Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Self-Hating Gun Owners

27 Comments

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.

Education, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

Reining In The Idiots

9 Comments

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.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

Asteroids

13 Comments

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.

Political Commentary, Space

Inspiration Mars

39 Comments

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.

Business, Economics, Education, Political Commentary

The Blue Civil War

21 Comments

The battle for California:

For decades, Democrats have straddled a divide: they sought to represent both the producers of government services and the low and middle income citizens who depend on those services. Democrats want the votes and the contributions of teacher unions, and they want the votes of the parents whose kids attend public schools. As long as the blue model worked, the contradictions could be managed.

Increasingly, however, the contradictions have come to the fore. Teacher unions want life employment for incompetent teachers; their representatives negotiate farcically unsound pension arrangements with complaisant politicians and want taxpayers to pony up when the huge bills come due. Other producers of government services also have their sweetheart deals.

The result is that the consumers of government services, many of whom of course are Democrats, are getting a raw deal. They are paying too much money in taxes to support a system of government that, however outstanding and dedicated some people in it may be, simply cannot deliver acceptable services at a reasonable cost. The Democratic claim to represent both sides fairly is getting harder to sustain.

What can’t go on, eventually won’t.

[Update a while later]

Beautifully medieval California.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!