The Face of War

The War Photo No One Would Publish - The Atlantic:

" .... war is ugly. It’s hideous."

We need to be reminded of that, from time to time.

“If we’re big enough to fight a war, we should be big enough to look at it.”

Lest we forget.

Rolling Stone interview with "Sonny Crockett"

Don Johnson on 30 Years of 'Miami Vice' | Rolling Stone:

The stubbled star talks about being showered with women's underwear and why the Reagan-era series is ready for a reboot

No, really!  He thinks he's going to do it all over again.

Background checks on gun transfers ARE a hidden "Gun Registration" measure

Last year I was at an IPSC/USPSA match in Oregon when a friend searched me out.

His pistol had fallen out out of his skeleton holster and hit the ground, and by the rules of Practical Pistol competition he was forbidden to touch it without the supervision of a Range Officer.  So I obliged him, of course, and I (safely) picked up his $3,000 race gun and handed it to him.

Then he went looking for someone else who had a similar pistol that he could use to complete the match.

He found another competitor who had a spare similar pistol, and safely completed the match.

He needed it: his C-More sight had taken the brunt of the impact on the hard-packed ground, and was broken.  Eventually, it cost him several hundred dollars to replace the broken electronic-dot sight, but at least he didn't have to drop out of the match.

Under the "Universal Background Check" rules, he would not have been able to rely on the largesse of his friends.


Bloomberg-Gates background check ploy first step to registration, confiscation - National gun rights | Examiner.com:

The first point is, a background check bill is impossible without creating registration data. That was admitted by no less an authority than Greg Ridgeway, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Justice, who wrote a summary report on gun violence prevention strategies in which he concluded “Effectiveness depends on the ability to reduce straw purchasing, requiring gun registration.

Now, let's look at the same scenario under the "Universal Background Check" rules:

Universal Background Checks (may) apply even to temporary "loaning" of a gun at a range, except under certain narrowly defined circumstances.  See below.

The popular understanding is that this applies only to the transfer of ownership of firearms.   That's not necessarily true.

Breaking: Oregon Retro-Gov Kitzhaber PWND by Illegal Alien and his fiance

Oregon ‘first lady’ cops to green-card ‘marriage of convenience’ in exchange for $5G | Fox News:

 Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber got one hell of an October surprise, as his fiance tearfully admitted Thursday to having a green-card marriage to an 18-year-old Ethiopian immigrant. The stunning admission comes after an alternative newspaper first reported that Cylvia Hayes – who despite being engaged goes by the title “first lady” in the state – had been married, and divorced, three times before. Two of those were known. But the Democratic governor to whom she’s engaged, and the public, apparently didn’t know about the third.

This comes as absolutely no surprise to Conservative Oregonians (both of us!).   Doctor John has been making "bad choices" during his entire political career.

Five Grand?  He should be flattered; his probably-no-longer-to-be wife can honestly claim that she is worth more than he is.

The Real "Gun Show Loophole"?

What happens when Liberals get control of a county?

Several years ago (and this is a true story, children.. well, mostly ... but the names have been changed to protect the innocent) in a small North-Western town which we will call "Corn Valley",   which was the County Seat, The County took control of The People.

One day, the County Commissioners (we'll call the county ""Benjamin"),  decided that gun shows would no longer be permitted at the Benjamin County Fair Grounds.

Now, there had been no complaints registered about the Benjamin County Gun Shows, which had been an annual event for decades.  The Citizens of Corn Valley, or of Benjamin County, had not objected to a "Free Market" in firearms.   There was no external reason for the Benjamin County Commissioners to establish a restriction on County Fairgrounds events. In fact, it was a money-making event for both the county and the fairgrounds.

They just decided this was The Right Thing To Do .. and the decision was passed seven-to-one by the Board.

The people of Corn Valley and Benjamin County objected to this arbitrary decision, and so a hearing was held one Tuesday evening at the fairgrounds.

Kroger: "If you don't trust me, I wouldn't trust you

(H/T: "Sharp As A Marble")

Last month, when the MOMS started harassing Kroger, I found a convenient place on their (Kroger) website to enter a comment.  (Look it up for yourself.)

I gave them my name, address and phone number.  I told them that I had been shopping for 'almost everything' at my local Kroger store (in Corvallis, that's "Fred Meyers' Store") for over 20 years, and I wanted to tell them how much I appreciated that they did not cave into the anti-gunners' exploitative pressure for the chain to kowtow to their nonsense.

I told them that the reasons I shopped there were many:  Convenient location, competitive prices, great selection of quality foods and other goods.  I get my prescriptions filled there.  Friendly people .. the clerks always ask if I found everything I wanted, and if I didn't ... I mention it.  Next time, or the time after that when I visit the store, they have stocked it again.

Also, I told them that I "may or may not carry" on their premises, but they won't know because if I did, it would be concealed in accordance to local law, and I'm not inclined to frighten other shoppers.  Most of them are my neighbors.

Finally, I told them that I never, ever, enter a store with a "No Guns" sign on their door.  I'm there to spend money: they're there to make money. I don't look for opportunities to be insulted, or make trouble.  I just want to go home with a full shopping cart.

Besides, a "NO GUNS" sign on the door is an incitement to violence.

Yay!

Durham Clerk of Court Shreds Gun Registry - YouTube:
 Published on Oct 6, 2014

In its 2013 session, the General Assembly repealed a 1935 law that had required Durham residents to register their firearms with the Durham County Clerk of Court. The State of North Carolina granted Archie Smith, Clerk of Court, permission to destroy the records. Sheriff Andrews was on hand this morning to observe and assist with the destruction.

(H/T: "The War On Guns")

Take A Liberal To A Gun Range Day

Liberals Try Shooting Guns For The First Time - Buzzfeed - The Scene:
August 18, 2014

As you might expect, they weren't that into it.

Baloney!   Many of them loved it.  (Follow the link to see the short video.)

Quotes from various participants:

"... You don't realize (I didn't realize) when you shoot a gun, just firing one?   That took a lot out of me.  I was ... it was like I fired once and then I wanted to take a nap." 

"My hands are sweating ..."

"Oh my God, I can't .. my heart is like racing so fast right now"

"You can feel it throughout your whole body, and I'm not as scared as I was.   But (unintelligible) gonna buy a gun, definitely."   (big smile)

"Never in my life did I think I would shoot a shotgun!"

"I felt kinda bad***, when I was cocking the shotgun.   Yeah, that's a "bad***" gesture right there ..." (simulates cocking a pump-action shotgun, with the smallest secret smile the Universe has ever seen)

"No, I don't want to do it anymore."

"It was kinda like ... enjoyable? But then I was getting sickened about me feeling enjoyable about it." 

"Shooting a gun did not change my mind about Gun Control ...."  (this from the guy who called pumping a shotgun a "bad*** thing")

"... this is a 'fun thing', but not every 'fun thing' is legal". 

"You know it's a rush, it's a Adrenalin rush, and you get all ****** up, and I feel confused and conflicted about it all. I would probably come back and [nods] do it again."

When "true" and "inane" overlap

Last March 11 (2014) I wrote an article titled California Scheming which discussed resistance of Sunnyvale and San Francisco to turn in magazines which are capable of holding more than 10 rounds.

The gist of the story was "Passive Resistance":  AKA: "Rampant Non-Compliance".   A quote:

The Oakland Tribune (http://tinyurl.com/lvtufr3 ) reported Saturday that since Sunnyvale's ban went into effect midnight Thursday, not one of the now-illegal magazines has been turned in. San Francisco police report that they have no system to track whether any magazines have been turned in for destruction under the new ordinance. San Francisco residents must surrender their high-capacity magazines to police by April 7.

It's a terrible thing, I know, for "common people" to oppose the will of The Government. [Smarm Alert!]   On the other hand, that is the National Character.

So I was surprised, as I was searching comments on past articles I had (for reasons not germane here) to find the following comment:

Anonymous said...
unfortunately you ignore laws, especially local laws, at your own great peril. 

Huh?