To the surprise of some people, history repeats itself.

https://adaptivecurmudgeon.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/history-as-a-cure-for-unreality/

Adaptive Curmudgeon, the wisest of wise-asses, takes a look at people failing to learn from history.

Read the whole thing, and the article he links inside it.

AR-15 nonsense; (vaguely) legitimate uses for law workaround parts

One of the parts for the AR-15 that's often ridiculed for merely existing is the non-pistolgrip, to remove a "scary" feature from it and let it get by onerous gun laws. I finally came up with a use for one outside of someplace where it's used only because the law forces it.

Over the years, I've saved myself and bailed my party from many a bad situation with an SMG or assault rifle under my character's coat. Realistically, the extensive height of a modern sporting rifle renders this a difficult proposition, even with a large, loose coat. I've pulled it off quite effectively with my S2k under my duster, but I could feel the grip desperately attempting to print.

While pondering the pistol "wrist brace", along with my bf playing some Payday 2 beside me, it came to me. A lower cap magazine, a non-pistolgrip grip, and the wristbrace gives a slimline gun. Add in a shoulder holster or single point sling set to keep the gun at your side, and it should vanish under nearly any coat. When not in the gun, magazines actually don't add that much bulk for a couple, it's only when they're stuck out the bottom at 90 degrees they really add to the size.

Everyone keeps whining about people open carrying rifles. Maybe they'll whine less if I carry mine under my coat? Hey, they SAID they didn't want to see it!

Gun shopping

I'm apparently in a deadzone of places where I can order the LW-15 lower receiver that I want (or any lower receiver, for that matter). However, I'm RIGHT next to a gander mountain (regular, not specialty gun shop) both at home and at work. They don't have anything worth looking at in their AR-15 section (nothing but carbine length forends, can't stand anything shorter than mid-length), but they DO have that Sig AR-15 'pistol' with the 'brace'. Have to say, that thing is actually comfy and handy as heck, even if it's basically impossible to use the brace with it as a pistol (can't get the sights to line up without a LOT of work).

Stupid SBR laws.

Early thoughts on Fort Hood

Another mass shooting in a gun free zone? Stop the presses! Can't wait to be lectured about guns, tactics, and laws by people who know absolutely nothing about guns, tactics, and laws. 

Can we PLEASE stop banning the military from the carriage of arms? Even if it's rank limited, have to get promoted once or twice (and presumably still have to hit 21 before you qualify for a permit, as it is in most places). 

And that's all I'll say until a week or so from now when there's actual information out. I'll be keeping the victims and their families in my thoughts. 

Trust Your Government megadump

I'm kind of disheartened that I have enough material for linkdump of this size this fast.

SMBC might give too much credit, even. Many such laws seem to be doing exactly what they were intended

 http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-peculiar-story-of-united-states-v.html I've previously mentioned this one, but it fits in with a few others. The government, setting up a show trial to claim legitimacy for banning a whole bunch of things. The argument was that they weren't protected because the military (at the time) didn't use them, but now the military uses all of them extensively, so how about that?

http://onlygunsandmoney.blogspot.com/2013/12/calguns-does-little-digging-into.html Turns out a lot of what some locales try to ban as "excessive or unnecessary for self defense" are simultaneously mandated for self defense to the nobles who are exempt from gun law.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/06/salinas_v_texas_right_to_remain_silent_supreme_court_right_to_remain_silent.html Meanwhile, it has been decided that not only can anything you say be used against you, not saying anything can also be used against you.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/12/30/la-dui-checkpoints-now-with-more-saliva
http://reason.com/archives/2013/12/28/americas-internal-checkpoints In a related matter, papers please. Police checkpoints have been popping up all over the country, in some cases refusal to use a breathalyzer gets you forcibly dragged from your car to have blood taken. I am frankly astonished that nobody has reacted to this happening in the United States of America with a rifle round. 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/20/n-m-woman-billed-5000-after-cops-order-warrantless-redundant-cavity-searches/ By the way, try to stay calm when you've been forced to exit your car, and hope that there aren't any police with drug dogs who like to watch, or you can be warrantlessly medically raped and handed the bill for the violation of your privacy.

http://triggerfinger.org/weblog/entry/9215  Of course, warrants seem not to be treated as important as they used to be.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2013/12/23/utah-made-it-easier-for-cops-to-seize-innocent-peoples-property-and-not-a-single-lawmaker-voted-against-it/ Don't worry, police only have the power to seize your property and force you to prove it wasn't used for anything nefarious for the public good. That some departments pay around 40% of their budgets by selling confiscated property is completely beside the point.

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-obama-care/121813-683475-obamacare-interferes-with-residential-and-travel-liberties.htm#ixzz2nt5oKeR8 Back on the topic of travel and troubles therewith, don't forget that the wonderful new law so beloved by the American people makes your insurance pretty much only work at home, so you either can't travel or have to buy an extra plan to cover travel or if you tend to live in two different parts of the country during different parts of the year. One more thing to love about it, on top of its collection of all of your personal information on not-very-secure servers

http://gizmodo.com/surprise-its-super-easy-to-identify-people-from-metad-1489840907
http://gizmodo.com/the-nsas-trying-to-build-a-quantum-computer-so-it-can-1493410244
http://gizmodo.com/the-nsa-actually-intercepted-packages-to-put-backdoors-1491169592
Speaking of privacy, the NSA is pretty sure such a stupid concept is terrible for national security. Far safer to have the government monitor basically everything you say or do, any reasonable person would see that!

http://gunfreezone.net/wordpress/index.php/2013/12/30/no-need-for-mens-rea-you-can-also-be-a-felon/ Don't worry, your government only arbitrarily decides previously fine things are now illegal and that you must be arrested for violation because it loves you!

http://blog.joehuffman.org/2014/01/03/unarmed-man-goes-on-shooting-rampage/ However, if the police decide to open fire on you for whatever reason, some places think it's your fault if they hit anyone else. 

http://borepatch.blogspot.com/2014/01/boston-swpl-types-find-out-what-big.html At least some faint hope remains, as the encroaching bureaucracy's tendrils cause problems in Media Approved (tm) areas, and people actually hear about it.

http://gizmodo.com/the-complete-list-of-everything-banned-by-mayor-michael-1490476691 One of the kings of arbitrarily declaring things to be illegal just left office, and here's a handy list of everything he banned or tried to ban.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/31/bloomberg-leaves-office-today-protected-by-firearms/ It is of course important to note, he only thinks it's YOUR rights that should be infringed upon. Not his, of course, he's far more equal than you!

http://www.ma-rooned.com/2013/12/oh-this-is-gonna-be-gooooood.html Still, there's some hope. At least some nanny statists can be consistent! Too evil for the people, too evil for the police! I wish him the best of luck at showing his true colors and what he really thinks of people.

http://gunfreezone.net/wordpress/index.php/2014/01/02/instructions-to-all-persons-of-japanese-ancestry/ Just remember, your government loves you, and all those bad things that happen everywhere else could never happen here. Just remember, 1984 is a warning, not an instruction manual!


I think I need to go snuggle my cat, it's depressing how quickly I wound up with all this material.

Wisconsin Knife Law is stupid

Wisconsin Knife Laws

Basically, in WI you can carry whatever the hell you want, as long as it's done openly (which is something of a trick, since we've got 7-9 months of winter here).

However, a 2.75" knife, if concealed, can be counted as a "dangerous weapon", and has been by courts in the past few years (they don't otherwise say what constitutes that. Some cities have defined it themselves)

They also don't quite specify exactly what counts as concealed. They have a definition, but there are grey areas, like a pocket knife with a pocket clip and that has part of it stick out of the pocket and be visible.

Basically, to be entirely safe carrying a knife, the most basic and possibly most useful of all of mankind's myriad tools, you need a carry permit.