Man loses 450 pounds, amazingly still big fat ass.

I wrote part one here. And Lobbygow contributed possible part two in comments. Smijer now has part three at his site. It’s more like an alternate ending.

I’m sure it’s been attempted, but can the blogosphere write a book?

The Institute for Justice, which takes on quite a few property rights case, will not defend a group of Tempe, AZ homeowners due to stressed financial resources.

I’m not one who usually pimps for people to donate to causes but if you have an extra nickel or two, consider donating to The Institute for Justice. You can do so here.

A ban on Eminent Domain for redevelopment (you know, the illegal kind of Eminent Domain) has been delayed in Kentucky:

The ordinance, introduced by Commissioner Brian Strow, would have prohibited the city from condemning land for the purpose of turning it over to another private entity, such as a development company. The ongoing plan for the city’s ambitious downtown redevelopment specifically allows that use, citing potential economic development as a worthwhile public purpose.

Toxic waste and Eminent Domain seem to be the only things coming out of New Jersey these days.

Eminent Domain in California put on hold. Good.

California passed a needless ban on 50 caliber rifles.

Chicago is looking at more expansive gun laws:

Mayor Richard Daley on Wednesday pushed for lawmakers to approve a wide range of gun control measures, moving from the court system to the Legislature his campaign to hold gun dealers responsible for the costs to society of handgun violence.

Daley, who has been urging lawmakers to adopt most of the reforms for years with little success, wants them to approve two new proposals that would prevent gun dealers from knowingly selling firearms to criminals and that would allow victims of gun violence to sue dealers who knew the weapon had been sold illegally.

I’m pretty sure it’s already illegal to knowingly sell gun illegally or it wouldn’t be, you know, illegal. What the law really means is license to sue gun makers and dealers who did nothing wrong but their products wound up in the wrong hands.

The Illinois proposal also includes a statewide assault weapons ban, according to the Brady Campaign.

And the same bullshit is happening in New York:

The bill, which is expected to pass the Council today, would allow civil suits to be filed against the manufacturers and dealers unless they voluntarily adopt a “code of conduct.” That code would include restrictions like selling no more than one handgun to a particular person within a 30-day period and requiring background checks of all prospective buyers at gun shows.

If a gun manufacturer or dealer chooses not to adhere to these guidelines, the bill seeks to hold those businesses legally responsible if their firearms result in death or injury to people in New York City.

A code of conduct? Give me a break. Someone will sue them regardless of following this code.

San Fran’s gun ban is still in play. What an absolutely asinine idea.

And, if you were wondering, Arianna Huffington is still an idiot.

Thank God for Red States.

A lot of crime guns are stolen. This time, from the police:

A Second Amendment group is offering a $500 reward for the arrest and conviction of the thief who stole a gun from the Seattle police chief’s parked car, in broad daylight, on the day after Christmas.

The reward money may not lead to a suspect; but it does make the point that the police chief has put more guns on the street than the phase-out of the “assault weapons” ban, said the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Statistics show that a significant number of guns used in crimes are stolen from law-abiding citizens — a group that now includes Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron.

“Whether it’s a firearm stolen in a residential burglary, a rifle taken from a gun shop or a pistol taken from a police chief’s car, the criminal is responsible for any harm caused with that gun, not the victim of the theft,” Waldron said.

Jed has links to some scary tactics they use.

Other victims in the war on drugs*:

Colombian drug traffickers surgically hid heroin in puppies’ bellies in a plan to evade international customs controls, police said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, police found six puppies with scars on their abdomens at a rural property near the city of Medellin in northern Colombia, the Colombian Police said in a news release.

Ultrasound scans revealed bags of liquid heroin hidden inside the living animals. Police said traffickers planned to retrieve the drug once the dogs had passed customs abroad.

“The lust for money leads criminals to commit acts of great cruelty,” the police said.

The puppies were recovering after the heroin was removed by veterinarians.

I’m sure they weren’t planning on extracting the drugs surgically.

*No, I am not implying that somehow the government is responsible for this. Just that victims in the war on drugs are also victimized by the pushers. Ask any addict or innocent that has been shot by dealers.

Anthony Gregory:

If the Democrats came down hard in favor of the Second Amendment, that alone would probably win them the national elections.

Yup.

Texas snow auctioned on eBay. Heh, I’m from the north, so I just find this funny.

I’m not generally much for sports, personally, but this headline caught my eye. Ute fans angry at police for electrical shocking.

Basically, the home team won the game and the crowd came out into the field to celebrate (hey, it’s a college bowl, so I’ve seen it happen before). In response, the Salt Lake PD used tasers on the crowd.

“If you had a person who was seriously disruptive in that crowd, you might use a Taser to bring that person into custody so you could deal with them,” said Folsom, whose officers carry the devices at Ute games. “You certainly wouldn’t ‘Tase’ people indiscriminately hoping to move an entire crowd back.”

Just wanted to pop in and say hello. This is the second day at the new company (after our little surprise merger announcement a couple days before Christmas). Things are going swell, I suppose. I’m stuck in a cube until the office furniture comes in so have to put the speakers up to my face and crank the volume way down in order to listen to music so I don’t go totally nuts. Most fun things are blocked by the web filters, like Yahoo mail, but at least I can get here and post. The upside is that the company provides free Mountain Dew and other assorted beverages. They apparently understand productivity and programmers. Until next time…

Ok, I’m a little behind the curve here, but I just read this post at the Diplomad and got kind of tickled by it:

[Colonel Garcia], who had been knocking back scotch pretty heavily all evening, came up to a friend and me, fixed us with that patented stare and blurted out, “The American Army . . . it has become homosexual!”
…
“You, you know the 45. The 9mm is for sissies (huecos) with tight pants! Do you know how many times I have shot somebody with a 9mm?” My Embassy colleague and I assumed this either a rhetorical question or one to which he already had an answer, and we did not try to answer it. “Twice. Both times I shoot them and they get up! I have to shoot them again!” He now removed the 45 from my face, holding it in both hands, he looked down at it, “With this gun I only would need to shoot somebody one time! He doesn’t get back up! This is a beautiful gun . . . people see it and they know you are serious. Most of the time I don’t even have to shoot.”

Now, if that doesn’t settle the .45 vs. 9mm argument once and for all, it’ll never be settled!

Not to be a dick or anything, but if you guys are going to ping my site and take up space on my server, your post should link to my site.

So, how many times do you think John Kerry’s been hunting since November? I mean, I’m just asking, him being a sportsman and all.

David Adkins:

“This is unenforceable,” he said. “How can you count 1,000 rounds.”

He’s referring to a proposed ordnance ordinance in Montgomery County that:

. . . restricts citizens to shooting no more than 1,000 rounds per person per day on their land, and firing can only occur between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Update: The answer to Mr. Adkins’ question is 20 at a time.

As a reader of this blog, you know that I can’t. I do wish that I could. I’ve got this idea for a book; or movie; or short story; or, heck, even a song. I’ve never written any of these before (OK, I’ve written contributed to a few songs) and suffer from the fact I can see the forest but not the trees. I’m not a detail-oriented person (you’ve probably noticed that too) but more a big picture kind of person. In other words, I tend to look at the broad overview of something and minimally focus on the small stuff. This creates a problem when, you know, trying to write stuff because books tend to be specific (unless it’s some sort self-help or how-to-succeed-in-business crap). My idea is very libertarian in nature but in that libertarian-as-problematic sort of way. So, here’s the basic plot:

The story starts in the not-so-distant future (let’s say Tuesday). A company that develops computer operating systems, network software, network security and internet related type products is successful at this venture and makes tons of money by bullying/buying competitors, developing cushy corporate partnerships, and integrating all this stuff in convenient packages. The company’s products are extensively ingrained into the fabric of society (they make the buses go, the water flow, manage the big banking institutions, etc.). This company is fictitious and not based on any real company currently operating. Tentatively, the company is called MacroHard.

Because the company is successful, everyone wants a piece of it, including certain regulatory and governmental agencies. However, try as they might, they can’t quite get MacroHard under control. It outsmarts them regularly and is usually way ahead of the various agencies’ ploys. Litigation ensues and MacroHard keeps paying out small settlements to satisfy these agencies (mostly because it’s cheaper than fighting this stuff in court).

One day, the various governmental agencies of the world launch a major legal offensive to reel in this company that is just too big for it’s britches. Said legal offensive would literally ruin the company by making it pay out huge dollars, subdividing it into separate smaller entities, and giving out its technological secrets. The company mounts a glorious legal defense (I sense the book could have some court room drama) but the fix was in. The company loses.

The outrage from the corporate world is astounding. Major executives, feeling their life’s work is in danger from such tactics, are enraged. All major corporations suddenly become quite hostile.

MacroHard, in defiance, basically tells the government No! We’re not going to do that. The government threatens the use of force. MacroHard says We’re still not going to do it. Various law enforcement and military agencies show up at MacroHard’s corporate headquarters ready to launch an offensive. Some intense negotiations ensue with MacroHard still saying No! and the government intent upon enforcing compliance.

The raid commences. Suddenly, the cars don’t go; the radios don’t work; the communications links fail; the internets are down; the phones are dead; various military technologies stop functioning; satellites no longer provide positioning data. The military’s sophisticated hardware and software is basically useless. Using brute force, the corporate HQ is secured by the military only to find that no one was there. MacroHard and its corporate allies have pulled the plug on things electronic and ran (remember, they’re ingrained into society and, as we just found out, they know all the back-doors since they put them there).

MacroHard just launched World War 3 (or maybe 4 depending on who you ask). Corporate America vs. Regulatory Bodies. The effect is widespread. The buses no longer go; the water doesn’t flow; the dams don’t work; deliveries aren’t made; money and banking assets are frozen. The corporations have shut the world down and it’s one giant Mexican standoff. General chaos ensues as Corporate America and the Regulatory Bodies duke it out. The militaries are neutered since they can’t communicate and their nifty gadgets don’t work. Corporate America can’t do much since money is now worthless. Those hardest hit, of course, are the regular Joes, who can’t keep their electricity going or go to the store and get some food.

That’s as far as I get. Don’t know how to conclude or who the major characters would be. What do you think?

Update: Apparently, it’s been done, sort of.

Michael Silence emails a link to this:

A new Gallup Poll shows that the average American owns 1.7 guns, with the average gun owner possessing 4.4 of them. More than half of those living in rural areas (56%) own a gun, compared with 40% of suburbanites and 29% of those living in urban areas.

Excellent. More here:

For one thing, one out of three American women say they own a gun. That’s not much below the overall mark of 40% for all American adults.

As for other elements of the stereotype: More than half (53%) of Republicans own guns, compared with 36% of political independents and 31% of Democrats. Whites are more likely than nonwhites to own (44% and 24%, respectively), according to Gallup.

Residents of the South are significantly more likely than those living in other regions to report owning a gun. More than half of those living in rural areas (56%) own a gun, compared with 40% of suburbanites and 29% of those living in urban areas.

They caught this guy aiming lasers at planes and helicopters. It makes me wonder: how are the authorities figuring out where laser lights are coming from? Seems hard to do. This guy was caught because the pilot gave a general area where the laser come from and the guy was dumb enough to flash the helicopter that was looking for lasers. Seems like that would be hard to do.

In fact, this spin is so bad it may as well be a lie:

According to Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence, 90 percent of guns used in crimes can be traced back to where there wasn’t any background check on the purchaser.

This is according to a 2002 federal study, said John Johnson, director of IPGV.

Actually, it’s 80% according to more recent data. But that’s not even the lie I am referring to.

Unlicensed gun sellers are not required to perform background checks on the buyers, he said, and the IPGV wants the Legislature to change that.

See that? The said 90% from unlicensed then immediately talk about gun shows which is to imply that 90% of crime guns come from gun shows. That is a blatantly dishonest fabrication. Of course, we know that 7/10ths of one percent of crime guns are actually bought at gun shows per the same report referenced above.

Gunner has links to online contests that you can enter and win free guns. I really need want a Remington 1187.

A judge has temporarily put the ban on hold:

Pottawattamie County District Court Judge James Heckerman late Monday afternoon granted a temporary injunction to stop the city from enforcing the ordinance, which went into effect on Jan. 1.

The petition to grant the injunction was filed by Dan Curnyn, a local pit bull owner.

The inability for pit bull owners to get insurance to cover damages from a pit bull attack, required in the new ordinance, was the main reason for his action, Curnyn said.

Also, he feels the city will not be able to distinguish whether a dog is a pit bull or another breed when investigating pit bull cases, Curnyn said.

It is impossible to positively determine a dog’s breed merely by appearance.

Every now and then I’ll read a blog post describing a book that seems like it would be interesting, so I add it my Amazon.com wishlist; thus, it’s not so much a “wish to own” list as a “wish I could read someday” list. Well, wonder of wonders, somebody actually bought me one from the list: Eastward to Tartary.

Now I can’t for the life of me remember why I put this book on the list, but a free book is a free book, and I must have thought it was worth a look at some point. Turned out I enjoyed it quite a bit, in spite of the dismal conclusion I drew from it; namely, the world is a basket case and we’re all doomed. Still, it had some entertaining moments.

For example:

Polls conducted by the Center for the Study of Democracy in Sofia and the Lambrakis Organization in Athens, under the aegis of the Helsinki Commission, found that among Albanians, 86 percent hated Greeks, 58 percent hated Macedonians, and 47 percent hated Bulgarians; among Bulgarians, 23 percent hated Turks and 51 percent hated Gypsies; among Greeks, 38 percent hated all Slavs, 55 percent hated Gypsies, 62 percent hated all Moslems, and 75 percent hated Albanians.

And also:

A diplomat [in Turkey] told me: “The Turks are pro-Israel because they can use the Jewish lobby in America as a silver bullet against the Greek and Armenian lobbies, which deny them high-tech military equipment from the U.S. If that sounds convoluted, welcome to Byzantium.”

Kind of reminds me of this and this.

We frequently visit my in-laws in Virginia for long weekends and such, so I thought I’d try to find a place to shoot while there. My father-in-law had mentioned that the Washington National Forest had a public range, so I did a little research and found this page describing several ranges in the park. On our latest visit, I set aside a little time to do a recon mission to the one nearest my in-laws’ house: Hite Hollow Shooting Range.

This range is open from sunrise to sunset every day for firing rifles, pistols and shotguns at stationary targets. Moving targets such as clay pigeons and bottles are prohibited. From Staunton, take Route 254 west to Buffalo Gap, then Route 42 south about eight miles to Augusta Springs. Take Route 845 about a half-mile to Forest Development Road (FDR) 82, and follow this road about one mile to the range.

The range consists of two sets of lanes, one for rifles and the other for pistols (although it’s not a hard rule; there were some guys sighting in their new .22 rifles at the pistol range). There are 6 benches for rifles and two for pistols. You need to bring some kind of stand to affix your targets; the only thing there is a piece of rusty wire fence. There is no fee; the range is maintained by the Commonwealth of Virginia and that Evil Politician-Manipulating Gun Lobby, the NRA.

The place was pretty busy when I visited on New Year’s Day, but not terribly so. There didn’t seem to be a need to wait very long to use a lane. I got the impression that there was a pretty high spectator:shooter ratio. Made sense to me; it was a beautiful, warm day, and you can only watch so much football.

Unfortunately, the drive out took a little longer than I thought and I hadn’t set aside much time for the trip, so I didn’t get a good look at everything. In particular, I’m not sure of the exact distances for the lanes, but based on the data for the other range sites, I’d say that the pistol lanes were about 25 yards, and the rifle lanes were about 50 and 100 yards. I also only had my cell phone to take pictures with, so I apologize for the crummy pictures.

In summary, the range is quite nice, especially for the price. It’s definitely a good place for someone who can’t afford to join a shooting club or who doesn’t live close to a commercial range.

Click to view pictures:
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There are preliminary (i.e., unconfirmed and possibly made up) reports that al-Zarqawi has been captured.

Via SixMeatBuffet.

Reader robert writes:

The XM8 fixes everything thats NOT wrong with the M16. It’s an expensive piece of junk.

For the m16: Up the caliber, (more knock-down), float the barrel in a tube,(more accurate and cheaper), drop the burst kit and put in a better trigger, (cheaper and MUCH more accurate), and we would be set for another 40 years.

Apparently, some in the Senate think that violating the fifth amendment may be a slight cause for alarm:

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Sunday dismissed as “a bad idea” a reported U.S. government plan to keep some suspected terrorists in custody for their lifetime, even if there was not enough evidence to bring them before a judge.

Both Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, suggested that the proposal, reported in Sunday’s Washington Post, was unconstitutional.

“There must be some modicum, some semblance of due process … if you’re going to detain people, whether it’s for life or whether it’s for years,” Levin said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Do you think?

Via Mike, Laura Bush is a metal head.

To Patterico. That’s pretty neat.

More 50 caliber lies. California recently banned the sale, distribution and manufacture of 50 caliber rifles (signed into law by a Republican). Other states are making a push to. This NYT article discusses the issue:

The new law limits possession to those who already own the rifle; they have until April 30, 2006, to register it or face a misdemeanor charge.

Gun rights advocates fear that the California legislation will prompt other states to follow – similar efforts have been undertaken in New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts and Virginia, but have failed – and enthusiasts are already devising ways to alter the gun and so circumvent the law without breaking it.

Another result of the law is that in the weeks before it took effect, people rushing to buy the limited supplies of .50 BMG’s descended on gun shops throughout California. Now that it is in force, some of the gun’s out-of-state makers and distributors have threatened not to sell any of their firearms or services here.

“We all think it’s the first step toward banning sniper rifles,” said Michael Fournier, owner of the Gun Exchange, a shop in San Jose. “They keep chipping away a little at a time. Eventually they’ll try to get them all.”

They were doing so well with the article but then the lies, hysteria and misrepresentations kick in:

Manufacturers say the rifle is accurate at a range of up to 2,000 yards, more than a mile. It fires bullets five and a half inches long described as powerful enough to rip through armor, much less the thin aluminum skin that covers commercial airliners.

The shell is 5.5 inches long. The actual bullet (the projectile part of the shell) is probably about 1.5 inches long.

“They can pierce the skin of an aircraft,” said Daniel R. Vice, a lawyer with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a central supporter of the law. “It could be used to shoot down an airplane. And we certainly don’t want to wait until a terrorist buys one before we ban it.”

Your grandpa’s 30-06 can pierce the skin of an aircraft. A 9mm handgun can pierce the window of an aircraft.

The legislation’s author, Assemblyman Paul Koretz, a Democrat from West Hollywood, concedes that street criminals would most likely view the .50 BMG as too much gun for the typical robbery or drive-by shooting. Rather, the law is intended to help keep the weapon out of the hands of “terrorists, general nut cases and survivalists,” Mr. Koretz said, citing government reports suggesting that it had been used in assassinations overseas and that at least 25 had been bought by Osama bin Laden.

The terror angle is totally baseless. I doubt someone could shoot at a moving plane accurately. The article even notes that these weapons have never been used to commit a felony. I’d more concerned about terrorists getting a nuke, rocket launcher or a laser. And what is the impact of this on muzzle loaders? It’s not uncommon for muzzle loaders to be in excess of 60 caliber.

And criminals won’t buy a $15,000 rifle to rob someone. Another pointless ban.