National Ammo Day, and other stuff

According to the inimitable Kim Du Tuit, today is National Ammo Day.

Unlike National Buy-A-Gun Day (which falls in the spring), N.A.D. falls in the ... uh ... Fall.

Today you're suppose to go buy 1000 rounds of rimless ammo (eg: .22 Long Rifle) or 100 rounds of Centerfire ammunition.

Well, that doesn't work for me. Most of the guns I shoot (10mm, .38 Super) regularly take ammo which is custom-built for IPSC competition. Sure, I still have The Beloved Kimber, but reloading .45ACP ammunition is easier to reload than the Prima Donna loads I prefer to shoot in competition.

It doesn't help that I haven't seen the front sight of the Kimber or the 10mm STI Edge for the past five years. Oh, I still shoot them from time to time; I just can't hit anything quickly and reliably, because mostly I'm counting on muscle-memory and instincts to get the gun pointed at the trget. Need I mention that this Game Plan ain't working for me so well lately?

I have plenty of .22, .45 and 10mm loaded up (most of the latter is loaded with really lame bullets, which don't feed reliably, and while I've had a case of Montana Gold 200gr bullets in 10mm I've not bothered to load them because .. I can't see the sights), what I really need to do is to load up some .38 Super for this weekend's match at Dundee.

So, instead of buying 100 rounds of ... whatever ... I'll go out to the garage Thursday night and load up 300 or 400 rounds of .38 Super, which I like to shoot and whose C-more sights I can see.

So much for buying ammunition. Instead, I already have the components, and I'll turn this into National Reload Ammunition day ... one day late.
_____________________________________

During the reign of King Bill the First, I was fond of saying "My President is Charleton Heston!"

That didn't help.

And now that Obama is the President Elect, I'm trying real hard to say "My President is Barack Hussein Obama!" This may take some getting use to.

Notice I mentioned last week that the only thing that conservatives have left to teach the country is how to lose? That's not working out too well, either. Now we see a number of private citizens trying to get Obama thrown out of office-elect on the grounds that he's not qualified ... that is, he's not able to prove that he's a Natural Citizen of the United States of America.

That's not going to work. He'll ignore them (as he should) and those folks will fall by the wayside while Obama, The Emperor Who Has No Clothes, marches into office next January 20.

I say again: I don't like him, I didn't vote for him, and I don't want him to be President.

But he is, so we have to learn to live with it.

Heck, I was prepared to hold my nose if McCain was elected, I can do no less for the guy who won the vote by a healthy margin.

Still, I don't have to like it.

I especially don't like the ominous loomings of signs that he is going to swat the Second Amendment like a fly at a picnic on a sultry day. He's packing his staff with Fellow Travelers, and their influence won't need to be much for Obama (I've never trusted a man whose name has more vowels than consonants, but that's just Me) to be influenced by the soft whisper in his ear that his fondest dreams can come true.

Second Amendment restrictions? Done deal. Go buy all the guns and ammo you can't afford, you'll lose it in the end.

Socialist Policies? Count on it. This is the guy whose plans for a National Health Service (similar to the failed health-care policeies of Canada and England) were even more extreme than those of The HillaryBeast.

Support for a strong military? Fuggedaboudit. Instead, he'll be drafting our boys and girls to three- to six-month terms of service in a National Somethingorother Organization which is as well funded as the Military. Guess where the money to support that will come from. Yup, think "Soldiers on welfare". Well, there's nothing new about that; although it has been, and will be again, a National Shame.

But Obama is My President.

The Economy? Never mind, there will be no Entrepreneurialism in America for the next four years. Taxed into morbidity, count on it. No new business start-ups, because there's no profit in it. Accumulated taxes, including a raised Social Security limit, will put the tax burden of successful entrepreneurs at over 90%. Good thing I'm just a Worker Bee; it's more profitable to make $50,000 a year for myself than to make $500,000 a year and in so doing create new jobs.
____________________________________

SIGNS OF THE TIMES:

From England: The Inmates are Taking Over The Asylum - Junior Division.

From Minnesota:The Soros Connection in the Minnesota Race Vote count.

From Poland (Global Summit): President Elect Obama promises a "new chapter in American leadership on climate change."

[Counterpoint: "The World Has Never Seen Such Freezing Heat!"]

California: "Scott Eckern, the Sacramento theater director whose political donation in support of California's Prop. 8 ban on same-sex marriage turned into a lightning rod in the debate over gay rights, resigned Wednesday, saying he wanted to protect the California Musical Theatre, his artistic home since 1984, from further controversy."

Egypt: "Female Egyptian Lawyer Promotes Sexual Harrassment Against Jews".

And finally, in Wisconsin, David Olofson's lawyer says "Malfunction Doesn't Make Firearm an Automatic".

Fat chance that will get past the Liberal Judges and the lawyers for BATFE.


Blogmeat.

We do the web-surfing that American's Won't Do.

Check Box To Conceal Weapons Permit - Oregon

Corvallis Gazette Times: Community News


I'm afraid I've quoted this article in its entirety, because I'm not confident that if I just linked to it (as above, which is my preference) it would remain available in detail as long as I would like for you to be able to read the entire thing.

Therefore I have quoted it (below) so you will have all of the information.

If I had been confident that the Corvallis Gazette Times would continue to make this article available, here's what I would have said:
__________________________________________

In America today, we are usually "allowed" to carry a concealed weapon in accordance to the Second Amendment. This is because we, and our Governmental agencies, generally acknowledge that we are constitutionally acknowledged to the right to carry a weapon (usually a firearm ... the right to carry a Knife, for example, is often more closely regulated) defend our persons, our loved ones, other persons, and property.

The vast majority of states in America have accepted that certifiably law-abiding citizens should be allowed license to Carry a Concealed Firearm to provide them the ability to so protect the People and Property which are important to them, and to aid Law-Enforcement Officers (who cannot possible be immediately available to thwart predators) in defense of The Law-abiding and The Law.

However, there are powerful forces ... most frequently, Journalists ... who have set themselves in a self-declared 'higher Moral Level' to identify those who have been vetted, qualified, and defined as legally qualified to Carry Concealed firearms. Their goal, they suggest, is to identify people who are legally permitted to arm themselves.

Or, as it is expressed in this article:

" ....the public has a right to know who has a concealed weapon."

(Jack Orchard, a lawyer on retainer with the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, says: “It’s not something you are entitled to keep confidential,” he said. “No one forced you to acquire a handgun.”)

Orchard, and Newspaper Publishers through-out the country, deny the right to keep confidential the list of people who are licensed to carry a defensive weapon. Again, they cite the right of the public to know who is armed.

They claim the "public right to know", but it seems to me that this a particularly Liberal point-of view.

Liberals love Gays. I wonder if they would be as quick to embrace the rights of the Public to know who is gay.

Then the quote may be:
“It’s not something you are entitled to keep confidential,” he said. “No one forced you to acquire a handgun be Gay.”

Is this a Public right, or a Liberal preference?

In either case, this journalistic drive to full disclosure for the 'public right', may not be as appealing for journalists when voiced in terms of a societal right which is more personally acceptable to them.

I reject their argument of "public right". This is a personal bias, and it is an effort to sell newspapers without regard to the possible detriment of the safety of the law-abiding individuals whom they would target.

To post a list of people who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun would be to pillory these individuals in the stocks of public opinion. Oregon is a Liberal state; generally speaking, most people here don't care about the Second Amendment. More important, they are afraid of guns. This wasn't the case two generations ago, when guns were widely accepted and a 'frontier' (in current terminology) attitude toward firearms was assumed and accepted. Two generations of Liberal education have changed the local attitudes.

The Journalists take an impersonal point of view. They don't own or carry guns, their friends and acquaintances don't own or carry guns; they don't see any reason why anyone should want to own, let alone carry, guns.

My friends almost always own guns; several of them carry guns. The people I work with, and my friends, ALL know that I own guns.

Only a few of them know that I have a CHL (Concealed Handgun License) and you may be surprised as a reader to learn that I very rarely carry a gun.

Well, I work on a College campus where it is worth my job to be caught carrying a gun ... even though it is legal. Show me a college campus in this state where the rules of employment (or attendance) do not restrict firearms carry? Answer: Nowhere in the Oregon University System is this acceptable whether you are faculty, staff or student.

Still, I have a CHL. Whether or not I carry on campus, if it became wide public knowledge that I had a CHL I would find myself under intense scrutiny by my employer, and general suspicion on the part of my co-workers, for fear that I was walking around with a gun in my waistband.

I don't, but my social and employment situation would become untenable if I were "outed" as a CHL owner.

What they decided I was Gay?

Nobody would even blink.

...

I had no idea, until this weekend, that I was subject to being"'outed" for my mere PERMISSION to carry a handgun.

Thanks to this article, I will immediately contact the Benton County Sheriff's Office and inform them that I definitely do NOT want to be identified as a CHL holder.

I could handle the stigma of being almost any kind of social pariah, except that of having exercised my Second Amendment Rights.


What if I were a Journalist, and I was outed as being determined to exercise my First Amendment Rights?


Oh, they would say; that's okay. You can carry a pen.

But not a Sword.

18-NOV-2008:

Benton County Sheriff Diana Simpson said people who carry concealed weapons for personal safety shouldn’t have to reveal their names. So she’s giving them the opportunity to remain anonymous.

I am indebted to Benton County Sheriff Diane Simpson for her bold stand for the privacy of her neighbors and constituents. I emailed her office immediately after writing this article; she personally replied with the information that I could find an online PDF of the updated application. She said that there was no fee for re-filing an updated application.

I downloaded and printed the application, filled in the blanks, and included a cover letter of explanation along with a both-sides picture of my CHL. That letter is sitting in my mailbox tonite, waiting for pickup tomorrow. I'll let you know how it turns out.

__________________________________________________

Check box to conceal weapons permit
By Tom Henderson
Corvallis Gazette-Times

Lawyers with the Portland firm of O’Donnell Clark & Crew want to know the names of Benton County residents who hold concealed weapons permits.

Benton County Sheriff Diana Simpson said people who carry concealed weapons for personal safety shouldn’t have to reveal their names. So she’s giving them the opportunity to remain anonymous.

Simpson has added a box to the county’s application form that people can check if they want a permit for personal protection. People who already have permits also can submit the revised form. Simpson said she won’t reveal the name of anyone who has checked the box.

Simpson issued a press release Thursday to inform the 2,000 Benton County residents who have concealed weapons permits that they have the option of keeping their permits secret.

Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller is revising his county’s application form, as well. So are a lot of other sheriffs across Oregon in response to an April court ruling that permits obtained for personal safety may not be subject to public record laws.

It is unknown how many counties’ permit information O’Donnell Clark & Crew is seeking. Three calls to the law firm were not returned.

Simpson said her office is complying with the law firm’s request, but because records are not automated, the process is very long and time-consuming. In the meantime, the sheriff’s office will accept amended applications requesting their information to kept confidential, she said.

“This is a difficult situation to be placed in,” she added. “On the one hand, I need to respect the public records law request. But on the other hand, I need to respect the expectation of privacy and confidentiality.”

Renewed concern over the confidentiality of concealed weapons permits began when Shirley Katz, a South Medford High School teacher, insisted she needed to carry a concealed weapon in her classroom to protect herself from her ex-husband.

Editors of the Mail Tribune newspaper in Medford wanted to know how many public school teachers already had concealed weapons permits. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters refused a public records request from the newspaper, although the county’s concealed weapons permit application form indicated that weapons permits are public records.

The Mail Tribune’s publishers took the county to court. Meanwhile, the forms were changed to omit the statement that permits are public records. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge G. Philip Arnold ruled April 25 that concealed weapons permit information may not always be protected under Oregon’s public record law. He said people who hold permits for personal safety could ask that the information be withheld from the public.

Jackson County officials are appealing the decision with the support of the Oregon Sheriffs’ Association.

At issue is whether or not permits can be altered retroactively.

John Haroldson said that they can. As Benton County District Attorney, he is the primary custodian of public records in the county. “What you have is a court ruling that recognizes the need for carrying concealed weapons for personal safety,” Haroldson said.

Laura Cooper, a Bend lawyer who specializes in public records, said changing existing records puts sheriffs in an ethical and legal gray area. “That seems to be the destruction of a public record,” Cooper said. “Basically, what you’re doing is amending a public record.”

Although the sheriffs’ decision raises questions, Cooper said she doesn’t have any definitive answers. “It sounds problematic, but I can’t say that with any authority.”

Jack Orchard, a lawyer on retainer with the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, is more definite. Orchard said the public has a right to know who has a concealed weapon.

“It’s not something you are entitled to keep confidential,” he said. “No one forced you to acquire a handgun.”

___________________________

UPDATE: 18-NOV-2008

I deleted the contents of my email, and added the comment about mailing an updated CHL application.

I also corrected the link address; the original article had been moved to the newspaper archive.

SWMBO Report: November

I haven't been writing much lately, because there's a lot of 'other stuff' going on in my life.

The most important part is, of course, the continuing efforts of her doctors to help cure SWMBO.

This is a very long, involved and technical discussion. If you are not intrinsically concerned about the background and current status of SWMBO's battle for survival, I urge you to stop reading now.

Okay, for the information of the few remaining readers, we'll continue with the description of the November SWMBO Report.

_______________________

To recap, on July 29, 2008, SWMBO was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. She doesn't smoke, but that is not a requirement for contracting this particular brand of Cancer. The good news, she doesn't smoke. Nor do I smoke in her presence, except incidentally outdoors where the smoke is carried away from her.

Being a non-smoker, her chances of survival are much better than the usual lung-cancer case. Her lungs are clean of tars and nicotine deposits, she is generally healthy and in good physical condition. She has ever been careful to observe a good regimen of healthy food and exercise.

She found the fest Oncologist within reasonable distance; in this case, it was the Seattle Cancer Center in Northern Washington State ... 300 miles, a five-hour drive away.

Her primary Oncologist, Dr. Cunningham, determined that she had a single tumor in the upper quadrant of her right lung. This is different from her local Oncologist who had determined (incorrectly) that she had two tumors, one in each lung (both considered "inoperable" because they are loath to cut out a tumor lest they miss something and, in the process, spread the infeection.) This simple correction in diagnosis moved her from the "Type Four" (no hope) to "Type One" (perhaps manageable) categorization.

Her Seattle doctor prescribed a new drug, Tarceva, which is "... a targeted Cancer treatment for second-line advanced for Non-Small Lung Cancer (NSCLC) ...". This medication had previously been prescribed after all other tratments had ceased working, but recently has been designated as the drug in choice for an otherwise-healthy Lung Cancer case, which perfectly described SEMBO's situation.

It worked for several weeks, until in mid-October SWMBO experienced sudden and dramatic mood-swings and an obvious decrease in energy and Oxygen acquisition.

A consultation with her doctor in Seattle resulted in the conclusion that the Tarceva was no longer working. Her Oncology team, in consultation, determined that she should immediatly dicontinue the Tarceva treatment and stat an intensive program of Chemotherapy.

SWMBO was required to take WEEKLY treatments of Chemotherapy, including (among other drugs) Benedryl ... an antihistimine (makes it easier for her to breath without coughing much), and a 'cocktail' of heavy-metal compounds such as Platinum which are deadly poisons, but intended to actually kill the tumor.

For the first few weeks there were a number of bad reactions, including extreme emesis (vomiting) which is generally acknowledged to be a common reaction to this kind of Chemotherapy.


SWMBO's drug treatment has been adjusted to treat various kinds of secondary side-effects of the primary drug treatment. She has been prescribed and anti-emesis drug called "EMEND", which has stopped the violent regurgitation commonly associated with anti-cancer chemotherapy.

Also, she has been severely debilitated by the drugs. She has no energy, is often unable to concentrate. She must sleep with a nasal oxygen feed, which causes irritation in the nasal passages and especially a slow-to-heal sore on her upper lip where the oxygen feed rests. She cannot move around without a portable oxygen source. She cannot go out shopping without cotton gloves and a filtration mask, because after the fourth treatment her immune system is severely debilitated and she is particularly subsceptible to secondary infections. If she catches a cold while shopping for food, it could quickly become a life-threatening illness.

I mentioned earlier that she is receiving infusions of these cancer-killing 'cocktails' on a weekly basis. Because she is (other than the Lung Cancer) so healthy and strong, her Oncologist has determined that she would respond well to a weekly infusion. This is notably different from the usual Chemotherapy schedule, which is one treatment every FOUR weeks.

The usual reaction to treatment is a first-day feeling of euphoria, caused by the supporting drugs. The second day is an almost 'normal' day; not euphoria, but a general sense of well-being. By the third day, the sense of well-being is gone; day-to-day sensation is one of sickness and no energy. By the sixth day, she is beginning to recover, and by the seventh day she may be able to get out of bed and move around with no great and particular sensation that she is unable to function.

In the usual case, the following three weeks until the next infusion are difficult, but endurable.

For SWMBO, there are no 'following three weeks'; she begins the cycle immediately, and the reaction to the chemotherapy is greater ... more extreme ... every week.

Which brings us to the current month.

Last week SWMBO took her second treatment in her home town. Three of the five weeks required an all-day drive to Seattle, which her sister (The Saint) was willing to accept as the driver. Bless her heart!

This Friday, SWMBO drove herself the five minutes from her home to the local hospital, and was able to drive herself back as well.

But there were problems, which weighed heavily on her mind.

After the previous Friday treatment, when she went to the pharmacist to pick up her current round of prescription refills, the pharmacist informed her that they could not fill the EMEND (anti-nausea) prescription because her insurance carrier refused to pay for a refill more frequently than once every 23 days. This was based on the usual once-in-four-weeks schedule of Cancer Chemotherapy treatments. They were either unaware of, or chose to ignore, the fact that she was receiving infusions every week rather than every four weeks.

Her Seattle Oncologist started negotiations with her Insurance Carrier to explain that the 4-times more frequent prescription was necessary, but the communications were slow and exclusive of the patient.

She couldn't really afford to just pay for the medication herself, because the cost is $220 for one week's medication.


And she couldn't do without it; before the new EMEND medication was available, she lost her voice due to dramatic and uncontrollable emesis.

We talked it over, and finally by Thursday we decided that we would have to pay for the vital medication ourselves, and hope that later we could try to submit a claim to her Insurance carrier after the (hoped-for) successful negotiation betweet Oncologist and Insurance Carrier.

In the meantime, last Monday SWMBO had all of her hair shaved off her head.

She was already pulling the hair off by the handsfull, and she decided that there was no reason why she should chance plugging up her bathtub drain with the hair. Her eyebrows were almost completely gone, too.

So she had her head shaved. I went to the store and bought her a handful of soft (non-scratchy), warm caps so she could keep her head warm. Also, "Spicy", the wife of The Hobo Brasser, knitted some wool-felt hats for her. These are soft, non-irritating, and stylish. Also, warm!

In the meantime, her Oxygen Supply Company installed a humidifier attachment to her overnight Oxygen Generator system, so her nasal passages wouldn't be irritated by the infusion of oxygen. They also provided a non-flammable lubricant so that she could protect the delicate nasal passages, and her Oncologist prescribed a steroid which would help prevent irritation.

When I picked up her prescription on Wednesday, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the only bill was the $20 co-pay, rather than the $220 full-cost.


Saturday we picked up her two latest prescriptions, designed to help her resist the nasal irritation.

I watched her while she took all of the medications this morning. I couldn't count the number of pills she took. These are apart from the cough syrup needed to keep her from coughing every time she changed her position ... sitting down, lying down, standing up ... everything (including talking, and laughing) makes her cough.

The VERY good news is that before her Friday Infusion, she received another thorough check-up from her local Oncologist.

Her weight is the same as last week, if not a bit better. She's not losing weight, which is a good sign.

Her Blood Oxygen is up, which means that her lungs can supply oxygen to her blood better. Another very good sign.

The size of the cancer tumor in her lungs has not changed, which means it is not growing.

Her blood-pressure is 'Normal', always a good sign.

Indications that she is responding well to treatment include:

• We went shopping for groceries yesterday. She was gloved and taking oxygen from her portable tank, but she know what she wanted (stuff that I would starve rather than eat!) and was able to spend 40 minutes in a store without needing to stop for a rest;
• She is enjoying her surroundings, and we worked a crossword puzzle. She took phone calls from family an Spicy, and enjoyed them;
• A co-worker visited her at home today, they had a pleasant one-hour conversation. I didn't eaves-drop, but she reported that they had "a nice chat";
• She received a catalog of wigs and caps for chemotherapy patients during her last treatment .... we discussed what wigs and special caps she might purchase ... she was alert, vivacious and interested;
• We rented and watched the animated movie "Kung Fu Panda" ... one private vice is that we enjoy animated cartoons such as "Shrek" ... we both enjoyed the movie, and she /we laughed out loud all the way through.

There are a lot more indications that SWMBO is responding well to her treatment, as burdonsome and as uncomfortable as they are.

If you care at all, I hope you will join me in welcoming this very positive SWMBO Report.

Our girl is coming back.

I'm always said she was a fighter. I hope I've managed to convery that I also believe she is a Winner.

Next year, we'll see you in the Rifle Pitts at Dundee.

She's going to kick your ass.

From The Hobo Brasser, this email from the Washington County (Oregon) Sheriff "Concealed Handgun License Unit" (CHL).

This appears to be a public notice that there are local interests determined to force the County Sheriff to reveal a list of CHL owners for public consumption.

It also appears to be a plaintive cry from a responsible holder that he is being forced to do something which he is loath to accommodate.

I don't have a contact email address where you can write to offer your support to his resistance. But if you think, as I do, that this is is an egregious imposition on a conscientious public service, I encourage you to do your own research.

If you find a contact address, I hope you will share it.

Here is the link to the Washington County (Oregon) Sheriff's Concealed Handgun License Unit.
__________________________________________

Official Letterhead Notice to All Concealed Handgun License Holders

November 14, 2008

Dear Concealed Handgun License Holder,

There is currently a statewide issue regarding the disclosure of the names, addresses and other identifying information of people who have concealed handgun licenses that affects you. Essentially, the media and other groups are asking for lists of information about all the people who hold concealed handgun licenses.

As your sheriff, I refused to disclose that information because I believe many people obtain a concealed handgun license for personal security and would not want that information made public. I also resist disclosing personal information because of the continuing identity theft risks.

Despite my belief (shared by sheriffs across Oregon), an Oregon court recently decided that there is no evidence that people obtain concealed handgun licenses for security measures. The court ordered the Jackson County Sheriff to disclose a list of all the concealed handgun license holders in his county to the local newspaper. The case is now before the Oregon Court of Appeals.

While I believe you obtained your concealed handgun license as a security measure and that you do not want that information disclosed with your name, address and other personal information, I need to hear from you on this issue to help me defend your privacy in this matter.

Please answer the two questions at the bottom of this letter as soon as possible. If you want your name and other information to remain confidential, simply answer YES to both questions. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
[signature gif omitted]
Rob Gordon
Washington County Sheriff

New FFL Form 4473 must-use date

Recently posted by Jim Shepherd of "The Shooting Wire":

Open Letter To All Federal Firearms Licensees

Recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released the revised version of the Firearms Transaction Record (ATF Form 4473) with a revision date of August 2008. By open letter dated October 3, 2008, ATF advised that all FFLs must begin to use the new Form 4473 no later than November 15, 2008. ATF realizes that this date is during hunting season and that this is a very busy time of year for the firearms industry. As Federal firearms licensees (FFLs), you play a significant role in the transfer of firearms to consumers. ATF recognizes the shared obligation to ensure that persons ineligible under the law do not acquire firearms. Therefore, in an effort to prevent undue burden on you the FFL, and to allow for proper training of employees, ATF will extend the mandatory must-use date of the new Form 4473 to January 15, 2009.

This extension will allow you to review the entire revised Form 4473, including the definitions, instructions, and the Important Notices to the Transferor/Seller. This will ensure timely implementation of the Form 4473 and a better understanding of the significant changes.

The mandatory must-use date for all FFLs for ATF Form 4473 has been changed from November 15, 2008, to January 15, 2009. All FFLs may begin to use the revised Form 4473 upon receipt but by no later than January 15, 2009. You may no longer use the previous edition of the Form 4473 after January 15, 2009 or as soon as you begin using the revised edition.

[Ed: Emphasis added]

Please contact your local ATF office with any questions you may have about the revised Form 4473. If you need additional forms, please contact the ATF Distribution Center at (703) 445-7801 or, to order online, go to http://www.atf.gov/dcof/index.htm.

Carson W. Carroll
Assistant Director
Enforcement Program and Services

Shepherd and The Shooting Wire have always been reliable sources of important and timely news in the Shooting community. If you have not already done so, I urge you to subscribe to the three-times-a-week newsletter.

The Bastard Operator from Hell Official Archive (BOFH)

I note in passing that I have not updated my "Hot Link(s) of the Week" (see sidebar) for over a month.

It has been difficult to give up the 1911 Breakdown, because it has seemed to me the epitome of a Gun Blogger Permanent Reference link. But our policy here at Geek Central has been to keep "Hot Links" as a special, limited-time offer. If you still want to keep a record of this website,, book mark it from the link in the first line of this paragraph.

Moving on ... I have just posted a new Hot Link on the sidebar.

The Bastard Operator from Hell Official Archive is a definitive link to a very geekish series of amateur writings which, from (at least) 1995 to 2001, were usually available through ListServ emails. They were introduced and re-posted on ListSerf after ListServ email lists, and proliferated exponentially.


Essentially, these were short stories starring a man who was either the main Operator, or a SysAdmin (System Administrator) of a computer system.

The series was posited on the almost Urban Legendary assumption that Operators and/or SysAdmins were so totally in power over their (corporate?) computer systems that, when Users would call for help, the SysAdmin would respond in a manner best calculated to produce Chaos, not Order. The Bastard Operator From Hell (BOFH) asserted his power ... entirely unrelated to authority ... at every opportunity, thereby confounding his enemies. And his enemies seemed to include everyone who wasn't the BOFH.

It was (to some) an appealing theme, generally well-written, and I'm sure it's popularity was largely due to the fact that it depicted Computer Geeks in the lead role of what was essentially a Technocratic Society.

At least, it appealed to me in that respect.

Well, it would, wouldn't it?


Here's a taste, chosen (almost) entirely at random from "The Bastard Operator from Hell - the '95 vintage"

So I'm in my office again, reconfiguring the router when the phone rings. Somehow I knew this was going to happen. I'm obviously going to have to change my number (and Operator) YET AGAIN.

I pick it up.

"Start talking."

"Is this the network engineer?"

Sigh.

"Yes it is," I say, resigned to my fate.

I check the phone - there's no corresponding name on caller ID, which can only mean one thing.

"You're new here aren't you?" I ask.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess. Tell me, how did you get my number?"

"Oh, I just called the helpdesk."

How helpful of them..

"Anyway, I was just ringing to tell you that you've got a problem with the network."

"No," I answer, "no problems here."

"You do have a problem - I can't get my PC to work."

"Let's just look at this logically," I say. "You can't get your PC to work, so I have a problem."

"With the network, yes. It's probably a loose connector somewhere."

Of all the things that REALLY piss me off, the 'loose connector' and 'loose wire' theories TOP the queue. He obviously thinks that my day consists of sitting in a comms room somewhere 'wiggling loose wires' to improve network services. Or that I designed the network by calling up a cable supplier and ordering several drums of CAT-5 and asking for it to be "scattered about the building in a spider web shape".

Next thing I know he'll be telling me that maybe one of the 'bulbs' burnt out on my FDDI ring.

"Hey, maybe one of the bulbs.."

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

"No, it's not that! You've kicked out your patch cable," I say.

"I can't have!" he backpeddles.

"You've kicked out your patch cable."

"No, all the wires are securely plugged into the back of my PC..."

"You've kicked out your patch cable."

"...and they all go to the box in the flo.. Oh, hey! I kicked out the patch cable!"

"Of course you did. It happens all the time. It's because the twisted pairs in your cable get tangled, shortening the effective length of the cable. It's just like the telephone cord when it gets tangled."

"Oh right! I think I read something about that.." he burbles. What a plonker.

"Is there anything I can do to stop it?"

"Well, all you need to do is unplug it from the floor socket and give the cable a really really hard yank. Then all the twisted pairs come into line."

"But won't that damage my machine?"

"Heck no! The connector at the other end is made to pop out when the strain might damage the cable!"

"OK, here goes..."

CRASH!!

"HEY! I PULLED MY MACHINE ONTO THE FLOOR AND A BOARD'S RIPPED OUT OF THE BACK OF IT!"

"Oh well, you obviously pulled too hard," I say calmly.

"WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? IT'S MY FIRST DAY!"

"I don't know," I reply. "It sounds to me like a hardware problem. I'm just a network engineer.."

"But..."

I hang up. It's time to have stern words with the helpdesk.

The quality of the BOFH series is that it's always time to have 'stern words with the helpdesk', or the boss, of someone who has situationally targeted as the individual who has spoiled his day inconvenienced the BOFH.

If you have never read the BOFH series, this is your best chance. And if you have read the occasional offering from BOFH, here's your chance (and mine) to Get The Whole Set.

Speaking as the man who spent eight years as the Corporate Data Security Officer for a large Multistate Manufacturing Corporation, I'm afraid I may have at one time become too close to this mindset. That is why I perhaps found these technical epistles so entertaining.

No, don't read too much into that.

Pay no mind to The Mand Behind The Curtain!

Geek Central: What's in my EMAIL Today?

The stuff I get in my email ... sometimes I send it to myself.

The Hobo Brasser has returned from his annual Elk Hunt. Word is, he brought beer back!

Here's what's in his game bag today:

[Image Not Immediately Available ... Watch This Space!]



From Mrs Hobo Brasser, aka "Spicy": Grandmothers.

1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter as she'd done many times before After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, 'But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!' (I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye...).

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, '62.' He was quiet for a moment and then he asked, 'Did you start at 1?'

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair.

As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, 'Who was THAT?'

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: 'We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods. 'The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, 'I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!'

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, 'Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?' I mentally polished my halo while I asked, 'No how are we alike?' 'You're both old,' he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. 'What's it about?' he asked. 'I don't know,' she replied. 'I can't read.'

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, 'Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!'

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, 'It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.'

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure.' 'Look in your underwear, Grandpa,' he advised. 'mine says I'm four to six.'

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, 'Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.' The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. 'That's interesting,' she said, 'how do you make babies?' 'It's simple,' replied the girl. 'You just change 'y' to 'i' and add es'.'

And finally, from AJ: The Great Office War!

Oregon Is A Blue State

Oregon is a Blue State. That is, it votes Democratic ... 'overwhelmingly'.




Presidential Race
But when you look at the votes within the state by county, you can see that in this current Presidential election (2008), only 12 counties voted in the majority for the Democratic candidate.

That's twelve democratic counties, out of 36 counties in Oregon. (State Map with county names.)

Generally speaking, the counties that voted over 50% Democratic are among the most densely populated. They include counties with the biggest towns (Portland in Multnomah County, Eugene in Lane County, Medford in Jackson County); counties with major Universities (Portland State University in Portland, University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon State University in Corvallis in Benton County, Southern Oregon University in Medford in Jackson County). The county with the State Capital (Salem, in Marion county).

Senatorial Race
And the counties that voted for Obama are also usually voting for the Democratic Senator.


It's not a coincidence that of the twelve counties which voted Democratic for the Presidential race, all seven of those counties which voted for the Democratic senatorial candidate (Merkley) against the incumbent Republican candidate (Smith) were among the 10 of 36 which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate, too.

Here's a rundown of the twelve Democratic counties:

• Clatsop - seaside resort and fishing, county seat Astoria. Obama 59%
  
• Columbia- Adjacent to Multnomah. Obama 59%
• Tillamook - sparsely populated seaside fishing and dairy county, home of Tillamook Cheese. Obama 54%
• Washington- Adjacent to Multnomah. Obama 63%
• Multnomah - Portland, largest city in the state. Metropolitan area extending to adjacent counties. Obama 60%
• Clackamas - Adjacent to Multnomah. Obama 60%
• Wasco - county seat The Dalles is the largest Oregon city on the Columbia River. Obama 59%
• Hood River- Adjacent to Multnomah. Obama 64%
• Lincoln - county seat Newport; located on the Central Oregon coast; fishing & tourism. Obama 59%
• Benton - county seat Corvallis home of Oregon State University. Obama 69%! (My home town~)
  
• Lane - county seat Eugene home of University of Oregon. Obama 63%
• Jackson - county seat Medford the third largest city in the state; home of Southern Oregon University. Obama 52%

The counties which voted against the incumbent Republican Senator (as of this time, with 80% of the precincts reporting, the candidates are within 1% of each other and a recount will doubtless be mandated :

• Clatsop: 49% - 45%
• Columbia: 46% - 45%
• Multnomah: 67% - 29%
• Clackamas: 49% - 46%
• Hood River: 53% - 43%
• Lincoln: 52% - 41%
• Benton: 56% - 40%
• Lane: 58% - 38%

________________________________

The point of this statistical shish-ka-bob is that the counties with the large populations (generally assumed to contain the most people who are receiving some kind of governmental largesse) and the counties with major universities (generally assumed to include the most Liberal Intelligentia, and the young newly involved students under the influence of these Liberal Scholars) are more inclined to vote for the Liberal Party Candidates.

The counties which are more remote from population centers, with rural rather than urban demographics, are more inclined to vote for the (relatively) Conservative Party Candidates.

Here, using my home state as an illustrative example, the trends are fairly obvious for anyone who has a practical understanding of the distribution of life-styles among the populations of the contribution population groups (counties).

While I'm no statistician, I find these comparisons striking. Cowboys and loggers, mechanics and merchants, tend to vote for the most conservative candidate possible. Those citizens who are more closely tied to major population centers (Lawers and Legislators, Professors and Professionals, Welfare Moms and Wastrels) tend to vote for the most liberal candidate possible.

Why?


Just my opinion, but I think it's because the Liberal voters have established a symbiotic relationship with government. They are like Remoras and sharks ... the government being the sharks. Sharks create waste, Remoras eat waste. They support big government because big government supports them. Their doormat reads: "Welcome!"


On the other hand, the Conservative voters are fiercely independent. They range from Wolverines to Shrek; they don't generally expect anyone else to support them, they live by the dint of their own efforts. All they want is to be left alone. They don't have doormats, they have mud rooms; but if they had a doormat, it would read: "Don't Tread On Me!".

The Brits -- Our American Future?

I've got time for only a few more derisive articles which castigate the British Empire's suicidal descent into Socialism, until we begin our own similar descent now that we've elected The Marxist One as our personal savior.

Let's take a few minutes and savor the many ways in which an intrusive Big Government can screw up our personal life. For the purpose of this discussion, we'll assume that "The Brits" includes England, Canada, Australia and (perhaps to some smaller extent) the Scots and the Irish.

[Did you know that God invented Whiskey so that the Irish would not rule the world? True fact, trust me on this. A further thesis is that God invented the English so that the Scots would not rule the world, and He invented the French just to confound the English. But that's a subject for a future post. Okay, probably not.]

I got an email from Julie Jigsaw, from Australia last week. She has been writing about the recent decision of the Australian Government to bowlderize the Internet.

Well, we seem to have dodged that bullet.

THE Federal Government is planning to make internet censorship compulsory for all Australians.

When the idea was first mooted, there was the concept of an "opt out" option, where users could contact their ISP and say "no, thanks" to this filtering.

This option has now been REMOVED.

When the plan comes into effect sometime next year ALL internet access through Australian ISPs will be censored.

As far as I am concerned, this is a very dangerous path to start walking down.

The Senator in charge of this travesty is Stephen Conroy and, despite trials being planned for later this year, he doesn't know what content the mandatory filters will bar!!!

According to this article there will be two levels of filtering - one level of mandatory filtering for all Australians and an optional level that will provide a "clean feed", censoring adult material. So we're not just talking about porn here.

So much for Australia. Let's move outside the immediate British Sphere of Influence. I invite you to read Erica Jong's prediction that "Obama Loss will 'Spark the Second American Civil War. Blood will Run in the Streets". (!)

Erica Jong:

"Beware of the man who denounces women writers; his penis is tiny and he cannot spell. "

Well, apparently we dodged that particular bullet, too. Brrrrrrr! It makes my tiny penis shrivel to chance incurring The Wrath of Erica.

Fortunately, there are a few Women Writers whose works I admire: Bujold, Evanovich, Grafton, Rand ... hey, where's Jong?

Not there.

Moving right along, let's zero in on Socialism Central ... England.

London to get Bomb-proof recycling bins.

Central London's financial district will begin installing bomb-proof recycling bins from next year, the company responsible for the product said Monday.

The bins, which cost around 30,000 pounds each to produce and install, will also feature news and weather information on LCD screens that are part of the bins.

"From a blast technology side, it's just something that should be there," said Brian James, the chief operating officer of Media Metrica, the company providing the product.

"You don't expect to get into an accident, but you make sure you have seat belts," he told AFP.

Okay, so England is going to spend over $60,000 each for garbage cans, to occupy the 'high risk' areas of London, and they're touting this as if it is A Good thing.

Reason why, is that 20 years ago the IRA dumped some bombs in garbage cans ... er, 'dust bins'.

It's axiomatic that The Military will spend billions of dollars to fight The Last War. That is, for Vietnam we (America) had tanks and stuff that would have been Good To Have in WWII. In Iraq, the American Military had Hummvees which would have been handy in Viet Nam. Maybe. Except that in this century they didn't have what theLiberals were fond of referring to as "Adequate Armor".

In Viet Nam, we didn't have "Adequate Armor"; we had flack jackets which wouldn't stop an AK47 bullet or a ChiCom Directional Mine from messing up your day. [Another blog article which will never be published.]

Today, when airplanes have been pounded into skyscrapers and (locally) Suicide Bombers are packing bomb-vests onto Trams (or whatever Brits call the subway) and onto busses, and thinking about liquid Binary Bombs on airplanes, the Brits are worried about someone blowing up their dustbin.

Okay, that sounds about right.

The Atlanta Bomber had the same idea ... about 10 years ago. Gee, if we had bomb-proof garbage cans on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia, we wouldn't have indicted whats-his-name .... without, as it happens, any shred of proof.


The Brits are looking very much like the Horse who got his head stuck in a tree last week. Think: Ostrich.

Finally, let's stick with The Home Country ... England .. and concentrate on the way it controls its citizens waste:

A company boss faces a £300 (pounds, about $630) fine for failing to declare his sandwich wrapper as "industrial waste".

Frank Hughes, 62, was threatened with the penalty by a council official during a spot inspection at his office and told he may be punished over his used tea bags.


The businessman, who runs a small scaffolding firm, works from an industrial unit with his wife Liz, 61, while their team of labourers visit sites across Liverpool.


But the official insisted they had flouted new nationwide laws which force companies to declare industrial waste despite the couple explaining they only have cling film from their home-made sandwiches and soggy tea bags.


Yesterday Mr Hughes branded their action "laughable".


He told the Daily Express: "In the face of recession, Britain should be looking after its small businesses, not hitting them with as many stealth taxes as they can dream up."


"They want to fine me £300 for sandwich wrappers. The world's gone crazy. We got a letter from the council's environmental waste department, like everybody else, about six months ago asking us to declare the waste we produce."

"Used Tea Bags?"

They want to ding him two days wages (in an average Western economy) for throwing his Used Tea Bags in the wastebasket?

Wait! Wait .. wait ...

Wait for the punchline.

Like you, I'm entirely outraged by this last report. But we now (today) have to stop and consider the story in the context of our future.

Within the next four years, My Fellow Americans, we too will be subject to equally draconian regulations.

Not laws ... we have control over them. Well, maybe not.

But Regulations?

That's Administrative, not Legislative.

That's Bureaucrats, not Legislators.

The folks we elect get to hire the Bureaucrats who set the Regulations without any input from us. And we will have no choice but to observe them. No, they won't throw us into jail ... unless we refuse to pay the onerous fines they impose.

We can expect to be the Victims of Bureaucracy for the next umpteen years. And there'e nothing ... absolutely nothing ... you can do about that.

Think about it.

Welcome to 1984, we're all Winston Smith in our fresh-minted Orwellian World.

And it's all our fault.

"All that is necessary for the triump of evil is that good men do nothing."

It was a Dark and Stormy Night

At 8:00PM the polls closed and the media could announce the results.

Without the West Coast vote, Barack Obama has won the Presidential Election with 297 Electoral Votes to John McCain's 146.


Here is the MSNBC look at the national results.

This is the review of Oregon Results, by county.

In Oregon, to my everlasting embarrassment disappointment, Obama won with over 51% of the vote, compared to under 48% for McCain.


I am, of course, not pleased with the results.

But we do have one thing to be grateful about: it was not a close vote.

There will be none of the SoreLoserGuy whining and bickering which typified the last two presidential elections, and that has to be an improvement. Nobody likes the kid who gets mad in the sandlot, promising to take his baseball and go home ... but won't go away even though it ruins the game for everyone. (Like Al SoreLoser and John Kerrywhiner.)

The Republicans showed the Democrats how to win. Now the Republicans will have to show them how to lose: gracefully, with dignity and a concern for the benefit of The Nation.

We'll hear from Cranky Conservatives in the future. They'll be whining about how Obama bought the office. One of the recent political memes concerned the fact that Obama promised to take the$86 million or whatever it is that the Federal government gives Presidential Candidates, but later changed his mind and decided to earn contributions on his own. That really worked for him, and there's a lesson in it.

Because, you know what? You can earn better as a result of your own efforts than you can by trying to survive on Government Welfare.

Ain't that a kick in the head? The notational Conservative-slash-Republican goes on The Dole, and his opponent hands him his head comes in a poor second. On the other hand, the Marxist refuses Government Funding and instead wins because he's willing to work hard and make his own way in the world.

This sounds more like a Horatio Alger story than the Marxian Dialectic.
(Go back to that link after reading this article. You will find a view of your future there.)


The Candidates
I'm disappointed that we didn't have a Republican Presidential Candidate to vote for. Instead, we had to vote for the RINO, or the Socialist.

Like most of the Republicans in the audience, I voted for Sarah Palin. She's not only the sole Conservative in the bunch, but also the only Conservative.

I was delighted when Geraldine Ferraro was the vice presidential candidate, riding the doomed McGovernM Mondale ticket in 1984 against Ronald Regan to absolute disaster.

I didn't like Reagan at the time, and I argued with my father about Republicans vs Democrats many times. He thought Reagan would grow the economy, I (then a Democrat) thought he was old and stupid. It's amazing how thoughtful he has become in the past quarter-century; although my father died in1994 I continue to learn from his antiquated sagacity. And I have become a Conservative, which would have pleased "Pop".

But I thought it was time that someone brought a female candidate into the process of selecting a President, and even though I thought McGovern was a non-starter I voted for the Democratic ticket back then.

This year it was much easier to vote for the notional Republican Candidate, because he had a real Republican on his dance card. While others were critical of McCain because of his age (you know, "what happens if he dies in office and leaves us without a leader?"), I figured "it can't hurt, it might help. If Palin assumes the Presidency, we might have a qualified Conservative in the Driver's Seat. Nothing against McCain, but I would have been more enthusiastic about a Palin/McCain ticket.

So much for the Distaff side of the choices-we-had-to-live-with.

How about that Obama?

Our first Black President. It's an historic moment, the only problem is that Obama may not be the best Black President.

There's a story going around about a century ago ... no, it was only a decade ... that Colin Powell was approached to run for President in the 2000 elections. He declined, however, under the ominous threat (and perhaps at the time a reasonable concern) that a black man cannot be elected without risking assassination in office.

Obama, in his most brilliant political move, chose The Distinguished Dork From Delaware, the Right Honorable Joe Biden, as his running mate.

There is nobody in this entire country who will risk the health and welfare of Barrack Obama as long as Joe Biden is waiting in the wings to take over the role of Defender of the Free World.

I'm not going to try to convince you that our nation is not going to take some serious hits in the next four years. We are. We will see a couple of Supreme Court Judges retire between now and 2012, under the sure and certain confidence that Obama will present only the most Liberal and Interpretive candidates as replacements. And they'll be seated, too. The Liberals own both the House and the Senate. We'll be dealing with the fall-out for the next 30 years.

Here's the good news. Obama has no governor. He'll over-rev, and the American citizen will watch his taxes rise, the American influence drop in the world Economy, and we will find ourselves in the economic hell of England and Canada where they will not (for example) suffer a non-conformist to live. Literally -- they own Socialized Medicine, which no modern nation has yet managed to provide health care for marginal patients.

In 2012, Obama will face Sarah Palin head-to-head, and it's a whole new ball game.
_____________________________________
UPDATE: 5-NOV-2008:
I originally wrote that Ferrro was teamed with McGovern in 1972. Stupid me, Whitefish set me right. It was over a decade later that Ferraro became the first woman to be a candidate from a Major Political Party in an American Presidential Election.

It will be A Good Day when computers come with a Spell Checker for your mind. God knows I need an Editor.
In the meanwhile, I expect to make many more fundamental errors of cognizance, and I continue to rely on my Readers to keep me accurate.

Seattle Activism - SeattleActivism.org

Seattle Activism - SeattleActivism.org

In a recent post by Sondrak, we see a link to Seattle Activism.

Among the appalling events advertised there, I found one single hopeful indicator that irony is not dead in The Evergreen State: as I am not unaware that these links are transitory, here is a snapshot of the calendared event:

event information & details

---

Workshop / Training
Free From Fear!! Hoplophobia Workshop

Date/Time
November 7 (Friday), 10:00 am
Location
Discovery Park - picnic grounds
Sponsored by
People United to Save Scared Youth

Be not afraid! Join your peers in encounter groups led by sensitive leaders trained in the Delphi Technique and Accuracy Theory and free yourself of your hoplophobia. Confront your fears and learn the pleasures of the 1-ring. Perhaps you will surprise and please yourself!

Contact Person:
Sig Colt
Contact Email:
sig45@yahoo.com


get driving directions
________________________________

I especially appreciate the acronym of "People United to Save Scared Youth".

The conclusion is left as an exercise for the student.

SR-71

This is an homage to the SR-71 Blackbird.


Do, please, click on this link; a presentation created by one of the pilots involved in the all-too-limited Blackbird Program.


Perhaps the most extraordinary airplane of all time, the Blackbird flew for decades, being fired upon by missiles thousands of times without ever being hit while still at speeds rivaling the most modern strike airplanes of today, being able to photograph license plated from altitudes of 85,000 feet ... and more.
___________________

As a teen, I wanted to fly. I wanted nothing more than to be an Air Force pilot. But I was distracted by other considerations, and never did make the effort to accomplish my desire.

My son has somehow inherited my love of airplanes, and flying. His 'favorite' was the Blackbird, and not without reason. Of the 40 Blackbirds constructed during a 20-year period, there were no more than 93 pilots assigned to Blackbird missions.

It's difficult to imagine that the Blackbird should be rendered 'obsolete', but eventually "Keyhole" satellites were understood to be more cost effective than single-mission airplanes, and the airframes are not longer supported or even retained as options for specific purposes.

In a way, this signals the end of an era when bold pilots would risk their lives to gather information vital to the interests of their country. The airplanes were, under limited and clearly understood (by their pilots) circumstances, the airplanes were able to out-run surface-to-air missiles while continuing to accomplish their assigned reconnaissance missions.

If there remains the concept of romance in the 21st Century, it includes the idea that bold men can ride powerful 'sleds' against all odds, to invade foreign territories in the quest to gather Intelligence.

William Shatner as "Mister Bigshot"

Shatner on Gun Control?

A frightening concept.

Two weeks ago, in a column titled "Slaughter of the goblins" I noted that "Kim ... has an interesting article". The crown jewel was a video (linked under the text noted above) which was presented as a pre-season tickler to a television show.

The video is controversial, but tantalizing in its outre-ness.

Unfortunately, it is no longer available in the link provided.

I hate broken links, or any variation thereof. So, to correct the situation I here present a bowdlerized version of the video.


Note that this is not exactly the same as the original version. Some words have been excised from the first few frames of the video, no no ill effect. What is bad is that Shatner's last line is also missing:

"Sweet Land of Liberty Valence!"

Since the video is not being touted, entirely out of context, as "Captain Kirk 'Shatner' on Gun Control" I've decided top add a few other videos from You Tube which are also touted as "... on gun control". Some of these are more interesting than others, so you may decide not to view them all.

First is John Stoessel listing the tenth of his Top Ten Myths: "The Myth of Gun Control":

Some people are strongly for gun-control. An easy example of this is Rosie McDonnell, who famously said "anyone who has a gun should go to jail".

Imagine my surprise when I discover that Rosie has since recanted that statement, sayingIt was the day after [the] Columbine [massacre]", and she was reacting "emotionally". Specifically she was not "at the top of [her game]" when she said that. Here's the video of her interview with Bill O'Reilly where she publically recanted that position. A little bit. (It's a five minute interview, in 2002 retrospect, so bear with me here. The pertinent statements are in the first 1:30 minutes.)



We have also heard a lot about the contentious May 19, 1999, interview with Tom Selleck, [8 minutes] where she is said to have 'ranted' or 'lit into him' [in an 8 minute interview].

Yes, she was rude and opinionated. Yes, she often interrupted Selleck before he could respond to her assertions. But her interview technique was not as bad as I had understood. Specifically, she did not then take the opportunity to say anything like she had been quoted before ("any who has a gun should go to jail", which incidentally I haven't yet managed to find a video.)

Don't get me wrong, I am no fan of Rosie. Still, after I dis a minimal amount of research I discovered that I was unable to substantiate the impression I had received about both her "go to thail" comment and the interview with Tom Selleck ... in which she came off as an ass, indubitably, but it was not as bad as I had expected.

Selleck, by the way, did manage to present himself as the voice of reason in the interview.

Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

FOXNews.com - Boy, 8, Shoots Self With Uzi at Gun Show - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

With an instructor watching, an 8-year-old boy at a gun fair aimed an Uzi submachine gun at a pumpkin and pulled the trigger as his dad reached for a camera.

It was his first time shooting a fully automatic gun, and the recoil of the weapon was too much for him. He lost control and fatally shot himself in the head.

Now gun safety experts — and some gun enthusiasts at the club where the shooting happened — are wondering why such a young child was allowed to fire a weapon used in war. Local, state and federal authorities are also investigating whether everyone involved had proper licenses or if anyone committed a criminal act.

This article focuses on the "why was this child allowed to shoot a machine gun? Why wasn't he adequately monitored by responsible, trained adults?"

I have to admit, I have the same questions.

The responsible parent (father) was reported to be several yards away, "reaching for a camera", when his son began shooting the subgun.

The responsible, trained instructor was not in a position to monitor and correct errors when the child began to shoot the subgun.

The child was not experienced in gun-handling, the father knew it (the older sibling had fired several firearms)

In the actual event, the full-auto machine-gun was too much for the boy to handle; and the subgun was so short that the muzzle tracked up, predictably, and the still-firing 9mm subgun worked its way up until it fired the fatal bullet into the brainpan of an innocent 8-year old boy.

It wasn't his fault. He had no idea what to expect, but he had been assured (presumably) by the innate authority of his father and the demonstrable experience of the instructor that he could handle it.l

Where do we go from here? What can we learn from this? What do we do about it? Who is responsible? What do we do to apportion responsibility and assign penalties ... if at all?

The Father:
According to the report, the Father was some distance away "reaching for a camera" when his son began shooting the Uzi.

I recognize that he wanted to capture the "Kodak Moment", and that he may not have realized that his son was going to begin shooting the gun before he was ready.

No excuse. He knew that his son was inexperienced, and presumably he was counting on the experience of The Instructor to prevent any unsafe actions.

Still, the responsibility of the father is to ensure the continued existence of his progeny. It may not be a Darwinistic result, and to typify it as such is both petty and disrespectful. In the final analysis the Father is responsible for the protection of his child, and this father failed miserably.

The Instructor:
It's difficult not to focus on the Instructor as the author of this tragedy, and I'm not even going to try to absolve him.

He had presented himself as an authority figure, he was responsible for the safe conduct of all persons and firearms on his venue, and he failed miserably. I'm sure he feels just terrible about that, but that means exactly nothing.

He allowed an undersized, inexperienced, confused child to kill himself through accident and misadventure. See the quotes around the words "accident" and "Misadventure" ... I didn't put them there. Quote marks are an excuse, and there is no excuse for the inattention and underappreciation of the potential for disaster which was not recognized here.


This ... person ... and words fail me, represented himself as an authority in the care and usage of full-automatic firearms. Yet he failed to present himself in a sufficiently close proximity to this obviosly inadequate childe to prevent what should have been the predictable consequent of handing a full-auto short subgun to a physically small and inexperienced person.
He should have KNOWN that a full-auto weapon would rise uncontrollably, and he should have started with his hand hovering over the weapon to prevent its rise past the vertical.

I picture him with a silly grin on his face, and his hands stuffed into his hip-pockets, assumig that the boy would be startled but that no permanently bad consequences would arise from the situation.

The sin of complacency.

For this sin, I can only prescribe civil suits which will forever deprive him of the means to make a living for the rest of his life.

For this sin, I coan only prescribe criminal penalties which will keep him in a small, grey, dank cell for the rest of his life.

Too punitive?

Not at all. A child who could have been anything, done anything, a Golden Child ... suffered the effects of a .358 inch, 125-grain object trepanned a child under his putative control control and protection. He had presented himself as The Instructor, accepeting all responsibilities and authoritiy. He fucked up. He deserves everything he gets, and I hope it hurts at least as much as the child's mother hurts tonight.

The Host Club:
Not without responsibility here. They accepted the credentials of The Instructor, They allowed this drama to be presented, without on-the-scene oversight. They are just as guilty of bad judgement and inattention. This is one club which should not be permitted to continue.

_________________________________

Again, I anticipate that readers may consider my criticism to be intemperate. I am reminded of my own home club, which hosts Full-Auto exravaganzas on an annual basis.

Would I be as condemnatory if a similar tragedy occurred at my home range?


Damn right!

If the club is not willing to staff a technically difficult stage with sufficent trained personell to prevent this sort of 'accident', it should be subject to the same penalties as I have described.

I teach an "Introduction to USPSA" class from time to time (although, not lately) and I have observed that New Shooters are often dangerously ill-equipped to demonstrate the gun-handling skills which this challenging competitifve venue presents.

I do the best I can to curb the untrained instincts of my students, and I am often uncomfortably aware that their skills are insufficient for immediate exercise of the kind of challenging stuff which USPSA/IPSC requires.

When I see that, I stop the student and require him or her to correct unsafe actions.

Under that basic level of ineptitude, I hover over my students so that I can stop them physically, if they are unresponsive of verbal warnings (or if their actions threaten to turn the muzzle of the gun in an unsafe direction.)

Still, I am uncomfortable dealing with new shooters who have'nt yet, or who are unable to, demonstrate an acceptable level of Gun-Handling Skills.

Toward that end I have encouraged the club to provide at least one secondary instructiong ... an experienced shooter whom I can rely upon to sot and handle the errs which I may miss because of inadvertantly inoptimal positioning.

I digress.

There are things an Instructor can do to prevent this kind of firearms tragedy. They were not recognized ... at least, they were not observed here.

He who presents himself as an Instuctor, and who does not provide the minimal amount of Safety to his students; he who allows an untested Instructor to represent his organization ... in the moment of Tragedy, both parties are subject to censure.

x
x
x
x
x

Recall Notice of Ruger LCP™ Pistol

Recall Notice of Ruger LCP™ pistol
Michael Bane at Downrange TV notes that the Ruger LCP (Lightweight Compact Pistol) has been recalled for product upgrades.

They (Ruger) have been informed that a few owners have reported that the loaded .380 pistol may discharge when the dropped on a hard surface. Product Advisories note that this is a "free upgrade" and owners of the LCP with serial number beginning with "370" will also receive a free magazine to compensate them for the time and inconvenience.


This pistol was brought out, in part, to compete with the Kel-Tek P-3AT and the Beretta Bobcat .380 pistols.
_______________________________
UPDATE: 02-NOV-2008:
I note in passing that a comment has been registered which expresses confidence in the integrity of The Ruger Organization in their efforts to support their customers.

Understand, my article only notes that the recall has taken place, and is intended to inform Ruger LCP owners that the problem is being resolved by the vendor. It is not intended as a negative criticism of Ruger engineering. I acknowledge that handguns are inherently dangerous, and responsible manufacturers (of which Ruger is one) are determined to provide the best possible product to their customers ... but it is not unknown to discover after a product is released that engineering lapses may create product-reliabilit issues.

I do accept that Ruger is responding responsibly to reports that their product (the LCP) may discharge under extreme situations. I'm not being critical of them here. I am only letting your know that a problem has been identified, and Ruger is responding appropriately; in fact, the industry is anticipating any need of the Federal Government to advance Product Reliability issues.

Winter Rules: Part 1

Were it not for the horribly destructive effects of Global Warming, we should be will into the Rainy Season now.

For IPSC competition, this means that every outdoor match will be composed in equal parts of

• chilled, soaked, cranky competitors and workers
• soggy, slippery, hard-to-score cardboard targets
• target frames (and steel Popper targets) that are blown down by the wind
• slippery footing, and water saturated soil in which Popper stands dig deeper into the mud every time the steel falls ... changing the calibration
• difficult to score paper targets from which tape will disappear

THOUGHTS ON STAGE CONSTRUCTION, AND TAPING TARGETS

Good stage design and quality construction techniques are more critical during this part of the year. Travel conditions are less than optimal. Shorter daylight hours mean that we have less time to set up, shoot, and tear down the stages. As workers, rainy/muddy conditions make it more difficult to secure target frames, keep cardboard from being soaked, and handle wet, slippery and heavy steel targets.

As a consequence, there is a temptation to take short-cuts during stage construction. We're wet, we're cold, and we just want to put up the minimum amount of stage components.

We also tend to take shortcuts during shooting.

Most frequently, the practice of covering cardboard targets with plastic bags to protect them from the rain often increases frustration. It's easier to bag the targets before mounting them on the frames. Unfortunately, this means the targets will be stapled on each side of the target two or three times. It's impossible to tape the targets during the match because there isn't enough slack in the bags to reach up where the holes are, so competitors slash the bags until they can reach the holes. Then the wind blows the slashed bag apart, the rain soaks the targets, and the tape just falls off.

(Hint: bag the targets after they are stapled to the frame, then bag the targets. Put a couple of staples near the top of the target, through the bags. This will prevent the bags from being blown off by the wind, and the tapers can still lift the bags to tape the holes.)

Many of us who shoot several times a month, all year long, have bought Target Tapers. These are plastic tape-dispensers which allow us to quickly cover the bullet holes with squares of adhesive tape. They are very convenient, quick and easy to use, and even have the added advantage of increasing our reach when access to the surface of the target is restricted by bagging the targets.

Unfortunately, they provide too small a surface for the tape to reliably stick to targets which have become wet. Leave your Target Taper in the bag, and use Masking Tape instead to cover the bullet holes in cardboard targets. You can tear off great long strips of tape, using enough to ensure that they will stay in place. The earlier holes will be covered by enough tape that the surface of the target will soon be criss-crossed with tape. Masking tape is less likely to soak up water than cardboard; it is easier to get tape to stick to wet tape, than it is to get tape to stick to wet cardboard. Be profligate in the use of masking tape.

Let's go back to setting up the cardboard targets for a moment.

Most of us have become enamored with using a minimum number of target sticks to mount the maximum number of paper targets. That works during the dry months, when we don't have to bag the targets. But in the Rainy Season, overlapping targets are impossible to bag. Stage Designers should STRONGLY consider the use of painting paper targets with 'hard cover' Black paint instead of embedding white 'no-shoot' targets which must be stapled together to provide reliable scoring when a shot passes through a penalty target and then hits a scoring target.

It's always a good idea to deny the shooter a stage of full-size targets; make him pay for being too hasty with his shots, it will make a better man of him. (Assume the usual apologies for sexist bias in these remarks; constructing Feminist-Friendly sentences is too stilted and sacrifices clarity of concept for the dubious benefit of Political Correctness.)

But it is better to minimize the number of White Penalty Targets (which must be cautiously taped and sited, while they make it difficult to tape the accompanying Shoot Targets when the bags are stapled too tightly to allow for taping the bullet holes), and allow target restriction techniques which do not provide such match management penalties. To make this clearer: don't use no-shoots, use hard-cover instead.

Target Replacement
It's a good idea for the Match Director to provide a generous supply of replacement targets for each stage. They should be stored in a place where they are not going to get rain-soaked before they are used. Then provide a defined time in the match when all squads should replace the targets.

Example: "After you have completed your third stage of the six stage match, replace all targets which need replacement before shooting the fourth stage of the match. Don't replace the targets on the stage you are leaving; replace the targets on the stage you are about to shoot."

Provide plenty of staples, and make sure that the targets are all easy to replace.

Translation, for those who have not been paying attention: put one target on one stand, provide replacement bags, don't leave sticks poking up above targets, don't make the cardboard targets lean to one side so that you can't bag them after they have been stapled to the frame, and put no more than two staples, no less than one, through every bag. Oh, and make sure the staples securing the bags go into the frame, so they don't pull out.

Is it necessary to mention that the purpose of these instructions is to insure that the bag will protect the target from the weather, and still prevent the plastic bag from blowing off when the wind gusts -- and yet making it easy for the squads to tape the bullet holes without ripping or cutting the bags?

Design and Construction

During the Rainy Season, it is even more important that good design techniques be used to insure that there are no problems on any stage. Everybody may be assumed to be wet, tired, cold and cranky. It's hard to make problems go away. It's easier to make sure that the problems don't occur.

Toward this end, allow the stage designs to be simple, the stage procedures to be easily understood (and subject to only one interpretation), and don't put up complicated stages which are likely to cause mechanical problems. Mister Fixit is home in bed with the flu, so keep the number of swingers and bobbers and other moving targets down to the bare minimum. (The 'bare minimum' of moving targets is, essentially, zero.)

Every cardboard target must be bagged to protect it from the rain. Target arrays which move and which incorporate cardboard targets must still be bagged. Moving targets which are protected by a bag have two very important vulnerabilities during the Rainy Season.

1. They are made of cardboard, so they must be bagged. But movement tends to throw off the bag, so they get wet.
2. Cardboard targets also lose their structural integrity when they are wet. They go limp. The B-Zone disappears, so the people who shot that stage before it started raining have more target area available than those who shot it after the target got soaked. The first competitor who protests a stage because he wasn't presented with the same shooting problem as his brother, who started on that stage (when the target was dry, and he could see the B-zone) will legitimately cause that stage to be thrown out of the match. This is A Bad Thing.

Summary: The stage designs need to be simple, easy to build, easy to maintain, easy to score. The construction crew needs to be able to put them up quickly and accurately according to the design. The competitors need to experience no problems with the 'difficult' elements of the stage, which means they need to spend their time shooting ... not fixing props, asking for clarification of stage procedures. The stage design must be sufficiently basic that nobody slows down the match by asking for interpretation of the hair-brained way they decide to shoot the stage.

(I liked the last match I shot. There was one stage where it took an extra second to move to the 'nominal' shooting position to engage the final target array. Someone noticed that the two screening vision barriers were imperfectly mated ... there was a gap between them. Was this a legal shooting position? When asked, the Match Director [Evil Bill] was reported to have said "This is a Jerry Situation. If Jerry can see them, he can shoot them." I love Rainy Season matches!)

______________________________________

Matches held during trying climatic situations are problematic at best. We all want to get out of the house and go shooting. The Competition Season is over, we're talking about means-nothing Club Matches here. While the rules of safety remain the most important factor, there is no need to design and build stages which force the competitors to waste their time arguing over petty rules interpretations, or which frustrate them because the props just don't work.

Stage designs should include a lot of steel targets, because steel doesn't rot when it gets wet as do cardboard targets. Need a moving target, or a difficult-to-hit target to spice up the stage? Consider using a Texas Star or a Plate Rack. Keep the moving cardboard target arrays in the prop room over the winter.

For a detailed essay on Rainy Weather match design, and general guidelines about year-around stage design, see Winter Rules: Part 2.