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Here’s One I Hadn’t Heard Before.

Via email from a family friend:

A stranger was seated next to a little girl on the airplane when the stranger turned to her and said, ‘Let’s talk. I’ve heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.’

The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, ‘What would you like to talk about?’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said the stranger. ‘How about nuclear power?’ and he smiles.

‘OK,’ she said. ‘That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff – grass – yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?’

The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl’s intelligence, thinks about it and says, ‘Hmmm, I have no idea.’

To which the little girl replies, ‘Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don’t know shit?’

KevinLeave a comment

How Did I Miss This?.(Quote of the Day)

Via Ninth Stage, from James Likeks, February 20:

On the radio today Medved and Hewitt both asked Obama supporters to call and say why they were supporting their man. Specifics, please. The replies were rather indistinct. He would end the division and bring us together by encouraging us all to talk about common problems, after which we would compromise. He will give us hope by giving us hope: for many, the appeal has the magical perfect logic of a tautology. It’s a nice dream. But compromise is impossible when you have a fundamental differences about the proper way to solve a problem. I believe we can achieve a fair society by taking away your house and giving it to someone else. I disagree. It is my house. Then let us agree to give away half of your house. Compromise! But that is not a compromise. You have taken half my house. We have compromised on your behalf with those who would have taken it all. Let us not return to the politics of division. There are strangers living in my spare bedroom. Then we have truly come together. Look, this isn’t a matter on which we can compromise, because we have conflicting premises. You’re pretending matter and anti-matter have the same relationship as Coke and Pepsi. They don’t.

If he wins, I do look forward to dissenting; since it’s been established as the highest form of patriotism, I expect my arguments will be met with grave respect. Shhhh! He’s dissenting.

RTWT.

KevinLeave a comment

I’ve GOT to Work on My Split Times…

I shot my second Tucson Action Shooters Club pistol match this morning. Again, I didn’t come in last – just eleventh out of thirteen shooters. I had only one malfunction – me, not seating a magazine properly – that cost me about ten seconds to fix, and possibly one position on the final score sheet.

I don’t miss much at all, but my biggest problem is my split-times – the time between shots when putting two on the same target. I really need to practice getting that second shot off, and accurately, fast. I watch a lot of the guys “spray-n-pray,” and it works for them, but most of them are using double-stack magazines with ten or more rounds. I’m shooting 8-round single-stack. I can’t afford to miss, or I’ll be wasting time reloading.

However, if you’ll note: Larry M. James and I (who finished 10th 8th and 11th respectively) took second in the team events. I’m pretty happy about that.

KevinLeave a comment

30 Years Sounds About Right…

…with no parole.

Men Steal Bullet Parts Intended For Iraq, Afghanistan From Army

A couple of Lake City Ammunition Plant employees learned the hard way that it’s never a good idea to steal from the Army.

They face serious jail time accused of stealing thousands of pounds of copper parts used to make bullets.

Charles Dale Osborn from Odessa and Timothy Duane Langebin from Independence face serious federal charges. They’re accused of stealing more than 16,000 pounds of copper and selling it to a salvage company in Moberly.

Dave Fusselman said he wasn’t sure why the two men were bringing the pieces to his Moberly, Missouri salvage company every three or four weeks. He could have looked the other way, but instead he called police.

“They never suspected someone out here would take down their plate and watch them,” Fusselman said.

The US Attorney’s office said the two Lake City Army Ammunition Plant employees were stealing bullet cups used to make 7.62 millimeter rounds for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It’s not very often that someone dares to interrupt the flow of ammunition to the troops,” John Cowles, Asst. US Attorney said.

Cowles said the stolen copper would have made 1.5 million rounds of ammo, about two weeks worth of production at the plant. The suspects made more than $45,000 from selling it but now they face sabotage of war materials charges, which could mean as much as 30 years in federal prison.

“It’s very unique,” Cowles said. “I’ve never been involved with anything that had to do with such a direct impact against United States Armed Forces when they are conducting combat operations somewhere.”

“Those guys weren’t dumb so much as they came across the wrong operation,” Fusselman said.

Knowing now where the copper came from, Fusselman hopes the plant evaluates security.

“It’s amazing that many loads of copper came out and there’s no system in place to show they were coming up short,” he said.

Fusselman said he was concerned he’d have to pay back the Army for the copper but he got a letter from the US Attorney saying he could keep it. The plant felt it could be damaged and couldn’t make bullets out of it and the US Attorney said he should be rewarded for doing the right thing.

1: Kudos to the plant owner for speaking up.

2: WTF is wrong with the Lake City arsenal that they didn’t notice 16,000 lbs of missing copper jacket cups? (Rhetorical question. Yes, I know the answer – “Government.”)

3: Kudos to the Justice Dept. for not gigging the guy who fingered the thieves. Damned straight he should be rewarded.

4: I don’t know if I’m more impressed that 16,000 lbs of jacket cups are needed to make 1.5 million rounds or that it only takes the plant about two weeks to crank out that many!

Story h/t to Gandalf23.

KevinLeave a comment

Quote of the Day.

From George F. Will:

Barack Obama may be exactly what his supporters suppose him to be. Not, however, for reasons most Americans will celebrate.

Obama may be the fulfillment of modern liberalism. Explaining why many working-class voters are “bitter,” he said they “cling” to guns, religion and “antipathy to people who aren’t like them” because of “frustrations.” His implication was that their primitivism, superstition and bigotry are balm for resentments they feel because of America’s grinding injustice.

By so speaking, Obama does fulfill liberalism’s transformation since Franklin Roosevelt. What had been under FDR a celebration of America and the values of its working people has become a doctrine of condescension toward those people and the supposedly coarse and vulgar country that pleases them.

Not the QotD, but do read the whole thing.

This is the QotD:

I was appalled at last night’s debate and it further proves my point that we may not deserve someone like Barack Obama. One would think that that the first 45 minutes would cover important issues like the economy, Iraq, health care, and education. The four topics discussed?

-whether or not Obama is an elitist vis a vis his comments in San Francisco
-Reverend Wright
-William Ayers
-Flag pins.

If these are the issues that people want to focus on, our country is doomed. There is no other way to put it. I am hoping that voters in 2008 are smarter than that.

Discriminating

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Remember when that word meant “discerning,” or “judicious?” Whereas now it means “bigoted” or “prejudiced.”

Well, I’m guilty of prejudice.

There are two documentary films out, or coming out, that I find interesting for different reasons. One I want to see. I’ve prejudged it, and judiciously discerned that it’s worth some of my time. The other, I don’t. I’ve prejudged it, and judiciously discerned that it’s not worth my time or my dime.

The one I want to see, and am willing to spend some of my hard-earned money on, is Indoctrinate-U by Evan Coyne Maloney. Regular readers of TSM will understand why.

The one I’m going to skip is Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed by and with Ben Stein. You know, I like Ben Stein, but I think as he gets older he’s getting further and further “out there.” This movie pretty much settles it for me – I can’t take him seriously any longer.

UPDATE, 4/20: WRT Expelled, quoth Professor Reynolds,

I hate writing about this stuff because — pardon me while I speak plainly — the people on both sides of this issue are assholes. I mean, even by the low standards of Internet discussion. I’m getting email calling me a “theocon shill” for mentioning Stein, and email telling me I’ll burn in hell for calling Intelligent Design “pernicious twaddle.” Frankly, the rabid atheists and the rabid creationists seem an awful lot alike, and no proper hell could be truly hellish without the both of them yammering away at each other. Feh.

Er, “amen”? I mean, I’m not getting the “fanmail” he is, but I certainly understand his position.

KevinLeave a comment

More Right-Wing Language Manipulation.

It’s getting to be all-Markadelphia-all-the-time around here (and that sh!#’s going to cease, soon) but here’s his latest comment on my previous post, which – once again – requires a response:

Alright, so I guess I am little perplexed here.

Surprise, surprise.

When you first posted on my blog, Kevin, it was in regards to the Zumbo affair. You assured me that the large majority of gun owners were not Nazis and that Zumbo was out of line for calling people who owned AKs terrorists.

They are not, and he was. But you skipped over the part where he called for a ban.

You also have assured me that gun owners , especially the ones that read and post here, are fighting for their individual rights. You have accused liberals of being fascists, insisting and demanding that their way is the “right” way, forcing people to think and believe their truth and that you are not like that.

And here we have the redefinition of terms.

Markadelphia’s “fascist” point is brought up by the recent discussion of Jonah Goldberg’s current bestseller Liberal Fascism, wherein Mr. Goldberg points out the philosophical underpinnings of the modern Liberal/Progressive movement, and that those underpinnings share – in remarkable lockstep – the same basic philosophic principles of actual fascism. Problem is, there’s no real agreed-upon definition for the word “fascism,” because it’s been abused to the point throughout the last seventy-plus years that it has simply become synonymous with “bad.” Mr. Goldberg presents his own definition, going back to Mussolini, which I think is an accurate one:

Fascism is a religion of the state. It assumes the organic unity of the body politic and longs for a national leader attuned to the will of the people. It is totalitarian in that it views everything as political and holds that any action by the state is justified to achieve the common good. It takes responsibility for all aspects of life, including our health and well-being, and seeks to impose uniformity of thought and action, whether by force or through regulation and social pressure. Everything, including the economy and religion, must be aligned with its objectives. Any rival identity is part of the “problem” and therefore is defined as the enemy.

Apparently Markadelphia’s understanding of the word “fascism” is limited to the last sentence of that definition.

He is, as usual, in error.

I listened to Schoenke on the radio today and he made it pretty clear that he is the enemy of NRA and gun bloggers like yourself. I have read the things that have been said about him, including the Confederate Yankee blog, and I have to say I see a pattern developing here that doesn’t jibe with what you have told me. I’m afraid I’m having trouble seeing any allowance for individuality at all. Instead, I see a group of people saying basically the same thing:

Think like us..exactly like us..ANY wavering and….you are against us, are our enemy, and do not support 2nd amendment rights.

Correct me if I am wrong (Glad to.) but isn’t this the very thing that you accuse liberals of doing?

If the reaction occurred with just the Zumbo thing…well…he did call decent people terrorists…but now Schoenke? Who will be next?

Here’s the difference for you, Markadelphia:

Mr. Schoenke and his compatriots want to use the government (“the state”) to take any action that they deem necessary to achieve “the common good.” You know: “The last law didn’t help, but the philosophy cannot be wrong. Do it again, only HARDER!“

I, and those like me here, want the government to do only that which it is chartered to do, and part of that charter is to protect and defend the pre-existing right to arms. As you note, Mr. Schoenke has declared us his enemy, because we don’t want state power used against us in his quest to achieve that which they believe is “good.” We oppose his objectives. It just so happens that we all believe (largely) the same thing – that the state should not do what he wants it to do. Some of us (David Codrea comes immediately to mind) are far more militant than others, but what we all share is a common understanding of what our form of government is not supposed to have the power to do. It’s the niggling details on which we disagree. But David is not my enemy, nor am I his.

None of us want to use the government to “impose uniformity of thought and action.” Ray Schoenke does, and his excuse is the achievement of “the common good” according to his beliefs.

So which of us fits the definition of “fascist” better?

Re-read Mr. Goldberg’s definition of “fascism.” Read up on the history of Mussolini prior to WWII.

Then think very hard about your support for Barack Obama in conjunction with the sentence,

“It assumes the organic unity of the body politic and longs for a national leader attuned to the will of the people.”

I would ask: “Recognize yourself?” but I know that question would be futile.

KevinLeave a comment

I’m Not Fast Enough…

In comments to my previous post, Markadelphia proffers his “proof” that Barack (middle name shall not be mentioned) Obama is not anti-gun:

And now comes the comment that you all have been waiting for…demanding that I give you..I have to admit that even I was shocked when I heard this just a few short minutes ago driving home….

http://www.huntersandshooters.co…d=212& Itemid=70

Read and weep, folks. Could this group be part of the “millions” who were offended as Kevin says? And what could this piece of legislation be that Mr. Schoenke is talking about?

http://www.senate.gov/legislativ…on=2& vote=00202

So, could it be true? Did the “gun grabber” Obama actually vote in favor of gun rights? Are their some gun owners that favor Obama? Well, Unix and Ed asked for proof that Obama was not a gun grabber. There’s your proof, fellas.

According to Schoenke, he thinks the latest furor is “a bunch of nonsense.” He also went on to say that Senator Obama is a “firm supporter of 2nd amendment rights.”

Oh, but wait…according to other gun advocacy groups (and I am CERTAIN everyone here ) the American Hunters and Shooters Association aren’t a “real” gun advocacy group. They are anti-gun. Odd, because their web site sure looks like they enjoy guns quite a bit.

And you believe everything you see – as long as it matches what you expect to see. We’ve been all through this, ad nauseam, in the comment threads.

So, there you have it, folks. A group of gun owners who weren’t offended by Obama’s comments, have endoresed him, and actually listed key legislation that he voted for in favor of 2nd amendment rights. Shocking…appalling….whatever will you do?

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the “problems” with the growing gunblogging community is getting something posted before someone else does it first – and better.

I give you Confederate Yankee’s take. Please, go read.

Mark, don’t bother.

KevinLeave a comment

I Don’t Know Why, But This Still Astounds Me…

First, I discover that in July of last year, Senator Obama asked a crowd of Iowans:

“Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?” the senator said. “I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.”

The New York Times helpfully informs its “hip, urban” audience:

The state of Iowa, for all of its vast food production, does not have a Whole Foods, a leading natural and organic foods market. The closest? Omaha, Minneapolis or Kansas City.

Mr. Obama, perhaps sensing a lack of reaction from the crowd, moved along to the next topic. After all, he never claimed to be a farming expert.

Just a guess, but I’m willing to bet most Iowa farmers are more familiar with iceberg lettuce than arugula, and most non-farming Iowans shop at the local Fareway which probably doesn’t carry arugula. The NYT covers his faux pas with its glib “He never claimed to be a farming expert” line, but what he illustrated was that he had absolutely no feel for (and I’ll capitalize) Middle America.

And he still doesn’t.

Nor is he alone in this, apparently obviously.

I was also not aware that his latest “guns and God, xenophobia and bigotry” gaffe was reported by none other than his acolytes at The Huffington Post by someone who supports him and who paid $2,300 to see him at that posh Hollywood mansion appearance that was otherwise closed to the media. Not only that, but the piece written by Mayhill Fowler was submitted for editorial review! And Ariana Huffington herself, while on David Geffen’s palatial yacht in Tahiti (probably eating arugula in her salads), gave it the go-ahead!

I am reminded of Bernard Goldberg’s analysis of Eric Enberg’s CBS Evening News “Reality Check” piece from the 1996 campaign of then-candidate Steve Forbes’ “Flat Tax” proposal. The piece was so biased that it drove Goldberg to write an editorial on it that was published in the Wall Street Journal. That op-ed cost Goldberg his job at CBS, and his book Bias grew out of his experience. In Bias he wrote:

Jerry Kelly from Enterprise, Alabama, spotted the bias in the Enberg report. Jerry Kelly spotted the wise guy and the one-sidedness. And Jerry Kelly is a general building contractor, not a newsman.

Who didn’t find anything wrong with Enberg’s piece?

First off, Enberg didn’t.

His producer in Washington didn’t.

The Evening News senior producer in Washington didn’t.

Jeff Fager, the executive producer of the CBS Evening News in New York didn’t.

His team of senior producers in New York didn’t.

Andrew Heyward, the CBS News president and Harvard Phi Beta Kappa, didn’t.

And finally, Dan Rather, the anchorman and managing editor of the CBS Evening News didn’t.

Not one of them spotted anything wrong with a story that no one should have let on the air in the first place.

Here, nobody saw anything wrong with what Obama said, in Hollywood, on Millionaire’s Row, at a $2,300-a-ticket fundraiser.

Mayhill Fowler didn’t.

Marc Cooper, editorial coordinator for Huffington Post didn’t.

Amanda Michel, another HuffPo editorial layer didn’t.

Editor Roy Sekoff didn’t.

Ariana Huffington herself didn’t.

But millions of Middle Americans did, and they’re not newspeople or politicians.

This was not a story dug up by Obama’s opposition, this was a story released by his supporters – none of whom recognized the bomb that Obama had built and that they were dropping.

And what is apparently worse is the report that Obama’s “aides tell reporters he is privately bewildered that anybody took offense” – thus his “If I worded things in a way that made people offended…” non-apology.

What’s worse than that? Apparently a big chunk of the country thinks his characterization of rural America is correct, not just the “hip, urban” crowd and those who ride around on 425-foot yachts or pay $2,300 to see candidates in the multi-million dollar mansions of their most fervent supporters.

I said in a comment that I predict no matter who wins the Democrat nomination, the Presidential race is going to be the nastiest, dirtiest election this nation has seen since Andrew Jackson ran. Commenter Bilgeman, however, may have the right of it:

We can survive a Jackson campaign.

I’d be more worried about a repeat of the 1860 election.

The Great Divide between the Left and the Right in this country just keeps getting wider, and nowhere is that better illustrated than here.

KevinLeave a comment

BAG Day.

I didn’t buy a gun for “Buy a Gun Day” this year, I bought that back in November. Instead, I bought a scope for that rifle I bought back in November that, I’m ashamed to say, I have yet to put a single round through. To complete (mostly) the package, I purchased a Leupold 4.5-14x50mm Mk 4 LR/T M1 scope with Tactical Milling reticle, and I purchased it from fellow gunblogger USCitizen off his Commercial Site. This is what I bought:


(Click for full size)

I also bought a set of Burris Xtreme Tactical medium-height rings that I fervently hope will give me both sufficient barrel clearance and eye-relief. I probably won’t have everything in hand by this weekend, but I very much hope to get the assembled rifle to the range before the month is out, and I’ll post pics as soon as I can.