You've Got To Be Kidding

Alternate Title: Don't You Have Some Real Problems To Address?

At first I thought this headline was a joke.

Sadly, it is not.

Government Considers First Pokemon Go Regulations

Pokemon Go players have certainly had their fair share of run-ins with the law this week — mostly on the wrong side of it. Two men sustained serious injuries and are facing possible charges after falling down a cliff in California chasing Pokemon. Two teens were arrested in Toledo after jumping fence into the Toledo Zoo following the digital creatures. And in LA, police are chasing after Pokemon Go players who wander on to random neighbors’ lawns.

Okay, stupid people do stupid things. Nothing new about that. But apparently some of the idiots we have elected to office think they must do something to protect us from ourselves.

... the app itself is now the target of lawmakers, who want to regulate the game, claiming that the app poses a significant risk to public safety, and the fun must end.

One New York Assemblyman is considering drafting some sort of restriction on the game, claiming that Pokemon Go, which involves battling digital creatures, could have “tragic real-world consequences...”

Senator Al Franken is also looking into Pokemon Go. The former SNL star and Minnesota Democrat has written a letter to Niantic, the company responsible for programming the augmented reality portion of the app, asking them how much information they’re collecting from users, and what they plan to do with that information.

If his questions go unanswered, Franken could call for Congressional hearings on the subject...

That's what we get for electing a joke to the senate. (You know  the old saying: "That's the problem with political jokes. They keep getting elected.")

Democrats think congressional hearings are a bad thing when it comes to hillary, and Benghazi, or hillary and classified information, or hillary in general, but they're a good thing when it comes to imaginary creatures on your cell phone. Sigh...

The scary thing is that the move to legislate a game - a friggin' video game! - is occurring at multiple levels of government, and in multiple locations.

I am firmly in the "less government is better government" camp. This is just the latest reason why.

A Chip Off The Old Block

My 22-year-old son sent me this joke.

Four surgeons sit around discussing their favorite patients.

The first surgeon says, "I like operating on librarians. When you open them up, everything is in alphabetical order".

The second surgeon says, "I like operating on accountants. When you open them up, everything is in numerical order".

The third surgeon says, "I like operating on electricians. When you open them up, everything is color coded".

The fourth surgeon says, "I like operating on politicians".

The other three surgeons look at each other in disbelief.

The fourth surgeon continues, "Because they're heartless, gutless, spineless, and the ass and head are interchangeable".

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Speaking of heartless, gutless, spineless, and ass-headed politicians:

Priorities

This should not come as a surprise to observers of the obama administration. They feel no obligation to the public or the nation they took an oath to serve.

Assholes, one and all...

Kerry Leaves NATO Summit Early To See ‘Hamilton’

Secretary of State John Kerry is facing criticism after departing a major NATO summit early in order to watch a showing of the hit Broadway play Hamilton...

Kerry had been attending a major summit of NATO powers in Warsaw, Poland this weekend, but departed early from the powwow, dubbed by a U.S. official as “one of the most important political events of the year,” so he could attend a final showing of the musical...

Kerry’s early departure drew criticism from some foreign policy observers and prompted the State Department to admit that the secretary had left early for the showing, as well as a wedding ceremony.

Many celebrities attended the showing, prompting criticism from at least one former U.S. official.

“Priorities … John Kerry left the NATO summit early so he could hang out w/Jane Fonda, JLO, & Charlie Rose,” tweeted Michael Doran, a former senior director of the White House’s National Security Council.

Kerry also posed for pictures with fans during the play, according to photos posted on Twitter.

At least, unlike his predecessor, an American ambassador and three other state department employees haven't been killed on his watch.

Yet...

Here We Go Again

By now everyone should be aware of what happened in Dallas last Thursday.

Dallas Shooting Suspect, Micah Johnson, ‘Upset at White People’

A military veteran who said his goal was to kill white police officers opened fire Thursday night in downtown Dallas, leaving five officers dead and seven wounded...

Shortly thereafter, similar incidents followed.

Tennessee shooter targeted white victims, similar to Dallas ambush

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released the name of the suspect behind Thursday morning's random shooting in Bristol, TN that claimed the life of an area newspaper carrier and injured three others, including a local police officer.

The TBI says 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott was armed with at least two weapons, an automatic-style rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition...

Preliminary findings indicate Scott may have targeted people and officers after being troubled by recent events involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country.

Missouri Cop 'Fighting For His Life' After Being Shot in Traffic Stop

A police officer is "fighting for his life" after he was shot during a traffic stop this morning in Ballwin, Missouri...

The incident, which was caught on police dashcam, happened around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when an officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding...

After speaking with the driver, the officer went to his car to do paperwork ... the driver exited his vehicle, approached the officer's car, fired three shots, returned to his vehicle and fled.

The suspect, Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a federal weapons charge, was charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession of a firearm...

Gunfire strikes San Antonio Police headquarters

Multiple gunshots were fired at the San Antonio Police headquarters building Saturday night... There were no reports of injuries.

Bullet marks were found on the exterior wall of the building, and shell casings were discovered in a nearby alley...

This incident comes as police departments nationwide are on edge following the shooting of 12 police officers in Dallas.

I'm a data guy. My first professional career involved numbers, algorithms, and analytics. My second career relied heavily on data collection and analysis. So when I view the events of the past few days (the Dallas shootings and related aftermath), I get frustrated when so many use emotions in place of analysis and logic.

Here's some numbers to chew on.

Last year (2015) 990 people were shot and killed by police in this country. Approximately 50% were white, 26% were black, and the remainder were hispanic or 'other.' 9% were unarmed. 74% were shot while some sort of attack was in progress.

This year (2016) 512 people have been shot and killed by police to date. That's pretty much on track with last year's numbers. Approximately 47% were white, 24% were black, and the remainder were hispanic or 'other.' 7% were unarmed. Data was not provided regarding whether or not an attack was in progress.

Another piece of data was cited by Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke (who, BTW, is black).

"Forty percent of law enforcement officers in the country that are killed in the line of duty are killed by black men," Clarke said, pointing out that blacks only represent about fifteen percent of the population.

The data indicate that there is no epidemic of police shooting blacks. The numbers have remained steady.

What has changed is the use of social media to share and encourage emotional and illogical responses to these incidents. We also have grandstanding politicians and their enablers in the press who are busy spinning these tragedies to advance their narrative. For example, in a Facebook post last week obama had this to say.

"What's clear is that these fatal shootings are not isolated incidents. They are symptomatic of the broader challenges within our criminal justice system, the racial disparities that appear across the system year after year, and the resulting lack of trust that exists between law enforcement and too many of the communities they serve."

I guess barry can't be troubled to examine the facts.

He's not alone. Here's what some SJW had to say in the New York Times.

... this brand of tragedy has become routine… Law enforcement, militarized and indifferent to black lives, is the problem.

Of course, hillary had to chime in as well.

Speaking to a largely African-American audience at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, (hillary said)... it was important to acknowledge the "implicit bias" in society and some police departments.

(Side note: hillary desperately needs the black vote to help her get elected, so it's not surprising that she's pandering to them. But some conspiracy theorists think there might be another, more sinister explanation.)

I don't doubt that some of the shootings may not have been justified. But there are a myriad of factors in play here - training, mental and emotional composure of the officers involved, experience, actions of the suspects, and yes, possibly even some racial bias. But to tag all shootings as racially motivated, and to paint all cops as indifferent or even hostile to blacks, is not only false and misleading, it is grossly irresponsible. It leads to incidents like the Dallas shootings, and other similar events.

There have also been reports of individual black people and police officers coming together and helping bridge the gap between both sides. Here's one example.

Click to embiggen.

Color me foolishly naive and optimistic, but I hope that the events of the past few days will open eyes on both sides. Regardless of my fetish for data, I realize that perception is important. And right now, rightly or wrongly, blacks perceive that cops represent a threat to them, and are responding accordingly. We have to hope that the police have a better grip on their emotions and don't push back, leading to a vicious cycle of tragedy upon tragedy. We also have to hope that calmer heads will prevail on the other side, and that, over time, a calm and reasonable dialogue will emerge.

Like I said, color me foolishly naive and optimistic...

Wordless Thursday - Hillary And The FBI Version

I remember when the FBI was one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the world. Now its motto - Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity - is a joke.

Omar Mateen, the islamic terrorist who killed 49 people in an Orlando nightclub earlier this year, was investigated and cleared by the FBI - twice! - before he went on his deadly rampage.

Surprise Surprise Surprise

Remember Gomer Pyle?

I was reminded of his "Surprise Surprise Surprise" shtick when I heard the news that hillary beat the rap in her email case.

Statement by FBI Director James B. Comey on the Investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use of a Personal E-Mail System

Our investigation looked at whether there is evidence classified information was improperly stored or transmitted on that personal system, in violation of a federal statute making it a felony to mishandle classified information either intentionally or in a grossly negligent way...

Notice there is no mention of intent when discussing the federal statute. Mishandling classified information is a violation - period.

Yet later on Comey states:

Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information... (emphasis added)

"intended to violate" - so hillary gets a pass based on her intentions. I guess the next time I break a law I can just say I didn't intend to. If it's good enough for hillary, it should be good enough for you and me. Right?

Yeah, sure...

There is evidence to support a conclusion that any reasonable person in Secretary Clinton’s position, or in the position of those government employees with whom she was corresponding about these matters, should have known that an unclassified system was no place for that conversation (e-mail chains concerning matters that were classified at the Top Secret/Special Access Program level when they were sent and received). (emphasis added)

Wait a minute! Did Comey just say that hillary is not a reasonable person? That's just about the only thing in this load of BS that passes the smell test.

In addition to this highly sensitive information, we also found information that was properly classified as Secret by the U.S. Intelligence Community at the time it was discussed on e-mail...

None of these e-mails should have been on any kind of unclassified system, but their presence is especially concerning because all of these e-mails were housed on unclassified personal servers not even supported by full-time security staff, like those found at Departments and Agencies of the U.S. Government—or even with a commercial service like Gmail.

Classified information stored and transmitted on personal private e-mail servers less secure than Gmail - sure sounds like a violation of the 'mishandling' federal statute to me. But then again, I'm not the FBI Director.

It's enough to make me wish that J. Edgar Hoover was back in charge - feathered boa and all...

More:

FBI Rewrites Federal Law to Let Hillary Off the Hook

There is no way of getting around this: According to Director James Comey (disclosure: a former colleague and longtime friend of mine), Hillary Clinton checked every box required for a felony violation of Section 793(f) of the federal penal code (Title 18): With lawful access to highly classified information she acted with gross negligence in removing and causing it to be removed it from its proper place of custody, and she transmitted it and caused it to be transmitted to others not authorized to have it, in patent violation of her trust. Director Comey even conceded that former Secretary Clinton was “extremely careless” and strongly suggested that her recklessness very likely led to communications (her own and those she corresponded with) being intercepted by foreign intelligence services.

Yet, Director Comey recommended against prosecution of the law violations he clearly found on the ground that there was no intent to harm the United States.

In essence, in order to give Mrs. Clinton a pass, the FBI rewrote the statute, inserting an intent element that Congress did not require... (emphasis added)

It seems to me that this is what the FBI has done today. It has told the public that because Mrs. Clinton did not have intent to harm the United States we should not prosecute her on a felony that does not require proof of intent to harm the United States. Meanwhile, although there may have been profound harm to national security caused by her grossly negligent mishandling of classified information, we’ve decided she shouldn’t be prosecuted for grossly negligent mishandling of classified information.

Two more things:

First, if hillary and her clown posse can't handle simple things like email and fax systems, how on earth can she serve as leader of the free world?

click to embiggen

Second, if, as she claims, she never sent classified info over her private server, and never used the official State Dept. system, how in God's name did she do her job as Secretary of State?

Bottom line - whatever shred of respect or allegiance I might have once had towards our federal government is now a thing of the past. It has gone from a minor annoyance to an out-of-control threat to freedom and the rule of law.

A pox on all three of its branches.

And a huge pox on hillary rodham clinton and her enablers.

First Brexit, Then Texit

In the wake of the Brexit vote, resulting in the future withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union, the issue of Texas exiting the United States - Texit - is once again making waves.

Huzzah for Great Britain, a sovereign nation that saved its own sovereignty by the skin of its own teeth; a nation that, with the ongoing flood of illegal immigrants, was just a year or two away from losing the #Brexit vote, and with it their country forever. Power to the people!

If they can do it, why can't we Texans?

Just a few years ago, the idea of seceding from my beloved United States of America sounded preposterous, unthinkable, ridiculous, the stuff of tinfoil hats...

But in just a few years, so much has changed, and I don't think that change is within me. In just a few years, right here in my beloved U.S. of A., through the federal government, some state governments, and most especially the mainstream media and Supreme Court, what was once unthinkable is not only thinkable and a real threat, but in some cases actual reality.

Real Freedom is sovereignty, self-determination… the right of man to choose his or her own leaders and by extension the laws they live under. The primary job of a righteous government is to protect our freedoms -- the freedom for me to swing my fist in any way I please and to protect your right not to get hit by that fist. During the Obama-era, there has been a sea change in this thinking, and to say that it has been aided and abetted by an increasingly corrupt news media would be the understatement of all time.

Stop and think. Can you name one area ... one topic ... one issue ... one damn thing where we have more freedom now than we did eight years ago?

I didn't think so.

If you believe that I can do as I damn well please until it gets in the way of you doing what you damn well please, then you are an American. If you do not believe in imposing your morals and values on me, then you are an American.

And there aren't many of us left.

Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, it is technically illegal for Texas to secede. Neither the Texas Constitution, nor the Ordinance of the Convention of Texas (aka the Terms of Annexation) provides for the secession of Texas. However, one might argue for a "Texit Laboratory."

For the good of humanity, why not try an experiment where an American state is allowed to decouple itself completely from the federal government. Maybe we'll discover that despite its many flaws, the Left is correct and we are in fact better off with a centralized federal government.

But maybe we'll discover that without all the federal red tape and oversight and mandates that a smaller sovereignty is more dynamic and prosperous and free; that poverty and crime and unemployment will decrease, that the air and water will be cleaner, that people will be happier and freer.

And anyone who doesn't like #Texit is free to leave and move to America.

Sounds pretty damn good to me!

Birthdays Of Note

Yesterday was our daughter's 20th birthday. She's growing up much too fast.

Yesterday was also the 215th anniversary of the birth of the great French classical liberal economist Frédéric Bastiat (liberal in the good old-fashioned sense - that is, what today we would call libertarian.

Bastiat was one of the first economic theorists in the libertarian vein, who warned of the evils of big government and over-regulation. His definition of "legal plunder" - aka crony capitalism - is a classic example.

Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on, and so on. All these plans as a whole—with their common aim of legal plunder—constitute socialism.

But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. (emphasis added)

Here's a few more Bastiat quotes.

“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”

“Everyone wants to live at the expense of the State. They forget that the State lives at the expense of everyone.”

Sound familiar? Too bad nobody reads the works of dead white males anymore.

Here's two more that are particularly relevant as we near Independence Day.

Dress Code

I'm still busier than a one-armed paper hanger in an ass-kicking contest (or whatever that saying is), but I did want to vent about a couple of things in the recently released House Select Committee on Benghazi report. There's plenty in there to get upset about, especially since the end result of all the bungling, incompetence, and CYA crap was four dead Americans. But what really caught my eye were two things.

First, there appears to have been a tug of war between State and Defense over how the 'rescue forces' should dress.

The report highlights the military's failure to carry out Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's order to deploy forces to Benghazi and the lengthy delay that prevented the military assets from arriving at the embassy in Tripoli until 2 p.m. the day after the Benghazi attack. 

"What was disturbing from the evidence the Committee found was that at the time of the final lethal attack at the Annex, no asset ordered deployed by the Secretary had even left the ground," the report states. 

Previous accounts blamed the "tyranny of time and distance" plus the failure to have airplanes ready for the significant delay in moving military assets. But the report states conflicting orders from State Department and Pentagon officials over whether Marines should wear military uniforms or civilian attire also played a role. (emphasis added)

In a newly revealed two-hour secure video conference on the night of the attacks led by White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and attended by Clinton and others, State Department officials raised concerns about the diplomatic sensitivities of the attire to be worn by assets launched.

Really? People are dying and the Foggy Bottom boys (and girls) are worried "diplomatic sensitivities"? Let's put them in a position where they're getting shot at and see if they care what the rescue team is wearing.

According to one commander, the report states, as forces prepared to deploy, "during the course of three hours, he and his Marines changed in and out of their uniforms four times." (emphasis added)

GMAFB.

Another thing which raised my hackles was this tidbit.

The report also finds that then-Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral James Winnefeld, did not participate in the secure call because "he had left to return to his residence to host a dinner party for foreign dignitaries." He received one update during the dinner on the attacks.

If true, and if there isn't a damn good reason behind his failure to participate, then his military career needs to come to a schreeching halt. I wasn't there, I don't know all the details, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but it just sounds wrong.

Of course, barry and hillary screwed the pooch seven ways from Sunday on this one, but it sure looks like there's plenty of other blame to go around. Regardless of how much ineptness is at the top of the food chain, people need to figure out some way to do their job - or find another one.

I'm so disgusted by everyone involved I need to stop typing now before I blow a gasket...

Under The Radar

Most of yesterday's news was focused on the Brexit vote - Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

The stunning vote, 52 percent to 48 percent, plunged world financial markets into turmoil, the political consequences for the prime minister of Britain were swift, and the people around the globe reacted with shock and confusion.

FWIW, I heartily applaud the outcome. Anytime a populace can shed one layer of corrupt and inept politicians, along with the accompanying regulatory and bureaucratic overkill, indifference, and incompetence, well, that's a good thing.

It also shows that the 'silent majority' is alive and well, and is 'mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.' That may have implications for our own election come November.

But while Brexit hogged most of the headlines and airtime, several other noteworthy stories snuck under the radar. Just in case you missed them:

Senate gun compromise survives first test vote

The Senate voted Thursday to allow further consideration of bipartisan legislation banning gun sales to people on the terrorism "no-fly" list.

Senate Republicans could have killed the measure, but several sided with Democrats in allowing it to go forward.

No doubt the crybabies and spoiled brats who participated in the House sit-in protesting lack of action are pleased.

The premise - that someone who is considered too dangerous to board a commercial flight should be denied the right to buy a firearm - is hard to argue with. But, as always, the devil is in the details.

No Fly, No Buy? No Way

The problem with No Fly-No Buy is the foundation upon which the law would be based. The No Fly List is riddled with problems, from its secrecy (a violation of the Privacy Act), to its over-inclusiveness – the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was on the list at one point. The liberal lion even spoke out against the list, worried that the rights of non-senators could very easily be violated.

IMO Teddy should have been labeled a terrorist. After all, he killed Mary Jo Kopechne and then tried to cover up his culpability. But that doesn't negate the fact that the list is basically a form of 'guilty until proven innocent,' which is a gross perversion of our country's legal foundation.

In a delicious bit of irony, a muslim terrorist group spoke out against the proposed gun control legislation.

CAIR blasts Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act: ‘Mandela himself’ was on watch list

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has issued a statement blasting legislation proposed Tuesday that would keep suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms, saying it lacks due process and unfairly targets Muslims.

“We oppose the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act of 2016 because it appears to limit the ban on firearms purchases to American Muslims..."

Funny, that's not how I read the bill. I guess CAIR, like most of us, is having a difficult time distinguishing terrorists and muslims.

But they do have a point regarding the secrecy and appeals process. And, as they point out, in addition to Teddy Kennedy, another famous person was on the list.

“Nelson Mandela, then former South African president, Nobel Prize winner and anti-Apartheid leader was on a U.S. terrorism watch list until 2008,” the group said. “Mandela himself needed special State Department clearance to visit the United States in 2008".

It seems like a simple process. Fix the list first, then worry about 'No Fly, No Buy.' But I guess that's too complicated for liberals. So here's a proposal they might understand.

Just to be clear, here's my position.

In other news, Clinton failed to hand over key email to State Department.

Former Secretary Hillary Clinton failed to turn over a copy of a key message involving problems caused by her use of a private homebrew email server, the State Department confirmed Thursday. The disclosure makes it unclear what other work-related emails may have been deleted by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Speaking of Hillary:

Clinton’s State Dept. calendar missing scores of entries

An Associated Press review of the official calendar Hillary Clinton kept as secretary of state identified at least 75 meetings with longtime political donors, Clinton Foundation contributors and corporate and other outside interests that were not recorded or omitted the names of those she met.

The fuller details of those meetings were included in files the State Department turned over to the AP after it sued the government in federal court.

Expect nothing but yawns from the left and the media on those stories. After all, Hillary can do no wrong in their eyes.

While hillary does the political version of rope-a-dope, her partner in crime continues to treat the U.S. Constitution as an afterthought.

Obama: I'm Still Not Enforcing Immigration Law, No Matter What The Court Says

President Barack Obama said Thursday that despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s tie vote, which essentially blocks his immigration plan, the millions of illegal immigrants that he sought to make legal with his executive action will remain a low priority for deportation by his administration.

“Enforcement priorities developed by my administration are not affected by this ruling.”

Translation: “I am above the law. I can do whatever I want, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.”

Asshole…

Meanwhile, in Baltimore:

Freddie Gray verdict: Baltimore officer who drove van not guilty on all charges

Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson, who drove the van in which Freddie Gray was fatally injured, was found not guilty Thursday on all charges, including the most serious count of second-degree depraved-heart murder.

… the state has failed to secure a single conviction following three high-profile trials.

Four other officers await trial, but legal experts are now questioning whether those cases will hold up.

"It does not bode well for prosecution," CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos said.

I'm sure the Black Lives Matter clowns are beside themselves over that, but frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Remember, folks, a magician distracts you with one hand while tricking you with the other. So keep asking yourself "What are they really up to?"

From The Horse's Mouth

The Evil Black Rifle speaks:

Hi, my name is AR-15. Some of you know me, but many more of you know of me -- through the media. But you may not know the real me.

I’m that cool, sleek-looking black gun you’ve seen profiled by the press. They put me in newspapers and on TV, showing my picture as if it’s a mug shot, even though I’ve never committed a crime. Oh, bad people have at times used (and abused) me to do bad things, but not really that often; as even The New York Times admitted in 2014, firearms such as me -- which that paper and others call “assault weapons” -- are only used in two percent of gun crimes (most are perpetrated with handguns).

... The public knows my appearance well; people have seen my cousin and dead ringer, M-16, fired machine-gun style in war movies for decades. But, alas, I, AR-15 -- the weapon available to the public -- can only be fired semi-automatic. This means that every time you pull my trigger, one shot, and only one shot, is released.

So even if we accept the term “assault weapon,” that’s not me. To qualify, a gun must be capable of fully automatic fire (machine-gun style), and no such weapons are readily available to the public. So unlike cousin M-16, who originally had a select-fire feature allowing him to be shot in various ways, I’m just a one-trick pony.

Despite this, I’ve become a media whipping boy. Even when those rare crimes are committed in which a gun of my class is used, but which don’t involve me personally — such as the horrific Orlando incident, where Muslim terrorist Omar Mateen used a Sig Sauer MCX — my face is front and center.  In fact, that’s what finally inspired me to speak out, articles such as this outrageous one from Daily News writer Gersh Kuntzman. Reporting on how he tried me at a Philly gun range, he actually wrote:

The recoil bruised my shoulder, which can happen if you don't know what you're doing. The brass shell casings disoriented me as they flew past my face. The smell of sulfur and destruction made me sick. The explosions -- loud like a bomb -- gave me a temporary form of PTSD. For at least an hour after firing the gun just a few times, I was anxious and irritable.

None of the above is true; I know because I was there. Oh, in my younger and more impetuous days, I would’ve gotten a thrill out of being portrayed as such a macho guy. But the Truth will set you free (something the propagandizing Mr. Kuntzman should ponder).

And the truth is that I never bruised Mr. Kuntzman. One thing I can rightly puff up my chest over is that I have very little recoil because I’m high-tech -- my mechanism is designed to absorb much of the energy of the blast. And you don’t have to take my word for it. ... Below is a video of a seven-year-old girl trying me for the first time (forward to 2:55 if you want to see just the actual firing).

Did the little lass say “Ow!” or register discomfort in any way? Did she rub her shoulder? A 12-gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot could have knocked that little tyke on her kiester, but me? Also know that Kuntzman fired me only three times before bowing out, grousing that I was a “dangerous weapon.” And that fact, my friends, comes from Frank Stelmach, who was quoted by Kuntzman and who owns the gun range the journalist visited...

And by the by, Stelmach said that Kuntzman never mentioned anything about his shoulder or expressed that he was experiencing any kind of discomfort. Stelmach also called the notion that an ultra-low-recoil weapon such as me could bruise a grown man’s shoulder “nonsense.”

As for my “explosions” being “loud like a bomb,” well, I can belt out a song, but not like some other firearms. And no wonder. I fire the .223 cartridge, a small-caliber round the same diameter as a .22 (yes, .22s are those cute little rounds you put in your Marlin as a kid). Of course, my round is a lot more powerful than a .22 (in your face, Marlin!), but just take a look at these “killing power” rankings of rifle rounds. It’s hard to admit, but my small .223 has the second least power of the 41 cartridges listed...

Of course, then there are my magazines; for the Kuntzmans of the world, no, those aren’t things you read that usually contain liberal propaganda. They’re objects loaded with cartridges that, assuming they’re removable, you then insert into firearms. It’s true that high-capacity magazines are available for me. But criminals would always get them on the black market; moreover, with just a bit of effort, any gun’s removable magazine can be modified to hold a large number of rounds. So why am I singled out?

The answer is simple: my looks -- and others’ prejudices. Take a gander at me below:

Am I not a sharp-looking guy? Black is beautiful!

But it’s also seen as “menacing,” especially by liberals in the media. Face it, since I’m functionally no different from other legal firearms -- semi-automatic just as most guns sold in America are -- I can only conclude that I’m profiled as dangerous because of my sleek military-like appearance and my color. If I looked like those much more powerful hunting rifles, would you really be troubling over me?

... this is standard liberal style over substance...

It’s enough to make me want to shoot myself.

I'm Not Thrilled, But...

I'm not thrilled with the prospect of Donald Trump as our next president. But I am even less thrilled scared to death by the thought of hillary plopping her worthless butt down in the Oval office. Here's one reason why. (source)

If that doesn't motivate you to vote for Trump - albeit unenthusiastically - then you're brain dead.

Wordless Wednesday - Friday Version 2013.06.17

So I'm a few days off. Who cares...?

Here's a few of my favorites that sum up the events of this week.

I'd forgotten that Carter did that, but once I saw the image it came back to me. Who ever thought we'd be longing for another Jimmy Carter to be the democrat presidential candidate, instead of the evil hag running today.

Wordless Wednesday - 2016.06.08

It's not yet official, but it sure looks inevitable. Either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be the next president of the United States.

God help us...

Finally, here's one that puts the who-uses-what-restroom controversy in perspective.