Quote of the day—Kim_Jung-Skill

Posted on by
17

It is bad for an imperfect government to be able to predict all crime. Some of the greatest steps forward in human history were only made possible by people being able to hide information from their government. If the church had access to Galileo’s research journals and notes we could be hundreds of years behind in our scientific growth. If the government had unlimited access to the networks of civil dissidents blacks may have never fought off Jim Crow. If King George had perfect information America would never have been a country. There is no government on earth that is perfect, and therefore there is no government on earth that can act responsibly with unlimited access to information. A government is unlikely to be able to distinguish between a negative and positive disruption to it’s social order and laws, and it therefore follows that an unlimited spying program can only hinder the next great social step forward. Don’t fear the surveillance state because you might have something illegal, fear the surveillance state because it is a tremendous institutional barrier to meaningful societal progress.

Kim_Jung-Skill
December 16, 2016
Reddit comment to Congress Slips CISA Into a Budget Bill That’s Sure to Pass
[Via email from Jaime.—Joe]

Those who need to know already know what this means:
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Boomershoot 2017

Posted on by
Reply

Via Stephanie:

PlayWithFireApril23

The direct link to sign up is http://entry.boomershoot/. There are still over half the shooting positions available. And it’s not all long range shooting. Friday and Saturday evenings are the High Intensity events which are from about 20 yards away. This is a rapid fire, chest pounding, event that lasts less than five minutes and results in the detonation of hundreds of targets. See the videos here.

Quote of the day—Sean Davis

Posted on by
3

These are the Clintons. If you’re a Clinton, you lie. It’s what you do. Expecting them to not lie is a fool’s errand. But given the amount of time the Clintons have spent in politics lying to the public–somewhere in the neighborhood of three decades–they really ought to be better at it by now.

Sean Davis
September 12, 2016
Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Needs To Hire Better Liars : The only completely ludicrous conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton’s health is that there’s nothing wrong with it.
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Paul Koning

Posted on by
5

The goal of the Illinois criminal legislature isn’t to fix crime. They clearly could do that if they wanted to, but they do not want to. Their actual goal is to disarm honest people, to render them defenseless against criminals, and to make the impact of crime worse so they will have more excuses for more invasions on the people’s liberty. What they deserve is not just being kicked out of office, but also being swiftly charged with, convicted for, and hanged for treason. Treason it is, because treason is waging war against the people or giving comfort to the enemy, both of which they are doing.

Paul Koning
September 13, 2016
Comment to Quote of the day—Marshall Lewin
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Marshall Lewin

Posted on by
3

Whatever the case, the simple fact that politicians push this garbage when they know it won’t work—and when they already have everything they need to fight crime—is a disgrace. It’s a direct danger to your right to own a gun and ammunition with which to defend yourself and your family from the criminals that they refuse to control.

And the best way you can stop that dishonest and dangerous attack on your rights is to throw every one of these crooks out of office on Election Day this November.

Marshall Lewin
September 9, 2016
The Truth About Illinois’ Ammo Serial Numbering Scheme
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Dear Hillary: Please Pander To Disabled Voters. You’re One Of Us.

Posted on by

The following is an open letter to Hillary Clinton from Stephanie:

Dear Hillary Clinton,

You cater to woman voters. Because you are a woman.
Why not pander to disabled voters? You seem awfully disabled.

Your team of medical professionals, armed security guards, and even a bollard can no longer prop you up without you still taking a fall.

Bollard

Seize the moment, Hillary. Please come out of the disabled closet. Ease our concerns about you falling: we urge you to use a cane, walker, or wheelchair.

Given your health history, you’re going to to keep toppling, again and again, whether you like it or not. You are, what they call, a fall risk.

That means when you were hospitalized 2012/2013 for taking a tumble, the hospital made you wear a bright yellow wristband emblazoned with, “FALL RISK”.

Wristbands

Those brandishing bands are standard hospital protocol, whether you’re a patient in a private, lavish hospital/hotel room at New York Presbyterian Hospital on the VIP floor (like you were a few years ago) or a patient-sufferer at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. It’s all the same.

You’re no longer an asset, Hillary, but are a tripping liability. The un-eraseable, un-wipeable truth about you is eternally stored in The System records. Everyone knows you’ll forever be a bright yellow wristband.

So embrace it!

Look, I know how it feels to overcome the stigma of using a cane, walker, or wheelchair. I started using a cane in my twenties; was prescribed a walker in my thirties. Now, in my forties, I sometimes use a wheelchair. Who cares?

You’re way older than me, and more than ready for at least a cane.

Hillary, you’re accustomed to an aid always at your side. A cane is essentially the same, but it’s a durable medical device, though you might have to pay out of pantsuit pocket for it.

Hillary, let go of the shame. An independent woman need not lean on a staff of 10-20 mostly men to prop her up.

Hillary, you can do it! Grab a cane! Rock a walker! You’d even look great in a wheelchair, I swear.

Be brave! Be bold!

Be logical: save taxpayer money by letting go of your hordes of health handlers. Reclaim your independence!

Join us, Hillary!

Stand together with We, Thee Disabled, who do not have private traveling doctors or nurses surrounding us, as you do.

Hillary, please, stand beside We, Thee Disabled, even though we don’t have armed security like you do, 24/7. Boo-hoo for us; lucky for you.

But good news: lots of us cripples carry concealed guns for self-defense, being that we’re such easy targets for thugs. Whatever you do, Hillary, please don’t disarm the disabled.

The point is, Hillary, you have so much going for you, what have you got to lose?

This is the perfect time to seize the moment, and, rather than hide your health woes, please grab a cane, step forward, and stand together.

Are you with us?

Sincerely,
Stephanie Sailor

Quote of the day—Jeff Snyder

Posted on by

With each additional gun control law, then, it becomes more and more apparent that our legislators, president and courts are fundamentally lawless, recognizing not authority higher than their own preferences and mere majority rule or, in the case of the courts, the personal beliefs of the judges. Laws enacted in such blatant disregard of a fundamental right make manifest the fact that politics is a confidence game in which the legislators and the courts capitalize upon and trade off of the people’s respect for the nations supreme law to establish legitimacy for their laws and rulings, a veneration and respect they themselves do not share. Gun control is thus providing the occasion for, and disposing  larger numbers of people to, recognizing the destruction of individual rights and the illegitimacy of the federal government. When this line has been crossed, it is not easily re-established.

Jeff Snyder
2001
Forward to Nation of Cowards page vii.
[And that line was crossed for me with Ruby Ridge.—Joe]

Random thought of the day

Posted on by

Suppose we momentarily accept the premise of the gun control advocate that guns being used in violent crime is sufficient justification for the government to forcibly remove them from the general population. Then we, of necessity, must arrive at the conclusion that since guns are used more frequently for defensive use than offensive use that the government has sufficient justification to force the general population to acquire, train themselves, and carry guns for self-defense.

The government did the analog of that by requiring, by law, that everyone obtain health insurance. So, by whatever constitutional loopholes they pushed Obamacare through the same loopholes should be available to push a similar package of gun laws through which demand you own and carry self-defense “insurance”.

Of course such laws would be immoral as well as illegal under the constitution—if the constitution were actually observed.

How’s the UK gun control working out?

Posted on by

In 2009 the headline was UK is violent crime capital of Europe with reports of:

Analysis of figures from the European Commission showed a 77 per cent increase in murders, robberies, assaults and sexual offences in the UK since Labour came to power.

The total number of violent offences recorded compared to population is higher than any other country in Europe, as well as America, Canada, Australia and South Africa.

That was over seven years ago.

Today, some police forces in the UK are underreporting crime by 10s of thousand of cases:

Dru Sharpling from HMIC said: “Despite making some progress following our 2014 inspection, the force is failing some victims of crime. We estimate that the force fails to record over 38,000 reported crimes each year. The reported crimes that go unrecorded include serious crimes, such as violence and sexual offences.

Even so the numbers tell a frightening story with the headline today being Sexual offences convictions in England and Wales hit record levels in the past year:

The number of prosecutions brought for sexual offences has risen to its highest level ever, jumping 22.5 per cent on last year.

In total 11,995 defendants were prosecuted in 2015-16 for sexual offences other than rape, up from 9,789 the year before. The figure has steadily increased since 2012, but never as steeply as in the past year.

Sexual offences range from non-consensual sexual touching to serious sexual assault.

I’m reminded of what John Fogh said nearly 20 years ago that was true decades before and will probably be true until we have handheld phasers:

Nothing says, “Please don’t rape me.” like multiple jacketed hollowpoints.

John Fogh
Insights Self Defense Instructor
February 23, 1999

Why would women ever want to visit, or especially live, in places without easy access to guns?

Quote of the day—Scott Reeder

Posted on by

Recently, I enrolled in a conceal carry class. I wanted to learn more about what is becoming a growing movement in our country.

The folks taking the class cut across the socio/economic spectrum. There was a truck driver and a dentist. There were older folks and twentysomethings. And I sat next to a young mother who could outshoot everyone in the class.

What struck me was how ordinary they were.

I didn’t see any gang colors – unless you count camouflage. I found my classmates to be polite and concerned about the well being of their families.

Those who support more restrictions on guns would have you believe that folks who want to carry are Dirty Harry types ready to shove a revolver in someone’s face and shout, “Go ahead, make my day.”

I’ve never met a gun owner like that.

Scott Reeder
September 9, 2016
A baby step for gun control
[Part of the problem we have is that everything some people know about guns and gun owners they learned via T.V. and movies. And, of course, the characters as well as the drama and effects are larger than life.

This is why it is critically important to come out of the closet as a gun owner and take new shooters to the range so they can become acquainted with reality.—Joe]

KISS

Posted on by

This is a breath of fresh air:

Instead of practicing running, jumping and stabbing in all directions, it might be a really good idea to work on perfecting the basics. It is only when you have truly perfected the basics that a person is ready to learn advanced skills. Nothing will end a criminal attack like a smooth draw and an accurate hit to the vital zone.

Nearly 40 years ago my first engineering mentor, Everett Nelson at Boeing, strongly advocated for the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid.

This has served me well professionally in hardware, as well as software, design and development. I have found that one of the best indicators of a poor or novice engineer is the complexity of their designs. And if you knew enough of the history of Boomershoot targets you would recognize the evolution to better targets was in large part about making things more simple.

The self-defense, unarmed as well as armed, techniques taught at Insights also reflect this philosophy and is something I have always appreciated. Some other schools, as alluded to in the quoted article, show strong indications they are poor or novice designers of self-defense techniques.

Quote of the day—amiable

Posted on by

Clinton is probably one of the least crooked politicians currently running for office.  She came from a middle class family and married a poor boy who made good.

amiable
September 8, 2016
Comment to No matter how you spin it, crooked Hillary is still crooked
[Via Tam.

As Robert Heinlein’s character said in Time Enough For Love (page 241):

Delusions are often functional.  A mother’s opinions about her children’s beauty, intelligence, goodness, et cetera ad nauseam, keep her from drowning them at birth.

Lazarus Long
1916-4272

Still, the depth of the delusion is amazing.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Alan Gura

Posted on by

A sober assessment of the Second Amendment’s present status must precede any attempt at predicting a “conservative” Supreme Court nominee’s impact on the Second Amendment’s future. Well before Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing, judges figured out that District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago are optional precedents. For all their powerful content, these decisions have in practice proven meaningless in the face of near-total resistance throughout the federal courts, in combination with the transparent lack of interest at One First Street in defending the Supreme Court’s eponymous position atop the judicial hierarchy. To be sure, some judges seek to apply Heller and McDonald in resolving Second Amendment disputes. But most treat the Supreme Court’s precedent as a hassle to surmount before rubber-stamping any legislative restriction on the right to bear arms. If not today, then very soon, it shouldn’t be too hard for any sufficiently dedicated and creative legislature to effectively ban firearms or just about any firearm-related activity, without worrying much about Heller. Appointing one “conservative” Justice to replace Antonin Scalia won’t improve matters. Indeed, “conservative” judges are part of the problem.

Alan Gura
September 6th, 2016
The Court after Scalia: The next “conservative” Justice may not save the Second Amendment
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Narayana Kocherlakota

Posted on by

Two government mechanisms prevent real interest rates from getting too negative. The first is cash: As long as people can hold currency, which loses its value only at the rate of inflation, they won’t buy safe assets that yield even less. The second is the central bank’s promise to keep the inflation rate low and stable — at about 2 percent in most developed nations. As a result, people have little reason to hold any asset that yields less than negative 2 percent (perhaps negative 3 percent, considering that cash is bulky and hard to store).

In other words, governments — by issuing cash and managing inflation — put a floor on how low interest rates can go and how high asset prices can rise. That’s hardly a free market.

…

What’s the fix for this problem? John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, has offered some ideas, such as increasing inflation targets — but these are partial work-arounds at best.

The right answer is to abolish currency and move completely to electronic cash.

Narayana Kocherlakota
September 1, 2016
Want a Free Market? Abolish Cash
[Via Michael Krieger who says:

Possibly the most idiotic article I’ve ever read.

See also The Sinister Side of a Cashless Society (via email from Lynn Z.).

Electronic cash would allow government to be so much more efficient. Just imagine how much easier it would be to find people who were trying to cheat on their taxes by not reporting their tips. And bribes would be easy to catch. And armed robbery of banks would cease to exist. It would be wonderful, right? Isn’t that what everyone wants, a more efficient government? Who could possibly object?

Oh, yeah. Now I remember. It fails The Jews in the Attic Test.—Joe]

U.S. Code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 101, Section 2071

Posted on by

Huh. Look at that. U.S. Code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 101, Section 2071:

“(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.”

Well, what do you know…. It doesn’t say “upon conviction….”. Hillary is DQ from being Prez. That might be an interesting point to bring up in the debates, or perhaps a campaign ad or two…. Might be fun to watch the Dems tap dance around it.

(H/T to Capitol Gazette via Curmudgeonly and Skeptical)

On a related election note, the German anti-immigrant party the AfD went from 0% (zero percent) to 21% of the vote, second only behind the SPD and ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel CDU party in her home region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Times they are a-changin’…