An Atlas of Margins

I mean, what else would I call it?  Etude #29?  Now that would be a little pretentious.

An Atlas of Margins  (00:54)

Andrew Traver and the New Math

The ATF hasn't had a director for almost four years.  Former director Carl Truscott's reign was marked by numerous complaints about misappropriation of funds and poor treatment of employees.  Following his resignation in 2006, the parameters were changed, and Senate confirmation is now required for a nominee.

In the meantime, former prosecutor Michael Sullivan served as Acting Director, but was blocked from nomination for the permanent position.  Sullivan resigned January 20th, 2009, the day President Obama was sworn in.  Presumably, the idea was that the new President could find someone capable of passing confirmation hearings.

Andrew Traver isn't that person.

I Suppose There's Always the Bus

By now, John Tyner's video is national news, as it should be. This has gone too far.

I don't mind removing my shoes and putting them on the conveyor. It's a mild inconvenience. The metal detector has been used since the 1970's without significant complaint, so I'll comply. If I forget about the steel belt buckle and they have to pass the wand over me, so be it.

But hands on the crotch? Naked body images? Slow down there, tiger. I expect to be romanced first, and airport checkpoints don't have the ambience for that.

This goes far beyond petty indignity.

No other law enforcement agency in America has the right to do such an invasive search without proving reasonable suspicion based on "specific and articulable facts." We've endured enough of this "post-911 world" nonsense. It's not keeping us any safer.

Backlights, Maybe

Best heard from some distance.

Backlights, Maybe  (01:01)

It's Called Hubris

And it'll bite you in the rear every time.

The government is once again divided enough to prevent either party from pushing anything through without the approval of the people.  We once again have a bulwark against the Legislative branch acting as a rubber stamp for the Executive. We once again have some semblance of balance.

Whether one perceives them as a third party or a fork of the GOP, the Tea Party showed some clout tonight.  They proved themselves a force to be respected in Florida, Kentucky, and most shockingly, Wisconsin.

Now we see if they can govern.  We might just see a few of those promises about fiscal responsibility kept in the coming weeks and months.  Might.

If tonight was any indication, I'm not holding my breath.

Transit and Parallax

I often dream of trains.

Transit and Parallax  (00:27)

All Quiet on the 2nd Amendment Front

The Brady Campaign sent me an email this morning to let me know who they're endorsing for tomorrow's mid-term elections.  I have to say, the list is pretty thin.  This could be due to the fact that they only have $5,661 in cash to spend this cycle.

Mayors Against Illegal guns gave $150,000 to the Raben Group to spend on something, though I don't know what.  Founder Robert Raben also sits on the board of directors of the Alliance for Justice, a group that represents several progressive political causes, but doesn't seem involved in gun control.

Josh Sugarmann's Violence Policy Center currently shows a balance of zero.  That's a bit odd, since the Joyce Foundation has pumped roughly $2.1 million into various other groups under the ostensible heading of "Gun Violence."  Still, that money appears to be targeted towards university and community research programs, rather than towards political endorsements.

This Is Why We Pay Lawyers

Representing yourself in court is rarely a good idea.  Spend a day in traffic court if you want numerous demonstrations.  Some of those folks are incompetent to the point of amusement, but once in a while, someone comes along who is simply epic, for lack of a better word.

One of those people is Paul Hupp.  Mr. Hupp is a man of passion and conviction.  He's also quite the amateur litigant.  I say "amateur" because he didn't manage to procure admission to the California bar, then failed to get said denial overturned in court.

Feeling that his money was thus wasted on law school, he attempted to get his obligations to student loans discharged.  Failing in this, he tried to sue over the matter.  The result?  Failure.

See a pattern to this man's life yet?  It gets better.

Salendro

Some tonal liberties taken.

Salendro  (01:01)

Function Checks for Revolvers

...or, "what the heck you doin' that for?"

The market is being flooded with used revolvers right now.  There are some truly great deals to be had, but there are also a few pitfalls to avoid.  Many potentially terminal problems may not be immediately apparent.

Revolvers are generally very durable machines.  They'll endure decades of neglect, but that resilience means that some owners will inflict excessive abuse.  Some people will use them as test-beds for reckless handloads, and when the gun gives out, they'll sell it off to a hapless buyer.  Others see them as platforms for some truly questionable home gunsmithing experiments.

What follows is a list of things I check to ensure that the gun I'm evaluating hasn't been rendered unusable or unsafe.

Two if by Autumn

Two if by Autumn  (00:59)

Loop  (00:15)

Across the Atlantic

Last Friday, I had a very interesting conversation with a war correspondent from the UK Daily Mirror. He's been embedded with the SAS in Afghanistan. He's seen his share of guns, and he's done some shooting.

Personally, he's not fond of them, but nor is he hostile. In fact, he mentioned that gun crime is on the rise in London, and he wondered aloud if England's strict gun laws might be the cause rather than the solution.

This was going to be a very interesting conversation, indeed.