Happy Halloween.

My oldest daughter spent the evening out on the front porch trying to scare the hell out of the little Munchins as they approached to extort candy from us. Fun was had by all.

Durham Mayoral Election

On November 3rd Voters within the Durham City Limits get to vote for mayor. Current Mayor Bill Bell, a member of Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns is running for re-election. That alone is worth a no vote, but Bell is not worth the air he wastes. Unfortunately, he's a Democrat and in Durham that almost guarantees he'll win. Steve Williams is running against him and can't be worse. He has at least voiced support for the Second Amendment and Grass Roots North Carolina has voiced support. If you can vote in the city elections on November 3rd please vote for Williams and against Bell.

Reading...

Just finished S. M. Stirling's Sword of the Lady the third in the latest arc of the Change series. Its as good as the others but then I've never read anything by Stirling I haven't liked.

I'm a few chapters into F. Paul Wilson's latest Repairman Jack novel, Ground Zero. Good so far. I'm looking forward to the end of this series but not the character of Jack. I'd really like to see some Jack books without the supernatural elements once this series is done.

I'd rather be in...

Blam

Just because I like it.

Art by Frank Miller.

OH: Dog walker shoots robber

In Ohio a gentleman was walking his dog when a robber came up, displayed a gun, and demanded his wallet. He gave said robber his wallet then drew his own handgun and shot him. The robber survived the encounter and is currently in a local hospital. He lives to rob another day.

Life has reared its...

...ugly head again. Blogging may light to nonexistent for a day or two.

So much for verbal warnings...

...at least in Kansas. The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that threatening the use of force against a potential attacker is unlawful. The point in any confrontation is to, if possible, avoid the loss of life. So, a Kansan should wait until the twit attacks and just shoot the bastard?

Anvil Launching

Video here. Black powder, anvils, fire...gotta love it.

H/T to Radley.

I spent my day...

...in the pouring rain watching Duke's football team beat Maryland's 17-13 then my evening watching the Men's basketball team walk over Pfeiffer 128-70 during an exhibition game.

And during that wonderful day my wife and kids were in Maggie Valley NC at a clogging competition when the drama between by 18 year old daughter and my wife broke out again with me at work and five and one half hours away with no way to intervene except by phone and prayer. The prayer, by the way, worked.

I got way too much drama in my life.

ATF: This sounds...

...about right. Some smart ass is vandalizing the toilets in the new ATF HQ so they've set up a task force to find the culprit. Doesn't surprise me one damn bit.

Thanks to David.

Well...

...fu, ummm, frack! Better watch your language in Kansas. It might land your ass in jail.

H/T to Radley.

UK: Where the slippery slope leads

Armed police officers are to patrol the streets of London for the first time in an attempt to tackle a rise in gang-related gun crime.

Traditionally officers from the Metropolitan Police's specialist firearms unit – codenamed CO19 – have been deployed on the streets only when a response to incidents of gun crime is necessary or to protect VIPs.

The new initiative, announced yesterday, will see CO19 officers patrolling the capital's most dangerous streets and housing estates alongside neighbourhood officers. It has been described as a "proactive" response to the 17 per cent increase in gun crime over the past six months.

Gun ownership by the law abiding is next to impossible in the UK and they still have gun crime? Wasn't gun confiscation supposed to end this problem? Fat fracking chance.

70 year old woman kills intruder.

In Columbus Ohio a 70 year old woman in town for the All American Quarter Horse Congress shot and killed an intruder when he forced his way into her motel room and demanded money. She feels sick about it according to her son. I understand, but the right person survived, the right person didn't, and her son still has his mom.

Here is another story on it.

Green eggs and...

...Uncle Sam.

From John Cox.

Put your money..

...where your mouth is.

Andrew Revkin, an environmentalist, wrote that the easiest to reduce carbon emissions was to reduce the population by having fewer babies. Rush Limbaugh suggested that if Revkin really thought that humanity was destroying the earth that he off himself and help save the planet. That may be a bit extreme but if he'll pull himself out of the gene pool we'd get the same result and improve the general level of intelligence in future generations. That's a win win for all of us.

H/T to Jules.

Quote of the day

We swear an oath to the Constitution, not to a man, even if he makes a thrill run up your leg when he talks. - Stewart Rhodes to Chris Matthews

Ouch!

H/T to Mike

The drama of wife.

I'm tired of it.

News from the home front.

We found my daughter's guinea pig dead in her cage this morning. She was only two years old. With the gas pack down I think it was the cold. I think I was more attached to the furry little git than any of the kids. Funeral tomorrow.

My second daughter Courtney turned 18 today. We took her to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Her mom was talking the manager up about a job for Courtney. Apparently they are short and need bodies so Courtney may have her first job.

So if I call a black man a socialist...

...I'm a racist. I can't disagree with his politics because they fit the definition of socialist. It has to be the color of his skin that's the issue. Professor Lee, racism is the argument you make when you don't have one.

Gas Pack

We have a Trane gas pack. It stopped putting out heat, but the fan was still blowing. I had gas in the tank. I opened the box up and the switch was on. That was the extent of my can do with a gas pack. I went online to try and fine a clue and found Just Answer. For nine bucks an online expert told me what the problem was based on my description and I think I just may, gods willing, be able to fix it myself.

...and no I didn't receive any compensation for this review so kiss my butt FTC.

A day in the life...

The gas pack stopped putting out heat. The fan is blowing and there is gas in the tank. I've identified the code but have not a clue how to fix it or get the money to pay anyone to fix it. My mother fell and may have broken a bone and I'm at work. The wife is pissed because...well catch me on a bad day and I speak my mind. I'm surprised I took the time to do this. No more blogging today probably not tomorrow either. Got things to do.

Update: Didn't have to take Mom to the ED. Called the on call and was told if she can walk and stand on it then it ain't broke. So with the wife angry and not talking to me I got time.

The Invisible Hand...

...responds to Michael Moore.

From Attack Carttons.

Bam!

Right between the eyes. Courtesy of Bill Whittle.

Here's a public option for you...

Currently reading...

...The Strain Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Vampires as a plauge vector. A good thriller. The vamps are of the scary variety. Definitely not vampire porn and that is a plus. It is apparently the first of a trilogy. It ain't Monster Hunters, but it'll do.

More "zero tolerance" stupidity

Another example of bureaucratic cowardice in action. An eagle scout had a pocket knife locked in his car with his scouting gear and was suspended for 20 days as a result. They had to be consistant in their application of the policy. It simple cowardice that they might get sued if they exercise judgement and acknowledge that the circumstances in each situation are different and require a difference response.

Via Instapundit

Ya gotta wonder ...

...who did the background on this git and if the guy who signed off on hiring him still has a job. What's more he shoots his ex-wife's husband twenty-four times, claims self-defense and the Chicago Police Department buys it. Now he being held on a rape charge and is under investigation for assaulting a special needs student. Shake your head in wonder.

H/T to Radley

AL: Homeowner shoots intruder

An 81 year old homeowner and his wife were awakened by an intruder in Alabama. The homeowner took a pistol from his bedside table and pointed it at the intruder. The intruder told him to put the gun down. Said homeowner shot him instead. By the time the police arrived the wife had armed herself with a shotgun. The intruder did not survive the encounter. The matter will be presented to the grand jury but the investigating sheriff considers it pro forma and expects it to go no further. The homeowner shouldn't have to go through the hassel of the grand jury but on the whole it's a positive outcome.

A green stungun...

...here.

Oh for crying out loud...

A first grader takes a camping utensil that includes a spoon, fork, and knife to school and the school suspends him and sends him to reform school for 45 days. The reason is their zero tolerance policy toward weapons. Zero tolerance ppolicies exist so bureuacrats don't have to make decisions or take responsibility or accept the consequences for the decisions they would have to make if such policies didn't exist. They're a form of cowardice. A knife is a tool. It doesn't become a weapon until I stick it into somebody.

The ATF is looking onto...

Bloomberg's gun show sting project. That's fine. If the dealers were breaking the law they should pay the price as should the private investigators hired by Bloomberg if they broke any laws in the course of conducting their investigation. After all, the law is the law.

H/T to Uncle.

UK: You're kidding...right?

The Health and Safety Executive caused outrage by declaring that officers confronted with dangerous situations-while fighting crime or trying to guard the public 'may choose not to put themselves at unreasonable risk'.

Its guidance published yesterday firmly plays down the need for officers to show bravery in the course of their duty if they make a 'personal choice' not to.

It states: 'There is often an unrealistic public expectation that officers and staff will put themselves at risk to protect the public.'

It seems to me that the personal choice of which they speak was made when the officer chose to enter the profession. There are times when an officer will have to put his ass in harm's way. If they can't handle that risk then find another profession. People in the UK are well and truely fucked.

H/T to Kevin.

Ramirez spot on.

For frickin' what?!

Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The only thing I can think he's done is do his damn best to destroy the United States as a world power economically and politically. It's a work still in progress but I guess it rates the prize.

Ya think maybe Soros paid off the committee?

Update: Lawdog calls to out attention that Obama was in office eleven days when the nominations for the prize ended. Granted they had nine months to decide to give it to him but who the fuck would nominate him after only eleven days in office?

After nine hours at the range...

...I've decided that the safest place to be when certain police officers are shooting is in front of what they are shooting at.

Gun control cartoon

H/T to Uncle.

I guess they're not the enemy-enemy

We're in the middle of a fucking war in Afghanistan with the Taliban and the idjit in chief is apparently trying to redefine the enemy as maybe, well, not the enemy so he can justify not sending more troops as requested by the General on the ground. WTF!! I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Obama has made a career out of throwing people under the bus. Why should our troops in Afghanistan or the Afghanis be any different.

H/T to Firehand

Neat

Suppressed shotgun.

H/t to Uncle.

Bloomberg is at it again.

Mikey had investigators go down to Tennessee undercover to buy firearms at a gun show to buy guns illegally. If these investigators purchased these weapons as alleged they broke the law unless they were law enforcement officers within their jurisdiction. Mikey you know what you call a private investigator or law enforcement from New York City in Tennessee? Private citizen or fair game. I'd be interested what the ATF or state authorities in Tennessee do about this. I'm not holding my breath.

Sebastian has video.

To the guy in the...

...blue Toyota. If I can hear your music with your windows up and over the engine noise of the other cars waiting for the light to change, it's too fracking loud.

Skin Art

I've never been able to bring myself to get anything tattooed on me. There's just never been any design that appealed to me enough to carry it with me to the grave. I saw this and had second thoughts. Then again I think I'll just buy the t-shirt.

H/T to Tam.

If a blogger is accepting...

...money or product when they review products, it seems the ethical thing to do if you let people know so they can factor that into what you have to say about the product. On the other hand people have an obligation to research the product they want to buy and that don't mean taking the word of one blogger on how great or crappy a product is. That's the the old let the buyer beware element of the free market. The Federal Trade Commission has decided to make such disclosures mandatory on pain of fines thus hopefully removing a bit of the risk involved in buying things. Even though I do think people ought to do it having the government tell me I have to do so grates as just one more intrusion. More nanny state bullshit and a foot in the door toward more regulation. So ditto.

Gun fires self?

A shooter at a range in Lakeland FL set down his Jennings 9mm and it began to fire itself hitting the shooter, his wife, and a bystander. Interesting. I'm curious as to what the police investigation will reveal. Possibilities include defect in manufacture, improper or inadequate maintenance, or modification by owner at some point in the weapon's history. Beyond that I reserve comment. If someone else has an idea, share.

Update: So apparently it comes down to Jennings = piece of shit.

Today in History

1537 – The first complete English-language Bible (the Matthew Bible) is printed, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale.

1957 – Space Race: Launch of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth.

2004 – SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight. By being the first private craft to fly into space.

Oh yeah, and I was born.

Twlight as it should be.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

H/T to Dick

BTW to those...

...who might have an interest. The AR is up, zeroed, and running. Now I need ammo.

A WTF moment.

I was in Home Depot and stopped one of their associates to ask where thier cardboard boxes were. I started coughing and the associate asked me if I were choking because he didn't know CPR. I told him that's alright I'd talk him through it. Silence and an odd look. He showed me where the boxes were. Jeeeeesus.

This is an awsome photo...

...of the launch of a Delta 4 Heavy.

H/T to Tam

This day in history...

...the first strip of Peanuts was published.

No Olympics for Chicago or Obama

From Billy Beck via Rush Limbaugh and god knows who first came up with it first....

...the ego has landed.

Heh! More like crashed and burned.

Cutting the grass.

My 13 year old son cut the lawn for the first time today. I'm so damn proud and happy...I now have a mature yard slave.

FL: Would be carjacker shot

In Jacksonville FL some friends were passing the time in the front yard of one's residence when two gentlemen walked up and asked for a ride. When the owner refused one pulled a gun and forced him into the truck. A friend of the owner then ran to get his gun and returned. The owner pulled his gun from inside the truck and both shot one of the thugs. The other ran away. The ventilated thug survived and is in custody. The other is apparently still running.

McDonald v. Chicago

The Second Amendment is going back to the Supreme court. This is the one that will determine whether the Second applies to State and local governments. The addition of Sotomayor to the Court hasn't really made that big a difference in the lineup and Alan Gura of Heller fame is the lead on our side. I'm optimistic.