For the benefit of my Constant Readers (both of you) .. yes, I am still here and the reason that I have not been blogging recently is because I have endeavored to accept a kinder, gentler attitude towards the world at large.
I thought that would make it a better place to live. Unfortunately, nobody else noticed the movement and it's still a crappy place to live, so I will now resume my normal schedule of broadcasting the news that sucks:
In Oregon:
Portland Statue University (a community college at best) demands that Campus Cops patrol without firearms because it "makes the students feel safer".
Apparently, a Campus Cop drew down on a student, mistaking him for a nefarious individual who had been threatening other students. This student freaked out and so the entire campus freaked out .. never mind that the cops are trained and experienced, and the unidentified wanna-be terrorist is now "The Only One" on the campus with a gun.
Well, if it makes you teen-age students feel safer knowing that a freak with a gun will NOT be countered by a "good guy with a gun", that's your choice.
I wish you well, and hope that the memorials which your co-students will build in your honor are glorious. They will probably be in place until the expensive floral arrangements die, and the the flowers will hit the same dustbin in which your remains will be consecrated.
AS LONG AS YOU "FEEL SAFE", that's all that's important.
Me? I'd rather know that I was safe. But I'm old, so what do I know?
Parenthetically, as far as I know, PSU (Portland State University) is part of OUS (Oregon University System), which has decided that students and faculty are allowed to possess weapons on campus.
I was an employee of the "system", and I carried a firearm for over 20 years on campus. Never needed it; never worried about it. Everybody in my office knew I carried, and nobody ever mentioned it as a concern for their safety.
Saturday, March 02, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
New York Restrictions
New York, New York!
This is potentially A Really Big Deal, in that both the state of New York and the Supreme court (pardon the alliteration) have both determined that it is necessary to review the rights of a State to infringe upon the rights of American Citizens to freely exercise their Constitutional Rights to Keep and Bear Arms.
"They" (New York Politicians) don't trust you to exercise your Second Amendment Rights ... safely.
Here's the crux of the NYC explanation for increased infringements on the 2nd Amendment:
This is an obvious fallacy ... criminals will ALWAYS find a way to get a gun. Honest Citizens are "The Only Ones" who are ham-stringed by laws which make it more difficult to acquire the means of self-defense.
But I've said this before. Haven't I?
This is potentially A Really Big Deal, in that both the state of New York and the Supreme court (pardon the alliteration) have both determined that it is necessary to review the rights of a State to infringe upon the rights of American Citizens to freely exercise their Constitutional Rights to Keep and Bear Arms.
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to jump back into the national debate over gun rights after nearly a decade on the sidelines.? Is it just me, or have the Supremes finally chosen the RIGHT issue to rule upon the 2nd Amendment?
The justices agreed to consider a petition backed by gun owners’ groups asking them to strike down New York City’s strict rules for carrying legally owned guns outside the home.
"They" (New York Politicians) don't trust you to exercise your Second Amendment Rights ... safely.
The Captain's Journal: Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Gun Rights Case Stemming From New York Restrictions: "I don’t want to hear another damn word about gun safety."(You REALLY need to read the context provided by The Captain's Journal to understand the issue!)
Here's the crux of the NYC explanation for increased infringements on the 2nd Amendment:
“Unlike golf clubs and musical instruments, firearms present public safety risks that the city has a legitimate interest in protecting against,” their brief to the court said. “Limiting their possession and use in public minimizes the risk of gun violence.”Their argument against Citizen Ownership of Firearms follows the same old mantra: ("if we keep honest citizens from owning guns, criminals will be denied access to firearms which are used to commit crimes".)
This is an obvious fallacy ... criminals will ALWAYS find a way to get a gun. Honest Citizens are "The Only Ones" who are ham-stringed by laws which make it more difficult to acquire the means of self-defense.
But I've said this before. Haven't I?
Friday, January 04, 2019
The Generation Gun
The Generation Gun, in my family, was the 30 caliber (.30 WCF) Lever action rifle which my father claimed was the rifle he used to kill his first deer .... when he was 5 years old.
That's the thing about Generation Guns; they are so bound up in Tall Tales and Bull-Stuff; after a while you can't tell the difference between truth and "there's no story which cannot be improved".
(And yes, I realize I've talked about this before; bear with me.)
My father (Vernon The Geek) and his brothers {Orville The Geek) and his other brother ("Shorty The Geek") ... AKA "Floyd") would get together on Thanksgiving day, and swap stories about all the deer they had killed at extreme ranges and in inclement weather. As I have mentioned before, the stories always got better with each telling.
I once saw my father, Vernon The Geek, shoot at a deer from mountain top to the other, across a hiway (which was 100 feet below us. Then he made me climb down "our" mountain, and trudge up the opposing mountain ... to find and tote down the mountain.
Yes, he had mad The Impossible Shot with a Thirty-Ought-Six rifle which was older than I was. I was astounded.
But that was only the first time. The Geek Boys love the challenge of long-distance Mule-Deer Murder, and (I think) would pass up easy shots because they were "Too Easy".
Two years later, I saw my father kill another deer on a mountainside, too far away. I was fortunate that I was only Fourteen. years old, and too small to the drag the deer up to the ridgeline where they could load it on to the truck; I only had to lug Pop's rifle, and Uncle Shorty's gun, while they dragged the carcass a couple of hundred yards up the hill to where there was a road we could drive the pick-em-up truck to tote it home.
Of course, this never happened;
I never saw my father shoot across a road, which would have been illegal.
But that fat buck tasted mighty fine!
I miss the taste of venison; it was years before I could learn to appreciate beef.
That's the thing about Generation Guns; they are so bound up in Tall Tales and Bull-Stuff; after a while you can't tell the difference between truth and "there's no story which cannot be improved".
(And yes, I realize I've talked about this before; bear with me.)
My father (Vernon The Geek) and his brothers {Orville The Geek) and his other brother ("Shorty The Geek") ... AKA "Floyd") would get together on Thanksgiving day, and swap stories about all the deer they had killed at extreme ranges and in inclement weather. As I have mentioned before, the stories always got better with each telling.
I once saw my father, Vernon The Geek, shoot at a deer from mountain top to the other, across a hiway (which was 100 feet below us. Then he made me climb down "our" mountain, and trudge up the opposing mountain ... to find and tote down the mountain.
Yes, he had mad The Impossible Shot with a Thirty-Ought-Six rifle which was older than I was. I was astounded.
But that was only the first time. The Geek Boys love the challenge of long-distance Mule-Deer Murder, and (I think) would pass up easy shots because they were "Too Easy".
Two years later, I saw my father kill another deer on a mountainside, too far away. I was fortunate that I was only Fourteen. years old, and too small to the drag the deer up to the ridgeline where they could load it on to the truck; I only had to lug Pop's rifle, and Uncle Shorty's gun, while they dragged the carcass a couple of hundred yards up the hill to where there was a road we could drive the pick-em-up truck to tote it home.
Of course, this never happened;
I never saw my father shoot across a road, which would have been illegal.
But that fat buck tasted mighty fine!
I miss the taste of venison; it was years before I could learn to appreciate beef.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Politicians And Other Scoundrels
Are we becoming the "New Jersey of the West?"
Oregon is joining the ranks of anti-Constitutional states by toying with the enactment of laws which defy the Second Amendment.
We're not the first state to find ourselves defending ourselves against our own elected legislators: consider New Jersey:
Open rebellion? | The Price of Liberty:
buying a 15 round magazine They are odious because they impose a fine or other penalty upon the citizenry, and because they often require the citizen to relinquish previously legal possessions without compensation.
But even if compensated by the state, they are just one small step on the road to abrogating the rights of the citizen. These laws are invariably political in nature and often unconstitutional ... as are the ban on "high-capacity magazines" in several states, soon coming to a state near you.
(Oregonians ... are you listening?)
If the Oregon legislature can impose a ban on "high-capacity magazines", they can impose a ban on the firearms which you purchased legally (which can
accept a high capacity magazine), which is a ban on the Second Amendment ... which was enacted by the Founding Fathers of our country to protect the rights of the individual citizen against the hypothetical dictatorial government seeking to tyrannize its citizens.
Question: if the Army can load a 30-round magazine, and you cannot ... how do you defend yourself against an Army which is tasked to undermine the Second Amendment?
That " Hypothetical Dictatorial Government" is here, now, and it's here to stay ... unless you take action to protect your Constitutional rights in the face of a government, recently imposed by the Party which is becoming more powerful every day.
It is lead by "fearful people".
Don't make the mistake of assuming that the party in power will protect you; they will not. They do not wish to acknowledge your rights, and they will undermine them until you have no rights at all, except those which are becoming increasingly inconsequential.
Such as the right to vote.
The party in power is not that which is elected, but that which counts the votes.
Don't you wish you had a voice in choosing who counts the votes?
Oregon is joining the ranks of anti-Constitutional states by toying with the enactment of laws which defy the Second Amendment.
More than one lawmaker cried on the House floor while discussing the damage that a raging person can do with a gun. The chamber's bipartisan adoption of the bill coincidentally came one day after a gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school.Will Not Comply!
What's the issue? Oregon Legislators are considering inflicting even more oppressive restrictions on firearms ownership by law-abiding Oregonians.
And Oregonians are ignoring our own elected representatives, on the grounds that they do not "represent" our Constitutional Prerogatives.We're not the first state to find ourselves defending ourselves against our own elected legislators: consider New Jersey:
Open rebellion? | The Price of Liberty:
... perhaps as many as one million residents of New Jersey have failed to turn in “high-capacity” magazines by the statutory deadline of 11th of December, 2018. This requirement (turn-in or take out of state) is part of a law signed into law in June. The penalty for being found with a magazine with a capacity of greater than 10 rounds, regardless of caliber, is a fine of up to ten thousand dollars and up to eighteen months in jail. Having possession is a class four felony, which means that anyone convicted would permanently lose their right to own a weapon.Ex Post Facto Laws are those which make illegal an activity which was legal at the time the activity occurred.
"Sometimes, the only way to win is not to play"
But even if compensated by the state, they are just one small step on the road to abrogating the rights of the citizen. These laws are invariably political in nature and often unconstitutional ... as are the ban on "high-capacity magazines" in several states, soon coming to a state near you.
(Oregonians ... are you listening?)
If the Oregon legislature can impose a ban on "high-capacity magazines", they can impose a ban on the firearms which you purchased legally (which can
accept a high capacity magazine), which is a ban on the Second Amendment ... which was enacted by the Founding Fathers of our country to protect the rights of the individual citizen against the hypothetical dictatorial government seeking to tyrannize its citizens.
Question: if the Army can load a 30-round magazine, and you cannot ... how do you defend yourself against an Army which is tasked to undermine the Second Amendment?
That " Hypothetical Dictatorial Government" is here, now, and it's here to stay ... unless you take action to protect your Constitutional rights in the face of a government, recently imposed by the Party which is becoming more powerful every day.
It is lead by "fearful people".
Don't make the mistake of assuming that the party in power will protect you; they will not. They do not wish to acknowledge your rights, and they will undermine them until you have no rights at all, except those which are becoming increasingly inconsequential.
Such as the right to vote.
The party in power is not that which is elected, but that which counts the votes.
Don't you wish you had a voice in choosing who counts the votes?
Sunday, December 23, 2018
GUNS, MURDERS, AND THE CONSTITUTION
A scholarly thesis from 1990 addresses the negative public vision of firearms ownership by law-abiding citizens.
Essentially, it disputes the "common" thesis that people who own guns have anti-social tendencies:
I found that it supported the inalienable Constitutional rights which we currently enjoy.
And if you want to discuss "Gun Control" with people who don't under stand why you wish to "own a gun", this may provide you with some useful talking points.
I don't now about you, but I soon tire of arguing my rights against the fears of friends and neighbors .. those who only read about one side of the issue.
This article talks about the "other side" ... our side.
Essentially, it disputes the "common" thesis that people who own guns have anti-social tendencies:
GUNS, MURDERS, AND THE CONSTITUTION: As early as 1976, it was estimated that more had been written about "gun control" than all other crime-related topics combined.[2] Yet this pre-1976 academic literature was both fundamentally flawed and severely biased. The bias stemmed from the crusading zeal of academics who, by their own admission, could "see no reason ... why anyone should own a weapon in a democracy"[3] and who felt gun owners embodied an American soul that is "hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer."[4] Naturally, this bias led academic crusaders to discuss gun ownership as a social pathology rather than as a value-neutral sociological phenomenon.You may want to spend some time reading the entire study summary: I did.
I found that it supported the inalienable Constitutional rights which we currently enjoy.
And if you want to discuss "Gun Control" with people who don't under stand why you wish to "own a gun", this may provide you with some useful talking points.
I don't now about you, but I soon tire of arguing my rights against the fears of friends and neighbors .. those who only read about one side of the issue.
This article talks about the "other side" ... our side.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
"To Protect, and To Serve"
Parkland shooting: Judge says school, cops had no duty to protect kids:
*(H/T: David Codrea)*
A Florida lawyer representing 15 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High students says he is "exploring all of our options" after a federal judge ruled that law enforcement and school officials had no legal duty to protect students during a Valentine's Day rampage at the school that left 17 people dead. (emphasis added)"Legal Duty" isn't necessarily the same as "Moral Duty".
*(H/T: David Codrea)*
Monday, December 17, 2018
"Stupid Is as Stupid Does"
You may recall Forrest Gump saying that line.
But now New Jersey has decided to compound their institutional stupidity:
The cops are also uncomfortable because the laws reduces their ability to defend themselves as "private citizens".
(And cops can't tell the difference between armed private citizens and armed thugs, which is their story.)
If cops can potentially be under-armed with 10 round magazines, aren't their non-LEO neighbors equally at risk?
But now New Jersey has decided to compound their institutional stupidity:
Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik slammed New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy over a gun law that bans off-duty officers in the state from carrying magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Kerik tweeted a leaked memo to law enforcement signed by Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo, which said violating the law would result in a fourth-degree crime.NJ cops are protesting this law, on the grounds that it puts them at a severe disadvantage when they encounter criminal actions during off-duty hours and are required (by their terms of service) to intercede when possible.
The cops are also uncomfortable because the laws reduces their ability to defend themselves as "private citizens".
But what about the other "Private Citizens"? Don't they get to defend themselves?
Out on the street, criminals can't differentiate between off-duty police (in mufti) and private citizens. The difference doesn't matter to the mugger or the car thief who will steal your property while menacing you with a club, fists, knife, gun or just harsh language. And if you take a few lumps during the process, or perhaps get stabbed or shot, isn't that better than a lot of "private citizens" running around with hidden guns in Trenton?(And cops can't tell the difference between armed private citizens and armed thugs, which is their story.)
If cops can potentially be under-armed with 10 round magazines, aren't their non-LEO neighbors equally at risk?
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Smarter than the average bear
ATF caves on "accessory" classifications.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Taxes and Firearms (ATF) has officially declined to impose regulations on devices which it has designated as an "accessory". Specifically, those federal employees would not touch the "Bump Stock" issue with the proverbial 10 foot pole!
The Bureau of Alcohol, Taxes and Firearms (ATF) has officially declined to impose regulations on devices which it has designated as an "accessory". Specifically, those federal employees would not touch the "Bump Stock" issue with the proverbial 10 foot pole!
ATF Discontinues Accessory Classifications – Prince Law Offices Blog: if an individual or company submits an accessory to ATF for classification and it is not attached to a firearm, they won’t be rendering any decisions on it. Some readers inquired what would happen in a case where the accessory made the firearm subject to the control of the NFA. In the past, ATF has returned those items to individuals or companies that hold the appropriate type of SOT. If the individual or company lacks the appropriate SOT, ATF has not returned the item. To the best of my knowledge, ATF has not previously charged any individuals with GCA or NFA violations for seeking a determination.You may be forgiven for considering ATF to be the one Federal Department which is staffed by "people who know better ...:
Friday, December 07, 2018
What I Like About "New Jersey"
The more I learn about New Jersey, the more I appreciate that they live 3000 miles away from me.
Why?
Not only DO they want to take guns away from their honest citizens, but they're proud of it!
If you live in New Jersey, you must relinquish your "hi-capacity magazines". But there's an up-side:
You can sell them to New Jersey State Troopers, who CAN own those magazines which are a threat to domestic tranquility.
Well, isn't that lovely. The State of New Jersey can not only deprive you of your legally acquired property, but they can coerce you to arm the minions of The State. You know ... the fellows who will be required by law to confiscate your legally acquired property.
Funny thing is, we always thought that the whole idea of the Constitution was to protect the private individual against the predatory powers of The State. But today, you can feed the Power of The State by selling your "High Capacity" magazines to New Jersey State Troupers. (Will they give you a dime on the dollar when theyconfiscate purchase your high-capacity magazines?)
I wonder what they are going to do with them.
forcing encouraging their citizens to ARM the very people who can use your legally acquired magazines against you.
Two good things about this:
(1) at last you have acknowledged who The Masters Of Your Fate are (and it isn't you)
(2) you can rest assured that the only guns which can be used against you are in "Good Hands" ... the State Troopers.
Good bye, New Jersey. Americans will miss you.
Why?
Not only DO they want to take guns away from their honest citizens, but they're proud of it!
If you live in New Jersey, you must relinquish your "hi-capacity magazines". But there's an up-side:
You can sell them to New Jersey State Troopers, who CAN own those magazines which are a threat to domestic tranquility.
A Powerful Dissent Charges Judges Who Casually Uphold Magazine Restrictions With Disrespecting the Second Amendment - Hit ; Run : Reason.com:
New Jersey, which has banned magazines holding more than 15 rounds since 1990, imposed the stricter limit last June in response to mass shootings. The law requires owners of "large capacity magazines" (LCMs) to surrender them to the state, render them inoperable, modify them so they cannot hold more than 10 rounds, or sell them to authorized owners (such as retired police officers, who are exempt from the ban) by December 10. New Jersey residents who fail to comply by Monday will become felons, subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to 18 months in prison for possessing previously legal products.(Emphasis Added)
Well, isn't that lovely. The State of New Jersey can not only deprive you of your legally acquired property, but they can coerce you to arm the minions of The State. You know ... the fellows who will be required by law to confiscate your legally acquired property.
Funny thing is, we always thought that the whole idea of the Constitution was to protect the private individual against the predatory powers of The State. But today, you can feed the Power of The State by selling your "High Capacity" magazines to New Jersey State Troupers. (Will they give you a dime on the dollar when they
I wonder what they are going to do with them.
Sucks to live in New Jersey!
Wasn't the purpose of the Second Amendment to protect private citizens against The State? Now, in New Jersey, they'reTwo good things about this:
(1) at last you have acknowledged who The Masters Of Your Fate are (and it isn't you)
(2) you can rest assured that the only guns which can be used against you are in "Good Hands" ... the State Troopers.
Good bye, New Jersey. Americans will miss you.
Saturday, December 01, 2018
OOPS!
I have tripped, and hit the back of my head on the concrete patio.
Hurts a bit, it does, and so I have gathered a bunch of ice cubes in a bag and currently am trying to hold it against my head, with hopes of keeping the swelling to go down.
Here's a bit of a hint: if you must trip, don't arrange it so that your head-first point-of-impact is something as unyielding as a concrete patio.
It hurts, a lot. And for a long time.
I'm trying to type with my right hand while my left hand is holding a sandwich-bag of ice on my pate.
It's not working well, but I can only imagine the pain if I was NOT freezing the knot on my head.
NOTE: It's a "Good Idea" to wrap the ice cubes in clothe, like a wash clothe, so you aren't reduced to holding freezing hard ice cubes against your "oowie!";
The ice cube remedy takes a while to be effective, I guess. I'm getting tired of holding the plastic bag against my head. It's hard to type like that. more later .... or not..
Hurts a bit, it does, and so I have gathered a bunch of ice cubes in a bag and currently am trying to hold it against my head, with hopes of keeping the swelling to go down.
Here's a bit of a hint: if you must trip, don't arrange it so that your head-first point-of-impact is something as unyielding as a concrete patio.
It hurts, a lot. And for a long time.
I'm trying to type with my right hand while my left hand is holding a sandwich-bag of ice on my pate.
It's not working well, but I can only imagine the pain if I was NOT freezing the knot on my head.
NOTE: It's a "Good Idea" to wrap the ice cubes in clothe, like a wash clothe, so you aren't reduced to holding freezing hard ice cubes against your "oowie!";
The ice cube remedy takes a while to be effective, I guess. I'm getting tired of holding the plastic bag against my head. It's hard to type like that. more later .... or not..
Do NOT assert your 2nd Amendment rights.
The police WILL arrest you if you're too 2nd Amendment!
(22) Debate with anti gunner leads to arrest at White House - YouTube:
(22) Debate with anti gunner leads to arrest at White House - YouTube:
AdamKokesh Published on May 7, 2017 SUBSCRIBE 243K Adam was arrested on a bogus warrant and did a week in jail as a result of this. He was held for Maryland to pick him up from jail in DC and they never did. This is not some big conspiracy, just another case of petty harassment of activists that is a feature of modern America, where everything I want to do is illegal. ;)
Thursday, November 22, 2018
FORTY NINETY EIGHT
This will be the 8641th post I've written to this blog since December of 1998.
But it's only the 4098th post I've actually published. The other 4562 I sat back after I wrote and then said to myself: "Hmmm ... that's just stupid" ... and never published them.
Given some of the *(often repetitive)* tripe I've published in the last 20 years, you can imagine the amount of embarrassment I've saved myself by declining to publish the other half of them.
So I want to thank my "constant readers" ... all four of them ... and the rest of you who somehow noticed that something I said may have seemed reading through to the end.
PS: Yes, I noticed that the published and unpublished counts don't add up to 8641. Blame it on the software .... they found the one extra post, I didn't.
So enjoy your turkey and trimmings. I have my dinner cooking and it's in a pot on the front burner, not cooking for hours in the oven.
I've got to go now before the pot boils over. I hate it when that happens.
But it's only the 4098th post I've actually published. The other 4562 I sat back after I wrote and then said to myself: "Hmmm ... that's just stupid" ... and never published them.
Given some of the *(often repetitive)* tripe I've published in the last 20 years, you can imagine the amount of embarrassment I've saved myself by declining to publish the other half of them.
So I want to thank my "constant readers" ... all four of them ... and the rest of you who somehow noticed that something I said may have seemed reading through to the end.
PS: Yes, I noticed that the published and unpublished counts don't add up to 8641. Blame it on the software .... they found the one extra post, I didn't.
So enjoy your turkey and trimmings. I have my dinner cooking and it's in a pot on the front burner, not cooking for hours in the oven.
I've got to go now before the pot boils over. I hate it when that happens.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Stolen Firearms Part II
I've received comments suggesting that, considering the ease with which the burglars managed to enter my home WHILE I WAS THERE, I need to establish more stringent security measures.
I've begun hooking the chain on the front door, besides ensuring that both locks are locked.
(My landlord assures me that only he and I have keys to the lock ... which confirms that I didn't make that extra check on Wednesday night. My bad.)
. I've received permission from the landlord to change the locks on the door. In the meantime, I'm leaving the interior lights on 24/7 to dissuade return visits. Unfortunately I'm a sound sleeper, but I reconfirm that all doors and windows are locked before I go to bed.
I know ... locking the barn door after the horses have been stolen. All I can do is all I can do.
I don't have much ... a little cash and some old credit cards ... I've called my credit card vendors requesting that my old cards be cancelled and new cards sent to me via mail. All firearms are either locked in the safe or by my side.
The thing is, I don't go out much. Mostly, just a trip to the grocery store once a week, and the house is locked up then, too.
The burglars left long guns which were laying in the open (I was writing down the serial numbers to confirm my records, and went to bed before securing them .. this one night, only!)
I've been laboring under the delusion that I just "tucked them away someplace" when I went to bed, but I've now confirmed that the firearms are no longer resident here.
Now that I'm certain that it wasn't just a matter of forgetting where I put them, I'll be getting the police involved. I should have done that immediately, but I tend to be forgetful and I needed to check the whole house.
I've done that; they're gone.
So now I have to enter a claim to my insurance company.
Unfortunately, they also found my wallet with all my credit cards, so I've been contacting card issuers to shut off the cards (no purchases have been made as of today) and request new credit cards be issued via mail. I still have cards issued from local stores, so I'll visit them to request the old cards be cancelled and new cards issued. They also got away with the $80 cash that was in my wallet.
This is a traumatic experience for me. I've had trouble sleeping, I have no appetite. It's not just that I've discovered how vulnerable I am to theft, but that someone in this neighborhood knows that I have valuables worth stealing, and they were so comfortable with their thievery.
The only good news is that they missed the valuable competition guns (in the safe) .. it was a "Smash And grab" ... just took the handguns, which they could conceal in a bag, and then they split. I'm concerned that they seem to have either taken the time to search the downstairs (I don't THINK they cam upstairs, where I sleep), or they were familiar with the layout. That suggests that they have been inside my home before. Both of those theories give me no rest.
So I'll spend another sleepless night. And we'll see what kind of help the police can provide when I finally am able to identify all the firearms by serial numbers ... which I should have recorded LONG AGO!
I've begun hooking the chain on the front door, besides ensuring that both locks are locked.
(My landlord assures me that only he and I have keys to the lock ... which confirms that I didn't make that extra check on Wednesday night. My bad.)
. I've received permission from the landlord to change the locks on the door. In the meantime, I'm leaving the interior lights on 24/7 to dissuade return visits. Unfortunately I'm a sound sleeper, but I reconfirm that all doors and windows are locked before I go to bed.
I know ... locking the barn door after the horses have been stolen. All I can do is all I can do.
I don't have much ... a little cash and some old credit cards ... I've called my credit card vendors requesting that my old cards be cancelled and new cards sent to me via mail. All firearms are either locked in the safe or by my side.
The thing is, I don't go out much. Mostly, just a trip to the grocery store once a week, and the house is locked up then, too.
The burglars left long guns which were laying in the open (I was writing down the serial numbers to confirm my records, and went to bed before securing them .. this one night, only!)
I've been laboring under the delusion that I just "tucked them away someplace" when I went to bed, but I've now confirmed that the firearms are no longer resident here.
Now that I'm certain that it wasn't just a matter of forgetting where I put them, I'll be getting the police involved. I should have done that immediately, but I tend to be forgetful and I needed to check the whole house.
I've done that; they're gone.
So now I have to enter a claim to my insurance company.
Unfortunately, they also found my wallet with all my credit cards, so I've been contacting card issuers to shut off the cards (no purchases have been made as of today) and request new credit cards be issued via mail. I still have cards issued from local stores, so I'll visit them to request the old cards be cancelled and new cards issued. They also got away with the $80 cash that was in my wallet.
This is a traumatic experience for me. I've had trouble sleeping, I have no appetite. It's not just that I've discovered how vulnerable I am to theft, but that someone in this neighborhood knows that I have valuables worth stealing, and they were so comfortable with their thievery.
The only good news is that they missed the valuable competition guns (in the safe) .. it was a "Smash And grab" ... just took the handguns, which they could conceal in a bag, and then they split. I'm concerned that they seem to have either taken the time to search the downstairs (I don't THINK they cam upstairs, where I sleep), or they were familiar with the layout. That suggests that they have been inside my home before. Both of those theories give me no rest.
So I'll spend another sleepless night. And we'll see what kind of help the police can provide when I finally am able to identify all the firearms by serial numbers ... which I should have recorded LONG AGO!
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Curmudgeon Blogging Not Allowed!
The reason I keep writing here is because I have this really terrific "Support Group" of people who, when I get all cranky anc curmudgeonly ... they remind me that I'm among friends and I don't have to be The Cranky Guy (at least, not all the time(*).
*(see the comments here)
IN OTHER NEWS:
Still can't find the 'missing firearms", still concerned, still searching the house in hopes that I've merely "misplaced them". Not expecting a good outcome at all ... which feeds my curmudgeonliness.
I've got to go to the County Sheriff on Monday and admit that I've not stored my firearms completely in compliance with Oregon new laws. You can write me in care of Birmingham Jail.
*(see the comments here)
IN OTHER NEWS:
Still can't find the 'missing firearms", still concerned, still searching the house in hopes that I've merely "misplaced them". Not expecting a good outcome at all ... which feeds my curmudgeonliness.
I've got to go to the County Sheriff on Monday and admit that I've not stored my firearms completely in compliance with Oregon new laws. You can write me in care of Birmingham Jail.
Guns Stolen (?)
Somebody got into my house while I was asleep a couple of days ago.
They found a couple of handguns (a .38 snubby & a 9mm carry gun) out in the open on a bookshelf, and waltzed away with them.
I had brought the guns out while I reviewing my firearms inventory, intending to make sure I had the recorded serial numbers. Started with the long guns, then got sleepy and just went to bed.
I didn't notice for a day that the handguns were not where I put them. I thought I had put them back in the safe (which was the reasonable thing to do) until I checked; they weren't there. And the front door was unlocked.
I checked with my landlord and he said only he and I had keys to my house.
My guess it that it was a target of opportunity ... but is someone checking my front door every night to see if I left it unlocked? (I "always" lock my doors, even when I'm awake and in the house. Maybe this time I forgot the check? I can't believe that.) And as far ask I know, my neighbors don't know that I own firearms. How could they? I never talk to them ... they move in and out of the neighborhood (all rental townhouse duplexes in a college term) every three to nine months as they enter and exit the local college.
Since nobody else had keys, and my landlord was out of town (has been for a week), I have to conclude that I left it unlocked. It was closed and latched, I'm certain of that.
And I keep my porch light on 24/7/365 ... that light has been burning for seven years on the same 60 watt bulb. It was intended to make burglars think twice before attempting entry.
Well that didn't work and locks didn't work. What's next, booby traps?
Now I have to go to the police and report the stolen guns. That will prove awkward, as I don't have serial numbers for both handguns. I have the original box for the automatic, but I don't have any record for the revolver. I missed it by THAT MUCH! (Actually, I did write down a number but I'm not certain that the tall vertical marks are "slashes" or "ones".)
They also took my money clip, with about $80 in cash and ALL my identification (drivers license, CHL) and two or three credit cards plus my bank card.
Monday I'll go around to my bank (haven't seen any withdrawals) and the police to report the robbery. I'll get with my credit company ... I have old cards, so I have my account numbers and I can also contact them online.
I don't mind the money, and the cards and drivers license are an inconvenience. Identity theft is an issue, although all the cards are password protected so they could not be used.
But I'm concerned about a couple of loaded handguns in the possession of burglars.
I'm thinking it was kids. Teens. There were two rifles in plain sight ... I was checking their serial numbers, too ... and they weren't touched. There were guns in a nearby *temporarily unlocked* closet that I planned to record next but hadn't got around to, and they weren't touched.
There's a moral lesson out there for someone, or for everyone. Maybe a couple of them.
(1) Make sure you have ALL your serial numbers, plus take photos of the firearms (including close-ups of the serial numbers to confirm ... which I was in the process of doing when I went to bed without properly storing my firearms).
(2) check all your doors before you go to sleep. I do this religiously (I think) and someone still got into my house.
There's another issue:
Oregon is playing with a law which requires that all firearms be under lock and key, when they are not on your person. There may be a civil liability ... I could go to jail ... if I report stolen guns where were not locked in an "adequate" container. I've always said my apartment was always locked, and so my firearms were secured. I'm in a quandary whether I should report the guns as stolen.
I WANT to report the theft *(or maybe I just "mislaid" them)* but can I ... WILL I? ... be prosecuted because I considered my locked doors adequate security.
The problem with new gun control laws is that it makes felons of innocents. However, in spite of my good intentions, I still lost guns which I considered to be secure.
All of my handguns are now in the safe, except for the one which I keep by my bedside. And a few long guns, in my bedroom closet. Obviously, I need the immediate availability of at least one firearm ... even in a neighborhood which for over 20 years I have considered to be "safe".
I guess I need to start wearing a gun on my person 24/7 ... which is certain to frighten my neighbors.
I don't like being 'The Bad Guy".
They found a couple of handguns (a .38 snubby & a 9mm carry gun) out in the open on a bookshelf, and waltzed away with them.
I had brought the guns out while I reviewing my firearms inventory, intending to make sure I had the recorded serial numbers. Started with the long guns, then got sleepy and just went to bed.
I didn't notice for a day that the handguns were not where I put them. I thought I had put them back in the safe (which was the reasonable thing to do) until I checked; they weren't there. And the front door was unlocked.
I checked with my landlord and he said only he and I had keys to my house.
My guess it that it was a target of opportunity ... but is someone checking my front door every night to see if I left it unlocked? (I "always" lock my doors, even when I'm awake and in the house. Maybe this time I forgot the check? I can't believe that.) And as far ask I know, my neighbors don't know that I own firearms. How could they? I never talk to them ... they move in and out of the neighborhood (all rental townhouse duplexes in a college term) every three to nine months as they enter and exit the local college.
Since nobody else had keys, and my landlord was out of town (has been for a week), I have to conclude that I left it unlocked. It was closed and latched, I'm certain of that.
And I keep my porch light on 24/7/365 ... that light has been burning for seven years on the same 60 watt bulb. It was intended to make burglars think twice before attempting entry.
Well that didn't work and locks didn't work. What's next, booby traps?
Now I have to go to the police and report the stolen guns. That will prove awkward, as I don't have serial numbers for both handguns. I have the original box for the automatic, but I don't have any record for the revolver. I missed it by THAT MUCH! (Actually, I did write down a number but I'm not certain that the tall vertical marks are "slashes" or "ones".)
They also took my money clip, with about $80 in cash and ALL my identification (drivers license, CHL) and two or three credit cards plus my bank card.
Monday I'll go around to my bank (haven't seen any withdrawals) and the police to report the robbery. I'll get with my credit company ... I have old cards, so I have my account numbers and I can also contact them online.
I don't mind the money, and the cards and drivers license are an inconvenience. Identity theft is an issue, although all the cards are password protected so they could not be used.
I'm thinking it was kids. Teens. There were two rifles in plain sight ... I was checking their serial numbers, too ... and they weren't touched. There were guns in a nearby *temporarily unlocked* closet that I planned to record next but hadn't got around to, and they weren't touched.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Incomprehensible Retro Rock: Karma Chameleon:
What WERE we THINKING???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Passing on the Honors ... credit where due
The link below describes a Real American Hero.
On this month of Honor to Veterans, perhaps we need to remember what a Real Hero looks like:
H/T: Irons in the Fire: People who have to pad their testicles:
On this month of Honor to Veterans, perhaps we need to remember what a Real Hero looks like:
H/T: Irons in the Fire: People who have to pad their testicles:
In the history of the U.S. Navy only seven men have earned all of the “Big Three” valor awards: Medal of Honor, Navy Cross and Silver Star Medal. Six were World War II officers, including one aviator and four submarine commanders. The seventh was enlisted sailor James Elliott “Willy” Williams in Vietnam.
Monday, November 12, 2018
Oh, so now it's OUR fault!
The Republican Party can't find electable candidates to retain control of Congress, and now it's the fault of "gun owners".
The fact is, the Republican Party hasn't been able to find an 'electable' candidate for years. President Trump was only elected because he "wasn't Hillary" and many of us had to hold our nose in order to vote for him (regardless of his vow to support the Second Amendment; a sucker bet for Constitutionals ... which most gun owners are).
I'm personally insulted by the insinuation that a small, but significant, minority of Republican voters who happen to be firearms owners are accused of failing the Republican party's candidacy. Perhaps it would have attracted more votes if they had been more attuned to the tenor of the party members.
I'm half-way convinced that Trey Gowdey could have been a much stronger candidate than Trump, if he had been selected and supported by the GOP in the last election.
For that matter, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R, UT-3) who retired recently, may have been a viable Presidential Candidate; he had as much respect as Gowdy has.
Ammoland, rather than parrot accusations from political fault-finders, would better serve their customers by noting that gun owners are overwhelmingly the strongest constituency for the GOP.
And the GOP needs to grow a pair, if they want to remain the party of the Constitution.
Incumbent House Losses Not a National Rebuke of ‘Trumpism’: U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- With the turnover of the House of Representatives to the Democrats in Tuesday’s midterm elections, those who predicted a “Blue Wave” are ecstatic and pointing to a national “thumbs down” for the Donald Trump administration and its policies. While a surface “analysis,” (meaning no real effort besides parroting “progressive” talking points) may look like that’s what happened, a closer look suggests Democrat “wins” owe plenty to gun owner apathy over turning out to reelect “RINO” squishes. That and changing demographics.emphasis added
The fact is, the Republican Party hasn't been able to find an 'electable' candidate for years. President Trump was only elected because he "wasn't Hillary" and many of us had to hold our nose in order to vote for him (regardless of his vow to support the Second Amendment; a sucker bet for Constitutionals ... which most gun owners are).
I'm personally insulted by the insinuation that a small, but significant, minority of Republican voters who happen to be firearms owners are accused of failing the Republican party's candidacy. Perhaps it would have attracted more votes if they had been more attuned to the tenor of the party members.
I'm half-way convinced that Trey Gowdey could have been a much stronger candidate than Trump, if he had been selected and supported by the GOP in the last election.
For that matter, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R, UT-3) who retired recently, may have been a viable Presidential Candidate; he had as much respect as Gowdy has.
Ammoland, rather than parrot accusations from political fault-finders, would better serve their customers by noting that gun owners are overwhelmingly the strongest constituency for the GOP.
And the GOP needs to grow a pair, if they want to remain the party of the Constitution.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Paul Phillips
RIP Paul Philips ... 1923 -1944
My mother's "little brother" (Paul) was killed in Italy, during WWII. He was an infantryman, he was in a unit that had landed in Italy and was working their way inland. He was walking through a farmyard when a sniper's bullet cut his young life short.
I'm short of details. I once asked my mother about "Uncle Paul" (who died years before I was born) and she teared up, could not talk. This was 50 years after his death. Paul was her "Little Brother", and she never got over her loss. I had to ask other relatives to learn even this much.
I had asked her about Uncle Paul a couple of years after I got back from Viet Nam. And it wasn't until that moment that I realized how difficult it was for her to say goodbye to me, the day I shipped out to Viet Nam (on an airplane, an overnight trip ... not the weeks long ship voyage that Uncle Paul must have endured). She couldn't even talk about him; she grieved for him all over again.
I understand now that she suffered more fear for me than I did for myself. But she wrote me warm letters about the family and little incidents while I was gone. And I tried to write back a couple of times a month, but it was not always possible; rain, pencil, wet paper ... I always had an excuse.
She saved my letters, and years later she gave them to me, wrapped in a red ribbon. I was surprised about how few there were ... the stack was only an inch thick, and this represented a year's correspondence to my parents? It was inexcusable, if I had understood A Mother's Fears. I can only imagine her concern for my safety.
I began to understand when my son ... "The Squid Kid" ... joined the Navy as a career.
Good news: he's in the Navy. What "Bad Things" could happen to him?
Bad news: he chose "Master at Arms" as his MOS.
This isn't like "Shore Patrol" when they just go after drunken sailors who don't report on time after shore leave; this is like a Navy Cop, who deal with crimes and criminals in the Navy.
But he is strong, intelligent, well trained. Much of the time he is based on Whidbey Island Navel Air Station in the Puget Sound where his family lives; most nights he gets to go home to his wife and his many children ... when he's not TDS deployed (for a year at a time) in some place I don't know how to spell.
He never writes, he rarely calls .. but when he does phone me, we talk for hours about things that don't really matter. It just matters that we can talk to each other; I think he does it because he knows I worry about him, although I try not to show it.
He's a lot better about keeping in touch than I was.
I've become "My Mother"; worrying about my beloved soldier/sailor/airman, grateful when I hear he's still okay.
I don't want to become "My Mother", fearing the loss / weeping for decades over the loss of my beloved family member. And I'm determined not to take counsel of my fears.
On this Veterans Day (previously "Armistice Day", celebrating the end of WWI), I'm thinking of The Squid Kid, and his family (and many of my grandchildren), and how proud I am of my son who made it his life work to defend his country.
And I know I won't be like my mother, spending the better part of her life mourning for the beloved relative she lost during "The War To End Wars To End Wars".
So ... Ben, remember this: it's a sin for a child to die before his parents. Be careful out there.
My mother's "little brother" (Paul) was killed in Italy, during WWII. He was an infantryman, he was in a unit that had landed in Italy and was working their way inland. He was walking through a farmyard when a sniper's bullet cut his young life short.
I'm short of details. I once asked my mother about "Uncle Paul" (who died years before I was born) and she teared up, could not talk. This was 50 years after his death. Paul was her "Little Brother", and she never got over her loss. I had to ask other relatives to learn even this much.
I had asked her about Uncle Paul a couple of years after I got back from Viet Nam. And it wasn't until that moment that I realized how difficult it was for her to say goodbye to me, the day I shipped out to Viet Nam (on an airplane, an overnight trip ... not the weeks long ship voyage that Uncle Paul must have endured). She couldn't even talk about him; she grieved for him all over again.
I understand now that she suffered more fear for me than I did for myself. But she wrote me warm letters about the family and little incidents while I was gone. And I tried to write back a couple of times a month, but it was not always possible; rain, pencil, wet paper ... I always had an excuse.
She saved my letters, and years later she gave them to me, wrapped in a red ribbon. I was surprised about how few there were ... the stack was only an inch thick, and this represented a year's correspondence to my parents? It was inexcusable, if I had understood A Mother's Fears. I can only imagine her concern for my safety.
I began to understand when my son ... "The Squid Kid" ... joined the Navy as a career.
Good news: he's in the Navy. What "Bad Things" could happen to him?
Bad news: he chose "Master at Arms" as his MOS.
This isn't like "Shore Patrol" when they just go after drunken sailors who don't report on time after shore leave; this is like a Navy Cop, who deal with crimes and criminals in the Navy.
But he is strong, intelligent, well trained. Much of the time he is based on Whidbey Island Navel Air Station in the Puget Sound where his family lives; most nights he gets to go home to his wife and his many children ... when he's not TDS deployed (for a year at a time) in some place I don't know how to spell.
He never writes, he rarely calls .. but when he does phone me, we talk for hours about things that don't really matter. It just matters that we can talk to each other; I think he does it because he knows I worry about him, although I try not to show it.
He's a lot better about keeping in touch than I was.
I've become "My Mother"; worrying about my beloved soldier/sailor/airman, grateful when I hear he's still okay.
I don't want to become "My Mother", fearing the loss / weeping for decades over the loss of my beloved family member. And I'm determined not to take counsel of my fears.
On this Veterans Day (previously "Armistice Day", celebrating the end of WWI), I'm thinking of The Squid Kid, and his family (and many of my grandchildren), and how proud I am of my son who made it his life work to defend his country.
And I know I won't be like my mother, spending the better part of her life mourning for the beloved relative she lost during "The War To End Wars To End Wars".
So ... Ben, remember this: it's a sin for a child to die before his parents. Be careful out there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)