Apparently the religious right has gotten to Perry, and now he’s saying he’ll push a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Month: August 2011
Castle Doctrine: Just in Time for Irene
Takes effect today. No need to retreat from any colander wearing thug who’s trying to steal your juice.
Get the Hell off the Beach
People can call him a RINO all they want, the guy is still a rare breed in politics, who tells it like it is:
And those of us in Pennsylvania, would just like to thank New Jersey, once again, for being Irene’s punching bag.
UPDATE: Just removed the colander from the dishwasher, just in case it gets bad enough that I have to go hijack some gasoline.
On the History of Gun Rights
From Jeff Knox of the Firearms Coalition:
For a good overview 1966 – 2000, may I suggest you pick up a copy of “Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War” (www.NealKnox.com). Dad was very involved in the fight both as a reporter and a lobbyist and his articles from the time are enlightening. There was not nearly as much emphasis on fundamental philosophy back in ’68 as there is today and there was a whole lot more of the same sort of mentality that you see from clubs that ban the shooting of “humanoid†targets, the wearing of camouflage clothing, or the shooting of anything “rapid-fire†(heaven forbid full-auto), or the Oklahoma Rifle Association board that came out in opposition to an open carry bill last session because open carry might make people uncomfortable. Over the years there have been many leaders of NRA and the industry who have exhibited such attitudes.
As to NRA, they have made mistakes. They have on several occasions caved or cooperated long before political pragmatism would have suggested, and they don’t play well with others who they should consider compatriots rather than competitors. But, NRA is the Big Dog in the fight and love them or hate them, they are who the politicians listen to. No amount of bitching on the internet is going to change that. Everyone who cares about gun rights should be a member of NRA – preferably a Life Member. Once you’re a member, kick them in the shins to take stronger positions and withhold any additional contributions until they do so. Vote in Director Elections and lobby those Directors to push the organization toward a harder line – and replace them if they don’t do what you want them to do. At this point most of those efforts will be futile, but another Cincinnati Revolt is not completely impossible – though not quite like Cincinnati since they’ve changed the bylaws to take such power away from the members – and eventually a large, noisy contingent of the membership demanding better of the NRA will result in a better organization.
I have a copy of the book he mentioned (to which I have added a link). While I only got about half way through it before all this job uncertainty hit, from what I read so far, I would recommend it. Their father Neal was one of the architects, really one of the prime movers, of the 1977 Cincinnati revolt. Jeff and Chris, following in the footsteps of their father Neal, follow a more hard core and less-compromising path than I often think is prudent, but the fundamental emphasis they place on working from within is a worthwhile; if you don’t like what NRA is doing, work to change it. I’d certainly like to see less legislative priority placed, for instance, of infringing on the free speech of doctors, or interfering with employment laws and property rights. But there’s not much the organization is going to do to stop me from participating in it. I’ve tried to become a voice, and advocate for the things I believe in. Jeff and Chris, like their father, also do the same.
Batten Down the Hatches
Irene is coming, and it’s panic time in Pennsylvania. People are stocking up on water, and sizing up the family pets just in case it gets really bad. Based on media reports, so far, zombies are certain to follow in the path of the storm. Despite the media hysteria, I am taking on some preparation, but mostly for lots of rain and enough wind to stand a high probability of knocking out power.
Cleaned out all the gutters and downspouts, in the hopes that a clear path for water away from the house could buy me some pump capacity, and time if we start running on batteries. I used to go up on the roof with my mom or dad all the time to do these kinds of tasks, and didn’t think much of it. Now I have to admit I was fairly terrified throwing one foot over the ladder onto the roof, and then the other. The reverse was even worse. Like a cat who climbed up a tree and then can’t get down, I stayed up there a couple of minutes while I worked up the nerve to get back on the ladder from the roof. But hey, the alternative is hanging out of my roof for a few days while I watch a tropical storm come in. It’s not so much the height itself that bothers me, so much as the fear of falling. I know I’m not as sure on my feet as I was at 14 or 15.
The backup pump is supposed to be good for six hours, but I’m not sure I’d count on it. There are no generators or batteries left in the area, so in the event of a protracted power outage, we’re going to use the car’s batteries for the sump pump, and use the cars the recharge them. I may just see if we can run the car’s alternator output right in to run the pump.
In the event we lose power, the blog only has an hour or so of battery. If we go offline this weekend, you’ll know why. We’re well stocked on the important things, like hooch. Food wise, I’m going to smoke a Boston Butt in anticipation of Irene’s arrival.
It’s times like this I’m glad we have New Jersey between us and the sea, so it may act as nature’s punching bag on our behalf. Thanks guys!
UPDATE: I think I just bought the last marine deep cycle battery in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I should have enough battery to last me through anything, provided the DC pump can keep up with the storm. I have enough juice, hooch, and BBQ to last me… wish me luck.
More on Gibson Guitar Woes
Remember, they hate us because we are free:
It isn’t just Gibson that is sweating. Musicians who play vintage guitars and other instruments made of environmentally protected materials are worried the authorities may be coming for them next.
If you are the lucky owner of a 1920s Martin guitar, it may well be made, in part, of Brazilian rosewood. Cross an international border with an instrument made of that now-restricted wood, and you better have correct and complete documentation proving the age of the instrument. Otherwise, you could lose it to a zealous customs agent—not to mention face fines and prosecution.
We have to take our country back from these people. It’s not enough just to change Congress around. You really need a whole Congress and a President who’s on board with raining in the abuses of the bureaucracy. One man can’t do it, so don’t expect Ron Paul to be able to fix much as President.
Everyone is a Hurricane Expert Now
Ray Nagin is going on tv to tell people how to prepare for Irene. As long as he’s saying, “Don’t do what I did,” then he’s right!
In other news, Atlantic City casinos are already shutting down in advance of any orders to do so. I think it’s telling that they have to rope off casinos in order to convince people that maybe they shouldn’t be hanging out at the coast when a hurricane is coming.
Actual Damage from Quake of the Century
I know I’ve been joking about the little rattling we’ve had on the East Coast, but DC is about the worst city in the world to have any kind of earthquake, even one of 5+ magnitude, considering the ground it’s build on. The Washington Monument seems to have suffered actual damage during Quakemagheddon.
And Then There Were Two, Plus That Bitch Irene
Just got rejected by my top choice. Got three phone interviews in. The good news is that I won’t be commuting to New York, in all likelihood. The bad news is that of the remaining two, one I have not heard from one in some time, so I’m guessing that’s a no go at this point, and the fourth is the job I lined up if all else fails. It’s not one I really want to take.
The conclusion I’m coming to in all this is that it sucks to work for someone else. Regardless of what happens from here, I need to start developing side income. Long term I don’t want to have to depend on others to keep my head above ground.
The icing on the cake of all this is we could end up getting a bonafide hurricane coming through these parts. Winds here wouldn’t top 80mph, in all likelihood, but these storms tend to drop a metric crap load of rain, and bring winds high enough to knock out power. My basement is dependent on electricity in order not to become an indoor swimming pool, and I can’t stomach the thought, right now, of writing off 250 bucks worth of food in my fridge and freezer.
Illegal & Unethical Mayors United with Bloomberg
An ally of Michael Bloomberg is raising eyebrows about just how political favors are used and abused in his town. Even better, it’s at the expense of public safety.
The police chief and borough manager in Dormont are accusing the mayor of ticket fixing.
It turns out the mayor has dismissed thousands of tickets over the years and now the Allegheny County District Attorney is getting involved.
He’s fixed more than $30,000 worth of tickets – enough to buy a police car. When the police chief was raising this issue, the mayor canned him to shut him up. Other city officials gave him his job back and are asking questions since some supporters of the mayor had as many as 35 tickets fixed in one year. That’s nearly a ticket a week for just one person!
This Mayor Against Guns is Thomas Lloyd of Dormont, Pennsylvania whose smiling mug graces the MAIG website.
Is it any wonder that the allies Bloomberg finds to join his anti-gun crusade are criminals and the corrupt who abuse the legal system to get their supporters out of trouble?