Don’t ask me how, but I always manage to congeal all my subscriptions and memberships to die at the same darn time. So I just finished renewing NRA, IDPA and SWAT Magazine plus I have to send my contribution to Gun Rights Radio Network but I screwed around enough and just now opened an account with GunPal which is the Gun version of PayPal. Let me rephrase that so there is no confusion: GunPal has nothing to do with the schmucks at EBay/PayPal. GunPal covers the huge hole left by the PC morons at EBay/PayPal who develop a sudden rash of morality and cancel transactions and accounts if they are gun related somehow. GunPal was created by Gun People for Gun people so a wee bit support is suggested. We should support our guys, right?

So back to the original thought, Have you renewed your memberships & subscriptions?  Git to it! Do not procrastinate! I do that enough 😉

And do join GunPal…. please?

Photo from Old Picture

It is said that you never screw around with the guy(s) holding the microphone because you will always lose. I’ve never been accused of being rational or sensitive so here I go.

Tyler and Robert are upset. It seems I wasn’t too nice to them on a previous post and they took exception of my snarky comments. They claim that they do not ever favor a A Federal Database of Gun Owners and Federal Regulations to Carry Concealed but they are very much in favor of a Federal Concealed Weapons permit…Huh?

OK guys, here is how it works.  What do you think would be necessary to issue a Federal CCW? Let’s see I imagine that a federally issued CCW number must be connected to at least name and an address with very possibly a set of fingerprints and a full background check, right? So far so good. Now, I imagine that the immense majority of those applying for a FCCW permit do so because they are gun owners and want to carry anywhere in the US so we end up with information on somebody who owns a gun in the hands of the Feds. Oh yes, they will make a list of the permits issued, don’t you think? Congress will make sure it happens that way in order to check for mistakes, possible issuance of FCCW to criminals, terrorists and other undesirables plus they need to know the statistics in order to allocate funding and many other things important to Washington Bureaucrats. A compilation of such information is called a database thus making a FCCW a Federal Database of Gun Owners. I am a big fan of reciprocity between the States and also supported Senator Thune’s Bill because it was simple, effective and did not add crap or created a new Federal monster. What is really disturbing about your proposal is that it seems to me designed for convenience and laziness, not gun rights (14:05) ” We advocate a solution to having to go out to all these different states and get your concealed weapons permit through each individual State… I shouldn’t have to go out and get an Oregon permit and a California permit and an Utah Permit and a Florida Permit. It would be nice to just get one permit.” And of course, a Federal Concealed Weapons Permit seems to be just the ticket. But many others think not for the reasons posted above.

Now , if you think that you and me will be allowed to say how the FCCW law will be written, you have another thing coming. Assorted Congresspeople will soon inundate the bill with restrictions (Mag capacity, defining a pistol as assault weapon if it has some extra feature they don’t like, type of ammo used, registering the gun to be used as FWCC, etc), pork, fees, insurance requirements and assorted crap unrelated to the original idea (A de facto Federal Regulations to Carry Concealed) plus our goal has never been to add another gun law but to eliminate the 20,000 laws we have in the books already. At the end of the day we will probably end with a Frankenstein that will encroach even more in our Second Amendment Rights which will promptly be signed into law with an Administration like the one we have nowadays.  And all of this because you do not feel like taking the time and money to get CCWs from different states? Basically you admitted that your driving motive for a FCCW is laziness. Now, if you really want to make a difference and eliminate the reciprocity issue, campaign for a new version of the Thune Bill, if not just let the individual States work the Reciprocity issue on their own. It has been working fine so far albeit it might be too slow for some. If your State does not allow reciprocity, well it is a local issue that the gun owners in that state should confront and not ask the Feds to intervene. I think we have too much federal intrusion as of now.

At 13:22 you hear “I come up with ideas. If you have a better idea than that, please send me an email.” I am going to tell you here instead of via email: Coming up with ideas does not absolve you from idiocy. You must think through and analyze what could go wrong. The Coyote came up with many ideas, but never gave it much of an analysis with the obvious (and hilarious) consequences happening.

Now let’s take the Mandatory Training thing. My questions are: What kind of broadcast training you two have? Do you think you should be allowed to express your ideas via podcast just because you have the tools? Don’t you agree that mandatory training is necessary specially in this day and age of electronic media where it can reach instantly to other people? Can you imagine the damage unrestricted blogging or podcasting could have? Let’s do it for the Children! See? kinda silly.

Here is an idea. Are you Firearms Instructors? If not, become one. Go to all those Gun Stores that are doing such a bad job and tell them “Hey. We are Certified Instructors. We are here to offer basic firearms safety to your customers specially those buying a gun for the first time.” Strike some sort of deal and reach to those first time buyers. Offer Hunter Safety Classes or the NRA First Step classes for a reasonable fee. Contact other instructors and propose creating local network of instructors that are willing to teach basic gun safety for free if necessary and reachable by phone or a quick email. But to mandate anything before you can own a gun? Hell no! Why do we insist on treating the Second Amendment as an embarrassing Right for which we must voluntarily bend over and take it?

And yes guys, you can call me Popoo Head if you wish, it is your right. Wait, do you have a Federal License to Podcast? Are you properly trained in Podcast safety? Just joking.

And no, I won’t contact you via email if I disagree. You made it sound like you are afraid of being criticized in public and wish to hide any potential embarrassment. Bad move even if that was not your intention. Be open, man up, take it and give it back. You will screw up, everybody does. Just fix it and carry on.

And I have been registered in the GRRN forum for a while but I choose where to participate and comment.

Truth be told I had no ill will against Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist. I think that although he didn’t do too well for Florida, he did not screw up the pooch too much either. I know his George Hamilton looks makes him kind of creepy, but I can live with it.  He did lose some points with me when he “embraced” too quickly the Obama federal handout instead of cleaning house and tightening the belt in-house.

My mother is fond to say that “La Lengua es el castigo del cuerpo” or loosely translated: The Tongue will punish the Body which in the Spanish folklore means your unchecked mouth will always get you in trouble. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Governor Crist accused his contender for the US Senate Marco Rubio of waxing his back. That Rubio allegedly did this (or was it a $130 haircut) by using a Republican Party of Florida credit card already brought some criticism to Crist when he wouldn’t cough up how he got his hands into the credit card record and didn’t care if it was obtained legally.

Marco Rubio is not only ahead in the polls for the Senate seat but way way ahead. I don’t care how cool cucumber you wanna appear, the Crist campaign is sweating bullets. But unfortunately Governor Crist shivving (or shaving) Rubio in the back is a rather distasteful and cheap shot.  I have not examined Marco Rubio’s stand on anything so I can’t say that I will vote for him, but Governor Crist may not want to wait for my vote anytime soon.

Shut the hell up next time.

Some years ago, a group of online friends would get together and bet on the Oscar Winners. We don’t do it anymore mostly because we went our separate cyber ways but also because they hated me. I was pretty good at guessing who the winners would be but what really made my buddies mad was the fact that I never saw the movies to begin with. I just guessed by their themes and their political inclination.

This year I would have missed big. Really big. These were my guesses:

Best Movie

Avatar: Great PC story but Hollywood hates giving Oscars to animated characters. Nothing much they can do with them, no juicy stories behind the scenes and they only come out when the animators allow. Not a chance.

The Blind Side: White woman in charge of Black Kid? No way no how! You racist Pig!

District 9: Apartheid is dead even if it is aliens. You are so last two decades. If it was something to do with Global Warming killing poor aliens, maybe. Again Animated (computer) characters are a no go.

An Education: Nobody saw this movie and the DVD sent to Academy members was used as coaster by many. If somebody knows what the movie is about, let us know

The Hurt Locker: Rehashing The Deer Hunter with explosives? Nah.. pass. (Humble Pie eaten in quantities and I actually saw this movie in PPV before the Oscars. not that good IMHO)

Inglourious Basterds: Quentin movies are like a Naughty boyfriend/girlfriend. Good for fun but you don’t bring him out to the Fifth Avenue parties or he will embarrass you

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. Winner winner chicken dinner! Handicapped minority with poverty issues? If you add a funky artistic thing (like a painting left foot) this movie will collect Oscars for the next three years.

A Serious Man: Who? Oh! Thirty Something movie version but without anything interesting.

Up: Again the animated character thing. No dice.

Up in the Air: Again the animated character thing. No, wait. This is Clooney. His time has passed and charm has faded. Now he looks like the middle age uncle that thinks he can pick chicks up like he did in his 20’s.

Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges: Replaying Robert Duvall’s character in Tender Mercies but without the religious thing. I Like Jeff so I give him my throw away vote for the Oscar but I doubt he will win.

George Clooney: Charm is gone. He’ll flash a big insincere smile when somebody else gets the Oscar.

Colin Firth: Who?

Morgan Freeman: Mandela? Oh yes! He doesn’t even have to say a word to win it. In the era of Obama, who will dare to vote against mandela? (Humble Pie)

Jeremy Renner: Cartoon character even if real. Movie was not that good.

Actress in a Leading Role

Sandra Bullock: I love Sandra. Contrary to popular opinion she can do serious roles.  28 days was enough for me. My favorite but not in the cards for her.

Helen Mirren: Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z!

Carey Mulligan: I think the Brit stuff is overplayed. No chance for an unknown on a overkilled series.

Gabourey Sidibe: Will you dare to deny her of the Oscar? You Racist!!!!

Meryl Streep: Chill girl, you have enough accolades and you did not play a handicapped nutjob stewing rabbits while deciding which man to love while your kid was eaten by dingoes.

As you can see I was WAY off this year. Great for Sandra though. She can do anything in a movie. There is always next year.

From Oleg Volk’s Studio

You know? It does not look half bad, not at all.