Apr 182013
 

I read an article here that contained a variety of quotes from President Obama regarding the senate voting against the proposed (unconstitutional) extensions to background checks. Here is the text of a letter that I just sent to the president:

  Dear President Obama,

  I am dismayed by your public comments after the senate voted down proposed
  extensions to background checks for gun buyers.  Regarding these extensions
  you said:

  "There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this."

  Actually sir, there are very good reasons for NOT doing this.  One that I think
  we call *all* agree on is that current laws are ALREADY not being enforced.
  Of the very few legitimate denials that came out of the existing system,
  there were even fewer arrests -- I'm talking single-digits here!

  It is already a felony to lie on the form 4474 that must be filled out for
  ALL gun purchases, with the exception of private transactions among
  individuals.  So why are we not prosecuting those individuals that lie in
  an attempt to illegally purchase a firearm?  That just does not make sense!

  Instead of cultivate emotional responses to tragedy, why don't we apply our
  God-given logic and reason to the very real problems of violence and mental
  illness?  Those are the real problems.

  There should be NO infringements on the rights of law-abiding citizens to
  purchase and carry firearms.  NONE!

  Thank you for your time and attention.

  Respectfully,

  Gordon Tillman
Feb 212013
 

From Chris W. Cox at the NRA ILA (with a few of my comments interjected)

Please, call each of the senators below and tell them to vote NO on:

  • on any gun ban
  • any magazine ban
  • on criminalizing private firearm transfers
  • on any gun registration scheme.

Remember that any legistation that enhances the rights of American citizens, or redresses past infringements of our our rights is good legislation. ANYTHING ELSE IS BAD!!!

Don’t be an anti-rights bigot!!!

  • Sen. Max Baucus (D, Montana)
    • 202-224-2651
  • Sen. Mark Begich (D, Alaska)
    • 202-224-3004
  • Sen. Susan Collins (R, Maine)
    • 202-224-2523
  • Sen. Joe Donnelly (D, Indiana)
    • 202-224-4814
  • Sen. Kay Hagan (D, North Carolina)
    • 202-224-6342
  • Sen. Martin Heinrich (D, New Mexico)
    • 202-224-5521
  • Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D, North Dakota)
    • 202-224-2043
  • Sen. Tim Johnson (D, South Dakota)
    • 202-224-5842
  • Sen. Tim Kaine (D, Virginia)
    • 202-224-4024
  • Sen. Angus King (I, Maine)
    • 202-224-5344
  • Sen. Mary Landrieu (D, Louisiana)
    • 202-224-5824
  • Sen. Joe Manchin (D, West Virginia)
    • 202-224-3954
  • Sen. Claire McCaskill (D, Missouri)
    • 202-224-6154
  • Sen. Mark Pryor (D, Arkansas)
    • 202-224-2353
  • Sen. Harry Reid (D, Nevada, current majority leader)
    • 202-224-3542
  • Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D, New Hampsire)
    • 202-224-2841
  • Sen. Jon Tester (D, Montana)
    • 202-224-2644
  • Sen. Mark Udall (D, Colorado)
    • 202-224-5941
  • Sen. Tom Udall (D, New Mexico)
    • 202-224-6621
  • Sen. Mark Warner (D, Virginia)
    • 202-224-2023

Note:

It doesn’t matter if you do not live in these senators’ states – YOU NEED TO CALL THEM. After all, the votes they cast will affect you no matter where you live!

Feb 142013
 

Saw this post on facebook from Mark LaRue of LaRue Tactical. Way to go Mark!

NEWS RELEASE: 
02/08/2012 LEANDER, TX. 

Updated Policy for State and Local Agency Law Enforcement Sales: 

Due to the recent and numerous new Anti-gun/Anti-2nd Amendment laws passed
and/or pending across our country, LaRue Tactical has been forced to reconsider
how we provide products to state and local agencies. 

Effective today, in an effort to see that no legal mistakes are made by LaRue
Tactical and/or its employees, we will apply all current State and Local Laws
(as applied to civilians) to state and local law enforcement / government
agencies. In other words, LaRue Tactical will limit all sales to what
law-abiding citizens residing in their districts can purchase or possess. 

State and local laws have always been a serious focus of this firm, and we are
now dovetailing that focus with the constitutional rights of the residents
covered in their different areas by the old and new regulations. 

We realize this effort will have an impact on this firm's sales - and have
decided the lost sales are less danger to this firm than potential lawsuits
from erroneous shipments generated by something as simple as human error. 

Thanks in advance for your understanding. 

Mark LaRue 

* * This policy does not apply to Military / Federal Agencies * *
Feb 142013
 

Saw this on facebook. Kudos to Brian Schuetz. Let’s home other manufacturers do the same!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Olympic Arms is a staunch believer in and defender of the Constitution of the
United States, and with special attention paid to the Bill of Rights that
succinctly enumerates the security of our Divinely given Rights. One of those
Rights is that to Keep and Bear Arms. 

Legislation recently passed in the State of New York outlaws the AR15 and many
other firearms, and will make it illegal for the good and free citizens of New
York to own a large selection of legal and safe firearms and magazines. We feel
as though the passage of this legislation exceeds the authority granted to the
government of New York by its citizens, and violates the Constitution of the
United States, ignoring such SCOTUS rulings as District of Columbia v. Heller -
554, U.S. 570 of 2008, McDonald v. Chicago - 561 U.S. 3025 of 2010, and
specifically the case of United States v. Miller – 307 U.S. 174 of 1939. 

Due the passing of this legislation, Olympic Arms would like to announce that
the State of New York, any Law Enforcement Departments, Law Enforcement
Officers, First Responders within the State of New York, or any New York State
government entity or employee of such an entity - will no longer be served as
customers. 

In short, Olympic Arms will no longer be doing business with the State of New
York or any governmental entity or employee of such governmental entity within
the State of New York - henceforth and until such legislation is repealed, and
an apology made to the good people of the State of New York and the American
people. 

If the leaders of the State of New York are willing to limit the right of the
free and law abiding citizens of New York to arm themselves as they see fit
under the Rights enumerate to all citizens of the United State through the
Second Amendment, we feel as though the legislators and government entities
within the State of New York should have to abide by the same restrictions. 

This action has caused a division of the people into classes: Those the
government deems valuable enough to protect with modern firearms, and those
whose lives have been deemed as having less value, and whom the government has
decided do not deserve the right to protect themselves with the same firearms.
Olympic Arms will not support such behavior or policy against any citizen of
this great nation. 

Olympic Arms invites all firearms manufacturers, distributors and firearms
dealers to join us in this action to refuse to do business with the State of
New York. We must stand together, or we shall surely fall divided. 

Sincerely, 

Brian Schuetz 
President 
Olympic Arms, Inc.
Feb 142013
 

Here is a short video that I learned about from the NRA’s ILA organization. A brief quote:

Even Obama’s experts say his gun control policies won’t work. According to an internal Department of Justice memorandum, a gun ban, like the one being debated right now in Congress, will not work without a mandatory gun buyback, and “universal” background checks will not work without requiring gun registration. Call Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to reject President Obama’s gun control agenda — and to get serious about prosecuting criminals and fixing our broken mental health system.

Apr 282011
 

Physical Therapy

Had my third session of physical therapy at 07:00 this morning. The whole left knee situation is still pretty wonky. I cannot tell if physical therapy is helping or not. It still seems to me that the bulk of it is supervised stretching and weight training. I’m pretty good at doing that type of stuff without supervision, so … not sure how useful this expensive therapy is.

Drive to Work

Taco del Gordo

New Glasses

Mikie picked up our new glasses yesterday from the optical department at the Target’s in Humble. Still getting used to them.

New Glasses

Philip Greenspun Photography

Interesting site that a co-worker told me about: click here

Weird iTunes Error

Got these error dialogs this morning from iTunes. I ended up having to completely wipe and reinstall iTunes as per this Apple technote.

Weird iTunes Error 1

Weird iTunes Error 2

Latest in Paleo

I highly recommend giving a listen to episode 13 of the Latest in Paleo podcast.

Lunchtime workout

Got in a 30 minute cardio workout over at the LA Fitness by the office.

Elliptical

Drive Home

Houston Metro zipping by