I hope they get the message

So last tuesday was my half-day at work. Basically, we get paid 8 hours wages for participating in a white elephant gift exchange and eating a free breakfast. Not too shabby. Afterwards, I did my Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew and met with my financial advisor/stock broker to rebalance my portfolio for the coming year.

Buying presents for my nephew(age 10) is mad easy.

1. Any form of weaponry
2. Old coins
3. Precious metals

My niece, who just turned 13 is a mine field. I know she likes clothes and make-up but I’m sure as hell not gonna try to buy her anything in those categories because I’m in my late 30’s and therefore an ancient crusty doofus who knows nothing about fashion. No arguments here. The only other obvious choice is some kind of computer game which she’ll bore with after a month.

I want to instill the same values and ethics I was brought up with. I want to get them both something that they can use for years and plant a nugget in their brains about what life will be like 20 years from now. My nephew has already learned the value of saving money and I want to teach my niece as well. They have no idea how important it is to start saving as soon as possible.

So I bought each of them a safe.

It’s a small but quite beefy pistol gun safe. I already have a silver coin collection I’ve been building for them for the last 5 years and I want them to understand the value of a secret hidey-hole where they can secure their very own “my precious”.

I want them to understand the concept of responsibility for their own financial success. I want them to understand a lock box is where they store that which is valuable.

I’ll be printing out a copy of the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to be the very first things they protect behind 1-inch lock bolts.

Then I’ll be purchasing a 100 ounce brick of pure silver to put inside my latest gun safe after getting the A-OK from my stock broker. I already have 27 ounces in 1 ounce coins dedicated for them as well as some Morgan Silver dollars and Peace dollars willed to me by my Grandfather, when they’re ready to hold on to them rather then liquidate for the latest rage in childhood foolishness.

We may be old and crusty doofuses. We may be out of touch with the latest rage. But one day, they will look back upon us as wise.

Don’t try and be what they want you to be today. Be what they need you to be when the sheer brutality of the real world smacks them in the face like a frozen halibut.

Gone For The Holiday

I'll be heading out to spread Xmas cheer in the morning so I'm locking up the trailer for a few days. Kaveman is still around to scribble on the walls but be careful about getting to close. He bites. And we're pretty sure his shots aren't current.

Enjoy the Holiday and everyone have a soft serve cone on me:

ATF Preparing for the Inevitable?

Even though it would violate several aspects of the FOPA act, the BATFE certainly seems to be preparing to implement plans for increased reporting requirements anyway.

To hell w/ Due Process, Following the Law or any other requirements, the BATFE, like that guy on South Park thinks it's above the law. And if you think it's coincidence this is being pushed during the Holiday Season, I would not so politely disagree.

Go to GunLeaders.com for how to contact the BATFE to attempt to stop this nonsense. Then contact your Reps and Senators to tell them to rein in this increasingly rogue agency.

H/T to STL GRE.

What's under your tree?

Both Thirdpower and I have touched on the cultural difference between “us and them.”

We have an entire industry of gun ranges, gun stores, gun conventions, competition matches, advanced tactics training and an accessory list which seems endless when you compare what you want to what you can reasonably afford. Holsters, cleaning supplies, safes, zombie targets, scopes, slings and who can forget the ammo. Long story short, our “hobby” is certainly not cheap and the taxes we pay on guns and ammo help to preserve our wide open spaces we all cherish. Take a look inside your range bag and your cleaning kit(s) and count out how many of those items are made in the USA.

We support an entire industry.

The anti-gunner will read that and scream, “See! See! I’ve always said you gunloons only care about gun profits…………..and you have a tiny wiener!

Blind rage is just that…blind rage.

We support an industry that makes products(made in America) that we want to buy. That’s just common sense.

So, while I was out today doing some Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew, I was surprised to see that the antis have an impressive train of literature, the genesis of any culture.

Here are a few Holiday gift ideas I came across today which I have labeled, Sad Panda in a Box.

Books:

1. “How to rake in a 6-figure salary by blogging twice a month” by Paul Helmke and Dennis Henigan.

2. Followed closely by “How to google your way to financial freedom” by Josh Sugarmann.

3. “How to build a successful grass-roots movement” by Ray Schoenke.

4. “How to influence people and win debates” by Joan Peterson.

5. “Getting a real job is fuckin’ hard” by Colin Goddard.

6. “My brother is dead and so can you” by Bryan Miller.

7. “How to survive prison” by Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

8. “Sock puppets made easy” by Josh Horwitz.

9. “High pitched screeching noises”-audio book by Abby Spangler

10. “Understanding the new media” by Andrew Traver.


Stay tuned for what I finally decided to get my niece and nephew for Christmas.

Illinois -1

According to the Census Data released today, Illinois will, as expected, lose a seat in the House of Representatives. Down from 19 to 18. Just a hair under 715,000 people per representative.

The redistricting should be entertaining.

Update. According to the news, the district they're looking at dumping is the 17th at the west edge of the state. This was gerrymandered heavily after the 1980 census and was in Democrat hands from '83 to this last election. Now that its been taken by a Republican (Endorsed by the NRA AQ) who won handily, they're looking at getting rid of it.

Convenient.

"He never did anything,"

Two boys, 12 & 13 assault a 68 year old woman by throwing bricks at her. Woman responds by shooting one of the boys. Both plead guilty to misdemeanor assault in lieu of felony counts, realizing they were screwed, since numerous neighbors were going to testify against the boys.

The parents of the boys continue to deny they did anything.

And we wonder where the criminal mindset comes from.

Cold War Revisited

Back during the Cold War, lots of different camo patterns were developed. One of my favorites was the E. German Flachentarnmuster, also called 'Potato' camo, used from '58 to the late '60's. Over the years I've picked up a collection of original and repop in it. Today I got a full repro field uniform in the mail from a company in Germany (Gotta love the intertubes)




And compared to an original B&W:



My boots, cap, backpack, canteen and bayonet are all originals including a helmet (not shown). The belt (w.German), straps and uniform are repop. Guns are a Romanian SAR-1 and a Chinese NDM-86.Obviously the laser is not period.

More photos here.

A Girl and Her Gun

A Girl and A Gun Trailer from Cathryne Czubek on Vimeo.

Did They Really Do That?

Every once in a while, when gun control advocates keep repeating "we just want 'reasonable, common-sense' laws for the children", it's good to keep in mind the things they HAVE done and said in the not so distant past.

Did the Joyce Foundation group Freedom States Alliance (now part of States United) try and ban the use of pellet guns by JROTC?

Yep.

Here's some of the choicer phrases they used in the petition:

high-powered pellet gun ranges

Children who are taught to use weapons and violence to solve problems will not always enter the military. Some will make violence their civilian career and they may not remain in San Diego -- they could settle anywhere in the world and commit violent crimes. This is NOT what we want to teach our kids.

then issue them weapons inside.

Because JROTC teaches kids just to shoot anyone they disagree w/ and has them strutting around the school w/ 'high powered' weapons. Right.

These are the actions and beliefs of mainstream gun control advocacy.

Update: And via Seattle GRE, the truth is even stupider than the fiction they use as Paul Helmke continues to attack the NTRA:

A leading gun violence prevention group notes that more than 10,000 people received emergency room treatment for pellet and BB gun injuries in 2009. And Daisy Outdoor Products, maker of the Red Ryder, acknowledged that gun awareness has hurt sales.