Gouging out your own eye to help your neighbor see better

Gun control debate hangs over U.S.-Mexico violence
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, AP Writer

WASHINGTON – Members of Congress may be alarmed by the surge in Mexican drug violence and its potential to spill across the border, but they grow silent when the talk turns to gun control as a solution. [Yup, nothing like fear of not winning re-election to shut a politician's mouth; so, these creatures can be taught simple tricks, eh?]

With related kidnappings and killings occurring in the U.S., the Obama administration is likely to shift dozens of enforcement agents and millions of dollars to the fight against Mexican drug cartels. [A losing proposition, as the War on Drugs is unwinnable, and those without a vested interest in keeping it going (law enforcement, to name one) and a scintilla of sense know that.]

Underscoring the Obama administration's concern over the violence and the potential for a large-scale spillover into the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Mexico on Wednesday to show support for its crackdown on drug cartels. [Oh, "the potential" for violence to come to the US. Yes, let's legislate on the "potential" of something that hasn't happened. Sure, why not? It helps distract attention from the FedGov's abject failure to protect its citizens from financial fraud, and it makes the pols seem like they're efficient go-getters, when, of course, they are not.]

Mexico has long tried to get the United States to curtail the number of guns — many purchased legally — that wind up south of the border, where gun laws are much stricter. The State Department says firearms obtained in the U.S. account for an estimated 95 percent of Mexico's drug-related killings. [So, in essence, what this paragraph is saying is that strict gun laws do not prevent murders (so why have them?). Also, I like how the word "estimated" is thrown in there. Whose estimate is that, what's it based on, and from which orifice did they pull that figure? Nonsense like this is easy to see through, unless you're a weak-minded dolt, and we have millions of them in the US--basically anyone who votes Republican or Democrat because they think there is no alternative.]

"If President Calderon's policies to roll back organized crime are to be successful, we need to defang the power of the drug syndicates to inflict damage upon our state, local and police forces," Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, said in January. "The best way we can do that is for a real ratcheting up of the United States' capabilities of shutting down the flow of weapons." ["Flow of weapons," could you please quantify that? Heck, one or two guns (or knives, or baseball bats, etc.) could be a "flow of weapons." You know, I agree with the ambassador on one point: we should ratchet up the US' capabilities by building a wall from one end of the border to the other, patrolling it incessantly, and shooting any Mexican citizens who happen crawl over or under it. That would cut down on the imaginary "flow of weapons" in one direction and the very real flow of illegal immigrants in the other.]

"I don't think the solution to Mexico's problems is to limit Second Amendment gun rights in this country," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of the Senate GOP's election committee. "What we can do is help our Mexican friends enforce their own laws." [Now here's a politician with his finger firmly in the wind. He's right, except about the part where "we" (the US) should help Mexico enforce its own laws; I missed that part of the US Constitution.]

For his part, Obama has signaled a willingness to tighten restrictions on guns, calling the flow of drug money and guns "a two-way situation." Yet 65 Democrats said in a letter to Holder that they would oppose any attempt by the administration to revive a ban on military-style weapons. ["Obama has signaled a willingness to tighten restrictions on guns." Really? Just a "willingness?" I'll bet he's foaming at the mouth at the prospect.]

Tom Diaz, an analyst at the Violence Policy Center, a gun [banning] control group, said cartels use military-style weapons such as the Armalite AR-50, a .50-caliber sniper rifle. ["Military-style weapons"...so the guns just have to look like military weapons, but not really be military weapons? Now we're talking about cosmetics?]

Semiautomatic rifles used by the cartels [Why would a drug-runner use a semiautomatic rifle when fully-automatic rifles are readily available from former Eastern-bloc countries, and corrupt soldiers in the Mexican army itself? These drug gangs have enough money to get practically anything they want, so why would they mess around with the relatively slower firepower of a semi-auto? The answer is they wouldn't.] are imported legally into the U.S. as "sporting" weapons, a policy that was stopped for years but revived under President George W. Bush. [I see, lay the blame at Bush's feet. The policy was "revived" because its ten-year lifespan expired--Bush had nothing to do with it. Not that I'm a fan of Bush, I'm glad he's gone, but let's at least try to act like an unbiased reporter, okay SUZANNE GAMBOA?]

Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., who chaired a hearing on guns going to Mexico, said he is not seeking widespread gun control [No, that would be too ambitious. Just another nick in the Death of a Thousand Cuts gun owners are enduring will do.] but Congress must do something. [Even if it's the wrong thing. Hey, portraying a situation with an aura of desperation demanding extreme exigence worked like gangbusters for the TARP fiasco, so why not trot out the ploy again for this circumstance? If you really want to do something, as I said above, make the border as impenetrable as humanly possible. Until you do that, Tierney, you're just wanking around.]

"We don't want to get distracted by the gun industry lobby of the NRA trying to talk about (how) every attempt to bring some sanity to the situation is somehow an attempt to get rid of everybody's Second Amendment rights," he said. "That's a red herring." [I see. So any discussion that runs contrary to the course of action you've already decided upon should somehow be dismissed as a distraction? Further suppressing the God-given and Constitutionally-guaranteed rights of US citizens is somehow bringing "sanity" to a situation? No thanks, fool.]

*****

Honestly, if this is the best ploy the Obama administration can come up with to further suppress our rights, and I don't want to get over confident, but I believe we have little to fear as gun owners. If this is the best argument they can proffer for another AWB, then this is a sorry, incompetent administration with such a paucity of ideas that they may make the Carter administration look good.

Take care.
DAL357

Rubber band Indoor-Varmint Getter

Here's a short article I wrote to submit to a varmint hunting magazine which didn't turn out the way I wanted, so I thought I'd post it here.





Can’t get out to your favorite shooting range due to this or that reason? Too hot/cold outdoors to pop varmints? No problem. Allow me a few minutes of your time and I’ll clue you in on a pastime that, while it can’t replace firearms hunting, can at least distract you from your inability to get your fix. Plus, you don’t even have to leave your home!

Practically every home in the United States is not only a shelter for humans but, somewhere in its nooks, crannies, or bowels, is also a haven for unwanted (as opposed to wanted?) insects. Sure, you can spray them, but you, dear varmint hunter, know that while insecticides may be efficient, they’re not quite as satisfying as personally squashing the little buggers. That’s where the following method of insect extermination comes into play that rids your home of pests AND gives you some quality hunting time.

Before I get to the specifics, I’ll tell you that I first was introduced to this sport back in 1971 by an acquaintance I made in 7th grade named Bernie. Where he learned it, I have no idea, and it’s really not important. What is important is that it works and it’s fun. (Wherever you are, Bernie, thanks.)

To participate in this sport, you won’t need any fancy equipment. Rangefinders, camo clothing, pet loads, etc. would be more of a hindrance than a help. Nope, the only things you’ll need are two 3.5” x .25” (size no. 64) rubber bands (see photo 1 above), and possibly a damp cloth.

By joining the two rubber bands together as shown (see photos 2 & 3 above), you will lend enough speed and accuracy to this simple device to make clean (relatively speaking--more on that later), humane kills. After a bit of practice, which I’ll outline next, you’ll be at least as deadly as DDT.

Okay, you have made your projectile, now what? Have you ever heard of point shooting? Look at photo 4 above and notice what’s missing when the rubber band is in firing position…sights! This may seem a big problem at first, but I can assure you that after a modicum of practice, you won’t even think about them anymore. Draw a one-inch black circle on a piece of paper, tape it to a wall about shoulder high, step back approximately 6 to 8 feet, and draw the rubber band to firing position. (Note: I strongly urge you to use some type of eye protection when doing this because a rubber band once slipped off of my fingertip and hit me in my aiming eye. OUCH!) Make as straight a plane as possible between your fingertip, aiming eye, and the target. Then, just open the finger and thumb of the hand holding the rear portion of the rubber band. Whack! You should have come pretty close to your aiming point. If not, keep repeating, making any needed minor adjustments, until you hit your target at least 7 out of 10 times. When you get to this point, you’re ready to stalk your prey. (By the way, although I am right-handed, with the rubber band I use my left hand to shoot from. You’ll need to figure out which hand works best for you.)

As any successful hunter knows, you’ve got to go to where the game is unless you want to come home empty handed. The same holds true for the sport of insect hunting (hereafter referred to as insecting). The most fertile hunting ground in my house, and I suspect many houses, is the basement. A basement is like an insect magnet, probably because it’s an easy means of ingress for the little critters. We finished our basement several years ago, but that didn’t stop the never-ending procession of water bugs (aka roly polys) and spiders. I’ve lost count of the number of spiders I have killed, both by shoe and rubber band, over the years, but it has to be many dozens. Find the place(s) in your home where you have been invaded, then get to work insecting.

Once your quarry has been located, use the skill you’ve practiced to obtain to dispatch it swiftly and efficiently. Aim for center mass as you draw your rubber band to full length (don’t forget that eye protection), and make as flat a plane as you can between your aiming eye, the tip of your finger, and your target. Get as close as you think you need to (but please, no closer than 4 feet…5 to 6 feet is much more sporting) and let ‘er fly. Great, one dead insect!

Here’s where that damp cloth comes into play, especially if you’ve just splattered the creature against the wall. Wipe off the residue immediately, otherwise you run the risk of staining the area. Believe me, if your wife sees the mess you made, she’s not going to be too happy, and you may find yourself repainting a room, which could dampen your enthusiasm for your new hobby. Be safe--wipe up your slop. Don’t forget to clean off your rubber band also.

If you miss, the insect, especially spiders, I have found, usually obligingly stick around for another try, particularly if they are ensconced in their webs. Flies are less amenable to giving you another chance, but they usually alight again somewhere nearby after a few seconds of agitated buzzing, affording the opportunity for redemption.

So, there you have it. A sport that offers a tiny bit of the excitement of hunting that’s likely no more than a few steps from any point in your house. Granted, it will never replace real hunting, but some days, it’ll do.

*****

Take care.
DAL357

Cooler heads prevail in Mexico

Mexican drug gangs dump human heads in ice coolers
Tue Mar 10, 3:04 pm ET

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Suspected drug gang hitmen dumped five severed human heads in ice coolers on a road in western Mexico on Tuesday with a message threatening rivals, a state attorney general's office said.

Police patrolling a highway on the edge of the Mexican colonial city of Guadalajara found the heads inside five coolers left on the roadside, the Jalisco state attorney general's office said.

"They were recently severed heads, cut off about four hours before they were found," a spokesman said, adding police found a message left by apparent drug hitmen threatening rival gangs. The victims' identities were not disclosed.

*****

Sorry, but it was irresistable.

Take care.
DAL357

Anomalous?

Here's a story that came out last month, but which I've just gotten around to commenting on.

*****

Muslim TV exec accused of beheading wife in NY

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The crime drips with brutal irony: a woman decapitated, allegedly by her estranged husband, in the offices of the TV network they launched to counter Muslim stereotypes. [I'll bet the tact of this station was that the West just doesn't understand Muslims and Islam, so it's the West that has the problem. It didn't work out too well, did it? The West has your number just fine, Islam.]

Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan is accused of beheading his wife last week, days after she filed for divorce. Authorities have not discussed the role religion or culture might have played [of course not, someone might get offended], but the slaying gave rise to speculation [by those with a brain in their head and stones in their pants] that it was the sort of "honor killing" more common in countries half a world away, including the couple's native Pakistan.

The Hassans lived in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, N.Y., — a well-off Buffalo suburb that hadn't seen a homicide since 1986 — and started Bridges TV there in 2004 with a goal of developing understanding between North America and the Middle East and South Asia. The network, available across the U.S. and Canada, was believed to be the first English-language cable station aimed at the rapidly growing Muslim demographic. [Uh oh.]

Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said his officers had responded to domestic incidents involving the couple, most recently Feb. 6, the day Mo Hassan was served with the divorce papers and an order of protection. [Yup, nine out of ten murdered wives and girlfriends would agree, if they could, that pieces of paper make poor shields against murderous louts.]

Said Paul Moskal, who became friendly with the couple while he was chief counsel for the FBI in Buffalo, "His personal life kind of betrayed what he tried to portray publicly," Moskal said. [Yeah, just slightly.]

On Feb. 12, Hassan went to a police station and told officers his wife was dead at the TV studio.

"We found her laying in the hallway the offices were off of," Benz said. Aasiya Hassan's head was [conveniently] near her body.

"I don't know if (the method of death) does mean anything," said the chief [a distant relative of inspector Clouseau], who would not discuss what weapon may have been used. "We certainly want to investigate anything that has any kind of merit. It's not a normal thing you would see." [Not here, but in certain other countries it no doubt is quite common, along with the quaint practice of female circumcision.]

Nadia Shahram, who teaches family law and Islam at the University at Buffalo Law School, explained honor killing as a practice still accepted among fanatical ["fanatical"--a word chosen specifically to make it seem to Western minds that ol' Mo and his ilk represent only a small fraction of Muslims, an assertion I find dubious] Muslim men who feel betrayed by their [viewed-as-chattel] wives.

On Feb. 12, Hassan went to a police station and told officers his wife was dead at the TV studio. Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz says Aasiya Hassan's head was found near [conveniently] her body.

Nancy Sanders, the television station's news director for 2 1/2 years, remembers Aasiya Hassan. "She was beautiful, small, delicately built," she said, "while Mo would fill up a door frame. I always thought of him as a gentle giant." [Perhaps his future fellow inmates will too. Yes, just a big teddy bear of a man to be cuddled and rocked to sleep after an old-fashioned prison rape!]

"I just do not feel it was an honor killing," Sanders added. "I think it was domestic abuse that got out of control." [Huh? This guy not only murdered his wife, but then he took the time to perform a highly symbolic and ritualistic act on her corpse. He didn't just mean to kill her, he meant to dishonor her per the barbaric customs of his tribe. Intelligence, apparently, is not a prerequisite to being a news director.]

*****

Cripe! The only thing that surprises me about this item is that it doesn't surprise me.

Take care.
DAL357

Paul Harvey dies

Just last night I read that Paul Harvey had died; his unique voice and delivery will be missed.

I remember when I first heard him: it was in Panama (the country) when I was a wee lad of nine. Riding with my father (who was in the U.S. Army) in the front seat of the family car (sans seatbelt), I first laughed at Harvey because his delivery was so different from anything I'd ever heard before I thought it was a joke. I even remember the story he was reporting on, which was about a circus tent that had collapsed as it was being erected, killing several people. Still chuckling, I asked my father who this guy was, because he was funny. A bit perturbed, my father said, "It's Paul Harvey." Finally, I got the clue that it wasn't a joke and piped down.

That was back in 1969, and I began to enjoy, off and on, Harvey's show as I grew up. I haven't listened to him in a few years, and now I guess I never will again.

One thing I wonder about is how likely it would be for him to succeed in today's media, where little, if any, deviation from a cookie-cutter image/voice/philosophy is tolerated.

Take care.
DAL357

Flame on!

If you don’t like the direction the United States is going, and you’re wondering what went wrong, ask yourself this: “Did I vote for the Democrats or the Republicans in the last election, or in any other previous election?” If you said, “Democrats,” you’ve just found out what has gone wrong. Those who said, “Republicans,” however, have no reason to feel smug or superior, for you too are part of the problem. If, in fact, you have ever voted for either party in your lifetime, you bear direct responsibility for the collectivist state America has become. (Honesty compels me to admit that I, too, bear direct responsibility for this mess, although I have achieved at least a partial absolution by voting for a Libertarian candidate in three out of the last four presidential elections. Prior to that, I voted a straight Republican ticket since Reagan was first elected, when I became eligible to vote.) Neither of the two major parties supports liberty (the ONLY thing you should be voting for), therefore, a vote for either is a vote against the principles espoused in the U.S. Constitution and a vote against liberty.

If you identify yourself with and support either major party, you truly are anti-liberty and un-American. I’ll even go so far as to say you have disrespected and spat upon the efforts of all our military war veterans, both those who returned and those who didn’t, in a way that’s far more grievous than any street protestor has ever done. You, my fellow countrymen, have offered up your precious, precious liberty to the monsters you’ve created: people, aka politicians, who tell you what you want to hear and promise to suppress or steal from others, even though it flies in the face of that one cardinal rule of reality: You can’t get something for nothing.

You who support either major party are not Americans; you’re far from deserving that lofty title. Perhaps when, if ever, you think outside your little self-imposed box and see yourself for what you really are--a stooge for those who purportedly stand for liberty, but who actually work feverishly against it--you will see I’m 100 percent correct. I won’t, however, hold my breath waiting for that to happen. Heck, you’re probably so PO’d at me now that you can hardly contain yourself. Tough. It’s high time those of us who understand what liberty truly means stop pussyfooting around with you one-dimensional psuedo-Americans and call you on your part in ruining what was once the most exceptional nation the world had ever seen.

Enjoy the country you have made, for you deserve it.

Take care.
DAL357