It is just a new “dance” inspired by the movie Weekend at Bernie’s 2.

Hot New DANCE CRAZE Hits The South It’s Based On The 1980s Movie WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S!!! – YouTube.

I just know what kind of comments are coming.

The doubt popped this morning and people have been scrambling to find out for sure. First, the Hotel was assumed to be part of the terminal and a no-no under Florida Law, but then Miko Tempski got this email:

 From: John O’Grady
Subject: Fwd: Airport Firearms Carry and attached hotel
To: miko.temski

Mr. Tempski, I am in receipt of the below email request. In short you are correct in your interpretation of the FSS. The Hyatt Hotel is it’s own property so legally carrying a weapon is OK. Carrying a firearm in the terminal is prohibited. If you have any other questions or concerns please contact me directly.

Regards, John O’Grady Orlando Police Department Division Commander Orlando International Airport

I emailed the Orlando PD and got this less effusive but confirming email:

From: Orlando Police Department
To: miguel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com
Subject: Re: Carrying a concealed weapon at the Orlando Airport Hotel
Date sent: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:41:51 -0400

You cannot carry it inside the terminal. The Hotel is not considered
the terminal.

So, we are good to go people!

The judge said: “I make it plain that, in my judgment, being shot is not mitigation. If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally held shotgun, that is the chance you take. You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.”

via Burglars should accept risk of being shot, says judge | UK news | The Guardian.

Earlier this month, two burglars broke into the cottage of Andy Ferrie and his wife. Mr. Ferrie used a shotgun to defend himself, called the police and in true British fashion, the cops arrested the Ferries. Thankfully enough hell was raised and the couple was released with no charges pending.

Maybe there is hope after all.

The Cult to Stop Gun Rights Violence (CSGV) is all giddy this morning by an article in Mother Jones regarding mass shootings. Note that they are very specific about mass shootings instead of mass killings because it would derail their whole argument.  It is the typical drivel we are used to read from such rags, but what really ticked me was

More broadly, attempts by armed civilians to stop shooting rampages are rare—and successful ones even rarer.

And one wonders why is that civilian attempts to stop mass shooters are rare. Maybe because Mass shootings are also rare? And because most rampage shooters select Gun Free Zones bravely advocated by anti gunners like Mother Jones? And the success rate is by now proven in several cases that did not become mass shootings because civilians did intervene and succeeded. I am not gonna repeat all the cases, you can do a search for mass shooters in this blog.

 Armed civilians attempting to intervene are actually more likely to increase the bloodshed, says (Dr. Stephen Hargarten, a leading expert on emergency medicine and gun violence at the Medical College of Wisconsin), “given that civilian shooters are less likely to hit their targets than police in these circumstances.”

Yet a bit of research gives us the info that the opposite is the truth. Davi Barker from the Daily Anarchist blog analyzed 93 shootings and came up with the following rate:

And even if you take the time to read normal one on one, Good Guy versus Bad Guy armed confrontations, you will notice that civilians will end the shindig with less than 3 shots and very rarely some bystander gets shot by the armed civilian.
But if that was not enough, Mother Jones has to dump on Armed Civilians who paid the ultimate price:

In Tyler, Texas, that same year, a civilian named Mark Wilson fired his licensed handgun at a man on a rampage at the county courthouse. Wilson—who was a firearms instructor—was shot dead by the body-armored assailant, who wielded an AK-47.

On 2005, David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. armed with an MAK-90 opened up in front of the Tyler County Courthouse initially killing his Ex-Wife and wounding his young son over a matter of Child Support. Police in the courthouse responded but they were only armed with sidearms. Hernandez Arroyo returned fired and wounded several law enforcement officer. Mark Wilson who lived in a first floor apartment across the street from the courthouse, saw what was happening, picked up his 1911 and went into the line of fire. By the time Wilson manages to approach Hernandez using a truck as cover, he had the rifle trained once more against his son to finish him off. Wilson shoot him twice and drops him to the ground but as he was wearing armor, the shots only stunned him. By the time Wilson comes around the truck to check on Hernandez Arroyo, he has recovered and shoots at Wilson killing him. But Wilson’s death was not in vain, more officers arrived, Hernandez’s young son was rescued and Hernandez himself decided that it was time to leave. Hernandez Arroyo is later killed after a chase.

The Texas House of Representatives issued a resolution that was unanimously adopted and in part reads:

With instinctive courage and selfless resolve, this valorous Texan confronted a gunman on the steps of the Smith County Courthouse; reacting to the kind of inhuman crisis that compels ordinary men to seek cover or flee, Mark Wilson proved to be an extraordinary man…..Mark Wilson was a true hero, and his example reminds us that the very best elements of human nature can emerge in the midst of the chaos and violence that threaten our society; though this brave man will be missed, his legacy will continue to inspire all who are privileged to know of him.

Antis call Mr. Wilson at best a fool who died uselessly. But they hail as a hero Colin Goddard who in the face of a mass shooting, hid under a desk, frantically dialing his cellphone for help and when it did not come, he just sat there and got shot without even trying to defend himself.

They are a sick and sorry twisted bunch.

Fresh from the email:

27th Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference
September 28-30, 2012
Hyatt Regency Orlando, Florida, Airport
 
FRIDAY, September 28, 2012—Regency Ballroom
7:00 p.m. Registration Table Opens
7:00–9:00 p.m. Reception with Cash Bar
Co-hosted by Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF)
Music by the patriot rock band Madison Rising
 
SATURDAY, September 29, 2012—Intercontinental Ballroom
7:30 a.m. Registration Table Opens
Beverages hosted by Women & Guns Magazine
8:00 a.m. CALL TO ORDER
Moderator—Julianne Versnel, publisher, Journal on Firearms & Public Policy, director of operations, SAF
Color Guard—University of Central Florida, Air Force ROTC
National Anthem performed by Madison Rising
Invocation—Rev. Anthony Winfield, chaplain, Elmhurst Hospital Center, New York City
8:10 a.m. State of the Gun Rights Battle
Welcoming Remarks
The Road Traveled—Joseph P. Tartaro, executive editor, TheGunMag.com, president, SAF
The Road Ahead—Alan M. Gottlieb, chairman, CCRKBA and founder, SAF
8:30 a.m. The Most Dangerous Election of Our Lifetime
Maria Heil, board member and spokesperson, National Rifle Association
8:45 a.m. Federal Affairs Briefing
Mark Barnes, president, Mark Barnes and Associates
Jeff Knox, managing director, Firearms Coalition, gun issues columnist
Larry Pratt, executive director, Gun Owners of America
Joe Waldron, legislative director, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
9:15 a.m. State Legislative Affairs Briefing I
Hon. Sam Slom, Minority Leader Hawaii Senate, trustee of the Second Amendment Foundation
Sandra Barreras, Puerto Rico, Damas de la Segunda Enmienda
Jim Irvine, president, Buckeye Firearms Association
Richard Nascak, co-executive director, Florida Carry.org.
Patrick Shomo, president, Maryland Shall Issue Inc.
9:45 a.m. Beverage break hosted IAPCAR
10:00 a.m. State Legislative Affairs Briefing II
Stephen Aldstadt, president, Shooters Committee on Political Education (SCOPE, Inc.) NY
Thomas Bolioli, secretary, Commonwealth Second Amendment, Inc.
Don Moran, president, Illinois State Rifle Association
Tony Montanarella, president, California Rifle & Pistol Association
Philip Van Cleave, president, Virginia Citizens Defense League
10:30 a.m. Global Gun Control: Down but Not Out
Gary Burris, founder, Lone Star Shooting Association
Sheldon Clare, president, National Firearms Association of Canada
Julianne Versnel, publisher, Women & Guns, director of operations, Second Amendment Foundation
Maj. Gen. Allen Youngman, USA (ret.), executive director, Defense Small Arms Advisory Council
11:00 a.m. “Stand Your Ground” Laws under Fire
Eric Friday, Esq., counsel for Florida Carry
Jon Gutmacher, Esq., firearms instructor, attorney and author of Florida Firearms — Law, Use & Ownership
11:20 a.m. Protecting the Right to Protect
Mark O’Mara, Esq., defense attorney for George Zimmerman
11:45 a.m. Q & A on Morning Panels
12:00 Noon Recess and break to prepare for box luncheon
12:15 p.m. Awards Luncheon Hosted by CCRKBA and SAF
Speakers:
U.S. Representative. Joe Barton (R-Texas 6th Dist.)
Ambassador Donald A. Mahley
Otis McDonald, lead plaintiff, McDonald v. City of Chicago
Awards presentations
1:30 p.m. Recess Break
1:45 p.m. Fine-Tuning Arms Rights in the Courts
David Jensen, Esq., SAF counsel in Kwong vs. Bloomberg, Moore v. Madigan and Piszczatoski v. Maenza
Donald Kilmer, Esq., counsel to CalGuns Foundation and SAF
David Kopel, Esq., research director, Independence Institute, co-author, Firearms Law & the Second Amendment
Dan Schmutter, Esq., legal counsel, Association of NJ Rifle & Pistol Clubs
2:15 p.m. The Second Amendment and the Legal Community
Bobbie K. Ross, Esq., Chair, Second Amendment Civil Rights Litigation Subcommittee, American Bar Association
2:30 p.m. The Realities of Self-Defense in Washington, DC
Emily Miller, senior editorial page editor, The Washington Times and author of Emily Gets a Gun
2:45 p.m. The “Fast and Furious” Fiasco
David Workman, senior editor, TheGunMag.com, Seattle Gun Rights Examiner
3:00 p.m. Beverage service hosted by KeepAndBearArms.com
3:15 p.m. Those Dangerous Gun-Free Zones
John Lott, PhD, commentator for FoxNews.com and Wall Street Journal
3:30 p.m. Breaking the Establishment Media’s Stranglehold
Robert Farago, publisher, TheTruthAboutGuns.com
Bob Harvey, host, Bullseye Radio Talk Show
Fredy Riehl, editor and press coordinator, Ammoland.com
Mark Vanderberg, Gun Rights Radio Network
4:00 p.m. How Gun Rights Are Really at Risk if They Steal the Election First
John Fund, senior editor The American Spectator and columnist for National Review Online
4:15 p.m. The 2012 Elections: A Nation at the Crossroads
Alan Gottlieb, chairman, AmeriPAC, chairman, CCRKBA
Stephani Scruggs, president, Unite in Action and national chair, The 912 Project
Kirby Wilbur, chairman, Republican Party of Washington, SAF trustee
4:45 p.m. Growing State Gun Rights Networks
Gene Hoffman, chairman, CalGuns Foundation
Brent Carlton, president, Commonwealth Second Amendment Inc.
Sean Caranna, co-executive director, Florida Carry.org
5:15 p.m. Which Case Will Be the Next RKBA Case to Go to SCOTUS?
Alan Gura, SAF chief counsel and lead attorney, D.C. v. Heller, McDonald v. Chicago and Ezell v. Chicago
5:30 p.m. Q & A on afternoon panels
6:00 p.m. Announcements and Adjournment
6:30-9:30 p.m. Reception with Cash Bar—Regency Ballroom
Hosted by Second Amendment Foundation and National Shooting Sports Foundation
Entertainment by patriotic rock band Madison Rising
 
SUNDAY, September 30, 2012—Intercontinental Ballroom
8:30 a.m. Registration Table Opens
Beverage service hosted by TheGunMag.com
8:50 a.m. CALL TO ORDER
Moderator: Peggy Tartaro, editor of Women & Guns, board member CCRKBA
9:00 a.m. Growing the Gunowner Base in the Popular Culture War
Alan Korwin, author, After You Shoot, Bloomfield Press Richard Mgrdechian, president, Madison Rising
Neil Schulman, screenwriter, journalist, filmmaker
Peggy Tartaro, editor, Women & Guns magazine, board member, CCRKBA
9:35 a.m. The Supreme Court: A Majority of One
David Kopel, Esq., adjunct professor of Advanced Constitutional Law, Sturm College of Law, University of Denver
Joseph P. Tartaro, executive editor, TheGunMag.com, president, SAF
10:00 a.m. The Many Faces of the Second Amendment
Rev. Kenneth V. Blanchard, pastor, firearms instructor, blogger
Doug Ritter, founder and chairman, KnifeRights.org
Erik Royce, founder, TruckerGuns Foundation
Linda Walker, board member, National Rifle Association
10:30 a.m. Is Patient Privacy Dead after Florida Court Ruling?
Timothy Wheeler, MD, director, Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, a project of the SAF
10:45 a.m. The Academic Front in the Gun Rights Battle
David Burnett, Students for Concealed Carry
Brian Patrick, associate professor of communications, University of Toledo
11:05 a.m. The Anti-Gunners’ Homeland Security Gambit
Charles Heller, executive director, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
Benjamin Smith, director of Strategic Affairs, Unite in Action, and contributor to Breitbart and Fox News
11:25 a.m. Countering Media Bias
Don Irvine, president, Accuracy in Media
Malia Zimmerman, editor, Hawaii Reporter, director, Hawaii Rifle Association
11:45 a.m. Q & A on Morning Session
12:00 Noon Report of the Resolutions Committee
Genie Jennings, W&G columnist
Stephen Aldstadt, president, SCOPE, Inc.
Linda Farmer, Georgia gun rights activist
Jeff Knox, managing director, Firearms Coalition, gun issue columnist
Don Moran, president, Illinois State Rifle Association
Herb Stupp, Vice Chairman CCRKBA
Miko Tempski, director, CCRKBA
Linda Walker, board member, National Rifle Association
Robert Wiest, SAF board of trustees, Tennessee activist
1:00 p.m. Closing remarks and adjournment
Alan M. Gottlieb and Joseph P. Tartaro

Brushfire Plague by R.P. Ruggiero is your tale of “Oh crap. I did not see this coming.” Sudden swine flu-like plague hits the world and the tenuous fabric of society takes a nasty tear.

The main character NOT a hero (neither a villain, very important distinction) is Cooper Adams. Married, one kid and regular Joe whose life gets shaken when the wife contracts Brushfire Plague and dies leaving him to take care of his young son and a world that is not the one he was subscribed.

When I say Cooper Adams is not a hero, is because what I liked about the book was precisely that Cooper is not a prepper or even worries about if there is enough milk in the fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast: he is just one normal Dad/Husband that is forced to take care of a new and awful business making mistakes along the way.

I found myself saying “Nope, you are doing that wrong. It’s gonna come back and bite you in the lumbar region” several times and that is when I realized that Cooper is a student on a steep learning curve thankfully aided by his neighbor and mentor Dranko who is the only one in the neighborhood with some wits and preps about the whole mess.

Another thing I liked about the book is the concept of community coming together to care and protect itself. I feel that sometimes the Prepper community is enamored with the idea of the lonesome Mad Max warrior, fending off for himself in the post apocalyptic world and shunning groups or gatherings. As virile as it sounds, humans are gregarious animals and need interaction and stimuli from each other or risk self-destruction. Even the archetypical Mountain man was not alone for long: he would interact with local indian tribes and even take on wives and have families. The concept of being alone was more advertising so people back at the civilized world wouldn’t be shocked. Nobody survives alone, Life happens and she is a cruel mistress.

About the only thing I did not like and that is because it is a very particular thing to me is the conspiracy slant. I understand that lots people need to know the “why” and it is easier to provide one, but sometimes stuff just “is” and we may never know the cause. But like I said it is my thing and does not detract from the book at all.

I got my copy for evaluation thanks to PrepperPress. At 278 pages it is not a long book to read. Think about it as a questionnaire to determine your preparedness baseline. Once you have the answers, start building on that.

PS: In case you haven’t noticed, I do not consider myself a Prepper. So do take my review with a block of salt.

However, the reality is that we would have a far safer society if “Only The Criminals Had Guns.”

via Gun Fact #2: If Only The Criminals Had Guns, U.S. Gun Homicides Would Plummet. « Gun Victims Action Council.

Read the article. I’ll have the Excedrin Migraine ready when you are done.