News from Obama's home stomping grounds of Chicago should become more ammunition (pun intended) for him to use for his War on Guns.
Chicago, with some of the toughest gun control laws in the country (including a ban on 'assault weapons') this past Saturday experienced 7 dead and 6 wounded IN ONE DAY. Over 40 people have lost their lives in gun violence in Boss Rahm's territory since Jan. 1.
Yesterday, a 15 year old girl, a majorette who had performed for Obama at a couple of inaugural events, was gunned down.
Given the overwhelming success of Democrat generated gun control in Chicago, why wouldn't the rest of the country want to jump on board? Why is Obama flying all the way to Nevada to hold a campaign rally (at taxpayer expense) to announce his gun control edicts, rather than to his home turf of Chicago?
(Chicago has been controlled by the Democrat political machine, well, forever. It is a sterling example of 'when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns')
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Obama's War on Ammo
I heard today that Obama has not quite publicly directed his minions in the EPA to begin drafting regulations to attack the manufacture of ammunition.
What does the EPA have to do with ammunition, and how can Obama use this as a central piece of his War on Guns?
The majority of ammo produced consists of lead (or has a lead component).
The EPA will claim authority over manufacture of bullets by calling them environmental pollution.
Sound crazy? Why? Look at the EPA. It has turned into a rogue agency, inventing authority over whatever industries and resources that Obama and his environmentalist whacko base want to shut down. It's Director is leaving under a cloud, having broken the law on multiple occasions. The EPA is causing the shutdown of multiple industries and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. It stands in the way of energy independence at every turn. It is Obama's backstop, his personal pack of Brown Shirts that he can use to do his dirty work - things he can't get done through Congress, and things he doesn't want to be publicly transparent. (He use the EPA to kill the coal industry)
This is not receiving a lot of attention. They want to keep it under the radar, so that public outcry doesn't build.
Imagine - get on a waiting list for a small box of bullets, then having to submit to a background check to qualify to buy it, and having the amount you receive rationed. Every far left kook in America will be laughing their asses off at us - 'You got your guns, but nothing to shoot in them!'.
What does the EPA have to do with ammunition, and how can Obama use this as a central piece of his War on Guns?
The majority of ammo produced consists of lead (or has a lead component).
The EPA will claim authority over manufacture of bullets by calling them environmental pollution.
Sound crazy? Why? Look at the EPA. It has turned into a rogue agency, inventing authority over whatever industries and resources that Obama and his environmentalist whacko base want to shut down. It's Director is leaving under a cloud, having broken the law on multiple occasions. The EPA is causing the shutdown of multiple industries and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. It stands in the way of energy independence at every turn. It is Obama's backstop, his personal pack of Brown Shirts that he can use to do his dirty work - things he can't get done through Congress, and things he doesn't want to be publicly transparent. (He use the EPA to kill the coal industry)
This is not receiving a lot of attention. They want to keep it under the radar, so that public outcry doesn't build.
Imagine - get on a waiting list for a small box of bullets, then having to submit to a background check to qualify to buy it, and having the amount you receive rationed. Every far left kook in America will be laughing their asses off at us - 'You got your guns, but nothing to shoot in them!'.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Dear Leader Thanks The Clintons
To Birrary Creenton
From Your Friend Dear Reader Jr.
cc: Osama Obama (ha, ha)
Dear Reader Jr. want to thank you so much for arrowing the Freedom Ruving Peoples of North Korea to test our new nucrear bomb. You shourd watch MSNBC crosery, they will happiry show our peacefur intents when I push da button to blow it up.
My peace ruving country courd not have reached this historic mirestone without your direct herp. Your arrowing my Father, Dear Reader, to continue our nucrear research back in the ninties was a key, as was your generous gift of nucrear reactors and technorogy for 'power generation' (yeah, that's funny!) Arr da free food and oir you sent over was very wercome, too, though you courd have sent more Taco Berr. Dad rearry riked all the cowboy boots and movies you sent as gifts - da truth!
Birr, got to terr you, Hirrary rooking pretty bad these days. Armost as bad as that Arbright hag you sent over back when you was boss. You terr Osama if he want to send someone with more gifts, not send Hirrary, or that dumbass Rurch - he no fun at arr. You terr Osama he better send Cowboy Cheerreaders - I no risten to them, but wourd ruv to pray Cowboy and Dear Reader with them.
Sorry Birr, got to go - Madonna on the phone. She big fan of me. Risten for the Big Bang!
Your Good Friend, Dear Reader Jr.
As North Korea announces to the world that it is about to detonate a nuclear bomb, all Americans should pause and give thanks to those who made it possible - Bill and Hillary Clinton and their Administration.
(with apologies to Trey Parker and Matt Stone ...)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Senator Feinstein - So, You Know Guns, Huh?
During her press conference announcing her War on Guns, Sen. Feinstein told the world that she had been after this moment for more than 20 years, and she knew all about guns. She then held this weapon up and identified it as an AR-15.
Sen. Feinstein, with all due respect (actually you are due no respect in this matter), you don't know this gun from your ass. This is an M-4 Carbine. Carbines have folding/telescoping stocks. Rifles such as the AR-15 have fixed stocks. It is not a minor detail, it is a fundamental defining characteristic of the weapon.
If you know so much about guns, how can you make such a stupid mistake?
Update - Wording in The War On Guns Act would make illegal any weapon that automatically chambered a round when a round is fired (that is the definition of semi-automatic). The only weapons that would be legal would require manual manipulation, via slide/bolt/pump/lever to load the next round.
This wording would make illegal EVERY pistol being sold in the US currently, except for antiques and antique reproductions. All pistols are semi-automatic, including six shot revolvers, according to this definition.
Update II - 'Don't worry ... if you currently have one of these weapons, you can keep it. We're not coming for you guns. All you have to do is register your guns with us.' BULLSHIT. By requiring lawful citizens to register their existing guns with them, Obama and his minions are laying the groundwork for their future goals. If they can build a list of who has them, just think of the ways that can be used for their benefit. Say, 5 years from now President Clinton decides that all 'assault weapons' have to be confiscated - they have the list of what houses to raid. If Clinton decides that she's going to punish 'assault weapon' owners, she could levy a $5000 tax on each and every assault weapon registered (and the proceeds would be used to expand free marujuana distritution for 'medicinal purposes' under Obamacare).
If they have the information, it will be misused. Period. There is absolutely no defendable reason for the government to have this information - it will not prevent one crime.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Insane Cuomo's Got Company
You might think that New York Governonr Andrew Cuomo is way out of line, and completely off his rocker when he passed the most restrictive state gun control laws in the nation, and tried to force through even more draconian measures - as decribed below. Well, he's not out of the mainstream of the far left kook fringe. He's about to have company...
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) is set to introduce an Assault Weapons Ban bill into the US Senate on Thursday. Liberals, orgasmically giddy over the prospect, leaked details of what she will propose:
1) Outright ban on the manufacture or sale of 120 specific weapons.
2) Outright ban on the manufacture or sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, for any weapon.
3) Outright ban on the sale or manufacture of any weapon that can accept a detachable magazine and has one other 'military style feature'.
4) Federal registration of any existing weapon that meets any of these criteria.
And more ... but those are the 'highpoints' that have the far left creaming their jeans.
The bill will probably not pass a vote in the Senate. In fact, Harry Reid will more than likely not allow it to come up for a vote - because that would put 'on the record' some Dem Senators from states that are heavily pro-2nd Amendment. They would have to either vote against Democrat leadership and His Highness, or vote for gun control and be booted out of office by the voters in the next election.
If for some reason it does pass through the Senate, it is DOA in the Republican controlled House. Which is perfect for Dems, for then they can spend the 2014 mid-term elections crowing about how those evil Republicans supporting rich assault weapon owner child (not baby, mind you) killing Christians blocked Obama's perfectly understandable attempt to rid the country of all weapons. Think that wouldn't happen? I'll bet Obama's campaign mechanism is already drafting the material for it.
Dems know this will never fly. It is a statement to their base. It is also laying the groundwork for the future.
There will immediately be calls for Republicans in the House to come up with their own proposals - it is a trap, and one to be avoided. Boehner and his caucus should ignore the calls.
Remember, the far left in this country is like the Islamic terrorists we are fighting around the world - they are very patient, and don't mind waiting a while for their paradise.
Update - Well, here's Feinstein's list of proposed banned weapons. Note that there are pistols and shotguns on it as well ar AKs and ARs.
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) is set to introduce an Assault Weapons Ban bill into the US Senate on Thursday. Liberals, orgasmically giddy over the prospect, leaked details of what she will propose:
1) Outright ban on the manufacture or sale of 120 specific weapons.
2) Outright ban on the manufacture or sale of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, for any weapon.
3) Outright ban on the sale or manufacture of any weapon that can accept a detachable magazine and has one other 'military style feature'.
4) Federal registration of any existing weapon that meets any of these criteria.
And more ... but those are the 'highpoints' that have the far left creaming their jeans.
The bill will probably not pass a vote in the Senate. In fact, Harry Reid will more than likely not allow it to come up for a vote - because that would put 'on the record' some Dem Senators from states that are heavily pro-2nd Amendment. They would have to either vote against Democrat leadership and His Highness, or vote for gun control and be booted out of office by the voters in the next election.
If for some reason it does pass through the Senate, it is DOA in the Republican controlled House. Which is perfect for Dems, for then they can spend the 2014 mid-term elections crowing about how those evil Republicans supporting rich assault weapon owner child (not baby, mind you) killing Christians blocked Obama's perfectly understandable attempt to rid the country of all weapons. Think that wouldn't happen? I'll bet Obama's campaign mechanism is already drafting the material for it.
Dems know this will never fly. It is a statement to their base. It is also laying the groundwork for the future.
There will immediately be calls for Republicans in the House to come up with their own proposals - it is a trap, and one to be avoided. Boehner and his caucus should ignore the calls.
Remember, the far left in this country is like the Islamic terrorists we are fighting around the world - they are very patient, and don't mind waiting a while for their paradise.
Update - Well, here's Feinstein's list of proposed banned weapons. Note that there are pistols and shotguns on it as well ar AKs and ARs.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
New York's Governor Is Insane
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has made no secret of his Presidential ambitions. He has taken a series of steps since his ascension to NY's top seat, all formulated to build his far left kook base. His recent popularity numbers (over the past 6 months) are around 70% (which tells you everything you need to know about the general population of New York).
He's passed through gay marriage legistlation. He's pushed through the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation (more on that a little later). He's now trying to endear himself to the far left kooks who believe abortions are a 'women's health issue'.
His latest bill, called 'The Reproductive Health Care Act', allows unrestricted, elective abortions all the way until the moment of birth. Currently, third trimester abortions are only allowed if the woman's life is in danger. Now, a woman and her child killing partner can terminate the life of an unborn child up to the point where the child's last toes leave the womb.
The bill goes further, making illegal any legislation that in any way restricts abortion or anything to do with abortion. His goal is to turn NY State into the world's abortion capital. I guess he thinks that will help their pathetic economy.
This hypocritical bastard also just rammed through an attack on the 2nd Amendment Rights of NY citizens, in the name of 'protecting the children'. What a piece of shit Cuomo is. With him and Mayor Doomburg in NYC being the faces of the state and city, its no wonder people from New York are fleeing to the sunbelt in record numbers.
NY State Rep. Steve McLaughlin (R) has brought to light the extent of what Cuomo and his Dem minions in the NY State House were trying to push through as parts of the NY SAFE Act (otherwise known as the Adolph Hitler Memorial Gun Confiscation Act). 15 proposals were cut from the final voted on bill, apparently because Democrats knew they were so heinous that public outcry would prevent the bill from passing into law. Democrats then tried like hell to keep these 15 proposals from becoming public knowledge - they know that the release of this information will piss a lot of New Yorkers off;
1. Confiscation of “assault weapons”
2. Confiscation of ten round clips
3. Statewide database for ALL Guns
4. Continue to allow pistol permit holder’s information to be released to the public
5. Label semiautomatic shotguns with more than 5 rounds or pistol grips as “assault weapons”
6. Limit the number of rounds in a magazine to 5 and confiscation and forfeiture of banned magazines
7. Limit possession to no more than two (2) magazines
8. Limit purchase of guns to one gun per person per month
9. Require re-licensing of all pistol permit owners
10. Require renewal of all pistol permits every five years
11. State issued pistol permits
12. Micro-stamping of all guns in New York State
13. Require licensing of all gun ammo dealers
14. Mandatory locking of guns at home
15. Fee for licensing, registering weapons
Rep. McClaughlin tried to bring this information up in session, but was prevented - and then his Democrat counterpart begged him not to make the information public. Very instructive ... NY has learned how to pass legislation from Obama - in the dark of night, out of view of the public they are supposed to serve ...
Thank you, Rep. McLaughlin, for bringing this out into the public eye. Note the discomfort the Democrat keeps showing as he tries to explain the unexplainable. Exposing these left wing creeps will make them scurry for the cover of a rock to hide under.
He's passed through gay marriage legistlation. He's pushed through the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation (more on that a little later). He's now trying to endear himself to the far left kooks who believe abortions are a 'women's health issue'.
His latest bill, called 'The Reproductive Health Care Act', allows unrestricted, elective abortions all the way until the moment of birth. Currently, third trimester abortions are only allowed if the woman's life is in danger. Now, a woman and her child killing partner can terminate the life of an unborn child up to the point where the child's last toes leave the womb.
The bill goes further, making illegal any legislation that in any way restricts abortion or anything to do with abortion. His goal is to turn NY State into the world's abortion capital. I guess he thinks that will help their pathetic economy.
This hypocritical bastard also just rammed through an attack on the 2nd Amendment Rights of NY citizens, in the name of 'protecting the children'. What a piece of shit Cuomo is. With him and Mayor Doomburg in NYC being the faces of the state and city, its no wonder people from New York are fleeing to the sunbelt in record numbers.
NY State Rep. Steve McLaughlin (R) has brought to light the extent of what Cuomo and his Dem minions in the NY State House were trying to push through as parts of the NY SAFE Act (otherwise known as the Adolph Hitler Memorial Gun Confiscation Act). 15 proposals were cut from the final voted on bill, apparently because Democrats knew they were so heinous that public outcry would prevent the bill from passing into law. Democrats then tried like hell to keep these 15 proposals from becoming public knowledge - they know that the release of this information will piss a lot of New Yorkers off;
1. Confiscation of “assault weapons”
2. Confiscation of ten round clips
3. Statewide database for ALL Guns
4. Continue to allow pistol permit holder’s information to be released to the public
5. Label semiautomatic shotguns with more than 5 rounds or pistol grips as “assault weapons”
6. Limit the number of rounds in a magazine to 5 and confiscation and forfeiture of banned magazines
7. Limit possession to no more than two (2) magazines
8. Limit purchase of guns to one gun per person per month
9. Require re-licensing of all pistol permit owners
10. Require renewal of all pistol permits every five years
11. State issued pistol permits
12. Micro-stamping of all guns in New York State
13. Require licensing of all gun ammo dealers
14. Mandatory locking of guns at home
15. Fee for licensing, registering weapons
Rep. McClaughlin tried to bring this information up in session, but was prevented - and then his Democrat counterpart begged him not to make the information public. Very instructive ... NY has learned how to pass legislation from Obama - in the dark of night, out of view of the public they are supposed to serve ...
Thank you, Rep. McLaughlin, for bringing this out into the public eye. Note the discomfort the Democrat keeps showing as he tries to explain the unexplainable. Exposing these left wing creeps will make them scurry for the cover of a rock to hide under.
Don't You Dare Complain!
To all of you who voted for Obama, or couldn't find enough energy to vote against him, you are going to receive a bunch of surprises in the coming months. DON'T YOU DARE BE SURPRISED, AND YOU BY GOD BETTER NOT COMPLAIN.
1) Income tax rates on folks who make $400K or more haas gone up to 39.6% That means that 40% of everything you earn goes straight to Obama. If you are a Democrat and make a bunch of money, you better not complain about your bigger tax bill, and you better not try to find more tax shelters to hide behind. After all, you voted for the guy who promised to raise your taxes, and in the words of Sheriff Joe Biden, if you don't pay more taxes, you ain't patriotic.
2) The temporary reduction in payroll reductions for Social Security expired on Jan.1, meaning that everyone who pays Social Security taxes saw their take home pay reduced. EVERYONE. Obama did not push to extend that temporary redction. Those of you who weren't paying attention, and thought that there was no way Obama would raise ANY taxes on the middle class (after all, he PROMISED!) don't have a leg to stand on to complain about this.
3) Everyone's income tax rates have gone up this year, no matter what Obama says. The tax tables have gone up. You will pay more in income tax than last year (all things being equal), whether you are upper class or middle class. If you are lower class, see 4) below.
4) More people will pay NO income tax this year than last - which was a record year for the number of people who pay nothing for the services they receive. More people who pay no income tax will receive 'refunds' for taxes they did not pay. All in the name of 'fairness'.
5) DO NOT complain when your tax preparer starts asking you questions about your health insurance. Don't be indignant when you are asked to produce docmentation showing you have health insurance. DO NOT complain if you are not insured, and get a 'fine' tacked onto your income tax. After all, you voted for it!
6) DO NOT complain when your tax preparer charges you more than last year. After all, they are doing a lot more, for they have become Obamacare's enforcer.
7) If you have employer supplied insurance, don't be surprised if your portion of the premiums goes up, and goes up by a bunch. Don't be surprised if your employer drops your insurance, leaving you out in the cold as far as healthcare goes - for it will be cheaper for them to pay a fine than it will be to pay for substantial increases in your insurance premiums. If you don't realize that this was a very specific goal of Obamacare, then you haven't been paying attention, and you deserve what you get.
8) Don't be surprised when you get screwed for more taxes on your investments. Remember, you voted for the guy who promised to increase capital gains taxes by a large amount.
Don't complain. Don't try to duck your increased tax burden. Don't try to sidestep Obamacare. You voted for the man who told you what he was going to do. If you were stupid enough to believe him about how it wasn't going to cost you anything, then you deserve to lose more of your money.
1) Income tax rates on folks who make $400K or more haas gone up to 39.6% That means that 40% of everything you earn goes straight to Obama. If you are a Democrat and make a bunch of money, you better not complain about your bigger tax bill, and you better not try to find more tax shelters to hide behind. After all, you voted for the guy who promised to raise your taxes, and in the words of Sheriff Joe Biden, if you don't pay more taxes, you ain't patriotic.
2) The temporary reduction in payroll reductions for Social Security expired on Jan.1, meaning that everyone who pays Social Security taxes saw their take home pay reduced. EVERYONE. Obama did not push to extend that temporary redction. Those of you who weren't paying attention, and thought that there was no way Obama would raise ANY taxes on the middle class (after all, he PROMISED!) don't have a leg to stand on to complain about this.
3) Everyone's income tax rates have gone up this year, no matter what Obama says. The tax tables have gone up. You will pay more in income tax than last year (all things being equal), whether you are upper class or middle class. If you are lower class, see 4) below.
4) More people will pay NO income tax this year than last - which was a record year for the number of people who pay nothing for the services they receive. More people who pay no income tax will receive 'refunds' for taxes they did not pay. All in the name of 'fairness'.
5) DO NOT complain when your tax preparer starts asking you questions about your health insurance. Don't be indignant when you are asked to produce docmentation showing you have health insurance. DO NOT complain if you are not insured, and get a 'fine' tacked onto your income tax. After all, you voted for it!
6) DO NOT complain when your tax preparer charges you more than last year. After all, they are doing a lot more, for they have become Obamacare's enforcer.
7) If you have employer supplied insurance, don't be surprised if your portion of the premiums goes up, and goes up by a bunch. Don't be surprised if your employer drops your insurance, leaving you out in the cold as far as healthcare goes - for it will be cheaper for them to pay a fine than it will be to pay for substantial increases in your insurance premiums. If you don't realize that this was a very specific goal of Obamacare, then you haven't been paying attention, and you deserve what you get.
8) Don't be surprised when you get screwed for more taxes on your investments. Remember, you voted for the guy who promised to increase capital gains taxes by a large amount.
Don't complain. Don't try to duck your increased tax burden. Don't try to sidestep Obamacare. You voted for the man who told you what he was going to do. If you were stupid enough to believe him about how it wasn't going to cost you anything, then you deserve to lose more of your money.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Sandy's Pork Party
No, its not a reality show challenger to Honey Boo Boo ...
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) is well known to those of us in North Texas. He is a fiscal tornado, and is one of the few in Washington (in either party) who is actually serious about getting our country's money mess addressed.
This is a link to an OpEd he did in the Washington Times about the recent $50 billion Sandy Emergency Relief Bill that was shoved through Congress. This is well worth a read - you will be shocked at how our tax money has been stolen for pork projects that have absolutely nothing to do with storm recovery. It is instructional to read this, and understand that it is not out of the norm for Washington - this is how everything works, how they continually steal our money for their pet projects and special interests. Both sides do it. It is heinous, it accounts for a tremendous amount of government waste, and is a huge factor in our debt crisis.
Shit like this has to stop.
Kudos for Jeb. For those of you in other parts of the country, keep an eye on this guy - he may be one of the small group of people in Washington who will save our country from itself.
http://hensarling.house.gov/news/jeb-in-the-news/2013/01/icymi-hensarling-op-ed-in-the-washington-times.shtml
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) is well known to those of us in North Texas. He is a fiscal tornado, and is one of the few in Washington (in either party) who is actually serious about getting our country's money mess addressed.
This is a link to an OpEd he did in the Washington Times about the recent $50 billion Sandy Emergency Relief Bill that was shoved through Congress. This is well worth a read - you will be shocked at how our tax money has been stolen for pork projects that have absolutely nothing to do with storm recovery. It is instructional to read this, and understand that it is not out of the norm for Washington - this is how everything works, how they continually steal our money for their pet projects and special interests. Both sides do it. It is heinous, it accounts for a tremendous amount of government waste, and is a huge factor in our debt crisis.
Shit like this has to stop.
Kudos for Jeb. For those of you in other parts of the country, keep an eye on this guy - he may be one of the small group of people in Washington who will save our country from itself.
http://hensarling.house.gov/news/jeb-in-the-news/2013/01/icymi-hensarling-op-ed-in-the-washington-times.shtml
Obama's Directives On Guns ... Yawn ...
As released by the White House today, here are the 23 hard hitting gun conrtol measures that Obama is going to implement by Executive Memorandum, bypassing the do-nothing NRA controlled evil gun clinging Congress. He has followed through on his pledge to the left to attack guns and their owners - Congress, the NRA, and the Constitution be damned. He is taking these drastic measures to save our kids, and they absolutely MUST all be implemented immediately, or thousands will die! The left cheers from coast to coast (actually coast and coast, since no one in the center of the country except illegals is a Democrat).
I looked at this list when it was put out, expecting the worst. The headlines were assault ban, magazine ban,
ammo ban, etc. I kept looking through these 23 items for the hard hitting things that would really piss me off.
They aren't there.
These are 23 things that fall into these categories; Common Sense - Useless - Already Being Done.
Obama is making headlines by touting his 23 measures, hoping his minions don't read the fine print to see what the 23 measures actually are.
The items in here that actually make sense would have passed through Congress with no problem. The stupid shit is just to pad the numbers, to make the total of items larger and more impressive. None of these warrants Presidential action - its all for show.
1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system. Good, though what means 'relevant data'?
2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system. Good
3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system. Good, though again, what information?
4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks. Good, though it is alarming to think that this hasn't already been done.
5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun. Good.
6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers. Good.
7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign. Useless waste of time and money.
8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission). Good, though once again, why hasn't this already been done?
9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations. Good, but I would think that this is alrady being done.
10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement. Waste of time - anything coming from DoJ is out of date, incomplete, and what is the point anyway?
11. Nominate an ATF director. Good, though this was going to be done anyway.
12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations. Good, much needed.
13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime. WTF does this mean? Useless statement.
14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence. Useless. What does the CDC have to do with guns they are not a disease.
15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies. Useless statement, waste of time and money.
16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes. Obamacare is his - doesn't he already know this?
17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities. OK, no harm.
18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers. VERY Good.
19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education. Good, much needed.
20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover. OK, no harm.
21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges. WTF does this have to do with guns? Waste of time and money.
22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations. Mental Health 'parity'? What is that?
23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health. Useless, waste of time and money.
Now, don't fret - Obama still wants to outlaw your guns. He's just realized that he's going to have to go through Congress, or at the state/local level to get it done. I think his minions convinced him that he couldn't do anything substantial unilaterally, or it would have been shot down by SCOTUS and Congress. However, he had to come out with something, to show his base he was acting forcefully on the matter. What a load of crap.
Oh ... there is a cost to all of this crap he's just dumped on us. The White House estimates that there will be $500,000,000 in immediate costs for implementation of His decrees. The ultimate cost, over the life of the decree's reach, is stated at $4,500,000,000. No word from Obama on which rich people he's going to soak for the money.
I looked at this list when it was put out, expecting the worst. The headlines were assault ban, magazine ban,
ammo ban, etc. I kept looking through these 23 items for the hard hitting things that would really piss me off.
They aren't there.
These are 23 things that fall into these categories; Common Sense - Useless - Already Being Done.
Obama is making headlines by touting his 23 measures, hoping his minions don't read the fine print to see what the 23 measures actually are.
The items in here that actually make sense would have passed through Congress with no problem. The stupid shit is just to pad the numbers, to make the total of items larger and more impressive. None of these warrants Presidential action - its all for show.
1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system. Good, though what means 'relevant data'?
2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system. Good
3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system. Good, though again, what information?
4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks. Good, though it is alarming to think that this hasn't already been done.
5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun. Good.
6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers. Good.
7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign. Useless waste of time and money.
8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission). Good, though once again, why hasn't this already been done?
9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations. Good, but I would think that this is alrady being done.
10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement. Waste of time - anything coming from DoJ is out of date, incomplete, and what is the point anyway?
11. Nominate an ATF director. Good, though this was going to be done anyway.
12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations. Good, much needed.
13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime. WTF does this mean? Useless statement.
14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence. Useless. What does the CDC have to do with guns they are not a disease.
15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies. Useless statement, waste of time and money.
16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes. Obamacare is his - doesn't he already know this?
17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities. OK, no harm.
18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers. VERY Good.
19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education. Good, much needed.
20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover. OK, no harm.
21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges. WTF does this have to do with guns? Waste of time and money.
22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations. Mental Health 'parity'? What is that?
23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health. Useless, waste of time and money.
Now, don't fret - Obama still wants to outlaw your guns. He's just realized that he's going to have to go through Congress, or at the state/local level to get it done. I think his minions convinced him that he couldn't do anything substantial unilaterally, or it would have been shot down by SCOTUS and Congress. However, he had to come out with something, to show his base he was acting forcefully on the matter. What a load of crap.
Oh ... there is a cost to all of this crap he's just dumped on us. The White House estimates that there will be $500,000,000 in immediate costs for implementation of His decrees. The ultimate cost, over the life of the decree's reach, is stated at $4,500,000,000. No word from Obama on which rich people he's going to soak for the money.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Gun Control Madness - A LIttle Perspective
Left Wing Liberal Hypocrits ...
Up in arms (so to speak) about the national emergency produced by law abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. So indignant about the horror of owning a gun, and the imminent threat it poses to everyone in America. They've got to control guns ... they've got to regulate guns ... they've got to know about all guns ... they've got to eliminate guns ... all in the name of our own good.
Well ... PISS OFF!
If you on the left are SO concerned about reducing the number of unneeded deaths in this country, why don't you start addressing these first;
333,964 Children killed by Planned Parenthood in 2011
329,445 Children killed by Planned Parenthood in 2010
332,278 Children killed by Planned Parenthood in 2009
1,200,000 Childred killed by abortions in the US per year
54,500,000 Children killed by abortions in the US since 1973
120,000 Killed by doctor/hospital mistakes each year
4281 People killed in motorcycle accidents in 2009
10,228 People killed by drunk drivers in 2010
34 People killed in North America by bears since 2000
510 People murdered in Washington DC 2009-2011
1836 People murdered in Chicago since 2009
12 People murdered in Chicago from 1/1/13 to 1/6/13
19 Murdered by illegals released by Obama since 2009
39 People killed in the US by lightning in 2011
2800 People who choked to death on food in 2011 (estimated)
(Note that Chicago and Washington have some of the toughest gun laws in the country, and have been under Democrat control for decades. Perfect example of how well gun laws that restrict law abiding citizens from their rights work to cut crime and violence!)
And on ... and on ...
I am in no way trying to make light on the recent tragedy, or any of the shootings that these evil, sick bastards have perpetrated. I am trying to illustrate how selective the outrage is, and how it is being used to further a political agenda. Liberals want strict gun control. They see tragedies such as this, as infrequent as they are, as opportunities to rally support and try to force through their agenda in a panic. This has been Obama's mode of operation since even before he got in office - portray everything as an emergency, that has to be dealt with immediately, don't look closely at what I'm doing, just trust me. As his ex-CoS and current Murder Czar, Boss Rahm was famously quoted during his stay in the White House, 'Never let a crisis go to waste'.
Democrats all over the country are trying to ram through gun control as quickly as they can. They know that as the (deserved) horror of what happened in CT fades into the background, hot blood will cool and they will lose the momentum. They also know that if they don't have the momentum, they will not have enough popular support to trash the 2nd Amendment.
Many, many people on the left are operating out of ignorance in their demands for gun control. Mayor Doomburg of NYC was recently chastised by a TV interviewer because he did not know what a semi-automatic weapon was. He told her that it was a weapon that you just hold down the trigger, and it keeps spewing out bullets. Incredulously, she corrected him. A female, blonde, TV interviewer knows more about the basics of guns than does a very public figure who is trying to ban them. (Fully automatic weapons, such as Doomburg thought he was addressing, are already ILLEGAL in the United States, unless you go thorugh an extensive background and licensing procedure that is lengthy and costly.)
Biden and Obama have publicly come out and threatened to attack the 'problem' through Executive Orders - bypassing Congress and the American People, and shitting on the Constitution. Of course, their 'orders' would only involve guns themselves, nothing else - nothing addressing mental health, or Hollywood glorified gun violence, or video game violence, or violence promoted in rap music, or the complete and blatant attack on the traditional family unit in this country by their liberal buddies.
My personal opinion is that some things could be done to help prevent these tragedies from happening in the future. Most of them have nothing to do with guns themselves, and hence will never be addressed. But in the gun arena itself, I see where some rules could be added without denying our citizens their rights under the Constitution:
A waiting period for certain classes of firearms.
More stringent/complete background checks for purchases.
The elimination of Gun Show rules, that apparently bypass the background check process.
Magazine capacity. You don't need a 30 round clip to go hunting - indeed, it is illegal to hunt with a clip containing more than 5 rounds almost everywhere already. 30 round clips are not practical for target shooting - they are heavy and get in the way. Drum magazines - there is no practical reason for these to exist in the public realm. 10 round limit? 20? I don't know.
A restriction on AP (armor piercing) ammo. No one uses AP for hunting or target shooting.
In spite of what liberals would have you believe, there are a lot of gun regulations on the books now. You can't just own any type of weapon you want. Do some of those laws need to be revisited and perhaps made to work better? Probably. But the answer is NOT what our Pocket Hitler and his Brown Shirts are pushing for. Remember, these clowns are the uber-smart a*holes who thought up and executed 'Fast and Furious' ...
And for you liberals who are freaking out on my listing of abortions above ... I HAVE a Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms in my household. It is expressly stated in the Constitution. You do not have a Constitutional Right to have or perform an abortion - in spite of what a liberal activist court stated back in hippie times, the word ABORTION or any combination of words that conjure up the same meaning are not stated anywhere in the Constitution. Period.
Update - The MOST heinous, evil gun control measure being thrown about by Obama and his Brown Shirts right now (in my opinion) is a National Gun Registry. Gun types, magazine capacity, background checks - are all small issues when compared to the government requiring each and every gun owning citizen to register those weapons. This would create a list of people, their locations, and the weapons they own, for the Government to use as it pleases.
If, say, Obama in his fourth term decides he wants to drop down a Presidential Decree making a specific type of weapon illegal, he would have the database showing him where all of us are who own one - a roadmap he will use to confiscate them. Or, perhaps, Hillary Clinton in 2018 decides that everyone who owns an AR-15 needs to pay a 50% tax to pay for health care - she would have the database needed to send out the IRS after us.
If the Registry is made public information, as it is in multiple municipalities/counties/states already, then evil left wing a*holes can get your information, and do with it what they want - like publish it for everyone, including criminals, to see. You see, that's already happened ...
If the information is there, it will be misused. There is absolutely NO positive result from a National Firearms Registry. It is all about controlling us, the citizens of this country.
I urge all of you to call/write/email/scream at your Congressional and Senate reps to express your outrage that our government is even contemplating doing this.
Update II - NRA membership has grown by more than 100,000 since Obama made his post-CT statements. If you try to order an AR-15 right now from a manufacturer, you're looking at a 6 month wait, minimum, due to order backups. There are over 1,000,000 AR-15 30 round magazines on back order right now with a single manufacturer (Magpul - the BEST magazines out there!). Companies that make these items are producing them as fast as they can. People who had no interest in owning one of these weapons have gone out and gotten one, or are trying to get one - due directly to Obama's efforts to eliminate them. You have an overbearing government try curb your Constitutional Rights, and the natural instinct is to fight back - Obama says you don't need that gun, the natural response is to go out and get one.
In six months, if Obama somehow manages to outlaw the AR-15 and the others guns in its class, it won't matter. There will be so many of them in the hands of the people that there won't be a need to manufacture or sell any more of them. Dumb ass liberals ...
Saturday, January 5, 2013
alGore Is A (Business) Genius
alGore is a genius.
Those of you who follow this blog might think that statement must be dripping in sarcasm. It isn't.
Gore is a business genius, that's all there is to it. Mega-super-uber RICH. So much money that no one really knows his true worth.
Gore has identified a gullible target market, one that will buy anything he tries to sell them - far left eco-kooks. He makes millions per year for speaking engagements around the world, where he spouts out his tired, old Inconvenient Bullshit speech over and over.
He makes millions investing in 'green' technology companies, lobbying the government for subsidies, grants, and loan guarantees, and then sells out before they collapse.
His latest venture, Current TV, defies description. Supposedly a competitor to Fox News, this unintelligible mess has a viewing audience of about 3. The vast majority of people in this country, liberals included, don't know it even exists.
Current TV was never a serious venture. It was an investment. alGore lends his name to it, and then he and his other investors sell it off for big bucks profit. Kind of like Bain Capital ... Current TV was never about getting out the liberal message - it was always about making a quick pile of money.
Everyone knows by now he sold out to al Jazeera, the Qatar based Islamic 'news' channel. Long recognized as a mouthpiece for radical Islam and anti-semitism, it has wanted a legitimate foothold in North America. Gore made $100 million personally in the deal.
Conservatives hate Gore, for multiple reasons. Liberals, especially his far left kook base, should be hating him as well:
1) Gore sold out to Qatar, who gets all of their money from OIL. Dirty, dispicable OIL. Gore got RICHER from evil OIL.
2) Gore tried very hard to complete the deal before Jan.1, in order to avoid Obama's tax hikes. Smart businesswise, but so very capitalistic - and EVIL. (He failed, the deal signed on Jan.3)
3) According to the new Obama rich tax rates, Gore should be sending a check for $39.6 million dollars to the government immediately - just for his personal portion of the profit. I encourage all liberals to keep track of this, and demand from Gore proof that he indeed sends all of this sum to the government - after all, he is RICH, and he should be volunteering to pay his FAIR share, shouldn't he?
4) alGore is just plain RICH, even without the Current TV deal. Where are his tax returns for the last 10 years? How much has he been giving to the government and charity per year?
5) I was really looking forward to seeing Jennifer Granholm, ex-disgraced Michigan disaster of a Governor and current prime time Current TV host (did you know that? No one else does either, so don't feel bad...) dressed from head to toe in a burqha. It would have been hilarious to see her dissed like that. Unfortunately, Granholm has announced she is leaving the network in the wake of the sale. I would imagine a lot of other employees will be looking for work, either by choice or by firing. So, there's reason 5 to hate alGore - he cost people their jobs, allowing them to be outsourced overseas (sound like Bain Capital???).
6) Gore makes his millions by providing services and products specifically tailored to his target market. He shovels bullshit into the mouths of stupid, naive idiots, and they love him for it.
7) Have I mentioned that Gore is RICH, stupidly, filthy, capitalistically RICH.
alGore should be a poster child for the 1%. He is the epitome of a RICH, white guy success story.
Those of you who follow this blog might think that statement must be dripping in sarcasm. It isn't.
Gore is a business genius, that's all there is to it. Mega-super-uber RICH. So much money that no one really knows his true worth.
Gore has identified a gullible target market, one that will buy anything he tries to sell them - far left eco-kooks. He makes millions per year for speaking engagements around the world, where he spouts out his tired, old Inconvenient Bullshit speech over and over.
He makes millions investing in 'green' technology companies, lobbying the government for subsidies, grants, and loan guarantees, and then sells out before they collapse.
His latest venture, Current TV, defies description. Supposedly a competitor to Fox News, this unintelligible mess has a viewing audience of about 3. The vast majority of people in this country, liberals included, don't know it even exists.
Current TV was never a serious venture. It was an investment. alGore lends his name to it, and then he and his other investors sell it off for big bucks profit. Kind of like Bain Capital ... Current TV was never about getting out the liberal message - it was always about making a quick pile of money.
Everyone knows by now he sold out to al Jazeera, the Qatar based Islamic 'news' channel. Long recognized as a mouthpiece for radical Islam and anti-semitism, it has wanted a legitimate foothold in North America. Gore made $100 million personally in the deal.
Conservatives hate Gore, for multiple reasons. Liberals, especially his far left kook base, should be hating him as well:
1) Gore sold out to Qatar, who gets all of their money from OIL. Dirty, dispicable OIL. Gore got RICHER from evil OIL.
2) Gore tried very hard to complete the deal before Jan.1, in order to avoid Obama's tax hikes. Smart businesswise, but so very capitalistic - and EVIL. (He failed, the deal signed on Jan.3)
3) According to the new Obama rich tax rates, Gore should be sending a check for $39.6 million dollars to the government immediately - just for his personal portion of the profit. I encourage all liberals to keep track of this, and demand from Gore proof that he indeed sends all of this sum to the government - after all, he is RICH, and he should be volunteering to pay his FAIR share, shouldn't he?
4) alGore is just plain RICH, even without the Current TV deal. Where are his tax returns for the last 10 years? How much has he been giving to the government and charity per year?
5) I was really looking forward to seeing Jennifer Granholm, ex-disgraced Michigan disaster of a Governor and current prime time Current TV host (did you know that? No one else does either, so don't feel bad...) dressed from head to toe in a burqha. It would have been hilarious to see her dissed like that. Unfortunately, Granholm has announced she is leaving the network in the wake of the sale. I would imagine a lot of other employees will be looking for work, either by choice or by firing. So, there's reason 5 to hate alGore - he cost people their jobs, allowing them to be outsourced overseas (sound like Bain Capital???).
6) Gore makes his millions by providing services and products specifically tailored to his target market. He shovels bullshit into the mouths of stupid, naive idiots, and they love him for it.
7) Have I mentioned that Gore is RICH, stupidly, filthy, capitalistically RICH.
alGore should be a poster child for the 1%. He is the epitome of a RICH, white guy success story.
Friday, January 4, 2013
The Pathetic State of Dallas Pro Sports
We're used to winners here in North Texas. Unfortunately, our professional sports teams, all four of them, are in pretty sorry condition. Makes it hard to be an avid fan when your teams suck.
Texas Rangers -
Two consecutive World Series appearances, the first in the club's history. Neither one resulted in a victory, but still quite an achievement. So, what do we have to hang our head on now? A front office that is incapable of signing anyone, and players who gave up during this past season.
Josh Hamilton is gone to the Angels. Good riddance. He had his moments here, but the good times were over. Josh is a time bomb waiting to go off. Rangers fans and the club have put up with his occastional personal failures over the years, and rallied around him and his family. Indeed, the Rangers rescued his career, and quite possibly his life, when they took a chance on him in spite of his drup problems. He gave us a lot of incredible baseball in return, but in the end just gave up. His disinterest in the game during the last month of the season was a big reason for the Ranger's collapse - a 10 game lead squandered in a month, followed by a pathetic showing in a one game playoff. Josh made 5 outs on 8 pitches, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but on the field - and then got visibly upset when the fans booed him.
Josh's big time years are behind him - he's 32, and has endured health and injury problems each of the last 3 years. The Angels signed him for 5 years - suckers!
Michael Young is gone to the Phillies. Mr. Ranger was let go for nothing, because there was no place for him to play in the field. Apparently a crop of unproven rookies was enough to convince management that a proven, versatile player was not needed.
Mike Adams, their most important setup man in the bullpen, was let go - they didn't even try to sign him. Mike Napoli, backup catcher/first baseman is gone - although with all of his injury problems and streakiness make this a good decision.
Management failed on each and every free agent they tried to go after, except for catcher hated by everyone in the league, and an over the hill middle reliever.
That's it so far for their moves. All the top free agents are gone, none of them came here, and we are left with a team that is much worse on paper than the one that fell apart last year. Wow ... really looking forward to this season ...
Dallas Mavericks -
Two years off of a World Championship, and this team will not even make .500. Last year they let go of their top free agent, in the hopes of sigining one of the blue chippers. Didn't happen, all the big guns shunned Mark Cuban and took their game elsewhere.
Before this season started, Cuban let Jet Terry go in free agency, not even offering him a contract. Jason Kidd pulled one of his patented 'screw-yous' and went to Brooklyn. Cuban blew up the team - 9 of the 12 players on this season's roster weren't on the team last year. Dirk missed the first two months of the season due to injury, and it will take some time for him to get back into form. He's too old to carry the team on his own - and he simply doesn't have enough talent around him to get it done. A bunch of spare parts cobbled together off of other teams has produced a solid .400 team.
Cuban has told us he's saving his cap money to make a big move in free agency in the off season. Same thing we were told the past two off seasons. Sorry, Mark ... ain't gonna happen. What superstar in their right mind would come to this team, considering the condition it is in?
Dallas Stars -
The fact that the NHL hasn't had a season has spared Stars' fans from another miserable endeavor. This team, which was fighting against ownership issues with Tom Hicks' financial debacle, finally got its ownership squared away when a hockey guy bought the team. Things were looking up, then they let Mike Ribeiro go. Then they traded Steve Ott. Following last year's mess when they let Brad Richards go, and we get a glimpse into the 'commitment' that management and ownership has to putting a quality product on the ice. I will admit that signing their goalie to a five year contract extension was a good move, but that's been it. No one but 'prospects' have been brought onto the club to make up for the losses.
2008 was the last visit to the playoffs for the team. It has become a .500 club, with nothing indicating it will get better any time soon.
I love the Stars. Their fan base has been incredible in North Texas. Winning will do that. This extended period of mediocrity has shrunken that base, and its going to continue to get worse. Last year saw the club playing in front of a 2/3 empty AAC each game. IF we have any NHL season at all this year, that's not likely to get better. A very sad state for what was one of the NHL's best franchises.
Dallas Cowboys -
A .500 team since their last championship season. That's what the Cowboys are. 8-8 this year was not a fluke.
It is true that the team was decimated by injuries this year, especially on defense. Ryan's defense earned the not-very-nice nickname of the 'New Name Defense', because from week to week there were 8-12 guys suited up that no one knew. Losing their starting runningback and #1 receiver for significant portions of the season didn't help. If 8-8 was an oddity, then this could be forgiven. It wasn't.
Missing the playoffs for 3 straight years. Having the opportunity to win in their last game to make the playoffs in each of those 3 years, against division foes, and failing miserably in each of those 3 games is pathetic.
I like Tony Romo. He is talented. However, the fact he is 1-6 in win-or-go-home games over his career, with only a single playoff win, just has to be recognized as failure.
Jerry Jones came out early this past week on the radio, and said he will make things uncomfortable at Valley Ranch. The not so subtle message is that no one is safe ... except for Jason Garrett ... except for Tony Romo, and (most importantly) except for Jerry Jones. This team is going to be mediocre as long as Jerry calls all of the shots. He has admitted publickly that he is not a good GM, and he'd fire himself - but that he won't fire himself because he is the owner. Until Jones brings in good, solid GM, this team isn't going anywhere.
Pretty sad ...
Texas Rangers -
Two consecutive World Series appearances, the first in the club's history. Neither one resulted in a victory, but still quite an achievement. So, what do we have to hang our head on now? A front office that is incapable of signing anyone, and players who gave up during this past season.
Josh Hamilton is gone to the Angels. Good riddance. He had his moments here, but the good times were over. Josh is a time bomb waiting to go off. Rangers fans and the club have put up with his occastional personal failures over the years, and rallied around him and his family. Indeed, the Rangers rescued his career, and quite possibly his life, when they took a chance on him in spite of his drup problems. He gave us a lot of incredible baseball in return, but in the end just gave up. His disinterest in the game during the last month of the season was a big reason for the Ranger's collapse - a 10 game lead squandered in a month, followed by a pathetic showing in a one game playoff. Josh made 5 outs on 8 pitches, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but on the field - and then got visibly upset when the fans booed him.
Josh's big time years are behind him - he's 32, and has endured health and injury problems each of the last 3 years. The Angels signed him for 5 years - suckers!
Michael Young is gone to the Phillies. Mr. Ranger was let go for nothing, because there was no place for him to play in the field. Apparently a crop of unproven rookies was enough to convince management that a proven, versatile player was not needed.
Mike Adams, their most important setup man in the bullpen, was let go - they didn't even try to sign him. Mike Napoli, backup catcher/first baseman is gone - although with all of his injury problems and streakiness make this a good decision.
Management failed on each and every free agent they tried to go after, except for catcher hated by everyone in the league, and an over the hill middle reliever.
That's it so far for their moves. All the top free agents are gone, none of them came here, and we are left with a team that is much worse on paper than the one that fell apart last year. Wow ... really looking forward to this season ...
Dallas Mavericks -
Two years off of a World Championship, and this team will not even make .500. Last year they let go of their top free agent, in the hopes of sigining one of the blue chippers. Didn't happen, all the big guns shunned Mark Cuban and took their game elsewhere.
Before this season started, Cuban let Jet Terry go in free agency, not even offering him a contract. Jason Kidd pulled one of his patented 'screw-yous' and went to Brooklyn. Cuban blew up the team - 9 of the 12 players on this season's roster weren't on the team last year. Dirk missed the first two months of the season due to injury, and it will take some time for him to get back into form. He's too old to carry the team on his own - and he simply doesn't have enough talent around him to get it done. A bunch of spare parts cobbled together off of other teams has produced a solid .400 team.
Cuban has told us he's saving his cap money to make a big move in free agency in the off season. Same thing we were told the past two off seasons. Sorry, Mark ... ain't gonna happen. What superstar in their right mind would come to this team, considering the condition it is in?
Dallas Stars -
The fact that the NHL hasn't had a season has spared Stars' fans from another miserable endeavor. This team, which was fighting against ownership issues with Tom Hicks' financial debacle, finally got its ownership squared away when a hockey guy bought the team. Things were looking up, then they let Mike Ribeiro go. Then they traded Steve Ott. Following last year's mess when they let Brad Richards go, and we get a glimpse into the 'commitment' that management and ownership has to putting a quality product on the ice. I will admit that signing their goalie to a five year contract extension was a good move, but that's been it. No one but 'prospects' have been brought onto the club to make up for the losses.
2008 was the last visit to the playoffs for the team. It has become a .500 club, with nothing indicating it will get better any time soon.
I love the Stars. Their fan base has been incredible in North Texas. Winning will do that. This extended period of mediocrity has shrunken that base, and its going to continue to get worse. Last year saw the club playing in front of a 2/3 empty AAC each game. IF we have any NHL season at all this year, that's not likely to get better. A very sad state for what was one of the NHL's best franchises.
Dallas Cowboys -
A .500 team since their last championship season. That's what the Cowboys are. 8-8 this year was not a fluke.
It is true that the team was decimated by injuries this year, especially on defense. Ryan's defense earned the not-very-nice nickname of the 'New Name Defense', because from week to week there were 8-12 guys suited up that no one knew. Losing their starting runningback and #1 receiver for significant portions of the season didn't help. If 8-8 was an oddity, then this could be forgiven. It wasn't.
Missing the playoffs for 3 straight years. Having the opportunity to win in their last game to make the playoffs in each of those 3 years, against division foes, and failing miserably in each of those 3 games is pathetic.
I like Tony Romo. He is talented. However, the fact he is 1-6 in win-or-go-home games over his career, with only a single playoff win, just has to be recognized as failure.
Jerry Jones came out early this past week on the radio, and said he will make things uncomfortable at Valley Ranch. The not so subtle message is that no one is safe ... except for Jason Garrett ... except for Tony Romo, and (most importantly) except for Jerry Jones. This team is going to be mediocre as long as Jerry calls all of the shots. He has admitted publickly that he is not a good GM, and he'd fire himself - but that he won't fire himself because he is the owner. Until Jones brings in good, solid GM, this team isn't going anywhere.
Pretty sad ...
Thursday, January 3, 2013
They're Coming For Your Guns (Scalpers, That Is)
Went by a Cabella's recently, to pick up a couple of boxes of bullets. An instructional visit, to say the least.
Got there about 8:50am, 10 minutes before open. There were about 100 people lined up on the sidewalk, in freezing weather, waiting for the doors to open. Curious, I decided to hang around and see what the hub-bub was about. Some great sale, perhaps?
Listening to the cold suffering masses while waiting for the doors, it is apparent they are there for guns. Not just any guns, but ARs or AKs. Speculation is rampant - they got a big shipment last night.
Doors open, there is a mad stampede. People are pushing past each other, quite a few in a dead run to get to the back of the store located gun counter. Not being a gun shopper today, I find the behaviour entertaining. Merchandise is knocked over, one guy trips over a kayak and goes face first into the floor. Get to the gun counter line, and it looks pretty much the same as it did outside - except for the 'rabbits' who had broken out in a run to try and get there first.
They're all excited, ready to claim their prizes. Employee at counter announces in a loud voice that they have 4 (yes, four) AR-15s. First two guys in line buy two each (the limit, according to the sign). Everyone else just continues to stand there, not willing to believe that they aren't going to get rewarded. Two 'winners' are talking amoungst themselves while waiting for the five minute background check phone call to go through. I hear them speculate on how much profit they will make when they take these to the BIG local gun show this weekend.
I look at the boxes - the guns are a cheap, off brand - ones that had been shelf warmers just a couple of months ago. Now, they are commanding top dollar in this store, and these two scalpers figure they're going to get rich peddling them this coming weekend.
I wander by the ammo shelves, and am shocked (but not really) that there is absolutely NO mid-caliber long rifle ammo there. No .223, 5.56, .308 to be seen. Even the crappy, nasty-assed cheap reload stuff is long gone.
Obama is going to try and outlaw sporting rifles (what he calls assault weapons). It will be months before any kind of effective effort can be brought to bear. It is my opinion that he will fail. In the meantime, the two dozen or so manufacturers of ARs in this country will be producing their weapons as fast as possible - to maximize their profits (supply and demand does work!). Companies that produce ammunition aren't going to stop making bullets.
Just my opinion, but if you are in the market for one of these guns, just be patient. Decide what you want, and then place an order for it - or wait a few months and then order. You may wait a while to get it, but you will get what you really want, not some piece of overpriced junk that a scalper is shoving at you.
If you are a speculator or scalper, you are going to lose your ass after this initial run is over and done with. You better move everything you have while people are acting stupid - if you don't, you will be stuck with a bunch of dead inventory later this year.
If you are thinking of getting one of these as an investment - don't. They are not rare. They will not accrue value. They are not works of gun art. The only way they will become very valuable is if the Government starts confiscating them - and in that case you'll have to give it up anyway for a fraction of what you paid for it.
Beanie Babies ... Nascar diecast ... Pokemon cards ... AR-15s ... don't fall for it, folks!
Got there about 8:50am, 10 minutes before open. There were about 100 people lined up on the sidewalk, in freezing weather, waiting for the doors to open. Curious, I decided to hang around and see what the hub-bub was about. Some great sale, perhaps?
Listening to the cold suffering masses while waiting for the doors, it is apparent they are there for guns. Not just any guns, but ARs or AKs. Speculation is rampant - they got a big shipment last night.
Doors open, there is a mad stampede. People are pushing past each other, quite a few in a dead run to get to the back of the store located gun counter. Not being a gun shopper today, I find the behaviour entertaining. Merchandise is knocked over, one guy trips over a kayak and goes face first into the floor. Get to the gun counter line, and it looks pretty much the same as it did outside - except for the 'rabbits' who had broken out in a run to try and get there first.
They're all excited, ready to claim their prizes. Employee at counter announces in a loud voice that they have 4 (yes, four) AR-15s. First two guys in line buy two each (the limit, according to the sign). Everyone else just continues to stand there, not willing to believe that they aren't going to get rewarded. Two 'winners' are talking amoungst themselves while waiting for the five minute background check phone call to go through. I hear them speculate on how much profit they will make when they take these to the BIG local gun show this weekend.
I look at the boxes - the guns are a cheap, off brand - ones that had been shelf warmers just a couple of months ago. Now, they are commanding top dollar in this store, and these two scalpers figure they're going to get rich peddling them this coming weekend.
I wander by the ammo shelves, and am shocked (but not really) that there is absolutely NO mid-caliber long rifle ammo there. No .223, 5.56, .308 to be seen. Even the crappy, nasty-assed cheap reload stuff is long gone.
Obama is going to try and outlaw sporting rifles (what he calls assault weapons). It will be months before any kind of effective effort can be brought to bear. It is my opinion that he will fail. In the meantime, the two dozen or so manufacturers of ARs in this country will be producing their weapons as fast as possible - to maximize their profits (supply and demand does work!). Companies that produce ammunition aren't going to stop making bullets.
Just my opinion, but if you are in the market for one of these guns, just be patient. Decide what you want, and then place an order for it - or wait a few months and then order. You may wait a while to get it, but you will get what you really want, not some piece of overpriced junk that a scalper is shoving at you.
If you are a speculator or scalper, you are going to lose your ass after this initial run is over and done with. You better move everything you have while people are acting stupid - if you don't, you will be stuck with a bunch of dead inventory later this year.
If you are thinking of getting one of these as an investment - don't. They are not rare. They will not accrue value. They are not works of gun art. The only way they will become very valuable is if the Government starts confiscating them - and in that case you'll have to give it up anyway for a fraction of what you paid for it.
Beanie Babies ... Nascar diecast ... Pokemon cards ... AR-15s ... don't fall for it, folks!
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