I Go Out of Town for a Few Weeks, . . .

I Go Out of Town for a Few Weeks, . . .

and see what I miss?

But this wasn't a "defensive gun use" according to the gun ban, er, control, um, safety activists! Nobody died.

Check the group on the windshield of that Chrysler. Nice shooting!

(It's 9:00. Time for bed.)

Can I Get an "Amen"?

Can I Get an "Amen"?

Work, Work, Work, Work, Work.

Work, Work, Work, Work, Work.

Sorry about the lack of posting. Lots going on with work. By the time I sat down tonight to eat dinner and check the blogs it was 8:00PM, and my bedtime is 9:00. I just don't have time to A) read much, or B) write anything. But traffic is up.

This seems to be a trend - the less I say, the more people read it.

You'd think I'd learn something from this . . .

Wait . . . What?

Wait . . . What?

I've been getting some hits from the New York Times website, so I looked to see where they were coming from:

This One Sees Too Clearly . . .

This One Sees Too Clearly . . .

Mike will be one of the first in line for "re-education."

And an update:

There are a lot of people who know just how big a monstrosity this thing is, yet when they went to the polls last November, there was no ballot choice for them. Neither major party candidate offered any indication they were possessed the political will to go against the tide of populist entitlement. And no, this is not some "We are all responsible for the genocide in Rwanda" collective guilt trip. It is just a simple statement of fact if you are among the hundred million or so voters who cast a ballot for a major party candidate last election, you, and I for that matter, voted for the raping of the American economy, and with it American liberty.

The dismal failure of political will on the part of the elected, is matched by an equal failure of civic will on the part of the voters. We, and the fact of the existence of the two nonentities we accepted as candidates on the most recent ballot stands as proof, are now as convinced that the government is a cause rather than a result of good, as any medieval serf was of his king. We have allowed ourselves to become a democracy rather than a republic. And if you have to ask what is so bad about that, there's no help for you.

(*sigh*)

Guilty as charged.

EXACTLY!

Today's Quote of the Day:

Interesting, but it reminded me a little of Ayn Rand (remind me to tell you guys about the Ayn Rand fan and the Iraqi microloan guy some day when I'm whining about having nothing to write about) in that after 50 pages, you've got the point and the rest is just...remediation. - Abby at Bad Dogs and Such

And I really want to hear that story about the Rand fan and the microloan guy.

Reasoned Discourse and The Other Side

Reasoned Discourse^© and The Other Side™

There's been some discussion around the gunblogosphere recently about the typical Reasoned Discourse we experience with the gun-control side of the argument, but Xavier has found a video of someone who truly put her beliefs to the test. (In associated news, Morgan Spurlock is not, apparently, a complete wanker.) As Xavier put it:

Got 42 minutes and 32 seconds?

It's worth your time if you're any kind of activist at all.

My favorite part? Seeing the difference between the activist's first shot (with a shotgun) and her later emotions when she was learning to fire a handgun.

Damn,

Damn,

I teared up at this. (h/t: Ride Fast)

A Modest Proposal . . .

A Modest Proposal . . .

Van Der Leun proposes a solution to our economic crisis. Excerpt:

As we all know, the Social Security Administration (SSa) essentially bet, many years ago, that a lot of people who paid into this Mother of All Ponzi Schemes would simply not live to collect their benefits in any significant degree. It was a "You pay but don't play" sort of deal. As long as the dead suckers outnumbered the living suckers, all was copacetic.

Now that, through the wonders of Medicare, our elderly can suck down benefits for one, two, or even three decades after 65, the Reverse-Ponzi kicks in and people actually get more out than they ever put in. Looking to "get more out than you put in" is, arguably, the attitude that got us into this mess in the first place.

But even now, this cost is still controllable. It merely requires the will.

Read. It. All.

THIS is Why . . .

. . . an armed insurrection in America will not lead to a restoration of the Constitution and a return to Republican (as in "Republic" not the party misusing the name) ideals:

The Survivors Of US Airways Flight 1549 Make Me Hate People
Just to review, although I'm sure you all know what happened: Ninety seconds after takeoff from New York City's LaGuardia Airport, some Canada geese were sucked into the plane's jets, resulting in the immediate loss of thrust in both engines. Unable to reach any airfield from that altitude in unpowered flight, the pilot and crew masterfully set the plane down intact three and a half minutes later in the Hudson River between midtown Manhattan and NJ. All 150 passengers and 5 aircrew on board survived.

First of all, let's just reflect on how astounding that is. The plane was low over NYC, the pilot maneuvered it less than 900 feet over the George Washington Bridge, and set it down gently in the river. Everyone lived. See, that's the problem—everyone lived. If a a couple dozen of the passengers died, maybe the survivors would be grateful and I wouldn't have to hear them whining about how much free shit they're not getting from the airline.

The opening of a short but EXCELLENT rant by ThrowingstarDNA - read it all. (h/t: SayUncle)

Ladies and Gentlemen, we're not worthy. Not enough of us, anyway. One hundred years of indoctrination has made us this way. Tytler's Progression seems more and more inevitable every day:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
I put the country at late-stage apathy, early stage dependence. The depression recession and the "bailout" will put us into full-scale dependence.

We should've ignored Claire Wolfe and started shooting a long time ago when it would have done some good. It's too damned late, now.

"Made as China, Norinco"

I've blogged about handmade weapons before, but this not-quite eight minute video (h/t: Dave Hardy) is quite enlightening. It's about the gun manufacturing done in the remote reaches of Pakistan, where people with, essentially, hand tools make perfectly functional copies of antique and modern firearms.

Cheap.

The title of this post comes from the markings on the slide of this pistol:


It looks like a CZ copy. Nine millimeter, $50. And people wonder why the British handgun ban didn't work.

But hey, if we can put those eeeeevil gun manufacturers out of business, we can end gun violence!

Horseshit. Guns are not a particularly difficult technology, and there are literally hundreds of millions of them already in circulation. Watch the video where young boys are reloading cartridges on the street and packaging them for sale.

But bear in mind, always, The Other Side believes that "too many guns" defines the problem, and therefore the answer must be to REDUCE THE NUMBER.

But they don't want to ban anything. Just ask 'em.

Thomas Sowell, Illustrated

"A recently reprinted memoir by Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) has footnotes explaining what words like 'arraigned,' 'curried' and 'exculpate' meant, and explaining who Job was. In other words, this man who was born a slave and never went to school educated himself to the point where his words now have to be explained to today's expensively under-educated generation.

"There is really nothing very mysterious about why our public schools are failures. When you select the poorest quality college students to be public school teachers, give them iron-clad tenure, a captive audience, and pay them according to seniority rather than performance, why should the results be surprising?

"Ours may become the first civilization destroyed, not by the power of our enemies, but by the ignorance of our teachers and the dangerous nonsense they are teaching our children. In an age of artificial intelligence, they are creating artificial stupidity.

"In a democracy, we have always had to worry about the ignorance of the uneducated. Today we have to worry about the ignorance of people with college degrees."

Touché.

"Make 'em Mad" Dept.

"Make 'em Mad" Dept.

Via Dave Hardy:

I blogged about his case a few days ago -- Mr. Dominguez is a law-abiding construction company owner, who owned a registered "assault rifle," which in California he could legally take from his house to a shooting range. He was going shooting with a friend who was arriving by plane, and was arrested at the airport on the apparently claim that by stopping at the airport in the middle of that drive he broke the law.

The update notes that they followed with a SWAT raid on his house and seizure of all his (legal) firearms, and those of his family.

Fortunately, he's got some first rate firearm attorneys.

RTWT, including the message from Mr. Dominguez.

Eeew! Quote of the Day

Eeew! Quote of the Day

From the mistress of vivid verbal imagery:

Is it just me...
...or did CNN stop just short of slipping Pugsley some tongue in this piece?

I guess they feel a lot better about getting openly moist and runny about Marxism these days...

I Have Been Remiss

I Have Been Remiss

. . . in reading Mostly Cajun as regularly as I'd like. Here's today's Quote of the Day, a mere smidgen of a damned fine rant everybody needs to read:

(Daschle) and the rest of those elitist a**holes sit up there in Washington and direct their lackies to write a tax code that even THEY can’t understand, and they put into place a HUGE bureaucracy to administer those rules, said bureaucracy known to give contradictory opinions of any given part of that tub of rules, and then our OVERLORDS expect us to kowtow to their rules, but they themselves regularly sidestep, obfuscate and just plain ignore those same rules themselves.

You have no idea how much this galls me. I have seen the acusatory letters from the IRS, basically calling me guilty until I prove myself innocent, and threatening all sorts of legal actions against what little resources my socialist overlords deign me to keep for myself and my family. Yet THESE guys get a pass.

THIS, folks, is the stuff of which revolutions are made.

Read the whole thing.

I could not agree more with his concluding paragraph.

I think every sitting and living former member of both houses of Congress and every current and living former President and cabinet member should be subjected to an IRS audit of their last five year's tax returns.

I'm willing to bet that if our overlords were made subject to the same penalties and interest charges we peons would be subjected to, that little investigative effort would go a long way towards halving the National Debt.

Pitchforks and torches and hemp, oh my!

On the Subject of Rights . . .

Over the five and a half years I've been writing this blog, the topic of Rights has been the most pervasive. In one of the earliest posts, I reprinted a short essay I wrote to win a year's membership at AR15.com entitled What is a 'Right'?. That essay inspired a lot of commentary, and a rather extended exchange with a professor of mathematics that makes up the next six posts below it in the "Best Posts" over there near the top of the left sidebar.

And I wrote one more überpost, The United Federation of Planets on that topic as well.

Those are just the ones I thought worth having permanent links to.

Now someone else has decided that the topic is interesting and important enough to dedicate an entire blog to, and since TSM is the current sole resident of his blogroll, I thought I'd give him a link and pass on his invitation to you, my loyal sixteen readers:

I believe that the root cause of many - if not most - of the problems we face today, both domestically and around the world, are due to a basic misunderstanding or misapplication of the concept of "rights". This blog is my attempt to begin a wide-ranging discussion regarding rights in general, and fundamental / natural / God-given rights in particular. My most ardent hope is that as many people as possible will join me in trying to discover and define what the concept of "rights" actually means, what rights we all have, and how having those rights defines who we are and how we interact as human beings.

My goal is threefold. First, I need to get all of my thoughts and ideas out of my head and put down in writing. This forum will allow me to pick a topic and run with it until I get everything out. Second, I wish to persuade as many people as possible that my ideas are correct, and that adopting them will improve the quality of their lives and the lives of all those with whom they come in contact. And third, the "comments" function will allow for anyone who wishes to do so, to add their own thoughts and ideas regarding whatever I have written. I do not just encourage this - I need it. You see, I believe what I am writing to be objectively true, but in order to test my ideas and beliefs, I need feedback. So please, feel free to comment on anything I write.

He goes by the handle John Galt and blogs at The Rights Project. If you're interested, take him up on his offer.

UPDATE: Broken link fixed. D'OH!

Wanna Hear Me on the Radio?

My appearance on Charles Heller's America Armed and Free is now posted on his site, and I've copied it to The Internet Archive for (hopefully) permanent access.

I didn't do too badly, but there's definitely a reason I prefer the written word. It's much easier to get that witty, brilliant point across when you have ten minutes to think about it, rather than having to respond extemporaneously.

The most interesting thing about the show? The call in by Phil (Phil R., I think) who called in from Oxford, England to report on the English gun culture. Too cool!

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

What Katrina taught the media was that they could hurt Bush by lying. What 2008 taught them was that they could help Obama by not reporting at all. What will 2009 teach them? I shudder to think. - C.J. Burch

As do I.

A Letter from the Boss

A Letter from the Boss

Found at LibertyWatchRadio.com:

To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last yearʼs Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations . . .
you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero.. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed, THE BOSS

I worked for 21 years for two guys who did exactly what this letter states - they risked everything they had, busted their asses, reinvested the money they earned, and built a multi-million dollar business. After 21 years, they had the big homes and nice cars, but for the first ten years or so, they ate a lot of Kraft macaroni & cheese for dinner, and struggled to make ends meet and raise their families, always aware that one screwup could bring the whole thing down in disaster. They EARNED their money, and I and the other people they employed helped them get there. We were paid what we agreed upon - my employers fulfilled their end of the bargain and we fulfilled ours.

They sold the company a couple of years ago, and I wouldn't be surprised if the new owners go under in these economic conditions, putting a lot of people I used to work with out of their jobs.

But hey, Obama's in the White House now. Nobody needs to worry about paying their mortgage, right?

May I Recommend "Mary Rosh" as a Handle?

Today's Dilbert strip:


Oh, wait. That one's taken . . .