Wallet Holsters

Somebody at the local gun shows has been selling these things, and it could create a potential problem for the unwary buyer. You see, that's not an ordinary pocket holster. Thanks to the National Firearms Act of 1934, it's been imbued with special powers necessitating registration and taxation.

What makes it different? It's designed so that the gun can be fired without removing it from the holster. As such, it falls under the same restrictions as cane guns, Stinger pens, and the infamous H&K MP5 briefcase. Walking around with your gun in one of these is treated with the same gravity as owning an unregistered machine gun.

I'm not being snarky here. True, you've known me to be facetious in the past. It's a personality quirk of mine, but I am not being a snickerpuss here.

Tactical Operator of the Day

Ah, YouTube: a veritable cornucopia of questionable gun advice. Today's example is MrSurplusnut. See if you can make it all the way through without cringing.



He likes the word "scenario," and he really likes his CCW badge. By the two-minute mark, I lost count of the number of times he swept the camera with his finger on the trigger of a loaded gun.

Frowny Face for Holder

The 2013 budget for the Department of Justice is up for review. During deliberations, Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz attached House Amendment 1068. The text of the amendment sounds like CSPAN on Valium:

An amendment to prohibit the use of funds used in contravention of paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 1001(a) of title 18, United State Code.

The code section in question is this,

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully—
(1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;
(2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
(3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;
shall be fined under this title, [or] imprisoned not more than 5 years

The short version? The DOJ can't use taxpayer funds to lie to Congress.

Yeah, I know. It doesn't really have teeth, but that's not the point.

The point is that it passed 381-41, with 142 Democrats (77.6%) voting in favor. It's going to be hard to dismiss the Fast & Furious hearings as petty partisan bickering now.

(The title comes from a statement by Rep. Farenthold, who complained about the lack of accountability or action within Justice.)

Holder Contempt Charge: Now It's Official

Sharyl Attkisson reports that the draft of a contempt citation naming Eric Holder is being circulated to members of the House Oversight Committee today. The citation addresses the Attorney General's lack of cooperation in the investigation of Fast & Furious.

Resolved, That Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States, shall be found to be in contempt of Congress for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena.

Resolved, That pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §§ 192 and 194, the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall certify the report of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, detailing the refusal of Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, to produce documents to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as directed by subpoena, to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, to the end that Mr. Holder be proceeded against in the manner and form provided by law.

Resolved, That the Speaker of the House shall otherwise take all appropriate action to enforce the subpoena.

I've got the actual text here [pdf], and it's a bit of a read. I'm not sure it'll lead to anything in terms of the investigation, but the timing suggests that it's more about election politics. We've got a Presidential candidate who's (belatedly) cozying up to the NRA, and something like this will come in handy in the upcoming debates.

What bothers me is that it isn't justice.

Anenon: The Inner Hue

Sometimes music doesn't have to do anything. It just has to be there. This record is a good example.

It's not that nothing happens, but this album is more a collection of still pictures than a film in motion: in this case, a blurred sequence of sepia tones and sunbleached photographs frayed and wrinkled at the edges. Brian Simon utilizes a narrow pallette of saxophone, Rhodes piano, and a Roland 909 (ah, respecting the classics!). Sometimes limitations are the best creative spur, and that's well apparent here.

Possible points of triangulation might be Helios and the MFA but more than anything, the record feels like the first time I heard My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. It's gauzy and disorienting, but with a sense of rhythm that keeps things grounded to some extent. Simon's saxophone is rarely distinguishable, being relegated to providing texture more than melody. Though half the tracks lack percussion, the pulse is always just there under the surface.

It appears that there are no plans for a CD pressing, but the record is available in digital form from Boomkat.