Quote of the day—Mark Walters

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His redirection of the story (intentional or not) right back to criminals and guns reinforces to an already uninformed (ignorant) audience that guns and gun owners are evil, period. To completely ignore the real story, that a group of Democrat lawmakers tried unsuccessfully (with taxpayer dollars) to use a covert ATF operation against law-abiding Americans to push a leftist gun-control agenda, undermine our constitutional rights and failed miserably in the process, is precisely why Americans distrust his profession.

Mark Walters
January 17, 2018
Garbage Reporting In, Garbage Reporting Out – Lawful Gun Owners Get the Shaft
[If it doesn’t fit the narrative it doesn’t get coverage.—Joe]

Interesting reaction

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I never would have guessed this would have happened, Hawaiians watched a lot of porn after fake incoming missile alert.

The Tweet from Pornhub:

Stress relief? If so, you might say it’s another application of Dr. Joe’s Cure for Everything.

But it could also be a decision to enjoy themselves while they can because they never know if it will be their last chance.

Posted in Sex

Researcher bias

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Interesting study:

The mere presence of weapons can increase aggression—called the “weapons effect.” Weapons are theorized to increase aggression by priming aggressive thoughts. This research tested the robustness of the weapons effect using two large representative samples of American adults (total N = 1,097). Participants saw photos of criminals, soldiers, police in military gear, or police in regular gear with guns. Experiment 2 also included a condition with photos of Olympians with guns used to shoot inanimate targets. The control group was police in plainclothes without guns. The accessibility of aggressive thoughts was measured using a word fragment task (e.g., KI_ _ can be completed as KILL or KISS). Photos of individuals with guns used to shoot human targets primed aggressive thoughts, regardless of whether a “good guy” (soldier, police) or “bad guy” (criminal) held the gun. Photos of Olympians with guns used to shoot inanimate targets did not prime aggressive thoughts.

I think the author was “primed” with their own conclusion. When I think of “kill” in the context of a “good guy” with a gun I don’t think of aggression. I think of it as a strong defense.

See also the fairly neutral, Here’s what can happen to your brain and body when you shoot a gun.

Quote of the day—Alex Arabian

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A large group in our government and of our citizens still refuse to admit that gun control and gun violence are correlated; it’s an antiquated, backwards viewpoint that needs to be extinguished.

Alex Arabian
January 17, 2018
SHOT: A Gripping, Timely Pro Gun-Control Thriller
[This is what they think of you.

It would appear to be a safe bet that Arabian doesn’t understand that correlation coefficients can be negative or positive and what that would mean. It’s certain, from reading the entire article, they don’t know the facts about dramatically increased number of firearms in this country is simultaneous with dramatic declines in violent crime rates. With such an erroneous base Arabian then concludes that contrary viewpoints need to be extinguished.

What do you have in mind Alex? If the shadow banning doesn’t work will you move on to reeducation camps?

It doesn’t really matter. The answer is no. And long before we run out of ammunition saying no to Arabian’s plans their viewpoint will have grown dim and died.—Joe]

Replacing a fiber optic front sight

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I was looking at the latest issue of USPSA FrontSight Magazine last night and found that 93% (IIRC) of the Limited class shooters at nationals this year used guns with fiber optic inserts in their front sights.

Son-in-law John (and USPSA grandmaster) works for Shooters Connection. Here he shows how to replace a fiber optic insert:

Quote of the day—Sheila Stokes-Begley

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The government and the liberal leftists with their paid bodyguards think normal little people, us unwashed masses are “dangerous”. I would ask why they think that? What is it they want to do that they think we will resist, and they want to remove the most effective means of resistance we have? The tools that make us dangerous. They haven’t yet figured out it’s what’s in our head, not our hand that makes people dangerous. Dangerous. Reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend not all that long ago. A person can be dangerous, and they can be good or evil. It’s not that fact that they are dangerous you need to fear. It’s whether they are good or evil. I want to be dangerous. I want to have the ability to protect myself and my family. I want to be dangerous.

Sheila Stokes-Begley
January 3, 2018
New Years Eve or Sylvester Night
[Only evil fears the good. Only evil wants to make the good less dangerous.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Todd Herman

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Senate Bill 6146 and its House companion, HB 2666, would allow local governments — cities and counties — to determine their own gun regulation laws. With this passed, Seattle will sprint toward a massive and expensive over-reach for gun control in Washington state by attempting to ban all guns.

This will accomplish several things. The Seattle City Council will enjoy virtue signaling again; they will please their base of genital-hat wearing, business-hating, permanent adolescents. They will spend massive amounts of taxpayer money and they will create record spikes in gun purchases and massive donations to pro self-defense groups. Lastly, City Attorney Pete Holmes, who loves heroin use in Seattle, may get a free trip to Washington D.C. to lose in front of the Supreme Court.

Todd Herman
January 15, 2018
Washington gun control: Dems and Inslee play games
[You might think “ban all guns” is an exaggeration. But remember, Seattle already bans the carrying of slingshots and Airsoft guns. Do you think they will find real guns any more palatable?

Even if they don’t ban the possession of everything except the home possession of the exact model of gun Heller took home in Washington D.C. you can safely bet the result will be an extreme chilling effect on the exercise of a constitutionally protected right. See also this blog post comparing gun ownership in the U.S. to the plight of Jews in 1931 Germany.—Joe]

Anti-gun bills in Washington State

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I received an email from Firearms Policy Coalition this morning:

The
State Senate Law and Justice Committee is going
to hear FIVE anti-gun bills THIS MORNING!

The
myriad of anti-2A legislation that this would bring is devastating.

  1. SB 6146 would allow local mayors and city governments
    run ramshod over your 2A rights.

  2. SB 6049 would ban any magazine that holds over 10
    rounds.

  3. SB 5463 would hold gun owners criminally liable for a
    thief breaking into their home.

  4. SB 5992 is the ridiculous “Trigger Activation Device”
    ban that would effectively outlaw most firearms accessories.

  5. SB 5444 which is the crown jewel of gun control:
    Washington’s “Assault Weapons” Ban.

We need to take action on these bills
NOW!

Stop These Anti-Gun
Bills!

There’s
very little time left for us to make our voices heard and block
them!

Send
a message to your legislators and tell them to OPPOSE SB 6146, SB 6049, SB 5463, SB 5992, and SB 5444 today!

If you click on their links it will take you to a web page that allows you to easily send letters to your Washington State legislative creatures.

Quote of the day—Gene Ralno

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All gun laws are poor investments. Administration of them costs tens of millions, accomplishes nothing and merely annoys the most lawful, peaceable segment of our population. Bump stocks are the latest of leftist howls heard after every shooting.

Gene Ralno
January 9, 2018
Comment to Letter: Gun control
[And as mere howls should be either ignored or enjoyed as one enjoys listening to the howls of coyotes in the distance while sitting on your porch on a summer evening.—Joe]

Shooter report

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Paul and Louise visited us from Canada this weekend. Paul was in the U.K. military and had a fair amount of experience with rifles but very little experience with handguns. Recently they purchased handguns and took some classes. Then Paul decided he would like to get into reloading. I showed them my reloading set up and talked quite a bit about it with them. Why I reload, some tips on reloading he probably won’t find in the YouTube videos, and why I have some of the equipment.

Barb and I took them to the range and Paul had his first experience shooting an AR and Louise shot a rifle for the first time. Among other firsts were shooting a gun with a suppressor.

20180114_113006

I did a little coaching with Louise but Paul was doing very well without much input from me. We probably went through about 400 rounds total of .22LR and .40 S&W. It was a good day and you can see the indicator of that with the new shooter smile on Louise’s face.

Quote of the day—Thomas Sowell

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You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing. If you have been living in a world where outcomes are everything, you may have a very hard time understanding bureaucratic thinking or practices.

Thomas Sowell
November 27, 2003
Random Thoughts
[And so it is with the bureaucracies associated with gun ownership and explosives storage.—Joe]

The button

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This has more than a little truth to it:

Political Cartoons by Glenn McCoy

Daughter Jaime describes the situation a little differently. She says it’s like President Trump has a laser pointer and the political left is a bunch of dogs chasing the dot of light.

I can see that.

Quote of the day—Mason Hartman @webdevMason

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Over the years, I’ve had many people tell me that media coverage of their work or field is often that it borders on unethical. Even so, had I not attended this party, I would not be able to imagine just how far off-base a story like this could be.

Please keep this in mind when you read anything claiming some salacious “insider” perspective on Silicon Valley. The degree to which these claims can be spun from whole cloth is extremely concerning.

Mason Hartman @webdevMason
Tweeted on January 12, 2018

[It’s beyond unethical. It is at least libelous. And in some instances it is criminal.

In this case the narrative was (see also here and especially here):

this party scene is just a tiny component of a much broader culture that has largely left women out of the greatest wealth creation in the history of the world.

And since reality didn’t align itself with the narrative something had to give. Reality lost.

And so it is with media coverage of gun ownership.—Joe]

Rifle for sale

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I’m not looking for a rifle like this, but maybe someone else is. Boomershoot is coming up very soon!

From Richard:

AccuracyIntlRifleForSale

I have been following your blog, The View from North Central Idaho for some time.  Getting to Boomershoot is definitely on my bucket list!

I wanted to make you aware of an interesting rifle being sold by a friend of mine.

For Sale from original user:
Accuracy International Sniper Rifle in .308
Field tested in the sandbox
Includes original logbook with photos of test results.  Must sign a non-disclosure to receive the logbook.
Certificate of Authenticity from Craft International.
Asking $12,000.00

The user convinced AI to buyback the rifle from his unit and then sell it to him.

Please contact me if you or anyone you know has a serious interest.

If you are interested send me an email and I’ll forward it on.

Why are anti-gun people so violent?

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From New Hampshire:

State Rep. Katherine Rogers, D-Concord, pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced on Friday in Concord District Court in connection with a confrontation last year with well-known gun-rights advocate Susan Olsen.

The misdemeanor charge stems from an exchange between Rogers and Olsen during a recount of ballots for a state Senate seat in November 2016. Rogers was charged in August.
Olsen was allegedly sitting next to Rogers when Olsen asked Rogers to move the ballots closer. Olsen says that was when Rogers grabbed her and hit her on the side of her head.

And we have more details here:

Olsen stated that she said to Rogers, “If you strike me again, I will have you arrested.” She alleged that Rogers, a former county attorney, countered, “in a low, mocking, angry whisper,” something to the effect of “Hit me. I know you want to. Go ahead. Hit me.”

Olsen claimed that Rogers was “smirking” while she was speaking and then, reportedly leaned in further, “sounding almost like she was daring me,” and allegedly stated, “I know what you want to do. You want to shoot me.”

One of the signs of certain personality disorders is that they think they can read the minds of other people (ask me in person about some of my experiences with this). I strongly suspect a large number of anti-gun people have mental issues.

Why are these people so violent? Oh, I remember now. It’s in their nature.

High altitude highway

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Via Boomershooter “Squirrel Hunter” we have the Karakoram Highway

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is one of the highest paved international roads in the world. It connects the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and Gilgit–Baltistan of Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, located at 36°51′00″N 75°25′40″E, at an elevation of 4,693 metres (15,397 ft).

Connecting China’s Xinjiang region with Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan, the road is a popular tourist attraction. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Wow! And I thought Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Colorado had some “interesting” switchbacks and high altitude construction on some of their mountain roads.

Nope. Nothing I have seen in the states even begins to compare.

Quote of the day—Maj Toure

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Firearms are just as normal as your cell phone. You don’t drop your cell phone in water. You have a lock on your phone. It’s very private. It’s yours. You know how to operate it. It’s like a car. When you first start driving, you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Then you start paying attention, being observant, looking around and being a responsible driver. Get drunk and shooting your gun is the same as getting drunk and driving. The difference is one is a right. A human right. One is a privilege.

Maj Toure
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 26, 2017
Why Black People Own Guns
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Turtledude

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1) I have a plan
2) I claim it will reduce crime
3) My plan proposes nothing that actually punishes wrongful acts or increases the penalty on criminals but rather
4) criminalizes currently legal behavior and only applies to people who have not harmed anyone
5) any plan that either targets malum per se activities or DOES NOT harass honest citizens will be rejected as not being “A PLAN”
6) my plan is valid merely if YOUR plan does not harass legal gun ownership
7) that my plan will decrease crime is guaranteed because I have faith that it will

there is the sum and substance of the anti gun side’s Crime control plans as presented by our energetic gun restrictionist

Turtledude
January 10, 2018
Posted in The gun control thread
[This applies to many, if not most, anti-gun people.—Joe]

Clearwater County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Dog Team

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My brother, Doug, is the team leader for Clearwater County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Dog Team. Here is an article about the team and some of their searches:

We have all seen a dog follow a scent trail. Most of the time it is another dog or something else they think smells good, but what is the drive and reward to go out at all hours in all types of weather as a member the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (CCSSAR) Dog Team.

“I sometimes hear people say, ‘Everyone wants to be a hero’,” says Doug Huffman. “I suppose that is especially true in the Search and Rescue business. I once heard a search dog instructor describe it this way, ‘everyone fantasizes about saving the lost child in the wilderness and carrying the child back to her mother’s arms in front of a cheering crowd, but that isn’t how it works in real life.’ I have been with CCSSAR since 1998 and I haven’t seen that fantasy search happen yet. More typically, we are out in the woods looking for a missing berry picker when we learn he was picked up hours before by a passerby. We get home at 5 a.m. exhausted from a long night out in the woods, when we could have been home asleep. We feel good about ourselves knowing we were involved in a team effort to help a missing individual and their family, but we usually don’t feel like a hero when it is over.”

A fair number of the search stories Doug has told me are for escaped prisoners, active criminals, or people presumed dead. These searches involving higher risks and/or unpleasant resolutions. Still, Doug has been doing this for nearly 20 years now so there is some sort of reward to it.

Quote of the day—Tyler Yzaguirre

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The only people who benefit from stricter gun control laws are criminals. That’s why states and cities across America should be looking for other, more promising ways to reduce crime.

Tyler Yzaguirre
January 7, 2018
To reduce shootings, look for better ideas beyond gun control
[The criminals are both the obvious robbers and thugs as well as the not quite as obvious politicians who lust after power.—Joe]