Yesterday morning, I was taking the trash to the curb. After our evening rain, there were a lot of earthworms squirming around on the driveway. On my way back, one such earthworm was in the garage. I decided to help the little fella (err, actually, I seem to recall from high school biology that earthworms aren’t exactly fellas but are sort of gender neutral) out and picked him up and tossed him into the grass. I figured it’d help the earthworm out and keep me from later having a dried earthworm carcass in my garage. About 2 seconds after the worm hit the ground, a bird landed, snatched it up and took off. Kinda sucks for the earthworm but I guess getting eaten is better than shriveling up in my garage.

Almost time for the big girl pants. On Saturday, Junior did number 1 in her potty. On Sunday, she did number 2 in her potty. Woohoo.

In a bit of irony, it appears that actual public use isn’t the best use. In New Jersey, the Asbury Park Board of Education is getting kicked out of its offices (where they no doubt reside tax free) to make way for townhouses and condominiums. Heartless Libertarian notes:

When even government agencies aren’t safe from other government agencies rapacious appetites, it should scare everyone. This particular case should especially scare non-profit entities such as churches, who don’t pay any property taxes.

The Geek reports that Angel Shamaya has reached a deal:

The judge overseeing the case ordered the police to give Angel’s guns back, but he must register the handguns in compliance with Michigan law (euphemistically called a “safety inspection”, but it is clearly registration, a law adopted in the 20s to keep guns out of the hands of Blacks). The only charges on the table were four misdemeanor counts of failure to present a handgun for a safety inspection. The theoried charge discussed in the media and on the Net about “menacing” and threats was not advanced by prosecutors, because there was no substance to the theoried charge. Police and prosecutors figured this out after looking at the facts and evidence.

Legal fees were about $10K.

Looks like Bob Krumm has officially announced his entrance into the local State Senate race.

The guys at Subguns.com report that someone at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot stole a transferable M-60. The thief was later caught. Price of a pre-86, transferable M-60 machine gun: About $30,000.

Yes, like every other thing legislators fail to take into consideration, the California Assault Weapons Ban has a loophole:

Assault weapons were banned across the country in 1994 and continue to be illegal in California, even though the federal ban expired in 2004. State legislation passed in 2000 expanded the definition of banned assault weapons to include any semiautomatic rifle that can accept a detachable magazine if it has a pistol grip, flash suppressor or grenade launcher; and any semiautomatic pistol that can accept a detachable magazine if it also can accept a flash suppressor, forward hand grip or silencer. But nothing banned assault-weapon receivers – essentially the frame of a gun.

That created a gray area that many gun owners say is confusing. Gun owners who purchase off-list receivers – so called because they are not on the list of guns banned by the state – are not in violation of the law as long as they don’t add the illegal components to the guns, said Randy Rossi, director of the Firearms Division of the attorney general’s office. But they could be prosecuted by local courts that consider the weapons to be in violation of the ban, Rossi said.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and the Stockton Police Department both have said owners of off-list receivers are not breaking the law as long as they don’t add illegal features as specified in the assault-weapon ban.

Receivers that technically could be built into assault weapons are legal in the state. Anti-gun groups fear that such receivers easily could be used to build weapons like the ones legislators banned. True assault weapons, such as fully automatic Uzis and AK47s, can fire up to 30 bullets in five seconds.

And, of course, if someone is inclined to break the law and make assault weapons, they may also be inclined make the fully automatic weapons.

My understanding of the California ban is that specific manufacturers’ weapons were banned by name. As such, lesser known manufacturers receivers, for example, are not on the list. I think the law also allows for the Cali DOJ to add weapons to the list. Here’s a list of restricted weapons in California.

Jeff has more and notes:

Arguments like Merrilees’ show exactly why these “assault weapons” bans are so ridiculous. They are roundabout ways of trying to eventually ban all legal gun ownership. It’s not the receiver or the flash suppressor or the pistol grip, it’s the bad guy misusing the gun; it’s the criminal. Control them and you stop the problem and law abiding citizens can go about their business with whatever firearms they want for hunting, sporting, or personal defense.

Victor at ar15.com has a lengthy post (including pics) about the FN-SCAR.

Folks are getting the 412 Precondition Failed error when leaving comments. I’m aware of it but at a loss for how to fix it. I’m looking into it. We had the issue before and it just magically went away. Now, it has returned.

Anyone know what happened to Aaron’s?

Update: In comments, Aaron says:

I’ve been hacked. So far, Hosting Matters has tracked it to Saudi Arabia. I was offline for the Sabbath. It happened a couple of hours before sundown Friday, I notified HM and they’re still working on it.

The Carnival of Cordite is up, for all your gun blogging needs.

Pro-Gun Progressive has more details on applying for a CCW permit in his not shall-issue state. Most striking to me:

They also wanted a letter from my manager explaining my duties as an outside sales rep; the letter also had to state that he didn’t have a problem with my carrying and transporting a handgun.

Yes, that’s correct. Another private citizen may have sway in determining whether you can get a concealed carry permit.

Gun Law news has the skinny on what H.R.5005 is about:

Make no mistake; H.R.5005 does not correct the injustice of the Hughes Amendment.

What it does do is allow for the correction of two situations.

Read the rest.

No, not here but here. I like the looks of the Ace stock. Anyone ever use one? If so, what’s the cheek weld like?

The 16 inch barreled version has arrived at CCA. They have pics but I see no price.

Pretty funny:

So, here’s the story… I said to my girlfriend that any stupid website could get tons of hits, simply because people are bored all the time. She said that I was an idiot and couldn’t make a website that could get tons of hits if I wanted to. After a long argument (mostly centered around the fact that she called me an idiot) we made a bet:

If I could not make a website to get 2,000,000 hits, I would agree that I was an idiot; however, if I could make a website to get 2,000,000 hits, she would have a menage a trois (that’s a threesome to you non french-speakers) with me and another girl.

So, click.

Via South Park Pundit.

Word at subguns.com, is that a commercial for Mythbusters shows the shoestring machine gun. The posters questioned the legality of it but it is my understanding that many states (and more likely California) have exceptions for dramatic license, movie production and valid scientific experimentation. Even Tennessee law provides a possible defense of possession as:

Activity reasonably related to lawful dramatic performance or scientific research

But, kids, don’t try it at home. Just because you’re videotaping yourself, it doesn’t mean you can have a machine gun.

Update: Looks like they’re using a shoestring just to pull the trigger from a distance.

I have finalized plans for the Blogger Shoot, which, contrary to what some think, does not involve shooting at bloggers. Everyone is invited and here are the details:

Who: Invitation is open to all. Bloggers, readers, lurkers, reporters, gun nuts, hoplophobes, or anybody else.

What: Spring Time Blogger Shoot. We will have the entire indoor range to ourselves.

When: Sunday, April 23, 2006. Arrive at about 4:45p.m(ish) and we will begin shooting at 5:00 and last at least until 6:00

Where: Coal Creek Armory, you can find a map and directions here

What you need to know: The four rules of firearms safety:

1. All guns are always loaded

2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire

4. Be sure of your target and what’s behind it

What you need to bring: $10 for range time is all that is required. However, some additional recommendations are:

Glasses, if you wear them

A hat with a bill (such as a baseball cap). This will prevent any warm brass from bouncing off your forehead

Comfortable shoes and clothing

Additional money, in case you need more targets, ammunition, or have the urge to buy something

If you wish to bring your own weapon, that’s great. But it is not required. There will be plenty there for you to shoot. If you do bring your own, pistol calibers only

An open mind: Listen to what the Coal Creek staff have to say and follow their instructions. It’s for safety’s sake.

Future event: There is planning underway for a second outdoor shoot later in the spring to give folks a try at various non-pistol calibers.

Thanks to the folks at Coal Creek for giving us the space.

If you plan on attending, leave a comment or shoot me an email so we can get a decent count.

I’ll post this announcement again in the future.

Over at SayAunt (a parody of SayUncle), comes this quote by homebru on squirt gun modifications:

But if you cut and glue, aren’t those the same things that a “manufacturer” does? How much modification can you do before you become a de-facto manufacturer and subject to the wetcize tax?

heh.

Via Brittney, Claire Suddath looks at the Pit Bull ban.

To get Ted Nugent to speak at an event, you have to shell out $25K.

I’ve covered the drug raid at Goose Creek in the past. Police drew guns and used dogs on high school students and no drugs were found. Pete reports on a possible settlement in the case:

A federal judge gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a $1.2 million plan to settle lawsuits filed over a high school drug sweep where police drew their guns.

Surveillance videotapes captured the 2003 raid, in which officers ordered students to lie on the floor and used a dog to search them. Police found no drugs and no arrests were made, but the raid provoked marches and the resignation of the school’s principal.

Fifty-nine students and their families sued the Goose Creek police and the Berkeley County School District, claiming their constitutional rights were violated.

Blake has a very detail post about the Tennessee legislature’s bill to curb eminent domain abuse. He says it won’t do much.

Radley Balko looks at SWAT Teams and no knock warrants.

Bitter writes:

Why can’t we ever find that perfect plantiff for good gun rights related cases? I know, just because someone’s life isn’t perfectly in order doesn’t mean that they don’t have valid cases on whatever gun related matter is bothering them at the time. But when it comes to winning the public opinion on a case and turning the tide of public support in your favor, you do need a nearly flawless plantiff.

I concur. However, it is generally the case that someone arrested on gun crimes was likely doing something else in addition to said crime. Not everyone’s a Boy Scout. That’s not the case in Bitter’s example as this guy did it later. But, generally speaking, law abiding folks don’t draw a lot of attention to themselves.

This looks like some bad ju-ju:

Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff told prosecutors in the CIA leak case that President Bush authorized disclosure of intelligence information on Iraq, according to a new court filing.

Jay takes on the issue of gun rights absolutists and those who take an incremental approach:

Over at Kevin’s place, there’s a storm brewing between the 2A absolutists and the pro-2A incrementalists. The 2A absolutists want nothing more than VT-style gun laws, and nothing short of that is good enough for them. The incrementalists see our progress as a good thing, with more to come; they point to the passing of the dreaded Asssault Weapons Ban, the “Stand Your Ground”/”Castle Doctrine”/etc. laws in various states, Protection of Lawful Commerce Act, and concealed carry passing in KS & NE.

I am somewhat of an absolutist but, as a matter of policy, it’s not the best means to an ends. So, I guess I’m an incremental absolutist, meaning I’ll take the smaller victories with a goal toward said absolutism.

Remember, gun owners can be their own worst enemies.

Michael Silence reports that red light cameras are at the intersection of Alcoa Highway and Kingston Pike.

Via Standard Mischief, comes Wikocracy:

Wikocracy is a experiment in free-for-all law revisions. Everything is up for grabs here, laws, regulations, judgments, legislation from the bench, from the executive branch, or from congress. Even the very mother documents that birthed this great county are up for revisions. Nothing is sacred.

Neat little thought experiment.

I’m used to seeing hysteria and stupidity regarding breed bans but there usually in some far off land like California or Canada. That all changed today when it landed in my state. Brittney tells us that Pit Bulls have been banned in Nashville dog parks:

Citing safety concerns, the Metro Parks Board on Tuesday banned pit bulls from the city’s three off-the-leash dog parks. The new rule will be effective April 15.

The board passed the ban after hearing testimony from two Nashvillians who have had violent run-ins with the dogs in Metro Parks, including Lt. George Mitchell, who heads the Park Police and was bitten on the arm by a leashed pit bull in Centennial Park last September.

West Nashville resident Ellen Cox also urged approval of the ban, citing $211 in veterinarian expenses she faced after a pit bull attacked her dog at the Shelby Park facility.

The board voted unanimously to ban pit bulls and also “dogs having the characteristic of the pit bull breed,” though the ambiguity in the rule caused concern among board members James Lawson and Lamont Carter that breed owners could have grounds for a legal appeal if cited.

Yes, on the testimony of two people, the city banned dogs based on loosely defined criteria. Criteria so loose, expect trouble and a successful court challenge a la the Alabama Supreme Court decision on the issue. All dogs share well over 99% of their DNA with other dogs (wolves too) and there is, generally, no scientific way to tell breeds apart. So, if you happen to have a particularly bullish looking Boxer, you might get in trouble.

Facts are that all dogs are capable of violence. All dogs are natural killers, including little Fluffy-Wuffy in some 60 year-old cat-rancher’s purse. All dogs have a desire to have their place in the social order spelled out definitively and this leads to dog on dog violence. People seem to forget that they are animals or are just unwilling to accept the fact that little Fifi would dominate you in a minute if given the chance. This is evidenced by Brittney’s update:

One of our videojounalists (sic) went to a Nashville dog park to get some footage and interviews for his piece on this for tonight. While there he witnessed a dog fight. A male Chow attacked a mixed breed. There were no pit bulls at that park.

I don’t really have a lot more to say about it that I’ve not already said before. This week, it’s pit bulls and next week it will be German Shepherds. Remember, the single most telling factor in dog aggression (particularly fatal dog attacks) is the reproductive status of male dogs.

In fact, I’ve had my share of doggie violence lately but it was the result of the one that is politically correct and not the one that looks that certain way.

Additional thoughts: I have never been a fan of off leash parks or taking dogs anywhere off leash. It’s not that I don’t trust my dog, it’s that I don’t trust you or your dog. At these parks, they shouldn’t screen the dogs, they should screen the owners.