See also:

I was fired yesterday
Update on being fired
Termination report delayed
What did I expect?
No performance reviews

Update: It doesn't appear anything was damaged by the poor packing.

Sure, it's a commentary but I don't see any opposing commentary and it's in the Los Angles Times.  That's a very big paper in a liberal city/state.

The Big Lie of the Assault Weapons Ban

This wasn't supposed to happen. When the federal assault weapons ban ended on Sept. 13, 2004, gun crimes and police killings were predicted to surge. Instead, they have declined.

For a decade, the ban was a cornerstone of the gun control movement. Sarah Brady, one of the nation's leading gun control advocates, warned that "our streets are going to be filled with AK-47s and Uzis." Life without the ban would mean rampant murder and bloodshed.

...

For gun control advocates, even a meaningless ban counts. These are the same folks who have never been bashful about scare tactics, predicting doom and gloom when they don't get what they want. They hysterically claimed that blood would flow in the streets after states passed right-to-carry laws letting citizens carry concealed handguns, but that never occurred. Thirty-seven states now have right-to-carry laws — and no one is seriously talking about rescinding them or citing statistics about the laws causing crime.

Gun controllers' fears that the end of the assault weapons ban would mean the sky would fall were simply not true. How much longer can the media take such hysteria seriously when it is so at odds with the facts?

PHXnews.com has this for our viewing pleasure:

When police chiefs and sheriffs are allowed to respond to poll questions anonymously, the politics may be removed from their answers.

...

Gun Control: With regard to private citizens owning firearms for sport or self-defense, 93.6 percent of the respondents supported civilian gun-ownership rights. Ninety-six percent of the police chiefs and sheriffs believe criminals obtain firearms from illegal sources and 92.2 percent revealed they hadn't arrested anyone for violation of the so-called "waiting period" laws. When asked if citizens concealed-weapons permits would reduce violent crime, 63.1 percent said yes.

Banning guns to prevent crime is like banning cosmetics to prevent prostitution.

Joe Huffman
May 9, 1997

My brother sent this email out to the relatives about his daughter:

Amy flew to Newark Sunday and called us after she reached the hotel in
Newark.  We haven't heard from her directly since, but we did find her
picture on the internet, so we know she made it to West Point.

In the following link: http://www.usma.edu/Class/2009/R-Day/RDay05.htm

click on image #145.  Amy is the one with the messy hair.  Judging from
the other pictures, they have been standing in lines all day, so she
doesn't look real happy, but at least we know she is okay.

Doug

The old stuff had tremdous problems with spam and was no longer supported.  The plan is to move all the old posts over to this blog in the near future.  I'm still working on getting a theme I like and there are lots of other things I'm trying to figure out.  Please remain patient while I work on things.

Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizen to keep and bear arms... The right of citizens to bear arms is just one guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against the tyranny which now appears remote in American but which historically has proven to be always possible.

Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey
1960

The historical data for this site is online here. I will be importing the old entries and comments soon.
Ry

Friday night Barb and I left Moscow to bring Ry back to Moscow from the Seattle area.  His van died and he wanted his Jeep to replace it.  We arrived about 00:30 Saturday.  Ry and I talked to 03:45 or so.  Ry told me his story of getting fired once for taking a bunch of people to the range to go shooting.  For a week afterward everyone talked about the trip to the range and how great it was--except for one gun-hating bigot who made a complaint to HR about Ry creating a "hostile work environment."  Since Ry was on contract and not an actual employee they told him the his contract wouldn't be renewed because of the complaint.  Anyone else have similar stories to tell?  I'm thinking of collecting them and putting together a magazine article...

Barb and I got up about 9:00 and found a park to take a walk in.  We picked up Ry, went to Dixie's Barbeque for lunch.  Barb "Met the Man" and was not pleased.  That was the first hot sauce she has ever tasted that she didn't like.  We headed back to Moscow about 14:00 or so.  Ry took this picture and made the post from the back seat as we were driving up the mountain toward Snoqualmie pass.

We arrived back in Moscow about 20:00 or so.  I dropped off Barb at home and Ry and I took daughter Kim's ATM car (a car you pay no more than your withdrawal limit from your ATM machine) back to where she bought it on Friday.  Ry drove behind me and said it was like behind behind a skywriting plane at an air-show or maybe a fumigation machine.  The car ran fairly well when we bought it on Thursday but it basically was disintegrating before our eyes on Friday.

I took Ry to his place and with a surprising small amount of work got his Jeep to start after a year of sitting in one spot.  There was still lots of work to be done on it and he needed to replace a hard drive on the computer we use for all our websites and email.  He came back to my place and it took us (him mostly) four hours to get the data moved over and everything up and running again.

I took Ry home, came home, and crawled into bed beside Barb at 02:08.

At 9:02:56 Kim called waiting to get another car.  By 11:15 she was driving her “new” car.  It cost 4.5 X what the first one did but maybe it will last more than a day this time.

I stopped by Ry's place on the way back and woke him up at 11:25.  At about 14:00 Ry stopped by our house on his way out of town to drop off the jumper cables he had borrowed.  He said his van drives like a race car compared to the Jeep (the steering “floats”).  It used to almost be able to make it to Pullman from his place (less than 15 miles) without overheating too seriously.  I helped him fill up two five gallon cans of water to replenish his Jeep on the drive back to the Seattle area.  His trip to Seattle is likely to be 'interesting'.  He is about 2 hours into his adventure now.

Good luck Ry!

Update: He picked up some onions in Royal City for Dixie's, through Ellensburg, and at last report reached Issaquah.  He really should be home by now.

Most of the great evils that man has inflicted on man have come through people feeling quite certain about something which, in fact, was false.

Bertrand Russell

When evil wins in the world, it is only by the default of the good.  That is why one man of reason and moral stature is more important, actually and potentially, than a million fools.

Ayn Rand

I looked through every single page of the “personnel file” PNNL sent me.  No performance reviews to be found.  So they don't want me to be able to show the good stuff about my time there to anyone?  What else could be the motivation?

They did apologize for not sending my personal belongings in a timely fashion.  They said it was because they couldn't find the key to a filing cabinet and they were “awaiting a locksmith“ (for three weeks?).  I gave the key to my boss when they suspended me and told him what it was for.  And I told him that inside the filing cabinet are keys to “everything else“ which includes some computers and cupboards.  [heavy sigh]  I guess I shouldn't expect competence from them.

I was sent a travel report to sign so I can get $175 back in out of pocket expenses for the trip I took to Albuquerque back in April.  I was thinking I might have to complain about that.  But they caught it on their own--after three weeks.

Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for him to proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Besides, pretexts for taking away the property are never wanting; for he who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others; but reasons for taking life, on the contrary, are more difficult to find and sooner lapse.

...

It makes him hated above all things, as I have said, to be rapacious, and to be a violator of the property and women of his subjects, from both of which he must abstain. And when neither their property nor honour is touched, the majority of men live content, and he has only to contend with the ambition of a few, whom he can curb with ease in many ways.

Nicolo Machiavelli
The Prince
[In response to the Supreme Court Opinion from yesterday.  Joe]

I received a FedEx package from PNNL today.  It purported to contain my personnel file.  But neither Barb nor I could find any of my performance reviews in it.  The one thing I really wanted.  I'll look again tomorrow when I have some more time.  Barb said, “So what did you expect?  Did you really think they would give you what you wanted?“ 

As far as the policy and procedures manual they said one doesn't really exist.  It's on line and “access is limited“.  How convenient.  They say, “You didn't follow the rules.  You're fired.“  I ask, “What were the rules?“  They answer, “We aren't telling.“

I had a very, very busy day today.  Daughter Kim was having a convergence of crisis's and I spent nearly the entire day helping with her problems.  Things are mostly under control now.  She really needs to find better friends.

I did not expect this.  I can barely believe it.  This is just so incredibly wrong.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a city can take a person's home as part of a private development project aimed at boosting tax revenues and revitalizing a local economy, a decision that could have nationwide impact.

By a 5-4 vote, the high court upheld a ruling that New London, Connecticut, can seize the homes and businesses owned by seven families for a private development project that will complement a nearby research facility by the Pfizer Inc. drug company.

Guns rank second in importance only to the Constitution itself.  They are our Liberty Teeth.

George Washington

This posting at The Beagle Express about some activities at the TSA included this quote:

The federal agency in charge of aviation security collected extensive personal information about airline passengers even though Congress forbade it and officials said they wouldn't do it, . . .

So what else is new?  The FBI used 'Brady' records that were supposed to have been destroyed for tracking down 'suspected terrorists' who had purchased guns until Ashcroft put a stop to it.  And of course there were politicians and anti-gun bigots that screamed 'bloody-murder' at Ashcroft's action.

And on a more personal note I remember a conversation I had with a couple people where one person was pretty clearly breaking a law (a stupid law, but nevertheless a Federal law) as part of doing his job for a government contract.  He was concerned about doing this.  Before writing up a report where it might get noticed by someone that cared he wanted a company lawyer to review things to make sure he wasn't going to get in trouble or that the company would take the fall rather than him personally.  A co-worker got more than a little bit annoyed at this position eventually saying, “See this badge?  This means the law doesn't apply to us.  The people that enforce these laws are the same people that want this work done.”  I was fairly balanced in the discussion prior to that.  Both people had valid points and I helped explore those positions but when “...the law doesn't apply to us.” came up the issue was settled as far as I was concerned.  Unless there was an exemption in the law for our activities I was the opinion my co-worker needed to be absolutely certain he would not be personally at risk if it ever became an issue.  The co-worker at risk left the company not too long after that and I never found out what happened with his project.

The point is government cannot be trusted to follow it's own laws and regulations.  Typically there is no penalty for them if they fail to abide by the rules.  And if there is a penalty who is going to enforce the penalty?  If it's against the rules but there aren't any 'teeth' in the law people will generally ignore it.  That is why we have, as a last resort, the Second Amendment.  As George Washington (I'll make this the quote of the day tomorrow) said:

Guns rank second in importance only to the Constitution itself.  They are our Liberty Teeth.

From the Philadelphia Daily News.  And still the reports are that airport security hasn't improved (see also this):

SHE STARTED out very innocently, feeling the small of my back, and then ran her palms over my shoulder blades and neck, then journeyed down my spine, making small talk about the hot weather and the uniqueness of my watch.

Telling me to remove my shoes and belt, her fingers methodically worked over my lower lumbar region, cupping the cheeks of my rump and slowly tracing my thighs and knees. The back of my knees is the most ticklish part of my body, and I bit my lip and swung my arm at her to stop, due to a full bladder.

She quickly ordered me to stare ahead and keep my hands at my side as she signaled that she did not need further restraints on me. I felt her wrists taunt my inner leg and calves and prayed she wouldn't feel my cardinal sin: not shaving my legs.

She grabbed my waist, and with her palms, traveled around my torso and pressed against my stomach. She traced the circumference of my breasts and squeezed one so hard that if I did have silicone or a baggie of cocaine stashed in there, it surely would have popped. She then ran her hands down my sides so tight she knew I had $1.74 in change in one pocket and a stick of Double Mint in the other.

No, I was not getting a really risque massage, nor was I trying out for the Ellen DeGeneres/Rosie O'Donnell team, I was the lucky recipient of being randomly screened at Philadelphia International Airport.

But the Transportation Security agent went places on me that I believe only my husband will go on our wedding night (me being a devout good Catholic girl, wink, wink) or my gynecologist. After this heavy petting session, all in the name of national security, I felt like I needed a cigarette, but they confiscated all lighters.

So after getting to third base with me, the agent hit a home run with the friend I was traveling with because she was wearing a dress. She got lucky with the security wand that poked and prodded under the dress. My friend was even told to stand with her legs apart and do lunges as the security wand got a bird's-eye view of the female reproductive system.

Even ignoring the 4th Amendment issues it's time to rethink the problem.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

George Bernard Shaw

Some Democrats in eastern Oregon want a pro-gun platform for the state party.

Saying they're tired of the gun control issue costing them defections to the GOP, Baker County Democrats voted last week to approve a platform resolution in support of gun ownership that they hope the state party will add to its platform.

The adoption came after a spirited debate over the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Chuck Butcher of Baker City, who crafted the county party's resolution, said he will personally deliver it to the state party platform committee when it meets June 25 at West Linn. 

The local resolution states, in part, "The Democratic Party of Oregon resolves as follows: To recognize and support the right to keep and bear arms in Section 207 of the Oregon State Constitution and the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as an individual right not granted by the government but rather guaranteed by the government.

"In recognition of the tremendous personal responsibility engendered by the right to keep and bear arms, the Democratic Party of Oregon further advocates severe penalties and their enforcement for criminal use or misuse of this right."

Butcher said he wanted to submit "a clear resolution without a lot of hedging, and frame it in language that could pass overwhelmingly, if the argument is presented correctly."

They got the part about it being a right recognized rather than granted.  I give them extra credit for that!  But I suspect their chances of getting that, as written, adopted at the state level is asymptotically close to zero.  It's just not going to happen.  If they weasel word it a WHOLE bunch then maybe 50-50.

Thanks for trying guys.  I know you are on our side and you have to fight the battle but you are going to lose at least the first few rounds.  Keep at it.

I had no idea such a thing existed but there is a Truth Laid Bear community of Gun Bloggers--and I'm listed!  Cool.  But why is Kim du Toit almost at the bottom?  That seems really odd.

As I and others said at the time the ban on lighters was stupid.  There is no practical way it can be enforced.  The newspapers are talking about the results now:

Last winter, when federal transportation security officials began discussing a ban on cigarette lighters in airline cabins, they warned that the lighters might slip past their screening equipment. Some airport managers were skeptical for the same reason.

Turns out they were right, at least if the recent experience of a handful of Twin Cities air travelers is any indication.

A dozen times in the past several weeks, those passengers sailed past airport screeners with at least one lighter in their carry-on bags.

...

"They really can be somewhat dangerous on a plane," said Roth, a former Secret Service agent. "But the ban [also] is like a no-parking sign -- if you find a lighter, it gives you an opening to look for something else that isn't supposed to be in the luggage."

One of the strongest congressional advocates for the lighter ban was Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who cited shoe bomber Richard Reid's attempt in December 2002 to blow up a plane using matches.

If Reid had used a lighter, "the FBI said he would have blown up -- the shoe bomber would have blown up the airplane," Dorgan said during a Feb. 15 hearing.

Dorgan spokesman Barry Piatt said his boss "is keeping his eye on" the lighter ban but has indicated no dissatisfaction about its comprehensiveness.

"Nothing works 100 percent," Piatt said. "That doesn't mean things aren't significantly improved. I think he wants to allow them time to work this. I don't think anyone expected perfection in the first couple of months."

'Improved'?  Yeah, right.  They only lighters they are finding are the lighters people forgot about.  Anyone with a room temperature I.Q. can hide one such the screeners won't find it.  Hence they are taking lighters from people that had no plans to do anything wrong with them.  The only 'benefit' to this policy is making some candidates for mental help feel better--and that especially applies to Sen. Dorgan.

As for Roth--Ayn Rand has him pegged.

It didn't make sense!  That's how I knew it had to be true.

Paul Smith
On a law regarding ammunition.
May 11, 1999
[This logic applies to many government and bureaucracy laws, regulations, and rules.  See, for example, this one from yesterday.]

From Reno:

Families celebrate Fathers Day at machine gun shoot-out

Everyone has their own way to celebrate Father's Day, but some families went out of their way to break tradition.

Close to 2,000 people made their way to the Mustang gun range to show their love by firing automatic weapons.

Under Nevada's open gun laws, it is legal to shoot machine guns. And fathers, sons, and shooting enthusiasts in general, had an opportunity to shoot fully automatic weapons like AK-47s, M-60's, and Uzi's.

While it may not be a traditional Fathers Day event, for Matt and Andy Polehman it was all about being together on this special day. "My dad and I have this saying, it doesn't matter what we do as long as we do it together."

If you missed Sunday's shoot, don't worry, the range will host another one this October.

Thanks for the pointer to this reporting from “The Gun Guys”--who had this to say about the article:

Nothing Says "I Love You" Quite Like A Machine Gun Shoot Out.  Gun Lovers Won't Rest Until They Can Do This In Their Suburban Backyards.

And I say, “And your point is?”  Admittedly, if you are going to do this in your suburban backyard you should do it in a tunnel or have a particular good backstop and shooting area that makes it impossible for a bullet to leave the range.  And the use of suppressors might be required, but other than that--what's your point?

Schneier calls it surreal.  I say it's typical of government regulations:

the FAA regulation that requires soldiers — all of whom were armed with an arsenal of assault rifles, shotguns and pistols — to surrender pocket knives, nose hair scissors and cigarette lighters.

My quote of the day for tomorrow will be applicable.

Update: The applicable quote of the day.