A Little Limerick for Herr Hitler

I was watching a few videos on YouTube and saw an asinine comment from a user with the equally asinine user name of "AdolfHitlersPenis08".

He inspired me, and this was what I left in reply to his comment:

What a user name. You have inspired me, sir.

I have created a verse in your honor and in his:

A young Austrian lad named Hitler
whose anger was certainly a riddler
was rumored to have tricked
a billy goat with his dick
and left with a dong that was littler.

Please note that this and all other posts are copyright William E. Miller. All rights reserved. I'll sue ya if you steal it!!!

The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52KKtz4K1No

Michael Steele for RNC head? Now wait just a minute...

Michael Steele for RNC head? Now wait just a minute...

(Hat tip to The Arsenal for their quotes in this post:)

In a Washington Post interview dated Oct. 16, 2006, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele spoke in deceptively reassuring terms when he said this about gun control:

"My views are pretty much in line with [NRA-backed Gov. Robert Ehrlich]. I grew up under some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. I loved the moment [anti-gun activist] Carl Rowan got caught [with a gun]. That summed it up for me. Summed it up for me..."

Yet Steele betrayed a lack of full understanding when he next uttered these contradictory sentences:

"What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill. But I don't think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that."

Ouch! That's a train wreck on many levels even besides that damned "need" canard... But this ignorance can be cured through simple education.

Many States of course actually do allow deer hunters to use semi-automatic SKS and AK-47 type rifles - which are, after all, are the very guns the so-called "Assault Weapons" ban sought to eliminate!

If you're a true Second Amendment supporter (as I am), then you'll see that Mr. Steele must be carefully educated on the true meaning of gun rights before he should be seriously considered a good conservative candidate for Chairman of the Republican National Committee or any other national GOP leadership post.

Otherwise, we may be falling into the same trap that killed us in 2008: Trying to be like the "reasonable" Democrats and liberals instead of standing firm on our principles of Liberty. (You listening, Sen. McCain?)

We must be wary of trying to just find some token black Republican or some possible "AntiObama" to shove to the forefront to represent us.

After all, remember the much-heralded J.C. Watts from Oklahoma?

I was really never too impressed with him to begin with, but do you know what he did after he left Congress?!

Sadly, this "small government champion" was a paid shill on Mike and Irene Milin's infomercials helping people get "free money" grants (our money!!) from the Federal government.

Not too conservative, eh?!

I would strongly urge that one or more gun clubs in and around Maryland cordially invite Mr. Steele to be their special guest at a first rate gun range for a day of safe, responsible, enjoyable, and educational shooting and gun issue education.

They should of course start with a .22LR revolver and work their way up to a Glock or Colt 1911, but they should also be sure to let him enjoy a good old "ugly" rifle too, such as a semi-auto SKS or AR-15, and maybe even jump to an NFA weapon such as a select-fire M-16 or full-auto AK-47 or Tommy gun.

"Sporting purposes" indeed!

A safe and fun day of bonding and camaraderie with firearms will do more to help our side and make friends than you could ever imagine!

I heartily recommend this approach to rifle and pistol clubs across the country to help shore up shaky friends and maybe even convert "enemies" nationwide.

Gun clubs should make it a point to identify locally-based columnists, journalists, and other influential "celebrities" and send them courteous invitations to enjoy a safe and fun day on the firing line as their honored guest.

One candidate for this treatment I've mentioned to others (Ken Blanchard, in fact) is Fox News contributor Juan Williams, whom I like and respect quite a bit.

He's a liberal, but as has been pointed out and demonstrated, he's no a Kool-Aid drinker, and I think he and others could be swayed quite a bit toward us over time.

Troops: Forward march!!

Neutralizing Hillary Clinton

Reports that Obama will pick Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State are very interesting indeed.

She perhaps sees this as a way to build some credibility on foreign policy and get good regular exposure on the news.

She'll be seen not as fighting and arguing (as she would if she stayed in the Senate), but consistently trying to bring people together and solve problems as the nation's top diplomat.

On the surface, this looks like a gesture of conciliation and inclusion designed to heal wounds and help the nation.

On the other hand, Obama has expressed admiration of Abraham Lincoln's way of bringing his former adversaries into his Cabinet.

But Lincoln's move actually neutralized his enemies by disconnecting them from their power bases and making him their boss.

Hillary's Senate confirmation hearings would finally bring to light the previously hidden sources and methods of funding for Bill Clinton's foundation.

What's uncovered by the Senate could be very embarrassing for her, even to the point of torpedoing her nomination.

I think Hillary sees this, as risky as it is, as a better path toward the Democratic nomination, be it in 2012 or 2016.

I think Obama sees this as a way to make his re-election bid easier in three ways:

It's a nice political gesture.

Since Hillary will work very hard to prove herself worthy, she will either prove him right or hurt her reputation if she fails.

Plus, he's keeping in mind the old saying, "Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer".

Obama plans for electricity costs to "skyrocket". A/C costs will hit Midwest, South & Southwest HARD this Summer.

Over 90% of the coal used in the US is to generate electricity.

Obama says coal will be taken "off the table" and promises to "bankrupt" those who would build coal industry power plants to meet America's rising demand for energy.

He further says his energy plan will make your electricity costs "necessarily skyrocket".

Needless to say, greatly inflated air conditioning costs will hit the Midwest, South & Southwest VERY HARD this Summer.

In some States this extreme pain could be felt as early as late Spring, even in late May or early April.

The ill, poor and elderly will be hurt worst, and it could prove fatal to many of them due to heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can,” Obama said. “It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.”

The article warns that, "The issue is particularly sensitive in coal-rich Ohio, West Virginia, and Colorado. Obama made the comments to the San Francisco Chronicle in January, which were posted on YouTube over the weekend."

Obama continued ominously, "Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket."

These soon-to-be affected regions contain most of the swing States, and Obama will cost all the folks there a ton of extra money!

Could this be the post-October surprise we've been waiting for? Nay... PRAYING for?

Why not take from the rich and give to the poor?

Here's a good reason why not: It doesn't help anything.

If we took the entire $58 billion that Bill gates is worth (recent stock tumbles not included) and divided it evenly among all people in the US (301,139,947 in the July 2007 estimate) each would get a whopping $192.60.

It would be gone in minutes, and would anyone's life truly be better?

Barack Obama's Record on Guns: Anti-Gun and Anti-Gun Owner

This is an e-mail from GunsAmerica

Hi Everyone,

We have had a lot of email into GunsAmerica and especially into our MySpace about voting for Barack Obama for president.

Setting aside the socialist policy issues, and "spreading the money around" that you work for, everyone should be very clear about where Barack Obama stands on guns.

This was taken from http://www.gunbanobama.com/ which is an NRA-ILA project, and it is available in PDF form at: http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/2008Obamafactsht.pdf

FACT: Barack Obama opposes four of the five Supreme Court justices who affirmed an individual right to keep and bear arms. He voted against the confirmation of Alito and Roberts and he has stated he would not have appointed Thomas or Scalia.17

FACT: Barack Obama voted for an Illinois State Senate bill to ban and confiscate "assault weapons," but the bill was so poorly crafted, it would have also banned most semi-auto and single and double barrel shotguns commonly used by sportsmen.18

FACT: Barack Obama voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry.1

FACT: Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban.15

FACT: Barack Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.3

FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a 500% increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.9

FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership.2

FACT: Barack Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.4

FACT: Barack Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense.5

FACT: Barack Obama supports gun owner licensing and gun registration.6

FACT: Barack Obama refused to sign a friend-of-the-court Brief in support of individual Second Amendment rights in the Heller case.

FACT: Barack Obama opposes Right to Carry laws.7

FACT: Barack Obama was a member of the Board of Directors of the Joyce Foundation, the leading source of funds for anti-gun organizations and "research." 8

FACT:Barack Obama supported a proposal to ban gun stores within 5 miles of a school or park, which would eliminate almost every gun store in America. 9

FACT: Barack Obama voted not to notify gun owners when the state of Illinois did records searches on them.10

FACT: Barack Obama voted against a measure to lower the Firearms Owners Identification card age minimum from 21 to 18, a measure designed to assist young people in the military.11

FACT: Barack Obama favors a ban on standard capacity magazines.12

FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory micro-stamping.13

FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory waiting periods.2

FACT: Barack Obama supports repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits information on gun traces collected by the BATFE from being used in reckless lawsuits against firearm dealers and manufacturers.14

FACT: Barack Obama supports one-gun-a-month handgun purchase restrictions.16

FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on inexpensive handguns.9

FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on the resale of police issued firearms, even if the money is going to police departments for replacement equipment. 9

FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory firearm training requirements for all gun owners and a ban on gun ownership for persons under the age of 21. 9

1. United States Senate, S. 397, vote number 219, July 29, 2005. (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00219)

2. Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization general candidate questionnaire, Sept. 9, 1996. The responses on this survey were described in "Obama had greater role on liberal survey," Politico, March 31, 2008. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9269.html)

3. United States Senate, S. 397, vote number 217, Kennedy amendment July 29, 2005. (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00217)

4. David Wright, Ursula Fahy and Sunlen Miller, "Obama: 'Common Sense Regulation' On Gun Owners' Rights," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, http://blogs.abcnews.com, 2/15/08. (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/obama-common-se.html)

5. Illinois Senate, SB 2165, March 25, 2004, vote 20 and May 25, 2004, vote 3.

6. "Fact Check: No News In Obama's Consistent Record." Obama '08, December 11, 2007. (http://www.barackobama.com/factcheck/2007/12/11/fact_check_no_news_in_obamas_c.php)

7. "Candidates' gun control positions may figure in Pa. vote," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, and "Keyes, Obama Are Far Apart On Guns," Chicago Tribune, 9/15/04. (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_560181.html)

8. 1998 Joyce Foundation Annual Report, p. 7.

9. "Obama and Gun Control," The Volokh Conspiracy, taken from the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999. (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1203389334.shtml)

10. Illinois Senate, May 5, 2002, SB 1936 Con., vote 26.

11. Illinois Senate, March 25, 2003, SB 2163, vote 18.

12. "Clinton, Edwards, Obama on gun control," Radio Iowa, Sunday, April 22, 2007. (http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2007/04/clinton_edwards.html)

13. Chicago Tribune blogs, "Barack Obama: NIU Shootings call for action," February 15, 2008, (http://blogs.trb.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02/barack_obama_comments_on_shoot.html)

14. Barack Obama campaign website: "As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment . . ." (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/urbanpolicy/#crime-and-law-enforcement.)

15. Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes (http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm and http://www.ontheissues.org/IL_2004_Senate_3rd.htm) Oct 21, 2004.

16. Illinois Senate, May 16, 2003, HB 2579, vote 34.

17. United States Senate vote 245, September 29, 2005 and vote 2, January 31, 2006 and Saddleback Forum, August 16, 2008.

18. Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee, March 13, 2003. To see the vote tally go to: http://www.nrapvf.org/Media/pdf/sb1195_obama.pdf.

Paul (Shlomo) Helinski
GunsAmerica
Where America Buys and Sells Guns.
http://www.gunsamerica.com

# # #

Brady Backs Barack (or Gun Control's 5-Year Plan)

Don't forget the bumper stickers!

Get 'em here!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 16, 2008
Full contact info at end


Gun Law Update: Brady Backs Barack

Will Anti-Gun Group's Endorsement Help Or Hurt?

Anti-Gun-Rights Candidate Could Gut "Heller" Decision

Now that Barack Obama has received the endorsement of the Brady Campaign
gun-control group, will the Supreme Court's findings in the D.C. gun-ban
"Heller" case matter?

That's the question experts are asking in the wake of Obama's 11th-hour
support from America's leading gun-ban advocates. The late-date endorsement
was conspicuously absent from most large news outlets. Those groups have
repeatedly claimed that anti-gun-rights agendas were a key issue in the
Democrat election defeats of 2000 and 2004.

"Obama publicly supported Washington D.C.'s total gun ban until the
Supreme Court's 'Heller' case voided it," says Alan Korwin, co-author of
"The Heller Case: Gun Rights Affirmed," which was just released (see below
for news-media review copies). "His opposition to gun rights is well known
and carefully documented in the new book," he said. Obama swiftly reversed
his position after the High Court found that gun rights belong to
individuals, a point also documented in the new book.

"Before the ban was overturned, Mr. Obama supported the position of the
Court's dissenters -- that gun bans are fine and the Second Amendment in
the Bill of Rights does not protect people, it protects 'collective rights'
of states," Korwin notes. That position had little to support it in the
historical record, but was favored by people seeking to ban firearms from
public hands. The "collective rights" theory, a recent creation, was
dismissed with ridicule by the Court (equating it to Alice in Wonderland).
The Amendment itself speaks of "the security of a free state," and "the
right of the people."

As the first book released about the landmark gun-rights decision, "The
Heller Case: Gun Rights Affirmed" describes the events leading up to the
case, and precisely what the Court said, word-for-word and in plain
English. If Obama follows the Court's decree, the civil rights of the
general public should be fairly well safeguarded with respect to owning and
using firearms.

If he instead follows the lead of his endorsers in the Brady Campaign, gun
rights as America has known them for more than two centuries could easily
end. His campaign positions so far suggest the latter, if he is elected.
His widely available voting record is 100% consistent -- voting for every
restriction on law-abiding gun use, and against every proposed protection
for innocent individuals.

Virtually all recent gun-law proposals fall into those two categories --
bans on honest ownership and rights, or support for honest ownership and
rights. New laws targeting criminals are rare, since every imaginable
criminal activity with guns is already against the law and carries severe
penalties.

The only thing left, according to leading experts, is to ban guns for
non-criminals, a policy choice adopted in some circles. Gun bans on
criminals have had embarrassingly little effect on street gangs, the drug
war and career criminals in general. Facing abject failure of crime-related
social policies, and unable to disarm criminals, many politicians are
turning instead to civil-disarmament schemes. Working against this trend,
"Disarm Criminals First" says one campaign slogan in the Marksmanship
Movement.

The three publicly announced elements of the Brady-Obama anti-gun
positions include 1- Ban the freedom to sell firearms from one innocent
person to another, euphemistically called the "gun-show loophole"; 2- Allow
all law enforcement officers to fish through gun-dealer records looking for
paperwork or other violations, and compile data as they see fit,
euphemistically known as "repealing the Tiahart Amendment" (which prevents
them from doing so currently); and 3- permanently ban an enormous list of
perfectly legal firearms and accessories based on looks, names and
operating characteristics, euphemistically called an "assault-weapons
ban."

First, knowledgeable observers know assault is a type of behavior, not a
type of hardware, plus the ban seeks to outlaw all semiautomatic firearms.
Second, it's already completely illegal for criminals to buy firearms under
any circumstances, so the proposed private-sale ban would only affect
innocent citizens. And third, the Tiahart Amendment protects the innocent
from government registries and abuse, so all three proposals, as noted
above, have virtually no effect on stopping crime, but do crush freedoms
Americans currently enjoy.

A long wish list of other gun-freedom repeals have been previously
announced by Brady, Obama and their supporters, but have not shown up in
the candidate's platform yet. See some of them here:

http://www.gunlaws.com/PageNineIndex.htm

and many more here:

http://www.gunlaws.com/Left-wing%20Gun%20Plan.htm

including (as listed during the Clinton administration):

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN:

1. National Licensing of all handgun purchases.

2. Licenses for Rifle and Shotgun owners.

3. State Licenses for ownership of firearms.

4. Arsenal Licenses (5 guns and 250 rounds of ammunition).

5. Arsenal License Fees (at least $300.00, with a cap of $1,000.00).

6. Limits on Arsenal Licensing (None in counties with populations of more
than 200,000).

7. Requirement of Federally Approved Storage Safes for all guns.

8. Inspection License. (Gun safe licenses, yearly fee for spot
inspections).

9. Ban on Manufacturing in counties with a population of more than
200,000.

10. Banning all military style firearms.

11. Banning Machine Gun Parts or parts which can be used in a Machine
gun.

12. Banning the carrying a firearm anywhere but home or target range or in
transit from one to the other.

13. Banning replacement parts (manufacturing, sale, possession, transfer,
installation) except barrel, trigger group.

14. Elimination of the Curio Relic list.

15. Control of Ammunition belonging to Certain Surplus Firearms. (7.62x54R
and .303).

16. Eventual Ban of Handgun Possession.

17. Banning of Any ammo that fits military guns (post 1945).

18. Banning of any quantity of smokeless powder or black powder which
would constitute more than the equivalent of 100 rounds of ammunition.

19. Ban the possession of explosive powders of more than 1 kg. at any one
time.

20. Banning of High Powered Ammo or Wounding ammo.

21. A National License for Ammunition.

22. Banning or strict licensing of all re-loading components.

23. National Registration of ammunition or ammo buyers.

24. Requirements of special storage safe for ammunition and licensing.

25. Restricting Gun Ranges to counties with populations less than
200,000.

26. Special Licensing of ranges.

27. Special Range Tax to visitors. ($85.00 per visit per person).

28. Waiting period for rentals on pistol ranges.

29. Banning Gun Shows.

30. Banning of military reenactments.

PLUS:

Ban of all clips holding over 6 bullets.

Elimination of the Dept. of Civilian Marksmanship.

Ban on all realistic replica and toy guns (including "air soft" and
paintball).

The right of gun-violence victims to sue, with financial assistance from
government programs, the gun manufacturers.

Taxes on ammo, dealers, guns, licenses to offset medical costs to
society.

The eventual ban on all semi-automatics regardless of when made or
caliber.

-30-

To own your own copy of this new book, look here:
http://www.gunlaws.com/hc.htm

###

[Backgrounder: Phoenix-based Bloomfield Press, founded in 1988, is the
largest publisher and distributor of gun-law books in the country. Our
website, gunlaws.com, features a free national directory to gun laws and
relevant contacts in all states and federally, along with our unique line
of related books and DVDs. "Gun Laws of America" for news-media review is
available on request, call 1-800-707-4020. Our authors are available for
interview, call to schedule. Call for cogent positions on gun issues,
informed analysis on proposed laws, talk radio that lights up the
switchboard, fact sheets and position papers. As we always say, "It
doesn't make sense to own a gun and not know the rules."


Alan Korwin
Bloomfield Press
"We publish the gun laws."
4848 E. Cactus, #505-440
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
602-996-4020 Phone
602-494-0679 Fax
1-800-707-4020 Orders
http://www.gunlaws.com
alan@gunlaws.com
Call, write, fax or click for free full-color catalog
(This is our address and info as of Jan. 1, 2007)

Obama or Your Gun? You Can't Have Both (my new bumper sticker)

I just designed a new set of bumper stickers!






OBAMA OR YOUR GUN?
YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH.

You can get them 2 for $5 with free shipping.

Click the sticker to order or to visit GunFax.com.

TECHNICAL TIP: If you temporarily tape a bumper sticker inside the back window of your car, please be sure you don't put any tape over the window defroster strips. If you do, when you remove the tape, the defroster could be damaged.

THE ISSUE

You can bet that the Democrats will increase their majorities in both houses of Congress this year. If they get up to the 60 seat mark in the Senate, we're really hurting!

If you add to that a President O!bama, you can kiss your guns goodbye!

Why?

a. a 60-seat majority in the Senate means the Republicans (or pro-gun Democrats) cannot stage a filibuster to block bills.

b. Sen. Biden (who would be the new Vice President) is the guy who wrote the so-called "Assault Weapons" Ban.

c. Obama never met a ban he didn't like.

As much as we conservatives might disagree with John McCain, there's one thing we need him for right now: His veto pen.

P.S. If Obama is elected, look for Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg and Stevens to retire shortly after he takes office. This will give Obama a chance to solidify the liberal wing of the court and his next appointment would swing the court firmly to the Left for a generation. And one of those appointees may just be Hillary Rodham Clinton.

You have been warned!

Excellent interactive Electoral College map

I found a great interactive map to keep tabs on the electoral votes, either as opinion polls change or as you follow along on election night.

Why I like it:

• it quickly updates without reloading
  
  
• each time you click a State, it toggles blue, red, or grey for "up for grabs"
  
  
• with each click, each candidate's respective total updates too
  

You can play out different scenarios quickly: How many potential ties can you find? Yikes!

Enjoy!

UK: Global warming (but not self-defense) justifies breaking law

A recent headline from the UK reads, "Jury decides that threat of global warming justifies breaking the law". The full story is here, but the crux is of course in the first three paragraphs:

"The threat of global warming is so great that campaigners were justified in causing more than £35,000 worth of damage to a coal-fired power station, a jury decided yesterday. In a verdict that will have shocked ministers and energy companies the jury at Maidstone Crown Court cleared six Greenpeace activists of criminal damage.

"Jurors accepted defence arguments that the six had a 'lawful excuse' to damage property at Kingsnorth power station in Kent to prevent even greater damage caused by climate change. The defence of 'lawful excuse' under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 allows damage to be caused to property to prevent even greater damage – such as breaking down the door of a burning house to tackle a fire.

"The not-guilty verdict, delivered after two days and greeted with cheers in the courtroom, raises the stakes for the most pressing issue on Britain's green agenda and could encourage further direct action."

When I saw this headline (and even before I had read the article) I was immediately stunned and angry. That's because in the UK, protection of one's life and property is not a good enough excuse to posses or use firearms or any other weapon!

There's plenty of proof, in case you need any.

In her excellent article "Gun Control's Twisted Outcome", Reason magazine's Joyce Lee Malcolm gives a few disturbing examples of why Britain continues to wither and fade away over the years:

• "In 1973 a young man running on a road at night was stopped by the police and found to be carrying a length of steel, a cycle chain, and a metal clock weight. He explained that a gang of youths had been after him. At his hearing it was found he had been threatened and had previously notified the police. The justices agreed he had a valid reason to carry the weapons. Indeed, 16 days later he was attacked and beaten so badly he was hospitalized. But the prosecutor appealed the ruling, and the appellate judges insisted that carrying a weapon must be related to an imminent and immediate threat. They sent the case back to the lower court with directions to convict.

• "In 1987 two men assaulted Eric Butler, a 56-year-old British Petroleum executive, in a London subway car, trying to strangle him and smashing his head against the door. No one came to his aid. He later testified, "My air supply was being cut off, my eyes became blurred, and I feared for my life." In desperation he unsheathed an ornamental sword blade in his walking stick and slashed at one of his attackers, stabbing the man in the stomach. The assailants were charged with wounding. Butler was tried and convicted of carrying an offensive weapon.

• "In 1994 an English homeowner, armed with a toy gun, managed to detain two burglars who had broken into his house while he called the police. When the officers arrived, they arrested the homeowner for using an imitation gun to threaten or intimidate. In a similar incident the following year, when an elderly woman fired a toy cap pistol to drive off a group of youths who were threatening her, she was arrested for putting someone in fear. Now the police are pressing Parliament to make imitation guns illegal.

• "In 1999 Tony Martin, a 55-year-old Norfolk farmer living alone in a shabby farmhouse, awakened to the sound of breaking glass as two burglars, both with long criminal records, burst into his home. He had been robbed six times before, and his village, like 70 percent of rural English communities, had no police presence. He sneaked downstairs with a shotgun and shot at the intruders. Martin received life in prison for killing one burglar, 10 years for wounding the second, and a year for having an unregistered shotgun. The wounded burglar, having served 18 months of a three-year sentence, is now free and has been granted £5,000 of legal assistance to sue Martin."

If you're not as angry as I am now, then we probably wouldn't get along very well. I'd be civil to you of course, but I'd be disappointed in the way you felt.

Gun control is and always will be a slippery slope, and this is where it inevitably leads.

UPDATE:

All right, I've been a bit distracted lately and I missed this, which is a huge step in the right direction, rare in the UK these days:

Richard Edwards and Christopher Hope
The Daily Telegraph (UK)
July 16, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6aygvy

"Home owners and others acting in self-defence were yesterday given the legal right for the first time to fight back against burglars and muggers free from fear of prosecution."

Obama campaign disses small town America

John McCain announced his pick for Vice President: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a conservative reformer and - gasp! - Life Member of the NRA.

The Obama campaign dismissed her as "the former mayor of a town of 9,000".

I urge small town America to rise up and make a little history.

Let's show Obama what you think of this disrespect and show up at the polls on Tuesday November 4, 2008 to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket.

Democrats and other Obama supporters are urged to show up when the lines will be much shorter, on Wednesday November 5, 2008.

Obama willing and eager to abandon "change" & "new politics" to win

Obama willing and eager to abandon "change" & "new politics" to win

From an AP report:

A senior Obama adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his boss has expressed impatience with what he calls a "reverence" inside his campaign for his message of change and new politics. In other words, Obama is willing - even eager - to risk what got him this far if it gets him to the White House.

Maybe his staffers need to quit bitterly clinging to their god-like boss' empty ideas. Any questions, class?

Who could play Gov. Kaine in "the movie"...?

It's rumored that Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) is very close to the top of the
list of choices for Barack's Obama's running mate.

Maybe Liev Schreiber could play him.

Let's just hope the role ends in the "fall" of 2008... *wink!*

Mike Huckabee on Paul Harvey News (as guest host)

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was guest host on Paul Harvey News & Commentary this past Tuesday and Wednesday (both morning and noon time).

He did a terrific job.

In case you missed it, you can download the audio from the shows in MP3 format here:


http://207.234.249.73/mwd/HuckforHarveyTues071508am.mp3
http://207.234.249.73/mwd/HuckforHarveyTue071508noon.mp3
http://207.234.249.73/mwd/HuckforHarveyWed071608am.mp3
http://207.234.249.73/mwd/HuckforHarveyWed071608noon.mp3


Enjoy!

William E. Miller, AS-EET
prototech@usa.net † http://www.microwavedisplay.com/
Microwave Oven Control Panel Repair Nationwide $39.95

HELP US HELP OTHERS: http://www.microwavedisplay.com/helpushelpu.htm

Did Israel assassinate Imad Mughniyeh?

(...and does Aaron Klein know something we don't?)

On April 3, 2008, Aaron Klein, the Jerusalem correspondent of WorldNet Daily and the author of the book "Schmoozing with Terrorists", appeared on the Point of View radio show, giving listeners the latest on Israel and the Middle East.

Mr. Klein's reports and analyses are always very interesting, but one thing he said (then quickly rephrased) really struck me. At the 36:42 point in the broadcast, host Kerby Anderson asked about what it's looking like in Israel. Here is the first part of Aaron's reply, with my emphasis added:

I'll tell you, normally I would say that it's just the usual craziness, but in the last 24 or 36 hours, Israel has really been concerned about the increased troop presence and movement along its northern border with Syria and with Lebanon.

Basically, about a month and a half ago, you right remember that Israel - it took out - and.. uh well... somebody assassinated a leader of Hezbollah, one of the the... most-wanted terrorist leaders in the world, actually. His name's Imad Mugniyeh.

The broadcast has since been removed from their archives, but I have posted a full copy at my Web site. Or you can listen to just the question and answer in a short (46-second) clip here.

Actually, the whole broadcast is interesting. Here's the synopsis from their archive page:

April 3, 2008 - Thursday

Topic(s): Book: Tragedy of American Compassion; Book: Schmoozing with Terrorists; Planned Parenthood's Racism; Gay Studies and Media Bias; America Concerned about Children's Future

Guest(s): Marvin Olasky, Author: Tragedy of American Compassion; Aaron Klein, Jerusalem Bureau Chief, World Net Daily, Author: Schmoozing with Terrorists

Aaron Klein is a frequent guest on many of my favorite shows, such as The John Batchelor Show, The Loftus Report, and The Tovia Singer Show, among others. I enjoy their work.

UPDATE Oct. 25, 2008

Caroline Glick's column from Sep. 18, 2008 in the Jerusalem Post seems to treat Israeli involvement as a foregone conclusion:

"As the assassination of Iran's terror master Imad Mughniyah in Damascus in February demonstrated, Israel has the capacity to carry out sensitive covert operations deep inside enemy territory."

Another hilarious quote from Ann Coulter

(from the full column here - emphasis is mine)

Another funny excerpt from Ann Coulter (I just love her dry sense of humor!)

"We've been through this before: Should the military run the war or should the courts run the war?

"I think the evidence is in.

"The patriotic party says we are at war, and the Guantanamo detainees are enemy combatants. Approximately 10,000 prisoners were taken on the battlefield in Afghanistan. Of those, only about 800 ended up in Guantanamo, where their cases have been reviewed by military tribunals and hundreds have been released.

"The detainees are not held because they are guilty; they're held to prevent them from returning to the battlefield against the US. Since being released, at least 30 Guantanamo detainees have returned to the battlefield, despite their promise to try not to kill any more Americans. I guess you can't trust anybody these days."

I guess you can't trust anybody these days! LMAO!

Evan Sayet on Democrat Motivation & the Effects of an Obama Presidency

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This short (3:19) audio clip brings an interesting insight into Democrat motivation and decision-making as offered by guest Evan Sayet on a recent Shire Network News podcast.

Sayet also speculates on what the world would be like four years afterward if Obama were elected.

The latter subject is somewhat inspired by Michael Novak's National Review article "Barack Obama's America".

Very interesting, and hard (for me) to argue with!

Where is the World is Jalil Azad?

Where is the World is Jalil Azad? A recent article* in the Telegraph caught my interest. John Bolton, our former Ambassador to the United Nations, said that we should bomb Quds Force and Hezbollah terrorist training camps located inside Iran.

"Colonel Donald Bacon, a spokesman for the coalition in Baghdad, said captured fighters had told interrogators that thousands of Iraqi fighters were undergoing training in the Islamic Republic."

"The main camp is located near the town of Jalil Azad, near Tehran, according to coalition officials."

I thought it might be interesting to look at Jalil Azad on Google Earth, so I first set about to find it on a map. Google searches only turned up references to the Telegraph article, other reports citing it, and others commenting on it.

The one thing I didn't find was Jalil Azad! I dug deeper, but still came up dry.

I've written to several well-known commentators, bloggers, radio talk show hosts, the coalition in Iraq, and to the Telegraph.

Most did not reply, but those who did either just speculated or apparently sought to assure me or blow me off without informing me:

"(It's) possible this is the name of a base and not a town... let me ask around. My understanding is the bigger camps are closer to the border."

"Intelligence sources from Iranian Opposition forces have validated this training center outside of Tehran."

I've seriously considered writing snail mail to the Iranian interests section and to the People's Mujahedin of Iran (aka MEK, PMOI, and MKO) but I'm sure you can understand I'd worry about coming under unwanted scrutiny for my letters!

I would think there would be a lot of interest in this town, and even bigger news if no one else could find it!

Am I the only person asking this question?!

If anybody out there knows anything, please let me know!

* The Telegraph article may be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1931520/John-Bolton-US-should-bomb-Iranian-camps.html

UPDATE

Thanks to some help via Google Groups, I found out there are two of them. One is close to Tehran and one 400 miles away, but closer to Iraq. The one outside Tehran is here:

Jalilabad, Iran
35°20'36.21"N
51°47'9.84"E

A Little About Me

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I've been interested in politics, current events and world affairs for over 30 years (since my Freshman year of high school) thanks to my Civics teacher Mr. Tony Lawrence.

Quite often I would hang around after school to talk about current events and history with Mr. Lawrence, and we even went together to see a young Rep. Dan Quayle give a speech against the Panama Canal Treaty. Afterwards, I shook Quayle's hand and complimented him on his talk.

My interest in politics and especially world affairs led me to discover short-wave radio (SWL, as opposed to ham radio) which enabled me to listen to the official radio broadcast propaganda from countries all around the world. For a Cold War kid like me, it was a blast!

My parents had two old antique radios. There were upright models about four feet high, with nice wooden cabinets. One had pushbutton presets, and the other had a round dial with a handle that moved in a semi-circle to tune it. They received AM and short-wave bands. One night while messing around with them, I heard other countries... I was spellbound!

Then one day in the grocery store, I spotted a magazine called Radio-Electronics, which sported a cover story about improving your short-wave reception. I bought that issue and still have it. I bought the parts I needed from Radio Shack, and my first project flopped, but it led to an interest in electronics, which lasts to this day.

Needless to say, my project building skills got better!

For several years, I wrote a pro-gun newsletter turned newspaper column called "GunFax". That was very enjoyable, but the payoff never justified the time, so I recently put it on the shelf.

I've been an electronics technician for over 25 years, with diverse experience in industrial engineering, fabrication, prototype construction, circuit design and repair.

I am an independent electronics repair technician engaged in the repair of microwave oven and other control panels (circuit boards) for commercial customers and consumers nationwide. I specialize in microwave control panels with failed displays, dead units, and units whose cooktop / stovetop lights are not dead or stuck on. (See links below).

My other interests include fishing, the outdoors, small engine repair, and repairing and tinkering in my garage. As our kids stretch their wings, my wife and I are beginning to get out and enjoy ourselves a little. That's really nice.

microwave display & controller repair $39.95 nationwide

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Getting Back to Morel Mushroom Hunting in Indiana

After many years off following the death of my mushroom hunting partner (my father) I've begun hunting morel mushrooms again. This time, it's with my better half. She and I have both decided that as our kids are finishing high school, we're going to start living again. Just a little, even.

My wife and I went out on April 26th here in southern Madison County, Indiana but we found only one morel. I'll have you know it was a nice one and yes, it was delicious!

We also stumbled onto a nesting smallmouth bass that looked to be a couple pounds or so. We couldn't get a good photo of it, but trust me - the overhanging tree nearby is permanently burned into my memory as a landmark in case I get to wade that section of the water with my trusty Shimano ultralight spinning rod in the coming days...

We saw a few deer and a coyote, and it's always a nice outing when you can see a critter or two. Even seeing fresh deer and coon tracks reminds us of how we're just visiting in their habitat, and it's interesting to imagine how they use the area and what role it plays in their lives.

On that trip I picked a tender, nice-looking "Pheasant's back", also known as "Dryad's saddle" or polyporus squamosus. They smell like cucumbers or watermelons. Opinions vary.

I rinsed it, peeled it with a paring knife and sliced the innards into small short slices, then fried them slowly in Promise margarine with a dash of garlic salt.

Sadly, I didn't really care for it since it had a fruity flavor, but some folks really like them. I may try them again sometime with a different recipe, but I imagine I'll still prefer morels by a mile!

We went out again on April 30th for a couple hours and came up dry in the morel department, but it was still a wonderful day for us. She bought me a new digital camera for our anniversary, and we really enjoyed seeing various critters and wildflowers. She took some shots of Virginia bluebells and phlox, Canada Geese, and some mallards.

We've found what looks to me to be a much better location in the area, and we plan to hunt it Saturday or Sunday. I think it has been too cool and too dry here so far, but maybe our next trip out will be more fruitful. I'll post back after this weekend if we have any luck or come across anything remarkable.

UPDATE: May 17, 2007

Jackie got a pretty bad upper respiratory infection around the first of May, so that pretty much knocked the last part our morel season in the head.

But I did do a little enhancement of the photo we took of the smallmouth bass I mentioned earlier, and I found the fish in it. May not be too impressive, but we were tickled to find it!

June 1, 2008: Still can't find it?! Look below!

Obama finds his testes (not really, Michelle still has them)

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So now (finally) Barack Obama is (hold the presses…) angry and upset by his former pastor’s comments!

Sorry, but it’s too little too late…

If Obama can’t “read” his own pastor of twenty years, whom he sat and listened to (almost) every Sunday, how can we expect he’d do in a face-to-face with America’s enemies and adversaries?

He’s already said he would gladly have a sit-down with such despicable characters as Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, Hassan Nasrallah, Khaled Mashaal, Ismail Haniya, Kim Jong Il, Vladimir Putin, and Hu Jintao.

Maybe he already has enough personal experience with such radical anti-American types that he could actually get along very well with them, too.

Obama talks about how Bill Ayers (whom anyone could blithely call an unrepentant and murderous domestic terrorist) committed his heinous acts when he (Barry O.) was only 8 years old.

Well, I’m the about the same age as Barack, and I can tell you that I remember these reprehensible acts of the Weather Underground, and they were (and still are) well enough documented and verified that Obama could (and should) have taken a stance on them long before now.

Yet all he seems to be able to say is that they occurred when he was only 8 years old. Does that even matter?! People died from their acts!

Bill Ayers is on record (right after the 9/11 attacks, as a matter of fact) as saying, “I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough."

It’s pretty clear to me that any lack of a stance by Obama is still a stance for anyone who’s running for high office.

So millions of Americans will have to thoughtfully (hopefully) decide if his off-handed dismissal of Ayers’ infamous misdeeds is okay or not.

They’ll have to decide whether they can excuse someone who excuses and scoffs at domestic terrorism as the former Weatherman Bill Ayers has become a pet appointee of Mayor Daley, the current boss of Chicago’s political machine, to which Obama owes his political ascendancy.

Gosh, that was such a long time ago, yet there remains no statute of limitations on murder…

My Democrat Pick for 2008

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I am painfully torn as I try to decide whom I want to see as the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee.

Before I continue though, let me make it clear that I am not and never have been a Democrat.

While throughout my political life I've been infinitely more comfortable with Republicans than Democrats, I'd have to classify myself as a conservative, a Constitutionalist, and a Libertarian. If it weren't for my differences with them on a few social issues - not to mention their lack of electability - I'd vote consistently Libertarian.

In 1980, I was proud to cast my first presidential ballot for Ronald Reagan. In 1984, I was happy to do so again.

In 1988, I voted for the elder George Bush, but without much enthusiasm. Keeping Michael "Do-cock-us" Dukakis out of the White House was my primary motivation, even though I knew the outcome in my Hoosier State of Indiana was assured even without my vote.

In 1992, I was not in the best of health, and I didn't vote. Laziness was my only excuse for failing to cast a ballot in 1996. But Dole carried Indiana anyway. (I would have been much happier with Jack Kemp!)

In 2000, I was reenergized, and I voted for George W. Bush with much hope. Despite my continuing differences with him, I was so happy to have him after we were hit by terrorists (yet again) on September 11th.

In 2004, I was happy enough with "W" to reelect him. And of course, one should be loathe to change horses midstream or while at war.

But really, who in their right mind could have welcomed John Kerry as the leader of the Free World? Unless of course we could have amended our Constitution to allow for the office of Dork in Chief... *shudder*

Whenever I go to the polls, I always wear a black NRA cap adorned with a 1980 Reagan campaign button featuring him in the famous cowboy hat pose. Thusly dressed, I briskly stride into my local polling place, and the various competing campaign volunteers surrounding the entrance to my town’s civic center rarely accost me. Coincidence? I think not...

But I digress...

As much as I would love to see Hillary's political future crash and burn ala McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore and Kerry, I truly do fear an Obama candidacy. At least Jimmy Carter was old enough to have a few wrinkles... Get my drift??

But Obama has become a phenomenon. While I don't think for a minute he could fully withstand the heat of a general election campaign and debates against an old warrior like McCain, that actually may not matter.

Casting ballots is still what wins elections, and facts, history, experience or principle will not sway many of Obama’s followers. They will respond only to emotion.

So as distasteful as it is to say, and as anxious as I am to rest assured that Hillary will never again occupy the White House, I think it may be better for us if she wins the Democrat nomination.

Not only will her party have been battered and bruised, but also much of its enthusiasm will have faded. And many if not most of Obama's new registrees will become disillusioned and will sit out this election, and maybe even all subsequent elections. This can only be good for the country.

So maybe I'm ready to reluctantly endorse Hillary Clinton as the Democrat Party’s nominee.

Now the most exciting decision might be who McCain will pick as his Vice Presidential nominee.

What a difference a century can make… sometimes…

What a difference a century can make… sometimes…

(OR: How can we go from the first powered flight to the second(!) Space Shuttle disaster in just 100 years while another hundred-year span sees all the US Presidents photographed in black and white?!)

The difference can be dramatic, but other times we are left to just shake our heads at the frustrating lack of apparent progress…

On one hand we can go in a hundred years from the first sustained, controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight (the Wright Brothers, Dec. 1903) to the second(!) time an already humdrum(!) Space Shuttle program manages to reignite our flagging attention – but only through a spectacular disaster.

This latter horror was when Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry over our incumbent President's home State of Texas on February 1, 2003.

I was at my son’s basketball game enjoying his budding defensive play and the diversion of my Walkman knockoff when the sad news came in via radio.

While the game was interrupted by an announcement and a moment of silence, I think that most of the kids (mercifully) didn’t really get it, even though we adults took the event very much to heart.

Sadly, in addition to our American crew, the accident also killed an Israeli hero, their first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who also participated in Operation Opera that finally destroyed Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti’s Osirik nuclear reactor in 1981.

Here is a little more on Ramon, from Wikipedia on April 1, 2008:

• Ramon was born in Ramat Gan, Israel and grew up in Beersheba. His mother and grandmother were survivors of Auschwitz concentration camp.
  
• Although apparently a secular Jew, Ramon sought to follow Jewish observances while in orbit. In an interview he said, "I feel I am representing all Jews and all Israelis". He was the first space flight participant to request kosher food.
  
• He also gathered rabbinic opinions from the local Chabad-Lubavitch representative Rabbi Zvi Konikov, about observing the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) while in space, since the period between sunrises in orbit is approximately 90 minutes.
  
• Aboard STS-107, Ramon carried a pencil sketch, "Moon Landscape", drawn by 14-year-old Petr Ginz, who died in Auschwitz.
  
• Ramon also took with him a microfiche copy of the Torah (from the Holocaust) given to him by Israeli president Moshe Katsav.
  
• Ramon asked the 1939 Club, a Holocaust survivor organization in Los Angeles, for a symbol of the Holocaust to take into outer space with him. A barbed wire Mezuzah by San Francisco Artist Aimee Golant was selected.
  
• Ramon also took with him a dollar of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.

Ramon and the rest of the Columbia crew died over Texas in the Southern United States during entry into Earth's atmosphere, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing. He is survived by his wife Rona and their four children.

By contrast, the first shuttle disaster was in 1986 during Challenger’s 10th (and by then already routine) launch.

Pretty diametric opposition, eh?

But compare that dramatic and expansive technological era to the apparently slow progress we made in the field of photography over its seminal hundred-year span.

The President who was elected in 1860, one Abraham Lincoln, was probably the first one who was widely photographed. (Sure, one of his predecessors, William Henry Harrison, is the first to have his picture taken in 1841).

But a full hundred years later, many if not most of the photos of President John F. Kennedy (elected in 1960) were in plain old black and white.

If you doubt this, bear in mind that it was less than two years after JFK’s death that the first color episode of the Beverly Hillbillies appeared. Do I know from bellwethers?!

It just goes to show you….

Oh yeah – welcome to my blog.

P.S. Sorry if I don’t add links to everything I reference, but I assume that most of you are big boys and girls and know how to use a search engine. If not, how can I save you?!