Gun Show Loopy

Anybody that has ever been to a gun show will find this description by the Associated Press pretty silly:

But it would not prevent Cho from acquiring guns by several other means that require no background check in Virginia, including buy-and-trade publications, individual transactions among gun collectors or hobbyists and gun shows - vast firearms bazaars where scores of people sell or swap firearms.

Vast firearms bazaars? Scores of people? One imagines acres and acres, with guns stacked 12 deep, swarming with crazed gun owners. "I'll give you my AK-47 for two of your Glocks and that old Mauser. DEAL!"

It's more like a large room with a hundred middle aged men shuffling quietly past tables filled mostly with military collectables and hunting equipment. Usually, there are no more than 6 or 8 tables actually selling guns, and they are performing NICS background checks.

New Toy

A good friend and, not coincidentally, a co-blogger has purchased one of these. I can't wait to go riding with you, Laurel!

Math Test Answers

I wish I had been this creative when I didn't know an answer.

Hate Crimes

So the liberals have passed a "Hate Crimes" bill, because obviously some murders are worse than others.

Supporters of the bill, including homosexual activists, have described "hate crimes" as a pervasive problem. "The intentional selection and beating or murder of an individual because of who they are terrorizes an entire community and sometimes the nation," the Human Rights Campaign says on its website.

Because, you know, beating or murdering somebody for their wallet isn't really hateful. The law prosecutes people who commit crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It's instructive what classes of people the Republicans tried to add that list, but were not permitted by the Democrats:

Unborn babies

Troops in uniform

Senior citizens

Pregnant women

Homeless people

Clearly, this legislation isn't about hate crimes, it's about pandering to far left.

Absurd

This is the sort of liberal nonsense that makes me seethe. A man executes 32 defenseless human beings, and we are treated to this

“We lost 33 Hokies that day, not 32,” she wrote. “In my opinion, no life has less value than any other. Cho was a human being … Who am I to judge who has value and who doesn’t? I am not in that position. Are you?”

Well, yes I am. Seung-Hui Cho was a less valuable human being than the bright and enthusiastic people he executed in cold blood. Care to debate the point?

Global Munchausen

Dennis Miller made a great point on tonight's O'Reilly program. Global warming activists are like Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome sufferers:

In MBPS, an individual - usually a mother - deliberately makes another person (most often his or her own preschool child) sick or convinces others that the person is sick. The parent or caregiver misleads others into thinking that the child has medical problems by lying and reporting fictitious episodes. He or she may exaggerate, fabricate, or induce symptoms. As a result, doctors usually order tests, try different types of medications, and may even hospitalize the child or perform surgery to determine the cause.

Typically, the perpetrator feels satisfied when he or she has the attention and sympathy of doctors, nurses, and others who come into contact with him or her and the child. Some experts believe that it isn't just the attention that's gained from the "illness" of the child that drives this behavior, but there is satisfaction gained by the perpetrator in being able to deceive individuals that they consider to be more important and powerful than themselves.

Because the parent or caregiver appears to be so caring and attentive, often no one suspects any wrongdoing. A perplexing aspect of the syndrome is the ability of the parent or caregiver to fool and manipulate doctors. Frequently, the perpetrator is familiar with the medical profession and is very good at fooling the doctors. Even the most experienced doctors can miss the meaning of the inconsistencies in the child's symptoms. It's not unusual for medical personnel to overlook the possibility of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome because it goes against the belief that a parent or caregiver would never deliberately hurt his or her child.

Sounds like climate change hysteria, doesn't it?

Tiger Woods' Yacht

Isn't Photoshop a hoot?

Here's an interesting article on how an unlikely alliance of leftists, conservatives, and libertarians ruined the mental health system in the 70s and managed to create homelessness and mass murder at the same time.

LEED Silliness

I went for a 9 mile run after work tonight. Normally on work days, I run between 5 and 6 miles at lunch hour and save my long runs for the weekends.

But today, I had a lunchtime seminar on LEED certified buildings. "LEED" stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It was created by, and is now administered by, the U.S. Green Building Council.

The concept is simple: Liberal environmentalists sit around Washington D.C., noshing on carrots and celery and generally acting self-important. Educated professionals such as myself grovel and beg and submit reems of useless paperwork in hopes the environmentalists will award us enough "points" that we can call our building "LEED certified." Oh, and we get to pay them, too. Thanks a ton.

So, how does one earn a LEED point? Lots of ways, many of which revolve around managing the lifestyles of people that didn't ask to be managed, or promoting the U.S. Green Building Council.

Install covered bike racks to encourage people to leave the car at home?
SCORE! (but they have to be covered, mind you)

Set up an educational display explaining why the Green Building Council is the cat's pajamas?
WAY TO GO!

Recycle the on-site rock into a stormwater detention pond?
YOU ROCK!

Take down the existing clay tile roof, clean the tiles, and reinstall them?
NO! NO POINTS FOR YOU!

It turns out the Green Building Council is interested in creating a market for used construction materials, so you only get points for taking those tiles off-site and selling them to somebody else. Forget that you have to purchase and transport new roof tiles for your project. This thing is not really about your project. It's about advancing the liberal political agenda of the Green Building Council. What a transparent and silly exercise LEED certification is.

Some guy wants to know who is reading his blog.

I’m honored (and frankly stunned) that you spend a few minutes of yours here. Some of you have commented but most of you just read. So, I’m genuinely curious: who are you?

I have similar questions around here most days.

NY Times Continues Clueless

The Times has no idea what it is talking about.

Virginia is what those in the gun world call a shall issue state, meaning anyone who is not excluded under certain restrictions can obtain a gun.

As one of "those in the gun world," let me just say this: No. And again: no, no, no, no. That is NOT what "shall issue" means. What has it come to that I am linking Wikipedia to correct the NY Times?

For a shall-issue gun law, authorities (usually a state agency; sometimes the local police) are required to issue a concealed carry permit to any individual who requests it if he meets the state's issuance criteria, usually consisting of submitting fingerprints, submitting paperwork for a background check, attending a certified handgun/firearms safety class, participating in a range check before a certified trainer (for demonstrating safe firearms handling, while shooting at a target with a handgun), and paying the required fee (if any).

That's a pretty damn accurate description of Virginia's "shall issue" law.

Enough of This Nonsense

Can we please stop calling this "settled science" now? Item #1, in which global warming increases hurricanes:

(A) new study in the journal Nature found that hurricanes and typhoons have become stronger and longer-lasting over the past 30 years. These upswings correlate with a rise in sea surface temperatures.

Item #2, in which global warming decreases hurricanes:

Global warming could increase a climate phenomenon known as wind shear that inhibits Atlantic hurricanes, a potentially positive result of climate change, according to new research released on Tuesday.

In my day, science was a process in which hypotheses were tested by observing facts and comparing them against predictions. Today, global warming seems to be the accepted fact, and observations are used to create a hypotheses in explanation. How about we do science the old fashioned way and resolve this dilemma before we dismantle modern civiization?

NY Times is making stuff up

The New York Times has a lengthy article on the Virginia Tech shooting incident. And as usual, they take the opportunity to bash Virginia, even if it means making stuff up:

Once a person had passed the required background check, state law requires that law enforcement officers issue a concealed carry permit to anyone who applies. However, no regulations and no background checks are required for purchase of weapons at a Virginia gun show.

Okay, number one: a concealed carry permit in Virginia requires the holder to pass a gun safety class, which includes a practical proficiency test on the range. Nowhere is this fact mentioned in the Times article.

Number two: Every purchase from a firearms dealer, whether at a gun show or gun shop, requires a national criminal background check.

The truth is, guns may be sold or traded among private citizens without background checks. This is the so-called gun show "loophole." And without any evidence that the shooter obtained his weapons in this way, why is such information even relevant to this report? Because some people don't like the way we live here, and this is an opportunity to give them a national platform from which to nanny:

“Virginia’s gun laws are some of the weakest state laws in the country,” said Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. “And where there have been attempts to make some changes, a backdoor always opens to get around the changes, like the easy access at gun shows.”

For the record, I attend several gun shows in Virginia each and every year. And I have never, never, witnessed a transaction between private citizens at such a show. Every purchase I have seen at a Virginia gun show has been subject to a national criminal background check, in accordance with federal law. The Times needs to stick to the relevant facts, and get them accurate.

Classic Rock

This weekend, I was in the car quite a bit and left the radio tuned to a "classic" rock station just to see what was up. Apparently, "classic" means Boston (the first album), Fleetwood Mac (Rumours) and Peter Frampton (Frampton Comes Alive). Smatter in a few other songs (I heard that Yes song about a chess game twice), and repeat selections from those three albums over and over.

Nonsense News

First, proof of how absurd the abortion debate has become. A California congressman thinks it would be nice if parents of stillborn infants had a certificate of birth to comfort them. The pro-abortion crowd has issues, apparently fearing that some maniacal right wing fascist might hand such a horrid certificate to the wrong person:

It is important that elective terminations are not included in that definition.

Secondly, we now learn that global warming is exacerbated by - wait for it, because it is beyond comprehension - too many trees:

In cooler areas of the earth, tree cover helps store sunlight reflected by snow on the ground and this "cancels or exceeds" the net cooling effect, Mr Bala told the AFP news agency.

It's enough to make your head explode.

America's Future

So, I am on an airplane last night, flying home after a long weekend trip. Next to me is a couple in their mid to late twenties, and it is apparent that:

A) They work together
2) They are romantically involved

"A" was apparent due to the nature of their conversation, "2" was apparent due to the nature of their behavior. I sat stone faced for the entire flight, overhearing too much talk and observing too much public affection.

The young woman spoke of her formerly disabled sister, her voice inflection rising at the end of every sentence in that peculiar way young bleeding hearts make every sentence sound like a question:

So, like, she was really having trouble, and everyone was like, she is in trouble? Then she, like, got help, and suddenly she was, like, articulate? And she was making these observations, and saying these things like, even I couldn't think of? Like, even I wasn't as smart as her when I was in college?"

Oy, what inanity. That was outdone, though, during our approach glide.

He: "So, how many messages do you predict you got in the last two hours?"
She: "I dunno. Like 25? You?"
He: "I guess 35. Wouldn't it be funny if we landed and, like, you had more than me?"
She: "Yah."

Upon landing, the pilot had not even switched off the reverse thrusters, and out came the Blackberries. She had 19 new messages, he 23. All were answered by the time we rolled up to the gate. This is the kind of deep thinking that apparently passes for business in some circles.

Via Cassandra, the Blog Princess comes this precious comparison:

Are you a Democrat family, a Republican family, or a Marine Corps family?

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock 40-caliber, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?

Democrat Response: Well, that's not enough information to answer the question! Does the man look poor? Or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack? Could we run away? Should I just ignore him and hope for the best? What does my wife think? What would my French cousin think? What about the kids? Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? What do the European courts say about this situation? Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it? Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children? Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me? What would the United Nations do in this case? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me? Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted? We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior. This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few a days and try to come to a consensus.

Republican Response: BANG!

Marine Corps Response: BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click..... (sounds of reloading). BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click

Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?"

Son: "Can I shoot the next one?"

Wife: "You aren't taking that one to the Taxidermist!"

So, West Virginia University defeated my alma mater, Clemson University, at Madison Square Garden, winning the National Invitational Basketball Tournament. Here is a snap shot of WVU celebrating their title:



Now, I know these scholar athletes were in no way responsible for printing up the shirts they are wearing. But wouldn't you think somebody along the way might have ascertained that "Virginia" is spelled wrong??