Author Archive

Via Glenn we find out that the TSA is using legal muscle to go after a couple of bloggers.

It seems that new security procedures were rushed into place right after the Panty Bomber incident, but the Feds say that the directive wasn’t supposed to be revealed to the public. They want to know who leaked the info.

The fact that bloggers are in the litigation cross hairs will be of primary interest to other people who write online. But I want to know how the TSA thinks it can keep out terrorists who are aching to blow up commercial airliners if they can’t keep their internal, secret security directives from being emailed to those who are supposed to be kept in the dark. Since they allowed some known al Qaeda stooge without a passport or luggage who was carrying a syringe full of acid just waltz on a flight to Detroit, I suppose that is a silly question.

On a side note, fellow gunblogger Breda has the final word on the failures of TSA security…

“…tell me again why I have to bear the humiliation of being groped and swabbed every time I fly? Someone please explain it to me because, clearly, I don’t understand. Can’t they just put me on a terrorist watchlist so that TSA will leave me alone?”

I have just read the most astonishing op-ed from the Miami Herald. What is so astonishing about it? Mainly how the author, Frida Ghitis, acts as if the perfectly obvious is suddenly revealed wisdom.

Ms. Ghitis solemnly informs her readers that various sections of the world still hate the United States, even though President Obama is in the White House. How can this possibly be? Because, she says, other countries may have goals that conflict with ours!

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I hail from Columbus, Ohio. It is more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the US-Mexico border.

Things are pretty hairy down ol’ Mexico way. The government declared war on the drug cartels three years ago. So far there isn’t much progress, even though any gains by law enforcement usually sets off a turf war between the gangs as they try to seize lucrative smuggling routes from suddenly weakened rivals. If the big boys ever get organized instead of simply looking to grab what they can, then I really don’t think the Mexican government has a prayer of winning. Or even surviving.

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I haven’t been paying much attention to the whole Copenhagen climate summit debacle because my doctor told me that I should watch my blood pressure. Good advice, as even the few details that have leaked through my self-erected Wall of Silence threatens to blow the top of my head off.

A few weeks ago, back on Dec. 11, it was announced that the European Union was going to pony up $10.5 billion for aid to developing countries so they would be able to fix power-wasting infrastructure, and invest in cleaner technology.

But that cash wasn’t going to be passed out all at once. It was going to be doled out over three years. If my grade school math skills haven’t degraded away to nothing, then it seems to me that the EU will spend $3.5 billion per year.

It may be simple enough in concept, but it certainly isn’t enough in reality. The figure needed to actually make a dent in the increasing amount of pollution produced by the developing world will start at around $100 billion a year. And that money will have to be raised and passed around every year for pretty much forever!

Where is that kind of scratch going to come from?
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Megan McArdle, an AGW true believer, seems to think that most of the problems highlighted by Climategate are due to confirmation bias. That is where the experts tend to accept data that is in line with what they expect, while assuming that anything which goes against the prevailing theory must just be faulty in some way.

I’d agree with her except for the way the people involved in the scandal went against the law to delete emails, hatched plans to punish other scientists whose work showed different results, and even worked to discredit scientific journals which dared to publish contrary research.

That sort of willing participation in unethical and illegal behavior doesn’t fit any definition of “confirmation bias” I’ve ever come across. Crooks, liars, cheats and con artists act like that, not respectable scientists who simply put a bit more weight on one side of the scale.

It is certainly true that the history of science is rife with examples of confirmation bias. But, while debate and disagreement might become heated, it is rare to come across a case where one side of the issue actively schemes to silence their opponents through purposely causing them some form of harm.

In this instance, I suppose the AGW dissenters should be grateful that only their careers were damaged.

UPDATE
The Belmont Club has a post that is worth your time.

A few weeks before the Climategate scandal started to bounce around the blogs, I wrote an essay here about how the global warmists were acting just like every other doom-shrieking huckster from the past five decades. Since all of the others were wrong, terribly and horribly wrong, I said that I wasn’t too worried about any toasty catastrophe.

That is why I haven’t been paying too much attention to the collapse of the latest doom-of-the-week. After all, it isn’t like I haven’t seen this tired process play itself out over and over again.

But it is tough to avoid it altogether if you rely on blogs for your news. And there is a recurring theme that gives me pause.

Most climate scientists that appear on news programs, or who write op-eds for the various news outlets, all say the same thing. This scandal might cast more than a decade of work done by the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia into doubt, but it doesn’t invalidate research done by other scientists which support the idea that this planet is warming due to human action.

Well, gee, why in the world doesn’t it invalidate their work as well?

Didn’t the CRU boast the largest and most comprehensive collection of climate data in the entire world? Didn’t this massive collection of data inspire, if not directly influence, just about every other climate scientist’s work? Aren’t the people who authored the Emails which prove dirty tricks, data manipulation, and collusion to hide problems with their research the most prestigious and influential climate scientists in the world?

So why in the world should anyone take any climate scientist’s word for their integrity, and soundness of their work? Isn’t the onus on them to prove that they aren’t crooks and liars, like the big guys were?

This seems perfectly reasonable to me, but I may be missing something.

President Obama was awarded an honorary black belt in Tae Kwon Do by the President of South Korea. It seems that Obama dabbled in that particular martial art for years, but never had the fortitude or discipline to actually advance beyond an intermediate rank.

There is a joke going around. Why didn’t the Nobel Committee give Obama the prize for literature, as well as peace?

Because he has already written two books.

Some criminals in Australia are using toy guns to rob people.

Well, why not? Gun control laws in Australia are, to my American eyes, rather severe and draconian. Only about one-in-twenty people own guns for hunting or sport shooting. No one is allowed to carry concealed for self defense.

This means that there is pretty much no risk, either to the criminal or victim, if someone paints a toy gun black and uses it to hold someone up. The victim might get scared, but they are certainly in no danger from the gun. The criminal, on the other hand, is also operating without risk of getting shot by any law abiding citizen who is licensed to carry a concealed firearm. Which means this particular crime should prove to be extremely popular.

But that isn’t good enough for government in Australia. It seems that they are now planning on banning toy guns! There will be exceptions if those who want toy guns first get a license.

This paragraph blew my mind…

“NSW Police Minister Michael Daley said new national minimum standards affecting the possession, penalties and safe storage of imitation firearms were at a meeting in Perth yesterday.”

WTF? “…safe storage of imitation firearms…” Does that mean they are planning on locking people up if they don’t lock up their toys?

So what do you think the safe storage criteria would be for the slick, dangerous piece of hardware below?

I know what you are thinking. The cops are worried about imitation or replica arms, stuff that can easily be mistaken for the real thing. The gun above looks like something a circus clown might use, and is not a serious example.

The only thing I can say in my defense is that the Australian government is beclowning themselves without any help from me.

(Cross posted at Hell in a Handbasket.)

Long time readers know that I am an accredited self defense and home security expert with close to two decades of experience. Ever since my state legalized concealed carry, I am routinely armed not only with a concealed firearm, but also a variety of less-lethal self defense devices.

Lethal force is considered to be a reasonable response to a threat of grievous bodily harm or death. At least it is here in Ohio.

So what presents this threat? When would a reasonable person think that they are in danger of losing their lives, or becoming disabled or disfigured? Easy enough to determine if the criminal attacker is armed with a knife or gun, but it can be tricky if they aren’t.

Interesting video over at Gateway Pundit, where two people were the victims of an unprovoked attack by protesters taking part in a sidewalk chant organized by ANSWER, the Communist group.

Notice that the victims are outnumbered, and the attackers are using the wooden shafts of their protest signs as weapons. Also note that one of the victims was young and fit, and was smart enough to use the tripod of his video recorder as a makeshift self defense device against the perps.

Am I suggesting that the victims should have shot their attackers? No, and not least because I agree with comment #16 at the GP post. But I am wondering if it would have been legal.

Any lawyers amongst our readers want to tackle this one?

It is pretty well established that Maj. Hasan, the person captured while engaging in a murderous shooting spree at Ft. Hood, was well known to coworkers and the FBI as a potential terrorist. He was trying to contact al-Qaeda and members of other terrorist groups, but nothing was done about this. It would be accurate to say that a fair amount of pressure is going to come to bear on the authorities for their inaction.

Federal prosecutors moved to close down four mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper that is allegedly a front for Iranian organizations that funnel funds to terrorist groups. Big money is involved, and there should be headlines for weeks.

When it comes to operations of this scale, it obviously takes a great deal of time to investigate and collect enough evidence to prosecute. It isn’t like some cop on the beat who stumbles across a jimmied lock and catches a thief red-handed. But I do wonder if things weren’t speeded up a bit in order to provide some good press for the Feds in the midst of their performance with Maj. Hasan.

I posted here last week about how doomsayers always get it wrong. It seems that Livescience beat me to it by a day.

Worth a read. Interesting stuff.

(Hat tip to Glenn.)

Citizens of Japan, with very few exceptions, are barred from even touching a single round of ammunition. Defy the law and they could end up in jail for five years.

Convicted felons in the United States, or people who received a Dishonorable Discharge from the armed forces, are pretty much operating under the same restrictions. This section of Federal law has been the subject of much debate amongst those interested in armed self defense. I’ve decided to post about it because John of The Zeray Gazette fame is asking his readers if they agree with the practice.

Just keep in mind that this is my opinion only, and I am certainly not a lawyer or government official by any stretch of the imagination. I’m sure that there will be plenty of stuff in the rambling post below to piss just about everyone off. But this is how see it.

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How many dooms have been promised me since I was born?

Rampant pollution was going to choke me, rampant population crush me. Fresh water was going to run out, fresh air was already gone. Deforestation was going to create droughts, desertification was going to bring sand to my front door. Food additives were going to cause my body to fall apart, artificial hormones were going to cause the human race to die out due to sterilization. A new ice age was going to bring a global freeze, while burning the last of the Earth’s oil reserves would bring the end of our technology.

Tipping points were all the rage. Species going extinct in the rain forests due to urbanization would eventually start a global cascade of extinction that would lead to the human race itself going extinct. Pump enough CFC’s in the atmosphere and the Arctic ozone hole would eventually race to cover the entire world. Dump enough pollution in the environment and acid rain would wash your face off of your skull during a gentle Spring shower.

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Think I’m pulling your leg? Think again! Put this down as solid proof to the saying “Truth is stranger than fiction”.

A climate change filmmaker and lobbyist is accosted by a gang of ne’er-do-well girls, one of which is carrying an iron bar. The victim is physically handled, shoved up against a car, and threatened. Then Boris Johnson, the Mayor of old London town, just happens to pedal on by. He stops to lend a hand, even going so far as picking up the iron bar and using it to help convince the gang to clear off.

I’m a fully accredited self defense instructor with close to two decades experience in the trade. What do you think would happen to me if I had been the one to stop and help? Johnson is damn lucky that he is the Mayor!

The old saying would have you believe that a Conservative is a Liberal who has been mugged by reality. The filmmaker certainly would fit the bill, but don’t expect her to change her political stripe any time soon.

(Hat top to Milo, and cross posted at Hell in a Handbasket.)

Glenn brings us this sordid tale. Two men were recently arrested for plotting to perform terrorist attacks in Denmark.

It seems that they are still upset about that whole Muhammad cartoon flap that happened way back in 2005. Makes sense, as Muslim terrorists have a very long memory. They still cite the Crusades as a major reason for hating the West. If something done and gone for close to ten centuries still motivates them to attack people who had nothing whatsoever to do with those long ago events, then I suppose it seems logical that half a decade will seem like a mere tick of the clock. Maybe there will still be terrorists who have a yen to blow up cartoonists in the year 2300 CE or so, simply because of what those long dead scribblers dashed off in the opening years of the 21st Century.

But that is merely tangential to what I really want to discuss.

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Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize. There’ll be no living with him now.

Why did he get it, exactly? For failing to bring the Olympics to Chicago?

It seems that the Nobel committee is still seething that Bush managed to forge a democracy in the Middle East, as their praise of Obama sounds an awful lot like the scolding Bush got during his two terms. It seems that our current President brought hope to the world, changed the climate of international politics, stuff like that. Sounds like one of Obama’s campaign speeches.

The praise heaped on Obama is all about ephemeral accomplishments that have yet to actually happen. Getting the US involved in combating climate change, reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world, reducing tensions between Muslim nations and the US. Sort of like giving the heavyweight boxing championship to an Internet tough guy who never actually threw a punch.

But trying to use the Nobel prize to try and make Bush feel bad is now traditional for the Nobel committee. Back in 2002, they passed one off to former President Jimmy Carter for that very reason.

The next step is to give a Nobel prize to the girl Bush knew in high school that turned him down for a date. That will show him!

I’ve written about Detroit’s financial woes in these pages. High taxes, an anti-business mindset, and a surplus of government meddling has caused the city to lose residents at an alarming rate. Losing taxpayers results in reduced money for government budgets. When faced with such a situation, the only sane response is to make hard decisions and cut back on non-vital programs. If these decisions aren’t made, then eventually even vital government services will be overwhelmed.

The political leaders in Detroit have failed the test of their sanity. Things just keep sliding into the crapper, with no end in sight.

The latest chapter in this tale of woe is a doozy. It would seem that people in and around Detroit don’t have the cash to make arrangements for their deceased loved ones, and the city doesn’t have the cash to cremate the bodies which are now choking the morgue.

I don’t want to be anywhere near the place if they have a power blackout for a few hours!

All the bad press has prompted ACORN to act decisively in order to improve their standing.

Are they going to start to follow the law? Fire people who advise clients on ways to commit crimes, even if they aren’t caught on camera doing so? Maybe even refuse to commit fraud?

No, none of that. They are just going to change their name. Goodbye ACORN, hello Community Organizations International.

Because Conservatives are just too dumb to figure it out if you call it “Shinola“!

(Hat tip to Glenn.)

Murdoc very kindly gave us a heads up to this fascinating photo blog. Pictures taken in Normandy during the 1944 invasion are compared side-by-side with images taken from the very same spot today. Looks like they cleaned up the place a bit since then.

Uncle points us to this photo array. The weekly food intake of families from various parts of the world are shown in graphic fashion, and the money spent is tabulated. Makes me proud to be an American.

Well worth your time.

The headline reads “Global pressure builds for UN action to free Suu Kyi”.

Because, as we all know from past experience, the UN is just sooo effective at getting oppressive regimes to start making nice.