Seattle’s gun "buyback"

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As I mentioned Saturday morning on Twitter I went to the Seattle gun “buyback” (how can you buy back something you didn’t own to begin with?

I went with a fair amount of cash to buy things that were of historical value or something I might be interested in owning. I had fantasies of buying an AR-15 for $250. No such luck. The sidewalk in front of the site was packed with other private buyers:

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The sidewalks approaching the site from every direction had people on them too:

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I did get a chance to look a few guns being brought in. I was only interested in one, a semi-auto 30-06 with a Leupold scope on it. Someone else quickly made an offer and got it for $125.

One of the guns, an old shotgun, literally fell apart as the owner tried to hand it to someone to evaluate. Another gun I saw was an old .22 revolver with the muzzle all covered in rust. The guy I was sort of hanging out with told the owner, “You couldn’t get $5.00 at a pawn shop for it.” The owner agreed and said that is why he brought it. A $100 gift card for something that probably wasn’t safe to shoot was a good deal.

I talked to another guy that said he got rid of a junker for $100 as well. It was literally, a “Saturday Night Special” an old Bryco of some sort. He had a great big smile on his face about getting a $100 for that.

I talked to quite a few of the guys there. You could tell who the gun guys were. They were all happy, talking, and smiling. I didn’t take any pictures of them but there were people turning in guns who looked like timid “grass eaters”. Many of them wouldn’t sell to the private sellers. One told the guy I was with, “I won’t sell to anyone without a background check.” The would-be buyer told him that he had a concealed pistol permit (background check required) but that didn’t faze the seller. So apparently it wasn’t about background checks.

I asked several buyers if the police gave them any problems. Only one guy had some problems. He was told he was parked on private property and had his table on private property. Even after he was told he had permission of the property owner the cop continued to harass him and told him he didn’t have a business license and that he was going to give him a “Ticket that will cost you $1000”. The buyer held his ground (before showing up he had asked the Seattle police, the ATF, and a lawyer if it was okay and got the go ahead from all of them) and the cop eventually went away without writing a ticket.

One guy I talked to categorized the sellers into two groups. 1) People getting rid of junk and 2) People who want to save the world. I didn’t have a good sample but it sure looked to me like there were a lot more in the first category than in the second.

There were a few guns of value that made it to through to the police so the politicians, and news media declared success when they ran out of money about 11:45. I have to wonder how many more guns were purchased by private buyers after the police closed up shop. I really need to make a bunch of very cheap single shot guns out of tubing, a piece of wood, a nail, and rubber band or make the rounds at the pawnshops before the next “buyback”.

I hung around for probably 45 minutes before leaving. With all the competition I figured I wouldn’t get my hands on anything of interest and I had other things I wanted to do.

Just as I was leaving the guy I was hanging out with jokingly asked if I had anything I wanted to sell before I left. I told him the only gun I had was the $2000 STI on my hip. He “offered” me $10.00 for it. I told him, “Screw you!” He told me, “I appreciated the offer but prostitution is illegal in Seattle.” We both laughed and I left.

Quote of the day—Amanda K. Hootman

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Big ass motherfucking assault rifle, teeeeny tiny penis.

Amanda K. Hootman
December 18, 2012
Comment to Bushmaster’s Shockingly Awful “Man Card” Campaign
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!—Joe]

Word of the day—compersion

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Barb L. and I were chatting with some friends last night and a woman who sometimes teaches classes on various sex techniques used the word compersion in a conversation. I had not heard of it before. The definition is sometimes given as the opposite of jealousy. Or even “a fiery core of passion” at seeing your “significant other” with a lover.

I suppose it is significant that jealousy is a far better known word than its opposite.

Quote of the day—Bobby

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If it ever comes to the point where they’re using GPR, we have long passed the point of having needed to be using .gov penetrating lead.

Bobby
January 21, 2013
Comment to Not intended for underground use.
[GPR is ground penetrating radar.

I have nothing further to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—The Root ’83

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Shall Not Be Infringed. Period. End of discussion.

Look, every Politician KNOWS this.
Leon Panetta KNOWS this.
So does Obama, Bloomberg, Cumo and everyone in the NY State Legislature as well as every Supreme Court Justice living and dead.

Ginsburg, Stomayor, all of them.
They KNOW this is what the Second Amendment MEANS, what its intended to DO…
And they DESPISE IT WITH A PASSION because it gets in their WAY.

These people are EVIL, not stupid.
And its long past time we just said it, and moved on.
Let THEM do the “catching up” for a change.

ALL of the guns are OURS.
None of the guns are YOURS, capice’

You want them?
Come and GET THEM.
Cause we’re DONE talking about it.

The Root ’83
January 18, 2013
Comment to Does ‘Gun Show Loophole’ Actually Result in Gun Crime?–Statistics do not point to criminals using this tactic.
[Clayton E. Cramer responds with, “You are giving the left credit for intelligence that just isn’t deserved.”—Joe]

Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves

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Or KH waves, or a KH instability. It’s a result of two distinct layers in a fluid traveling at different velocities. You’ll see it in rivers and streams, between bands in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, in your coffee cup, etc. In this case it’s made visible by the bottom layer being cloud, interacting with a clear layer above. The wave pattern extends from one side of the photo to the other. I had to darken the image a lot to bring out the detail. Through my polarizing glasses the waves could be seen curling in on themselves more dramatically. For really good detail in sky photos you need a polarizer, and probably a UV filter too, but my little point-and-shoot isn’t set up for such things. These KH waves are over the Clearwater River canyon above Lewiston, Idaho, seen from the south end of Moscow on my way to work the other day.

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It isn’t complicated

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We occasionally get someone who wants to submit an idea for a new product. They’ll want us to evaluate it in hopes that we will help manufacture and market it for them.

Here’s the deal. If it happens to be something we’re already thinking about, I most certainly do NOT want to even know what you have. You can figure out why.

Somehow there has come to be this strange attitude, or belief, that if you’re a “little guy” with scant resources, that you must tug on someone else’s coat tails and convince them to “give you a chance” otherwise you have no chance.

It doesn’t work that way, or rather it certainly doesn’t need to work that way. If you have a little gizmo you want to turn into money, start searching for companies that do machining, or injection mold building, or casting, or whatever type of manufacturing you need, contact them, get some quotes for a few hundred or a thousand units. There are small shops that do these things in practically every town larger than a mere whistle stop. Many of them will not want to talk to you about such small numbers, but some will. Keep at it. Register yourself a domain name, take some nice photos, build a simple web site and get a web host for it, place a cheap ad in Shotgun News or what have you, and BAM! You’re in business. Just like that. What’s stopping you?

It probably will not cost more than the annual or twice annual beer and cigarette expense for the average, unemployed trailer park dweller. The rest is leg-work– finding people who can provide the specific services you need, and so I think that if you’re not willing to give yourself a chance, why should someone else give you that chance? Hmm? You won’t go out on a limb for your idea, but you want me to go out on a limb for your idea?

Quote of the day—Senator Dianne Feinstein

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It will not effect hunting or sporting firearms, instead the bill will protect hunters and sportsman.

Senator Dianne Feinstein
January 24, 2013
Feinstein: Goal is to Dry Up the Supply Of Weapons Over Time
[Ignore the “effect” instead of “affect” error. That could have been the reporter not Feinstein. Instead concentrate on “the bill will protect hunters and sportsman”.

Thank you Senator Feinstein, that line should go down in history with other memorably phrases such as the following:

I am of the opinion that Senator Feinstein has fully mastered doublethink. What she did here demonstrates her contempt for the true meaning of the Second Amendment.

This quote should be used as evidence at her trial.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Adrian Bogdan

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In the old country we used to celebrate holidays with a day of rest, a picnic, going to the pool, etc.  Until they came up with the idea of celebrating “through work”…  kinda like this:

http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama–national-day-of-service-offers-a-chance-to–change-lives–110548447.html

Adrian Bogdan
January 18, 2013
[I find it interesting in a very scary sort of way when I talk to people that lived under communism.

See also other comments from Bogdan.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Robert J. Avrech

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As I listened to Barack Obama’s inaugural speech yesterday, the memory of Sing-Sing and that particular prisoner floated into my memory.

Obama’s vision of America is Sing-Sing.

The government will provide just about everything you need to survive.

In return, you will surrender your freedom.

But don’t worry—and this is the most insidious part of post modern liberalism—slavery will be redefined as freedom.

Robert J. Avrech
January 22, 2013
Welcome to Obama’s Sing-Sing
[Roosevelt’s four “freedoms” can be met in a prison. Avrech merely expresses it in more direct language than some Obama and Roosevelt defenders would be comfortable with.

From talking to a fair number of people I’m shocked at the number who see it as a reasonable trade. I can see now why tyrants often come to power from the ashes of a collapsed economy. And because of this one might also postulate that those that drive an economy into collapse frequently want to be tyrants.

Avrech status with me is close to reaching the point where I put him in the same category as Tam. Tam is no longer eligible for QOTD because she would dominate nearly every day.—Joe]

Another quote of the day – Me

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If it’s the best thing I’ve read all day, why after all should I be prevented from posting it here just because I happen to be the one who wrote it?

Seen in comments at Uncle;

“Machineguns are in common use by military, and AS SUCH they are protected by the second amendment. Actually, if it is or can be considered an “arm” it is protected by the second amendment (the second amendment doesn’t have any qualifiers, exceptions or modifiers in it).

One might be able to make the case that strategic weapons like nukes and other WMDs are not, but even then you may be running afoul of the balance-of-power concept embodied in the second amendment.

In the American Revolution there were private owned war ships, were there not? Those would be analogs of our modern aircraft carriers and destroyers.

And don’t give me court precedent bullshit. If precedent defines (redefines) our rights, it means that any and all rights degrade and evaporate over time. No thanks. I’ll stick to original principles.”

There is a common error committed by our side. It is the use of arguments along the lines of, “Machineguns are ALREADY banned [and so leave our semiautomatics alone].” That’s a bit like saying to the alligator, “You already ate my buddy (and I didn’t like him a lot anyway) and so you should therefore leave me alone (I guess because your appetite should already be satisfied, or something…)”

In fact, if they can ban the most common small arms used by military and police, and get away with it, they can certainly ban everything else, just as the alligator can eat you some time after it ate your buddy. The fact of the matter has been established, so at best you’re only arguing over the details of the infringements at that point.

The Hughes Amendment to FOPA of 1986 should be rendered null and void, followed by GCA ’68 and NFA ’34.

Quote of the day—David E. Young

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The gun control advocate view of the Second Amendment is a house of cards – nay, a rather extensive castle of cards. Removing the foundation, which consists of factual errors, causes the whole to crumble.

David E. Young
January 13, 2013
Second Amendment Intent / Right to Keep and Bear Arms Explained
[Of course this depends on having an originalist view of Constitutional law. People who prefer to redefine words and intent as the “need” suits them don’t really care. But it is interesting that the anti-gun people, even in SCOTUS legal briefs will pretend to be originalists and make catastrophic errors or believe others won’t notice their deliberate attempts at deception.—Joe]

Fox News poll on guns

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There are some fascinating results in this poll (my cached copy is here, H/T to Brennan from work). Keep in mind all of these results are post Newtown. I have selected the poll results I find the most interesting:

Q: Do you think tougher gun laws can help stop things like the Newtown school shooting, or do you think the people who commit these kinds of acts will always find the guns to commit violent acts?

A1: Tougher laws can help stop acts—22%
A2: People will always find guns—71%
A3: Laws help, but still find ways—5%
A4: Don’t know—1%

Q: Would there be less violent crime in the United States if:

A1: Guns were banned—28%
A2: More law-abiding people had guns—58%
A3: Don’t know—15%

Q: Does anyone in your household own a gun?

A1: Yes—52%
A2: Now—44%
A3: Don’t know/refused—5%

Q: If the government passed a law to take your guns, would you give up your guns or defy the law and keep your guns?

A1: Give up—22%
A2: Defy law—65%
A3: Don’t know—13%

All of the numbers have profound implications but look at that last one.

65% say they would defy the law! And my guess is that a fair number of the people in the “Don’t know” category said something of the equivalent of “None of your business.”

Hmmm…. there are about 315 million people in the U.S. 52% (households, not people, but still…) have guns so that is about 150 million people with guns of whom 65%, ~100 million, say they would defy the law. As of 2006 there were about 800,000 police officers of all jurisdictions. That means that if all the police sided with the government they would still be outnumbered by about 125 to 1.

Don’t bury you guns. Tell them Molon labe!

Quote of the day—Paul Waldman

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And if you’re anxious about your masculinity, if you aren’t quite sure whether those around you find you sufficiently strong and potent, the Bushmaster corporation has an answer for you. If you buy one of their semi-automatic rifles — like the kind Adam Lanza used to murder 20 children and six adults last week — you may “Consider your Man Card reissued.”

Paul Waldman
December 21, 2012
Not man enough? Buy a gun
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!—Joe]

Not intended for underground use

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Via email:

 MetalShilhouettes

Greetings,

SPC introduces it’s line of full size metal wall silhouettes. Shown is a Remington 870 that looks great on the wall of any gun room, den or shop.

The Plasma cut steel units are available rough as well as finished and painted.

SPC has heard of individuals burying full size silhouettes as decoys to throw off ground penetrating radar or imaging metal detectors that might be used by criminals to locate weapons, however SPC silhouettes are designed to be enjoyed on the wall, and SPC will not warranty silhouettes that have been buried.

SPC also has wall silhouettes of magazines, handguns and can do custom work as well.

For more info go to http://minisentryalarm.wordpress.com/

Regards,

Dennis Evers
dennis@thepocketpartner.com

I am of the opinion if you bury most or all of your guns to keep them safe from confiscation it is mostly a victory of the mind rather than something particularly useful. Putting out a few decoys might be useful though. And if you put them on the property of an anti-gunner it might even be entertaining.

Snowshoeing near Snoqualmie Pass

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Yesterday Barb L. and I went snowshoeing near Snoqualmie Pass. I had suggested we try it a couple months ago then just before Christmas Ry sent me an email tip about the Forest Service offering Guided Snowshoe Walks. I forwarded it on to Barb who, being the proactive person that she is, made the reservations for us.

I have done a fair amount of snowshoeing (mostly accessing Boomershoot territory during the winter months) but Barb had not done any. My snowshoes are rather old and I knew the newer kind probably were a lot better and wanted to see and try them out before buying a new pair.

The trail we were on did not require snowshoes:
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I would have been fine with my normal size 14 hiking boots. But we went off trail a little bit and I also got to experience walking in the newer type of snowshoes.

Here are some pictures (picture below by Barb. All others by me):

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Barb’s view of her feet. She is over 6′ tall so the sense of height is well founded.

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There were other things that were also quite pleasant to look at:

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The restroom was closed for the winter.

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A mother brought her child along.
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I didn’t know that some woodpeckers made rectangular holes.
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We saw some people making snow caves.
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We got some short history lessons as well.
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We had left a very foggy Bellevue and had beautiful crystal clear sky on our walk. As we returned to the lower elevation it was like driving into a wall of dreariness.

Ellen Huffman

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My mother died December 29th, 2012. Here are her obituary and a few pictures:

MomObitObituary photo.

Ellen Huffman passed away due to congestive heart failure and pneumonia at the age of 87, surrounded by family members at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, ID on December 29, 2012.  She was born, Grace Ellen King at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, ID on July 18, 1925 to Charlotte Verna Davies King and Raymond McKinley King.
The family farmed near Moscow in the community of Joel.  Her father was in poor health due to tuberculosis, so they moved to Long Beach, California where Ellen attended grade school.  Her father died when she was 7 years old.  Ellen graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach in 1943.
She went to a trade school and learned how to operate computer keypunch machines, comptometers and other business machines.  She then worked at Bethlehem Steel in Alameda, CA as a keypunch operator until she had sufficient resources to proceed with her education.
She attended school at Washington State College in Pullman, WA for a short time before moving back to California.  She then studied at Woodbury Business College in Burbank, CA where she completed her studies in bookkeeping.
She worked at Arthur A. Havens Co in Los Angeles before moving to Riverside, CA where she worked at Sears Roebuck in their auditing department.
She married Lowell Huffman on February 14, 1954 in Redlands, CA.
In the early years of their marriage, they farmed near Cavendish, ID in the summers while returning to California in the winter to find work.
After they had children in school, the family stayed in Idaho year round.  The farm continued to grow as did the family with the birth of three children, Joe, Doug and Gary.  After buying property, Ellen helped build the home where she would live from 1969 until the end of her days.
Ellen was an active member of the Teakean Community club for nearly 50 years and a member of the local Extension Club for many years.
She enjoyed knitting, sewing, quilting and other craft work.  She made many quilts for friends, children and grandchildren.  She enjoyed genealogy and did extensive research on her and her husband’s family tree.
She is survived by her husband, Lowell at the family home in Cavendish, three sons, Joe Huffman of Kirkland, WA, Doug Huffman and wife Julie of Cavendish, and Gary Huffman also of Cavendish.  She is also survived by six grandchildren, James Huffman-Scott and wife Kelsey of Bellevue, WA, Kimberly Huffman-Scott of Troy, Xenia Vlieger and husband John of Anchorage, AK, Amy Faragher and husband Nathan of Orem, UT, Lisa Huffman of Kent, WA, Brad Huffman of Moscow and one great grandchild. 
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Louis King.
At her request, there will be no formal service.

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Probably about 12 years old.

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1945 while at Washington State College (now Washington State University).
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Mom, me, Dad on August 20, 1976
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February 1999. 45th Wedding anniversary.

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December 24, 2012. One of the last few pictures taken of her.

Quote of the day—MY

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I can easily buy a hand gun or a rifle without restriction. It is absurd that someone like me could ever have access to such dangerous weapons.

MY
Sonoma
January 19, 2013
Comment to Please Take Away My Right to a Gun
[Many people have said something to the effect, “They want to take other’s people’s guns away because they believe other people are the same as they are.” I never really expected to find someone who admitted that.—Joe]

There were slaves that didn’t want freedom too

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Wendy Button almost begs Please Take Away My Right to a Gun.

After the civil war there were slaves that didn’t want their freedom either.

Just because a few people want their rights taken away from them doesn’t mean the rest of us do, that it is the right thing to do, or that we won’t fight to keep them.

Quote of the day—Mark Ridley Thomas

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Let’s stop mincing words; Let progressives — not all but certainly many — stop feigning tolerance for a gun culture we abhor and rampant gun ownership we cannot comprehend.

Mark Ridley Thomas
January 17, 2013
Supervisor for the Second District in Los Angeles County
The National Rifle Association Is Correct: I Do Want Your Guns
[First off, his admission should be used as evidence at his trial.

Second, if he has that tough of a problem with comprehension why isn’t he in an institution of some sort instead of public office?

Third, H/T to Say Uncle.—Joe]