Reminder to Congress on Memorial Day

The following is a recitation on the limits of your authority. EVERYTHING beyond the limits set forth below is a usurpation of the power of the States, or of the People.

United States Constitution, Article 1

Section. 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Accordingly, and taking them in order, let's look at the action of the Federal Government in relation to their defined limits of authority.

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States

No mention of the Federal Reserve and its actions recently in purchasing the debts of private companies and sovereign nations to preserve "too big to fail" entities.

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

This means normalizing trade and tariffs, and ensuring that each State doesn't blockade or embargo a neighbor (Like California is trying to do to Arizona right now). This does NOT mean that the "Commerce Clause" is a blank check to commit acts and actions not enumerated here in Article 1 Section 8.

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

This does not mean that illegal aliens should be granted amnesty and citizenship because a political party wants more power voters voting for them. The Bankruptcy provision means that the laws should pertain to everybody equally, and not be changed arbitrarily because a sympathetic Union is pulling your strings (General Motors, Chrysler).

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

Our official, Constitutional Dollar, is a fixed amount of silver, and the value of Gold is relative to this. Any other paper "fiat" currency not redeemable in Silver is government-sanctioned theft of the People's wealth and is a violation of trust with the People. Under the next clause, the Federal Reserve should be prosecuted:

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

Enough said.

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

US Postal Service (and I will even accept the Interstate Highway system as "post Roads"), and the Patent and Trademark Office. Check.

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

Federal District Courts are authorized, check.

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

This charter of authorization (which defines the scope of the Navy authorization below) means the our Government has written into its charter the duty to ensure safe passage on the open ocean of its citizens. Unlike the next clause, no formal declaration of war is required after "piracy" has been defined. Why we need to do the Presidential kabuki dance every time a Maersk Alabama-like incident occurs is beyond my comprehension.

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

As in Colonial times, the Congress has the authority to engage "privateers" with Letters of Marque, in order that they could become a force-multiplier against acts of piracy and other offenses against the citizens. This also means that, if the Congress so desired, privateers could act to defend our borders, and local militias (see "militia", below) were obligated to act to defend their communities and also to deter invasion.

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

Standing armies were heavily frowned upon by the Founders, and the appropriation limitation of funding for 2 year cycles was designed as a check against the entrenching of power by the military. A standing Navy posed much less threat to Liberty, and provided a significant defensive deterrent to aggression, so no such funding prohibition is listed in Section 8.

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

The military was to be under the control of the civilian government.

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass" Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Imperial Japanese Navy, World War 2.

Who are the Militia?

The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

In short, every citizen is the militia with preference towards able-bodied males of draft age. In this light, civilian arms, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment, are necessary for the defense of the nation and their possession shall not be infringed. Further: "Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American ... The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the People."— Tench Coxe, 1788. (Suck it, BradyBunch)

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;

The District of Columbia is the Federal seat of Power, and Congress has the control over the laws therein. Any land designated for Federal use shall be purchased from the States and such purchase shall be agreed-to by the State Legislatures. Federal eminent domain land-grabs are unconstitutional if not agreed-to by the states and appropriately compensated.

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

The Congress is authorized to legislate only in the areas where Federal power is enumerated. It is time we reminded them of that.

This weekend is a holiday celebration. Memorial Day is the day we commemorate all of the brave men and women who have fought for, and died for, our country. Too much blood has been shed to preserve the Liberty enshrined in our Constitution. Many of these soldiers went to foreign lands to fight against fascist dictators (even lawfully-elected ones) and communist oligarchies. These fine soldiers, seamen, and airmen, were fighting for the ideal that is Freedom. They did so with the absolute moral certitude that genocide was wrong. They fought against regimes which subjugated their citizens, enslaved their minorities, and killed their political opponents who dissented.

They did not fight these enemies of freedom so that their own government could emulate them. They did not fight Communism and Fascism and Socialism so that their government could violate Article 4, Section 4 and become just like the enemies they defeated. We are constitutionally guaranteed "a Republican form of Government", not a Democracy. Just because SanFranNan and Dingy Harry can muster 51% of the votes does not make their actions legal or proper.

I hope you will enjoy this Memorial Day holiday. Please take some time to reflect upon the truths laid out in our Constitution. Take the time to compare the actions of our government with the limitations imposed upon it by our Charter. The mere fact that any specific piece of legislation hasn't yet been overturned by the judiciary does not make it proper or acceptable or Constitutional. Ultimately, the power rests with the People to enforce this.

Oh, and make sure you thank the people you know who are military, current or former. They have pledged themselves to the service of this country for your Liberty. They have written a blank check to Freedom, payable in an amount up to, and including, their very lives. That is the pledge which defines Honor. Never forget.

God Bless.

Pax,

Newbius

For all you iBots out there...

Here is a video that is sure to please all of you Apple FanBois.

Enjoy!

Newbius

The paper bubble is about to burst

Excessive borrowing, far in excess of our country's ability to produce, has kept the nation's economy tottering along for the last 2 years. Like a person in a credit death-spiral, we have been borrowing additional monies just to keep up with the interest payments on the existing debt. We can only keep doing this for so long. This nation is bankrupt. This nation is in denial about the problem. Reality is going to be painful when it makes its appearance.

(For complete background and insightful commentary on the impending collapse, I recommend you add Karl Denninger at The Market Ticker to your daily reading list)

Like Europe before us, we allowed our public servants to appease our appetites with bread and circuses; with welfare and entitlements. As long as there were enough suckers to keep the scheme alive, and other nations were willing to buy our paper, this was sustainable. That well is rapidly going dry.

Unlike the 1930's, the US manufacturing base is decimated. China makes most of our consumer goods, along with Korea and Singapore. Durable goods come from Japan, with a smattering of companies still making them domestically. Our blue-collar workers are now union-pampered, with wages and benefit packages that are crippling what's left of our domestic companies.

In all this, the government has been complicit. In all this, be it the flight of our manufacturing jobs, or our ever-expanding entitlement structure, the Feds have had a hand in it. The politicians have used their legislative ability to pick winners and losers; to grant favors to politically-favored companies which line their pockets with campaign contributions; to write labor laws which ensure a ready supply of votes for the status quo, but which have destroyed their host companies. And yet, they act surprised when companies take what's left of their capital and flee overseas.

Now, President ObeyMe wants to do another round of "stimulus" as the money supplies contract at record pace. Like a drug addict who cannot recognize the source of his own destruction (or who does, and wishes to hasten it), O-bow-wow is pushing for more of the same poison that is currently killing us.

It is almost as if he is trying to destroy the last vestiges of capitalism left in the US. In order to believe that, I have to buy into the theory that our current president is a traitor to our founding principles. The evidence is beginning to mount, however. Only time will tell if he does, as Woody Allen suggests, appoint himself dictator for a little while. (No, I don't think he will do so. But, the Left wants it...). Usually, the modern dictator gets elected, then changes the rules to prevent further elections.

In any case, the economic situation is a paper bubble and it is about to burst. Greece will not reform, and the Euro will be taken down because. This will cascade over to the US as Europe enters into another spasm of civil strife and unrest. China won't keep buying our bonds for much longer, especially if the Korean peninsula devolves into open warfare. China is currently siding with Kim Jong "Very-Ill" Il and we have an alliance with Pyongyang which will pull us into the mess. Couple these going-on with our changing relationship with Israel, whose ability to defend themselves depends in large measure on our weaponry and support, and you have a recipe for world-wide unrest. A "crisis" if you will.

And, you should never let a crisis go to waste...

Are you ready?

Pax,

Newbius

Happy Birthday to...

MrsNewbius! I love you sweetheart and hope that today is a great day.

Newbius

Fisking the Washington Post

Usually, Fisking the WaPo is not too hard to do. Since their bias is usually plainly evident, it takes most of the fun out of the exercise.

In this case, Breitbart's BigJournalism site takes them to task over the SEIU protests.

Go RTWT

Pax,

Newbius

Blogroll Addition

Met Michael W in Charlotte. He's a good guy and you should go read his stuff over at "Doin' the Time Warp".

Pax,

Newbius

SEIU Thuggery and the crickets on the left

As noted here, the SEIU engaged in thuggery in an attempt to intimidate a B of A executive. That they did so is beyond question. The questions that this demonstration raises are numerous.

My first question is: "Why are the police departments changing their stories about the level of alert/coordination provided inter-departmentally?"

My second question is: "Why does SEIU always seem to organize this type of protest concurrent with legislative actions in Congress?"

My third question is: "Why does the Legacy Media ignore this thuggery, yet 10 people protesting the NRA convention is top of the hour news?"

My fourth question is: "Why, when the questions are raised, do the Liberal Enablers complain about the Right's failure to condemn abortion protestors?"

My fifth question is: "At what point do the citizens stand up and say "enough!", and push back?"

I ask, because it seems like only Fox is covering this at all, and poorly too. The Blogs are incensed, but nobody is paying attention to them because we are all little "keyboard commandos", all talk and no action. All of the "kerfluffle" is amounting to a hill of nothing about this. Yet, there are very real issues of sanctioned and possibly even coordinated intimidation tactics being utilized by the Left to push more Anti-Capitalist, Anti-American legislation.

Fair warning: If 500 protesters show up on my property, for any reason, they will get a request to immediately remove themselves to the street, and about 10 seconds to comply. Failure to do so will be construed as a threat to myself and my property.

Newbius
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42

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Today is Towel Day, in honor of Douglas Adams. I still can't look at a champagne glass without thinking of mice...

Celebrate it. :)

Pax,

Newbius

Blogroll addition

Welcome "Jennifer III" to the list. Go and check her out at her Blog, "I'll Take Liberty".

Newbius

Blogiversary

Two years ago, I began this endeavor. Since that first post, I have gone from no readership at all, to somewhere between 25 and 225 readers every day. I say "somewhere between" because the numbers have not yet stabilized since Charlotte.

The last two years have seen monumental changes occur in the political landscape of this country. The last two years have seen significant growth of what used to be called the Silent Majority, rising up and speaking out against the usurpation of the people's power by the political class in Washington. The last two years have also seen a precipitous drop in America's standing and stature in the world because of the current Administration's policies (including some of the policies carried over from the previous one).

Since beginning this blog, I have encountered many new friends. I have had some interesting debates on the nature of things. Mostly though, I have been able to express myself about the issues and items that are on my mind, without shooting my television or kicking my cats.

I am still married to the same wonderful woman who agreed to share my life journey with me 23 years ago. I am about to have my third child start college. And, I am closer to my goal of being debt-free.

One thing that I have learned over the last two years is this. The American Dream is not what they market to you on the television. The American Dream is not the huge McMansion, 2 Benzes and an HDTV home theater system. It is not anything material at all. Sure, those things are nice. But, they are NOT the essence of what it means to be American.

The American Dream is all about Liberty and Freedom. It is about YOU deciding what is important. It is about YOU deciding how hard you want to work; how much education you want to attain; how big your car is (or if you want one at all). It is about the freedom to make your own choices without some bureaucratic functionary dictating fairness and equality of outcome.

I'll tell you this much. In the last two years, the biggest change for me has been that I discovered Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University program. I re-discovered through that program an old truth, a biblical truth.

The Rich rule over the Poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender
Proverbs 22:7

Think about that for a second. When that idea came home to me, I got very intense and intentional about becoming debt free. Why? Because being in debt limits my freedom to move, my ability to act, and my freedom to make other economic choices like employment type and location, or saving and investing, or charitable donations. When the money is mine, I get to decide when and how I spend it. My choice, not theirs.

With all of the hate and discontent being directed at the Banksters, and with the economy in trouble because "the housing bubble burst" nobody has pointed out the obvious. The borrowers were enslaved, with the encouragement and complicity of the US Government, so that the banksters and their paid-for servants in congress could bleed the people dry. An enslaved populace is easier to control. An enslaved populace is easier to manipulate. An enslaved populace is easier to keep enslaved, because they are dependent upon the government for their continued existence.

Think about the most recent stimulus attempts. Cash for Clunkers, the First-time Home-buyer's Credit, Green Improvements, and the like. All of these initiatives required the government to give away other people's money and usually involved the recipient to ALSO take out a loan to a bank to complete the transaction. This is wrong. The government should be encouraging savings and self-sufficiency. They won't because it diminishes the entrenchment of their power. Think about that one too.

In America today, we need to reawaken the people about the old values and the old truths. Stay out of debt. Keep a balanced budget at home. Live within your means. Save up for things instead of borrowing to purchase now. Use CASH instead of credit.

We also need to rediscover that our Nation was founded on moral principles, and our nation's charter - the Constitution - is designed as a framework to limit the government. We, the people, need to quit looking to Washington to solve our problems. We, the people, need to tell Washington to shut up and sit down when they offer their pablums and panaceas. They have exceeded their authority to act and need to be reigned in. NOW.

Two years ago, I started this blog so I could get my thoughts down on paper. I wanted something for my kids to read and understand, without the heated emotion of this moment's issues overwhelming the underlying message. In that, I hope I have succeeded. But, only time will tell. I also started this blog to share things about life and love and good food and good friends and other things that are fun or important to me. I thank you all for sharing this adventure with me. I hope you have enjoyed it.

Until the next post...

Pax,

Newbius

I have four words for this

Get Off My Lawn!

Oh, and I also have a few words for the Metropolitan Police Department:

TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 242

Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

Further, the Metropolitan Police Department aided and abetted a violation of 18 USC 2331, specifically:

(5) the term ``domestic terrorism'' means activities that--
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a
violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any
State;

I wonder, do Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier actively support these actions against private citizens? If so, are the citizens absolved from any repercussions in the event that they need to defend their lives and property?

Attorney General Holder, are you paying attention?

Newbius
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Modern Slavery

The man with the furtive eyes and the weapon in his belt looks around. A new batch of laborers is about to begin the journey. The conditions are terrible. For the guys with the weapons, the women and young girls provide entertainment during the journey. Unwilling entertainment, but that's fine with him. To him, they are just meat anyway. Who cares, she will make a good toy for her new master and he'll get a nice check for her sale.

The less healthy men will get sick, hurt, or maybe die during this journey. That's okay too. They have already paid their money and the rest can pick over the fallen's things for useful items. The recruiters back in their home towns don't care. They are already rounding up the next batch of workers.

These dark-skinned migrants are not the African slaves of the olden times. No. They are modern slaves. Bought and sold into the labor markets north of the border. Uneducated, they believe that they are going to a better life. The reality is that they are merely wage-slaves. Brought into the country with the complicity of the United States government in order to mask the fact that the country is bankrupt.

Yes. You read that correctly.

The Tax Parasites that control the levers of power know that the Baby Boom generation bubble has moved from the "Net payer" category to the "Net recipient" one. Without massive influxes of new revenue streams, the country will begin an ever-tightening death spiral of entitlement spending from which it cannot recover. We are not making babies fast enough to keep up with the payments. So, the answer is to force another group of immigrants onto the tax rolls so that the scheme can stay afloat for another few years and they can stay in power a little longer.

Like the slave owners of old, the exploitation of the minorities doesn't really bother them. They are elite and above them. Like the opponents of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, these power elites think they can get away with a little more oppression, just a little longer. The atrocities, the rape trees, the discrimination, these are all okay as long as the money keeps flowing.

It is wrong.

Decency requires that the flow of slaves cease. If your congress-critter or local politician is an advocate of open borders; if your representative condemns other locales for daring to stand up for law and order, then they are openly stating that they support the human trafficking, rape, and other atrocities committed in the business of illegal immigration. Like the plantation owners in the 1800's and the Ku Klux Klan Democrats in the 1950's and 1960's (and strangely enough, the Democrats today), the people who support the continuation of this abhorrent practice want economic and political power over others. Deny it to them.

Force the closure of our southern border. Force the enforcement of our existing laws, as Arizona has done. Force the people coming into our country to be identified, vetted, and cleared before conferring residency. Force them to adopt the language, customs, and allegiance of this country if they wish to become a citizen. Like we used to do...

And, finally, end the entitlements that are destroying this country and which require modern-day slave trading to support. We have already fought one civil war over slavery. Do we really wish to fight another one?

Pax,

Newbius

EDIT TO ADD: Teddy Roosevelt on Immigration

Heard on #GBC

< Wai > what's the plural of "doofus?"
< Newbius > doofi
< JayG > Congress
< Wai > LOL Jay wins

Draw Mohommed Day

Here you go:











Hope you enjoyed it.

Pax,

Newbius

Blogroll Changes

The Blogroll has changed dramatically in the last week. The list is huge, so instead I will direct you to the category of "People I've Met". Many of them moved up from "People I Read Daily", and I am humbled by the sheer awesomeness that they represent.

If I met you in Charlotte, and your name is NOT listed, PLEASE let me know.

Also, there have been quite a few additions to the "People I Read Daily" category, mostly because I moved the links from my bookmarks to my Blogroll. These people also have great offerings and should be on your daily reads, too. I will be adding more links, so if I know you and you aren't there. Let me know.

Last: I reciprocate. If you have me on your blogroll and I am not listing you here, drop me a note and I will add you.
Pax,

Newbius

People of the gun

This past weekend I attended my very first NRA convention. I have been a member, off and on, for over thirty years. Yet, have never attended the annual meeting before now. Charlotte changed that for me. Probably forever.

You see, the thing that I discovered (re-discovered) is that the People Of The Gun are truly some of the nicest people that you ever want to meet. Sure, we have our quirks. We have our flakes. But overall, we have a passion for our hobby that is infectious and inviting.

Most of the "gunnies" that I know will take a "newbie" out to the range, pay the fees, buy the ammo, and do the instructional things necessary to ensure that the new shooter is safe. And then, they try very hard to make sure that the shooter has fun. Lots of fun...

Having been involved in other hobbies, I am not sure that the same enthusiasm for outreach exists to this degree (Major exception: aviation). Yet, you see gun owners bending over backwards to bring new people into the sport. To teach women how to protect themselves. To reach out, through organizations like Second Amendment Sisters and Pink Pistols, to diverse groups not normally associated with the stereotypical gun enthusiast. The outreach continues with programs like the Appleseed project, the Civilian Marksmanship Program, and Boomershoot. The people who run these programs, or volunteer their time to assist, do so for the love of the sport and the continuation of our liberty. Our civil rights. Our HUMAN rights.

This past weekend, I got to meet with leaders in the industry. I got to meet with the "movers and shakers" in the area of advocacy. I got to meet with media types ("old" and "new"). And, I got to meet new friends. It was a humbling experience. It also cemented my belief that we gun owners are the very foundation of what's good and right in America today.

During the recording of Vicious Circle on Sunday, Breda made a comment about how the gun culture varies regionally (in reference to the NRA's desire to move their convention around annually). I disagree with that contention. While we may have regional tastes, this past weekend reinforced to me my belief that the people of the gun, from wherever they may reside, are solid and stalwart citizens who share the same fundamental core values nationwide.

Over seventy thousand people attended this year's convention. While the Charlotte Convention Center disallowed carrying of firearms on-site, most of the people attending brought at least one gun with them into the city. If my duffle bag was any indication, the number of guns in the city increased dramatically. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, no NRA members shot anybody in anger. There was no blood in the streets. There were no angry, armed confrontations at the local Starbucks. None of the hysteria that passes as rational argument from the Anti's came to pass. In fact, the convention-goers were happy, polite, friendly, and courteous.

Even the protesters (all 10 of them) were treated politely...

As I said earlier, I had the pleasure of meeting many "bloggers" and other "folk" while there. The sidebar category of "People I've Met" has grown dramatically. They are all good people. They are all worthy of friendship. They are People of the Gun.

Pax,

Newbius

Best range report ever

Brigid wins the quote of the day with the "World's shortest range report":

I named the gun "Nancy". She's small, skinny, not particularly pretty and has a mean bite if you're not careful. On the other hand, she's accurately deadly in close for something with a lousy sight picture.

That, right there, is full of WIN.

Pax,

Newbius

RE SCOTUS Pick

...Elena Kagan.

Given the choices "available" to the current POTUS, and given his ideological leanings, Solicitor General Kagan might very well be the least damaging pick possible.

I have it on pretty good authority that Ms. Kagan is, at least, a reasonable person of good temperament. She may not be "a wise Latina", but at least she isn't "a wise Latina". By this I mean that she doesn't have any overt, documented prejudices, EXCEPT FOR HER AVERSION TO OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS. With this being said, she is not currently a swing vote. She is likely amenable to a good argument. She is hopefully able to be swayed to our side with solid cases and good presentation.

I say grill her to get her on record about the things important to us, but confirm her. There are much worse choices out there that could be in the hot seat instead.

Pax,

Newbius

The highlight of my weekend

...was more than 2 hours of an up-close-and-personal Question and Answer session with Alan Gura. Getting the opportunity to have dinner and a few beers with him was the pinnacle of my weekend.

Well, that and meeting Breda in person. :)

Breda, thanks for inviting me to the dinner. You have no idea how amazing the experience truly was.

Newbius

The Blazing Orange: The Orange Has Landed

Commenter OrangeneckInNY has started his own blog. Head on over and wish him well. The Blazing Orange: The Orange Has Landed

Pax,

Newbius

Want

Springfield Armory is releasing an "M" version of their XD45. I got to play with it in Charlotte. One word:

WANT

Should be hitting the stores around June. Look for it.

Just got back from Charlotte

There will be lots of changes to the Blog Roll happening. I am moving a lot of people from the "People I Read Daily" section into the "People I've Met" category. I might possibly even have some pictures of the Cool Kids. Oh, and I made my debut on Vicious Circle. :)

I am tired, but the trip was worth it. Some good things are coming up in the next few months from the gun industry. There are some amazing people out there supporting us in our fight for our civil rights (a HUGE "shout-out" to Alan Gottlieb and Alan Gura for the amazing work you do as advocates). The people from the NRA could not have been more accommodating to me, my guest, and to the many direct media types (bloggers) who were there doing the reporting.

I'll have more up later as I distill down my notes and photos to something coherent. If you have not yet attended an NRA convention, please do so in Pittsburgh next year. I hope to meet you there.

Pax,

Newbius

No Content

Yet...

Still mondo-busy at work, and then packing for Charlotte.

However, Daughter had her final chorus concert of the year at school, and was amazing. Did I tell you that she is beautiful, and smart, and funny, and wonderful? No? Consider yourself told.

She starts at George Mason University in the fall and I couldn't be prouder of her.

Have a great weekend.

Pax,

Newbius

Message to FedGov RE ObamaCare

My body.

My choice.

Stay the hell out of my medical decisions.

Newbius
|||

Not Democracy

For those Statist-Collectivist whiners out there, I have a suggestion. Since you believe that majority rule is the acceptable law of the land in our Republic (hint: it isn't), what would you do if the 13th Amendment was repealed by majority rule??.

Would you then crow about how more than half the people voted for it so it must be right? Or, would you acknowledge that the tyranny of the majority is capable of truly abhorrent things and sometimes we need to adhere to our founding principles?

Democracy is three wolves and a sheep voting on the dinner menu.

Freedom is an armed sheep defending against the predations of the majority.

Think about it.

Pax,

Newbius

QOTD - JFK

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

Charlotte!

No, not going to attend the NRA convention. Instead, I am going to go and have dinner with the World's Most Dangerous Librarian, JayG, and a host of others.

I am really looking forward to moving some people from "People I Read Daily", to "People I've Met" on my Blogroll.

See you there?

Pax,

Newbius

As seen on #GBC

Warning: not PC!

(05:38:56 PM) Salamander: Did you hear that 7-11 is selling midget lesbians now?
(05:39:15 PM) ***ET nudges Gay_Cynic, "Eh? Eh? Eh?"
(05:39:35 PM) ET: Salamander, do they sell them in six packs?
(05:39:43 PM) Salamander: I saw a sign "Half Gal Homo" on the shelf.
(05:40:25 PM) Newbius: wouldn't that be a tranny?
(05:40:32 PM) ET: lol

The smallest things

Right now, the smallest things are what bring me the most joy, and also the most pain. Little remarks made in passing are blown out of proportion to their import. Little looks, glances, sighs, are sometimes just that. I need to remember that.

On the other hand, I was out and about recently, and happened to stop and notice a small flower peeking through a pile of detritus. It was a small triumph of beauty over mundane useless crap.

Life is like that. Small crap mars an otherwise lovely scene. Small bits of beauty thrive in an otherwise ugly existence.

Two sides of the same coin, perhaps. Maybe the difference is what we are focusing on at the time. Maybe the difference is us, and our perspective on life and our surroundings at any given moment in time.

The desire to escape from an unpleasant situation is sometimes strong. Perhaps the best response at that moment is to take a pause and remind yourself about the good that exists there too. The fact that people know you, and care about you, and love you is sometimes lost when there is friction. Take the time to find the flower in the junk pile. It really is there somewhere.

Pax,

Newbius

Times Square bombing attempt question

How come the State-run "Mainstream Media" is ignoring the fact that the attempted bombing vehicle was parked outside of Viacom's building? The only references seem to be three obscure bloggers...

You know, Viacom. That behemoth media conglomerate that owns MTV, VH1, CBS, Paramount, and Comedy Central. Comedy Central, the network on which South Park airs. The same South Park which had the temerity to depict the prophet Mohammed in a bear suit, and then caved to pressure after the humorless jihadists threatened death.

It is almost like it isn't news if the Islamist Jidahists attempt to kill people. Dog bites Man, and all that...

Now, if it was Tea Partiers, or Constitutional Militia types, they would be all over it. Because, it fits the narrative that they are trying to create, even though it is at odds with reality. It is almost as if the Media Complex has an agenda...

Pax,

Newbius

And I thought I was busy before...

So...right now my life consists of forcing 40+ projects with normal process time lines of 9+ months through to completion in under 5 months. In short, I am very busy.

On top of this comes a Very Important Person who wants the same thing for himself, in less than 4 weeks.

And, it isn't like the other people aren't Important either. They are. They just aren't being bullies...

I don't get to say no.

FML