Frank J., in an unusually (for him) mostly serious essay, says that it’s time for a divorce. This has long been the libertarian position. Leave marriage to the churches, and let people make their own contracts.
Self-Hating Gun Owners
That vast constituency that is apparently the last hope of those who would disarm us.
[Update a few minutes later]
(Astronaut) Mark Kelly, federal gun criminal?
I believe he probably bought the AR for his own protection for the same reason I bought mine. He didn’t expect to be caught doing it. Now, it appears, he says his intentions were to give it to Tucson PD from the beginning. The local prosecutor needs to get involved. When Mr. Kelly completed ATF Form 4473, which he had to do to legally buy the weapon, he had to answer question 11.a, which says “Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this from? Warning: You are not the actual buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person. If you are not the actual buyer, the dealer cannot transfer the firearm(s) to you.” If he had answered no to this question, which he now claims was his intent all along. He would have been denied. Additionally when he signed the form at the bottom of Section A, he did so bellow the following in bold face type. “I certify that my answers to Section A are true, correct, and complete. I have read and understand the Notices, Instructions, and Definitions on ATF Form 4473. I understand that answering “yes” to question 11.a. if I am not the actual buyer is a crime punishable as a felony under Federal law…etc.” It doesn’t matter, as he now claims, whether he intended to give the weapon to law enforcement or the Pope, straw purchases are illegal and by his own statement Mr. Kelly appears to have committed a felony.
This could end up being delicious, if the local federal attorney investigates. But of course, working for Eric Holder, he won’t.
FWIW, I don’t believe him. As the commenter says, he bought the gun because he wanted it, and thought no one would notice. He’s becoming a Sarah Brady, with more hypocrisy.
Pardoning The Sequester
Watch this, laugh, then remember that these people vote, and weep.
Reining In The Idiots
I’d like to see a bill like this pass in every state:
The bill also includes a section mandating counseling for school officials who fail to distinguish between guns and things that resemble guns. School officials who fail to make such a distinction more than once would face discipline themselves.
The discipline should be firing. Anyone stupid enough to do such a thing twice, after counseling, shouldn’t be allowed within two hundred feet of a kid.
Asteroids
Earth gets a rush of weekend visitors:
“The scary part of this one is that it’s something we didn’t even know about,” Patrick Paolucci, president of Slooh Space Camera, said during a webcast featuring live images of the asteroid from a telescope in the Canary Islands.
At least we’re doing a better job of looking for them now. And crowdsourcing of the amateurs with their increasing capabilities could help. A couple decades ago, hardly anyone was talking or writing about this, though I was.
Nurse Bloomberg
Just in case you don’t think he has a screw or two loose:
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed concern that private jet owners could clog up the city’s homeless shelters.
It’s frustrating that some of the screwiest people can become billionaires. Or presidents and mayors.
Inspiration Mars
Some thoughts from Dennis Wingo.
I haven’t crunched any numbers (and am unlikely to absent a paying client), but it struck me at the time that it was very unlikely that this mission is technically feasible in a single launch, unless the launcher is SLS. Which would, of course, put it outside the range of financial feasibility, not to mention schedule feasibility…
That’s actually a feature, though, rather than a bug. Demonstrating that a two-launch Mars scenario can work will dissipate much of the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt promulgated by Senate Launch System boosters.
Marsageddon
Alan Boyle, supplemented by Henry Vanderbilt, has some thoughts on the potential comet strike of the Red Planet.
Josh Earnest
Am I the only one struck by the almost Dickensian poetry of that name for a White House spokesperson? Particular as it seem oxymoronic. Are we supposed to use the first, or last name as a guide to the veracity of statements made? Given the many absurd statements coming out of this White House, particularly lately, I’m going to go with the former.
Back On The Air
I drove up to Mojave and back yesterday, and then got busy trying to tweak the book website, so posting has obviously been light.
Can anyone tell me why the sidebar is displaying at the bottom of the page on the static home page, but on the side where it belongs on the dynamic pages? I’m not seeing any significant difference in the code, unless it’s a stylesheet issue.