Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Good Deed of the Day
I am not really that interested in the underlying story about Orlando police chief Val Demings (the examples of screw-ups are pretty mild as police malfeasance go). But Demmings has gone the extra mile of threatening to sue a blogger who is critical of her. My general policy in such a case is to give the blogger lots of free links. Nothing better limits this kind of stupid attempts at censorship than having them backfire into national attention. The money quote comes from Demings attorney, who says, “Truth is not always a defense.”-Coyote Blog
I can't say I think that's a bad policy. I'll be spreading it around.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Presidential* Embarrassment
President* Obama has spent trillions of imaginary dollars he has no business spending. He has socialized the banking system. He has insulted our closest allies and submitted to foreign dignitaries. He has embarrassed his office on-quite probably-more occasions than any other President. He has lied and cheated repeatedly.
This, however, is probably the worst thing to come out of Obama's Whitehouse, yet:
Airplanes buzzing downtown New York are not considered minor. There is an incident forever burned in our cultural memory.
This, however, is probably the worst thing to come out of Obama's Whitehouse, yet:
Airplanes buzzing downtown New York are not considered minor. There is an incident forever burned in our cultural memory.
Keith Ellison is a Foreign Affairs Idiot
Rep. Ellison,
As a lawmaker at the highest level of the most powerful country in the world, why do you feel a need to make a laughingstock of not only yourself, but your office?
As a member of the Foreign Affairs committee, you have legitimate and effective methods of affecting the foreign policy of other countries. Those methods do not include pretending you are a smelly hippie, or getting a "showboating" arrest for violating the law and attempting to create a diplomatic incident.
Your arrest was an embarrassment to us all. Act like the Congressman you are.
Sincerely,
me
As a lawmaker at the highest level of the most powerful country in the world, why do you feel a need to make a laughingstock of not only yourself, but your office?
As a member of the Foreign Affairs committee, you have legitimate and effective methods of affecting the foreign policy of other countries. Those methods do not include pretending you are a smelly hippie, or getting a "showboating" arrest for violating the law and attempting to create a diplomatic incident.
Your arrest was an embarrassment to us all. Act like the Congressman you are.
Sincerely,
me
Friday, April 24, 2009
Be Subversive! B-E Subversive! B-E S-U-B-V-E-R-S-I-V-E!
Hmm, zazzle will let me make one in child size. Do my kids need the attention they'll get as fellow subversives?
Stole the title from Tam. I've seen the swimsuit pic, now I want to see the cheerleader pic.
Five Ds of School Safety
In order to avoid falling victim to DENIAL:
* DETER - Have alert, visible and armed security on site. Train and equip response teams to a high standard and make their capabilities known (though the details of their response techniques should remain classified). Convince the potential attacker they won’t succeed in killing innocent targets if they come to your locale.
* DETECT - Like Detectives, be ever vigilant for “clues.” Virtually every school attacker, student or terrorist, conducts extensive reconnaissance of their target. They will analyze the availability of ingress and egress points. Questions will be asked about the site’s security preparations. They may photograph and/or sketch the area. Both human and video surveillance can help you pattern these recon missions.
* DELAY - Harden the target with security checkpoints and random security patrols. Drill lockdown procedures to remove easy targets from their potential kill zone. Make sure the lock-down procedure includes the means to lock the doors to areas of refuge. Avoid the urge to evacuate anyone into an area not proven to be safe from potential snipers or bombs.
* DESTROY - If they still choose your site as their target ... you must respond quickly and forcefully. An analysis of active shooter incidents by co-Author Richard Fairburn suggests that even a Rapid Deployment team is unlikely to assemble in time to save lives.(1) In most incidents, the only chance available to save lives is an instant response by on-scene personnel or the first arriving officer. At this point we are not just seeking to defeat the attackers. One of the lessons of the 2004 Russain school massacre, as outlined in John Giduck's excellent book, "Terror at Beslan" is that we must attack immediately, with maximum violence, and no intention of pulling back or giving up ground. Attack the enemy hard and fast and DESTROY them before they destroy more innocents.
-LTC David Grossman
Remember, denial is not a survival mechanism.
These Ds apply to any security situation.
In your home: Deter with motion lights and not having expensive toys in sight. Detect with motion lights and an alarm or a dog. Delay with reinforced doors that are locked. Destroy with a shotgun.
On the street: Deter with a look of confidence. Detect by making sure you are always aware of your surroundings(no iPods in public!). Delay by running if possible, fighting if necessary. Destroy with the best means at your disposal-generally, a gun.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Comics
Penny Arcade is not one of my regular reads, but I think that may have just changed, thanks to Marko.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Out today
I'm attending LTC Dave Grossman's "The Bulletproof Mind: Mental Preparation for Combat."
Update: That's a long day. I can't recommend this presentation enough. If it's available near you, attend this class.
Update: That's a long day. I can't recommend this presentation enough. If it's available near you, attend this class.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The 9th circuit has incorporated the Second Amendment.
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/o ... 715763.pdf
In the words of Prof. Joseph Olson: "they(Nordyke) won the WAR but lost the BATTLE."
Nordyke v. King, No. 07-15763, 4-20-2009
For the foregoing reasons, we AFFIRM the district court’s
grant of summary judgment to the County on the Nordykes’
First Amendment and equal protection claims and, although
we conclude that the Second Amendment is indeed incorporated
against the states, we AFFIRM the district court’s
refusal to grant the Nordykes leave to amend their complaint
to add a Second Amendment claim in this case.
In the words of Prof. Joseph Olson: "they(Nordyke) won the WAR but lost the BATTLE."
Nordyke v. King, No. 07-15763, 4-20-2009
Bad Planning
The problem with a solar array in Minnesota is simple: We are cloudy, overcast and covered in snow for half of the year.
A project that has been in the works for months was formally commissioned atop Hennepin County's Public Works facility in Medina Monday, April 6.A massive expense for a projected(and wrong) 5% savings in future energy costs. It's not possible that those numbers are prorating either the installation cost or replacement cose(15-15 years) of the array. The county has just flushed money down the toilet in the name of "savings".
A large solar panel array was installed and has been working effectively as planned, converting the sun's rays into usable energy.
The project is a part of Hennepin's Cool County initiative, which aims to implement green improvements and projects to better serve both the county and the environment. Construction of the array began in late December, yet planning for the project had been under way for some time before that.
"The construction took a few months as it was delayed due to weather, but the longest part of the operation was the preparation," said Andy Leith, Senior Environmentalist with Hennepin County.
Bad Math
If I bounce an insane number of checks, then cut 0.0001% of that non sufficient funds from my future budget, will my bank consider me fiscally responsible?
President* Obama on Monday plans to gather his Cabinet for the first time as president and challenge it to cut $100 million in the next 90 days, two senior administration officials said.More important, will the incredibly biased media outlets report it as a good thing?
In the context of the federal budget, $100 million in savings is a small amount, but the White House wants to demonstrate fiscal responsibility.
Quote of the Day
I prefer the term 'Restoration' to Revolution. We don't want to overthrow the legitimate government and replace it with another, we want to remove the usurpers and restore a Constitutional government with limited enumerated powers.
-Bruce Krafft
-Bruce Krafft
Friday, April 17, 2009
CNN's bias on display
If you are covering news, and start debating and insulting the subject of the news, you are not a "reporter". That is called manufacturing the news and letting your bias hang our for everyone to see.
Is there anyone who can honestly claim that CNN is not biased? Peaceful, non-vulgar protests-protected by the first amendment-are somehow "not family viewing", but jokes about "tea-bagging" are? Idiots.
Is there anyone who can honestly claim that CNN is not biased? Peaceful, non-vulgar protests-protected by the first amendment-are somehow "not family viewing", but jokes about "tea-bagging" are? Idiots.
Quote of the Day
HOWEVER, typically in the past American politicians of both parties would at least pay lip service to low taxes and individual freedom. But apparently no longer. What is scary to me is that politicians no longer seem to feel the need even to put lipstick on the pig.
-Coyote Blog
-Coyote Blog
Tea Party Pic
From The Smallest Minority.
How Can You Tell You're at a "Grassroots" Protest?
1). Almost all the protest signs are hand-lettered.
2). There isn't a tour bus to be found
3). Nobody is wearing a Ché shirt.
And, from elsewhere:
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Fight
If someone is trying to take you against your will, fight. Fight hard. Fight with everything you've got. If he takes you, you are now a part of the secondary crime scene. The secondary crime scene is the place they usually find the body. It give your attacker time and privacy. It is NOT someplace you want to be.
Never, under any circumstances, consent to being taken. Do not get in the car. Do not get dragged into the woods. Fight like your life depends on it. It does.
Never, under any circumstances, consent to being taken. Do not get in the car. Do not get dragged into the woods. Fight like your life depends on it. It does.
He then grabbed her around the waist, she told investigators. She thought he was dragging her toward a wooded area, the report says. She screamed and attempted to pull away but was unable to free herself. She then turned around and punched him in face. He let go and ran into the woods.
Quote of the Day
"Collectivism purports to advocate for human liberty; but it does so through restraining it for the good of the collective? Only by giving up your freedom to all can you be free?
Doublespeak, and nothing more.
All they are really saying is, "Give up all your freedom and liberty to us, and we'll LET you do, what WE think you ought to do, when WE think you should do it".
It is entirely about command and control; just as is fascism, or any other kind of totalitarianism. They believe that if you give the "right" people, total control, then all the "right" decisions will be made, and everyone will be better off and happier.
This, frankly, is evil."
-Chris Byrne
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Security in Your Home, Part 4: Alarms
When most people think of home security, they think of monitored alarm systems. Alarm systems don’t have to be monitored and they don’t have to be a “budget buster.” There are too many options both for installation and monitoring to fit within the scope of this primer.
Unmonitored, wireless security systems can be had for as little as $100. These can be programmed to turn on your lights and trigger an audible alarm. These alarms serve primarily as an "early warning system". They prevent an intruder from entering your home unannounced. Some of them can dial outside numbers, to ask a neighbor to check on your house.
Monitored security systems can make sure the police are summoned, even if you are unable to use the phone. If you avoid the big name alarm companies, it is possible to get a monitored alarm system installed for under $500 and pay less than $10 per month for the monitoring service. Some of these systems monitor for fire or water, too.
Consider getting a dog. Dogs won’t provide effective and reliable protection, unless specifically trained for it, but they make a great early warning system, if you are willing to investigate when they bark. Smaller dogs often provide a better “bark alarm” than big dogs. Big dogs, however, prove a better deterrent to a potential burglar. Any dog will provide some deterrent to burglars. Do not get a dog with the intention of assuming it is a guard dog, unless you are willing to get a dog professionally trained to guard. Dogs should be considered an early warning system and potential deterrent. Beyond that, dogs should be treated as family. If you can’t commit to properly caring for a dog, don't get one.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Sad
I'm selling my only safe-queen, a gun I've never fired. The only gun that wasn't purchased to fill a need, just stroke my ego.
It still makes me sad.
It still makes me sad.
Too much damn debt
We have too much debt in my house. My new goal is to eliminate that. Completely.
Here’s what I want to do:
A $1000 emergency fund. This will only be tapped for actual emergencies.
Our biggest problem is random spending. If we can control that, we can fix the rest in a fairly shot time. We need to work together and encourage each other, and force each other to start returning the stuff we don’t need. With that in mind, we're going on a strict budget. If it isn’t on the budget, we don’t buy it. If something comes up, we take from someplace else in the budget to cover it AFTER we agree to spend the ‘something came up’. We’ll leave a little bit in the budget for discretionary money, like pots and pans, gifts, eating out, movies, etc. We’ll have to track the discretionary and grocery money to keep ourselves under budget. We can review the budget together every month.
Attack the debt hard. Every cent I get paid from my carry permit classes goes to debt. I figure our regular budget comes with a certain amount on top of minimum payments, right now. As stuff gets paid off, more goes to the other debt. I want to focus on the debts from smallest to largest, to make a “debt snowball”(Bad advice from a strictly mathematical perspective, but emotionally it's right. Thanks Dave Ramsey.).
We'll pay off the smallest bits first to get visible progress and get that monthly payment going on the next thing. Any surprise money goes to the debt.
It will take a bit of sacrifice and discipline, but I think we are old enough to delay some gratification to get more later. Our kids should be the ones whining about wanting stuff now, not us.
I also want to start going through stuff and selling the extra crap. The baby stuff in the garage, the bar, some of the computer equipment that I don’t use can all go, including the motorcycle and my(cry) Evil Black Rifle. I want to downsize the extra BS. Simplify a bit. Sell or toss a bunch of stuff.
We’ve also got some cash set aside for ‘project money’. Outside of the budget. That’ll give us a patio door and a new screen door-maybe a couple of other small things, but the rest of our big projects will wait until we can afford them for real.
No more car payments…ever. We weren’t planning on one until we were out of debt, but once we are out of debt, we will be able to set aside $500/month for a new car, easily, without even noticing. In 2 years, that’s $12000, which is a good used car.
We both have to be on board for any of this to work. When it’s done, in 3 or 4 years, we’ll be comfortable for the rest of our lives.
We'll see what my wife has to say about the plan.
Tom's Painting Strike
On my way to work yesterday morning, I drove past the new Walgreen's store going up in my neighborhood. It was being picketed, by people with pre-printed sign's stating "The work being done at this location by Tom's Painting(the name was paper taped over the pre-printed name) is being done by employees with substandard wages and benefits."
What an industry. Making signs to help gainfully employed people whine about their employment not being gainful enough in a recession.
The picketer are nothing but greedy extortionists. Wait until Walgreen's schedules their grand opening, then stop working because you want a raise. Go to hell. I hope Tom hires college students to replace you. You took the job because the wage and benefits met your needs, now, when you think you have your employer by the balls, you're on strike? FOAD.
What an industry. Making signs to help gainfully employed people whine about their employment not being gainful enough in a recession.
The picketer are nothing but greedy extortionists. Wait until Walgreen's schedules their grand opening, then stop working because you want a raise. Go to hell. I hope Tom hires college students to replace you. You took the job because the wage and benefits met your needs, now, when you think you have your employer by the balls, you're on strike? FOAD.
If a dog is rabid...
...do we have to let it grow up before putting it down?
"They locked me up and threw away the keys," Lotts, now 23, said from prison. "They took away all hope for the future."
Lotts is one of at least 73 U.S. inmates -- most of them minorities -- who were sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison for crimes committed when they were 13 or 14, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization in Alabama that defends indigent defendants and prisoners.
Magical Thinking. Part 2
Well, now we know where the girl got the idea that her little fantasy world was valid is a theocratic hellhole.
You have no power and should be begging for mercy, instead of issuing impotent demands.
I hate to break it to you, buddy, but your demands mean exactly dick. Iran is an entire country, complete with a police force, and army, jails, and people tougher than you are. You are in their country, completely under their power, when they are testing the resolve of our new administration*. You will stay there until they either a) kick you out, or b) arrest and hang you for espionage, like your daughter. I don't want to see either of you executed for ignorance, but, in the real world, fairy tales don't happen. Wishing won't make it so.Father To Stay In Iran Until Daughter Is Freed
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ― The father of an American journalist charged by Iran with espionage called on Iran Thursday to free her and said in an exclusive interview with Associated Press Television News that he will not leave the country until she's released.
"I demand them to release my daughter as soon as possible so that she can return to her normal life and continue her job," Reza Saberi said. "I will stay here until she is freed."
You have no power and should be begging for mercy, instead of issuing impotent demands.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Don't Mess With Us
Americans don't like being hijacked.
Lucky President*. Thanks to the resiliency and independence of the American sailors, he doesn't have to take a stand.
When we get hijacked, we express our displeasure. Consider that a lesson learned.It’s another Gird Your Loins moment for the Obama administration.
Somali pirates have now hijacked a U.S.-flagged ship with 20 American crew members on board - the first in “recent memory” according to military officials. The vessel is one of the DoD’s top shipping contractors. The vessel was taking humanitarian aid to Mombasa.
What will BO do?
Two graduates of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy are among the 20 Americans on board who overpowered the group of pirates that hijacked the vessel.Somali pirates hijacked the cargo ship Wednesday hundreds of miles from the nearest U.S. military vessel in some of the most dangerous waters in the world.Late Wednesday morning, the military confirmed that the crew had regained control of the vessel by overpowering the pirates, taking one pirate into custody and throwing three overboard.
Lucky President*. Thanks to the resiliency and independence of the American sailors, he doesn't have to take a stand.
My letter to the representatives
Regarding this:
To: RepDavid.Dill@house.mn,Rep.Tony.Cornish@house.mn,Rep.Marty.Seifert@house.mn
Dear Representatives,
Subject: Modifications to proposed firearm casing requirements change sell Metro residents short and create a BAD precedent
While your intentions may be good with respect to HF128 (which is now on
page 15-16 of a larger game and fish bill (HF)1238), you know what they
say about paving the road to hell.
I am greatly concerned by the unintended consequences of this bill.
I am particularly disturbed by the following concessions:
unless:
15.24(1) within the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section
473.121,
15.25subdivision 4;
15.26(2) within an area where the discharge of a firearm has been
prohibited under section
15.27471.633;
15.28(3) within the boundaries of a home rule charter or statutory city
with a population
15.29of 2,500 or more;
15.30(4) on school grounds as regulated under section 609.66, subdivision
1d; or
15.31(5) otherwise restricted under section 97A.091, 97B.081, or 97B.086.
#1 forces tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of metropolitan gun owners
into "second class citizen" status. There are numerous places to hunt in
the metro area, and many hunters originate in the metro.
#2 creates a situation where hunters will have to know the city ordinances
of every organized city or village through which they may pass. There are
many hunters who pass through small towns between hunting locations, and
many others who stop in the same small towns for gas, or unforeseen
emergencies. Do you intend to require that hunters plan their emergencies
far enough our to check on city ordinances during business hours?
#3 creates the same issues as #2, addressed above.
Please rethink this bill. It leaves too many questions and will cause too
many problems. As I am sure you are aware, gun rights are about more than
just hunting.
Sincerely,
princewally
To: RepDavid.Dill@house.mn,Rep.Tony.Cornish@house.mn,Rep.Marty.Seifert@house.mn
Dear Representatives,
Subject: Modifications to proposed firearm casing requirements change sell Metro residents short and create a BAD precedent
While your intentions may be good with respect to HF128 (which is now on
page 15-16 of a larger game and fish bill (HF)1238), you know what they
say about paving the road to hell.
I am greatly concerned by the unintended consequences of this bill.
I am particularly disturbed by the following concessions:
unless:
15.24(1) within the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section
473.121,
15.25subdivision 4;
15.26(2) within an area where the discharge of a firearm has been
prohibited under section
15.27471.633;
15.28(3) within the boundaries of a home rule charter or statutory city
with a population
15.29of 2,500 or more;
15.30(4) on school grounds as regulated under section 609.66, subdivision
1d; or
15.31(5) otherwise restricted under section 97A.091, 97B.081, or 97B.086.
#1 forces tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of metropolitan gun owners
into "second class citizen" status. There are numerous places to hunt in
the metro area, and many hunters originate in the metro.
#2 creates a situation where hunters will have to know the city ordinances
of every organized city or village through which they may pass. There are
many hunters who pass through small towns between hunting locations, and
many others who stop in the same small towns for gas, or unforeseen
emergencies. Do you intend to require that hunters plan their emergencies
far enough our to check on city ordinances during business hours?
#3 creates the same issues as #2, addressed above.
Please rethink this bill. It leaves too many questions and will cause too
many problems. As I am sure you are aware, gun rights are about more than
just hunting.
Sincerely,
princewally
New gun "convenience" bill screws metro gun owners
As told by Joe Olson.
This bill must be stopped.
In the last two weeks while the bill was "hidden" in committee, Rep. Dill's uncased, unloaded CONVENIENCE BILL for shotgun hunters has morphed into a monstrosity that does the following:
1. Recognizes that the 7-county Metro area is "different" from the rest of the state, that the metro area needs "more stringent" gun laws, and makes metro gun owners into second-class gun owners,
2. Identifies handgun hunters as second-class hunters,
3. automatically bans firearm discharge in cities of 2500 population irrespective of the city's desire with no exceptions possible,
4. automatically bans firearm discharge on all "school grounds" including off-campus open fields, owned by a school district, where hunting has always been allowed with no exceptions possible, and
5. continues the ban on carry of long guns in a vehicle under a carry permit.
This bill does nothing of significant value, provides a minor convenience to a few group hunters and sporting clay shooters, and ACCEPTS the policy that METRO AREAS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF MINNESOTA AND NEED MORE STRINGENT GUN LAWS.
If you live in the metro area, rural "pro-gun" legislators just agreed with the most virulent anti-gunners that YOU are the problem and that SECOND-CLASS GUN OWNERS like YOU need to be subject to MORE STRINGENT gun prohibitions. Yup, they sold you out for a golf cart ride!
The antis are getting, courtesy of some narrow-minded, politically insensitive, "pro-gun" legislators their most prized desire. A POLICY THAT TREATS THE METRO AREA AS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO ALLOW GUNS. They couldn't get this in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (they tried to add it to the Carry Bill but lost big), 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, or 2008. But they are getting it now!
Either this provision must be KILLED in its entirely or the "unless" clauses stripped out (which will probably kill it). The bill is now in the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division. The offending provisions should come out in that committee.
It is time to HAMMER on RepDavid.Dill@house.mn, on Rep.Tony.Cornish@house.mn, and on Rep.Marty.Seifert@house.mn.
Senator list to come later.
Here is HF128 which is now on page 15-16 of a larger game and fish bill (HF)1238:
To understand the above you need to know about this existing statute:
This bill must be stopped.
In the last two weeks while the bill was "hidden" in committee, Rep. Dill's uncased, unloaded CONVENIENCE BILL for shotgun hunters has morphed into a monstrosity that does the following:
1. Recognizes that the 7-county Metro area is "different" from the rest of the state, that the metro area needs "more stringent" gun laws, and makes metro gun owners into second-class gun owners,
2. Identifies handgun hunters as second-class hunters,
3. automatically bans firearm discharge in cities of 2500 population irrespective of the city's desire with no exceptions possible,
4. automatically bans firearm discharge on all "school grounds" including off-campus open fields, owned by a school district, where hunting has always been allowed with no exceptions possible, and
5. continues the ban on carry of long guns in a vehicle under a carry permit.
This bill does nothing of significant value, provides a minor convenience to a few group hunters and sporting clay shooters, and ACCEPTS the policy that METRO AREAS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF MINNESOTA AND NEED MORE STRINGENT GUN LAWS.
If you live in the metro area, rural "pro-gun" legislators just agreed with the most virulent anti-gunners that YOU are the problem and that SECOND-CLASS GUN OWNERS like YOU need to be subject to MORE STRINGENT gun prohibitions. Yup, they sold you out for a golf cart ride!
The antis are getting, courtesy of some narrow-minded, politically insensitive, "pro-gun" legislators their most prized desire. A POLICY THAT TREATS THE METRO AREA AS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO ALLOW GUNS. They couldn't get this in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (they tried to add it to the Carry Bill but lost big), 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, or 2008. But they are getting it now!
Either this provision must be KILLED in its entirely or the "unless" clauses stripped out (which will probably kill it). The bill is now in the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division. The offending provisions should come out in that committee.
It is time to HAMMER on RepDavid.Dill@house.mn, on Rep.Tony.Cornish@house.mn, and on Rep.Marty.Seifert@house.mn.
Senator list to come later.
Here is HF128 which is now on page 15-16 of a larger game and fish bill (HF)1238:
| Quote: |
| 15.10 Sec. 31. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 97B.045, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 15.11 Subdivision 1. Restrictions. (a) A person may not transport a firearm in a motor 15.12vehicle unless the firearm is: 15.13(1) unloaded and in a gun case expressly made to contain a firearm, and the case 15.14fully encloses the firearm by being zipped, snapped, buckled, tied, or otherwise fastened, 15.15and without any portion of the firearm exposed; 15.16(2) unloaded and in the closed trunk of a motor vehicle; or 15.17(3) a handgun carried in compliance with sections 624.714 and 624.715. 15.18(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), a person may transport an unloaded, uncased 15.19firearm, excluding a pistol as defined in paragraph (c), in a motor vehicle while at a 15.20shooting range, as defined under section 87A.01, subdivision 3, where the person has 15.21received permission from the lawful owner or possessor to discharge firearms; lawfully 15.22hunting on private or public land; or travelling to or from a site the person intends to hunt 15.23lawfully that day or has hunted lawfully that day, unless: 15.24(1) within the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, 15.25subdivision 4; 15.26(2) within an area where the discharge of a firearm has been prohibited under section 15.27471.633; 15.28(3) within the boundaries of a home rule charter or statutory city with a population 15.29of 2,500 or more; 15.30(4) on school grounds as regulated under section 609.66, subdivision 1d; or 15.31(5) otherwise restricted under section 97A.091, 97B.081, or 97B.086. 15.32(c) For the purposes of this section, a "pistol" includes a weapon designed to be fired 15.33by the use of a single hand and with an overall length less than 26 inches, or having a 15.34barrel or barrels of a length less than 18 inches in the case of a shotgun or having a barrel 15.35of a length less than 16 inches in the case of a rifle: 16.1(1) from which may be fired or ejected one or more solid projectiles by means 16.2of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or 16.3explosive substances; or 16.4(2) for which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, air or 16.5other gas, or vapor. 16.6"Pistol" does not include a device firing or ejecting a shot measuring .18 of an inch, or 16.7less, in diameter and commonly known as a "BB gun," a scuba gun, a stud gun, or nail gun 16.8used in the construction industry or children's pop guns or toys. |
To understand the above you need to know about this existing statute:
| Quote: |
| 473.121 DEFINITIONS. Subdivision 1.Terms. For the purposes of this chapter, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given them in this section, except as otherwise expressly provided or indicated by the context. Subd. 4.Metropolitan county. "Metropolitan county" means any one of the following counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington. |
Quote of the Day
So let me now send a personal message to The Rich in America…
As an American and a patriot, I implore you – I go to my knees and beg you – LEAVE NOW.
Leave. Just go away. Retire to the Cayman Islands or Bermuda or wherever, but do it now, please, while you still have some love for this country. Close your companies, fire your employees, shutter your factories and offices, sell your property, and take all of that somewhere else… better yet: somewhere scenic but poverty-stricken. Somewhere that could use some wealth creation. Somewhere that people simply are grateful to have a job in the first place. Somewhere where you will be appreciated.
You are not welcome in America any more. Take your wealth and prosperity and inventiveness and hard work and vision and insight and bold risk-taking and joy in seeing growth and wealth creation and just go away – right now, before it’s too late. Because if you stay, Joel Berg and Barack Obama and Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank and Chris Dodd will continue to come after you for more and more and more and they will not ever stop – not ever – until you are forced to flee. And when that day comes, you will go with not with fond remembrances and a desire to return home, but rather a black heart and hard and bitter memories.
So how has...
...in-school sex-ed been working out?
Nearly 40 percent of babies born in the United States in 2007 were delivered by unwed mothers, according to data released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics. The 1.7 million out-of-wedlock births, of 4.3 million total births, marked a more than 25 percent jump from five years before.According to the article, that's a record high. Maybe we should consider leaving the sex-ed to the parents. We'll let parents teach about sex and let the unwed parents feel a bit of shame for their poor planning. It worked for hundreds of years. Why did we change it?
Patriots
Notes from JWR:
Today is the "Patriots" Book Bomb Day!!! If you have a blog, then please mention this one-day event, and if not, then please send a brief e-mail to friends and relatives on your e-mail list, today, to let folks know about "Patriots: A Novel Survival in the Coming Collapse"
. The new edition features both an index and a glossary. This is the day to place an order. Please consider buying any copies for birthday and Christmas gifts early. This new edition of "Patriots"
#23 the last time I checked. The book is worth reading.
Poor baby
You knocked the girl up, don't expect her folks to treat you like royalty.
WASHINGTON - The father of Bristol Palin's baby boy says he's been treated like an outcast since the end of Gov. Sarah Palin's run for vice president.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
50 Things Every 18-Year-Old Should Know
1) "If you are buying something that you will use often and for a long time, never go cheap. You'll end up replacing it sooner or paying more in maintenance costs than if you had spent more on good quality in the beginning. Plus, you'll enjoy the nicer product throughout its lifetime, rather than cringing every time you use something that is falling apart." -- bretts
2) Don't spend money on a credit card that you can't afford to pay back. The interest and late payments can put you in a hole that can take you years to pay back.
3) Compound interest is your friend. Saving even a relatively small percentage of your income each year, starting at 18, can leave you in much better shape by the time you're ready to retire.
4) If you're working with someone who can be bargained down on a price, it seldom hurts to try. The exceptions may be someone of exceptional talent, someone you're going to have to work with on a regular basis, or someone whose help you're going to need in a timely manner.
5) Try to keep enough cash to pay your bills for at least six months in reserve. It will make your life immeasurably easier if your car breaks down, you have a surprise medical expense, or you get an opportunity to get a fantastic bargain.
6) Dogs are fantastic animals. They deserve to be called man's best friend. But, if you are under the impression that you just need to buy a collar and a bag of dry dog food every month and you're set, you're in for a rude awakening. Dogs tend to be much more expensive and time consuming than you'd think.
7) "Don't have any children or get married until you can support and love yourself first." -- D-Vega
8) "Don't trade your vehicle in on a new one just a couple of years after buying it. Pay it off and ride it until (the wheels fall off), all while putting that car payment in the bank." -- The_Muck_Man
9) College is a lot more work than high school and your job will be a lot more work than college was.
10) Start looking for a new job BEFORE you quit your old job.
11) Don't take any job that only pays commission unless you're either an expert salesman or ready to spend months working without pay to gain the skills you need to become an expert salesman.
12) Ideally, you should choose something you love to do so much that you'd do it for free and find a way to make it into a career.
13) When asking for a salary, always have a figure you want in mind -- and then ask for significantly more than that number. That way, you may get more than what you want and even if you don't, you have a better chance of getting the amount you had in mind than if you had blurted it out right off the bat.
14) There's no shame in taking any honest job.
15) Getting fired or laid off isn't the end of the world. To the contrary, a lot of people, myself included, have moved on to bigger and better things after being laid off or fired.
16) If you're not happy with the job market, the government, or the schools in your area, remember that you can always move to another city or another state. Lots of Americans do just that every year.
17) "I wish that I had known to check the oil in my vehicles and to have changed it regularly. It would have saved a lot of money that I spent on repairs -- directly due to my lack of changing the oil per the mechanic." -- Ann H.
18) Lefty loosey, righty tighty. Turn it to the left to loosen it and to the right to tighten it.
19) Don't ever open a hot radiator cap or you can get seriously burned.
20) Here are 3 keys to keeping a reasonably clean house: don't leave any dishes in the sink overnight; every time you have a full load of clothes, wash 'em, and take out the trash every time the can is full. You do those things, wipe up your messes, and vacuum when the floor gets filthy, and you'll keep things reasonably neat.
21) If you use a computer even semi-regularly, it's worth your time to take a typing class.
22) It's not enough to buy a gun and stick it in a drawer like a lucky talisman. You need to learn to use the gun.
23) When you move, sell, throw away, and give away as much as possible or you'll just end up moving boxes from one closet, where they have been sitting for five years, to another closet, where they'll be sitting for the next five years.
24) Don't ever loan your friends money if you want to keep them as friends. After all, if they were good with money and were likely to pay you back in a timely manner, they probably wouldn't need the loan in the first place. If they really need the money, you want to help them, and you can afford it -- just give it to them.
25) Women should never allow a boyfriend to take naked pictures. If it's on film, you shouldn't be surprised if it goes public in one form or fashion after a break-up.
26) When men have a problem and they tell you about it, they want to know how to fix it. When women have a problem and they tell you about it, they just want you to listen.
27) If you ever get arrested, don't say anything until you talk to a lawyer.
28) If you don't know the agenda of the people you're getting your news from, then you don't have the information you need to know if what they're telling you is true.
29) Government is a necessary evil. It's best to keep its tentacles out of your life and out of our society as much as possible.
30) "When you're 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you're 40, you don't give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you're 60, you realize nobody's been thinking about you at all." -- Daniel Amen
31) Trust your instincts. They're usually right.
32) If you think a doctor's wrong, don't hesitate to ask for a second opinion. Your health is vitally important and doctors make mistakes just as often as anyone else.
33) Don't ever say anything that may offend someone who is going to be serving you food. You never know what they may stick in it when you're not looking.
34) If you get into a business deal with someone who goes to unusual lengths to convince you of how honest or Christian they are, watch your wallet and make sure you have an iron clad contract. They "doth protest too much."
35) "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." - Jim Rohn
36) If you want to do something exceptional, don't expect anyone to believe you can do it until you've done it. Unless you're already perceived as exceptional, most people won't believe in you. That's doubly true for the people who know you best and have therefore seen you at your most mediocre, like your parents, family, and friends.
37) If you don't feel like you're being treated fairly by a company, don't hesitate to ask for a manager. Oftentimes, a manager has gotten to where he is in a company because he is good at pleasing customers like you in the first place.
38) "You are not invulnerable and you are not going to live forever. You can (make) mistakes at 18 that you will have to live with for the rest of your life." -- Don_cos
39) Nobody owes you a living.
40) You are not a victim.
41) If you just assume that every conspiracy theory is wrong without even examining it, you will be right 99.99% of the time.
42) "It's likely that whatever challenges you have faced in your life currently could have been avoided but some better decisions upstream." -- Anonymous
43) At a minimum, keep a basic "to do" list, a schedule, and a budget.
44) "Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." -- Pat Riley
45) "If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never confuse activity with productivity. You can be busy without a purpose, but what's the point?" -- Rick Warren
46) Ironically, successful people tend to fail a lot more than unsuccessful people. They also tend to ask a lot more questions.
47) When you consider Christianity, keep in mind this classic quotation from C.S. Lewis, "If I, being what I am, can consider that I am in some sense a Christian, why should the different vices of those people in the next pew prove that their religion is mere hypocrisy and convention?"
48) You beat 50% of the people by just showing up. You beat another 40% by working hard. The last 10% is a dogfight in the free enterprise system.
49) There are at least six key areas of your life: health, career, romantic, social, money, and religion. If you neglect any one of those areas, it will harm you in the other areas and keep you from being as happy as you can be otherwise.
50) When trying to decide between two closely matched alternatives, always have a bias towards action. In the long run, it'll lead to your having a lot more experience, great stories, and a richer, fuller life.
Found here.
2) Don't spend money on a credit card that you can't afford to pay back. The interest and late payments can put you in a hole that can take you years to pay back.
3) Compound interest is your friend. Saving even a relatively small percentage of your income each year, starting at 18, can leave you in much better shape by the time you're ready to retire.
4) If you're working with someone who can be bargained down on a price, it seldom hurts to try. The exceptions may be someone of exceptional talent, someone you're going to have to work with on a regular basis, or someone whose help you're going to need in a timely manner.
5) Try to keep enough cash to pay your bills for at least six months in reserve. It will make your life immeasurably easier if your car breaks down, you have a surprise medical expense, or you get an opportunity to get a fantastic bargain.
6) Dogs are fantastic animals. They deserve to be called man's best friend. But, if you are under the impression that you just need to buy a collar and a bag of dry dog food every month and you're set, you're in for a rude awakening. Dogs tend to be much more expensive and time consuming than you'd think.
7) "Don't have any children or get married until you can support and love yourself first." -- D-Vega
8) "Don't trade your vehicle in on a new one just a couple of years after buying it. Pay it off and ride it until (the wheels fall off), all while putting that car payment in the bank." -- The_Muck_Man
9) College is a lot more work than high school and your job will be a lot more work than college was.
10) Start looking for a new job BEFORE you quit your old job.
11) Don't take any job that only pays commission unless you're either an expert salesman or ready to spend months working without pay to gain the skills you need to become an expert salesman.
12) Ideally, you should choose something you love to do so much that you'd do it for free and find a way to make it into a career.
13) When asking for a salary, always have a figure you want in mind -- and then ask for significantly more than that number. That way, you may get more than what you want and even if you don't, you have a better chance of getting the amount you had in mind than if you had blurted it out right off the bat.
14) There's no shame in taking any honest job.
15) Getting fired or laid off isn't the end of the world. To the contrary, a lot of people, myself included, have moved on to bigger and better things after being laid off or fired.
16) If you're not happy with the job market, the government, or the schools in your area, remember that you can always move to another city or another state. Lots of Americans do just that every year.
17) "I wish that I had known to check the oil in my vehicles and to have changed it regularly. It would have saved a lot of money that I spent on repairs -- directly due to my lack of changing the oil per the mechanic." -- Ann H.
18) Lefty loosey, righty tighty. Turn it to the left to loosen it and to the right to tighten it.
19) Don't ever open a hot radiator cap or you can get seriously burned.
20) Here are 3 keys to keeping a reasonably clean house: don't leave any dishes in the sink overnight; every time you have a full load of clothes, wash 'em, and take out the trash every time the can is full. You do those things, wipe up your messes, and vacuum when the floor gets filthy, and you'll keep things reasonably neat.
21) If you use a computer even semi-regularly, it's worth your time to take a typing class.
22) It's not enough to buy a gun and stick it in a drawer like a lucky talisman. You need to learn to use the gun.
23) When you move, sell, throw away, and give away as much as possible or you'll just end up moving boxes from one closet, where they have been sitting for five years, to another closet, where they'll be sitting for the next five years.
24) Don't ever loan your friends money if you want to keep them as friends. After all, if they were good with money and were likely to pay you back in a timely manner, they probably wouldn't need the loan in the first place. If they really need the money, you want to help them, and you can afford it -- just give it to them.
25) Women should never allow a boyfriend to take naked pictures. If it's on film, you shouldn't be surprised if it goes public in one form or fashion after a break-up.
26) When men have a problem and they tell you about it, they want to know how to fix it. When women have a problem and they tell you about it, they just want you to listen.
27) If you ever get arrested, don't say anything until you talk to a lawyer.
28) If you don't know the agenda of the people you're getting your news from, then you don't have the information you need to know if what they're telling you is true.
29) Government is a necessary evil. It's best to keep its tentacles out of your life and out of our society as much as possible.
30) "When you're 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you're 40, you don't give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you're 60, you realize nobody's been thinking about you at all." -- Daniel Amen
31) Trust your instincts. They're usually right.
32) If you think a doctor's wrong, don't hesitate to ask for a second opinion. Your health is vitally important and doctors make mistakes just as often as anyone else.
33) Don't ever say anything that may offend someone who is going to be serving you food. You never know what they may stick in it when you're not looking.
34) If you get into a business deal with someone who goes to unusual lengths to convince you of how honest or Christian they are, watch your wallet and make sure you have an iron clad contract. They "doth protest too much."
35) "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." - Jim Rohn
36) If you want to do something exceptional, don't expect anyone to believe you can do it until you've done it. Unless you're already perceived as exceptional, most people won't believe in you. That's doubly true for the people who know you best and have therefore seen you at your most mediocre, like your parents, family, and friends.
37) If you don't feel like you're being treated fairly by a company, don't hesitate to ask for a manager. Oftentimes, a manager has gotten to where he is in a company because he is good at pleasing customers like you in the first place.
38) "You are not invulnerable and you are not going to live forever. You can (make) mistakes at 18 that you will have to live with for the rest of your life." -- Don_cos
39) Nobody owes you a living.
40) You are not a victim.
41) If you just assume that every conspiracy theory is wrong without even examining it, you will be right 99.99% of the time.
42) "It's likely that whatever challenges you have faced in your life currently could have been avoided but some better decisions upstream." -- Anonymous
43) At a minimum, keep a basic "to do" list, a schedule, and a budget.
44) "Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." -- Pat Riley
45) "If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never confuse activity with productivity. You can be busy without a purpose, but what's the point?" -- Rick Warren
46) Ironically, successful people tend to fail a lot more than unsuccessful people. They also tend to ask a lot more questions.
47) When you consider Christianity, keep in mind this classic quotation from C.S. Lewis, "If I, being what I am, can consider that I am in some sense a Christian, why should the different vices of those people in the next pew prove that their religion is mere hypocrisy and convention?"
48) You beat 50% of the people by just showing up. You beat another 40% by working hard. The last 10% is a dogfight in the free enterprise system.
49) There are at least six key areas of your life: health, career, romantic, social, money, and religion. If you neglect any one of those areas, it will harm you in the other areas and keep you from being as happy as you can be otherwise.
50) When trying to decide between two closely matched alternatives, always have a bias towards action. In the long run, it'll lead to your having a lot more experience, great stories, and a richer, fuller life.
Found here.
Monday, April 6, 2009
A Lesson on Socialism
An economics professor said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. The class had insisted that socialism worked - and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer for all, for society. The professor then said ok, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.
He said that all grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone was given a B. The students who studied hard were upset, and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who hadn't studied much for the first test had studied even less, and the ones who studied hard weren't motivated to study hard again, and they decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little. The second Test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else. All failed .... and the professor told them that the socialism they wanted would ultimately fail, as they had, because the reward of success normally goes to those that work harder, but when government takes the reward away; few will try so no one will succeed.
I heard it on the intartubes.
He said that all grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone was given a B. The students who studied hard were upset, and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who hadn't studied much for the first test had studied even less, and the ones who studied hard weren't motivated to study hard again, and they decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little. The second Test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else. All failed .... and the professor told them that the socialism they wanted would ultimately fail, as they had, because the reward of success normally goes to those that work harder, but when government takes the reward away; few will try so no one will succeed.
I heard it on the intartubes.
Cyanide and Happiness
This is in my daily read, since last week. I'm working my way through the 1600 comic archive.
Bikers Doing Good
Not the Patriot Guard, this time. It's BACA.
This sounds like a group I may need to consider joining. Well done.
A dozen motorcycle riders in black leathers showed up one cold night in early February outside an apartment building where a scared little boy lived in Oakdale.
The 5-year-old wasn't afraid of the bikers. He was fearful that his dad was coming to take him for a visit.
His mom had obtained a temporary protection order against her former boyfriend, whom she alleged had sexually abused their son for several years, said Alan Holmes, one of the bikers guarding their home that night. Holmes, 61, is a licensed psychologist and president of the Anoka chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), which supports and protects abused children.
This sounds like a group I may need to consider joining. Well done.
"Every few minutes, he would open the curtain on his bedroom window and peek out to be sure we were still there," Holmes said. "He had a tiny light in his room so we could see him. We waved and every time, he smiled."
Friday, April 3, 2009
Economic History
Posted here:
By "unchecked capitalism" you mean when the government comes in and says "give loans to the poor segment of your territory so they can get houses or we'll pull your license", right?
That's like the definition of deregulation: "We're removing 1% of the regulations, to give us better control, so ignore the 30% increase in new regulations so we can call it 'deregulation'.
The last hundred years have been almost constant additions to regulation and 'checks' on capitalism. Blaming the current situation on circumstances we haven't seen in almost a century is silly.
| wheatstraw wrote: |
Another example of unchecked capitalism was the relaxation of lending standards and questionable banking practices (sub-prime loans, mortgage backed securities, derivatives) that lead to the current banking crisis. The bailout, or "socialization of America", or whatever you want to call it, is simply a response to that unchecked capitalism. |
By "unchecked capitalism" you mean when the government comes in and says "give loans to the poor segment of your territory so they can get houses or we'll pull your license", right?
That's like the definition of deregulation: "We're removing 1% of the regulations, to give us better control, so ignore the 30% increase in new regulations so we can call it 'deregulation'.
The last hundred years have been almost constant additions to regulation and 'checks' on capitalism. Blaming the current situation on circumstances we haven't seen in almost a century is silly.
WTF was he thinking?
Leaders of nations* do not bow to other leaders of nations. Americans do not bow to anybody. Bowing is a sign of subservience.
This is an embarrassment to us all.
This is an embarrassment to us all.
Kids, these days...
These stupid kids are growing up thinking that government is the solution for everything. Where is a responsible, reasonable adult to tell them to back the hell off and think about the consequences of banning anything they don't like? Can we ban gangsta rap?
Kids, you are contributing to the toilet that is the future of our nation. Parents, when the government solution to your problem is forced euthanasia, don't complain. You raised your kids this way.
Kids, you are contributing to the toilet that is the future of our nation. Parents, when the government solution to your problem is forced euthanasia, don't complain. You raised your kids this way.
A group of St. Paul teens packed city council chambers Wednesday night to make sure no one got in the way of a proposed citywide ban on the sale of candy cigarettes.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Quote of the Day
"Isn't there someone on the President's staff whose purpose in life is to say "OK Mr President, when you go visit a head-of-state of an allied nation, here's the type of gift you bring."?"
-MarkD
-MarkD
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
History, Economics, and Reality
No, sir*. We are passing through an era of profound irresponsibility, that you hopefully won't be able to extend into eternity. Where did you get the past tense?
Government policies caused the bubbles, in large part. Don't make it worse, just because you are being willfully ignorant.
"We've passed through an era of profound irresponsibility," Obama said at a joint news conference. "Now, we cannot afford half-measures and we cannot go back to the kind of risk-taking that leads to bubbles that inevitably burst. So we have a choice: We either shape our future or let events shape it for us."
Government policies caused the bubbles, in large part. Don't make it worse, just because you are being willfully ignorant.
Privacy
I take privacy seriously, but when the clown-car's files get accessed, I don't have a lot of sympathy. She overstuffed herself, planning on being a ward of the state welfare leech, hoping for enough publicity to get rich and famous.
How much expectation of privacy does she get?
That said, the ethics of the folks looking at the files is definitely cause for termination, and they don't have my sympathy, either.
How much expectation of privacy does she get?
That said, the ethics of the folks looking at the files is definitely cause for termination, and they don't have my sympathy, either.