1911 time.

Dr. Helen is talking about bumper stickers:

Do you ever wonder at the bumper stickers people have on their cars and feel thankful that you have been warned about their thinking processes in advance?

Yes. I don’t do bumper stickers. Any thing I have to say would be offensive to somebody. And I don’t want to risk annoying someone to the point that they feel inclined to damage my truck. I do like Kevin’s bumper sticker.

* That’s actually a lie. In my vehicle right now is 45 rounds of Remington Golden Saber 230g 45ACP (about $20 per 50) and 25 rounds of Remington Golden Saber 102g 380 (about $13 per 50). That’s about $24.50 plus tax.

If last Sunday’s opinion column by News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, on the need for a County government Ombudsman, was not enough hypocrisy, then how about today’s unsigned Editorial in the Knoxville News Sentinel advocating the loss of Constitution Rights for Knox County employees?

The all knowing oracle of what is right and just, the News Sentinel, has now decided what rights Knox County employees should be allowed to have. In a stunning act of again carrying the County Mayor’s water the daily paper has endorsed the breathtakingly unconstitutional Maury County bill in the General Assembly that forbids Knox County employees from being allowed to hold elected office.

What are the implications? Adios to Knox County schoolteacher and County Commissioner Tony Norman. Likewise Commissioners Craig Leuthold, Sharon Cawood, Chuck Bolus, and of course Lee Tramel. If they could only hire Lumpy Lambert for a part time County job they could get rid of him too. In the U.S.S.R. purges were a common occurrence. They are rare in America.

In a demeaning unsigned Editorial, the Sentinel’s Editorial staff writes, “Commissioners have family members who work for county government, calling into question their objectivity on various measures, including finances.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale said the topic should be taken up by the nine-member Ethics Committee just appointed by the Knox County Commission. We agree.

We all deserve representatives who have the best interests of their constituents foremost in their minds, rather than thinking first about how they can help a family member or themselves. It should be about service, not one’s own interest.”

One must wonder at this time what the keen interest the News Sentinel has in redoing the Knox County Commission. Curious how the News Sentinel calls into question the objectivity of County Commissioners, isn’t it? One might question the objectivity of the daily Knoxville paper. Today’s Editorial wins this weeks Pot and Kettle Award.

Mmm, corned beef.

Seen at David’s.

Would tighter restrictions on handgun ownership increase or enhance public safety in your jurisdiction? 88.2% say no.

76.5% of those saying no say it’s because the rules would only be obeyed by the law-abiding.

Duh.

I got little to say today. So, I’ll bore you with my tales of pressure washer fun. I borrowed one of these this past weekend to do some cleaning. We moved in hurriedly because our house sold fairly quickly. The result was that our builder didn’t quite get to finish some touch-up stuff, like pressure washing the driveway and back porch. So, I said I’d do it. I decided to play with the pressure washer some too. Stuff that was cool:

Stuff that was not cool:

300 whisper. Sweet.

The cops show up to serve civil papers without a search or arrest warrant. The woman of the house attempts to close the garage door. The cops force their way in, attempt to subdue the woman who screams in pain. Out comes the husband who takes a cop’s Taser, smacks him in the head with it, and beats the crap out of the two police officers.

A judge ruled that the man had a right to defend himself from the police officers because they unlawfully entered his home.

I concur, it makes little sense:

Two wrongs don’t make a right: Washington, D.C., overreached in banning handguns; a federal appeals court overreached in striking down the ordinance.

Sorry but the ban was blatantly unconstitutional and the means of recourse was such a challenge.

The guy who famously attacked that statue of Hussein with a sledgehammer now wishes he could trade the US occupation for the old Hussein regime. The man, who did time in Abu Ghraib under Hussein, pines for the old days.

“The devil you know [is] better than the devil you don’t. We no longer know friend from foe. The situation is becoming more dangerous. It’s not getting better at all. People are poor and the prices are going higher and higher.”

Saddam, he says, “was like Stalin. But the occupation is proving to be worse”.

That’s just one guy’s point of view, but he’s not alone in wishing he could turn back the clock. The article cites a recent poll as showing that 26% of Iraqis also prefer the days of Hussein. 49% disagree and believe that life under US occupation is better than living in the old regime, which at first sounded like good news until I realized it meant that half the people in Iraq don’t think they’re better off today than they were four years ago.

Iraq is a very divided country, and the foreign occupiers have neither the trust nor the confidence of its people. Meanwhile, in America, we still don’t have a plan or any reason to think we can overcome the challenges in Iraq.

Regardless of whether you are a conservative or a liberal, people don’t care for hypocrites. But there are vary degrees of hypocrisy. Every once in a while someone wins the prize and this Sunday was one of those times.

The Editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel Jack McElroy has outdone himself in an Editorial column he wrote Sunday titled, “Ombudsman would help shine light”. In this championship Pot and Kettle column Mr. McElroy makes the case that since the Knox County Commission is so corrupt and untrustworthy that they need an Ombudsman to keep them on the straight and narrow so they won’t violate the Sunshine Law.

Editor McElroy writes, “That’s why the News Sentinel is suing the County Commission over its violations of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. It’s also why the plan to create an open-government ombudsman is a good idea.”

God help save us from reformers that have blinders on.

Where there violations of the Sunshine Law by the office of the Knox County Mayor during the wheel tax? How about during the Midway Industrial Park fiasco?

Where was the Reformer Jack McElroy then? Surely this is not a one way street is it?

The Pandora’s box of this is that if Reformer McElroy wins his lawsuit against the Knox County Commission a precedent will be set and more lawsuits will follow. Will Gary Sellers sue to have a redo on the Wheel Tax? Will the people of the Thorngrove Community sue to have a redo on the vote for the Midway Industrial Park? Will the Knox County Mayor have to sit through hours of depositions?

There is a need for an Ombudsman, but that need is at the Knoxville News Sentinel. Someone needs to take the blinders off the Reformer McElroy. Maybe a look at the News Sentinel’s Ethics Policy would be a prudent move also.

Why not just put up a sign that says: We’re defenseless. Rob us please. Via Terry and Blake (who is back), comes this:

Some people in a Nashville neighborhood are furious over a new rule that makes it illegal to own a gun. [in other news, home owners associations can make laws? I mean, seems you’d just be in violation of their rules not the law – Ed.]

Residents in Nashboro Village said it’s unconstitutional and leaves them defenseless.

Two weeks ago, residents received a from their homeowners’ association indicating that guns are not allowed on the property.

So, the pressure came and the association caved:

Officials with Ghertner and Company, the property manager at Nashboro Village, would not make an on-camera comment about the gun policy but said they plan on changing the rule soon to allow firearms on the property.

Good.

I got nothing particularly insightful to say. But others do. Here goes:

Joe Huffman:

I’m really pleased Silberman mentioned nearly every thing I do in An Individual Right. Because of that there is virtually nothing for me to say beyond “two thumbs up” on the decision itself. What happens next is more interesting.

How dare those rich people defend their rights! How long before someone blames the evil gun lobby?

QOTD:

Mayor Fenty has rightly pledged to appeal the decision, an effort which must continue so that D.C. can keep benefiting from the security of the gun ban.

Bwahahaha. How do you know if Saul Cornell is lying? You’re reading his stuff.

Seen at Insty’s (who also has a round up of gun stuff): The bad news for gun control advocates is that the Supreme Court may adopt an expansive view of the Second Amendment. The worse news is that’s the least of their troubles.

If she doesn’t bring up gun control. Says the post:

The shooting deaths of two auxiliary cops must spur the Democratic-controlled Congress to pass tougher gun legislation, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.

But carrying guns is banned there. How’d that happen?

He also called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday to urge her to act – and said that if she didn’t she’d have blood on her hands, the mayor said.

“The Democrats have said repeatedly that they blame the Republicans for no gun legislation,” an angry Bloomberg said during his WABC radio show.

“Well, now they’re in charge. OK, stand up. And if not, I’m going to tell everybody.”

It’s not working in NYC so we must do more harder!

“Nobody’s trying to ban guns,” Bloomberg explained yesterday. “That’s just so ridiculous an argument.”

Well, if you don’t count assault weapons, sniper rifles, 50 calibers, machine guns, short barreled rifles, Saturday night specials, short barreled shotguns, armor piercing ammo, guns that accept regular capacity magazines, handguns, pink guns, yellow guns, threaded barrels, then, you’re right, nobody is trying to ban guns.

If you get a license, you can have a gun.

Here’s a newsflash, Sparky: Most places don’t license guns.

Mayor Bloomberg is also the head of Mayors Against Guns, a Joyce Foundation-funded anti-gun group. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of this group too.

Seems if you go publishing names of CCW holders, legislators decide that permitless carry might be a good idea.

You can call it chili with beans but you cannot call it chili.

I could give my chili with beans recipe but just listing the ingredients will cause your cholesterol to rise by 10 points.

Via R. Neal, looks like Blount County Commissioner Wendy Pitts Reeves has a blog. Excellent. We need more blogging politicians.

Second amendment carnival.

You may recall my past coverage of this case. If not, it’s here. The Cliff’s Notes version: Police get warrant to arrest Diotaiuto for selling drugs. They get a no-knock warrant because Diotaiuto has a concealed handgun permit, he is therefore automatically dangerous. Police bust down door. Something happens and we’re not sure because the story changes each time but police say he had a gun. The police put 10 rounds of 9mm into Diotaiuto’s chest, killing him. The police found less than one ounce of marijuana.

The family filed a lawsuit last week:

In addition to the city, the suit names as defendants Detectives Andre Bruna and Sean Visners, the two officers who shot Diotaiuto; Police Chief David Boyett; the SWAT team leader and two other SWAT members who broke down Diotaiuto’s door.

Other details:

About 6:15 a.m., police broke into the home. Neighbors have said the SWAT team didn’t knock or announce its presence before breaking in. The department said the officers did both.

After tossing a diversionary grenade, officers followed Diotaiuto to his bedroom closet, where, police said, he armed himself with a handgun. Bruna and Visners shot Diotaiuto 10 to 13 times in two volleys after he pointed the gun at them, they said, according to the grand jury’s report.

The lawsuit said Diotaiuto fell in the closet after the first volley, and was shot in the top of his head, hand and knee from 3 feet away in the second volley. The lawsuit also said the department for 3 minutes delayed an EMS crew from entering the home and treating Diotaiuto.

“The opportunity in that 3-minute time span provided an opportunity to get together and change some facts around,” Scherer said.

The facts have changed many times since this happened.

Stops 50 cal at point blank range. And an M-60. Sweet.

In comments here, from nk:

Saint Michael sees God busy at work and asks, “What are You doing, Lord?”
God says, “I’m making the world”.
Saint Michael asks, “What’s Your plan?”
God says, “I’m trying for balance. Arid deserts and lush valleys. Rocky mountains and rolling plains. Humid jungles and pleasant beaches. Wolves and deer. Snakes and eagles. Well … you get the picture.”
Saint Michael says, “I understand but You missed a spot. There’s this beautiful little island in the North Atlantic that’s never too hot or too cold, has no wolves or snakes, no inhospitable mountains or dry deserts. Where’s the balance there?”
And God says, “Wait till you see what bastards I’m giving them for neighbors”.

A holiday of my people, the Irish. Sigmund Freud once said of the Irish:

Update: Made it green so you can’t pinch my blog

I mentioned before that I was boycotting Pilot Oil because Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of the Joyce Foundation-funded Mayors Against Guns. And his family owns Pilot Oil. Apparently, the boycott has other followers too.

Thanks to my referral logs, I discovered that Say Uncle is also the name of a gay porn movie.

I went to the grand opening of the new Maryville Wal-Mart to 1) annoy hippies and 2) snatch some 12 pack Coke products for $2.80. The top 5 things I saw there:

1 – Instead of importing products from slave shops in China, they just imported some Chinese children. They keep them in a big glass dome in the center of the store where you and your kids can watch them work their fingers to the bone.

2 – New buggies!

3 – Youngest employee: 73 years old.

4 – Union flyers

5 – All employees were wearing vests that said: Welcome to Wal-Mart; Death to Small Business

Over at legally armed, they have some:

Knox County # of handgun permits: 11,361

Blount County # of handgun permits: 3,992

State total: 202,585

Sick Kids + Mrs. at Conference = Light Blogging

Each kid has it coming out of a different end. Not fun.

Sorry, but if your comic art looks like this, you shouldn’t make fun of other web-pages’ header graphics. As a bonus: my header is actually funnier.

BTW, header was designed by The Comedian. But I have been thinking about changing it.

Over at subguns, they’re reporting that Century’s Romanian PSL-54c (a semi-auto AK lookalike) has been reclassified by the ATF as a machine gun. Apparently, the receiver has hole in it for the auto sear. Century has welded those holes shut but that isn’t good enough. Once a machine gun, always a machine gun.

The ATF crackdown on semi-autos continues.

Update: And if you have a Century Kalashnikov style rifle, you may want to pop the receiver cover off and have a peak inside to see if there’s a weld in there.

That’s the punchline of this joke.