Randi Rhodes changes her position on the second amendment. Well, in that armed insurrection kind of way. I guess whoever’s political party is not in power is motivated to be pro-gun.

Автомат Калашникова образца 1974 года. That’s AK in English.

Looks lie the Gun Blogger Rendezvous may have a special guest.

And, seriously, can we change the name? Not only does Rendezvous sound gay, it’s hard to fuckin’ spell.

The sky is blue. And Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership lies.

Tilapia.

against guns?

I support the second amendment by wanting to ban guns.

Cut taxes and allow medical marijuana.

Captain America, 1941-2007.

Update: Cause of death: Political statement.

Pro Poker Player Daniel Negreanu on the number of poker players in the US:

What journalist hears a man say there are 70 million poker players in the U.S., and then tries to argue that by saying only 23 million people played online poker last year? Then goes on to basically insinuate that D’Amato is a liar. Mr. Kriedler, don’t you see the holes in your article? Did D’Amato say that 70 million people play online poker, or did you make a boo-boo? Which is it, because based on what you wrote, you come off though you really don’t have a clue what you are trying to say?

70 million! That’s a lot. There are an estimated 80-100m gun-owners, for reference. And politicos fear the NRA. Poker players would be dangerous to politicians if they managed to get organized. They cost one man his congressional seat in the last election cycle. Negreanu also notes:

Just like liquor, in other words. Well, drinking, gambling, you get the idea. Try to ban card games online, and they’ll only start playing poker in somebody’s living room late at night, buying their own chips or using makeshift materials like pretzels and M&Ms as token “money.” Where will the madness end?”

[…]

What Mr. Kreidler fails to understand is that online poker isn’t going anywhere. There will always be ways to fund online accounts, so while they can make it harder to play by putting pressure on companies like Neteller, they won’t put an end to online poker in this country. In fact, the bill that was passed doesn’t make playing poker on the internet illegal for the player.

Indeed. I have noticed that in my small hometown, many home games are cropping up since the ban.

Sheets have one side that is the good side and one side that is the bad side. The good side is the one that looks nicer and the bad side is the one that looks like the fabric was turned inside-out that also has tags on it. When you make the bed, do you put the good side up so that, well, the good side is up? Or do you put the good side down so that when you flip over all the covers the good side is showing?

This is what married folks argue about, btw.

Sean Braisted announced the creation of Liberate Tennessee. It’s purpose is to:

promote efforts in the Tennessee Legislature to liberalize Tennessee liquor laws

An excellent idea since at least three bloggers in this state owe me a beer to pay up for a bet. I guess we need to liberalize gambling laws too.

Seems to me though that this project might be misnamed. Tennessee liquor laws are pretty liberal since liberal to me implies wanting to excessively control via government.

Sebastian reports that yet another mayor has dropped out of Bloomberg’s anti-gun group. Says Mary B. Wolf, Mayor of Williamsport, PA:

I have learned that the Coalition may be working on issues that conflict with legal gun ownership and that some action on your behalf are dubious. I have also learned that other mayors from cities large and small across the country have withdrawn their names as supporters of the Coalition. This letter informs you that I too, am withdrawing from the Mayors Coalition Against Illegal Guns.

Somebody tell Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam.

Chris is right: real Chili has no beans. But I don’t call it Chili Bean Stew. I call it Chili with beans.

An explosive I-Team Investigation:

Right now in Wisconsin, it’s illegal for a felon to buy a gun. But it’s not illegal for a private citizen to sell a gun to a felon.

Wrong. It is illegal for a private citizen to knowingly sell a firearm to a felon.

Via Ninth Stage, comes new Boxes of Truth:

Loading shotguns with dimes.

Guns v. frozen stuff.

In Tennessee, more women are packing.

The AP:

A helicopter is not necessarily a match for an angry moose. Instead of lying down after being shot with a tranquilizer dart, a moose charged a hovering helicopter used by a wildlife biologist, damaging the aircraft’s tail rotor and forcing it to the ground.

Uncle mentioned that Britain is moving to ban crappy swords, which reminded me that Britain’s war on pointy objects doesn’t end with cheap knockoff gear for wannabe ninjas. After they take your tin katana, they’ll be coming for your kitchen knives. That’s right, a bunch of British doctors want to ban pointy kitchen knives. It won’t be long before they start arresting people for possession of safety scissors.

The one cool thing in that article is the bit of history:

French laws in the 17th century decreed that the tips of table and street knives be ground smooth.

A century later, forks and blunt-ended table knives were introduced in the UK in an effort to reduce injuries during arguments in public eating houses.

Via subguns (no direct link as theirs seem to have a short shelf life), comes a handy way to get get the lead out. Or rather, get the lead out of your sound suppressor.

Step 1: Fill with Kroil.

Step 2: Rubberband a vibrator to it

Step 3: Turn on vibrator and run until battery dies.

Alrighty, then.

So, when you go to the adult novelty store to buy three-dimensional devices designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs, you have an excuse: Honestly, it’s to clean my guns.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (who is a member of the anti-gun Mayors Against Illegal Guns that is funded by the Joyce Foundation – summary here and all posts here) has announced his plans for a second term:

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam today announced his candidacy for a second term.

Haslam who was elected in 2003 cited among his accomplishments a revitalized downtown and the recent focus on redeveloping the South Waterfront.

He also emphasized the cooperative spirit he advocates in government.

To date, the press still hasn’t covered the issue. I wonder what a full page ad in the News Sentinel runs for?

My alma mater is number 4! At stealing music.

Via Alphie, comes yearly info on gun purchases:

In 1993 – 94, there was the Brady Bill and the ban on weapons that look like assault weapons. The latter had the regular capacity magazine ban so gun makers cranked out anything that took those mags like mad. I also notice a small spike after 9-11.

Update: Anyone seen 2005 data? I’m guessing another spike following the sunset of the ban on weapons that look like assault weapons.

Mr. and Mrs. Chicago, turn them in:

Chicago gun owners had until Feb.12, 2007 to remove newly banned firearms from Cook Co. or turn them over to police.

There is no grandfather clause to exempt firearms owned before the board expanded its ban to include semi-auto shotguns that have the capacity to hold more than five rounds; how many 2″ shorties will your semi-auto hold?

Turn in the ammo first. In New Jersey:

Democratic lawmakers and Ceasefire NJ, an antigun group, unveiled a plan on Monday to make it illegal to sell .50 caliber weapons in New Jersey.

And in England, where soon everything will be made of Nerf lest our limey homies hurt their little selves:

The sale of imitation samurai swords could be banned by the end of the year, the Home Office announced today.

Importing or hiring the weapons could also be made illegal following a string of samurai sword attacks in recent years.

Well, if the people had guns, swords wouldn’t be so threatening, would they?

His first letter was mentioned here. Now, At the High Road:

I was wrong when I recently suggested that wildlife agencies should ban semiautomatic firearms I erroneously called “assault rifles” for hunting. I insulted legions of my fellow gun owners in the process by calling them “terrorist rifles.” I can never apologize enough for having worn blinders when I should have been wearing bifocals.

But unlike those who would destroy the Second Amendment right to own a firearm – any firearm – I have learned from my embarrassing mistake. My error should not be used, as it has been in recent days by our common enemies, in an effort to dangerously erode our right to keep and bear arms.

[…]

I’ve studied up on legislation now in Congress that would renew and dangerously expand a ban on many types of firearms. The bill, HR 1022 sponsored by New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, is written so broadly that it would outlaw numerous firearms and accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle. I understand that some of the language could ultimately take away my timeworn and cherished hunting rifles and shotguns as well as those of all American hunters.

The extremist supporters of HR 1022 don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones out of people like you and me with the simple stroke of a pen. They will do anything they can to make it impossible for more and more American citizens to legally own any firearm.

Good on him. Yes, he still looks at it as a hunter but that’s what the man is.

By the way, I think everyone who was so quick to crucify him needs to be as quick to call Outdoor Life and tell them he should get his job back. Seriously.

Update: Sebastian agrees. So does fodder.

Update 2: Commenters are not convinced. As I said:

Guys, he concludes with:

I’m going to devote every ounce of my energy to this battle. I will remind my fellow hunters that we are first, gun owners. Whether we like it or not, our former apathy and prejudices may place that which we love, hunting, in jeopardy. I will educate fellow outdoorsmen who mistakenly think like I talked, even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done. I was wrong, and I’m going to make it right.

I’ll take him at his word until I see evidence otherwise.

Update 3: Good timing too since Paul Helmke of The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Ownership is exploiting Zumbo today.

So, if Zumbo is forgiven and gets his job back, you think it will make the front page of The Washington Post? Just askin’.

Update 4: Sebastian has more on Zumbo’s sincerity.

And the added benefit of the PR we get from forgiving him.

Update5: Paul Helmke and the Brady Bunch cherry pick quotes from others in an attempt to paint the grassroots movement that responded to Zumbo as a bunch of gun owning zombies, totally at the NRA’s bidding. Wow, just like the Washington Post did!

The city of New Orleans’ attorney coughed up a check payable to the NRA.

Not only does the second amendment not mean what it says, neither does the first.

To Gunner on his new gig.

Unidentified man to a criminal who had repeatedly stabbed a woman and was in the process of setting her on fire:

Stop, or I’m going to shoot. And if you run, I’m going to kill you

Update: This story troubles me. Not that some shit-weasel is a murderous fuck but that the other witnesses stood by or honked horns. Seriously?

The General Assembly has two bills under consideration that send a strong message to all Tennessee voters. Voters cannot be trusted to elected the correct representatives.

You might ask who are the correct representatives? In fee offices it would be anyone. Voters aren’t smart enough to elect the best people to run fee offices so they must be appointed by more intelligent people like the County Mayor. That’s just great, let’s give the County Mayor’s incredible power since they are clearly the smartest among us.

For all other offices voters aren’t smart enough to elect people that are not related to school teachers or other county employees. Another intelligence problem with voters?

The message from Nashville is that voters just aren’t very smart.

I have an idea, let’s send Nashville a message. Pick up the phone and call your Tennessee legislators and tell them something about intelligence. Vote for either of these bills and it is an insult to the voters of Tennessee and their will be a price to pay come next election.

With all of the really stupid things that happen in Nashville is takes some unmitigated gall to tell voters how they should vote. This bill is the brain child of Senator Bill Ketron and Rep. Tom DuBois. Senators Tim Burchett and Jamie Woodson and Randy McNally have all signed on but “don’t remember” signing the bill. Perhaps voters need to be thinking about the intelligence of Senators that sign a bill like this and then don’t member doing so in the next election.

Update: I missed something in today’s Knoxville News Sentinel Editorial. The proposed bill from Shelby County by Rep. Ulysses Jones and Sen. Jim Kyle, both Memphis Democrats, also would require the County Sheriff to be appointed. This could be a prelude to Metro Government in Knox County.