Big Brother is always listening

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It’s the ATF this time:

Domain Name   usdoj.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address   149.101.1.# (US Dept of Justice)
ISP   US Dept of Justice
Location  
Continent  :  North America
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City  :  Potomac
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Blogging may be light

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The boss is going on vacation for a couple weeks to celebrate his 25th Wedding Annivesary (which isn’t until December but contrary to suggestions they are not celebrating early in case they don’t actually make it that far). Instead of this little mouse being able to play while the cat is away he asked that I be the cat while he is gone. And as he brought me up to speed on the things that needed my attention while he was gone he told me the demo I’m working on that he absolutely must have by the 18th (two weeks from now) is actually due next Tuesday (one working day)*.

I worked until almost 20:00 last night then went to the range and put a couple hundred rounds down range. Blogging will probably be light until after Tuesday as I will be spending most of my time working or at one of three different ranges.

*To be fair, it was as much a surprise to him as it was me.

Quote of the day–Paul Helmke

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Bringing loaded firearms to any Presidential event endangers all in attendance. Even though our weak national and state gun laws may allow this dangerous behavior, we should use a little common sense.

Paul Helmke
August 17, 2009
Gun Responsibility:
Leave Loaded Firearms At Home
When Attending Presidential Events
[Where is the evidence of the claim of increased danger? I think the answer is in the words he uses. The law doesn’t “allow” guns to be carried almost everywhere anytime. It guarantees we have the right to do so.

Let’s translate that into something more recognizable for what it is:

Ni**ers at any Presidential event endangers all in attendance. Even though our weak national and state race laws may allow this dangerous behavior, we should use a little common sense.

Bigotry is an ugly thing.-Joe]

Quote of the day–Arthur Frommer

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For myself, without yet suggesting that others follow me in an open boycott, I will not personally travel in a state where civilians carry loaded weapons onto the sidewalks and as a means of political protest. I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there. And therefore I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more. And I will begin thinking about whether tourists should safeguard themselves by avoiding stays in Arizona.

…

I would feel as I do regardless of the political identity of the speaker whom these thugs attempted to intimidate. The continued tolerance of extremists carrying guns is a frightening development which strikes at the heart of the political process and endangers the ability to carry out a reasoned debate. Is there any responsible citizen of the United States who believes that people should carry guns to a public debate or speech?

Arthur Frommer
August 19, 2009
Do Guns at Political Events Disturb You? Then Consider Skipping Arizona for Now
[This is about people exercising a specific enumerated right in a time, place, and manner in which no one was hurt, no laws were broken, and only the bigots were alarmed.

Let’s translate that into something more recognizable for what it is:

For myself, without yet suggesting that others follow me in an open boycott, I will not personally travel in a state where ni**ers gather in groups on the sidewalks as a means of political protest. I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there. And therefore I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more. And I will begin thinking about whether tourists should safeguard themselves by avoiding stays in Arizona.

…

I would feel as I do regardless of the political identity of the speaker whom these monkeys attempted to intimidate. The continued tolerance of ni**ers is a frightening development which strikes at the heart of the political process and endangers the ability to carry out a reasoned debate. Is there any responsible citizen of the United States who believes that ni**ers should be at a public debate or speech?

Bigotry is an ugly thing.-Joe]

What to expect at GRPC

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Last night in the chat room for the Gun Nuts Top of the Chain said that he would like to know what to expect at the Gun Rights Policy Conference that he is attending this year. I was a speaker there in 1999 and 2000 and it is quite reasonable to ask that sort of question. The hosts of the show didn’t bring it up on the show and I didn’t have the CPU bandwidth to respond in chat while keeping up with the voice processing at the same time. I intended to address it in my post late last night but I forgot about it. So, better late than never…

The two GRPC events that I went to were about 500 and 700 gun rights activists listening to and networking with other gun rights activists. There were speakers nearly all day long who talked about a variety of subjects (see the links above to the 1999 and 2000 events). Some of the speakers were absolutely awesome. Others were merely good. There were lots and lots of “war stories”. A lot of it could be thought of as After Action Reviews for all the major and many of the minor skirmishes in our battles with the media, legislatures, and the anti-gun organizations.

There were lots of gun books available and many of them were free. Many were scholarly journals on the sociological and legal aspects of gun control. There was some really awesome stuff.

I got to meet and talk with people like Alan Korwin, Neal Knox, a U.S. Congressman (he and I ate lunch alone together), a candidate for U.S. Congress (and became good friends with her), and many lesser known but still incredibly talented people.

Top of the Chain also asked, in my comment section about coming out as a blogger. That’s a little more difficult question because in 1999 and 2000 was before I even knew what a blog was. I didn’t start blogging until February of 2004. I do know the people that put the event on. When I talked to Alan Gottlieb at the NRA Convention last year he said he read my blog and I know they keep a very close watch on what is being said in the major media outlets as well as many of the Internet forums and email lists. I’m certain coming out as a blogger will not be a bad thing in any way. The only thing that could be bad about it would be if the content was offensive in some manner. If the content was racist, homophobic, or advocated illegal violence it would be heavily frowned upon.

Where’s Joe McCarthy When You Need Him?

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We’ve all had it happen.  You mention the “S” word (socialism) in a political discussion and the one(s) on the Left act all indignant, denying that the socialism they’re advocating has anything to do with socialism; “Why, I’m shocked, I tell you!  Shocked!”

To accuse anyone of advocating communism is to guarantee that you’ll be flagged as a nutbag (as if there’s no such thing as communism anymore, even if there ever was).  Do not let that dissuade you.

This recording was circulating quite a bit last week, but it needs more attention.  It’s a Democrat Congresswoman from LA.  Suck on this, Leftists and Progressives.  If you’re not socialists or communists, then you’ll no doubt get this loyal Obama supporter kicked out of your party.  Furthermore, you’d no doubt be in support of a law banning all forms of socialism.  Right?  Since you’re not communist or socialist at all, in any way?  Right?

Meanwhile; the Republican Party remains AWOL, or in a drunken stupor, or they’re out chasing pink elephants with a bad case of the DTs.  They’re actually polling us right now about what we think of ObamaCare (looks at floor, shakes head and sighs).  I was dumb enough to actually take the poll, before I realized the full vastness of the stupidity of it.  A momentary lapse into Condition White, I guess.

What could this mean?

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Someone in the U.S. Senate is looking for information on a particular Federal Judge:

Domain Name   senate.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address   156.33.142.# (U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms)
ISP   U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms
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Continent  :  North America
Country  :  United States  (Facts)
State  :  District of Columbia
City  :  Washington
Lat/Long  :  38.9097, -77.0231 (Map)
Distance  :  2,071 miles
Language   English (U.S.)
en-us
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That could mean a number of different things. I really have to wonder on the specific meaning of it on this instance. And did my blog post about Judge O’Scannlain make things better or worse for him?

And it’s a sobering reminder that we sometimes may have a greater influence than we realize.

They’re so PC they are un-PC

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Via email from daughter Xenia I found out the University of Idaho where our entire family (and Senator Larry [Wide Stance] Craig and Sarah Palin) went to school won the dubious honor of Speech code of the month:

In the University of Idaho’s residence halls, “Actions and/or communication that are discriminatory, harassing or insensitive are not permitted.” (Emphasis added.) This policy prohibits a staggering amount of constitutionally protected speech. In fact, this policy prohibits precisely the speech that the First Amendment exists to protect, since people typically do not seek to censor sensitive, respectful expression. Moving beyond the legal issues, speech codes like this one infantilize college students by assuming they cannot cope with any sort of offense. Do we really want to teach our students that they are entitled to seek punishment for others’ insensitivity? Perhaps in a small city like Moscow, Idaho, students don’t have to deal with much insensitivity on a daily basis, but should they choose to expand their horizons (say, to Philadelphia, for example), they would encounter plenty. And I think it’s safe to say a Philly cop would have a good, long laugh if you asked him or her to arrest a fellow Philadelphian for hurting your feelings.

They also ban carry of firearms on campus which is a big concern of mine because my daughters (and niece) frequently walk to and from class from home. This means they can’t have the best means of personal protection with them should they need it even though they may legally do so off campus.

Quote of the day–Lyle @ UltiMAK

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Mikeb, this is how I read your words; “Aren’t Jews often associated with societal corruption? Wouldn’t that be the thing a judge and jury have to consider? Isn’t that why Jews are prohibited from certain areas in the first place?”

There is no convincing people who have this sort of attitude, or at least it is extremely rare. Our best hope is to demonstrate to them that expressing their bigoted views is going to make them more and more unpopular. They acquired their bigotry through group think, repetition, and associations (the desire to ‘fit in’) and they’ll usually have to be pried away from their bigotry by the same mechanisms. Some will always hold on to their bigotry, but tend more and more to keep it to themselves. If that’s the best we can accomplish in some cases, so be it. I’d rather they respect human rights in all cases, but if that’s impossible, the next best thing is that they be afraid to act on their hatred.

Lyle @UltiMAK
September 1, 2009
Comment to 57 months for a victimless crime.
[I was going to say something similar in the comment thread but Lyle beat me to it and with better depth than I would have given to the troll.–Joe]

What I should have said

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Although I was happy not to have talked myself into a corner on the show there were some things I would have liked to have said differently, explained, or expanded on.

First off, sorry about the bit about asking if you wanted ketchup or relish on your hot dog. I removed my head set and held it away but James’ voice apparently came through even though he was a good ten feet from the microphone.

Sometimes being extremely literal is to my detriment (it also has advantages but that is a different story). When Caleb asked which blog posts I was most proud of I did not include The Jews In The Attic Test because that isn’t a blog post. That is a web page on a different website written long before I had a blog. Caleb didn’t let me get away with not mentioning it however and posted a link to it in the chat room. See also Breda’s post about the other bloggers “greatest hits”.

In the last few seconds of the show Caleb asked what we bloggers would like other bloggers to do differently. I could have spent a minute or two on the topic instead of 15 seconds (or whatever it was). In fact at Gun Blogger Rendezvous II (October 2007) I had asked for an hour for a discussion of that type. Mike said I could bring it up during a particular time slot and when the time came he pressed me pretty hard and I declined to elaborate. I just didn’t have the idea whittled down to it’s essence in a way that would come across as coherent. The basis of my thought is this:

  • We all have something that we do well in the blogosphere–most likely because we are passionate about it
  • Each of us have a niche that is at least somewhat different from everyone else
  • If we can recognize and articulate what it is that we do well and want to accomplish we that will probably enable us to do what we do better

Microsoft used to have the mission statement “A computer on every desk and in every home”. It is now “At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and business throughout the world realize their full potential”. I’ve also heard it expressed as “Your potential, our passion.”

I think every blogger should have a mission statement. It doesn’t have to be posted on the banner or part of the name of the blog. It doesn’t even have to be written down. I just has to be something that the blogger refers to when he or she is thinking about when they are working on that “really great post” or when they are searching for something to blog about. “What is my mission here?” should have an answer that can be articulated even if it is done silently and rarely.

I made some suggestions on the show and here they are (perhaps modified a bit) along with some others. Can you guess whose blog they might refer to?

  • Be the best aggregator with minimal fluff and maximum coverage
  • Educate people on the philosophical foundations and practical reasons for liberty
  • Make the Brady Campaign the social equivalent of the KKK
  • Mock the arrogant, the pretentious, and the criminal
  • Have no shame but shame those that need it
  • Proselytize the shooting sports and self-defense
  • Preserve our future through knowing our history
  • Politics are complex so explain and enable people to be effective
  • America’s most aggressive defender of firearms ownership (from an existing website–guess who)

There might be multiple mission statements for a given blog but with more you increase the risk of not being able to succeed in any one of them.

Think about it. And just because I might have suggested something you think was for your blog doesn’t mean you can’t tell me I’m way off base that your blog is about something entirely different. My perception, my error.

I can now carry a concealed handgun in Nebraska

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Via email to the WA-CCW and WA-guns lists from Joe Waldron I discovered the Nebraska now recognizes concealed carry permits from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota (class one permit), Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. Does D.C. even have carry permits?

They go on to say that if the holder is 21 or older California, Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota (class 2 permit), and Texas permits are acceptable.

The Apex of the Triangle of Death (NRA-ILA) needs to update their website for Nebraska and D.C.

I don’t think I have ever been in Nebraska and I don’t have any plans to visit in the foreseeable future but if I did I could carry when I went there. I’ll sleep a little better tonight. Not so much because I can now carry in Nebraska but because thousand of other people can and will. That makes them a little bit safer and the anti-gun bigots a little bit more demoralized.

New blog on the block

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John Fogh has started blogging. John is an instructor at Insights.

I also have quoted him here and here.

A few minutes of fame

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I was invited to be on Blog Talk Radio tonight. I’ll be talking (or maybe mostly just listening) with a bunch of Gun Nuts. The official description of tonights show is (links added):

Joining us tonight will be a veritable cornucopia of blogging awesome, as LabRat, Stingray, Kevin Baker, Joe Huffman, and Robb Allen will be joining us to discuss blogging and current events. Don’t miss it!

Caleb also has a post up about the show.

Update: Breda says, like herding cats. She also says, “notorious for their independent, quick-witted, and sometimes even contrary characters”. The others on the panel are definitely very quick-witted I won’t think of witty things to say until an hour after the show is over. However, Barb will vouch for me being “notorious” and “contrary”.

Quote of the day–Robb Allen

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Remember, sheep have two speeds – Grazing and stampede.

Robb Allen
September 1, 2009
Having one’s cake and eating it too
[Grass eaters. We are surrounded by them so we have to be careful not to excessively frighten them and cause us to get run over in the stampede. That doesn’t mean we can’t use a little bit of fear to herd them in the proper direction though. In our society the tricky part is coordinating the herding and even finding a suitable direction to herd them.–Joe]

57 months for a victimless crime.

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As I’ve said for many years “crime prevention” is a hot button for me.

This type of crap is rather annoying to me:

A Lincoln man will spend close to five years in federal prison for possessing a homemade gun silencer.

On Monday, United States District Judge Richard Kopf sentenced Douglas West to 57 months in prison following his conviction for unlawful possession of a silencer.

West, 50, admitted guilt in May 2009 after being arrested in Lincoln in 2006 with the homemade silencer.

The U.S. Attorney says tests conducted by the ATF laboratories confirmed that the device functioned as a silencer and that it had been used as gunpowder residue was detected inside the device.

A pillow or any number of household items also functions as a sound suppressor. And furthermore in some countries you are required to use a suppressor. Here you are punished if you don’t pay the $200 tax or you try to make your own.

And even using the criteria listed in the article, that it functions as a suppressor and that it had gunpowder residue inside the device, I’ll bet they could meet that standard using my coat sleeve even though I have never fired a gun through it.

Get off the line of attack!

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Via email from Say Uncle:

I thought IDPA was supposed to be about real world defensive shooting. If so then why didn’t the shooter get off the line of attack? In my training at Insights we did a LOT of that. I kept wanting to push off to one side just watching this video.

Robb Allen also has some comments on the video.

Open position for Boomershoot 2010

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Tomorrow evening, September 1, at 1700 PDT there will be an opening for Boomershoot 2010 available.

It probably will be position 4 in the .50 Caliber Ghetto. I have offered it to current entrants in the event so it is possible someone else will take it and open up a position someplace else.

Update: Gone in 92 minutes.

Quote of the day–Alan Gura

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As Petitioners note, preambles are examined only “[i]f words happen to still be dubious.” Pet. Br. 17 (quotation and citation omitted). “[B]ut when the words of the enacting clause are clear and positive, recourse must not be had to the preamble.” James Kent, 1 COMMENTARIES ON AMERICAN LAW 516 (9th ed. 1858). “The preamble can neither limit nor extend the meaning of a statute which is clear. Similarly, it cannot be used to create doubt or uncertainty.” Norman Singer, 2A SUTHERLAND ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION § 47.04, at 295 (7th ed. 2007).

Alan Gura
Robert A. Levy
Clark M. Neily III
February 24, 2008
RESPONDENT’S BRIEF On Writ Of Certiorari To The United States Court Of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Circuit
[Just a reminder to those bigots that keep insisting the 2nd Amendment only applies to the government having a right to own guns when they want to ignore the 9-0 decision in favor of an individual right in Heller.–Joe]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition

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This post was inspired by this post by Rachel Lucas (H/T to David).

From her post:

The first thing that surprised me about Auschwitz is that it is not as secluded these days as I expected; it is just right there in what seems like the middle of this average small town. It’s just…right there. It is jarring. There’s a busy parking lot about 50 yards from the “front door,” a lot that is filled with buses and cars and noisy tourists. Again. Very jarring.

…

It was the most surreal moment of my life so far. There I was, facing this object I’ve seen in a thousand photographs, something that is attached in my mind to pure abject despair and massive human suffering…and it’s surrounded by happy tourists. It was almost like a Disneyland version of hell, just because of all the serene camera-toting tourists. Of which I was one, I know that, but still. It was nothing short of the worst case of cognitive dissonance I think I’ll ever experience.

…

There was such natural beauty visible to any human standing in the middle of Birkenau that day. It was as if nature was asserting herself over all the despair and ugliness. Look how green I can be, feel this perfect air, listen to this thunder, there is always something good that will come out of something awful.

How will you know when the plane, train or bus you are told by the government to board is headed to “the camp”? The sun will look no different on that day. The clouds won’t have your eulogy written in them. And the nearby buildings will look the same as it did the day and the week before. Will you fuss about your children’s clothes that just got dirty because they rubbed up against the lamp post? Will you worry if you packed enough underwear for your trip? Will you curse under your breath because you forgot to bring sunscreen or an extra jacket?

I will know when it is the government telling me I must get on a plane, train, or bus or report to a particular location. I won’t be worrying about dirt on anyone’s clothes or what I didn’t bring. I’ll be worrying about getting a good sight picture and alternate exit routes.

How will you know whether the medicine the government doctor gives you to ease your pain is in your best interests or the governments best interest? Will the treatment prescribed be for the good of society as a whole or will it be for the good of the individual?

I will know when the doctor gets his paycheck from the government and cannot get a job with similar compensation in the private sector.

How will you know when gays, blacks, Japanese, Muslims, or Jews are in danger of being sent to the camps?

I will know when the government demands that information be put in lists–whether that list is in the form of an ID card or a census. But census data can’t be legally used for 70 years, right? I’ve got news for you. U.S. census data was used to find Japanese citizens and send them them to the “War Relocation Camps” in 1942.

Just because you have never broken the law or injured another doesn’t mean those in power won’t think of you as a terrorist. Are you a gun owner? To some that means you are a potential threat to society. They may think 10% of gun owners “shouldn’t have guns”. But how can they determine which 10%? Just to be safe they have to send them all to the camps, just for a little while until they can sort them out, right? It is for the good of society. The world will be a better place soon. It’s will hurt for just a little bit. Sort of like an inoculation, a little jab and it stings for a few seconds and then everything will be better. It’s only 10%.

How will gun owners know when it’s time to start shooting? The sun will look no different on that day. The clouds won’t have their eulogy written in them…

Quote of the day–Joe Waldron

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Most of their money comes from a single source, like Soros, the Joyce Foundation or the Tides Foundation (Maria Theresa Simoes Ferrara Heinz Kerry). Their “membership” is a joke.

Sad as the pro-gun lobby is in terms of membership — maybe six million nationwide out of 70-80 MILLION gun owners (and that double-counts many of us who belong to multiple organizations), we’re way more committed, individually, than the other side. That’s why the Brady Bunch “captured” (actually, co-opted) the name “and the Million Mom March” to give the impression of numbers that don’t exist.

Ditto Seattle’s “crime gun person,” whose huge salary is paid for by a grant from the anti-gun lobby.

Just more elitist SOBs who know better than you do how to run your life. You’re too stupid, so just shut up and do what you’re told, it’s for your own good. You see a lot of that mentality in the current health care debate, as well. The nanny-state crowd.

Joe Waldron
August 30, 2009
Washington CCW email list Subversive Gun Groups Question (membership required)
[How many members does the Brady Campaign have? Oh, that’s right. There isn’t even a way to become a member on their website.

This is reflected in the number of gun blogs as well. I only know of one active anti-gun blog that isn’t a paid position. There are 127 pro gun blogs listed at GunBloggers and that is just a partial listing as I know of some gun blogs that aren’t on that list (although I know there are some inactive blogs on that list as well).

I’ve attended numerous public hearings (such as this one) and public demonstrations. We outnumbered them at least 10 to one each time. Sometimes 100 to one. The rallies for I-676 a while back–we outnumbered them 1000 to one.

If the big money of the special interest anti-gun groups with the cooperation of the mainstream media wasn’t in play it would be game over for them.–Joe]