You know who could probably buy machine guns in Mexico lawfully?

Probably these 27 government officials who were just arrested for being in bed with drug cartels.

Quote of the day

Robert:

I read the Dallas Morning News often. It’s kind of like dropping by the tarpit to take a look at the last Mastadon before it goes under.

Never figured a Court would say this

A

Without Effective Means for Self-defense…

Waaaaaaant

Cameron’s house, from Ferris Bueller’s  Day Off is for sale.

Being that my two cats are named Bueller and Sloane, it’s pretty much inevitable that I purchase it. Anyone have $2,300,000 they can spare?

Hat Tip Traction Control, who probably could buy it.

Knife Rights

I’ve previously discussed how the Second Amendment appears to protect many arms other than guns.  In that spirit, I would like to point out a website that I found last week: KnifeRights.org.  Basically, the goal of Knife Rights is to build an effective advocacy group that will defend knife rights against unreasonable restrictions, similar to [...]

Suppressors (aka ’silencers’) are for safety

Some Things Never Change

Dave Markowitz shows us us a cartoon from the 1930s that would be just as fitting today.  It always amazes me how much more detailed cartoons from the period seemed compared to today.  Interesting elements in the cartoon for sure.

One one side you have what appears to be Trotsky, writing out a plan to destroy the United States, and on the other Stalin, noticing how red the sunset is getting.  In the cart you have Henry A. Wallace, who was Roosevelt’s Secretary of Agriculture at the time.  You know, the guy running around telling people they couldn’t grow their own wheat?  Then you had Harold L. Ickes, who was Secretary of the…

Rapunzel

Democrat Turnout A Problem?

Jim Geraghty looks at the turnout numbers for the Pennsylvania primary, and concludes that Republicans might have a chance despite the registration disparity.

Product Review - Gigaware WiFi HOTSPOT Finder

Presenting the Gigaware WiFi HOTSPOT Finder.

* Detecting Range: up to 500 feet (150 meters) in open space * Frequency: 2400~2483Mhz (IEEE802.11 b/g) * Operating voltage: 2.5 ~ 3.3V (power: CR2032 battery (2))

Cost: $10 + tax (Radio Shack)

Pros:

Easy to use and cheap. If you can get at least one green light, you can usualy get a useable signal.

Cons:

No indications on whether or not the wireless networks are encrypted or not, but that’s not really a big deal.

Rating:

4 out of 5 stars.

Product Review - RCA VR5220-A Digital Voice Recorder

Presenting the RCA VR5220-A Digital Voice Recorder.

Up to 200 hours recording time Built-in USB for direct PC connection Dual voice compression format Multi-task LCD display Automatic voice activated record Playback editing function Built-in speaker and microphone Date and time stamped recordings Selectable recording mode for conference and dictation 3 recording modes–LP, SP and HQ Headphone and external microphone jacks Key lock function

I’ve only had it for a few days, but I have some observations already.

Cost:

$39 + tax (Wal-mart)

Pros:

It seems to work very well indeed. Like I said, I’ve only had it for a short time, but I have few complaints.

Cons:

First, it doesn’t appear to work in Linux. I know most of the world is Windows and Mac, but come on. It…

New Poll

There’s a new poll over on the right based on Robert Heinlein’s character Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love.

Lazarus Long lists several things a human being should be able to do. I got to thinking, how many of these things can my readers do?

Presto!

Take the poll if you’d like and let me know!

Medifast Diet - Day 1

Falsely Arrest Kid to Extort Sex from the Mother

An Interesting Bit of Perspective

Making It Harder

Robb Allen notes that it’s getting harder for the anti-gun message to find a safe haven.  It’s about time, I think.

Prop. 8 Upheld in California

The California Supreme Court ruled the only way I think it could and still maintain credibility.  As it says on Volokh, it’s not really about gay marriage, but about whether the people have a right to alter their own constitution in ways the political elite would prefer they not.

While I would be in favor of gay marriage, passed by the legislature, I am not in favor of it being done through judicial fiat.  The people of California have spoken.  They do not want gay marriage.  For gay marriage activists, that means changing hearts and minds, which is a hard thing to do, and takes a long time.  By pushing this issue…

Texas Campus Carry and Parking Lot Bills Update

Kopel on Sotomayor

Dave Kopel discusses the new Supreme Court nominee’s likely views on the Second Amendment based on a very recent decision that Sotomayor played a role in coming out of New York.  His analysis is fairly thorough, and he ends with this concern:

Judge Sotomayor’s record suggests hostility, rather than empathy, for the tens of millions of Americans who exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

Home Owner Shoots Home Invader in the Eye

As reported, three home invaders kicked in a door on the 11900 block of Madison Oak in Harris County, TX.  The home owner shot one of the robbers in the eye, and all three criminals fled.  The home owner was unharmed.  Police apprehended 3 suspects, including one with an eye injury, when they arrived at [...]

Sotomayor and guns

David Kopel has more. Including: the right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right.

As Dave notes: Judge Sotomayor’s record suggests hostility, rather than empathy, for the tens of millions of Americans who exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

The Shrimp Shell Debate

How do you prefer your shrimp? I’m inspired to find out based on this post from Crispy on the Outside.

Personally, I’m a fan of no shell at all, and obviously with that, deveined. Last night we found some frozen shrimp without shells, thawed them, dusted them with a little Old Bay, and put them on a skewer on the grill. Sometimes simplicity is the best.

No obviously related posts.

Open thread on Chicago case

I’m off to the hospital soon, and won’t be in condition to blog for several days, maybe a week. But I know some readers will be going to the oral arguments in the 7th Circuit, so feel free to tell us how it went. (Note: I also won’t be in condition to do very much if the spam blocker arbitrarily blocks a post. Just try a shorter one, less risk of hitting a banned word).

Open thread on Sotomayor nomination.

Here are Dave Workman’s thoughts on the nomination.

Burglar Meets Armed Homeowner

NRA Board of Directors Election Analysis

I’ve posted my analysis over at Sebastian’s place since it fits in a little more over there.

No obviously related posts.

Results of the NRA Board of Directors Election

In 2009, there were more eligible voting members of NRA than at any other time since I’ve started keeping detailed records of the votes. A total of 1,549,130 members were eligible either as life (or higher) members, or as consistent 5-year+ annual members. Here’s a breakdown based on a chart I posted earlier in the year that looks at whether or not NRA members really vote.

As you can see, there was a slight decline in the number of ballots cast even though more members were eligible to vote, leaving us with only 6% of the eligible members returning a ballot at all.

This matters because the difference between…

DC crime drops post-Heller

Say Uncle notes that violent crime and gun crime are down in the District following Heller. Doesn’t prove causation, of course, but does refute “striking the DC law will cause a bloodbath.” Via Instapundit.

Maddened Fowl 2009-05-26 15:32:00

What Possible Harm Could THIS Do?

Alabama: Governor Bob Riley Signs Permit Confidentiality Bill!

On Thursday, May 21 Governor Riley (R) signed House Bill 432 into law. Sponsored by State Representative Jack Page (D-29), HB 432 will make all records pertaining to pistol permits confidential. While the records would still be available for law enforcement purposes, any public disclosure of this information will be considered a Class A misdemeanor.

7th Circuit panel of judges

Chicago case, heard today: Posner, Easterbrook, Bauer. Posner=bad news. Bauer — wrote the antigun Morton Grove ruling many years ago.

Post Heller Crime in DC

It’s going down.  Who would have guessed?

TSRA Highpower Rifle Championship

Texas State Rifle Association state championships here, and the winner here.  It’s a sport I wish I had more time to participate in.

Thoughts on gun rights and partisan politics

Right here.

Elites out of touch on guns and climate

Many years ago, political scientists came up with a theory that elites lead public opinion. And on some issues, they clearly do. But on some issues, they don`t. Two examples of the latter phenomenon are conspicuous at a time when Barack Obama enjoys the approval of more than 60 percent of Americans and Democrats have won thumping majorities in two elections in a row. One is global warming. The other is gun control. On both issues, the elites of academe, the media and big business have been solidly on one side for years. But on both, the American public has been moving in the other direction.

Didn’t they watch I Am Legend?

This won’t end well

Maybe It’s Time to Look in a Mirror

The city is upset that it, once again, has to fight with Harrisburg to get more money:

Some chalk up the expected fight over the city budget to the normal politics of cutting deals in Harrisburg. But others believe the battle will be complicated and fueled by an entrenched anti-Philadelphia bias among lawmakers from other parts of the state who believe the city is rife with corruption and mismanagement.

It’s all true, and unfortunately for the City of Philadelphia, the perception people have in the rest of the state is entirely correct.  I can’t blame people in Altoona for not wanting to pay for Philadelphia’s inability to govern itself.  How many operations…

Defining Trespassing Down

If the Inquirer’s editorial board had their way, we’d call tresspassing overstaying your welcome:

The members of Heeding God’s Call also intend to bring their message to the pulpits of legislators’ home congregations. They hope that building grassroots support across the state will change some minds in Harrisburg.

The dozen activists who are scheduled to go on trial today may have overstayed their welcome at a gun shop. But their movement is decidedly welcome in this city and state.

What kind of people are these folks, who can’t get what they want from the legislature, so they go and disrupt a man’s business and try to destroy his livelihood.  How is Colosimo’s to…

SJR127

Our state legislature is moving on an abortion amendment that will not pass. ACK tells you why. Well, not why it won’t pass. But why it’s being made a big deal.

Why Yes, He is a Socialist

I don’t think after this, you can say it’s just a hyperbole.

Suppressed Walther

We’re the Only Ones Surprising Enough

Why TV is gonna die

D.C. voting bill and Ensign Amendment not dead yet?

Gun Porn

A bunch of pics from Bianchi Cup.

Various guns built at home.

Rifle stocks for cameras? Of course, there is an AR-15 attachment.

Pics from the TSRA highpower match here and here.

Impossible shots

Q-tips work wonders, I hear

An actual phone call I just got off of

Dealership: How can I help you?
Robb: I need to bring in my GTI for the 10,000 mile checkup
Dealership: Last name?
Robb: Allen. A L L E N
Dealership: First name?
Robb: Robb. R O B B
Dealership: Mark?
Robb: …

SUPERAntiSpyware

New York: Albany County Ammunition Registration Proposal to be Considered Tonight!

Local Law “A”, a proposal that would regulate the purchase of ammunition in Albany County, will be considered TONIGHT in the Law Committee of the Albany County Legislature.

A “Sign” why California is broke

I have a feeling Alexander Graham Bell wouldn’t approve

Argument over missing gun leads to assault with telephone

Daryl Stockwell and Harris then went into the house so Harris could call the police. This is when Audrey Stockwell hit Harris over the top of the head with a black telephone, the report said, causing a bruise and a large swollen bump on her head.

I thought an object’s intended design guaranteed it could only be used in a particular manner? Or maybe, intent really isn’t transferrable.

The Unconstrained Vision

National Parks right-to-carry law to take effect in February

A new law allowing loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges will not take effect until next year, the Obama administration said.
A spokeswoman for the Interior Department said that because the credit-card law won’t take effect for nine months, the gun measure also would be delayed.

New York: Albany bullet bill to draw public hearing

One of the most controversial measures to come before the County Legislature in some time is expected to draw an overflow crowd at a public hearing Tuesday night.
At issue is a proposed law that would require gun shops to register sales of ammunition, a measure that has been condemned by gun proponents as a back door means to register guns and learn what weapons people have.

New York: Rally planned against ammunition-tracking database

Pro-gun-rights advocates plan to rally this week against legislation to require ammunition purchases to be logged into a statewide database for tracking purposes.

Louisiana: Gun, ammo tax holiday advances

Gun, ammunition and other hunting related purchases would be exempt from sales taxes one weekend a year under a bill approved Thursday by the Senate.

Wisconsin: Wildlife officials consider limiting types of guns hunters may use

The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board is considering a rule that would restrict the types of guns hunters may use.
Right now, hunters can legally use firearms including airguns, handguns and guns fired from the shoulder.

Real, fake, what’s the difference?

This story contains multiple layers of FAIL!

First, a bunch of dudes are drinking and breaking shit. Cops arrive. Most guys just head inside but Idiot Numero Uno decides to pull a replica gun on the cops. That’s Fail #1.

Cops respond by not repeatedly ventilating the perp with their real guns. That’s Fail #2.

Third

Tomas Cruz-Carrera is charged with carrying a concealed dangerous instrument, aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct.

Points two and three are perfectly valid. Point one is simply stupid. It was a toy. A non functioning, non dangerous toy. You can’t claim that the firearm was simply a replica then reclassify it as a dangerous weapon when… well, when it’s nothing more…

Preferential Treatment for a Brother Officer?

Taken to task

With the OMG LOADED WEAPONS IN PARKS DRUNK REDNECKS SHOOTING IT OUT OVER THE LAST SCHLITZ!!!!! craze going on in all the newspapers over the continent, there are two things that I’ve noticed.

One, the complete inability of the authors to discern the difference between peaceful, law abiding citizens and murderers (that’s par for the course), and apparently, regardless of where the paper is located, the commenters simply ripping them to shreds. Even over at Alternet!

I wonder what it’s like to wake up one day and realize all the power you’ve thought you’ve held over public opinion doesn’t amount to a teaspoon of frothy spit? From the tone of newspaper opinions recently,…

tonight on Gun Nuts…

Quote of the Day

World War II Database

Dale Carpenter, over at the Volokh Conspiracy, pointed to this World War II veterans database.  I was happy to find my grandfather already in it.  I have his Wehrmacht dress bayonet, which fits nicely on the Mauser 98K.  Both owners of the previous probably never laid eyes on Der Vaterland again.  Lucky for me, my Grandfather was not to suffer the same fate.  He was wounded by German sniper.  Aiming his rifle, the bullet traveled down the length of his arm, exited through the elbow, re-entered his side and exited out the back.  It was a ticket home, as he was not expected to fully regain the use of his…

Violent Armed Robber’s Family Blames the Victim for Defending Himself

Last week, I discussed how pharmacy worker Jerome Ensland courageously saved himself and the other innocent people in the pharmacy from armed robber Antwun Parker.  Now, the family of that dead armed robber is speaking out, claiming that the robber was a sweet and innocent person, and that the pharmacy worker was wrong to defend [...]

This is how the BATFE keeps us safe

Cowboy Action Shooting, PA States

Looks like Cemetery attended the PA State Shoot this weekend for Cowboy action.  I would suggest that one should beware any man who carries his guns in a coffin gun case.

New Hunters via Facebook

Co-blogger Michael may have created a new hunter from posting this recipe on Facebook. I noticed it back in January, but it didn’t really stick out. But, thanks to a conversation via Facebook, it reminded me that I need to get Sebastian into a Hunter Ed course. Fortunately, his gun club is hosting them again so I’ll get us both registered for the one in June. Sure, I already have Hunter Ed from Virginia under my belt, but I’ll sit through it again for my man. (It’s the whole being in a loving relationship thing.)

Since I said I needed to get him into Hunter Ed, Michael has now said he’ll…

Sad, But True

Dave Markowitz has a great photoshop of the White House bathroom.  Sadly, I think they use the same toilet paper in the Congressional washrooms too.

Which Groups Sell Your Information?

Interesting contrast between groups.  A journalist working on a story about interest groups who sold information to telemarketers had his one dog join the NRA, and his other dog join HCI (now the Brady Campaign).  Guess which group sold his information?

The Mythical Major Caudill

Interesting story here. In 2007, a blogger writes “Why the Gun Is Civilization,” an essay that begins “Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force.” It argues that weaponry eliminates the ability to use force, requires reasoning, and thus is an underpinning of a civilized society.

By late 2007, the article is on other internet locations, but attributed to an apparently mythical “Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.).” How or why it wound up attributed to that name is unknown.

And now, the essay winds up as two pages of Ted Nugent’s latest, “Ted, White and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto,” and attributed to the mythical Major. If…

Frank Buckles

He’s the last suriviving World War I veteran.  Video here.  We do hope that Congress agrees to pass a World War I memorial project.

Well Wishes

Dave Hardy was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and is going in for a cystectomy.  These days, they can rebuild you a new, largely functioning bladder, after removing the diseased one.  My understanding is that the surgery tends to be pretty successfull, so we wish Dave the best of luck, and hope he’ll be with us for a long time to come.

Bryan Miller’s New Project

Bryan Miller is speaking in a different language these days, trying to get churches involved in his lost cause of gun control:

Heeding God’s Call is adding a different religious voice to the national gun-control debate, which members say has been dominated for too long by conservative Christians opposed to firearms regulation.

The group has partnered with more than three dozen Philadelphia-area congregations — including Jews, Muslims, Quakers, Catholics and Protestants — to work against gun violence.

“Every faith tradition calls on its followers to be their brother’s keeper,” said organization co-founder Bryan Miller.

As comical as it might seem, Bryan is no doubt well aware that the lack of grass roots in the…

DOI Making Us Wait

The Department of the Interior is making us wait the whole nine months, as indicated in their statement here.  Not really too surprising.

New Shooter

Mike W. manages to take his mom shooting.

Memorial Day

It’s Memorial Day, and CNN is educating people about the holiday.   Good.  I note that Google once again doesn’t see it as a holiday fit for noting.

You Don’t Have to BE Gay, to Be Bashed

Dissing James Watt

The EU is looking at changing how lights are measured from Watts to Lumens.  Really, you need both to be able to make informed lighting decisions.

A feature

I’ve always said End the war on drugs and release the prisoners. Turns out, when you decriminalize marijuana that you have to lay off prison employees.

Careful With That Half-Cocked Thing

I love the Fark headline for this story: “Gun goes off half-cocked, leaves man half-cocked.”  I’m going to guess that either the reporter got the definition of “half-cocked” wrong, or perhaps we have a mistranslation.  Unless he was packing a Colt Single Action Army, which would be kind of hard to fit in the pocket, the gun was probably just cocked, and apparently aimed at the same.

Memorial Day

On the road this weekend visiting family with limited internet connection, but here’s an item I posted a few years back and is worth another look.

The men and women who have died in our wars were fighting for me and my family, even though they didn’t know us and we didn’t know them. I possess merely a tiny fraction of the understanding needed to comprehend the sacrifice that they made. With that tiny fraction, I do my best to remember them. Every day, of course, but on this day especially.

Several years ago my family and I visited the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina. While wandering the great ship, I…

a debt that can never be repaid…

6 shot on South and Southwest sides

Six people were shot in separate incidents on Chicago’s South and Southwest sides Sunday night and early Monday morning. A 21-year-old man was shot in the left arm at about 9:30 PM, on the 7900 block of South Wabash Avenue, The victim was t…

Rebranding

The American Hunters and Shooters Association, that anti-gun astroturf group that holds itself out as pro-gun to woo gullible Democrats, is looking to change its image.

branching out

Damn it feels good to be a (politically connected) gangsta’

All gave some

Some gave all.

Remember them today.

“On Eternal Patrol”

A Memorial Day Remembrance

This Day in History: May 25

In Memorial to the Fallen

Ammunition Shortage

Since Obama’s election, there has been a nation wide ammunition shortage.  The Chicago-area gun stores where I bought ammo raised their prices about 25%, and would only sell me 3 boxes at a time, but they always had ammo to sell.  I’ve read about more severe shortages in blogs, and seen discussions about it on [...]

The difference between ‘assault weapons’ and ‘patrol rifles’

Hanging Together

In a quote most often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, right after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, he is supposed to have said:

“We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

Regardless of who actually said it, the sentiments expressed are as true and valid today as when they were first uttered.

Today, in the gun rights community, we see a strong polarization into two camps, those who take a pragmatic approach and those who feel that for the most part, working within the system is a waste of time.

The charges from each side, that the one side just wants to start shooting people and doesn’t take…

Memorial Day

PA State Shoot

A

“To Shake Their Guns in the Tyrant’s Face”

I blogged earlier on history prof Robert Churchill’s new book on the origins of the militia movement of the 1990s. Here’s the U of Michigan Press description page.

I’ve had time to read it, and it is excellent! He has no agenda, is simply out to write accurate history. Got into private archives, interviewed people, obtained government records. I can’t sum up 300+ pages in a blog post, but a few high points are:

1) This was by no means an isolated or novel event. Throughout the history of this nation, people have responded to excessive use of government force by forming voluntary quasi-military organizations. It’s almost an unconscious reflex for Americans. The…

Frustrated Gun Control Activists

According to the AP, they are asking how they lose.  Lots of sad pandas to go around:

“We’ll probably end up passing more gun bills” that expand owners’ rights “than we did during the Republican administration,” said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., a leading gun control advocate. “That is what surprises me.”

You know, that’s surprising me too.  It must be that shoulder thing that goes up.  But how about that Congressman David Price’s snub to the Brady Campaign here:

“People do not want to be on the wrong side of this particular cultural divide,” said Rep. David Price, D-N.C., who supports tougher gun controls. “It’s too bad there’s not a more responsible national…