The Countertop Chronicles

"Run by a gun zealot who's too blinded by the NRA" - Sam Penney of RaisingKaine.com

Friday, March 31, 2006

Doug Duncan Is Pro Rapist

It appears that at least one of the goblins who attacked an unarmed Montgomery County family held them at gun point and attempted to sexually assault the wife.

Yep, I see Maryland's strict gun control is really working . . . isn't it Mr. Duncan?

Is this your plan? Rapists get guns but families sit around unarmed waiting for you and Chuckie Moose to ride to the rescue????

One In A Million

That's the chances some were giving renowned misfit Axl Rose of ever getting out his long awaited $13 million dollar Chinese Democracy album.

Well, in light of the huge number of online leaks, rumours, and other appearances over the last few weeks, it looks like its arrival is imminent with Spin going so far as to even publish a review in its April 1, 2006 issue.

there has been a great deal of pressure on Axl Rose to deliver a record that would validate a 15-year, $13 million wait. There is really only one way for Chinese Democracy to avoid utter and absolute failure: It needs to be the greatest rock album ever made.

Chinese Democracy is not the greatest rock album ever made.

Oh, it's certainly awesome, but I don't think it's "15 years awesome." Had Axl released his album after a silence of, say, 11 years and two months (at a cost of, say, $11.5 million), Chinese Democracy would be an undeniable masterpiece


Wait, could this be some sort of April Fools Day trick???? hehehe

In either case, I've listened to most of the leaked tracks I could find and have to say that while I don't think all are perfect, there are certainly some great moments.

Back in the day my senior year of high school GnR followed up on the sick success of its masterpiece debut - Appetite for Destruction - with what I have always thought was one of the rockingest chillingest albums ever - GnR Lies, an EP that contained the huge acoustic hit Patience but also the much better and much more controversial "One In A Million" which outraged blacks and gays.

One In A Million
Lyrics by Axl Rose
Music by Guns 'n Roses


Guess I needed
Sometime to get away
I needed some peace of mind
Some peace of mind that'll stay
So I thumbed it
Down to sixth and L.A.
Maybe your greyhound
Could be my way
Police and niggers
That's right
Get out of my way
Don't need to buy none of your
Goldchains today
I don't need no bracelets
Clamped in front of my back
Just need my ticket till then
Won't you cut me some slack

Chorus:

You're one in a million
Yeah, that's what you are
You're one in a million, babe
You are a shooting star
Maybe someday we'll see you
Before you make us cry
You know we tried to reach you
But you were much to high
Much to high
Much to high
Much to high

Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they'll do as they please
Like start some mini Iran
Or spread some fucking disease
They talk so many goddamn ways
It's all greek to me
Well some say I'm lazy
And others say that's just me
Some say I'm crazy
I guess I'll always be
But it's been such a long time
Since I knew right from wrong
It's all the means to an end, I,
I keep on movin' along

Chorus

Radicals and racists
Don't point your finger at me
I'm a small town white boy
Just tryin' to make ends meet
Don't need your religion
Don't watch that much TV
Just makin' my livin', baby,
Well that's enough for me

Chorus

ROCKSTAR

Final auditions for the next Rockstar are being held today in LA.

Despite early rumors that "The Band" would be Van Halen, it looks like its actually going to be Supernova - and all star ensemble of heavy hitting rock legends including Gilby Clark of Guns N Roses, Jason Newsted from Metallica, and of course, Tommy Lee. The band will record and tour in support of an album co-written and produced by Avril Lavigne and Pink hitmaker Butch Walker (talk about losing your street cred quick).

Thursday, March 30, 2006

The Great Myth

Once again, Peggy Noonan gets it right*.

Who is at fault? Those of us who let the myth die, or let it change, or refused to let it be told. The politically correct nitwit teaching the seventh-grade history class who decides the impressionable young minds before him need to be informed, as their first serious history lesson, that the Founders were hypocrites, the Bill of Rights nothing new and imperfect in any case, that the Indians were victims of genocide, that Lincoln was a clinically depressed homosexual who compensated for the storms within by creating storms without . . .











*Peggy Noonan and her wonderful book on Ronald Reagan, "When Character Was King" more than anything prompted me to start this blog. In its early days, my banner even included a Reagan quote: True, lasting peace cannot be secured through the strength of arms alone. Among free peoples, the open exchange of ideas ultimately is our greatest security

Heh!

From today's Potomac Confidential discussion with Marc Fisher

Wizards: Marc,Has the crime rate in D.C. gone down since the Bullets renamed themselves?

Marc Fisher: Through the floor. So now all we need to do is rename handguns 'power flowers' and crime will vanish completely.

The Brady's

Interesting oinline discussion today with Jim Brady and his wife the Chief Gun Banner. It ran in commemoration of the assassination on Reagan, but focused almost entirely on gun control and the activiteis of the Brady Bunch.

I'm a bit surprised at some of the questions that were let through (not to mention some of the less than fully truthful answers Sarah Brady gives).


Check it out.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Enjoy Jail, Bitch!

According to sources on Capitol Hill, U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) punched a Capitol police officer on Wednesday afternoon after he mistakenly pursued her for failing to pass through a metal detector.

. . . .

The officer called out, “Ma’am, Ma’am,” and walked after her in an attempt to stop her. When he caught McKinney, he grabbed her by the arm.

Witnesses say McKinney pulled her arm away, and with her cell phone in hand, punched the officer in the chest.

. . . . .

According to the Drudge Report, the entire incident is on tape.

Drudge continues, "The cop is pressing charges, and the USCP (United States Capitol Police) are waiting until Congress adjurns to arrest her, a source claims."

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

March Miracle

The Washington Post has this to say in an editorial on George Mason

It concerned George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga. (You there, with that face painted gold and green -- be honest; had you ever heard of Jim Larranaga before this month?)


I had. Why??? Cause I choose to read the Washington Examiner and not the Post's lame excuse for a free metro paper. Larranaga, of course, is a sports columnist for the paper.

Doug Duncan is a Gun Banning Bigot

If you listen to him and his bigoted minions in Montgomery County, no one needs a gun. Yet, armed robbers attacked a home and held the family captive last night.

Seems to me, they could have used a gun.

More Abramoff Fallout? I Don't Think So.

Apparantly the National's are concerned that the Abramoff Scandal will take a bite out of season ticket sales.

I'm not sure its just that simple. Certainly, the excesses will decrease a bit this year, and I know my organization has dropped alot of its season tickets (we had between 30 and 40 last year, we have 8 as far as I can tell this year). However, I think something else is really going on.

Frankly, tickets were everywhere last year. I didn't renew my personal tix because I simply couldn't spend that much time at RFK and figured that since people were offering me tickets to everygame, I really didn't need to pay $1000 for them (and don't get me started on the high cost of crappy food at RFK).

I don't know if thats a calculation everyone's made, but I know at least a few organizations around town came to that decision. Its a shame the Post didn't explore what I think is this more interesting angle, but then, it doesn't make as sexy a story (and of course puts some of the blame on the Nat's marketing plans).

Douchebag Black Hole

Its going, going, gone.

This is truly something to celebrate.

Monday, March 27, 2006

For Ravnwood

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Curtis P-40



Just let me know when Steve, and I'll take you out and show you a couple of photography tricks.

He's Back

sort of.

But a little Ravnwood is still better than no Ravnwood, and thank god for bloglines.

As for his departure?

Also, keeping myself mired in politics on a daily basis was depressing. My outlook on life is so much better now. Fresher. Renewed. I want to keep it that way.


There is still a lot out there that makes me shake my head, and I'll occasionally post about it here. But I'm tired of being a curmudgeon all of the time. I want to smile more. And I want to have a life that's not tied to the interweb.


Exactly.

Sad Story

No respect for the dead.

Just another reason to oppose development at all costs.

Virginia Blog Carnival

Shaun Kenney has the latest.

Freedom

More from the Air & Space Museum (wondering what I did today???)

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SR-71 Blackbird


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P-47D and the Enola Gay

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Connecticut Assassins Association

For everyone who is a fan of the Bill of Rights or lives in Fairfax County . . .

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My Packer,


I'd like to introduce you to

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Mr. Crow.


Feeling a bit hungry? Cause there is more where that came from!

Gun Pr0n

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Charles Lindbergh's Model 54,
On display at the Air & Space Museum (Dulles Airport)


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Detail of stock

In The New York Bloody Times

and written by a
Berkley Professor at that!!!

Walking with a loaded rifle in an unfamiliar forest bristling with the signs of your prey is thrilling. It embarrasses me to write that, but it is true. I am not by nature much of a noticer, yet here, now, my attention to everything around me, and deafness to everything else, is complete. Nothing in my experience has prepared me for the quality of this attention. I notice how the day's first breezes comb the needles in the pines, producing a sotto voce whistle and an undulation in the pattern of light and shadow tattooing the tree trunks and the ground. I notice the specific density of the air. But this is not a passive or aesthetic attention; it is a hungry attention, reaching out into its surroundings like fingers, or nerves.


Ted Nugent's gonna love this!!!

I'd gotten it into my head that I wanted to prepare a meal I had hunted, gathered and grown myself. Why? To see if I could do it. I was also curious to experience the food chain — which has grown so long and complex as to no longer even feel anything like a food chain — at its shortest and most elemental. And I had long felt that, as a meat eater, I should, at least once, take responsibility for the killing that eating meat entails. I wanted, for once in my life, to pay the full karmic price of a meal.


Read the whole thing.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Go Mason

I didn't attend Mason, but do a lot of work with some of their free market economic think tanks. Thats enough of a connection for me and tonight I'll be happily sitting ON THE FLOOR RIGHT UNDER THE BASKETBALL.

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

Well, I purchased some bad batteries or something. Camera basically refused to work. As for the seats, they weren't quite as close as I had thought. Buddy's usual tickets (for NBA stuff) are right on the floor (as in your feet are on court). For the NCAA tournament we were back a bit with the cheerleaders, the band, and some George Mason officials in front of me (as well as a guy with real cool hair).

Anyway, here's the only two pictures that the camera managed to snap.

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After the victory!!

Ben Domenech

THere is quite a scandal growing over the allegations that the Washington Post's new blogger, Ben Domenech, plagerised a bad movie review.
Here are the passages (as presented by the American Thinker).

Ben Domenech in National Review Online:


“Translucent and glowing, they ooze up from the ground and float through solid walls, wriggling countless tentacles and snapping their jaws. They’re known as the Phantoms, alien thingies that, for three decades, have been sucking the life out of the earthlings of “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.” Swollen nightmares from a petri dish, they’re the kind of grotesque whatsits horror writer H.P. Lovecraft would have kept as pets in his basement.”



Steve Murray (Cox News):


“Translucent and glowing, they ooze up from the ground and float through solid walls, splaying their tentacles and snapping their jaws, dripping a discomfiting acidic ooze. They’re known as the Phantoms, otherworldly beings who, for three decades, have been literally sucking the life out of the earthlings of the human.”



Now, I don't know Ben. However, I do sort of know his father. Back in the early days of the Bush Administration I had some contact with him in his position as White House Liason to the Department of Interior and hrough Grover Norquist's Wednesday Morning Meetings and learned of the successes of his son Ben. I soon began following his career, and for the last 6 years have had the pleasure of watching him grow tremendously.

I only say that to get the potential conflicts and biases out of the way. LIke I said, I don't know him, and on the face as presented this evidence looks pretty damning. I agree with the other commentators too, Ben should have known better. Ben is a prodigy. Even at his young age, he has essentially been a professional journalist, writer, opinion shaper for the better part of a decade.

However, I am not so quick to judge, mostly because no one has addressed (that I've seen) the possibility that Steve Murray didn't steal this language from Ben. Or perhaps, that this language didn't come out of the press release packet shipped to reviewers of Final Fantasy.

What we do know is Ben's article is dated July 14-15, 2001. If you follow the link to Steve Murray's, there is no date and so its pretty tough to tell which was posted first. That, on its face, seems to be a mighty big question that still needs to be answered.

Ben, in his defense, is quoted by Howard Kurtz as saying

Domenech said he needed to research the examples but that he never used material without attribution and had complained about a college editor improperly adding language to some of his articles.


One of my complaints is the speed in which the blogsphere moves. Often times, us pajama clad bloggers forget others might not be sitting at their computer 24/7 with all their notes from 5 years ago at their feet. I'm not defending Ben, or even giving him the benefit of the doubt. It just seems reckless to me that we demand his resignation without even allowing him the opportunity to go home and dig out his notes.

UPDATE Welcome Instapundit Readers

UPDATE 2 Abner Gromble posts in comments that a Nexis search shows the Murray article as appearing on July 10th. That doesn't look good for Ben. Its still possible though that they both could have lifted language from a press releases. Possible, but not likely.

UPDATE 3 Ben has resigned, though it is not clear if its a permanant resignation or just a temporary one until the matter is cleared. It will be interesting to see what his ultimate response to all of this is.

UPDATE 4 Ben has posted a response. Kudos to him for being the better man. I think his response addresses most of the concerns I've seen, even if in fact it doesn't address the example I posted here directly. It will be interesting to see this play out over the long haul. I believe he is right when he writes
The truth is, no conservative could write for the Post without being subject to the gauntlet of the liberal attack machine. There is no question in my mind that any RedState contributor writing for this blog would have found leftists delving through his high school yearbooks and grade school book reports in an effort to discredit and defame him. And if you too were a sloppy teenage writer, your errors or the errors of others would’ve been exploded.

Fairfax's Worst

Davel V. Bullock is a murderer and Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Robert Horan is not only an incompetant lawyer, but has conspired to allow Bullock to get away with this shit.

"I feel for the family of the victim in this case," Horan said. "You have to. But I also feel for the police officer. This is a good police officer. Fine record, almost 17 years. He's as shattered by this as any good police officer should be."


BULLSHIT!

Bernard DiMuro, the Culosi family's attorney, said: "A pointed gun with a finger on the trigger is not an accident. There is no doubt that had the shooter not been a police officer, he would have been charged criminally, and a jury would have decided the issue." He said Horan could have charged the officer with second-degree murder or manslaughter.


Horan is a national disgrace. Whether its his failure to get the death penalty for the snipers, his well known reputation for seeking the maximum in all cases, and his well known reputation for coddling up and looking the other way to police abuse. As far as I am concerned, he is the blue wall of silence.

Its time for someone to run him out of office.

Culosi's family members said they were launching a Web site, http://www.justiceforsal.com, to provide friends and the public with information about the case. "We are not going to sit by and allow this to happen to another citizen of Fairfax County," said Salvatore J. Culosi, the victim's father. "Our family will never understand this. And we will never be the same."


Head over and offer to do what you can.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

BAG Day

BAG Day is coming soon.


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Not sure what I'll be getting this year as the general funding is running low, though if I get a new job (had two interviews yesterday and have another tomorrow, not real keen on any of the jobs) I will probably finally pick me up part of a homeland defense rifle from Tam's shop (if she still has those Rock River Arms lowers around). Any other suggestions? Perhaps an SKS or something to piss of the neighbors, though I might just as well get myself a bolt action .22lr. I've been meaning to pick one up, you can never have too many .22s if you know what I mean.

My Son The Environmentalist

True Story. Just 2 minutes ago my almost 4 year old son wakes up and says, "Daddy, I need to go poop. Can you help me."

Of course I can, so I take him to the bathroom and help him get set up.

When he's done, he hops off the toilet, turns around (while I wipe) and says, "Look Daddy, a pile of Poop! I'm a big boy, I make big boy Poop!"

And I say, "Yes you are, do you want to flush?"

Son: "Daddy, where does poop go?"
Me: "Down the drain."
Son: "And then where?"
Me: "Remember that stream I showed you, with the pipe emptying into it and the poop floating in it?"
Son: "Yes, but then where does it go?"
Me: "Well, that stream goes into the river. The one daddy kayaks on."
Son: "Oh, you ride boat in the poop?"
Me: "Well, in the river."
Son: "In the poop river!" laughing. "Daddy, where does it go then?"
Me: "The river goes into the Chesapeake Bay."
Son: "Oh Daddy, where does it go then? To the ocean?"
Me: "Yes dear."
Son: "Daddy, what do the fish think about all that poop?"
Me: "I don't know, we'll have to ask them tomorrow. Lets get back to sleep though."
Son: "OK, daddy. But I don't think fish like all my poop on them. Makes them poopy fish!"

Wasting Money

Seriously. What a dumb waste of money. In nice weather, I ride my bike along 4 Mile Run on my commute to work. Sure, its got a short (very short) ugly stretch, but so what. Its not worth $261 million dollars to turn it back into a stream.

Give me an F'ing break.

No, better yet, give ME THE $261 million.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Light Blogging Alert

Sorry for the lack of blogging the last few days. I've been swamped. We've submitted 3 sets of comments to three different agencies, I just finished a fourth set today, and have 3 more sets to do in the next week.

At least it keeps me busy.

Anyway, things are gonna be light here through the weekend, though I will be at the NCAA tournament games Friday night at the Verizon Center here in DC (Courtside seats ta boot - or so I've been told, I'm the guest of Really Big Company, Inc.).

Look for pictures (yes, with my barely working point and shoot) sometime Saturday.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Digital Photography Bleg

hey all,

Got a question on digital cameras.

For the longest time, my main camera (the one I earned a living on for a few years) was an old Nikkormat EL. It was - and still is - the most durable .35 millimeter SLR I have ever had the pleasure of holding. 100% manual, with Nikons old bayonet lens system, its probably 10 years older than me, and with a steel body that has taken all sorts of abuse over the years and lived to tell the tale. I use my equipment hard and expect it to perform. its still going strong and continues to take outstanding photographs.

I have had 2 digital cameras over the past 4 years. They are responsible for fully 90+% of the pictures I've posted here. Both are simple point and shoots. Both are made by Kodak and withstood more abuse than I guess I could have expected from them. The first one lasted a good 2 1/2 years before it finally died. First it was the picture/color quality - pictures were awash in strange colors and eventually they were pixilated. not sure why that happened, but after wards I could often correct the problem with a good hard wallop. The latest camera is now just beginning to experience those same problems, which has led me to examine the purchase of another digital camera.

I like the point and shoot - its real convenient, but lets face it, the picture quality out of a small lens just doesn't cut it. That has led me to begin eondering about an SLR digital camera. However, at $1000 I am very concerned with their durability. Frankly, I don't expect to treat the camera in the manner I've treated the Nikkormat (I am not running around as a news or concert photographer any more) but will still take it on the occasional hike, vacation, or deep in the heart of a political rally. With then Nikkormat, if something broke, I could pretty much fix it out of my bag of tools. Thats not going to be the case with a digital camera I suspect. Nor, do I want to experience the color blending problems I have with either of my current cameras.

So, my question is really, how durable are the digital SLRs? Would you buy one used (always a good sign)? Do they have a built in shelf life? Would you expect one to still be going strong after 10 years of continuous use? 20 years? Which brand has the more durable camera, Nikon? Canon? Anyone else?

Thanks!

Virginia Blog Carnival XXVIII

Kilo is hosting this weeks Virginia Blog Carnival XXVIII at Spark It Up!!!. I've got a cleaned up (ie: dropped the dildo'd femdom pic) post in it at the request of the host (the cleaned up bit). I didn't mind doing that to my post on Lord Fairfax's tax fetishes as the VBC is indeed a rather wide reaching endeavor and while NoVA is generally home to some rather loose morals, other parts of the state are still in the Bible Belt (though it is still for luvers).

Anyway, head on over and see what Virginia has to offer.

Gun Free DC

James J. Na fills us in on the latest escapades in gun free DC. Seems that the rash of violent crimes hitting the overwhelmingly white and affluent and VERY liberal northwest corner of DC continues, this time targeting folks buying Pizza.

It says a lot that armed robbers are now attempting to take pizzas (!) from people in D.C. Since the robbers know that ordinary civilians in D.C. are disarmed, they have no fear of getting shot while robbing the law-abiding. So for criminals, the equation is: upside = free pizza, downside = none (okay, being confronted by folks who have no guns).


For those interested, here's the Washington Post's blurb (the Post, of course, fully supports the right of thugs to take from the unarmed limousine liberals living in NW).

52nd Carnival of Cordite

Has been delayed a week.

Like the man says, the "intent is to produce the best Carnival possible, and if that means a delay, there will be a delay."

I say - Let There Be Delay.

No, not this one.

Gun Violence: Blame The Bigots

Heh!

Friday, March 17, 2006

Bless The Irish

Jacques Chirac, the French president, is sitting in his office when his telephone rings.

"Hallo, Mr. Chirac!" a heavily accented voice says. "This is Paddy down at the Harp Pub in County Clare, Ireland. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"

"Well, Paddy," Chirac replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," says Paddy, after a moment's calculation, "there is myself, me cousin Sean, me next door neighbour Seamus, and the entire darts team from the pub. That makes eight!"

Chirac paused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 100,000 men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Begoora!" says Paddy. "I'll have to ring you back."

Sure enough, the next day, Paddy calls again. "Mr. Chirac, the war is still on. We have managed to get us some infantry equipment."

"And what equipment would that be, Paddy?" Chirac asks.

"Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm tractor." Chirac sighs, amused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 6,000 tanks and 5,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I have increased my army to 150,000 since we last spoke."

"Saints preserve us!" says Paddy. "I'll have to get back to you."

Sure enough, Paddy rings again the next day. "Mr. Chirac, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We have modified Jackie McLaughlin's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Bar have joined us as well!"

Chirac was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 100 bombers and 200 fighter planes. My military bases are surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I have increased my army to 200,000!"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" says Paddy, "I will have to ring you back."

Sure enough, Paddy calls again the next day. "Top o' the mornin', Mr. Chirac! I am sorry to inform you that we have had to call off the war."

"Really? I am sorry to hear that," says Chirac. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well," says Paddy, "we had a long chat over a few pints of Guinness, and decided there is no way we can feed 200,000 prisoners."

Just Another Reason

to throw every last bum out this November.

Seriously, don't we have real enemies to worry about? Serious border problems?
WTF are we wasting our time on some pot smoking bookstore owner in Canada for?

Give me a real (not Libertarian Party) Pro Everything candidate and I'm there.

The Big Dance

PACIFIC - BOSTON COLLEGE 76/88 2OT
WINTHROP - TENNESSEE 63/61
ALABAMA - MARQUETTE 90/85
MONTANA - NEVADA 87/79
UNC WILMINGTON - GEORGE WASHINGTON 88/85 OT
XAVIER - GONZAGA 75/79
TEXAS A&M - SYRACUSE 66/58
SAN DIEGO STATE - INDIANA 83/87
NORTHWESTERN STATE - IOWA STATE 64/63
BUCKNELL - ARKANSAS 59/55

What's not to love??

Free Love

Heh
What is historically odd is that as gay marriage is gaining acceptance, the resistance to polygamy is much more powerful. Yet until this generation, gay marriage had been sanctioned by no society that we know of, anywhere at any time in history. On the other hand, polygamy was sanctioned, indeed common, in large parts of the world through large swaths of history, most notably the biblical Middle East and through much of the Islamic world.


As Lenny Kravitz says, Let love rule.


Let Love Rule
Words & Music by Lenny Kravitz

Love is gentle as a rose
And love can conquer any war
It's time to take a stand
Brothers and sisters join hands

We got to let love rule
Let love rule

We got to let love rule
Let love rule

Love transcends all space and time
And love can make a little child smile
Can't you see this won't go wrong
But we got to be strong
We can't do it alone

We got to let love rule
Let love rule

We got to let love rule
Let love rule

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Dumbest Quote of the Dance

Commenting on the crimson sports jacket of the Alabama Head Coach, the idiot broadcaster says "He's wearing that coat in response to Tennessee Coach Pearl's bright orange blazer. I can tell you, he had to search long and hard for a coat in that color."

Uuuh, dude, ever been to Tuscaloosa??? Or Cambridge??? You don't need to search very hard to find that color at all.

Gun Free DC

Or maybe not.

What I find most interesting about this incident, where a local parent illegally owned a gun that her kid took with her to school, is that the parent was not only released from school but the whole incident is being handled and reported in a pretty reasonable manner.

Williams, 32, of the 1800 block of North Capitol Street was released on personal recognizance after a hearing yesterday in D.C. Superior Court. The charging papers quoted her as saying that she knew the gun was loaded and that she did not realize that it was missing until the school called.

Mindy Good, a spokeswoman for the District's Child and Family Services Agency, said that Williams and her mother have joint custody of the girl and that the child will be allowed to remain with them. She said the city has no record of previous problems with the family.

Assistant D.C. Police Chief Gerald M. Wilson, who heads the department's school security division, said the gun was so small that "I'm sure I could have put it in my pants pocket." Students, faculty members and school officials acted quickly and appropriately, he said.

"There was no menacing behavior," Wilson said. "At no time, beyond the fact that the weapon was present, were children in danger."

The school's principal yesterday sent a letter to parents saying that a social worker would talk with the girl's second-grade classmates in a "healthy dialogue" about the incident and what they can learn from it.

In his letter, Principal Robert G. Taylor stressed that the incident was "rare and extremely unusual." He said the school would perform "a security audit" and encouraged parents to speak with their children about firearm safety.

Wilson echoed that recommendation.

"School safety is a partnership that starts at home," he said. "When one of those components breaks down, we have a problem."


WOW.

Now, what do you think the chances of them treating this case so lightly if it was you or I? I wonder what their reaction is going to be if Ms. Willims ever actually uses the gun to defend her family?

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

What's Wrong WIth This Picture?

Justice Ginsburg, speaking before a foreign audience in an African country with a history of suppressing the views of dissidents (and throwing political opponents into jail) complains about the 1st Amendment and essentially calls most Americans idiots for not understanding the nuanced thinking of the courts out of touch liberal members who illegally rely on foreign law and international court decisions.

UPDATE Link added.

The Problem with Democrats

They forgot to include a flux capacitor in their unified agenda for 2006.

America lags behind other countries that have universal broadband deployment, Pelosi said; but the Democrats' agenda "guarantees" that every American will have affordable access to broadband within five years.

"We also believe that the nationwide deployment of high speed, always-on broadband and Internet and mobile communications will fuel the development of millions of new jobs in the United States," Pelosi said.

Democrats support "energy independence" within ten years; health care for all American within five years; and "dignified retirement" (no privatization of Social Security) through an "AmeriSave" plan.

Africa's Changing Natural Climate

Obviously, this is must be the result of global warming.

If only George Bush didn't hate black people so much. . . . . .

Fuck The Giants

And Fuck Barry Bonds.

Misplaced Priorities

So, Hollywood has noticed that folks just don't go to the movies that much any more. Can't blame them for wanting to reverse that trend, and while I agree with them that cell phones are annoying, they would pobably have better luck simply producing movies people want to see (or, alternatively, that don't insult 90% of the country) instead of seeking to overturn a federal ban on cell phone jamming.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Big Dance

CNNSI has their expert picks up. Here's my final four:

Duke
UCLA
UNC
Florida

Its madness I tell you, its madness.

Welcome to Massachusetts!

No thanks, I prefer my commonwealth's "Common Sense" that actually make sense.

As if there was any doubt

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world.
Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them.
When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well.
But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.


Hat tip to the Anarchangel, though I should point out I actually enjoy Murphy's over Guiness. But realy, in the larger view of things, isn't that like counting the number of cherubs dancing on a pin head?

Monday Song Lyric

In my short 34 years on the planet earth, there have been a total of 7 United States Presidents: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Of those 7 only two, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, can lay claim to having anything near widespread bi-partisan support. Its also those two who distinguished their presidency by one overriding trait, their ability to communicate. Heck, Ronald Reagan, the only one of the bunch who deserves mention with the likes of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, was even known by the moniker The Great Communicator.

Communication is vital to any successful effort and at its heart, I believe it is what has failed this president . . . someone who would never been mistaken for the great communicator.


Communication Breakdown
Words and Music by Led Zeppelin

Hey, girl, stop what you’re doin’!
Hey, girl, you’ll drive me to ruin.
I don’t know what it is that I like about you,
But I like it a lot.
Won’t let me hold you,
Let me feel your lovin’ charms.

communication breakdown,
It’s always the same,
I’m having a nervous breakdown,
Drive me insane!

Hey, girl, I got something I think you ought to know.
Hey, babe, I wanna tell you that I love you so.
I wanna hold you in my arms, yeah!
I’m never gonna let you go,
’cause I like your charms.

communication breakdown,
It’s always the same,
I’m having a nervous breakdown,
Drive me insane!

I want you to love me all night...

communication breakdown,
It’s always the same,
I’m having a nervous breakdown,
Drive me insane!

I want you to love me all night
I want you to love me
I want you to love...yeah! I want you to love!

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Dude?????

No, chick.

Its amazing what you can find on blogger.

Looks like she was even on Howard Stern the other day. Not only did she ride the symbian but she was "the most memorable guest he has ever had on his show."

Saturday, March 11, 2006

51st Carnival of Cordite

Welcome to the 51st Edition of the Carnival of Cordite, your one stop shop for gunny blogging goodness.

Here in the Washington, D.C. area, it was a tremendous weekend. Friday was sunny with temperatures in the mid 60s. Saturday was even nicer, hitting a high of 73. Sunday, while a bit more overcast, brought us pleasant 70 degree weather. Tomorrow, there is some chance of rain, but that’s offset by projected temperatures near 80.

God Bless Global Warming!!!

I’m so happy, here’s a couple of .45s just for the hell of it.
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Anyway, when the weather is this nice, our gunning will begin to take place out of doors. Here in the DC area, we have an excellent facility run by the Northern Virginia Parks Authority at Bull Run.

Image hosting by Photobucket.

I especially enjoy heading outdoors when I want to play with my “fun guns.” A SKS range report certainly is welcome.


Another fun option is to go the way of friendly competition, like IPCS


Range trips aren’t always 100% fun though. Things do break on rare occaision, and blogs are a great source of gunsmithing advice. If you know a thing or two about Savage 110’s and their bolts, perhaps you can help a brother out. Image hosting by Photobucket

Sadly, in other parts of the country they need to suffer from the periodic resistance to local sensibilities displayed by the ever present Masshole immigrant, aka the flatlander. Seems to me they need a refresher on the Second Amendment Someone’s been paying attention, cause that’s the direction the states are headed in.

Georgia gets it.


The Masshole Liberals tend to preach pacifism. I never thought Pacisfism was purely the way to go, preferring the carrot and stick approach. That lead to the inevitable question, will Guns and Rose eventually lead to a Chinese Democracy?
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Ah, Le Kermit.

Ribbit, Ribbit.


One thing the French never learned is that if your attacked, fight back. The French aren’t the only ones with that problem, but Rivrdog wants to ensure that readers of the Carnival know better. If you are in an encounter, don’t stop firing until the threat is no more. As my old boss used to say, if your going to take someone out, make sure they are out. Otherwise, the results can be a bit shocking. Xavier has more thoughts on how to win the gun fight.

I always have time for Tam’s porn
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Looks like Osama has a new neighbor. Osama, Meet JASSM.


Gullyborg had an encounter that would never occur amongst the French uh, Democrats.


I have outshot one of the very best shooters in the world in a real match when I was in the military, the Post commander shook my hand and I swear to you, I looked that general right in the eye and I said "Sir that aint nothing, lemme tell you about a shot my dad once took on a dandylion!


Looking for a new gun?
Lots of folks like the Swiss K31. I know I like mine.


Who’s happier – the wife or the husband with such a wife?
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Some guns evolve into carry guns.

Feminine Protection?? The Ten Ring has some thoughts on what qualifies as a good ladies gun. Of course, you can always follow grandmas example. But, what about a a church gun? I’ve got one, but then, I’m not Presbyterian.




Says Uncle has been building a 9mm AR-15. The Range Report on them are pretty impressive.Image hosting by Photobucket

Heck, I am still waiting to get my own AR15 – perhaps for BAG Day?? Jay G and Jeff S are both pondering the decision too. Head on over and give ‘em some advice.


Mr. Completely, showing why he is the readers favorite gun blogger (he needs to email me his address so I can send him his trophy) has a whole string of posts. First, check out the very pro environment sticker he came up with. The liberal will love it. It IS easy to be green. Of course, while this Carnival is now on its 51st edition, the Rimfire Roundup is up to #5. Have problems with High Standard "Two Piece" firing pins?? If so, you better get it fixed before the Douglas Ridge Rifle club in Portland, Oregon hosts their very first pin shoot. Mr. Completely is also looking for help in hosting the e-Postal Rifle Matchs.

What would make someone commit premeditated murder? James Rummel – our Blogger of the week – responds

Want to know how the Garand feed mechanism works? Jame’s offers this great video as well as an exciting post about the rewards of collecting old guns. But what really won the honors is the post on the gun’s of Miami Vice.

Josh at the South Park Pundit offerd up a bunch of posts too. Just wish he told me what each one was. Since a few of the links crashed my browser, I am offering them without any description other than he usually has lots of good posts generally.
Entry 1
Entry 2
Entry 3
Entry 4
Entry 5


Don’t you just love to be Neck Deep In Ammo????


Just don’t be an idiot. BTW, if you’ve saved any of the Idiot photos, let Xavier know at bayourovers AT jam DOT rr DOT com


Anyway, that’s about it for now. If you submitted something that’s not here, or if I screwed up a link or anything else, let me know.

Don’t forget, the Carnival returns to Gullyborg’s next week for a special 1 year anniversary edition. See you then.

Friday, March 10, 2006

A Lying, Cheating, Rascist, Dove (or two)

Who could it be?

Hillary and Chuckie Boy, at least according to the
Washington Post!

Over the next few days, many excuses for this fiasco will be offered, by those who should have known better, by those who know better already and by those who may awake to the embarrassment of their mass hysteria. Some will blame the president, because he politicized the discussion of terrorism or was highhanded in threatening to veto a bill banning the sale. But if Congress can't do the right thing in the face of such provocations, it is lamer than the excuses themselves.

Some, meanwhile, will blame the public, because opinion polls showed overwhelming objections to this deal. But it was Congress that brought this matter to public attention; here we think, for example, of the cynical actions of two Democratic senators from New York: Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles E. Schumer, who heads his party's effort to win back control of the Senate in this year's elections. Congress falsely portrayed the deal as the "purchase" of U.S. ports. Congress failed to tell the public that port security is run by the U.S. Coast Guard, not the men who pay the salaries of the (overwhelmingly American) longshoremen. Congress created this storm, in other words, and then toppled in its wind.

Tour De Georgia

Cool

Looks like the organizers finally got a clue and are going to route it into Walker County this year.

The April 20th time trials start in Chickamauga and go up and over Lookout Mountain into Chattanooga. My wife is heading down the week before, I might just have to make it down for this.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Cordite, That Lovely Cordite

Yep,

I'm gonna be hosting the carnival this week. If you've got an entry, mail it in

Countertop AT gmail DOT com

Please put Cordite in the subject line, or send it to the official Carnival of Cordite mailbox

carnivalofcordite@hotmail.com

It should be up Friday night and I'll take entries right on up till that point.

See ya then.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Lent

What did you give up?

Last year I gave up chocolate. Incredibly difficult.

This year, I decided to give up Dr. Pepper. I was going to give up sex, but I don't get enough of it to be a challenge. I tried to argue that my wife should give up abstaining from sex, but she said my sex drive was like that of a 16 year old and therefore that wouldn't be a challenge for her either.

ba-da-boom!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Going Fishing???

Don't forget to bring a net.

True

How True

Only Cops Should Have Guns part III

This time, the would be murderer (video of shooting on linked page) is from Kalifornia.

Apparantly, even the prosecuters in Kalifornia are on drugs. How else to explain a charge of "attempted involuntary manslaughter" and keeping the scum bag on " paid administrative leave, until the internal investigation is completed."

The shameful Blue Wall of Silence strikes again.

Geeze

I stick the head of a powerful elected Virginia politican on the body of a strap on wearing dominatrix and no one comments? Or even visits?

Tough crowd.

That Mock War Crimes Tribunal

Cool

So, have you heard about the little War Crimes Tribunal in Parsipanny, NJ?

I grew up in the next town over and have known Teachers Union President John Capsouras my entire life. I always thought he was one cool cat.

Joan DuBois, The Buggering Bitch

To say I have greeted the latest tax reaming with disbelief isn't really accurate. Lord Fairfax and his Disciples of Pain have plunged their dildos of tax love into me before, and I fully expect further reamings to come in the future. But this time, their version of forbidden carnal delight sunk to new, more depraved, depths as her Supremacy the she bitch Joan DuBois worked that dildo with a skill and accuracy heretofore unknown.

Consider this.

My 2005 assessment was at $424,640. The 2006 assessment which arrived yesterday was $582,530, a $157,890 or 37% increase. Is my house worth it? Should I even bother appealing?

Well, even if I wanted to, I have until March 31, 2006 - less than 30 days - to prepare my appeal (a wholly insufficient amount of time, not to mention that I also have a small bit of work for the IRS to finish up shortly after the 31st).

"We've had a couple thousand calls," said Loudoun County Assessor Todd Kaufman. Most callers don't dispute that their new assessment represents market value, as required by Virginia law, he said. They're just shocked that the value has gone up so much.

"For the most part, people aren't upset about their assessments once we explain it to them, show them comparable sales and so on," he said.

There are exceptions. Laurie F. Neff, 34, owns a home in the Sumner Lake neighborhood of Manassas. Her 3,500 square-foot home's value rose from $535,500 to $749,600 -- a 40 percent increase. Neff said she believes that the assessment is wrong because her house has been on the market for two months -- for $689,000. All Neff said she could think when she read her notice was: "Are they on crack?"


Are they on crack, indeed.

When I purchased my modest town house in one of the cheaper sections of McLean, VA (as if there were any) in 1999, it cost me $240,000. I put a significant chunk - $40,000 - down at the time and structured my life to enable my family to realize the dream of home ownership. We were thrilled when we saw the value of homes in our neighborhood approach $300,000 within a year, but declined (like our many neighbors) to cash out the equity and buy cars or new kitchens. Of course, by doing so, they simply raised the value of the entire neighborhood and it wasn't too long before $300,000 became $350,000 and then $400,000 and then $450,000. Then the boom really hit. About 2 years ago, homes started flying off the market, before we knew it they were selling for $500,000. We had a neighbor sell theirs last march for $558,000 and were convinced we had seen the peak. Within a couple of weeks prices were topping $600,000 and then quickly hit $650,000 by the end of the summer.


That of course is what the assessment is based upon, though since that time only 1 home has sold (and that went for less than $580,000 after sitting on the market for 3 months) and another 3 or 4 homes were pulled off the market after a few weeks.

So, who is to blame.

Thats an easy one.

At a basic level, its the fault of a run away Board of Supervisors who haven't met a campaign promise they weren't happy to spend money on. Of course, in my immediate area I blame Dom Boss Joan "Fuck The Little People" DuBois, the tax and spend so called Republican

Ultimately though, I can't criticize Mistress DuBois too much, since she did campaign on the promise not of cutting spending but of finding new sources of tax revenue and challenged the notion that people in the area where really see their tax bills rise.

No, the real fault lays in the submissive fools that populate this area and are only too willing to take a shafting, for their own good. What is it that P.T. Barnum used to say about fools and their money?

"It makes you gulp a little bit," said Victor Nakas of Falls Church, whose bill could top $4,500. But "if you want good government, you have to pay for it


Good grief. Get me the hell out of here.

Monday, March 06, 2006

I'm Playing The Worlds Smallest Violin

So, John Allen Muhammad finds jail a bit cold.

Muhammad's hair has grown bushy, and he now wears a goatee and mustache. A deputy said he has been offered T-shirt and underwear, but that he refused. Muhammad said he was cold, even once pulling his arms inside his sleeves.

"I've been frostbit on my face. ... I've been frostbit on my hands. I'm very sensitive to cold," he complained.


Ask me if I care.




Actual, I do care and have just the solution to Muhammad's problems.

Its a one way ticket to the fires of hell via a 230 grain .45 ACP bullet.

One Hell Of A Review

NIGHTLIFE
By Thomas Perry


Some mystery writers publish multiple books each year and have highly visible public personas. Mr. Perry is less fast and less flashy. He does have a Web site featuring the sound of gunshots — but, as he admits, there's not much else happening there. The author has been too busy to show off.

As he explains it: "I've been working at developing narratives in which we see and understand the complexity of motive, temperament and history that a character brings when he comes into collision with other characters. This has required steady, uninterrupted attention and kept me fully amused and preoccupied." That last sentence is of course about Mr. Perry's writing experience. But it perfectly describes how enjoyably and powerfully "Nightlife" connects with the reader.


It's about a female serial killer. I might have to actually go out and buy it.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Is This The End . . .

of my official association with the Republican Party?

I've served as a local precinct captain in Fairfax Virginia for the last 8 years, but have finally had enough. There is an internal campaign going on right now for new leadership and I've been lobbied non stop over it. Seriously. For some idiotic insider baseball post that will have no real impact on the direction of the party in fairfax county.

Well, the pressure reached a new level today with a request that I not attend one of my son's baseball games in order to go to vote for the "conservative" candidate.

Family values my ass.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Its Carnival Time

This week has been a rather exciting one with a recovering New Orleans hosting its annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Carnival while corrupt and incompetent mayor Ray Naggin is not only facing a contempt of court charge for the continued theft of lawfully owned firearms, but he is also facing many worthy challengers including none other than this favorite Carnival visitor, Mr. White Chocolate

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Oh yeah, there is another Carnival going on too this week. Chris Byrne is hosting the 50th edition of the Carnival of Cordite. Its quite an honor for Chris, but just like Nigel Tufnel, I ought to point out that I am hosting next weeks version and am therefor one better.

Or louder.

Or whatever. Go check it out, and remember to switch your book marks to the new Anarchangel too.

Yaser Alamoodi, Still a Liar or Idiot

I had forgotten all about this terrorist scumbag with the inconsistent story I mentioned back in November until someone posted the following anonymous comment here.

do you know yaser, no. So how about you shut your fucking mouth



Of course, no one is anonymous on the internet.

See, the commentors IP address was 149.169.89.247. Want to guess where that is? Yep, Arizona State. Here's the log from sitemeter.

Image hosting by Photobucket

Sort of a random search, don't you think?

My edumacated guess is that is was probably Yaser himself, which really does beg the question . . . . Liar or Idiot??

Random Google Referrer Traffic

cherry lipstick begs for A treatment.


WTF?

Bareback Mountain

Heh!

There are about 40 million Latinos in the United States, and their numbers are growing faster than any other group. Every sector of the entertainment industry says it wants to 'reach' us. Given that, the lack of Latinos in a movie about Latinos is inexcusable, and it speaks to how far Hollywood has to go.

All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

The Richmond Independent has an important post up about a basic principle learned in kindergaten, Be Nice.

But calling Republicans (and James Webb) silly names makes your candidate look bad to the people who actually matter, the voters. Sure it's unlikely that a swing voter is reading your comment. But it's the attitude that is the problem. If that kind of thinking informs your choices in candidates, you are going to pick losers in Virginia. If you want to express your angst amongst fellow Democrats, fine. But if you are actually promoting a candidate, use some common sense and have some respect.


He is directing his comments to Democrats, but I think its a lesson (and a post) that everyone should read.

Aaron Brown's Murder

I criticize the Washington Post alot, but have to give them credit for staying on top of the tragic murder of Aaron Brown by an off duty Alexandria police officer and holding the investigation to strict standards.

Alexandria's police chief, Charles E. Samarra, told Mr. Brown's parents and the City Council that the police investigation would be "complete and honest and thorough," guided strictly by the evidence. "[We] will investigate this case as I would if it had been my son in this unfortunate tragedy . . . and when we are finished, we will reveal the details of the investigation and whatever the findings are," he said. That is precisely the standard to which the inquiry should and will be held.


Its also worth noting that the Post (or at least the editorial page) isn't falling hook line and sinker for the outrageous smear campaign against Aaron Brown launched by the Alexandria Police Department as the Blue Wall of Silence once again tries to prevent justice from being done. Most significantly, today's Op-Ed makes clear that the charge of an unpaid bill is not only just an unsubstantiated allegation, but in any case wholly insufficient to justify Carl Stowe's action.

Let's start with some questions. Under those circumstances, why would Mr. Stowe try to stop a moving vehicle -- let alone an SUV -- in the first place? Why not just take down the license number? Alert the police with the vehicle's description? Did Mr. Stowe needlessly put himself in harm's way? And did he really fire at the Cherokee as many as five times, as a passenger told WRC (Channel 4) and as Mr. Brown's parents (quoting the police) told The Post?


The bigger question - and one to be determined later - is whether Alexandria Prosecutor Randolph Sengel will do the right thing, charging Stowe with 2nd Degree Murder and seek the maximum sentence allowed under Virginia law or if he will buckle to the pressures of the Blue Wall of Silence and the all powerful Police Union and decline to prosecute this cold blooded murderer.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Earl: The Latest American Hero

The would be My Name Is Earl, the latest and greatest show on television.

I mean, how much better does it get than Jason Lee dangling from a rope in a water tower singing the theme song to The Greatest American Hero?

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Believe It Or Not
Lyrics and Music by Mike Post and Stephen Geyer

Look at what's happened to me,
I can't believe it myself.
Suddenly I'm up on top of the world,
It should've been somebody else.

Believe it or not,
I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free-.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it's just me.

It's like a light of a new day-,
It came from out of the blue.
Breaking me out of the spell I was in,
Making all of my wishes come true-.

Believe it or not,
I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free-.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it's just me


For the young one's out there - this was a magical show for its first season. For some reason though, it just couldn't sustain the writing and plot line after that first year. Nevertheless, the theme song ended up hitting #2 on the Billboard Charts in 1981 and probably had as much success if not more than any theme song until Friends.

Another DC Ban

I love to discuss how worthless the DC Gun Ban is at this blog, but apparently there is another ban in DC that seems just as ignored.

It's the law that nearly everyone supports -- and nearly everyone ignores. In the year and a half since the District began restricting drivers' cell phone use, police say they have issued thousands of tickets to violators. But for every driver silenced with a $100 fine, many others are still out there talking on hand-held phones, casually disregarding the law.


Am I surprised? No, but not just because its nearly as impossible to enforce (violators of this ban actualy contribute $$$$ to DCs coffers and we know how much they love that). Rather, cause folks in DC just don't have respect for the law.

And how can they, when the corrupt and incompetent Chuck Ramsey is the head of the criminal and incompetent police force.

"The numbers bear that out -- if they see it, they write it," Ramsey said in a recent interview. "Sometimes an officer uses discretion. I don't know if they're going to stop for a cell phone when they're going to a robbery in progress. Sometimes things get busy."

And Ramsey urged people to report any officers they see breaking the law.


You see, I actually did witness (and report) someone talking, recklessly driving, and a cop ignoring them once. You see, it was DC Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, one of the proponent of the cell phone ban. As I stated last summer:

In January 2004, the DC City Council passed the Distracted Driving Act 12-1. Amongst those voting in favor of it was Ward 2 Council Member Jack Evans.

Well, I guess you would image my surprise as I sat in a taxi cab today driving down H street - from Connecticut Ave to NY Ave - at about 11:10 a.m. and watched as Council Member Jack Evans sat behind the wheel of his swerving black Chrysler Sebring Convertible with DC License Plates that said simply DC COUNCIL WARD 2 in the lane next to us chatting on a cell phone the whole way and almost causing an accident. Needless to say, the cop we passed at the corner of H and 15th paid no notice to Mr. Evan's lawlessness.


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Not only did I seek - and fail to receive - a response from the law breaker himself, but the DC police department never responded to my inquiry either.

RIP

Apparantly, Harry Brown has passed away.

Rest In Peace.

New Shooter Alert

Hope Kim's been saving, cause this ones gonna cost him a WHOLE LOTTA AMMO . . . .

Ended up taking two guys from work out to the NRA Range tonight. Lets call them M&M.

M1, who is mid 30s, grew up in Michigan and just doesn't think about guns much. Not for or against, they just aren't his thing. In fact, the only time he picked a gun up ever was to shoot a round of trap with some relatives when he was about 15 years old. Politically, he is pretty much middle of the road.

M2 is in his early 20s. He is a staff assistant in my office, just out of the University of California system. He grew up in San Francisco (well, in Marin County). He was shocked to find out I had guns when he first met me, and just didn't understand why people needed them. His moms a doctor in San Francisco and to say he was a pinko would be an understatement.

After working on M1 for the last 3 years (and it really was more of a schedule coordination thing) and M2 for the last 6 month (every day he gets a lecture, to the point of me being abusive to him), I finally got them both out to the NRA Range . . . . . and they loved it.

Started off with the Ruger Mk II in .22lr. Each shot a magazine and were able to keep the groupings fairly tight - about a 3 inch group - in the center of the target from 7 yards. No problems at all.

Blew through another magazine each, just to work on form, etc. and then its on to the revolver, the S&W Model 66. Two cylinders each with .38 Spl, first to work on form and to show them the operational difference between single action and double action. They liked that but were eager to move up to something even more powerful. Fine.

Out came a box of .357 Magnum. Then another.

The anal retentive asshole in the lane next to us wasn't happy about the muzzle blast and pounding reports, but these two newbies were like kids at the toy store with smiles from ear to ear.

Of course, after a 100 rounds, they were ready to move on and had their eyes on the "Magnum PI" gun, my Colt 1991A1. No problem. I ripped open a pack of Winchester White Box 100 and loaded up the mags. We ended up going through that box too with out me getting a chance to touch anything off. But thats ok, cause I had two new shooters in my midst.

I had also taken along my K31, cause the 7.5 Swiss ammo for it finally arrived, and testing it out is all i really wanted to do. M&M of course, were fascinated by it and shocked at the size of the round. Frankly, I was too. Its pretty darn impressive. They then looked around the range and noticed a guy with an AR-15 and asked how much more powerful that was. I decided to give them a little ballistics lesson and walked on over to the young man who was only too happy to help educate some newbies. Showed them a .223 Rem round, next to a 7.62x39 round, next to a .30-06 round and then the 7.5 Swiss. While doing so, I also managed to snag a 9mm round and showed how much smaller that was than the .45 ACP they shot.

To say M&M are cured of the idea that the DC Beltway Snipers used a high power firearm is an understatement which was only driven home further after they had a chance to touch off a few rounds on the K31.

Wow, what a smooth rifle. Had at least half a dozen people come up to check it out including the range officer who was fascinated with the action and asked for a 7.5 Swiss round to add to his collection. No problem.

So far so good, right? Right. But it gets better.

As we are washing up, they ask when we can do this again. And, when can we shoot skeet. And, where can they go to get guns of their own. So, I proceed to take them to the "For Sale" bulletin board. Don't know about M1, but M2 was ready to buy a Springfield 1911 right then and there, but for one problem. He lives in DC.

This injustice, of course, was driven home even further when I noticed M2 had taken a variety of cartridges with him - for momentos, he said. I of course had no problem, but did feel obligated to tell him ammo - even empty cases - were banned in DC and each cartridge was a separate 5 year sentence.

He asked, How Can They Ban Ammo? What About The Second Amendment?




No more to say. I believe I have done all I can be expected to do. And I am very proud of the result.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Let It Speak, Baby!!

If you thought you had seen the last of #23, boy were you wrong.

Simply chilling, and after a few years abscence, MJ is back in all his glory.



UPDATE There is a much better quality copylocated here on Jordan's official site.

UPDATE #2 Apparantly, I am going to get to meet MJ in a couple of weeks at an event we are hosting. Pysched! I have a female friend who made his acquaintence too one night, at Cafe Milano in DC, when he was playing with the Washington Bullets (I refuse to call them the Wizards). She's such a slut, and wears it proud. Of course, my meeting won't have the same level of intimacy.

Customer Service

So, I was expecting to receive the Hornady LEVERevolution Ammo today. Instead, the box that arrived contained Hornady Custom 170 Grain .30-30 ammo. It was, to say the least, a bit of a let down.

I called MidwayUSA to find out what happened (the packing slip had the wrong ammo listed) and it turns out there was some error in their computer that sent the wrong order out to me. They were very apologetic, told me to keep all the ammo they sent and that they would send out a new shipment of Hornady LEVERevolution 30-30 Winchester 160 Grain Elastomer Flex Tip ammo - free of charge - as soon as it arrived back in stock (end of this week).

While I was a bit disappointed that I won't get to play with the LEVERevolution tomorrow at the range, I can't compliment them enough on the first class customer service.