The Brady Campaign’s willingness to argue seriously that a would-be assassin would buy or rent an apartment overlooking his intended target’s travel route, then register his intended murder weapon, speaks volumes for the group’s view of the world.
NRA-ILA
In D.C., Baby Steps Toward Gun Law Sanity
March 2, 2012
[That is, their connection to reality is exceedingly tenuous.—Joe]
Sarah takes Brady Campaign President to task about his irrational fear of guns:
Dan Gross, President of the nation’s largest gun control group, is afraid of guns. Will he ever overcome his irrational fears?
I’m optimistic. If Dan can conquer his fear of water, then he can conquer his fear of guns.
Then invites him to the gun range:
Dan Gross, Brady Campaign President: Consider this an open invitation to join me at the gun range. Afterwards, maybe we can hit the pool for a few laps.
I think I see a Boomershoot invite in Mr. Gross’s future.
I don’t think there should be a waiting period for abortion care. Waiting periods for guns allow time for back-ground checks, and allow for a “cool-off”period, as no one should purchase weapons designed specifically to kill just on an angry whim.
But the purpose of waiting periods for abortion care is to make abortion harder to get, abortion being something very time-sensitive in a way that gun purchases aren’t.
Julie Was Here
April 30, 2012
Comment to Gun Control. Let’s Be Reasonable Adults
[Wow! Only if I were trying to mock someone would I say such a thing and pretend not to see the parallels that are so blindingly obvious.—Joe]
We have a couple people that have been bringing a bowling ball mortar to Boomershoot the last couple years. Here is a picture of one of them in action (thanks to Dion for the picture):
The fireball is the result of adding gasoline.
Very cool.
I despise guns; they have a single aim, to inflict massive damage upon its target. By its very nature, guns in the public are completely antithetical to peace, and should be cast out by all sane people. It should only be used by the enforcers of the law.
Cynicism
May 3, 2012
Guns And Gun Control
[I find the mind of anti-gun people “interesting”. Statements of facts apparently do not need to be based on reality. See the first sentence as an example. And adjoining sentences need not be in agreement with each other. See the last two sentences as an example—unless they are of the opinion that “the law” is also antithetical to peace.
If rational thought is present at all in the majority of humans it is but a thin, easy ruptured, veneer over a core of incoherent impulses. And as pointed out over a decade ago by son James some high school teachers actively promote the removal of this veneer.
I, and you should as well, fear for our future. These people not only vote they run our government institutions and command great power.—Joe]
I just made the payment to Soldiers Angels from the Saturday Boomershoot dinner and raffle:
| Payee | Reference # | Send On | Deliver By | Amount |
| Soldiers Angels | 5B6BDQOG | 05/02/2012 | 05/09/2012 | $1,981.00 |
For those of you that were at the dinner and remember the exact numbers Bruce said $1645 was raised for Soldier Angels. That does not match with the amount I sent. The envelope Bruce gave me actually contained $1651. Then two people quietly shoved money in my hands as they left the dinner. That brought this year’s total to $1981.
Previous posts about Boomershoot donations are here: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
I can’t call it “Boomershoot“, that’s not right at all. It has to be “BOOMERSHOOT!” There was too much awesome in the space of one weekend for it to be anything less.
Shelley Rae
April 30, 2012
BOOMERSHOOT!
[She “almost fell over from the heat and shockwave of the explosion” but I think she liked it anyway.—Joe]
Ry says he smelled burning hair after taking this shot:
As I have commented elsewhere I’m glad I had Ry move the opening fireball back about 20 feet further from where he wanted it. There is a fine line between thrilling and calling for an ambulance. Ry was right on the ragged edge of that line.
ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou!
Awesome event, as always. Please accept my thanks and pass them on to all your volunteers and family.
This was my tenth year and I’m already planning for the 11th…
Dave B.
April 30, 2012
Via email regarding Boomershoot 2012.
[In my opinion Boomershoot 2012 was very nearly perfect. I’ll say more later when I have more time but from my view point things went very well this year.—Joe]
Guns: a pill for what ails you, if what ails you is insecurity about the size of your pecker.
someguy
March 4, 2010
Comment to Open Thread: Penis Substitutes At the Ready!
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!—Joe]
I had no idea.
Next year we are coming back with all our friends.
Charles
Spouse of 30 Cal Gal
April 29, 2012
[This was in regards to the awesomeness of Boomershoot where his wife and Shelley were shooting.—Joe]
Boomershoot makes them put up or shut up.
Tony Finley
April 28, 2012
[After the Boomershoot dinner and raffle were over Tony came over to me and said so many nice things about me and Boomershoot that I wondered if perhaps we should have closed the bar earlier. But he did say the above that I certainly agree with.–Joe]
This is boring. I just keep hitting the same spot.
Matthew Jensen
April 27, 2012
[He was shooting my “Spud Gun” at a 700 yard steel target. He was hitting the same spot on the target…
I love my Spud Gun. He did have an excellent coach in one of Gene Econ’s staff, but still the gun, ammo and shooter had to be doing their job too.—Joe]
Today Scott, Tim, and I got soaking wet as we put the 500+ stakes in the hillside for Boomershoot. And it was cold.
Tomorrow is forecast as 100% chance of precipitation until 8:00 PM when it drops to 90%
The generator didn’t work for a while this morning. I think the electrical system was wet. I covered it with a tarp and let the engine run and it started working again. Tim is bringing his generator as a backup for tomorrow.
antitango got stuck trying to turn around near Mecca.
I realized I didn’t have the scope rings required to put a scope on the rifle Sarah was going to use. I did get the rifle Ry is going to use scoped but it was so cold and wet I didn’t go out to zero it in.
Scott then got a flat tire trying to make it to Mecca. That makes the third tire to die while making the trip to Mecca since last September. Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, three times…
Am I having fun yet? Actually I really enjoyed having dinner with Boomershoot friends and bloggers at the Ponderosa tonight.
A fool and his money are soon elected.
Will Rogers
[Some things never change.—Joe]
Last February I was contacted by Eye Safety Systems (ESS) out of Sun Valley Idaho. They make high end eye protection glasses. They wanted to participate in Boomershoot and to make a long story short that is how Boomershoot ended up with 30 Cal Gal and Shelley Rae signed up for Boomershoot this year.
ESS also sent me three pair of their glasses. They are very nice glasses. One thing that I despise about nearly all safety glasses is something that isn’t that hard to do right and ESS did it right. When most glasses are folded up the tip of the ear piece touches the inside of the lens. This scuffs the plastic and you end up with a partially blind spot in one or both eyes. The ESS glasses I have been using don’t do that. The ear piece will not touch the inside of the lens. I have been carrying a pair around in my coat pocket (inside the cloth pouch provided) for almost two months now and the glasses are still scuff free. They are comfortable to wear and give me a great field of view and wrap around protection.
Here is more of what ESS has to say about their glasses and their attendance at Boomershoot:
Idaho-based company ESS (Eye Safety Systems) will be present at this weekend’s Boomershoot events. ESS manufactures the sole issued eyewear of the United States Marine Corps and is a leading supplier to the U.S. Army & all branches of the U.S. Department of Defense. Their military-grade eye protection is gaining in popularity and is highly-regarded amongst those in the know in the commercial shooting market.
ESS will be offering free demos of select shooting-specific models of its MIL-SPEC, ANSI Z87.1+ protective eyewear, including the Crossbow Suppressor which is the only eyewear completely engineered for optimal function under ear cup style hearing protection. Inquire at the ESS tent on site and/or with ESS employees regarding their demos and event specials. Visit www.esseyepro.com to learn more.
Understanding such forces is crucial in attacking issues such as gun control, which are completely out of control. Even though the vast majority of both NRA and non-NRA gun owners are for tighter gun control laws, fear and shame are still the primary factors driving gun ownership to record highs. But fear and shame cannot be approached directly, for one is generally too ashamed to admit one is ashamed!
If shame is indeed one of the most powerful unconscious forces behind so many of our failed attempts to curb our most pressing social problems, and if it is difficult to approach directly, then how can we confront and combat shame itself?
There are at least four different ways, none of which are sufficient by themself. The first is obviously books such as Gilligan’s, which point out the complex factors and overall patterns responsible for shame. Sadly, because they confront shame too directly and are largely cognitive in nature, they reach only a very small percentage of the population, mainly highly educated liberals, who are already less prone to shame. Nonetheless, they are necessary even if they are not sufficient. Without understanding the factors responsible for shame, it is extremely difficult, if not virtually impossible, to fashion truly effective ways of combating it.
The second way is of course individual therapy. Again, this only reaches a very small percentage of the population, mainly highly educated liberals. And, it does not treat a whole society therapeutically that is suffering from shame.
The third of course is ongoing, sustained programs and efforts in education. The earlier and the younger we intervene with children the better. But imagine the howls of protests from conservatives who are already paranoid about “government stealing the minds of children.”
The fourth is the most effective. It consists of carefully orchestrated public service campaigns that feature prominent, charismatic figures from all walks of life (business, entertainment, sports, politics, etc.) that have successfully faced and overcome shame. Powerful personal stories are the main ingredient. And, of course, celebrities are the story.
Ian I. Mitroff
Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley
April 25, 2012
Confronting Shame-Based Politics: The Biggest Challenge of All
[I would take issue with his unsubstantiated assertion that gun owners are for tighter gun control laws and that shame is an issue in gun ownership. But I won’t out of fear he would put me on a list such that I would end up in a death camp instead of a reeducation camp or psych hospital should he and his kind ever achieve the power they desire.—Joe]
We don’t know the facts yet, but let’s assume the conclusion MSNBC is leaping to is accurate: George Zimmerman stalked a small black child and murdered him in cold blood, just because he was black.
If that were true, every black person in America should get a gun and join the National Rifle Association, America’s oldest and most august civil rights organization.
Ann Coulter
April 23, 2012
Coulter: Gun control and self-defense
[Great article. As is usual for Coulter there is lots of snark.-Joe]
Guns? Have at it. If only the stupid dickless wonders (and I don’t mean the women) who feel the need to whip it out in public would keep it amongst themselves, then I would say let Darwinism take over (such as the Southern states who’ve decided it’s a nifty idea to allow guns into bars).
asiangrrIMN
Comment to Open Thread: Penis Substitutes At the Ready!
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!—Joe]
Wife Barbara is making improvements and may get to come home from the hospital tomorrow night. I was expecting a call from daughter Kimberly tonight with details but haven’t heard from her yet.
I found out my cousin Dennis who is the closest neighbor to Boomershoot Mecca was on the road when Barb was being chased by the Idaho State Patrol. Both Barb and the ISP passed him then he stopped after she wrecked the Jeep. He tried to get her back to land and was impressed at how good a swimmer she was. He thought she was trying to go all the way across the river.
I got a lot of other details too. I never expected to find out this much info. It was tough to hear but I want to know everything I can about what happened.
