Snow Related Note Part Deja Vu

This isn't the same pic from the other day (this one was taken a few hours ago) but it is oddly reminiscent, no?
The snow was almost all melted off the bike by Wednesday morning. But then fell another few inches (and by few I mean just shy of 8) of nature's own Darwinian Test Media, Driver, Instantaneous. That's slacked up but they're calling for another few inches tonight, and a few more inches through the weekend (with a predicted high of 19 today and climbing up steadily to a balmy 29 by Sunday). At last check, we were two-point-something inches away from being the snowiest February on record. I am confident that by Saturday evening we will have the raw material to exceed that quota and thus provide meteorologists from all around an excuse to break out their erasers and scribble some new lines, or go boarding or something.

To toss in something gun related (cause this is a gun blog primarily. I think): all those gelatin tests that proved your round of choice was superb and reliable and tacticute and all that - you did see how it did with a few layers of denim in front of the Jell-o didnja? Cause methinks in the icebox that is this part of the world (and perhaps yourn too) the bad guys like to bundle up just as sure as they don't like to leak, and having that nice, downright purdy snapshot of what your projectile does in bare collagen derivative may not tell the whole story once the thermostat justifies a parka. Just askin'.

 But (as if one needed an excuse) this weather does seem to warrant a little Over The Rhine:

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Still Smokin

Ah, Sleepy Brown, son of Jimmy Brown (lead singer and sax player for the ol' disco band Brick). This tune of his has a groove so deep that it's damn near pornographic. Contrary to the beliefs of Steve Goodman and David Allen Coe I don't think there's a "perfect" song for any given genre, but this tune right here comes about as close as one could to the platonic ideal of R&B groove. I bring this tune to ya for two reasons. 1; it reminds me of damn near every bass player I've ever known some old pals and 2; it seemed fitting since the idiots that run Boulder are at it again:

Boulder's Expanded Outdoor Smoking Ban Get Final Approval

"The ban will apply within the boundaries of the downtown business district, which extends several blocks around the Pearl Street Mall, including alleys within the district, all city parks and open space, Chautauqua, Flatirons Golf Course, multi-use paths, within 25 feet of those paths, and within 25 feet of bus stops and building entrances."

Outdoors. Because second hand smoke? Nope; this is nothing more than an attempt to wipe out behavior, perhaps a subculture as they see it, that they find undesirable. That's why it includes e-cigarettes.

"The vote was unanimous." 

That should simplify things, like voting the bums out, or getting indictments. At the very least, if anyone on your property mentions that they're on the Boulder City Council, you won't have to ask their name and thumb through a list - you can just grab them by the scruff and toss them out..

On Malls And The Price Of Slavery

Last summer a former deputy CIA director warned of possible attacks at shopping malls, saying if a terrorist showed up with an AK-47 and started shooting it wouldn't surprise him. Last fall reports of the Islamic State operating just across the southern border were taken seriously enough for a military base to alter the way it handles its security.

Here and here are stories (with annoying auto-play vids) about a recent Al-Shabaab (an Islamic terrorist group that is aligned with Al-Qaeda) video calling for armed attacks on American shopping malls.  The Mall of America was mentioned specifically and they have said they were increasing security measures - perhaps by making their Gun Free Zone signs bigger? After the Al-Shabaab attack on the Westgate mall in Kenya, the Interpol chief said there were two methods to protect people from similar attacks; either create an extremely secure perimeter or arm the citizenry. I guess Mall of America didn't get the message.

Michael Bane elaborates on the threatening messages the Islamic State has for the u.S.and some thoughts to keep in mind as well as to act on. He also points to something that has been making the rounds - the Islamic State's price list for slaves.

According to this list a Yazadi or Christian girl between 10 and 20 years old will sell for $130. There's a reason they failed to list the price for an American girl -  at 13 years old the price is already way too high for them to pay:

And as an American woman gets older that price ain't getting no cheaper:

More and more women are becoming gun owners in this country. The reasons vary, and most likely protection from the more common domestic variety of thug is the main concern, but not ending up on the auction block is a definite incidental benefit. Free people own guns. Slaves don't.

Colorado Pro Gunowner Bill Updates

On February 23rd at 1:30 p.m. MST in room 271 of the Capital building in Denver, Colorado, SB15-175 (The magazine capacity ban repeal [.pdf]) will be heard by the state senate's judiciary committee. It will likely pass out of committee but it's still a very good idea to keep the pressure on.

Here's the senate's judiciary committee page where you'll find contact info. A note in the senate calender said that remote testimony was available for this committee session, so if you'd like to testify but cannot make a physical appearance at the capital then go to this page, fill out the form and select the location closest to you from the drop down menu. It seems they have several locations around the state for a person to testify from. It's not perfect, but it'd save you driving into Denver from way out of town.

I am not positive, but the Colorado Channel may stream audio and/or video of the committee hearing. Try them at 1:30 p.m. MST. 

SB15-086 (The UBC repeal [.pdf]) passed out of the senate judiciary committee (3-2) and was sent to the senate finance committee.

SB15-032 (The permitless carry bill [.pdf]) passed out of the senate and is waiting to be introduced in the house. (I discussed this bill a bit in this post here.)

Rocky Mountain Gun Owners' Billwatch page is a good way to keep up with the status of things in the state legislature, if you ain't hip to it already.

Update: 02-22-15 19:50 MST The hearing for SB15-175 has been postponed due to inclement weather.

Update: 03-07-15 14:25 MST The hearing for SB15-175 will be on Monday, March 9th at 1:30 p.m. MDT in room 271 of the capital building in Denver, Co. 

Snow Related Note Part Sumfinsumfin

Sometimes after not riding for a spell a person will brave the cold and risk getting a little chilly just to get some time in on a bike.

Today definitely ain't sometimes.

Stick Fighter

I've often said the courts, not the legislature, are our best hope in having the Right to arms respected. That should not be taken as implying the courts are honest, rational or even timely.

For 12 years Jim Maloney has been trying to have the courts declare that the possession of two sticks and a rope is not something that should be criminal in New York. Here's his web page giving updates and history on not just the one, but now three nunchuk cases in New York. The latest of which is a foreigner, just passing through a NY airport, being arrested for having nunchuks in his checked luggage (sound familiar?).

12 years for the original case. Twelve. Years. Post McDonald it was remanded back to the district court where it awaits further action. But 12 years to have a court say that owning a pair of sticks tied together with a rope is not a crime? Judge Narragansett would be rolling over in his fictional grave.

Oh, just coincidentally as they were serving another, totally, really, seriously, for true, unrelated warrant cause they'd never try to harass anyone or anything even though he was not guilty of what the warrant said and they for sure wouldn't trump up a charge and serve a warrant just to have an excuse to look for nunchuks, the NY State police just happened to find a pair of nunchuks in Mr. Maloney's home recently. He was arrested charged and convicted. It's a misdemeanor but a 2nd offense would be a felony.

I always found it ironic. Nunchuks were invented in response to a weapons ban so folks would have some means of protection against thieves and thugs, and here several centuries later the thieves and thugs have gotten around to banning nunchuks.

But the Right to arms is not just about firearms. Knives, swords, clubs and even sticks tied together are weapons that must be protected against government intrusion. And of course, machetes...

This Is Sworda Ridiculous

A NY state senator wants to ban machetes (h/t SayUncle). The article itself as well as the concept behind it are fisk-worthy.

Norman Architecture

Norman v State (.pdf) was a case from Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal  where the state's ban on open carry was challenged. Eugene Volokh, Sebastian and others have written about the case approvingly, because even though it upheld the state's ban on open carry it opined that a state could ban open or concealed carry, but not both. It had to leave at least one of the two options available.

The court used a two step test, the first step determined whether the law severely intruded upon the core Right (armed self defense outside the home), and the second step what level of scrutiny should be applied. The court decided that since it only affected one mode of carry, with the other available, that it was not a severe burden on the core right. The court went on to apply a light form of intermediate scrutiny - probably a bit more strict than rational basis, but not quite as harsh as actual intermediate scrutiny. The court also declined to consider an overbreadth challenge to the open carry prohibition.

The court erred in several places, and those who think this some sort of victory are mistaken.