You rob someone. They thwart your robbery with a gun. Your defense strategy:

Attorney Scott Brettschnieder thinks the Queens DA’s office should recuse itself from prosecuting the case against client Devon Keitt, who was wounded during his attempted hold up. The reason? They “illegally” let store clerk Edwin Marte “off the hook” for having an unlicensed firearm – the one he used to save himself during the alleged attempted robbery by the defendant.

Ok, that’s a lot funny.

This one is not so funny. A man finds an illegal sawn off shotgun in his son’s room. He contemplates tossing it in a river but does the right thing and takes it to the police:

Hartford police, in turn, showed their appreciation by arresting and cuffing him, taking him on what became a bruising ride to headquarters and then keeping him in a holding cell until they realized their mistake.

Against stupid politicians, that is:

The bill would punish anyone caught wearing low-riding pants with a fine of as much as $500 or as many as six months in jail, or both.

“I’m sick of seeing it,” said Shepherd, a first-term legislator. “The community’s outraged. And if parents can’t do their job, if parents can’t regulate what their children wear, then there should be a law.”

We’re doomed.

Xrlq alerts us that Colorado’s Governor signed a bill into law banning Breed Specific Legislation. Good news!

Denver, content to continue murdering 400 innocent animals per year, is suing to overturn the ban on breeds. Apparently, the change to the law to exempt cities with populations over 400,000 (that I wrote about here) wasn’t added to the bill.

Good for Colorado.

Newsday:

Gun maker Colt Defense is suing competitors Bushmaster and Heckler & Koch for trademark infringement, claiming the companies are trading on Colt’s good name by marketing knockoffs of its popular M-4 military rifle.

Colt’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, claims the companies have engaged in trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices and seeks unspecified damages.

Colt’s M-4 automatic rifle is its best-selling weapon, sold only to military and law-enforcement agencies.

The lawsuit claims that Bushmaster’s semiautomatic XM-15 E2S rifle _ a very similar model to the high-powered Bushmaster rifle used in the October 2002 D.C. sniper shootings _ is being improperly advertised as an “M-4 type rifle.”

The lawsuit alleges that “Bushmaster has deliberately copied the ‘look’ of Colt’s M4 carbine and has unlawfully used Colt’s federally registered M4 trademark” in its marketing and advertising.

First of all, one thing about Colt is they have a history of buying up the best designs. They bought the designs to the 1911, the AR15 and I think the Browning from the inventors or initial companies that designed them. They bought the AR15 from Armalite and the 1911 and Browning from Browning, if I recall. Problem is, everyone else makes their guns better than they do. I’d take a Kimber or even a Norinco over a Colt model 1911. And I would take a Bushmaster or H&K AR over a Colt any day. It’s not really an issue, as I tend to build my ARs.

Colt also has a history of ignoring the civilian market. This leaves a demand, filled in by the likes of Bushmaster. Sounds like ignoring that market may have cost them.

Resonance is a year old. That’s like 50 in blog years.

WBIR:

The state’s attorney general says there is not a law against the civil union of gays and lesbians in Tennessee.

But Paul Summers also says the unions are not legally recognized.

Summers, the state’s highest-ranking lawyer, said he based his opinion on Tennessee’s 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. The act defines marriage as taking place between one man and one woman.

Tennessee’s constitution also does not allow same-sex civil unions.

Opponents of civil unions say they are worried homosexuals will attempt to sue for rights and have a Tennessee court recognize them.

More lies from the lying liars that tell them:

That there is still strong opposition to extending the weapons ban in spite of its obvious merits speaks to the power of the nation’s gun lobby, which has fought every effort for sensible gun control.

Huh? The NRA supported the gun control laws of 1968 and 1986. And the Brady bill. And the NICS bill.

But none of the rhetoric from the National Rifle Association can stand up to the facts. The percentage of assault weapons used in crimes since the original ban passed has been reduced by two-thirds. There is simply no justification for making military-style assault weapons available to the general public.

This claim has been refuted many times. Actual usage in crime has remained less than 0.25% prior to and after the ban.

Well, the indestructible ball has now survived four hours of almost continuous play without getting destroyed. Cool.

Seemed to light for him at first, as it is hollow hard plastic. I filled it half way with water, which was too heavy. He could move it just not quickly enough for a work out. Now, it’s about 1/8 full and he loves it.

I highly recommend the indestructible ball. Now, if I could get one that threw itself!

Weekly gun links! And Les is right, go with the red head.

State auditors said the TBI’s database is not up to date and this improperly delayed 1,700 from lawfully purchasing firearms:

Auditors said about 2 million arrests have been entered into the database since 1995. But authorities don’t know the outcome in 77 percent of the cases.

This means some people who have been acquitted or had the charges against them dropped or reduced remain in the database.

WATE reports that the University of Tennessee’s new president has been picked.

The UT Board of Trustees has elected Dr. John Petersen as the new president Wednesday.

Petersen, 56, is provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut. His previous experience was as a dean and professor of chemistry at Wayne State University, a department head and associate dean at Clemson University and an associate professor at Kansas State University.

After the last president’s issues, why does anyone want that job?

Story from WBIR:

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for allegedly repeatedly pulling out and stopping in front of Rural Metro ambulances.

57-year old, Harrison Turpin is charged with felony reckless endangerment.

Turpin is the father and grandfather of two people killed last July after they pulled out in front of a Rural Metro ambulance on the way to a call.

Rural Metro says a few weeks ago, someone in a black SUV started harrassing paramedics on the road.

They identified Turpin when he allegedly got out of his SUV on Lovell Road and cursed at, and threated, the people in the ambulance.

OhioCCW writes:

The Daily Chief-Union of Upper Sandusky has published a story, informing readers about the dangers of lawn mower usage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 75,000 people per year require emergency room treatment for injuries caused by lawn mowers. The paper noted that most injuries are the result of human error, and was even kind enough to offer a few safety tips:

* Read the instruction manual before using a lawnmower.
* Be sober.
* Do not remove safety devices, shields or guards on switches and keep hands and feet away from moving parts.
* Add fuel before starting the engine, not when it is running or hot.
* Never let children operate lawnmowers. Keep kids 15 years of age and younger away when lawnmowers are in use.
* Do not leave a lawnmower unattended when it is running.

There’s more, but we’ll stop there, before you loose all interest.

So WHY are we writing a story about 75,000 accidental lawn mower injuries on a website that focuses on self-defense rights?

Because according to the Centers for Disease Control, less than 17,700 people received non-fatal injuries due to a firearms accident in 2001.

Because when you add to that accidental number those injured intentionally, due to violent attack, the total number is still less than those injured by accident with lawn-mowers – 63,000.

I’m not opposed to lawn mowers but I think some serious lawn mower legislation is in order. After all, you don’t need a riding lawn mower nor do you need a self-propelled lawn mower. All you need are those old timer mowers that aren’t gas powered and have the rotary blades. You know, where you have to run it over the same section of your lawn five or six times.

More:

But most of all, we’re writing this story because unlike a firearm, no one’s life has ever been saved with a lawn mower.

I just took the pooch for a walk, and I realized that every single home in my neighborhood has at least one azalea bush in its yard.

My guess is that Frampton Comes Alive must have shipped with a packet of seeds or something.

Xrlq alerts us to a heroic dog who saved her buddy from a gator. That dog looks awful familiar.

Kevin addresses the fact that anti-gun groups press releases are treated as news, an issue I addressed here.

In the last week, google news alerts has alerted me at least three times per day, every day, that some group warns that assault weapons are headed for the streets. These releases are always filled with the same old propaganda about the ban expiring, a sign of desperation from the anti-gunners. Today’s release was actually different in that it talked about the shipment of semi-automatic AK47s that was intercepted.

No wonder the NRA got its own news channel. Anti-gun = news source. Pro-gun = gun lobby.

We used to get those over-sized tennis balls, regular tennis balls, and the occasional basketball for Politically Incorrect Dog™. Problem is, he’d pop them pretty quick. The last leather basketball he got was popped in a record 5 minutes. So, I set out to find an indestructible ball. PetDiscounters offers this model:

Indestructible Dog Balls
The name says it all! These “Gorilla-Tough” balls are virtually indestructible and will not be will not be destroyed by your dog’s teeth & rough playing! Molded from safe, non-toxic polyethylene. They won’t tear, break, or burst open like many other dog toys. Easy screw plug allows 10″ balls to be filled with water, sand or gravel, which makes it ideal for working dogs or for dogs that need to build up a little more muscle. Great exercise for dogs of all sizes. Actual color of product may vary. Made in the U.S.A.

The Mrs. ordered one. I’ll let you know how it goes. If it gets destroyed, I guess I’ll just give him a tire or something.

FoxNews:

A Turkish ship headed for New York — and stuffed with thousands of AK-47s and other Kalashnikov assault rifles — was seized en route in Italy, authorities said Tuesday.

The ship’s deadly hoard of more than 7,500 terrorist-grade rifles and machine guns worth more than $6 million was discovered illegally hidden under piles of properly labeled arms in several massive cargo containers, Italian officials said.

The article then makes many factual errors and intimates the rifles were for terrorists trade. From the boat to the gun show, I guess. These were not machine guns but were rendered semi-automatic. The article ties the discovery to the Assault Weapons Ban too. All around shoddy reporting. Why did I link to it? To illustrate that illegal rifles are still entering the country despite laws aimed at disarming peaceable citizens.

Any readers out there who are contemplating their first NFA purchase (like me) should be aware of this sweet deal: A Walther P22 with a TAC 65 Sound Suppressor and adapter for $398.

With an additional two bills for the illegal tax of a right paid to the Treasury (AKA, the NFA tax), cost is $598 + transfer fees.

I was reading about the eligibility requirements of Tennessee’s HOPE scholarship, which is the scholarship paid for via our new lottery. The FAQ reads:

Question 2: How do I qualify for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship?

You must meet the following criteria:

[snip]

§ Score at least a 19 ACT (890 SAT) OR

[snip]

§ 2004 Home schooled graduates have two ways to qualify:

Score at least a 23 ACT (1060 SAT)

See that? Home schooled students must outperform public school students (which I’m sure they do anyway). There are two reasons I can think of why this occurs:

1) Our legislators realize that the average parent is a better teacher than the average teacher. This doesn’t sound unreasonable.

2) To make homeschooling that much more difficult (the likely reason, as the NEA wants to do just that).

The fact they would rather make it more difficult on home-schooled children rather odd. I tend to think that the standards should be the same for all children regardless of how they were educated.

HJ Heinz, that company that Kerry’s wife is the heir to, has donated money to Republicans:

Although John F. Kerry’s wife is an heir to the H.J. Heinz Co. fortune, members of the board of the Fortune 500 company and its corporate political action committee have donated thousands of dollars to Republicans in recent years, including contributions to the Bush campaign. The corporate PAC has given nothing to Kerry.

Har har.

Rep. John Hotstettler was briefly detained for carrying a gun into an airport. He does have a permit. A couple things:

If this was a citizen and not a politician, then they would be in jail.

He was headed to Washington (I assume DC), where handguns are banned.

Seems like I never get tired of it. If the VPC decided to ban dangerous automobiles, this is how they’d define “Race Cars”….
Read the rest of this entry »

Jed fisks the Children’s Defense Fund’s ridiculous assertion that the non-existent gun show loophole and the assault weapons ban some how are tied to Columbine.

Via Robert Douglas, Auburn is wanting to tie a dog’s weight to whether it is dangerous or not. The threshold: 30 pounds:

Unlike most dog-control ordinances, Auburn’s proposal would not require a dog to do anything to be listed as “potentially dangerous” except weigh more than 30 pounds — the belief being that larger dogs are inherently more dangerous.

As written, the proposal would require any dog exceeding that weight to be kept on a leash or within a fenced yard or kennel.

Should a 30-pound-plus dog happen to get out of the yard, even inadvertently, its status would be upgraded to dangerous, and its owner would be required to take out a $250,000 insurance policy, available from only one company in the nation — a Florida firm that insures circus animals. Homeowners policies don’t insure dogs labeled as dangerous.

I am of the opinion that all dogs should be properly restrained and not running loose, as are most responsible pet owners.

Weight being a factor is as ludicrous as breed being a factor. Up next, color will be a factor.

More:

Moreover, the owner also could be required to secure a special dangerous-animal permit from the city at a cost of $100.

Yup, the city needs to make some dollars off the deal.

Pat Gang alerts me to the Leitner-Wise LW15.499. It is a 50 caliber, semi-automatic rifle based on the AR15. I’m guessing by the .499 designation, it was made for sale in California. Heh!

Order one today for about $1,500.

Pardon me while I wipe the drool from my keyboard.

Publicola has some fancy new MT digs. About time.

Drug War Rant alerts us to some stupid things done by the DEA that will hopefully result in three lawsuits.

Ok, so I like to read John Derbyshire’s columns on NRO. His latest one discusses two solutions to labor shortage problems: to import labor (as Saudi Arabia does), or to automate (as Japan does). He mentions Japan’s push toward creating machines to care for their aging population: for example, “human-washing” machines.

It’s been a few years since I worked in robotics, but back then it was indeed my impression that the Japanese were serious about developing service robots for assisting the elderly and disabled. It is also my experience that the Japanese make awesome robots, mechanically. Just look at Honda’s Asimo and Sony’s QRIO. The idea of the humanoid robot, besides being just too cool, is that, because it is human-shaped, it could simply step in to any job and take the place of a real person, without requiring changes to tools or the work environment.

The problem is that, while specialized industrial automation has been around for quite some time, making general-purpose robots that are capable and smart enough to be useful is hard. Marvin Minsky thinks that focusing on hardware can actually be a distraction: “Graduate students are wasting 3 years of their lives soldering and repairing robots, instead of making them smart.” I certainly wasted a lot of time repairing robots, that’s for sure.

I’d still like to have one of them Asimos, though.

Self,

Never, ever, ever appear on a talk show. Particularly any show that comes on when most people are at work:

All Ricky Meredith wanted to do was punch his nemesis, “Pimp Daddy,” in the face on national television.

Instead, he lost his prized collection of 2,000 clip-on ties, his 16 “homemade” Western shirts and the big-screen TV he had just finished paying off, all because of a fire prosecutors contend his ex-stepdaughter and her boyfriend set while he was in Chicago for an appearance on the Jerry Springer Show.

“When I came back from the Jerry Springer Show, I couldn’t believe it,” Meredith told jurors in Knox County Criminal Court Monday. “The best TV I had in my whole life, it was history. I had over 2,000 of them snap-on ties I lost in that fire. I had 16 Western shirts that was homemade. You can’t buy them in the store.”

Reaping, sewing, whatever.