San Diego County Minuteman watch postponed until September.

North County Times:

Citing logistical and safety concerns, the leader of an anti-illegal immigration group said Monday that he is postponing his plans for a controversial border watch this summer along eastern San Diego County's portion of the U.S. Mexican border.

Andy Ramirez, founder of Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol, said so many people have volunteered to patrol the border with his group that officials with his organization decided to push the kick off of the one-month operation from Aug. 1 to sometime in September. Ramirez said he wants to make sure his organization is able to provide volunteers with things like sufficient training, portable toilets, food and shelter.

'We have been hit by such an overwhelming response from volunteers from all over ---- more than 700 now ---- that we need that extra time,' Ramirez said Monday.

He said he also wants to give law enforcement officials extra time to make the necessary preparations for policing the border watch and what could turn out to be thousands of volunteers, as well as the groups that oppose them.

Ahhh, Bach...

A new vocal piece by J.S. Bach has been discovered:

A previously unknown composition by Johann Sebastian Bach has been discovered by researchers in Germany.

I laughed until my eyes watered...

This post at Neanderpundit is what did it.

much tnx to Fun Turns to Tragedy!!!

Wadcutter's SP-101

Check out Wadcutter's prettified SP-101. It's quite inspiring. I might have to try that.

Purse Snatcher Gets It

I just enjoy reading this kind of story:

'I didn't have my hearing aid in, and I thought he said that he was going to take my pulse,' she said. 'Then he said it again that he was going to take my purse and I said, 'No, you're not.'

The small woman with gray hair and glasses turned angry.

'He just made me mad,' Woodworth said. 'I wasn't really thinking, I just hit him.'

He was caught, and charged with numerous offences.

Steel in the spine - and in the drawer

Steel in the spine - and in the drawer is an interesting article from the St. Petersburg Times (Florida):

When my grandfather died, most of the possessions he left behind reflected his gentle, nurturing ways: a collection of vegetable seeds he intended to plant the following spring, handmade tools with keen edges that he sharpened on his own stone wheel, a car he kept spotless and thoroughly lubricated.

But among those artifacts, which conjured his patience, his industry and his almost supernatural ability to coax food from the soil, was an ugly black pistol, the kind that probably would qualify as a "Saturday night special."

How did such an incongruous object come to roost among the possessions of a man so uncomfortable with violence that he used to urge me not to play with my plastic toy rifle in his presence?

I would recommend keeping the old gun as a memento and arming yourself and your daughter with something new (and possibly more potent and reliable).

Saturday Night Lovecraft

Saturday night is a good night for H.P. Lovecraft because I've pretty much caught up with my entire blogroll and have time for some superfluous posting (as may be evidenced by my previous post). First, here's a quote:

I choose weird stories because they suit my inclination best--one of my strongest and most persistent wishes being to achieve, momentarily, the illusion of some strange suspension or violation of the galling limitations of time, space, and natural law which forever imprison us and frustrate our curiosity about the infinite cosmic spaces...

This is not from any of his stories. I don't know exactly where it came from, but I believe it is from one of his letters.

Now, here's another Lovecraft poem. As I said before, he wrote a lot of poetry, most of it quite mundane and having nothing to do with weird tales or infinite cosmic spaces. But this one has a definite streak of weirdness, and that overall creepy feeling that makes it one of my favorites.

The Cats

Babels of blocks to the high heavens towering
Flames of futility swirling below;
Poisonous fungi in brick and stone flowering,
Lanterns that shudder and death-lights that glow.

Black monstrous bridges across oily rivers,
Cobwebs of cable to nameless things spun;
Catacomb deeps whose dank chaos delivers
Streams of live foeter that rots in the sun.

Colour and splendour, disease and decaying,
Shrieking and ringing and crawling insane,
Rabbles exotic to stranger-gods praying,
Jumbles of odour that stifle the brain.

Legions of cats from the alleys nocturnal.
Howling and lean in the glare of the moon,
Screaming the future with mouthings infernal,
Yelling the Garden of Pluto's red rune.

Tall towers and pyramids ivy'd and crumbling,
Bats that swoop low in the weed-cumber'd streets;
Bleak Arkham bridges o'er rivers whose rumbling
Joins with no voice as the thick horde retreats.

Belfries that buckle against the moon totter,
Caverns whose mouths are by mosses effac'd,
And living to answer the wind and the water,
Only the lean cats that howl in the wastes.

But if I uninstall it, is that desecration?

Back during the 80's and into the early 90's, there were several used book stores that I frequented, buying all kinds of odd stuff that I knew I'd never have use for but someday may want to use as references for...I don't know, something. One day I bought an old, dog-eared Koran for what, fifty cents, I guess, it's hard to remember exactly. Within a few days of 9/11 I was looking for it, thinking that its time of reference had come.

I couldn't find it.

I know it still has to be here somewhere, but where, I don't know. It seems to have disappeared.

So I jumped right on the Internet and Googled up "get your free Koran." I didn't know if it was possible, but I didn't think it unlikely. Back then there were very few places that were handing out Korans for free, but I found one. I don't remember the name of the group now, but I do recall it was from an Islamic group in Houston. I sent them my name and address by email, and within a few days, received my Koran and some other literature in the mail. Nothing untoward (that I know of) has ever happened because of my giving out my postal address.

Now the entire "blogosphere," it seems, is abuzz with the news that you can get a free Koran from CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations). Apparently this particular edition includes some anti-Semitic extras. I don't know anything about that.

But unlike those days immediately after 9/11, you can now get your free Koran from all kinds of places (just Google "free Koran"). Not only that, but there are several places you can download a software version of said tome.

But I don't want to offend anyone. I suppose the installation file itself is holy, and transferring the data over a phone line that has also downloaded pictures of scantily-clad vampire chicks in years past would be desecration. Those pictures no longer exist on this computer, but I've had this machine for a long time. What if I install this software and some of the data accidentally occupies a sector that was once occupied by a picture of Elvira? Or even Gillian Anderson? Would that be desecration? And if I go so far as to install it, and then decide to uninstall it, I shudder to think of the repercussions if that ever got publicized.

And what if I accidentally take my paperback copy out back, nail it to a tree, and shoot it to pieces with a .45?

The whole thing is a crock. A complete, unmitigated, crock.

(Pardon the attitude. Or not. I'm feeling extra sarcastic today).

"One Gun Per Month"

Sure, I'll limit myself to buying one gun per month, if you'll limit your right to be an annoying little twerp free speech to once per month.

Jeff has a much better and less sarcastic response at Alphecca.

(I wish I could afford to buy a new gun every month).

A Whole Slew of New Firearms-Related Bills Passed by Texas Legislature

From NRA-ILA. Governor Perry has until June 19 to sign these bills, or not.

Of note (to me):

HB 225 by Representative Joe Driver (R-Garland) & Senator Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) Extends Term of Renewed Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHLs) from 4 to 5 Years.

Hmmm...does this mean they'll have to send out new licenses to all current holders? Or does it just get phased in slowly? Not really important to me, either way, just thought I'd mention it.

Of real importance:

HB 823 by Representative Terry Keel (R-Austin) & Senator Juan Hinojosa (D-McAllen) Legalizes the Carrying of Concealed Handguns in Private Vehicles Without a CHL.

Now that would be something.

tnx to John Lott's Website

Carnival of Cordite #16 at Resistance is Futile!

In my opinion, mASS BACKWARDS is looking at the right gun. If I were looking to buy my first centerfire pistol, this one would be a definite contender.

I gotta agree with Kim Du Toit on this one. It should also be a good companion for a S&W Model 28, yes?

Interesting thoughts...

...from the UK at Gun Culture:

We are required to pay top dollar for third rate services that we haven't asked for and in some cases that we do not receive - NHS dental treatment does not exist in my area, but I don't get a rebate on NI "contributions".

It is accepted that it is state business what drugs I use, how many portions of fruit'n'veg I eat, when I can buy alcohol (indeed how much I should pay for it), when an independent retailer should open for business and a whole myriad of ever increasing regulations on individual freedoms.

It is illegal in Blighty to pay for a vote, yet this is precisely what happens every election time. Under the Conservatives we saw headline grabbing "tax-cuts" at the pre-budget elections, under the Labour Party we have new handouts and social engineering tax systems. The people vote themselves bread and circuses and the wealth generators are expected to divvy up for them.

Essentially what we experience is institutional socialism. Or as I prefer to call it Communism Lite.

Maybe you already knew about this site...

...but I just discovered it. NEWSMEAT, among other things, has information on how much and to whom various prominent figures have donated their money. Celebrities, billionaires, sports stars, media folks, business execs, and political people. I find it all very interesting.

Just noticed this today on the Ruger website...

Sturm, Ruger Introduces New Ruger P95 Pistols with Picatinny Rails

Minuteman Movement Beginning in Odessa, Texas

Odessa:

"About 40 people gathered Thursday night to consider whether to create a West Texas chapter of the Arizona Minuteman Project.

'It's basically like a neighborhood watch,' organizer Shane Marler, of Odessa, said. 'The primary goal is to go to the border, take note of illegal activity and call the Border Patrol.'

Marler said the organization would be strictly non-confrontational and never make contact with illegal immigrants unless someone needs help."

The biggest problem, as noted in this and other articles, is that Texas has very little public land along the border (unlike Arizona), and such activity would require landowners' permission.

"Should I wait for him to shoot me?"

Manila:

"Pablo Hernandez held a 9mm handgun with his right hand, steadied it with his left, sighted on a target 30 feet away and fired. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Spent shells dropped away, and the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air.

The target was cardboard, but one day it could be a real person. Hernandez, a columnist for a Philippines tabloid, evaded an assassin's bullets last month. He is among a group of reporters, columnists and broadcasters who are campaigning to arm journalists in response to violence against them."

Of course, the Philippines have their anti-self-defense goofballs, too:

"Other journalists and advocates for press freedom expressed alarm, saying that carrying guns would not offer protection but instead create more violence and bloodshed. They fear a culture of vigilantism in a society where the rule of law is tenuous.

'Guns and journalists are a pretty deadly mix,' said Inday Espina-Varona, chairwoman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. 'We live in a pressure-cooker world, always tense, always on the run, terribly overworked and terribly underpaid, especially in the Philippines. When you're hot, in a temper, a weapon of self-defense can inadvertently be turned into a weapon against innocent people.'"

Why is it that some people think responsible citizens automatically become bloodthirsty killers when they touch a gun? I'll never understand it. Protecting oneself against murderers is not vigilantism. If anyone there is a vigilante, it is the corrupt officials who are hunting down and killing these journalists for reporting on their corruption. They are only defending themselves and yes, protecting their right to free speech.

"'We're not waiting for the policemen. We ourselves can now shoot back,' said Joel Syegco, a police reporter for the Manila Standard Today newspaper and the group's founder. He wore a black T-shirt with the message: 'Stop Killing Journalists.'

'If somebody should come at me, point a gun at me, should I wait for him to shoot me?' he asked.

Check out the captioned photo, too.

From the Department of Righteous Self-Defense

Dayton, Ohio:

"The victim told police that he pulled out his .40-caliber handgun and fired off close to 10 rounds, striking one of the men. Officers said the men ran off, but were later found at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Authorities said one of the suspects is a 17-year-old who suffered multiple gunshots and remains hospitalized. Officers said they also arrested two 16-year-olds who they said was driving a stolen car.

Police said that all three men face charges of armed robbery. Investigators do not plan to charge the victim for shooting the gun, because police believe the man was acting in self-defense. They said the victim also had a permit to carry a concealed weapon."

It's okay, we only use grape juice...

From Metro Times Detroit:

"Tom Hendrickson, director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, says the idea of mixing guns with religion and liquor doesn't make his day. 'Law enforcement is of the opinion that these are places where people shouldn't be armed.'"

As pointed out by Zendo Deb at TFS Magnum, someone who is being stalked could be easily found at a worship service, because such services are set to a specific schedule. Even if someone changed to a different congregation (not always possible in some smaller towns), they probably wouldn't change actual churches. Eventually, the stalker could find them.

Forgive me if I sound paranoid, but to me, churches make prime terrorism targets. Where else can some anti-Christian lunatics find large gatherings of Christians in one place at one time? A coordinated effort of several terrorists hitting several large congregations all on a Sunday morning could end up with lots of dead Christians all on one day. And let's face it, non-Christians as well have regular worship services with publicly available schedules. It could apply to anyone. I mention Christians only because it seems to me that they (we) would be the most likely target.

No, it wouldn't make much tactical sense. But when has that meant anything to terrorists? I think such an attack would create a lot of terror.

In Texas, it is legal to carry inside a place of worship unless specifically prohibited (which includes both oral and/or written notice). Written notice means posting the 30.06 Sign so that it is "displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public." I get around a lot on the mean streets of San Antonio, and I can tell you that I have never seen a single place of worship that has this sign posted.

I also know specifically of a couple of places where an armed and violent intruder would probably meet God very quickly.

Okay, so the title of this post may be an obscure joke. Most Protestant places that I know of don't use wine for communion. They (we) just non-alcoholic grape juice. So there's no worry about church-goers getting smashed and shooting up the building. Well, I didn't say it was a good joke.

UPDATE (7:45 PM): Iranian Nabbed Smuggling People Across the Border at the Immigration Blog. Maybe I'm not just paranoid, after all.

Gun Blogs Webring at WTF

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot has started a Gun Blogs Webring. Check it out, and join if you feel so inclined.

It's pretty much my favorite animal...

...bred for its magical skills.

(That sucker's huge).

New H.P. Lovecraft Movie upcoming

About.com reports:

"Maelstrom Productions, a Seattle production company, has completed the principal photography for its adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Thing on the Doorstep. The final cut of the horror movie, titled Strange Aeons: The Thing on the Doorstep and shot on location in Washington state (the home of Ted Bundy, and the Green River Killer), is expected in the fall."

Just thought I'd mention it. I don't usually have much hope for movies made from any of my favorite books/stories. I don't know why it was pertinent for them to mention serial killers. Well, the villian of the story could be considered a sort of serial killer, I guess.

5% Guilty Verdict Thrown Out

The 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, Florida threw out a previous verdict which found gun distributor Valor Corp. 5% guilty:

"After the jury verdict in favor of Pam Grunow, several jurors said it was a compromise. They found the family friend and the Palm Beach County School Board responsible for 95 percent of the damages because the gun was not locked up and there wasn't better security at the school. Valor was found responsible for 5 percent of the total damages of $24 million, or $1.2 million. The family friend and School Board were not defendants in the case because Pam Grunow reached settlements with them."

But...

"Palm Beach Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga threw out the November 2002 verdict, ruling that Valor could not be negligent under state law because jurors did not find the gun was a defective product. The appeals court ruled that there was no liability on the part of Valor for distributing a gun that worked as it should."

Range Time!

I was pretty sure today would be a light day at work, and it was, so I was able to get to the range for a while afterward. I think next time I'll go to a different range that has much cheaper rates.

I have come to the conclusion that if I ever want to do any serious pistol shooting I'm going to have to build myself a personal pistol range. There doesn't seem to be a single range in San Antonio that allows so-called "rapid fire." Which means, no double-tap practice. Also, of course, no "shooting while moving" practice.

I did put 140 rounds through the XD40, which puts me right at 200 rounds total. Today there were two failure-to-feeds, but I'm pretty sure it was an ammo problem, not a gun problem. This is because I was shooting gun show reloads that I had a previous problem with. I had already sorted through all of these rounds by dropping each into the (disassembled) barrel to ensure proper seating, but they seemed to be extremely dirty. About 5 shots into a magazine, I was shooting through a haze of smoke. That's never happened to me before with any of my semi-autos. The two f-t-f's today were toward the end, and were probably due to the gun just being dirty after more than 100 rounds pretty much non-stop. Both rounds cycled normally when "recycled."

The "previous problem" caused a jam so bad that it required a gunsmith to fix, and he showed me how the ammo was at fault. This was why I had checked every single round remaining, of which about 10% were bad.

This range has a pistol range which has a hook on a cable to hang your target. You then run the target out to any distance up to 15 yards. I did most of my shooting with my left (strong) hand in the 10-15 yard range. I tried a couple of magazines worth right-handed, but didn't feel completely comfortable with it so I went back to left only. I have done lots of right-handed shooting before but I guess it's been so long I'm just out of practice.

The ammo was purchased from two different vendors. One batch was 180 FMJ and the other 180 grain JHP. The JHP's were noticeably hotter than the others. I've since discovered a gun store that has some pretty cheap factory ammo and I will probably just go there next time.

Now to get a holster.

Regarding the Minuteman Project...

Movement beginning in South Carolina:

"Local residents who have voiced public concern over illegal immigrants on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton say they have been in contact with the Minuteman Project about joining forces.

The national group mobilized hundreds of citizen volunteers to patrol the Arizona-Mexico border in April, a move that met with strong approval from some advocates of stricter immigration controls but with harsh criticism from many quarters. National members of the Minuteman Project could not be reached for comment.

A local effort would not necessarily involve such patrols. The idea would be to focus on businesses thought to be hiring illegal workers, according to Ebba Gamer, president of the anti-illegal immigration group Citizens for a Better Community. Gamer said the group is helping to start a statewide chapter of the Minuteman Project."

And in some related news, here's something really astounding from Eagle Pass, Texas:

The number of illegal immigrants from Central America and Brazil caught crossing into this Texas border city jumped threefold in the past year as they rush to exploit a legal loophole, U.S. authorities said.

The U.S. Border Patrol has nabbed 15,195 non-Mexican migrants crossing over the Rio Bravo around Eagle Pass in the past eight months, a rise of almost 240 percent on the same period last year, officials said on Monday.

Agents say what they call "OTMs" -- "other than Mexican migrants" -- now account for 90 percent of all migrant detentions in the sweltering trade and ranching hub of 40,000 people. That is up from the 5 percent to 10 percent nationwide normally recorded by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Here is (apparently) why:

"'Word is out that we are unable to detain the other than Mexican crossers, and they are exploiting a bottleneck in the system,' Dennis Smith, the Border Patrol's spokesman for the local Del Rio Sector, told Reuters.

Whereas Mexican citizens are processed and swiftly deported, non-Mexicans are either detained or let out on bail pending an appearance before an immigration court.

Following a security and criminal background check, those not deemed a security threat or found to have a criminal record, are released with a notice to appear before an immigration judge within 30 days.

The immigration summons, dubbed 'the diploma' by local residents in the remote border community, allows them to travel on into the United States legally, crossing Border Patrol road blocks set up to collar illegal migrants in south Texas.

Agents say the rush to reach Eagle Pass has been boosted by good communications links from cities in the Mexican interior, and they say they can time immigrant arrivals from the city of Piedras Negras to the south by using the Mexican bus schedule.

Pardon the language, but holy crap!

I can sympathize with this guy...

Gillette, Ill.:

"A 46-year-old man allegedly set his own home on fire in order to get two visitors to leave, police said."

This looks like a good car safe...

I just ordered one these car safes from Center of Mass. It looks like a good product at a good price. Thanks to GeekWithA.45 for the pointer.

The Sarcastic Brain

I thought this was very interesting, considering that the use of sarcasm is one of my primary methods of operation:

"Shamay-Tsoory believes that, apart from brain injury, perhaps even subtle differences in the 'wiring' of this region can leave people unable to empathize with others, and it is this lack of ascertaining another's emotional state that may be responsible for the inability to understand sarcasm."

I think I might even have extra wiring, or something.

tnx to Tigerhawk

Something for you Lovecraft fans...

deleted

I bought a flag today...

I have never flown the flag at my home before. But, for the past few years, I have been thinking I should get one to fly on patriotic days such as Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, Independence Day, etc. So today the kids and I went out and bought one, the kind that just sticks into a mount that you put where you want. I put the mount on a post at the end of the driveway, and explained to the kids that we are going to fly it on certain holidays, but not all the time (I think it makes a better point, that way). What was it that finally made me do it? I think it was superfreakazoids like this.

"80 Million Americans Have Guns?"

The GeekWithA.45 recounts an interesting conversation he had at work:

"I looked at BD, while it sunk in. He had a distant look in his eyes, as he reread the Second Amendment. I don't know what he was thinking. Perhaps he was wondering if he would have had to flee his homeland if it weren't so easy for relatively small, undisciplined gangs of armed thugs to run things. '80 million Americans have guns? Really? This is true? Enough for everybody?'"

About Me

This is a post that will take the place of me filling out one of Blogger's official "profiles." I'm going to provide a permanent link for this post under my "Links" section in the sidebar.

I was born on Palm Sunday in 1964. I grew up living in the country out eastwardly of San Antonio, Texas. I went to a small school in a small town. Where I lived, as a first grader, our school bus didn't come down our road to the house. I was dropped off at the highway and walked about 2 miles home every day. Back then, we lived in more or less of a wilderness. One day I even saw a cougar while walking home, which scared the snot out of me.

I grew up in a family in which my father worked full time, but also raised cattle and pigs for extra money (and for a while, goats as well). We always had a big garden on our 20 acres, and my summertime chores always included keeping that big sucker very well irrigated. I was also the Assistant Pig-Keeper.

During my childhood, my father owned three guns: a .22 rifle, a 16-gauge shotgun, and a .243. These are basically the only three types of firearms that are practical for the life we had. The .22 for general purposes, varmints, and occasional plinking, the shotgun for dove hunting, and the centerfire rifle for deer. A friend of the family broke me in on centerfire handguns when I was a teenager, and I have always had a thing for handguns over all others.

I rarely had a real summertime job. I made most of my money during winters, by trapping, skinning, and selling pelts. I knew this was as close as I'd ever come to living like a "frontiersman" and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

I graduated high school and went to college, where I majored in music. I played the sax and a little piano. About this time I realized that I didn't have the ambition or dedication that it would take to become a professional musician, and with the dreadful fate of ending up a band director ahead of me, I dropped out and went to work.

I spent some time working in a feed mill as a stacker. This is a guy who picks up the feed sacks from the conveyor after they have been filled and sewn shut, and stacks them on a pallet.

I spent several years going up and down the ladder in a pizza restaurant. I went to a tech school and got an associate's degree in electronics. I got a job for a company as a pager repair tech. The same month that I finished paying my school loan (about 10 years later), the company closed down the shop and I was out of a job.

I got a commercial license and drove a truck for a while. I spent a short time as a security guard. Another short time installing alarm systems in houses that were under construction. Then came the current job as a meter reader. I don't think I could handle going back to a desk job like I had as a repair tech. I think sitting there all day in one spot would drive me nuts. As hard as my job is, I do like being outdoors most of the time and I know all the exercise is making me a lot healthier than the sedentary bench job I had before.

I am a member of the Church of Christ. Yes, I am one of those dreaded conservative Christians who are at the root of all the problems in the world. I am not perfect, and I think my greatest weakness is my occasional inability to keep silent when I should keep silent. I am outraged at many things I see in the world, and I often find that polite conversation is insufficient at expressing my anger.

I used to read a lot more than I do now. Most of the time I am so tired when I go to bed that I fall asleep right away, whereas I used to stay up for hours reading into the small hours of the night. Most of my reading time is spent just keeping abreast of world events by reading news and blogs on the Internet.

As you have probably already figured out, I am a big fan of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. While growing up, I spent most of my time reading science fiction, fantasy, and westerns. These days I like to read a lot of non-fiction, filling in my ignorance about various wars, and occasionally reading some true crime books, as well as mystery novels.

This post could be subject to updating, whenever I think of anything more that I should add to it.

UPDATE: Or, what is this blog all about? The main body of this blog is simply clip-blogging: I post excerpts from and links to news articles and websites that interest me. Sometimes I might comment on them. Occasionally I will attempt a satirical "news" article myself, if something I read happens to inspire me. Expect other oddball, bleak and/or sarcastic humor to pop up often. Obscure book, movie and TV references are par for the course. Items regarding H.P. Lovecraft may also appear in the midst of all the gun stuff.

Friday Night Ramble: One Day Late

I wore myself out with last night's post about HPL and zombie guns, so I didn't post the usual ramble. So here goes.

Work was tough this week. I spent two days (1 1/2 routes) reading meters in Olmos Park alone, and that is one of the three worst places in S.A. to read meters. The other two, in case you're curious, is Terrell Hills and the Monte Vista Historic District. I slowly worked my way westward during the week, basically starting just a little west of highway 281 and ending on the west side of Blanco Rd. By Azathoth, it was bad. Those of us who are "full time" meter readers for our project sometimes take a sort of perverse pride in knowing that, under normal circumstances, we earn more money for the company than those who never do anything but deliver overdue bill notices. This week was not under normal circumstances by any means, and I actually earned less for the company than the slackers, and I worked my butt off. My main gripe this week is something that you just can't get people to believe, no matter what. Here it is, folks: Your meter reader is a lot better off being alone in the yard with your dog than if you are out there with him. Your dog is going to be a lot more dangerous if he thinks he has to protect you personally. Just peek out the window or something if you think you have to watch, but don't go out there in the yard and start yelling at the dog to shut up. The dog doesn't know what you're yelling about, all he knows is that you are in distress because you're screaming, and the only thing that poor dumb mutt can think of is that the stranger is causing your distress, and he's going to go ape $#@! crazy until the stranger is gone. And don't think you automatically know how your dog will react because you're around him all the time. Chances are, that meter reader deals with a couple hundred unfamiliar dogs every day, and he can tell in 5 seconds more about how you're dog will react than you ever will.

The heat was getting bad this week, but we fortunately had a late thunderstorm pass through on Thursday that cooled things off a little for Friday. That's it for the ramble tonight. I have a couple of other posts to make under separate subjects. So there.

Guns & Journalism in the Philippines

A few weeks ago I posted a link to this article about the possibility of journalists carrying guns in the Philippines. This strikes me as a contrast between there and the U.S., where it often seems that "journalists" are largely anti-self-defense.

Today this turns up:

"Blasting away at targets with 0.45 caliber pistols, a group of militant Philippine journalists held their first 'fun shoot' Thursday to make clear they were not taking media killings lying down."

More...

"'I did not want to ask for a permit to carry them (guns) because I believed that the pen is mightier than the gun, but with what's happening now, journalists are being killed like helpless chickens,' said Pablo Hernandez, a tabloid columnist.

Hernandez, known for his hard-hitting commentaries on smugglers and crooked cops, traded shots with two men on a motorcycle this month after he and a friend noticed their car was being followed in Manila.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) rejects the idea of reporters carrying weapons, but a growing number are arming themselves in Manila and other cities after police endorsed self-protection for the media earlier this year.

'While I am not going to stop any journalists who think they ought to carry arms, I just hope they go through the legal process,' said NUJP President Inday Varona.

'What the NUJP can do is to consistently reach out to them and tell them that this is not the answer.'

But the failure to convict anyone for the murders of nearly 70 journalists since democracy was restored in 1986 with the overthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos has left journalists skeptical of the government's ability to protect them."

Skeptical. There's an understatement. That's 70 since 1986, and 5 this year alone.

Important Info at The Countertop Chronicles

Please proceed forthwith to The Countertop Chronicles: Asshole of the week for the name, address, and phone number of the idiot publisher of the Northwest Florida Daily News who decided to publish the names and addresses of all of Florida's concealed carry permit holders.

A special note to other Floridians whose names were not on this list: You just became an easier target.

tnx to The Freeholder

Makarov My Day

Check out Heads Bunker for a great post about one of my favorite guns, the Makarov.

Scary stuff in China

If you are even remotely interested in what's going on in the realm of a possible influenza pandemic, you should check out Avian Flu. Here is a recent post: What is really going on in China?

H.P. Lovecraft and Zombie guns

Chaos over at Whiskey Tango Foxtrot posted a couple of things this week which interested me. The first was his observation that many gun folks are also Lovecraft fans. I think this is more owing to the universality of Lovecraft's writings than to anything else. Just about everyone, regardless of political/social/religious leanings, provided they have something of an imagination, can appreciate the fear stimulus invoked by these tales of the unknown. That's my theory, anyway. Chaos has also been posting a few of his favorite HPL quotes, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and post a couple. Tonight's quote is from The Festival. This is one of my favorite stories, although it is not really considered one of his "major" tales like The Call of Cthulhu or The Shadow Over Innsmouth. This tale has an excellent example of how Lovecraft could describe something by not describing it:

"...there flopped rhythmically a horde of tamed, trained, hybrid winged things that no sound eye could ever wholly grasp, or sound brain ever wholly remember. They were not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor vampire bats, nor decomposed human beings; but something I cannot and must not recall."

There are plenty of stories which result in the death (or fate worse than death) of the protagonist, and sure, those are scary. But to me, the truly haunting tale is the one in which the protagonist survives more or less intact, but leaves the reader with the knowledge that the he will be haunted by memories/dreams/visions of his experience forever afterward. This may be why Lovecraft's writings were always better--to me--than some other writers. There is almost always someone who survives but will be forever after psychologically scarred by the experience.

---

Chaos' other post that struck a chord in me was his question of what would be one's preferred zombie gun. I should begin by the disclaimer that the article he referenced was, according to Snopes, an April Fools Day spoof. However, this does not invalidate his question. Perhaps this also struck me strangely because (since I usually have lots of opportunity for my mind to wander while working--yes, it is quite easy for one part of the brain to read meters, watch for hazardous obstacles, and keep an eye out for dogs while another part thinks of something else entirely) I found myself this week wondering what would be the best handgun to have on hand if one were to encounter a small horde of Deep Ones. This question is especially problematic because my preferred caliber, the .357 Magnum, wasn't introduced until 1935. Most of Lovecraft's stories were set before this, so I found myself contemplating only calibers and handguns that were more widely available in his time. (This question becomes even more pertinent when thinking in terms of playing the Call of Cthulhu game). My only conclusion could be: the M1911 in .45 ACP, or if necessary, one of the early revolver variants that used this round such as the M1917 Army revolver (or any revolver that fired the .45 Long Colt, for that matter). A Thompson submachine gun would probably also not be a bad idea, if one were allowed something other than a handgun. I would also not mind too terribly if I had a couple of good friends backing me up with a couple of 12-gauges loaded with heavy buckshot. Of course, if the horde is of any respectable size at all, I think the best bet would be to do as the main character of The Shadow Over Innsmouth did: hide and hope they don't find you (which turned out to be irrevlevant in the end).

But back to the original question of zombies. They kind of zombie I am most familiar with is that portrayed in Night of the Living Dead and various sequels. These zombies required massive destruction of the brain in order to be destroyed. Shotguns may be good for this, but it seems to me that buckshot would be better against monsters which could be stopped by torso shots. So in handgun terms, I think anything with plenty of power and a decent number of shots before reloading would work. I would recommend the .357, .44 Magnum, or even the .50 AE. One of the lever-actions in .357, a camp carbine in .45, or a Ruger carbine in .40 would probably all be great for blasting zombie brains.

Anti-Minuteman Project Protestors Get Violent, Get Arrested

This from Southern California's NBC4 TV News:

"Harold Edmund Netkin, 69, was initially handcuffed Wednesday night, but was later released without being cited, said Garden Grove Police Lt. Mike Handfield.

Netkin's car was surrounded as he arrived at the Garden Grove Women's Club, 9501 Chapman Ave., and demonstrators rocked the vehicle and banged on it, Handfield said.

'We determined it was reasonable for him to move forward,' Handfield said.

Two people who were standing in front of Netkin's car fell down when he moved forward, the sergeant said. One complained of knee and shoulder pain and was taken to a local hospital, he said.

According to broadcast reports, the other also went to the hospital.

Police were aware of the demonstration and had five dozen officers on scene 'expecting to keep the peace,' Handfield said. But some of the estimated 300 demonstrators were there 'not to protest but to commit criminal acts,' he said.

'A small contingent of people that were troublemakers had backpacks filled with full cans of soda that they were throwing and also cans filled with marbles that they threw,' Handfield said.

Some of the protesters wore rubber gloves and donned sweatshirt hoods pulled tightly so only a small portion of their faces could be seen, he said."

Internet Scumbags Trying to Cash in on Minuteman Project

A heads up from the North County Times:

"[Minuteman Project founder Jim] Gilchrist, who lives in Oceanside, has posted a consumer-warning notice on his Web site. At least one group is using the Minuteman Project name to solicit money.

The advisory reads: 'The Minuteman Project is located in Aliso Viejo, California and maintains only one web site address: www.minutemanproject.com. Several groups have adopted the term 'minuteman' in their names. They are not part of the Minuteman Project.'"

The Minuteman Project and Texas

The Brownsville Herald reports:

"Eleven state senators have filed a resolution urging Gov. Rick Perry to oppose any plans the Minuteman Project has to patrol the Texas-Mexico border."

And...

"U.S. Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, D-Houston, has also sent a letter to Perry urging him to 'disinvite' the Minutemen."

Perry responded...

"...that he cannot 'disinvite' people he never invited, and said any law-abiding citizens are free to travel in and out of the state."

And...

"If you want to send the Minutemen home, I urge you to make sure we have enough federal agents on the border to secure it."

Texas Courthouses May Become Somewhat Safer...

In the wake of the courthouse shooting in Tyler, Texas, the Tyler Morning Telegraph reports:

"A bill Texas senators unanimously passed Tuesday could allow district attorneys, county attorneys and criminal district attorneys as well as federal judges to carry concealed handguns inside courthouses for protection."

The report also notes that "the bill passed out of the House with an amendment to add bailiffs."

They might also want to add an amendment that the bailiffs should have access to a centerfire rifle capable of defeating body armor.

Gun law restores concealed-carry rights in Minnesota

Good news for self defense from Minnesota:

"Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday signed a bill that allows easier statewide access to handgun permits. The law, which restores an identical 2003 measure that was struck down by the courts, takes effect immediately."

Alphecca: Weekly Check on the Bias

The Weekly Check on the Bias is up at Alphecca, and something I posted got mentioned!

Half-price renewals for Texas CHL seniors' permits

The Austin American-Statesman reports:

"The Senate on a voice vote Monday passed House Bill 1038, which would cut in half the renewal fee for seniors' concealed handgun permits. That means the current fee of $70 for a renewal would be $35 for anyone at least 60 years old.

Concealed handgun permits, which the state started issuing in 1995, last four years. The fee for an initial permit--which is set by the Department of Public Safety--is $140, and under current law, seniors and indigent Texans already got a 50 percent break on an initial permit.

But the law does not provide the same break for renewals. HB 1038, sponsored by state Rep. Carl Isett, R-Lubbock, and state Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, does not address the fee for indigent people."

Domestic Violence Victims Empowerment Act still waiting on final vote

News 14 in North Carolina reports that the Domestic Violence Victims Empowerment Act is still waiting on a final vote:

"Rep. Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus) is sponsoring a bill to give domestic violence victims easier access to concealed handgun permits. It's designed to allow victims to protect themselves in an emergency situation.

But Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education, a gun rights group that helped bring the bill to life, now says recent changes have made it too weak."

Border Patrol Considers Using Minutemen

In yet another story in which citizens who observe and report criminal activity are referred to as "vigilantes," the New Standard nevertheless reports this:

"According to a story published on the Government Executive website, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner told members of the House Government Reform Committee on May 12 that the agency needs thousands more new agents to monitor US borders, and that it may look to 'more effectively harness the citizen volunteers.'"

Neighborhood Watch folks better be careful. If you see someone breaking in to your neighbor's house and you call the police, you're a vigilante.

CCKRBA Challenges Brady Campaign to 'Stop Lying and Admit You Support Gun Bans'

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms chairman Alan Gottlieb issues a challenge:

"Gottlieb noted the Brady group's history of supporting bans, on lightweight handguns with polymer components, on sport-utility rifles, on large-caliber target rifles, on big handguns because they are powerful, on small handguns because they are concealable, and on inexpensive handguns because people can afford them.

'They should change their name to the Brady Campaign to Eradicate the Private Ownership of Firearms, to more accurately reflect reality,' Gottlieb said. 'They have repeatedly filed court briefs insisting that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual constitutional right.'"

A severe lack of gun activity

I didn't manage any gun-related activites this weekend, but I did try a new experiment. I don't usually carry all the time, because it just isn't comfortable. But Saturday I had to run down the road for a bag of charcoal, so I popped in the ol' SP-101. When I got back home, I continued to wear it all day. I spent most of the day outside, barbecuing. I have a New Braunfels Smoker with which I have become quite proficient in making extremely good smoked meats. This time I did a small brisket as well as some country-style pork ribs. The pork was especially good (I'm not really a huge fan of brisket). So I was barbecuing and carrying outside in 100-degree heat. God knows what the heat index was. Okay, I was in the shade most of the time so it probably wasn't over 100.

Anyway, by the time I went inside the gun did have sweat on it. But cleaning it off before I put it away will probably prevent any sweat-related damage. While outside, I also unloaded it and practiced drawing it from concealment for a while, which I think I need to do more of. Wearing it for so long was not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.

I am hoping that on the upcoming Memorial Day I can do some real shooting. I am planning on, at a minimum, doing some range time with an old .22 rifle of my dad's and doing a write-up on it.

Deer Butt Humor

In keep with my new resolution of trying to post one "humorous" thing per week, here is a picture that I recently received in the old inbox, with the subject: Nobody rings my doorbell anymore.

I just noticed...

...that I got added to another blogroll. So if you've followed a link here from No Quarters, welcome. This is primarily a blog of items which I think are important, or at least notable. There are very few editorials here, and even fewer astute observations.

CCKRBA chimes in on proposed changes to D.C.'s gun laws

"Triumvirate of Tyranny." Heh. I like that. Link here. Excerpt:

"'These three, Mayor Anthony Williams, Police Chief Charles Ramsey, and Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton,' he continued, 'constitute an anti-right to self-defense triumvirate of tyranny. Their opposition to elimination of local law prohibiting the acquisition of handguns by law-abiding citizens, even in their own homes, for self-defense against ruthless, violent criminals makes a mockery of the citizens' right to life itself. Their continuance in office in the Nation's Capital undermines the spirit of freedom which our country represents.'"

You tell 'em, John.

Supreme Idiocy

Jeff at Alphecca brings us a report of a teacher who accidentally discharged a black powder rifle. I don't believe it. How do you forget that you've just rammed powder and ball down the barrel? How do you accidentally charge the flash pan or put a cap on the nipple? Here's the key line: "Kettering police were called to investigate after several neighbors in the area heard the gun discharge, striking the tool trailer." He shot it, knowing full well what he was doing, and got caught. Idiot.

A Canadian law I can agree with

I think this is actually a good idea:

The British Columbia Appeals Court upheld a law that prohibits the results of voting in Eastern Canada from being reported in Western Canada before polls in the West have also closed.

The law is designed to prevent voters in the West from being unfairly influenced by election results in the East.

Canada is spread over six times zones and even with an attempt to coordinate voting times, polls on the Pacific Coast close three hours after those in the eastern-most province of Newfoundland.

Stupid Crooks use Toy Gun

But did they simply use it to threaten people into doing their will by making them believe it was real? No, they used a plastic toy to try and pistol whip someone:

Two thieves in Hong Kong on Thursday tried to rob a 55-year-old woman working as a parking lot cleaner, the Ming Pao Daily News reported Friday. Police said when the woman wouldn't hand over any money, the men began hitting her on the head with a toy gun, the paper reported.

Good thing they don't live around here. They probably wouldn't have survived the encounter.

Arizona Border Patrol official asked to resign

Several days ago I mentioned this. Now WorldNetDaily brings us this:

Eight members of the House signed a letter written by Tancredo to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff calling for Nicely's resignation. A total of 10 members signed a separate letter by Tancredo calling for the House Judiciary Committee to initiate an investigation into the 'stand down' orders.

Florida's New Self-Defense Law

The Volokh Conspiracy has an excellent rundown of Florida's new law.

I'm stealing this quote...

Here's a quote from No Quarters that I'm going to copy here, just because.

A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks. Thomas Jefferson, Encyclopedia of T. Jefferson, 318, Foley, Ed., reissued 1967.

Fun at Texas Death Row

Executed Offenders is a database of capital punishment in Texas, including the offenders' last words (but not last meal):

Yes sir, can you hear me? To you Irene, Thank You. I love you all. All right Warden, I'm ready.

Here's what he did. He had just been paroled from serving a term for attempted capital murder, and lost no time in succeeding in his next attempt. It happened on a night full of thunder, lightning, rain, and death. It happened a few miles from my house. I'm glad they got him.

For Crime Watchers

Chicago crime database is a freely browsable database of crime in Chicago, with charts, maps, crime locations (garage, apartment, residence, etc.), etc. It also has RSS feeds for every police beat and city block.

Friday Night Ramble 5/20/05

I spent only one day delivering notices this week, all to apartments. Apartment delivery can be somewhat grueling, especially when said apartment complexes seem to have been designed by M.C. Escher. Driving around for 6 hours in the Fredricksburg Road/Medical Drive area is bad. It's bad just driving through it to get somewhere else. Being stuck there all day is terrible.

The rest of the week was meter reading, mostly not too bad. Today was especially light, since I was assigned only a half-route. The only bad part about today was the heat. It's getting to be that time of the year, and it's not even really bad yet.

But enough of that. This afternoon I saw an old movie that I hadn't seen in probably 20 years or more: Defiance. This is a 1980 film starring Jan-Michael Vincent, with some other familiar faces in Danny Aiello, Theresa Saldana and Art Carney (and maybe a few others I don't recognize). This was Vincent in his pre-Airwolf days, and I don't know, maybe this is the best role of his career. I was sad to see him self-destruct and pretty much disappear, and I would still like to see him land more of a major role in a decent movie. I've always like this kind of movie. I never get tired of seeing movies in which someone righteously beats the snot out of a bunch of worthless punks. I also get a kick from being reminded of things that are uniquely in that time, like handbills advertising a Pablo Cruise concert. But my question is: How did that bad-guy gang leader get his hands on a Luger? Now, I know, it is a usual movie stunt to have a bad guy use a Luger (or a broomhandle Mauser), but that would be more expected from a movie set in 1950 than 1980. Just seems kind of odd, to me.

I don't have much to ramble on about tonight. Everyone else has covered Newsweekgate and the latest Star Wars movie quite thoroughly. But I will say that I will never think of Darth Vader in the same way again.

Racism? Or Not?

Clayton Cramer has some thoughful thoughts on the Minuteman Project.

Never bring a watermelon to a gunfight

Lest Darkness Fall provides us with a link to someone shooting a watermelon with a S&W .500 Magnum. If you've read my blog much at all, you probably already know what I'm going to say about this: Now that's stoppin' power!

Meter reader saves the day

A report from the Marion Star (Ohio) about Libby Malone, a meter reader who "was able to prevent a fire from destroying a Marion home and helped preserve one family's memories of a daughter they had recently lost." This is another incident that doesn't surprise me. You might be amazed at the things you see when you spend seven hours a day walking the streets and alleys of the naked city.

Minuteman Project going to California

The Minuteman Project has reached an agreement with Friends of the Border Patrol in California:

FBP Chairman Andy Ramirez said more than 500 volunteers have signed up to patrol areas of the California-Mexico border in August, including former Border Patrol agents, retired police and military personnel and pilots. He said yesterday that at least 2,000 more applications from volunteers nationwide are still being reviewed.

Concealed Handgun News from Across the Country

It was a busy couple of days in the realm of concealed handguns. The St. Cloud Times reports that the Minnesota House of Representatives has passed the revised CCW bill, which will now go to Governor Tim Pawlenty, who has already said that he will sign it into law.

News 14 TV in North Carolina reports on a new bill that would allow local sheriffs to issue a temporary concealed handgun permit to "any domestic violence victim with a protective order." In another report, a bill has also been introduced that would allow judges to carry a concealed weapon in the courtroom.

And finally, Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn (both Texas Republicans) have begun working "to lift a three-decade ban on handguns in the District of Columbia." A couple of quotes from this one: "Hutchison's bill, with 28 co-sponsors by late afternoon, would allow handguns, rifles and shotguns to be kept loaded in homes and places of business. It would not change city restrictions on carrying concealed weapons and would apply only to residents; Virginia and Maryland residents still could not bring guns into Washington." And: "But in the 15 years after Washington banned guns in 1976, the senators said, Washington's homicide rate jumped 200 percent while the national rate rose 12 percent."

Assault Journalism

In the wake of the recent Newsweek debacle, Alan Gottleib applies the goofball logic of anti-gun-rights people to the First Amendment at Keep and Bear Arms. Here's a snippet:

Henceforth, the First Amendment will be interpreted to apply only to state-owned newspapers. When the First Amendment was written, nobody envisioned computers, high speed presses, and the internet or television and radio news. There is no individual right to become a reporter, especially a freelance journalist. Only reporters employed by state-owned print media outlets have a legitimate reason to own laptops or personal home computers.

"Errors mar otherwise lousy article"

Some letters to the editor in the Miami New Times point out plenty of errors in an article I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

Looks like good news for Minnesotans

This report from WCCO TV:

A bill allowing more law-abiding Minnesotans to legally carry a handgun easily passed the House on Wednesday and now goes to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who said he will sign it.

The Republican-controlled House voted 86-47 to reinstate the so-called conceal-carry law, which has been overturned by the courts. The 2003 law allowed adults with a clean record, no mental illness and proper training to get a permit to carry a gun.

Minuteman Project Harrassment

From a report at Officer.com:

Dozens of people from across the country went on patrol in April in a display that received international media attention, and project organizers said smaller operations were still continuing.

More than 60 Minuteman volunteers went back on patrol last weekend between Miller and Ash canyons and helped in the capture of 17 illegal immigrants Saturday night.

Gary Cole, operations manager for the Minutemen, said the organization has filed a complaint with the FBI about the web site but interference with border patrolling has been a minor annoyance so far.

''We ran an operation this weekend, a very successful one,'' Cole said.

Also, WorldNetDaily reports that swarmtheminutemen-dot-com is calling the Minutemen "hyper-patriotic bigots" and "white-hooded vigilantes." And this:

At the bottom of each page describing possible harassment projects, the site states, apparently as a disclaimer: "Of course we don't suggest that you actually DO any of this, we're just sharing information. We really don't think you should do any of these things, you silly 'communist/anarchist/criminal reactionary!'"

I've heard that one before. Say what you want, and then say, "We're only joking! Where's your sense of humor?" Uh-huh. Looks like the ACLU freakazoids have some allies.

Meter reader in Albuquerque, NM finds body of murder victim

I have slogged through some truly horrendous back alleys looking for meters, and this is something that is sometimes prominent in my mind. It doesn't surprise me at all:

The murder investigation was sparked by a Public Service Company of New Mexico meter reader who spotted the body of a man in a yard in the 1600 block of Bonito Lane SW at about 10:15 Tuesday morning.

Progress Energy To Start Installing "Wireless Meters"

This report is from Raleigh, NC, but it is happening slowly but surely in San Antonio as well:

The new automated meters will broadcast a signal that can be read from a truck or other vehicle seveal feet away, allowing the meter reader to literally drive through the area to find out your power usage for the month. Progress Energy hopes that it will cut down on the meter readers it needs to hire, since it often relies on outside independent contractors to do the job currently.

I am an "outside independent contractor." I have a feeling my days are numbered, but the big changeover will probably take at least a couple of more years to be complete. We'll see.

Utah Gun-rights activists are opposing two appeals court nominees

The Salt Lake Tribune reports on Gun Owners of Utah, who are opposing some anti-self-defense judges for nomination to the state appeals court:

"If you do not trust law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, what are the odds you're going to trust them to make other personal decisions about themselves?" Hardy asked. "The issue does serve as a powerful microscope under which to examine other underlying philosophies."

Texas CHL News for military personnel

Swanky Conservative reports:

If you are a Texas resident and a member of, or honorably discharged from the military and a second amendment supporter, House Bill 322 in the Texas Legislature is of interest as is House Bill 685. HB 322 reduces the cost of a concealed carry permit and HB 685 eliminates the requirement for range instruction if you've completed a course of training in handgun proficiency or familiarization as part of the persons service with the armed forces or state military forces.

tnx to Media Lies

Anti-Minutemen site threatened with shutdown

From KVOA TV in Tucson:

A Scottsdale Internet company says it will force one of its Web site clients to stop promoting harassment of the Minutemen project.

If it doesn't cease, the site could be shut down.

Swarm-the-minutemen-dot-com is encouraging people to go into the desert border areas and blast their radios or bang pots and pans in an effort to confuse and harass Minutemen volunteers.

Appears they could be in violation of their terms of service.

Meanwhile, in Florida...

Anti-self-defense goofball Palm Beach State Attorney Barry Krischer is convinced that concealed carry licensees will now be shooting people every time someone honks a horn at them in traffic.

One year for Ohio

WHIO TV notes that the concealed carry law in Ohio has hit the one year mark. "Since April 2004, the Ohio Sheriff's department said it has issued 51,998 licenses to carry a concealed handgun." They also note that 544 license applications were denied.

Wives & Guns

Shooter's post at parallax adjustment (Six Gun Swede) reminds me of something that happened a while back. My wife is not really afraid of guns, but she is wary of them. I had just bought a used S&W Model 28, the Highway Patrolman model in .357. I loaded it up with some .38 Special for the wife the shoot. I threw a Pepsi can out in the back yard and we backed off about 10 yards. Her first shot went right through the middle of the can. I said, "Wow, you drilled it right through the middle!" Her response: "But I was aiming at the big P."

Arrest for committing felony is not a violation of civil rights.

The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law says that arresting someone for committing a felony is a violation of their civil rights, but Special Assistant County Attorney Barnett Lotstein (Maricopa County, AZ) disagrees:

Special Assistant County Attorney Barnett Lotstein said Thomas' office is sticking by its decision.

"We are confident that the decision we made with regard to Haab was appropriate," Lotstein said. "He did not break the law, and we do not prosecute someone if they're not breaking the law just to make a point. That's what some people want us to do."

Arizona's citizen's arrest law allows a person to arrest someone committing a felony, and in Haab's case, one of the illegal immigrants was smuggling humans and the other six were conspiring with him, both federal felonies, Thomas has said.

As usual, emphasis mine.

Minutemen Return for the Weekend

KOLD TV in Tucson has this report that some of the Minutemen have returned to their posts just for this weekend:

With just a few days notice, the minutemen organized nearly 150 volunteers to watch the Arizona/Mexico border this weekend. "This is something we feel really strongly about and it's unfortunate that I have to take another weekend out of my life to come down here," Geiger told KOLD News 13.

And...

[Area rancher Joe] Scelso says the Minutemen Project in April must have left an ongoing effect on the border, because it's still pretty quiet around his ranch. "It wasn't until they did show up down here that we finally got the relief we've been hoping for, because the government sure hasn't been doing it," Scelso told KOLD News 13.

Firearms vs. Economic Development

Check out this good read over at The Volokh Conspiracy:

The international gun prohibition movement aggravates the problem, by allowing kleptocracies to shift the blame away from themselves, and to instead blame good citizens who only want to protect their families from government-sponsored violence.

Effects of Minuteman Project being felt across the country

The Deseret News (Utah) brings us a report that three MP volunteers have returned home to Utah to start a Minuteman Project there (in a state without international borders). Says the report: "They're creating the Utah Minuteman Project in an effort to bring visibility to the illegal immigration issue by targeting businesses and working for policy change." Their website is http://www.utahminuteman.com/.

Meanwhile, in some other reports, people are still apparently lacking in their knowledge of basic English. (But, considering the topic, that shouldn't be surprising).

Please allow me to clarify.

Look up the word "vigilante" in any dictionary. You will see something like this: "One who takes or advocates the taking of law enforcement into one's own hands."

Please tell me how many members of the Minuteman Project during their stakeout in Arizona during the month of April have taken the law into their own hands (which would mean capturing, judging, and carrying out sentence). Then please tell me how many observed illegal activity and reported it to the proper authorities. Now do you see the difference? No, probably not.

Illegal aliens do have some rights (I refuse to refer to them as "immigrants"). They do not have the right to enter or remain in this country illegally. Because it's illegal, see? No, probably not.

Perhaps they're using "vigilante" in its original sense. Originating from the Latin vigilare, meaning "to be watchful." In that sense, they were being vigilant. They watched. They reported what they saw. But I doubt if these folks would actually look up the real meanings of words that they use. After all, they are professional journalists and historians, and I'm only some ignorant schmuck with an inconsequential personal blog.

Pop the Zombie

I guess I would be remiss if I didn't mention Deanimator, a simple online zombie-shooting game. It isn't really Lovecraftian, except that the name of it is a play on Re-Animator, of course. All I can say is, that poor guy must be stuck with a 32 S&W Long or something, it just don't have any stoppin' power. And he sure isn't in a hurry to reload.

Of course, during the time when HPL's stories were set, they didn't yet have the .357 Magnum. But they did have the .45 ACP (or even .45 Long Colt). Gosh!

Sigh...

I hate it when Bloglines goes down on a weekend when I'm trying to catch up. It's supposed to be back in about 30 minutes so I'll just post something to kill some time.

I'm running out of my favorite pipe tobacco (sigh again). My favorite--heh, I just realized what I'd written. At one time, I thought I had already found my favorite, and it was very different from this one. But this has definitely taken first place. It's a blend called Bayou Night made by Craig Tarler of Cornell & Diehl. It is a very hefty blend with an unusually high proportion of a special kind of tobacco called Perique. I've heard it's a full 50% Perique, but I don't know that for sure. This time, instead of ordering only a sampler pack for variety, I'm going to get a whole pound of this stuff, as well as a pound of another blend called Grey Ghost, which is a blend of Virginia and maduro cigar leaf. Another "different" kind of blend, but quite good. There are others I'd like to stock up on, but I don't know if I should lay out that kind of cash right now.

And in yet another sigh, I realize I'm going to have to cut down on reading some other blogs. There are so many good ones out there, so much valuable information, that I don't just have the time to keep up with everything. I find that I am enjoying the "personal" sort of blogs more than the big guns. I honestly don't know where some of these folks find the time to do so much blogging. Also, since I discovered that Yahoo will build an RSS feed for any search I want to throw into their news service, I have subscribed to a few searches that are more oriented to the specifics of things I'm interested in.

Someone came to this site in the past week after Googling the sentence "I just bought a 218 Bee Raging Hornet." Whoever it was, I would love to read your comments on this gun. It just sounds like it would be such a fantastically fun gun to shoot.

What is my deal with the .218 Bee? It is completely sentimental. I first hunted deer when I was 14 years old, and we didn't have the money to purchase my own rifle. So we borrowed an old Winchester from my great-uncle (r.i.p., Uncle John L.). I don't remember the model, but it was a bolt action .218 Bee with a 3-round detachable magazine. Yes, I know, this caliber is "too small for deer," and in fact would be illegal for such use in some states. It is legal in Texas, however, and this particular rifle was the first deer gun for many members of my family. Eventually I had to give it back, as my great-uncle wished to pass it on to his grandson. I was sorry to see it go, but bore no hard feelings.

I took two deer with that old rifle before I had to give it back. The first fell within 30 yards or so of where it was shot. The second was another story. That buck must have run about 200 yards through the brush before it finally keeled over. Fortunately, I was a fairly good tracker back then, but I did spend several sweaty minutes creeping through the brush, afraid with every step that I'd lose the next bit of sign--a patch or torn sand here where his hoof went through the leaves, a splat of blood there--and never find him. I did find him though, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when I did. By the time my dad caught up with me, the buck was field-dressed and lying the back of the truck, and I was asleep in the cab. That was something my dad thought was quite funny: that I could kill a deer and then go to sleep immediately afterwards.

I would never take one of those Taurus revolvers out deer hunting. But just the thought of having a gun that would shoot those tiny centerfire rounds appeals to me very much. Maybe someday.

The Minuteman Project is coming to Texas

This article from the Houston Chronicle tells the story:

Chris Simcox, the leader of the controversial Arizona group that is attempting to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants from Mexico, says he is considering October for the beginning of patrols along the Rio Grande in South Texas. Other patrols are being considered for New Mexico and California.

I'll be watching the news on this.

tnx to JunkYardBlog

This "Remote Hunting" thing...

Jeff at Alphecca posts his opinion on this (proposed) activity. For what it's worth (not much, probably), I'm against it as well. Hunting isn't a game. You are going to take an animal's life. You need to be there to see it in all its wild glory before you touch the trigger. You need to be there to follow its blood trail in case your shot goes slightly amiss. You need to be there to find it fallen, eyes glazed, tongue distended. You need to be there to gut it and bleed it and throw it in the back of the truck. You need to be there to quarter it and butcher it properly.

If you can't do that, you don't deserve to eat it. If you don't plan on eating it, you don't have any business killing it in the first place. So there.

My own favorite fifty

Disclaimer: If you are already familiar with black powder firearms, you will probably not find this informative. If you have never used one, you may find this useful.

Some recent discussions about the .50 BMG (see Carnival of Cordite #13) put me in mind of a few years ago when someone I know (at the time he was a co-worker) had purchased a single-shot .50 BMG (I forget the exact make & model). We were discussing it at work, which involved me asking lots of questions and him answering them. Someone overheard and asked if I had a "fifty." Sure, I replied, a .50 Hawken. What's that? they asked. "It's a muzzle loader," I answered. "It sounds like thunder and makes a big cloud of blue smoke that smells like the fires of hell." A somewhat overblown description, perhaps, but not entirely inaccurate.

My earliest memory of anything to do with the Hawken is the movie Jeremiah Johnson. For years as a kid, I was under the impression that this was an immensely powerful rifle that only the baddest and toughest could shoot. I mean, after all, the first time Jeremiah shot it, it flipped him over backwards. My impression can be excused as childhood ignorance, I hope. That said, it is still quite a potent firearm in the realm of black powder.

In my opinion, every gun buff should own at least one black powder muzzle-loading rifle. Perhaps, arguably, he/she should own a handgun as well. I say arguably, because I don't own a black powder handgun myself yet. I would like a single-shot pistol such as the "Hawken style" pistols that can be found to match the rifle, but I would also not mind having one of these:


That's a replica Walker Colt, the .44 Magnum of black powder revolvers.

But I digress. As I said, I think every gun buff/nut/owner should also own a muzzle loader. Not one of those fancy-shmancy bastard guns inline abominations that eat Pyrodex pellets, for goodness sake, but a real replica (can you have a real replica?) of the olden days when every shot had to count and speed loading wasn't really an option.

Mine looks like this:

Except that mine is a left-handed version (the patch box, hammer, and nipple/fire hole are on the left side of the gun). I would have nothing against a Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifle either, but after talking it over a lot with another blackpowder gun owner, I decided to go with the Hawken style because the hooked breech design makes cleaning a lot easier.

Why do I say that you should own a gun like this? Because using it will give you a whole new perspective.

Make sure you go shooting on a nice, hot summer day. Even better if you live somewhere (like I do) where the summertime (that is, April through November) humidity rarely falls below 80%. Be sure and use black powder. You can use Pyrodex and a few other substitutes, but that's cheating. They don't foul enough. I can't speak of the other substitutes because I've never used them, but I can also add that Pyrodex has a higher ignition point than black powder, so in practical terms, black powder will fire off faster and more reliably. Besides, Pyrodex is fake. According to what I have read, back when it was first invented, it was too clean. It didn't smoke enough, and it didn't smell like black powder. So they added some extra goop to make it more closely simulate black powder. Just use the real thing. You won't be sorry.

Why a hot, summer day? Why high humidity? After 30 to 40 minutes of constantly loading, shooting, and barrel-swabbing, you will begin to realize it's like work. If you have a flintlock, it's going to be even more like work. High humidity makes the fouling that much stickier and gunkier. It could mean the difference between swabbing the barrel every other shot (high humidity) or every fourth or fifth shot (lower humidity).

And I can guarantee it's not going to knock you over backwards. That's just Hollywood hooey. I once touched off one of those enormous sabot slugs backed up with 90 grains of the black stuff and the recoil only made me take about half a step backwards to regain my balance. It's not that big of a deal. Just make sure you have your shoulder firmly seated in the curve of the butt. A little bit off-center and one of those sharp ends might make you yelp.

Sometimes I feel like I'm still, well, cheating. I started out using pre-lubed patches, but that was just too easy and not authentic enough. So I went to some patches that I lubed myself with Neatsfoot Oil. It works quite well, but I tried some other stuff called Bore Butter and it seems to help reduce fouling better than Neatsfoot. So I've been using Bore Butter ever since, but in an emergency I could go back to Neatsfoot if I had to. I just wish they made an unscented version of Bore Butter. The stuff I have smells like wintergreen. I've heard they also have a pine-scented version (good grief!).

I once ran into a guy who was into cowboy action shooting and black powder shooting. Ah ha, I thought, this is the guy to ask about patches. I told him what I had been using and asked him what he used. "Oh," he said, "I just use the pre-lubed stuff." Go figure.

So anyway. If you are looking for nice, tight groups with a muzzle loader you not only have to carefully aim each shot, but you also have to carefully make sure each shot is loaded exactly the same if you want to have any kind of consistant accuracy. This may sound obvious, but what it means is that your powder measure has to be topped off at the same level every time, your patch has to be completely and throroughly lubed the same way every time, your ball has to be centered exactly in the patch every time, and the whole package has to be rammed and packed in the same way every time. After you've taken care of all these loading details, then you can shoot.

My accuracy is still kind of lousy. I can get all my shots onto the standard rifle target at 100 yards, but getting them inside even the outer ring is another question. But, I didn't really buy this gun for hunting. I bought it for fun.

With everything I've said, it may sound like I'm trying to discourage anyone from owning one of these. Not at all. I said everyone should own one, and I meant it. After a day of thunderous, brimstone-infused target shooting, you will come home dirty, grimy, and smelling, like, well, brimstone. (Some people say rotten eggs but to me brimstone sounds much cooler). Oh, and when you get home, the day isn't over. You know how when you go shoot your suppository smokeless powder gun of choice, and you sometimes just "wait until later" to clean it? That doesn't go with black powder. It is highly corrosive and will eat the metal of your gun away if it isn't cleaned well. That's where the hooked breech design of the Hawken comes in. The barrel easily detaches from the stock. You just fill up a 5-gallon bucket with very hot soapy water (I just use Dawn dish soap), put a cleaning patch on a jag, and work it up and down in the barrel. This will cause a sort of hydraulic action by pulling and pushing water in and out through the fire hole. Use very hot water so that when you take it out, it will quicky evaporate and air-dry itself. Then run a dry patch through a few times just for completion's sake.

Some people have asked me what the difference is. In simplistic terms, a smokeless powder rifle will go crack, and the recoil is a sharp kick. A black powder rifle will go boom, and the recoil is a fast push. Also, a black powder rifle makes a big cloud of blue smoke that smells like the fires of hell. Did I already mention that?

It will give you a whole new perspective. Shooting a cartridge firearm afterwards will almost seem like cheating. And you will have a whole new respect for those guys who didn't have a choice in the matter. The mountain men, the Minutemen, those guys at that place called the Alamo, that lone farmer homesteading on the prairie, with a wife and kids, and nothing between him and the wilderness but a lead ball, a patch, and 75 grains of gunpowder.

Minnesotans getting closer to reinstating concealed carry

A short article from the St. Cloud Times:

[The bill] would guarantee a permit to adults older than 21 who receive required training, pay a fee and pass a background check.

The bill would replace the current law, which gives law enforcement officials the right to deny permits to applicants at their discretion. It would reinstate a law the Legislature approved in 2003, which the courts have found to be unconstitutional because it was attached to an unrelated bill to obtain a vote.

Be sure and check out...

...the plain-spoken eloquence at Shakey Pete's.

Oh, and by the way...

If you have somehow managed to find your way here via the blogroll at Heads Bunker, glad to have you. Just don't waste too much time here, there are lots of other more interesting places to be.

Minuteman Project Aftermath

Holy cow. I just about can't believe this:

U.S. Border Patrol agents have been ordered not to arrest illegal aliens along the section of the Arizona border where protesters patrolled last month because an increase in apprehensions there would prove the effectiveness of Minuteman volunteers, The Washington Times has learned.

tnx to Right Hand of God

Friday Night Ramble 05/13/05

At birth a witch laid on me monstrous spells...

And so begins a poem called Singer in the Mist, by Robert E. Howard. It is a poem that I memorized a long time ago because someone said it reminded him of me. I am reminded it of it tonight because, although I would sometimes like to be more explicit about certain aspects of my employment, I dare not. The odds of anyone who matters ever reading this blog are extremely small, yet, that infinitesmal likelihood means that it will almost certainly happen. This is one aspect of the curse.

I will say that my morning was considerably brightened today when I saw a certain name on the list of people who would be reading meters instead of delivering notices. I actually laughed aloud.

This week started easy, and then got very hard. Southside meter routes seem to be disproportionately long, and CPS always seems to get behind and need us more often in that area. Thus, I spent Wednesday through today in various southside neighborhoods. Yesterday there must have been a worn spot on one sock, because I developed a blister that turned somewhat painful today and is still making me limp now. Today I even accomplished something new. It is a horrendous route which I have done 7 or 8 times since our "project" started (about 1 1/2 years now), and I have never been able to finish it in one day. Today I did finish it, although it nearly killed me. The intense humidity didn't help much, either.

No dangerous dog encounters to report for this week. In fact, I spent a couple of minutes today with the friendliest pit bull I have ever met.

Tonight I have been reading an entire blog. Yes, this is the first time I've ever gone all the way through all the archives and read every word. The blog is The Darth Side, and it is told from the point of view of Darth Vader. It is funny, and sometimes very touching. The author of it is a great writer. I recommend it for anyone who wants to get in some quality fiction laced with good doses of humor.

Speaking of which, I laughed for quite some time yesterday over accounts of the escalating tensions between China and Right Hand of God. I gotta start reading more humor.

Well, lo and behold...

Sure, I could edit my last entry, but what would be the fun in that? Mere minutes after typing up the last post, what should I find but this:

The public could no longer find out who has a state permit to carry a concealed handgun under a bill approved unanimously Thursday by the Texas Senate.

A permit holder's identity could be disclosed only if that person has been arrested, indicted or convicted of a crime.

The Senate approved the measure with little discussion. It was tacked onto a bill that would extend the renewal time for a concealed handgun license.

The House passed a measure in March that also would keep permit holder identities secret.

Under current law, the Department of Public Safety must disclose whether someone holds a concealed handgun license to any person submitting a written request. Opponents of the current system say it allows potential criminals to determine whether a victim is licensed to carry a concealed handgun.

How about that?