Only problem was, it didn't happen...

I don't know when it happened, sometime in the last couple of years maybe, probably not long after 9/11. I quit listening to the news to get information, and began listening to it to hear about things that I needed to get more/other information about because what I had just heard was probably wrong and/or a lie. Michelle Malkin has some reasons why.

Simple, direct, but incomplete...

Fact Shirt is a site that you have probably already been directed to by several other blogs. However, it seems to me they are seriously lacking in certain areas. Their t-shirts are simple white with large black lettering, stating a simple statistic. Some of them just make you shake your head and maybe say a prayer, like, "About half the pregnant women in Southern Asia get no prenatal care." Others lead one to ask another question, such as, "1 in 32 American adults were incarcerated or on probation or parole in 2003." Okay, question: How many of them deserved to be there because of their behavior? Here's one that confuses me: "Risk of death from maternal causes is 89% greater in Africa than in Europe." What the heck does this mean? You're 89% more likely to be killed by your mother if you live in Africa? Here's another one that should be accompanied by an additional statistic on the reverse side of the shirt (or something): "Over 32 million adults are living with HIV/AIDS." Question: How many contracted HIV because of irresponsible behavior?

After looking through the site and searching for a few keywords, it seems they have no shirts detailing the number of uses per year of a firearm legally used in self defense, or the number of unborn babies every year killed by abortion.

Great-great grandmother fights off orc

A Positive Gun Story at Alphecca, as told by an NBC-TV affiliate in Florida. Jeff says:

"I do think Campbell Brown tried a couple times to cast a story in a less than good light first by asking Grammer why she fired again after the suspect had started to flee. Grammer said (rightly) that she was still scared and let's face it, everything happened in a matter of seconds so it's not as if the she had given chase and followed the mutant out through the parking lot."

Yeah, I'd like to see this Campbell Brown character in this woman's shoes. How could you be a 64-year-old lady working at the local stop & rob and not keep shooting as long as the perp is moving? She had no way of knowing if you first shot had any effect. Maybe the guy was running for cover so he could return fire. This country needs more old ladies like Mrs. Grammer.

"Volunteers have shown how easy it would be for the U.S. government to do the same."

"Consider the horrors and threats our 'neighbor watch' has frustrated along that section: No longer are bandits harming and killing migrants. Illegal crossers aren't being robbed, raped and kidnapped. Deaths from exposure of illegals abandoned by 'coyote' guides have stopped. Women and children destined for sex-slave dens aren't being smuggled in."

An editorial in USA Today about the Minutemen Project. Not vigilantes, just fed-up citizens doing a dirty job and making a point.

tnx to Right Hand of God

Friday night ramble

It occured to me that I might post some info what this blog is and isn't. It isn't in any way related to the abhorred Necronomicon, except that I am a fan of H.P. Lovecraft and when trying to think of a catchy name for a blog, thought this one up. It is not a blog recording occult experimentation with said tome. Neither is it a blog about blogonomics, or the economics of blogging. It isn't the place to come to stay updated on all the latest shenanigans of all your favorite people/organizations/politicians/governments. There are lots of other bloggers who have the time and talent to do a much better job of such things than I. It is primarily a collection of links which I find interesting, amusing, or important. Such links will often be in regard to the right of personal self defense, various links & info about guns, and occasionally items relating to my job as a meter reader.

I went back to meter reading on Thursday, after spending nearly a month at delivering overdue bill notices. This means that last night I was nearly dead from exhaustion, since my legs had lost their long-distance walking condition through lack of intense daily exercise. I encountered only one questionable dog this week (today actually). It always cracks me up when people warn me about their dog because it likes to bark. There was one doberman that couldn't get far enough away from me and a pit bull that wanted everyone to be his friend. Yesterday held the most interesting encounter, with an idiot mailman. "How do you handle that dog," he said, pointing across the street. "What dog?" I asked. The only dog I could see was a little scruffy whitish cur about 3 times the size of your average barn rat. "That dog there," he said, "I had to spray him to keep him off me." "That dog by the door over there?" I asked, incredulously. "Yeah," he replied, "I had to spray him." I snorted, trying to suppress laughter. "You sprayed that dog? All he does is run around and bark!" "Oh," he answered sheepishly as he drove away. I got news for everyone who carries dog-grade pepper spray: It doesn't work. The only dogs it works on are the ones that don't need it. Any dog who's really going to attack will not be stopped by a little pepper burn. Here's some more news: I don't carry dog spray. I use an item called a dog stick. It is only a length of PVC with a tennis ball attached to the end. Mine is long enough to use as a walking stick, a jimmy for certain types of gate latches, and to fend away dogs. It isn't used as a weapon, but simply as something to put between the dog and myself. I also use my own wits and judgement to determine if I should even enter the property in which a dog lives.

I only recently discovered the tradition of BAG Day. Unfotunately, since I recently purchased a computer, I felt that I didn't have any business making another large purchase. But if I had participated in BAG Day, I would be looking at things like the Ruger PC9, the Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Long Colt, or even one these Raging Bees. Why would I want a .218 Bee revolver? Well, when I was a teenager, I said to one of my friends, "I wish someone would make a big revolver in something like .22 Hornet or .218 Bee. He thought it was a dumb idea, but there you go.

ACLU aiding illegal entry into U.S.

WorldNetDaily: ACLU aiding illegal entry into U.S.?:

"Deacon said the ACLU representatives make noises and flash lights as a signal to the illegals and their human smugglers that the area is being patrolled. Thus, he said, those intent on entering understand they should move on to other areas of the border that are wide open for illegal entry."

Well, after all, they call themselves the American Civil Liberties Union, not the United States Civil Liberties Union.

Even more info on Ruger DA revolvers at Wadcutter

This is way more tinkering that I am willing to do, but today's installment is still interesting and informative:Further disassembly of Ruger DA revolvers.

I am looking forward to the upcoming "Accessories" installment.

What am I doing here?

I shouldn't be here right now. On rare occasions (3-4 times per year or so) we run out of work. So I technically only worked for 2 1/4 hours this morning (but got paid for 5--not a full day, but better than nothing). And now I'm home. Under normal circumstances, blogging should be light during the week, and then heavier on weekends when I catch up with everything.

Everyone can relax, we're safe now...

UN Assembly Approves New Nuclear Terrorism Treaty:

"The 191-member U.N. General Assembly approved a nuclear terrorism treaty on Wednesday that would oblige governments to punish those who illegally possess atomic devices or radioactive materials."

Thank goodness. Now that they've passed a new law, Osama and his camaras* won't dare to attack anyone with nukes. Whew!

tnx to Little Green Footballs

*Tex-Mex for "comrades," just in case, well, you know, it isn't exactly classic Castillian.

Metonymy and clinking glasses

This site always has stuff that I didn't even know was interesting until I read about it. For example, here is today's entry: Interesting Thing of the Day: The Toast

WorldNetDaily: Mexican army escorts border drug-runners

Living in southern(ish) Texas as I do, this is something I've been paying attention to:

"Border Patrol sources say the Mexican army recently moved about 1,000 troops to the Agua Prieta region, just south of where the Minutemen are. These troops, the sources say, are diverting all of the illegal alien and drug-smuggling traffic away from the Minutemen."

Update: More comments at Lest Darkness Fall.

CCRKBA News Release April 12

Some info on SB 195 in Kansas:

"'I find it amusing, curious and the zenith of hypocrisy,' Waldron continued, 'for certain anti-gun zealots to suddenly be out front defending the concept of local gun laws, when for years, they campaigned for national gun control laws, including waiting periods, background checks and outright bans. Now that those strategies have failed, and studies reveal that such laws have had questionable results, suddenly these same extremists are defending the concept of local control. They are not interested in public safety, but only in passing laws that are confusing and designed primarily to trap law-abiding citizens.'"

Shooter tells it

One last post for the night...be sure and check out Stupid is as stupid writes over at parallax adjustment. This part really cracks me up:

"First of all, some Nimrod the Magnificent brings a .22 to a bar with his buddies? Please, spare me! What macho, beer quaffing stud-muffin wants to be caught dead with a girlie gun? Give this guy a bit of credit, will ya? He's most likely carrying the latest and greatest Kimber Pro Carry II 1911 in .45 Auto. He's got all the gadgets and doowikedies on it. Beveled frame, ambi-safety and mag release, Wilson Combat Mags, and Trijicon night sights."

But seriously, he points out lots of ignorance and bias in a Virginia-Pilot article. Good stuff.

Two Pit Bulls Rescue Woman From Red Chow

I have been told by a breeder that the genetic predispositon of a pit is to be friendly to humans and unfriendly to other animals. When I run into pits (during the course of my job) who are free to roam, well-fed, well-cleaned, and obviously cared for, they are friendly. The ones who are chained to a tree when they are 3 months old and left there to slowly go more insane year by year are not. Neither are the ones whose owners take time out every day to poke at them with a broomstick in order to "teach them to be a good guard dog." Yeah.

Chows just aren't friendly, but at least they aren't crazy like Dalmatians.

Must-read at The High Road

There Are No Barbarians At the Gates

"What I want is to never be necessary. I devoutly hope to never see true violence, and I have so far managed to avoid even bar fights. I want to be the absolute last line of defense for me and mine, behind every person my tax money has hired to keep my community safe. But no amount of wanting will mean that I am not that last line of defense, and I need, I deserve, I demand the right to be that last line. This is the final remaining vestige of the barbarian impulse, the warrior spirit, that I posess."

tnx to GeekWithA.45

CBS coordinates with terrorists?

I don't usually post about things like this because I consider it outside the scope of this blog or my own knowledge, but this is really ticking me off. In the remote chance that you have stumbled through here and have not heard about this yet, please go read it. Some "cameramen" are getting suspiciously complete coverage of terrorist activity in Iraq. Also check out this at Little Green Footballs.

It seems to me to be the Peter Parker method. Remember how he got such good photos of Spiderman?

Update: More here.

Mudville Gazette link tnx to BLACKFIVE

Bob Dole on Fresh Air

Bob Dole was the guest on today's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. She constantly kept trying to get his stand on certain controversial current issues, which he rightly refused to answer because he has not held an official position in several years and does not know enough about what's going on, as he said, "I don't have the facts." At one point he left Ms. Gross almost speechless because of his refusal to answer and his reference to her questioning tactics as "gotcha journalism." He also commented on John Kerry's use of his military service during the recent presidential campaign. You can listen to the show online right here: NPR : Bob Dole: 'One Soldier's Story'

Comments on CHL qualification at parallax adjustment

Shooter at parallax adjustment has some comments on his recent CHL qualification. In the comments there I said this: During my recent re-qualification, we were told very specifically, "if you have a malfunction, do not attempt to clear it--WE will clear it for you." This is exactly wrong. Part of knowing how to use a semi-auto is knowing how to clear a jam, not just punching at least 175 points worth of holes in the paper. Unfortunately, under Texas law (I think), the ability to clear a jam is not required, only that one achieve the minimum score when shooting.

At my recent re-qualification (at which all 15 of us were re-qualifying), the most disconcerting thing I saw was the guy next to me who was shooting a Bersa .380. The sorry thing jammed constantly--I'm not kidding. He had to call the range instructor over to clear that thing 7 or 8 times during the entire 50-shot course. I hope he was only using it to qualify, and doesn't actually carry the thing. I'm hoping he carries a good, dependable revolver, if that's the only semi-auto he could come up with.

(In Texas, you must qualify with a semi-auto to be licensed to carry a semi-auto. If you qualify with a revolver, you are allowed to carry only a revolver.)

Oregon Senator tries to ensure that school children remain easy targets...

Senator Ginny Burdick of Oregon apparently thinks that law-abiding citizens are more dangerous than psychopaths:

"'I'm talking about Sally the reading mom who happens to leave her purse behind' with a gun inside, Burdick said."

Exactly how many times has this happened in Oregon, or anywhere else for that matter? And how many times have things like this and this happened?

Update: Or this?

Update #2: Or even this?

Follow up...

Clayton Cramer has more recent information on the old Hale DeMar case.