Sebastian – Page 283 – Shall Not Be Questioned

How Was Your Weekend?

I spent mine redoing the finish carpentry in my office. The original work had no finish. It was all cheap, knotty lumber butted up against rough, exposed drywall. You can see in the stairwell shot where my work buts up against the lipstick on a pig the first owners did. I’ve been slowing adding finish work to the house when I redo each room. I am no expert at finish carpentry, but I can get along well enough.

After doing all this, I don’t know how we ever managed to build civilization without the pneumatic nail gun. I borrowed it from sometimes co-blogger Jason, and it has been invaluable at getting everything placed precisely, quickly, and with minimal labor.

The Stairwell. That’s the kegerator showing on the upper level. We dare not take that out of service, as one needs to keep the priorities straight in any home project. The office is the lower level. It’s a split level house.	Around the edge of the stairwell. Originally all the woodwork looked like the horrid nightmare my unpainted work abuts. You can see nails! They weren’t even trying. I did my best to detract from the suck.
This used to be nothing but rough, knotty pine, with a 1×6 as the sill. The drywall just went up to the pine. There was no trim or finish. The window is level, the ceiling, you can see, is not at all. That is not my work.

Biden Lobbying in Colorado

There’s evidence appearing that the Administration is indeed serious about backing gun control, by the fact that Vice President Biden is out in Colorado drumming up support among Democrats for crapping on your constitutional rights. We are in real trouble in Colorado, and Coloradans all have to stand up and be heard from. More importantly, because the Democrats have screwed you, volunteer for pro-gun candidates in 2014 and teach these folks a lesson.

I never would have figured Colorado, of all places. I would have thought Pennsylvania before Colorado, to be honest. I’ve always thought we’re a more solidly blue state. But one reason we’re not in trouble yet, and I stress yet (don’t count on Republicans, be heard from) is because our House, Senate and Governorship are controlled by the GOP. It might actually be the case that Pennsylvania is more purple than Colorado.

I think it’s incumbent among gun owners everywhere to remember a simple saying, “Don’t get mad, get even.” The 2014 elections will be coming up, and no matter what our legislators do to us, let’s agree to get even.

Quote of the Day

President Obama on Guns:

We’ve got to be respectful of regional differences.

What other rights have we treated this way? When we, as a nation, set out to destroy segregation, did we think it was OK to respect regional differences in doing so? No. We did not. Civil rights are rights of all Americans. They don’t change because you cross invisible borders.

Make it So! Elect Debbie Halvorson

Bloomberg has completely thrown down in the special election race in Illinois with his million dollar investment to defeat Debbie Halvorson. It’s incumbent on every gun owner in Illinois to make sure it’s a bad one. Getting Halvorson ahead of the pack, and helping out her campaign, if it leads to victory on election day, would send a huge message to the rest of the country about how good Bloomberg’s money is when put against our grassroots. I know I haven’t been too keen on the Democratic Party lately, but this is an overwhelmingly Democratic district, and Halvorson is enough of a threat that Bloomberg thought it was worth a million dollars, and this is shaping up to be a strategic race.

Good Riddance!

Lautenberg is stepping down. Some folks have been talking about perhaps picking up the seat on behalf of the GOP. I have to agree with Jim Geraghty on this count:

For those hoping for a GOP pickup with Lautenberg retiring, remember that to most NJ Democrats, the opposition party is the FBI.

Zing! Of course, the retirement of all these old, white people, as Glenn Reynolds like to mention, won’t be a good thing for the future of gun control.

Michael Reagan on Father’s Endorsement of 1994 Ban

The short of it was that he was afflicted with alzheimer’s, and the people who were handling him did not share his beliefs on gun rights. I’d embed the video, but it will auto play, but keep that in mind if you click through.

The New Jersey Bills up Tomorrow on the Floor

Despite 500 people showing up during a snowstorm on Wednesday to protest, the committee went ahead with a vote anyway, and passed 20 or so horrible bills out of committee. ANJRPC notes:

Bills set to move to full Assembly VoteÂ On Thursday, February 21.Â Please start contacting both of your Assembly MembersÂ and urge them not to support any new anti-gun measures.Â Thank you to the 500 Second Amendment supporters whoÂ attended todayâ€™s hearings and held legislatorsâ€™ feet to the fire!

Those bills areÂ listed here. Let me translate this for you. In order, they would:

AB588 – Ban most rifle ammunition.
A1116 – Must report lost and stolen firearms to police. Fines and a 180 day firearm purchase prohibition for violators.
A1329 – Reduce magazine capacity from 15 to 10 rounds. No grandfathering.
A1387 – Weapon free “safety zones” within 1000 feet around public property like schools, parks, public housing, or other public buildings. Specifically applies to unknowingly being within 1000 feet.
A1613 – Bullshit task force.
A3510 – Requires training to purchase a firearm and for FID cards.
A3583 – Another bullshit task force.
A3645 – Requires face-to-face transactions for ammo.
A3646 – Licensing for ammunition vendors.
A3659 – Weapons 50 caliber or larger are destructive devices.
A3666 – Mail order of ammunition prohibited.
A3668 – Prohibits state investments in companies that make so-called “assault weapons.”
A3687 – No guns for people who are on a secret government list.
A3717 – Submit mental health records to NICS.
A3748 – End private sales. There were private sales in NJ?
A3750 – All ammunition sales registered and reported to the State Police.
A3754 – Allows mental health professionals to order firearms be seized form patients. This will ensure no one who owns guns seeks mental health treatment, even if they may need it.
A3772 – Require picture ID on FID cards.
A3788 – Abolish access to firearm records. This one actually looks good.
A3796 – Allows 90 days to dispose of unlawful firearms.
A3797 – Requires reporting of ballistics data for seized guns to federal system.
ACR180 – Bullshit resolution urging feds to shit on your rights.
AR143 – Bullshit resolution supporting gun buybacks.
AR144 – Bullshit resolution on mental health.

Flood the Colorado State House

Tomorrow they are planning on having a House vote in the Colorado legislature on four bills, a magazine ban, repeal of campus carry, a gun tax, and a ban on private transfers:

WE NEED YOU to stand united in this monumental fight and COME TO THE HOUSE GALLERY on Friday, February 15^thÂ to hold your state Representative accountable by making sure they vote NO on these restrictive bills.

Starts 9:00AM tomorrow. If you can’t attend in person, call.

5000 Attend Gun Control Rally in CT?

Looks more like 500 to me, judging from pans of the crowd. People will almost always overestimate crowds, but by an order of magnitude? Meanwhile, when we actually turn out that many people, their reporting is usually off by an order of magnitude in the other direction.

Anyone have wider angle photos?

From an intrepid reader. 5000 my ass:

Arming a Hobbyist Drone

Interesting article over at Volokh on a man who put a paintball gun on a drone, and wondered how long it would be before someone mounted a real gun. He also ponders the legal implications. It’s hard to say. Generally speaking, you’re probably going to jail if you actually would use such a thing on a person. I could also imagine there could be problem with many state laws which ban spring-guns and traps.