Even in California

Gun-Grabbers are backpedaling:

The senator introduced the bill after seeing a CBS 5 report that showed people at the range firing semi-automatic rifles, even though California has a strict assault weapons ban.

“The reason why I am committed to this particular bill is because of what I saw on your TV station, the story that you did,” Yee told CBS 5.

We discovered it all came down to a tiny device called a bullet button. It allows one to quickly detach a magazine, even though under California law detachable magazines in combination with other features are illegal.

But under California regulations, the bullet button makes a gun’s magazine “fixed” and therefore legal, because one needs a tool, such as the tip of a bullet, to detach it.

Yee’s bill originally sought to ban the bullet button. But he recently amended the bill to ban only conversion kits such as the “mag magnet,” a hot seller at gun shows, that makes a bullet button even easier to use.

CBS 5 asked Yee: “The bill doesn’t address the bullet part, just the magnet. Why the change?”

The senator answered: “Given all the opposition we have had thus far, I think that this probably would be a way that we can craft a bill that would pass muster.”

Of course at its core the anti-freedom people see this as a “loophole”, but in reality its compliance with the law. Just like when gun companies during the AWB started producing “Ban Compliant” guns, the antis were up-in-arms. Well because they just want to ban all guns, not restrict magazines or bayonet lugs.

Still if bans on the bullet button can’t gain traction in California (that passed their own bullshit variation of the AWB in the first place) what ground do the antis have left?

Glad to read this!

Posted in Freedom, Guns, Politics | Leave a comment

I Wasn’t Suprised

Us Uniforms made in China.

Uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes are American red, white and blue — but made in China. That has members of Congress fuming.

Republicans and Democrats railed Thursday about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles economically with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs.

Classy, huh? This never crossed their minds? I’m glad to see this is a bi-partisan issue. Overall I don’t get too bent out of shape from where things are made. I prefer American-made things (the shirt I’m wearing right now has a “Made in the USA” tag), but I also understand that people want and need cheap clothes, and places with no labor laws like China are the places for that.

But we’re talking about the US OLYMPIC TEAM! We’re going to be competing against places like China in Chinese-made uniforms. This is as tone-deaf as Chinese-made American Flags.

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Legislating Morality

Yeah, this’ll work!

San Francisco, the city that regulated Happy Meal toys and banned plastic grocery bags, has a new target in its health-conscious, eco-friendly crosshairs: plastic water bottles.

City officials are considering an ordinance that would require owners of new and renovated buildings with water fountains to install special bottle-filling taps. The law’s designed to encourage thirsty people to refill containers instead of reaching for another bottle of Evian or Aquafina.

When I worked the convention last month I always had a bottle of water on me. Actually on day one when I spent the first half of the day getting things set up, but before I could get my gear out of my car, I got myself more than a bit dehydrated, and when I finally got my bottle out I was draining it constantly before I got back to normal levels.

Given that I’m both cheap, and since the Portland Maine water supply is as good as most of the bottled water out there, I generally don’t use bottled water. We also don’t have those fancy-pants spigots to fill the bottles from. I’d just step into the bathroom and put my bottle under the sink.

Drinking tap water from a re-usable bottle was something I wanted to do, and I took action. What makes these fools think that a fancy piece of expensive hardware (at public expense from a city that really doesn’t have monies to spare) will help?

Ahh, the nanny-state at its best!

h/t Mrs. Weer’d

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“Gun Death” More Fire

Yesterday it was murder, today attempted murder.

A Florida woman is recovering after police say she was doused in gasoline and ignited outside a convenience store in a dispute with the father of her child….Police say Roosevelt Mondesir poured gasoline on the woman and lit her on fire as she tried to run away. Mondesir fled the scene but was found several hours later hiding in bushes nearby. He was treated for burns before being taken to jail and charged with attempted first-degree murder.

If we ban gasoline maybe we won’t have so many “gasoline deaths”. Oh yeah, “Progressives” love their cars, and wouldn’t like that much, would they?

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Play Me Out: Rev Horton Heat

Just got back from an open-air concert with a local Jazz band. They had an upright bass and it sounded AWESOME. Got thinking about how hard it is to make an upright sound good in a large group…and got me thinking about Psychobilly.

Yeah! Psychobilly rules!

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Tune In Tonight!

For another exciting episode of THE SQUIRREL REPORT!

We have a lot of good topics for tonight, so join us at 9pm EST to listen and call it!

BTW last week we had a LOT of great callers! Maybe one of them will be you tonight!

THE SQUIRREL REPORT!

Posted in Podcast, Politics | Leave a comment

Neat Use for Ketamine

Its a commonly used veterinary tranquilizer/anesthetic and a recreational drug, but I hadn’t heard this before:

Researchers at the Neuro Psychiatric Center next to Ben Taub General Hospital are testing one infusion of ketamine for its short-term effects in treating depression.

If the study’s results are successful, a second study will administer ketamine three times a week to patients to test the drug’s long-term effects….Anti-depressants like Prozac or Celexa usually take at least a few weeks to start working. During that time, patients are more susceptible to suicide.

“Sometimes what happens is that a person’s energy improves before their mood improves. So if you still feel horribly depressed and hopeless, but have a return of your energy, your risk of being suicidal increases,” said Dr. Ken Robbins, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“If it pans out that a shot of ketamine will temporarily pull someone out of their depression, that would still be incredibly helpful. If someone is feeling horrible to the point where you’re concerned they’re suicidal, this could fill the time lapse that regular anti-depressants take to kick in,” Robbins said.

Now that’s really neat. Anti-depressant drugs are pretty common, so I think we’ve all seen people who have started treatment, and it does take time for the drugs to fully “Kick in”, and that time period is a HIGH risk for suicide or other dangerous behavior. Also if you’ve ever seen somebody go cold turkey off the stuff its also pretty hairy.

The Ketamine could bump somebody out of severe depression for the short term, while the standard drugs work to control the long term.

I’m really curious about the mechanics of this reaction, as Ketamine is a Dissociative drug. I wonder if the disassociation is something that pops the depressed person “out of their head” or is it a paradoxical reaction, as people in severe depression are pretty dissociative, or is it simply another neuro pathway that is being worked.

Its as intriguing to me as treating ADD and ADHD with stimulants when sedatives would seem to make more sense for somebody with such high energy.

Posted in Biology | Leave a comment

Scootch On Cooper Color Codes

A nice video.

Anti-Rights people would take his talk as “Paranoid”, but I think managing the color codes in a way convenient to your day-to-day life is as useful as carrying in a way convenient for your day-to-day life.

When I go out for work or play I’m carrying a gun. I’m not going to war, but I have a gun in case I need one…but the gun also doesn’t get in the way. If things get ugly I’d most prefer to have my FAL in my hands, but going to the grocery store I’m not expecting to need my rifle…if I did I wouldn’t go there. Also having over 10lbs of rifle slung over one shoulder makes shopping for eggs and milk a LOT more difficult (and that’s not even factoring in somebody calling the cops because a dude it walking down the cereal aisle with a rifle). But a 1911 and two reloads under a cover shirt isn’t a big deal. I can’t say I’ve ever had a rig so light and compact that I’ve forgotten I was carrying, but my setup is convenient enough that I’m no more hindered than if I wasn’t carrying.

It also doesn’t mean I’m always angling to clear leather, or lining up my shots. To live that way is not sustainable.

The same goes for the Cooper Color Code. Those who see us as “Paranoid” think that we’re constantly “Jumpy” or “looking for somebody to shoot” or “seeing threats where there is none”. That would suck. I don’t think I could live my life like that…or at least the added stress would probably shorten my life.

Nope, condition Yellow vs. White is as simple as looking around while you conduct your business. Orange isn’t even a big deal. I dug up this post from a few years ago.

I still remember the event. The Wife and I were walking, and a car pulled up RIGHT BEHIND US, and started rolling on the shoulder. Now after the fact it was just some dude getting his caddy parked JUST RIGHT, and it just so happened that the wife and I were walking by his selected spot as he parked. I didn’t draw my gun, I didn’t go into “Attack Mode”, I just said to myself “This is odd, I wonder what’s up?” and I kept my eye on the oddity until my question was answered.

Its no big deal, its not any more stressful than out picking the daisies (plus I’m the guy who sees all the cool stuff when I’m out and about, not only does condition yellow mean you see the mugger soon enough to take action, but it also means you see the deer dash into the woods, or see the expensive car drive by, etc.

Sustainability is the key to good self defense. You can’t just know the skills, but have them integrated into your day-to-day life without inconvenience.

Posted in Guns, Safety, Self Defense | Leave a comment

I’d Still Be Flattered

Marine Biologist names parasite after Bob Marley

A tiny blood-sucking parasite that infests fish on Caribbean coral reefs has been named after Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley.

Arkansas State University marine biologist Paul Sikkel discovered the parasite off the U.S. Virgin Islands a decade ago but it was only recently unveiled as “Gnathia marleyi” as an homage to the singer.

Sikkel says he dubbed the tiny crustacean due to his “respect and admiration” for Marley, who died in 1981.

Hey there are only a finite number of described species, and most of them are named after what they are like “Felis domesticus” which simply means “House Cat”, or “Mus musculus” which just means “Mouse”. To have something named after a person is a big deal. It doesn’t matter if its a kickass shark or a lame garden snail.

Hell this fella could get drunk and tell his buddies the dude from Arkansas is just a fan of Maine Comedy!

Oh and speaking of Flattery, Daddybear has a great post up with various blogger names.

Anas Weerdii – A duck native to the northeastern United States. A loyal companion who is known to be wicked smart.

LOL that’s awesome! A smart duck? It would need to be some really odd offshoot. Ducks really have no need for intelligence, so they don’t bother with it.

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Morning Drive

Love these videos:

I noticed in the cars are very similar, but also different….after several of those crazy vaults, I suspect the cars need to be totally rebuilt after each run.

Also impressive that these were public roads. I know rally drivers are used to dirt tracks, but man when doing maneuvers like that you don’t want potholes and tar snakes under your wheels.

Fun times.

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