232 Reasons We Love Our Corps

1. Cpl. Jason Dunham. First Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since

Vietnam. If jumping on a grenade to save a buddy isn't worth the top of the

list, nothing is.

2. Civilians have to find time to go to the gym. Marines get paid to go.

3. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's like a Smithsonian of

Leatherneck.

4. There's no such thing as an "ex" Marine.

5. Re-enlistment rates are higher IN the war zone.

6. Stink-proof socks. Well, almost. Systems Command is working on them.

7. Jalapeño cheese.

8. "Every Marine Into the Fight."

9. Lump-sum re-enlistment bonuses up to $80,000. Many of you would consider

doing it for free.

10. New uniforms #1. Pixel-pattern cammies? Yeah, the Corps came up with

that.

11. "Doc."

12. Flexed arm hang is harder than it looks. We tried it.

13. Barracks parties on non-payday weekends.

14. Marine Gunners.

15. The Wounded Warrior Regiment.

16. MarAdmin 266/07: Letting 18-year-old Marines drink on base at this

year's birthday ball.

17. No receipt necessary for travel claim expenses less than $75.

18. The Lance Corporal underground.

19. Fallujah II.

21. Archibald Henderson's couch, re-upholstered, is still in the

Commandant's living room.

22. "No better friend, no worse enemy."

23. Typhoons approaching Okinawa often spark island wide beer runs.

24. Waivers.

25. Gen. James Jones, who followed his tour as Commandant with appointment

as "supreme intergalactic overlord" (OK, it was Supreme Allied Commander,

Europe, but close).

26. 10 rounds from the 500-yard line.

27. Per diem.

28. To civilians, every Marine is recon.

29. Recruiting in Texas is like hunting at the zoo.

30. The "boat cloak." Because every super hero needs a cape.

31. You can re-enlist in the IRR.

32. The wallet in your sock.

33. Motivating television commercials.

34. The "horse shoe" haircut, gone but not forgotten.

35. The global address list. Find your buddies and send them links to Marine

Corps Times.

36. Running cadences that mention napalm. And Eskimos.

37. Stories that begin with, "So there I was ..." or "This is a no

shitter....."

38. Modified parade rest.

39. The transformation. Who you are when you join is not nearly as important

as who you become.

40. Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis getting a fourth star.

41. If you've been on liberty in Twentynine Palms, you've been on liberty in

Yuma and Barstow, too.

42. Grooming standards. Not only can you not act like a thug, you cannot

look like a thug.

43. It's not the Army.

44. Women in Manhattan have all seen the Fleet Week episode of "Sex and the

City."

45. Combat shotguns.

46. Combat Action Ribbons. IEDs count now, and should have counted all

along. Duh.

47. The occasional free beer. Wear your blues into a bar and see what

happens.

48. After decades of debate, there remains no resolution on whether sand

fleas trump "The Reaper."

49. The Corps' doesn't call its officers, commissioned or not, "petty."

50. Cpl. Gareth Hawkins, lying on a stretcher after an IED shattered his

leg, demanded re-enlistment before medical evacuation. And got it.

51. Whereas Army, Navy and Air Force jokes are funny, Marine jokes are

potentially dangerous.

52. The occasional friendly debate. Refer to a Marine staff noncommissioned

officer simply as "sergeant," and see what happens.

53. That troublesome "10 percent," making good Marines look great since

1775.

54. Everyone at a high school reunion is obliged to justify his last 10

years, except the guy wearing Alphas.

55. As if ranks that include the words "master" and "gunnery" aren't

intimidating enough on their own, the Corps uses them both - at once.

56. Soldiers have Hooah Bars. Marines have Ka-Bars. The second will

generally get you the first.

57. The dress code. You can wear your cammies to meet the commandant or

repair a tank.

58. From "Aliens" to "Doom," the future vision of warfare almost always

includes Space Marines.

59. The Corps was formed in a bar.

60. Marines predicted the WWII campaigns in the Pacific years earlier and

prepared for the inevitable. So when a Marine says, "Hey, I've been thinking

.." perhaps you should take notes.

61. Give a Marine some free time, and he'll rip down your dictator's statue.

62. If it ain't raining, we ain't training.

64. Duty station garden spots: Jacksonville, N.C.; Yuma, Ariz.; Bridgeport,

Calif.; Twentynine Palms, Calif. (Yes, we're kidding.)

65. Making morning PT on time.

66. Recruiters who promise everything EXCEPT a rose garden.

67. Mustangs #1. It's easier to take crap from a CO who went to boot camp.

69. Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He left

his four-star insignia with his fallen comrades at the Vietnam Wall when he

retired. Nice move.

70. The people zapper. Using microwave energy to disperse a crowd sounds

like fun. Semper fry, Gunny.

71. Nothing says "Good morning" like a mouthful of Copenhagen and

freeze-dried coffee.

72. Nothing says "I love you" like a welcome home sheet hanging on a

chain-link fence.

73. Bill Barnes. In June, the former Marine beat the crap out of a

27-year-old pickpocket who tried to make off with his dough. Oh yeah, he's

72.

74. Leftwich Trophy. Heisman winners only think they know about leaving it

all on the field.

75. EOD. If you don't know why this is on the list, defuse the next IED

yourself.

76. Tax-free combat pay. Doing what you signed up for and not having to give

Uncle Sam a dime back.

77. Montford Point Marines. The first African-American Marines know a little

something about honor, courage and commitment.

78. Front toward enemy. It's not just a visual reference on a Claymore mine,

it's a Marine Corps way of life.

79. Mustangs #2. You know at least three Marines who drive them. It's like a

Ford dealership exploded on base.

80. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. Only a former Marine could truly

appreciate the value of getting your mail on time.

81. CMC: The tallest member of the Joints Chiefs. OK, so we haven't actually

measured, but he looks the tallest anyway.

82. No more spit shining boots.

83. Chuck Norris was in the Air Force. Steve McQueen was a Marine.

84. The Crucible.

85. 1/9, 2/9 and 3/9. Welcome back, fellas.

86. The FROG uniform. You are now sweat-wickin' AND flame-lickin'.

88. The M4. More rifles in the fight is generally a win-win.

89. MRAPs. Trucks straight out of Mad Max. We still love a good Humvee, but

we loved jeeps, too. Things change.

90. Arty guys who do civil affairs. They blow it up, then they fix it.

Circle of life.

91. Service Charlies. They look so good, the Navy's copying 'em.

92. Fake Marines. No one eats 'em up faster than real Marines.

93. John Lovell. A 71-year-old former Marine is sitting in a Subway

restaurant when two armed men try to rob the place. Lovell grabs his .45,

kills one and wounds the other. No word on how Lovell's sandwich fared.

94. 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Six Navy Crosses so far. Six.

95. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Dean II, aka the "BadAss Marine." He recites a poem.

He gets uploaded to YouTube. Thousands get motivated.

http://www.badassmarine.com/story.php?title=YouTube_-_BadAss_Marine-1

<http://www.badassmarine.com/story.php?title=YouTube_-_BadAss_Marine-1>

96. Gen. James Conway takes over as the new Commandant. Among his demands: a

new PT uniform, new tattoo regs, a plan to add dress blues to the seabag, a

change-up in medals and 22,000 more Marines. Someone's been thinking about

taking over for a while, huh?

97. Body-fat standards. Everyone hates them, until they see a fat Marine.

98. "Jarhead." Only a former Marine could write a war story about not

fighting anyone and make it last for 200 pages, then get Jamie Foxx to star

in the movie.

99. The Stumps. The Rock. The Sandbox. Oh, the places you'll serve.

101. Tattoos #2. Getting a fallen friend's name tattooed on your other

forearm, and knowing the same.

102. The new PT running suit. Sure, the Army had them first, but the Army

gets most things first.

103. Marine expeditionary units: The cheapest cruise you'll ever take.

104. Camp Lejeune: The closest interstate and the nearest good shopping mall

are both at least an hour away.

105. Camp Pendleton: There are roads and malls, but try affording a house

near the main gate.

106. Tattoos #3. Meat tags. Getting your blood type and other info inked on

your ribcage isn't necessarily a bad idea.

107. The Marine Corps is getting bigger. The Navy is getting smaller.

109. 30 days' paid vacation, plus federal holidays off, is obscene by

civilian standards.

110. Maj. Gen. Marion E. Carl, the Corps' first fighter ace. First Marine to

fly a helicopter. Two Navy Crosses, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14

air medals. In 1998, the 82-year-old was killed during a home break-in when

he jumped in front of a shotgun blast aimed at his longtime wife, Edna.

111. Tattoos #4. Reaction to the new policy: Conway says sleeves are going

away, Marines run for the chair. Tattoo parlors never saw so much business.

113. Guaranteed pay raises.

114. Marine Security Guard #1. Duty in the Bahamas.

115. Having a WWII Marine say he's proud of you

116. Drew Carey used to be in the Marine Corps Reserve. Now, he's the host

of "The Price is Right."

117. Combatant diver pins. No more of that Navy crap.

118. A Red Stripe is a beer, mon. A Blood Stripe is a symbol of pride.

119. NMCI, if only they would remove the "MC."

120. You watched "300," and it reminded you of your unit.

121. The "Det One" .45 pistol. Designed by Marines, for Marines.

122. Combat marksmanship. You are creeping death. And you get graded on it.

123. Never lost six nukes on a plane.

124. CamelBaks. Water tastes like water again.

125. Give a Marine enough free time, and he'll marry your Bahraini princess.

126. Go to YouTube. Type in "bored Marines." Enjoy.

127. When the president gets on a helicopter, it's not called "Army One."

128. The opposite of the Peace Corps.

129. Camouflage. You can camouflage anything and make it cool.

130. No Fear #1. Marines aren't scared of anything. Except apricots. And

Charms.

131. Combat optics on M16s. Leave the iron sights, just in case.

132. "Combat loss" amnesty for missing gear. It's like pleading the fifth.

133. Riding a chartered Continental Airlines flight home from the war zone

with assault weapons stuffed in all the overhead compartments.

134. In combat, the division band becomes a heavy-machine-gun platoon.

135. What do headaches, broken bones, infectious diseases, missing limbs and

hurt feelings all have in common? Motrin. Thanks, Doc.

137. Global instability equals job security.

138. When NMCI goes down, and it will, it's like having the day off.

139. The honor, privilege and responsibility of leading, mentoring and

caring for junior Marines.

140. Gunnery sergeants. Don't know the answer? Ask the Gunny. Need

something? Ask the Gunny. In trouble? Avoid the Gunny.

141. Because Gunny said so.

142. The line to get "tazed" at a military gear expo. Marines will do

anything for a free T-shirt.

143. Deployment reunions. Like reliving your wedding night. Sweet!

144. Gig lines. Even in khakis and a polo shirt.

145. Eight-point covers. Even the uniform stands at attention.

146. Marine Security Guards #2. They're not cute and cuddly, but when they

greet you at the door, it's like getting a great big hug from the United

States of America, no matter where you are.

147. The Mameluke sword. Distinctive.

148. The NCO sword. Earned, never given.

149. The World Famous Mud Run. Thousands of people pay good money to run

through 10 clicks of muck every year at Camp Pendleton.

150. John Philip Sousa. A Marine, the nation's March King and composer of

"The Stars and Stripes Forever." Ooh-rah.

151. MRE crackers. Hard as Milk Bones but much tastier. You can almost feel

your teeth getting cleaner as you eat 'em.

152. Jane Wayne Day. She'll never ask about work again.

153. Shirt stays. Or garters. Whatever you call them, they're a triple

whammy, keeping your shirt tucked, your socks up and removing all that

unwanted leg hair.

154. The slogans: "The Few, The Proud, The Marines." "We're Looking For a

Few Good Men," "Once a Marine, always a Marine," "Tell that to the Marines."

If they could only purchase the rights to Hallmark's "When You Care Enough

to Send the Very Best."

155. Speaking of slogans, "The Few, The Proud, The Marines" beat out such

notables as Nike's "Just Do It" and Burger King's "Have It Your Way" for a

2007 spot on the advertising Walk of Fame. Better luck next year, losers.

157. Real duty station garden spots you can go an entire career without

being assigned to: Southern California; Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Okinawa, Japan.

158. Rear-party Marines. God bless them. Whatever reason they stay behind -

injury, impending retirement or being volun-told - they are indispensable.

They deserve medals for what they have to deal with while a unit is

deployed.

159. While field-grade officers are at the company office, company-grade

officers are in the field.

160. Colonels who can take a joke.

161. Free flu shots. And smallpox shots and anthrax shots ...

162. Former Sgt. Chris Everhart. While camping with his three sons in June

2007, a bear snatched their cooler and made a play for his 6-year-old.

Everhart threw an 18-inch log at the bear's head, cracking its skull before

it could attack and killing it instantly. Then, the park ranger gave him a

ticket for leaving the cooler where the bear could get it.

163. Standards. The Corps doesn't lower the bar when recruiting gets tough.

164. Jim Nabors. "Gomer Pyle" becomes an honorary Marine in 2001 and makes

Lance Corporal. It takes him six years to pin on Corporal. Talk about art

imitating life.

165. Vincent D'Onofrio. The other "Private Pyle" is doing pretty well on

"Law and Order: Criminal Intent." He's still weird, though.

166. If you ambush Capt. Brian Chontosh's boys, he's going to take off his

Navy Cross and kill you. Then, he's going to pick up your rifle and kill

your buddies. Then, he's going to pick up your buddy's rifle and kill your

buddy's buddies. Then, he's going to pick up a rocket-propelled grenade

launcher ...

167. Speaking of the Navy Cross, a combat award second only to the Medal of

Honor, Marines have earned 15 so far in Iraq, plus one in Afghanistan. Of

the six awarded to sailors for those combat zones, five went to SEALs, and

one went to a corpsman who exposed himself repeatedly to enemy fire to

evacuate and treat wounded Marines. Along with Chontosh, the other

recipients include:

168. Gunnery Sgt. Justin D. Lehew.

169. Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Perez.

170. Sgt. Scott C. Montoya.

171. Cpl. Marco A. Martinez.

172. Sgt. Willie L. Copeland.

173. Capt. Brent Morel (posthumous).

174. Sgt. Anthony L. Viggiani.

175. 1st Sgt. Bradley A. Kasal.

176. Cpl. Robert J. Mitchell.

177. Cpl. Dominic Esquibel.

178. Sgt. Jarrett A. Kraft.

179. Cpl. Jeremiah W. Workman.

180. Cpl. Todd Corbin.

181. Sgt. Aubrey L. McDade Jr.

182. Pfc. Christopher Adlesperger (posthumous).

183. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Louis E. Fonseca.

184. Iwo JIMA. Japan might have changed the name to Iwo To, but that doesn't

mean you have to acknowledge it.

185. Col. John Ripley. Received the Navy Cross for the destruction of the

Dong Ha bridge in Vietnam. The Corps takes care of its own. In 2002, with

Ripley near death, doctors finally found a donated liver for his much-needed

transplant. So the Marine Corps sent helicopters and Marines to Philadelphia

to retrieve it, and they personally rushed it back to Washington in time to

save his life.

186. Marine Corps Times isn't a version of Navy Times anymore. How many

careers get their own newspaper?

188. Gatorade bottles wrapped in green, 100 mph tape so as not to offend the

sailors in the room.

189. Camaraderie. Marines will hook you up with their sisters, then punch

you in the mouth for doing what they knew would happen the whole time.

190. Ingenuity. MRE bombs, 101 uses for cleaning rods and iPods wired into

field radio speakers.

191. Getting off the ship.

192. Getting back on the ship.

193. No beach? No problem. Marines inserted 400 miles into landlocked

Afghanistan and created Camp Rhino using CH-53 Sea Stallions. Imagine what

you can invade with the Osprey.

194. Cases and cases of bottled water mean never having to stand behind a

water bull.

195. Race as a nonissue. It wasn't always the case, but three black

Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps in a row show that the Corps has only

one color: green.

196. Every day in the Corps is another reason to celebrate. That's why they

call them working "parties."

197. Riddick Bowe had what it took to be boxing's undisputed heavyweight

champ. He did not have what it took to be a Marine.

198. The U.S. Army Band is called "Pershing's Own." The U.S. Marine Corps

Band is called "The President's Own."

199. "8th and I." Ten bucks says you have no idea where the Army chief of

staff lives. Commandants don't hide.

200. MRE "rat boxes." How grunts trick-or-treat.

201. The poncho liner. It's a blanket, it's a tent, it's a keeper.

202. Combat fit-reps. People say they're equal to regular fit-reps. People

lie.

203. The "E-tool lean." Sailors don't know how good they have it.

204. Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno, Medal of Honor recipient. If Marines have a

hot line to heaven, Father Capodanno - aka the Grunt Padre - would take the

call. His body peppered by shrapnel, his right hand nearly severed, the Navy

chaplain and priest crisscrossed a Vietnam battlefield Sept. 4, 1967, to

render last rites to his fallen Marines and corpsmen with 3rd Battalion, 5th

Marines, until 27 rounds from an enemy machine gun took his life. Last year,

the Vatican declared him a "servant of God." Next step, sainthood?

206. Amphibious warfare means always being near the beach.

207. No Fear #2. Talk about the AV-8B Harrier's troubled past all you like,

but brave jump jet pilots are flying missions in Iraq.

208. New Uniforms #2. Wash-and-wear combat uniforms mean no more starch, no

more dry cleaning.

209. Marine air-ground task force. Nothing like controlling the air and the

ground.

210. Slapping an eagle, globe and anchor on the back of your car and knowing

it'll get you out of at least one speeding ticket.

211. The Navy wants to put Marines back on warships. It seems that Tomahawk

cruise missiles can't do everything.

212. Liberty in Thailand.

213. Liberty in Australia.

214. Liberty, well, anywhere.

215. The Navy's mascot is a goat. The Corps' mascot is a bulldog. You don't

need Michael Vick to tell you who wins that fight.

216. If you need another occupying land force, you can use the Marine Corps.

If you need another rapidly deployable, sea-based, front-door-kicking,

air-ground team, you can't use the Army.

217. 1775 Rum Punch. Four parts dark rum, two parts lime juice, one part

pure maple syrup, grenadine to taste.

218. "It's fun to shoot some people," said Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis. He says what

he thinks.

219. The Beirut Memorial Wall. If you ever forget what you're fighting for,

pay a visit.

221. "Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be

guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinburg?

I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for

Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the

luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic,

probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible

to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down, in places

you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on

that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the

backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who

rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and

then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just

said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a

weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you

are entitled to." Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

222. Maj. Meghan McClung, Marine public affairs officer, killed by a

roadside bomb in Iraq while escorting media. The PAO is more than just a

spokesman.

223. Sgt. Rafael Peralta. Like Dunham, he hugged a grenade to save his

buddies in Iraq. No Medal of Honor ... yet.

224. Hearing an accidental discharge into the clearing barrel, then waiting

for the lieutenant to walk inside.

225. Call signs like "Spider" and "Assassin," and these guys were generals.

227. Buttered noodles for breakfast.

228. "Every Marine should look like a Marine. But a Marine looks like a

Marine when he's got a bayonet stuck in the

enemy's chest." Gen. Robert Magnus, Assistant Commandant, discussing

body-fat standards.

229. "Infantry" is the easiest job for recruiters to sell.

230. Being the youngest Marine at the ball.

231. Being the oldest Marine at the ball.

232. Marine Corps Times appreciates all you do. Happy birthday, Marines!

Happy Birthday

232 years of ass kickin death and destruction. Enough to make a grown man weep. November 10, 1775, Tun Tavern, Philadelphia.

From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.

Our Flag's unfurled to every breeze from dawn to setting sun.
We have fought in every clime and place, where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far off northern lands and in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job, the United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps, which we are proud to serve.
In many a strife we've fought for life and never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes,
they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.

Mafia '10 Commandments' Found in Italy

Italian newspaper La Repubblica published a photo of what it said was the list, under the headline: "The Godfather's Ten Commandments."

The list bars mobsters from hanging out in bars, from befriending police and being late for appointments. It also bars them from "taking possession of money that belong to others or other families."

How to treat women also features in the decalogue.

"You shall not look at wives of our friends," says one entry. "You shall respect your wife," says another. However, the Mafia comes first, as the fifth "commandment" orders a mobster to "be available for Cosa Nostra at any moment, even if your wife is about to give birth."

The last part of the list sets out application rules, saying that those who have a very bad behavior and no moral values cannot join."

Ah, sweet Moses on a pogo but don't I wish Congress had the same list.

Shame when criminals have higher standards than the Clinton family.

Isn't it.

Congress Seeks to Raise Cigarette Tax 61 Cents Per Pack to Fund SCHIP

WASHINGTON — Congress is taking new whacks at the cigarette industry, banning tobacco sales in Senate buildings and — more importantly — seeking a significant federal tax increase on cigarettes.

The industry, once a lobbying behemoth, is quietly working against the tax bill. But it lacks the clout it once wielded.

Several key lawmakers said they have had no recent contacts with tobacco lobbyists. And both houses have signaled a willingness to raise the cigarette tax if other provisions of a children's health bill can be resolved.

"I think the industry has tried to do things more quietly, largely because they obviously know how popular a tobacco tax is," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. The health advocacy group supports a proposed $35 billion increase in the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which a higher cigarette tax would finance..."

So here's what you dems should do instead of laying it all at the feet of smokers.

Tax beer, just a little, but the high-priced, boutique brands a lot. Tax the ever loving shit out of single malt whiskey. Buck or even two a bottle isn't going to hurt none of them rich folks what like their uppity sippy squeezins. Fancy ass girly wines? Damned if I can pronounce half 'a the names but don't go tellin me the gals wouldn't be forking over primo dinero to keep their ice boxes stacked with twisted-artic-berry-blush-with purple lemon. Hell, hoss, smokin only hurts the smoker but alcohol kills thousands of people a year on our roads so whats up with lettin IT get away with murder?

Beg pardon?

It'd drive Teddy Kennedy to suicide?

I see the point.

Spaghetti, Noon, And Yuma

"I'm telling you now that these killers will make you nothing but a corpse so you'd better leave this town and never return 'till your dying day because there is not anything for you here but death and no escape from it once (insert leader of bad guy's name here) learns of what you've done to his men and how could he face the rest of them in such shame and hope to remain in charge after stealing all their money as well not to mention disgracing the woman he has sworn to protect..."

With liberties, a typical line from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. Spoken without missing a beat or taking a breath. Clint would ride in, be warned by the town drunk, or undertaker, or bar owner. Warned over, and over, and over again, until it was obvious that only he had read the script.

The Italians thought to make up for our good guy being be the strong, silent type, so they added line after line of filler dialog, and this made dubbing it back into English a chore for both writers and voice actors.

It was different and it worked. Difference usually attracts an audience. High Noon was different, too. Shopkeepers and drifters and deputies galore stepped aside to let Gary Cooper's character handle the heavy lifting, but what ruined it for me was the whingy, whiny, weepy Grace Kelly. I never thought Cooper to be much of an actor and every time I take a look at Noon the old feelings are reinforced. He was a Hollywood Star, nuff said and case closed.

3:10 To Yuma, the original, saw Van Heflin and Glen Ford toe to toe, and I was far too young to appreciate the great acting and directing after catching a matinée back in '57. Not enough gun play. Couple of pretty lady's that almost made up for the dearth of lead slinging six-guns, almost, but not quite. 3:30 would be on the Sunday Million Dollar Movie now and again, but it had to have been 8 or 9 years until I saw it for the second time, and couldn't believe it was the same movie. Ford was amazing, Van Heflin nearly as good, and by then the lack of gratuitous firearmery didn't bother me nearly as much.

Glen Ford did the nearly impossible back then by making a bad guy likable. A killer to be sure, but he could have approached the role by fashioning the character to be businesslike and nothing more, sort of like they way they'd do it today. Robbing folks WAS his business, but the characters multi-layered personality featured intelligence and sense of humor that came across loud and clear. At the end of the day, his honor, you see, was in fact more important than his freedom.

Encore Westerns is featuring 3:10 To Yuma this month, and while I have yet to see the Russell Crowe reprise I've seen enough of Crowe to know that no matter how much better the effects and cinematography might be, the acting can't hold a candle to the original.

Elmore Leonard's dialog is wonderful, but since they cheated him this time around and have yet to pay what was promised back in '56 when they purchased the rights to the screenplay, I'm not holding my breath awaiting masterful speechifying. Gunnies the country over have given the new 3:10 the thumbs-up, but all a movie has to do nowadays is use the right caliber and platform and not muck things up TOO MUCH. Our expectations are that low.

Army Spends Billions on Helicopters That Overheat

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Army is spending $2.6 billion on hundreds of European-designed helicopters for homeland security and disaster relief that turn out to have a crucial flaw: They aren't safe to fly on hot days, according to an internal report obtained by The Associated Press.

While the Army scrambles to fix the problem — adding millions to the taxpayer cost — at least one high-ranking lawmaker is calling for the whole deal to be scrapped.

During flight tests in Southern California in mild, 80-degree weather, cockpit temperatures in the UH-72A Lakota soared above 104, the point at which the Army says the communication, navigation and flight control systems can overheat and shut down.

No cockpit equipment failed during the nearly 23 hours of testing, according to the Pentagon report, prepared in July. But the report concluded that the aircraft "is not effective for use in hot environments."

The Army told the AP that to fix the cockpit overheating problem, it will take the highly unusual step of adding air conditioners to many of the 322 helicopters ordered.

The retrofitting will cost at least $10 million and will come out of the Army's budget, according to the Army.

The Army has received 12 of the Lakotas so far from the American Eurocopter Corp., a North American division of Germany's European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., or EADS. Testing on the first six by an independent arm of the Pentagon revealed the problems. The rest of the choppers are scheduled for delivery to the active-duty Army and the National Guard over the next eight years."

Back during Desert Shield and Storm, Germany had offered to send support vehicles as their contribution to the multi-national force.

Problem was we couldn't use any of their cars, jeeps, trucks, or aircraft because they hadn't been designed to work in so sandy an environment. Like the French and their leaky aircraft carriers, the Germans said well what the hey, as long as you replace what breaks why not keep them. Great way to get us to refit their logistical supply line. Send us crap, watch it disintegrate, then ask Uncle Sugar for better stuff to replace it.

We said thanks, but no thanks, and they began scavenging the country for tents and cots and canteens instead.

The country that once led the world in over-engineering has descended into under-engineering as a matter of course, and please now, no mention of their cars. The public will buy anything, the military needs things that work.

China Back To Harming Its Own People For A Change

BEIJING — Three shoppers died and at least 31 others were injured in a stampede when the doors opened at the start of a sale at a Carrefour supermarket in southwestern China on Saturday, state media reported.

Some shoppers slipped as they rushed through a door to the Carrefour in Chongqing city when the store opened at 8:30 a.m., and those that fell were then crushed by other shoppers, the Web sites of the Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily reported.

The People's Daily said shoppers began lining up outside the store at 4 a.m. to buy discounted rapeseed oil used for cooking."

Thats cool though. The government is investigating.

Clinton Campaign Confirms Planting Town Hall Question, Says It Won't Happen Again

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s campaign admitted Friday that it planted a global warming question in Newton, Iowa, Tuesday during a town hall meeting to discuss clean energy.

Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Elliethee admitted that the campaign had planted the question and said it would not happen again.

"On this occasion a member of our staff did discuss a possible question about Senator Clinton's energy plan at a forum,” Elliethee said.

“However, Senator Clinton did not know which questioners she was calling on during the event. This is not standard policy and will not be repeated again.”

In a state where the caucus is held sacred and the impromptu and candid style of the town hall meeting is held dear, Clinton’s planted question may come as a great offense to Iowans.

According to a report on the Grinnell University Web site, the Clinton campaign arranged for some of the questions for the candidate to be asked by college students:

"On Tuesday Nov. 6, the Clinton campaign stopped at a biodiesel plant in Newton as part of a weeklong series of events to introduce her new energy plan. The event was clearly intended to be as much about the press as the Iowa voters in attendance, as a large press core helped fill the small venue....

"After her speech, Clinton accepted questions. But according to Grinnell College student Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff ’10, some of the questions from the audience were planned in advance. 'They were canned,' she said. Before the event began, a Clinton staff member approached Gallo-Chasanoff to ask a specific question after Clinton’s speech. 'One of the senior staffers told me what [to ask],' she said.

"Clinton called on Gallo-Chasanoff after her speech to ask a question: what Clinton would do to stop the effects of global warming. Clinton began her response by noting that young people often pose this question to her before delving into the benefits of her plan.

"But the source of the question was no coincidence — at this event 'they wanted a question from a college student,' Gallo-Chasanoff said."

The tape of the event shows that the question and answer went as follows:

Question: "As a young person, I'm worried about the long-term effects of global warming How does your plan combat climate change?

Clinton: "Well, you should be worried. You know, I find as I travel around Iowa that it's usually young people that ask me about global warming."

The campaign's admission that it planted the question may be another blow to the New York senator's image as a trustworthy politician.

Clinton's critics have accused her of being a double-talker who refuses to answer tough questions specifically. Now her campaign has acknowledged planting at least one question..."

So let us put this into perspective. Tired of getting nasty old questions she's unprepared for, Hillary's handlers...and if ever calling someone that was apropos...are now planting safe little softballs so that the Junior Senator from NY can swing away with impunity.

No fuss, no muss. Back to being the see-all, know-all, boy have I got a plan for you, politician fairly overbrimming with sagacity. We'll show that wiseass Johnny and his co-conspirator Oback how to debate.

And yes, Mrs. Bill, young people DO seem to be asking this question of you as of late.

Because your handlers have been telling them to.

What an awful woman.

Going to begin referring to her twists and turns gaffs and flipflops under the headline of the Hillary Hole. In honor of the ugly safety that Smith & Wesson foisted upon the public after making deals with the other Clinton

I was so happy to be finally rid of that impeached felon and now this. Another one slithering out to haunt us.

A Clinton, not an impeached felon.

Beg pardon? Same thing?

BLUNDER PROVES SHE'S NO REAL NEW YAWKER

by Chris Lowry

WASHINGTON - "Hillary Clinton committed her first giant blunder of the campaign because she is not a real New Yorker.

Real New Yorkers are blunt, clear and don't waste words. Some are so succinct, they boil entire conversations down to a single finger gesture.

They don't do what Slick Hilly did last week when asked whether she supported giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

During the debate, she said one thing, then immediately denied saying it. Then she spent the next several minutes performing two more complete rotations in her position on a simple question.

It was a midnight coon hunt through a moonless Arkansas swamp that would have made Snuffy Smith homesick.

Rudy Giuliani, for all his faults, is a real New Yorker.

Confronted by a critical caller from the New York Ferrets' Rights Advocacy group on his radio program when he was mayor, Giuliani famously told the man to get lost.

"There is something deranged about you," the mayor told the caller in a steady voice. "Your obsessive concern with little weasels is a sickness . . . You need help."

This is not a man unsure of his positions or afraid to share them. And this is why many conservative Republicans believe Giuliani when he promises he won't take their guns and won't go expanding abortion rights.*

Mayor Bloomberg is also a real New Yorker, even though he wasn't born in New York.

When he proposed the smoking ban, he caught a lot of flak at first. But he didn't back down and never ducked or dodged from his position.

Clinton's debate performance was so bad, she may as well have responded with a variation on her husband's famous dodge about fooling around with the help.

"It depends on what your definition of 'illegal' is," Slick Hilly could have said.

Few Democratic strategists - even those who want to see her lose the primary - say this was a fatal mistake. But some say it could be the beginning of the end of the Clinton dynasty.

"She walked into her own stereotype," said one strategist.

"Immigration and driver's licenses is not what she should be worried about. She should be worried that the Clintons are known as parsing, calculating triangulators, and she played right into that."

*Hey Chris, define "many".

Rudy is tough. But Rudy really doesn't understand how those unfamiliar with the cesspit that is NYC can fault his wanting to keep weapons away from the cesspitters. Having seen his share of backalley abortion clinics he can't understand how anyone could be against doing it in a clean and legal facility. Rudy is tough, but not tough enough to realize that, to a degree at least, natural selection must be allowed to occur or civilization as we know it is doomed. We are NOT intelligent animals with a vestige of instinct, but instinctual animals that learned to be intelligent. Those misunderstanding the difference will never figure out the human condition, and the last thing we need is to make one of them the boss of all bosses.

But it isn't as if Hillary is so very altruistic that she could be the poster witch for those who are clueless about humanity. No, that would elevate her to good intentions-bad ending status, forgetting the fact that she's nothing but a self-inflated opportunist addicted to power.

Rudy actually thinks he can make a difference. He'd be super tough on criminals and heaven help anyone who harms an American. But at the end of the day there's still that little voice telling him that since some people cannot handle freedom, all people should have restraints. He really doesn't get-it that sooner or later society must take a stand, and thats something endemic to politicians as a whole. They want results NOW. To be a successful politician one must have an enormous ego, and so who cares if somewhere down the road things got better, because how will it be possible to bask in the credit after being long dead and buried.

Hillary's blunder has nothing to do with not being a NY'er. The vast majority of the country is not a NY'er but many still know right from wrong. Hillary's blunder is in trying to cater to as many people as possible because she has no core value system shiny enough to share with the rest of us. The Hillary's aren't just part of the problem, they are veritable lynch pins. The Rudy's make good enforcers but lousy lawmakers.

Aide confesses she beat Linda Stein to death with yoga stick

"In a stunning end to a sensational whodunit, Linda Stein's assistant confessed she bashed in the Realtor's head with a yoga stick after she blew pot smoke in her face and made a racial crack, police said Friday.

Natavia Lowery calmly cleaned up the Fifth Ave. penthouse after killing the "Realtor to the Stars" in a rage - then filched the dead woman's cell phone and used her ATM card to steal $800, cops said.

Lowery, 26, was charged with second-degree murder in the baffling Oct. 30 slaying of Stein, a punk-rock pioneer who became wealthy by selling Manhattan's best real estate to Madonna, Sting, Steven Spielberg and other celebs.

"We love you!" Lowery's mother yelled yesterday as the petite suspect was hauled off in handcuffs to court.

"Don't say nothing!"

The warning came too late.

Hours earlier, with a videocamera rolling, Lowery confessed to cops, describing how her four months of employment as Stein's go-fer came to a bloody end.

She said on the morning of Oct. 30 she got into an argument with the brash Stein, who co-managed the Ramones before she began selling penthouses to the rich and famous.

Stein, 62, who was battling cancer, started blowing pot smoke in her face and berating her as she worked on the computer, Lowery told cops.

"Get the f---ing e-mails! How can you be so f---ing slow!" Stein supposedly bellowed, a police source said.

Stein, who had private yoga sessions in her $2.5 million pad, was waving a 4-pound strength-building yoga stick at Lowery as she yelled, the assistant told cops.

After Lowery retrieved the e-mails, Stein offered to buy her lunch as a peace offering.

"I've got my own money. I don't need you to buy me lunch," the assistant said indignantly.

"Black people don't have any money," Stein retorted, according to Lowery. "Save your money and I'll buy you lunch."

An enraged Lowery grabbed the yoga stick from Stein and hit her with it a half-dozen times until she was face-down in a pool of blood, police said."

Lets stop here for a moment shall we. Indignant that she was offered lunch, but then stole $800 from the same woman she refused to take lunch money from? One would have imagined she'd have had time to fashion a somewhat better reason for brutally murdering the woman.

"Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly credited detectives with gaining Lowery's trust and said she may have realized they were close to cracking the case.

Lowery's family charged cops targeted her because she's black and said Stein's daughters should be suspects.

"They know who did it," said one male relative. "But whenever there's someone involved with power and influence black people get scapegoated."

"Tell them to check on the two daughters [Mandy Stein and Samantha Stein-Wells]. They have the means and the motive."

Sounds plausible to me. After all, whats a signed, videotaped confession mean anyway? So what she stole the womans ATM card and withdrew money? She's black and therefore innocent.

This WAS a veritable whodunit for a time, a locked door mystery. No signs of a break-in, just a savagely beaten celebrity whose bank card was used soon after the murder. There will be a lot more that comes out, Natavia's story remains full of holes and her self proclaimed motive doesn't pass muster. No reasonably balanced, sane person brutally pummels another to death simply because of a racial slur. Seems like someone needed some money and fast and her employer refused to loan it to her. Doesn't it.

Crying shame that NYC doesn't have the death penalty. Society's only method of both scouring the gene pool and giving other potential murderer's pause.

Take a closer look at the picture, if it hasn't already hit you. Even the veteran detective can't believe she's grinning.

FBI: Al Qaeda Eyeing Mall Attacks Over Holidays

"The FBI confirmed it has issued an "intelligence information report" warning of possible Al Qaeda attacks on Los Angeles and Chicago shopping malls over the holiday season.

The warning states Al Qaeda has been planning the attack for the past two years with the intension to disrupt the U.S. economy, but it notes the latest threats fit a pattern that has emerged every holiday season since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

FBI officials say details of the threat have come from a reliable source, but said much of the information is second- and third-hand, leaving FBI officials uncertain about the reliability of the intelligence received.

"This information was obtained through a lengthy chain of acquisition, and was provided to the source by a sub-source who spoke in confidence. The veracity of the information is uncertain but the threat is being reported due to the nature of the information," the FBI said in a statement.

"In the post 9/11 era, sharing information is our top priority. Al Qaeda messaging has clearly stated they intend to attack the U.S. or its interests; however, there is no information to state this is a credible threat. We remind people to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to authorities," added FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko."

First off the bat, notice that the cities in question are in essence gun-free-zones, so sure they'd be prime targets. But please now. How in all hells is that supposed to disrupt the U.S. economy?

Sounds just like something the terror gangs would use to pull the wool over the eyes of our fumble forces who like playing G-Man.

"Remain vigilant."

Sure. In LA or Chi-Town that means you'd at least spot the guy who is seconds away from killing you.

Idiots.

Concealed Carry Winter Wear

The Gun Source is having a sale on CCW jackets, and while the styling leaves something to be desired they appear to be worth the asking price.

If that doesn't float your boat then let me tell you what I used to do.

I'd go to a crafts store, or even the sewing section of a Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc, and purchase some heavy-duty dungaree patches. Any hole-patching material will do, as they are sturdy and readily accept the intrusion of needle and thread. I'd figure out the size necessary to hold my concealed handgun of choice, and sew the patch into the inside of the jacket, in effect making my own holster. While you're at it, lining the patch with some cheap felt material is a good idea as it is more wear-friendly to the firearms finish. Now, if you've a spouse or significant other familiar with sewing, its really easy to accomplish this with a helping hand or two or even by your lonesome, but what a decent seamstress can show you how to do is bolster the material being used for the holster...so it doesn't sag under the weight of the gun.

For just a few dollars you can turn almost any light, medium, or heavy jacket into a concealed carry one, but if you're doing it on your own and haven't been needle & threaded before then practice first on any old cloth or article of clothing you can bear to be without, until you've gotten the hang of it. Heaviest thread you can find, and any old cheap sewing needles that certainly aren't going to set you back more than a few bucks. If someone in the house is familiar with a sewing machine then its a done deal in a matter of seconds, but I've personally never used one do I can't drop a tip or two along the way.

The deal with creating an article of clothing favorable to carry is the fact that you can dispense with a holster altogether, and yes, a great many men treat their holsters as women do handbags...the bigger and heavier and gaudier the better...but for me the minimalist approach has always been preferable.

The Miami Herald: Where Guns Are Concerned, It's Not Worth The Paper It Is Written On

NRA ALERT

"We are now more than 20 years into the "assault weapon" debate, so you would think enough time has passed, and enough information is available on the internet and elsewhere, that even the laziest and least competent newspaper reporter could get at least a handful of the most basic facts straight on the issue.

You would think that, unless you read the Miami Herald.

Recently, the Miami Herald has come out with both barrels blazing on the "assault weapon" issue, making false claims about the functionality of guns defined as such under the now-expired Clinton Gun Ban and advocating the ban's restoration.

In September, the paper ran an editorial claiming that a Glock 19 is an "assault weapon," presumably because it is designed to use a detachable ammunition magazine. It also ran an article that claimed that a person can actually fire 600 rounds in 60 seconds with a semi-automatic AK-47.

This week, the paper ran an article about the "assault weapons ban that President Bush let sunset in 2004," and claimed that, because they were "Frustrated the assault weapon ban was permitted to sunset, the states of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York all have passed laws making them illegal."

Let's take these in turn.

First, a Glock 19 has never been defined as an "assault weapon," even under the most preposterous gun bans ever imposed (though that could change if the Herald has its way!). And if anyone on the newspaper's staff can wiggle their trigger finger 30 times and change magazines every three seconds, for a solid minute--well, we would like to see it!

But anyone who has even a passing familiarity with basic American civics knows that the President cannot sign a bill unless it has been passed by Congress. As you'll recall, the Clinton Gun Ban sunsetted without even a vote by Congress, which refused to cave into its radical anti-gun members' demands that the ban be extended. Thus, it was through Congress's action--or in this case inaction--that the ban rightfully expired.

And it is a fact that every one of the state bans the paper mentioned was imposed between 1989 and 2001, no less than three years before the expiration of the Clinton Gun Ban. How could these laws have been imposed out of frustration with something that had yet to occur?

Anyone who has followed the gun control issue over the years has seen a lot of shoddy and shamelessly biased opinion-mongering passed off as "news" and "responsible journalism" by big city newspapers like the Herald. Lately, though, it seems like the Herald has been determined to claim top dishonors in this regard.

These days, when it comes to treatment of gun issues, the best that can be said for the Miami Herald is that thankfully newspaper still has a valuable secondary use -- lining pet cages."

Rags such as the Herald never let facts get in the way of a good victim story, but lets not allow law enforcement get away with murder here.

The VAST majority of the ammo that ALL yellowstream journalists employ to frighten the Eloi into submission comes directly from police stations across the country.

Our avowed enemy are those law enforcement agencies residing in large liberal city's that have disavowed their Constitutionally sworn oaths, content with becoming the masters instead of the servants, and will do or say anything to make it so.

Total power corrupts totally and thats what they aim for.

I understand why the NRA feels it must deflect the blame away from law enforcement but it still doesn't make their sins of omission any the more palatable.

The journalists and dishonest politicians are getting their "facts" from someone, and it ain't Mikey Bloomberg.

Fragile Hillary And The New Rules

"When Hillary Clinton suggested that debate criticism of her came under the heading of men bullying a defenseless lass, an interesting thing happened. First Kate Michelman, the former head of NARAL and an Edwards supporter, hit her hard. "When unchallenged, in a comfortable, controlled situation, Sen. Clinton embraces her elevation into the 'boys club.' " But when "legitimate questions" are asked, "she is quick to raise the white flag and look for a change in the rules."

Time was when a Thatcher, or Ghandi, or Meir was the highbar.

Forget where all the manly men have gone, where are the real women?

"Margaret Thatcher held a meeting with her aides and staff, all of whom were dominated by her, even awed. When it was over she invited her cabinet chiefs to join her at dinner in a nearby restaurant. They went, arrayed themselves around the table, jockeyed for her attention. A young waiter came and asked if they'd like to hear the specials. Mrs. Thatcher said, "I will have beef."

Yes, said the waiter. "And the vegetables?"

"They will have beef too."

And back to Hillary...

"Mrs. Clinton changed tack a little and told a group of women in West Burlington, Iowa, that they were going to clean up Washington together: "Bring your vacuum cleaners, bring your brushes, bring your brooms, bring your mops." It was all so incongruous--can anyone imagine the 20th century New Class professional Hillary Clinton picking up a vacuum cleaner? Isn't that what downtrodden pink collar workers abused by the patriarchy are for?"

"But even better, and more startling, people began to giggle. At Mrs. Clinton, a woman who has never inspired much mirth. Suddenly they were remembering the different accents she has spoken with when in different parts of the country, and the weird laugh she has used on talk shows. A few days ago new poll numbers came out--neck and neck with Barack Obama in Iowa, her lead slipping in New Hampshire. There is a sense that Sen. Obama is rising, a sense for the first time in this election cycle that Mrs. Clinton just may be in a fight, a real one, one she could actually lose.

It's all kind of wonderful, isn't it? Someone indulged in special pleading and America didn't buy it. It's as if the country this week made it official: We now formally declare that the woman who uses the fact of her sex to manipulate circumstances is a jerk."

Karl Rove On The Pelosi/Reid Led Fiasco They're Trying To Pass Off As A Congress

This week is the one-year anniversary of Democrats winning Congress. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid probably aren't in a celebrating mood. The goodwill they enjoyed after their victory is gone. Their bright campaign promises are unfulfilled. Democratic leadership is in disarray. And Congress's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point in history.

The problems the Democrats are now experiencing begin with the federal budget. Or rather, the lack of one. In 2006, Democrats criticized Congress for dragging its feet on the budget and pledged that they would do better. Instead, they did worse. The new fiscal year started Oct. 1--five weeks ago--but Democrats have yet to send the president a single annual appropriations bill. It's been at least 20 years since Congress has gone this late in passing any appropriation bills, an indication of the mess the Pelosi-Reid Congress is now in.

Even worse, the Democrats have made clear all their talk about "fiscal discipline" is just that--talk. They're proposing to spend $205 billion more than the president has proposed over the next five years. And the opening wedge of this binge is $22 billion more in spending proposed for the coming year. Only in Washington could someone in public life be so clueless to say, as Sen. Reid and Rep. Pelosi have, that $22 billion is a "relatively small" difference.

Let's also be clear about what it means to roll back the president's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, as the Democrats want to do. Every income-tax payer will pay more as all tax rates rise. Families will pay $500 more per child as they lose the child tax credit. Taxes on small businesses would go up by an average of about $4,000. Retirees will pay higher taxes on investment retirement income. And now we have the $1 trillion tax increase proposed as "tax reform" by the Democrats' chief tax writer last month.

Failing to pass a budget, proposing a huge spike in federal spending and offering the biggest tax increase in history are not the only hallmarks of this Democratic Congress.

Beholden to MoveOn.org and other left-wing groups, Democratic leaders have ignored the progress made in Iraq by the surge, diminished the efforts of our military, and wasted precious time with failed attempts to force an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. They continue to try to implement this course, which would lead to chaos in the region, the creation of a possible terror state with the third largest oil reserves in the world, and a major propaganda victory for Osama bin Laden as well as for Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah."

So lets summarize, shall we...

Immobilized by indecision, promising to raise taxes, undermining the war.

Everything we said would happen. A nations worst nightmare.

Guess ole Nance dropped the ball bigtime by taking on that multi-tasking gig. We'd save billions if grandmaw just went home and focused on one thing at a time.

Sevigny On GLOCK

How to field strip, load, then aim the weapon. I cannot tell you how very many people cannot hold a gun let alone shoot one.

High court to look at ban on handguns

WASHINGTON — (Today) The Supreme Court will discuss gun control today in a private conference that soon could explode publicly.

Behind closed doors, the nine justices will consider taking a case that challenges the District of Columbia's stringent handgun ban. Their ultimate decision will shape how far other cities and states can go with their own gun restrictions.

"If the court decides to take this up, it's very likely it will end up being the most important Second Amendment case in history," said Dennis Henigan, the legal director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Henigan predicted "it's more likely than not" that the necessary four justices will vote to consider the case. The court will announce its decision Tuesday, and oral arguments could be heard next year.

Lawyers are swarming.

Texas, Florida and 11 other states weighed in on behalf of gun owners who are challenging D.C.'s strict gun laws. New York and three other states want the gun restrictions upheld. Pediatricians filed a brief supporting the ban. A Northern California gun dealer, Russell Nordyke, filed a brief opposing it.

Last March, a divided appellate court panel sided with the individual-rights interpretation and threw out the D.C. ban.

The ruling clashed with other appellate courts, creating the kind of appellate-circuit split that the Supreme Court likes to resolve. The ruling obviously stung D.C. officials, but it perplexed gun-control advocates.

If D.C. officials tried to salvage their gun-control law by appealing to the Supreme Court — as they then did — they could give the court's conservative majority a chance to undermine gun-control laws nationwide."

Any hint coming through as to the political persuasion of the author of this piece?

"Undermine gun-control laws nationwide."

The smart money says the Supremes give it the green light. This means socialist states begin scrambling to spend as much of our money as possible to retain the most expensive legal minds as possible in order to be up and raring to go come next year when the oral arguments begin.

Not that these legal-eagles will find much of anything to persuade an open-minded Court to uphold laws that flagrantly violate the Constitution, but the key phrase here is "open-minded".

Regardless, the first victory will be their decision to let loose the dogs of war. And it will BE a war, make no mistake.

Let the undermining begin!

Thanks to The War on Guns for the link.

Saturday Is Our Birthday, And...

Big day tomorrow as I go through the annual squeeze back into the old uniform trick that for some incomprehensible reason gets harder and harder every time. Had I known they designed these damn things to shrink I'd have made certain they were several sizes too large to begin with. Cannot find a tag anywhere confirming my suspicion they were constructed in China but this simply must be the case.

Michael Mukasey confirmed as new Attorney General

WASHINGTON - The Senate Thursday night confirmed retired judge Michael Mukasey as attorney general to replace Alberto Gonzales, who was forced from office by a scandal over his handling of the Justice Department.

Mukasey was confirmed as the nation's 81st attorney general after a sharp debate over his refusal to say whether the waterboarding interrogation technique is torture.

Republicans were solidly behind President Bush's nominee.

In the end, Mukasey was confirmed by a 53-to-40 vote.

The choice, according to Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, was essentially between "whether to confirm Michael Mukasey as the next attorney general or whether to leave the Department of Justice without a real leader for the next 14 months."

"This is the only chance we have," the Democrat said, referring to Bush's threat to appoint an acting attorney general not subject to Senate confirmation.

But members of her own party disagreed. Being better than Gonzales or an acting attorney general is not enough qualification for the job, said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass).

"We cannot afford to take the judgment of an attorney general who either does not know torture when he sees it or is willing to look the other way," he said."

You know, its strange. There should be a dissenting voice such as Teddy Kennedy's, democracies flourish when checks and balances do their job. The weird part is when the checkers become rabid dogs like Kennedy, using their power and influence to be AGAINST something more so than for something. This does seem to happen when politicians can't get their way, even with a Congressional majority that should be a ticket to the high life.

Teddy boy hates firearms, even though he's surrounded by men who carry them for HIS protection, hates the fact that you and I are allowed to keep most of our earnings, LOVES illegal aliens that enter the country to commit crime after crime all while living on the luxurious dole that Kennedy and his followers have provided for the hell-no-we-won't row lowlifes who refuse to work for a living, and, generally speaking is a socialist of the first stripe. Teddy also hates "torture", defined by the liberals as being anything uncomfortable, ESPECIALLY if a minority member is on the receiving end.

Do I want a government that uses torture to determine if a soccer-mom ran a red light on her way to wherever it is they go when making believe they're so busy all the time?

Nope. Thats where the checks and balances come in. I DO want our avowed enemies hung by the thumbs until they give it up and there's where Teddy boy and I part pleasant company. Teddy, you see, believes that EVERYONE is deserving of the same rights as everyone else...hells bells but someone has to vote for the man so why not lure the minorities and criminals over to dreams of the highlife...and I do not share in this belief. Some folks willingly surrender their god given rights by entering into lawlessness and no society can remain intact when you cannot tell the good guys from the bad guys. There ARE folks who can go through life unattended, unwatched, and free to do as they so desire, and we call them the law abiding. Quite the interesting concept, this law abiding gig. The old Innocent Until Proven Guilty deal means that our Constitution and Bill of Rights and freedom to pursue happiness is something afforded to ALL people who tread our shores, except for those who wish to rob, rape and pillage.

Enemy combatants. Without uniform. This can be a touchy subject, but every last nation on earth has laws to deal with spies. Now, no, I am not in favor of doing as the Brits do, chasing people down then shooting them in head just because they MIGHT be a bad guy, but reasonable men of good will should be able to come to a middle ground, and this is coming from someone who despises "middle" anything as being far too wishy washy. But not every moslem is a terrorist, this I have on somewhat good authority although I find it difficult to believe as terrorists cannot be as successful as they've been the world over without a boatload of aiding and abetting, but for the sake of argument lets say some of them just want to live and let live.

Cannot and should not go waterboarding someone simply because they dress funny and never appear to be able to kick all the sand from their shoes, because dressing funny and talking funny is what EVERY last immigrant brings along with them. Shame of it all is the fact that we're at war. War changes things. Thats if you want to win the war. One of the marvelous things about growing up in the world's biggest free city ever, was the diversity that broadened one's horizons. Multi-colored, multi-cultured people can be a breath of fresh air. But when certain of them declare war on my ass then all bets are off.

Gonzales was a joke. Mukasey might very well be as bad, but let him waterboard my enemies until the cows come home.

Gates Of Fire

"With his leg mangled, Kurilla pointed and fired his rifle into the doorway, yelling instructions to the soldiers about how to get in there. But they were not attacking. This was not the Deuce Four I know. The other Deuce Four soldiers would have killed every man in that room in about five seconds. But these two soldiers didn’t have the combat experience to grasp the power of momentum.

This was happening in seconds. Several times I nearly ran over to Kurilla, but hesitated every time. Kurilla was, after all, still fighting. And I was afraid to run in front of the shop, especially so unarmed.

And then help arrived in the form of one man: CSM Prosser.

Prosser ran around the corner, passed the two young soldiers who were crouched low, then by me and right to the shop, where he started firing at men inside.

A man came forward, trying to shoot Kurilla with a pistol, apparently realizing his only escape was by fighting his way out, or dying in the process. Kurilla was aiming at the doorway waiting for him to come out. Had Prosser not come at that precise moment, who knows what the outcome might have been.

Prosser shot the man at least four times with his M4 rifle. But the American M4 rifles are weak - after Prosser landed three nearly point blank shots in the man’s abdomen, splattering a testicle with a fourth, the man just staggered back, regrouped and tried to shoot Prosser.

Then Prosser’s M4 went “black” (no more bullets). A shooter inside was also having problems with his pistol, but there was no time to reload. Prosser threw down his empty M4, ran into the shop and tackled the man.

Though I have the photo, I do not remember the moment that Prosser went “black” and ran into the shop. Apparently I turned my head, but kept my finger on the shutter button. When I looked back again, I saw the very bloody leg of CSM Prosser inside the shop. It was not moving. He appeared to be shot down and dead.

I looked back at the two soldiers who were with me outside, and screamed what amounted to “Attack Attack Attack!” I stood up and was yelling at them. Actually, what I shouted was an unprintable string of curses, while Kurilla was also yelling at them to get in there, his M4 trained on the entrance. But the guys were not attacking.

I saw Prosser’s M4 on the ground, Where did that come from?

I picked up Prosser’s M4. It was empty. I saw only Prosser’s bloody leg lying still, just inside the darkened doorway, because most of his body was hidden behind a stack of sheet metal.

“Give me some ammo! Give me a magazine!” I yelled, and the young 2nd lieutenant handed over a full 30-round magazine. I jacked it in, released the bolt and hit the forward assist. I had only one magazine, so checked that the selector was on semi-automatic.

I ran back to the corner of the shop and looked at LTC Kurilla who was bleeding, and saw CSM Prosser’s extremely bloody leg inside the shop, the rest of him was still obscured from view. I was going to run into the shop and shoot every man with a gun. And I was scared to death.

What I didn’t realize was at that same moment four soldiers from Alpha Company 2nd Platoon were arriving on scene, just in time to see me about to go into the store. SSG Gregory Konkol, SGT Jim Lewis, and specialists Nicholas Devereaux and Christopher Muse where right there, behind me, but I didn’t see them.

Reaching around the corner, I fired three shots into the shop. The third bullet pierced a propane canister, which jumped up in the air and began spinning violently. It came straight at my head but somehow missed, flying out of the shop as a high-pressure jet of propane hit me in the face. The goggles saved my eyes. I gulped in deeply.

In the tiniest fraction of a second, somehow my mind actually registered Propane . . . FIREBALL! as it bounced on the ground where it spun furiously, creating an explosive cloud of gas and dust, just waiting for someone to fire a weapon.

I scrambled back, got up and ran a few yards, afraid that Kurilla was going to burn up if there was a fire. The soldiers from Alpha Company were heading toward him when LTC Kurilla yelled out that he was okay, but that CSM Prosser was still in the shop. The Alpha Company soldiers ran through the propane and dust cloud and swarmed the shop.

When the bullet hit that canister, Prosser—who I thought might be dead because of all the blood on his leg—was actually fighting hand-to-hand on the ground. Wrapped in a ground fight, Prosser could not pull out his service pistol strapped on his right leg, or get to his knife on his left, because the terrorist—who turned out to be a serious terrorist—had grabbed Prosser’s helmet and pulled it over his eyes and twisted it.

Prosser had beaten the terrorist in the head three times with his fist and was gripping his throat, choking him. But Prosser’s gloves were slippery with blood so he couldn’t hold on well. At the same time, the terrorist was trying to bite Prosser’s wrist, but instead he bit onto the face of Prosser’s watch. (Prosser wears his watch with the face turned inward.) The terrorist had a mouthful of watch but he somehow also managed to punch Prosser in the face. When I shot the propane canister, Prosser had nearly strangled the guy, but my shots made Prosser think bad guys were coming, so he released the terrorist’s throat and snatched out the pistol from his holster, just as SSG Konkol, Lewis, Devereaux and Muse swarmed the shop. But the shots and the propane fiasco also had brought the terrorist back to life, so Prosser quickly reholstered his pistol and subdued him by smashing his face into the concrete.

The combat drama was ended, so I started snapping photos again.

Anatomy of a firefight, city style, and courtesy of Michael Yon.

Click the headline link for the full story and lots more pics, but for once and for all please stop emailing me about how effective the 5.56 mm is.

Crying shame that our fighting men are burdened with this piece of shit round and its jamomatic platform, but been-there, done-that, and the services aren't changing anytime soon so one does the best with what is issued and lives or dies based upon street smarts and experience and NOT the superior technology that should be in the hands of every last American fighting man.

Know why those kids hid behind shelter and didn't do as their training told them to? Why they didn't rush in to help?

They knew damn well they were outgunned by a guy with a pistol.

And they wonder why some folks are using real munitions. Check that; no one with half a brain wonders why, but the good stuff is at a premium and quite illegal to use.

Someone Took It Upon Himself To Take Out The Trash

NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Detroit News and Free Press are reporting that a burned and beheaded body found by a utility crew is that of a convicted sex offender.

A single fingerprint from the victim's burned hand has allowed Michigan State Police to identify him as 26-year-old Daniel Gene-Vincent Sorensen.

The print reveals that Sorensen had been a registered sex offender in Illinois.

Northville Township sewer and water department crews found the body at the end of a cul-de-sac about 20 miles northwest of Detroit about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Sorensen's head has not been found.

A cause of death has not been determined.

Hmm...

I'd imagine it might be somehow related to the fire and/or losing his head.

British Muslim woman convicted of penning poems about beheadings

An airport worker who wrote poems about beheadings is the first woman to be found guilty under new terror laws.

Samina Malik, who liked to call herself a "lyrical terrorist", called for attacks on the West and described "poisoned bullets" capable of killing an entire street in her poetry.

The 23-year-old Muslim wrote of her desire to become a martyr and listed her favourite videos as the "beheading ones".

Described as a "committed Islamic extremist", Malik, a shop assistant at Heathrow, hoarded an extensive collection of terrorism manuals, the Old Bailey heard.

She was a member of an extremist group linked to Omar Bakri Mohammed, a hate preacher who fled to Lebanon from Britain two years ago.

Yesterday a jury found her guilty of possessing documents likely to be used for terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000, by a majority of ten to one, after deliberating for 19 hours.

Malik, who wore a black head scarf, wept as the verdict was read out loud soon after certain lines from her lyrical poem were read to the packed courtroom...

"when the red-red-moslem comes chop, chop, chopping a-long...a-long

there'll be no more sobbin when he comes choppin cuz them in-fi-dels are wrong...

wake up wake up wake up you sleepy head

get up get up get up and lose that head..."

Earlier she was cleared of the more serious offence of having articles for a terrorist purpose.

Thats Gonna Leave A Mark

TUSTIN, Calif. — An Orange County tree trimmer feeding branches into a wood chipper was pulled into the shredding machine and killed.

The name of the worker is being withheld until relatives can be located.

The Wednesday afternoon accident in Tustin is being investigated by the California Occupation and Safety Health Administration.

Police called to the residential area just after 4 p.m. found the landscape worker's body inside the wood chipper. It isn't clear if the victim was a man or a woman.

Wood chippers shred branches and tree trimmings into mulch.

Among other things. Can't help but wonder what they meant by "body".

Guess they'll be calling this a Shredder-Killing.

Lets Say Thanks

Xerox is offering to send freed postcards to service personnel.

Might be a cool way for the kids to say hi to a soldier, Marine, airman, or Squid.

Gunny Berghardt...

Gunnery Sgt. Michael Burghardt, known as
"Iron Mike" or just "Gunny".
He is on his third tour in Iraq.

He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning
the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying
1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour.
Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He
had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four
US soldiers.He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit.
"You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision,"
he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue
flakjacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term
"the longestwalk", stepping gingerly into a 5ft deep and
8ft wide crater.

The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station
with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his
7inch knife to probe the ground. "I found a piece of
red detonating cord between my legs," he says.
"That's when I knew I was screwed."

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35,
yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment,
an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars,
pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary
device below the sergeant's feet. "A chill went up the
back of my neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls.
"As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe
they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it.
Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel
anything from the waist down."

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly
he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there.
"My dad is a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the
waist down," says Sgt Burghardt. "I was lying there thinking
I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad
and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away
my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down.
Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.
"As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and
anger kicked in. "I decided to walk to the helicopter.
I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away
on a stretcher." He stood and gave the insurgents who had
blown him up a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one.
It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next
week!"

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by
Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the
walls of homes across America and that of Col John Gronski,
the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image
as an exemplar of the warrior spirit. Sgt Burghardt's injuries
- burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks -kept him off duty
for nearly a month and could have earned him a
ticket home. But, like his father -
who was awarded a Bronze Starand three Purple Hearts
for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in
Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are
forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing
Americans."

I'd been receiving email from folks in
the sandbox asking if the Gunny story
ever made it bigtime and if the liberal
media was making a fuss over it.
Yes,it happened over 2 years ago but
a lot of the "boots" are just hearing of it.

The link is to Snopes. The story is true.

We Get Letters

"...Isn't it true that you allow your personal biases against Ron Paul to cloud you're judgment on his chance to be President...What Ross Perot almost did Ron Paul can do if gun owners stand up as a group for him..."

Regardless of my personal feelings, and since this IS my web log but of course MINE are the preeminent opinions that may be found here, let us dig to the bottom line.

In 1992, Ross Perot spent billions of his own dollars to garner less than 20% (18.9 and NO electoral wins) of the vote. William Jefferson Clinton snuck into office with 43.3% and George Bush 37.3%. For my money, that seems about what Hillary should get.

Ron Paul cannot raise enough money to deluge the media with campaign posters. Without said monies he cannot win. Take Ron Paul and give him Fred Thompson's posture, attitude and stentorian delivery and he'd stand a snowballs chance of equaling the percentage that Ross won over, but never, ever, with a million monkeys typing on a million keyboards does the morning after election day news tell of his victory.

When I stand at attention during the playing of the National Anthem, I must swallow the lump that threatens to block the old gullet, and for those who cannot understand why, words would not suffice to explain.

To those who actually and truthfully do not understand what is wrong with Ron Paul and why he stands absolutely no chance of winning the Presidency...

If you really have to ask then you'll never understand. Vote for whomever you so desire. But allow me to get snarky because thats what gives me pleasure. Some things are unexplainable to those lacking the requisite sophistication, so a 3000 word essay on the un-electability of Ron Paul is a total waste of everyones time.

For the umpteenth time: He can't win. Ever. And no, the moon isn't made of green cheese but I have no first person proof to come to THAT conclusion, either.

Elementary My Dear

Check out your blogs reading level.

Thanks to View From The Porch.

(Every time I tried an error message informed me that it was not possible to do so for Messenger.)

Pollsters Discover That For Some Strange Reason Men Unwilling To Vote For An Ugly , Whiny Woman Who Plays The Victim Card With Every Breath

STOP THE PRESSES

Poll: Clinton lags in quest for male voters

WASHINGTON — More than eight in 10 Republicans and more than half the married men in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll say they definitely wouldn't vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton for president.

The poll provides an early snapshot of who's ruling out Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama, the three leading candidates for the Democratic nomination.

Ya know, for as much as I despise this beast, were she to have said "Hey, sure the debates are getting tougher but thats what its all about so bring it on," there'd be reason to presume that somewhere under that thieving, lying, ego maniacal veneer lurks a potential human being.

But how in all hells WOULD she or her campaign staff know what Republican men think? Or ANY man worthy of the name? The damsel in distress gig, strangely enough, only works for damsels.

Reminding men of their mother-in-law simply isn't going to cut it, but she's too far down that road, too entrenched in the persona she mistakenly assumed would work, and ANY change will bring out the beast in her opponents as they pummel her with more charges of timidity and flip-flopping

Founder Of The Weather Channel Says...

Global Warming ‘Greatest Scam in History’

"It is the greatest scam in history. I am amazed, appalled and highly offended by it. Global Warming; It is a SCAM. Some dastardly scientists with environmental and political motives manipulated long term scientific data to create in [sic] allusion of rapid global warming. Other scientists of the same environmental whacko type jumped into the circle to support and broaden the "research" to further enhance the totally slanted, bogus global warming claims. Their friends in government steered huge research grants their way to keep the movement going. Soon they claimed to be a consensus.

Environmental extremists, notable politicians among them, then teamed up with movie, media and other liberal, environmentalist journalists to create this wild "scientific" scenario of the civilization threatening environmental consequences from Global Warming unless we adhere to their radical agenda. Now their ridiculous manipulated science has been accepted as fact and become a cornerstone issue for CNN, CBS, NBC, the Democratic Political Party, the Governor of California, school teachers and, in many cases, well informed but very gullible environmental conscientious citizens. Only one reporter at ABC has been allowed to counter the Global Warming frenzy with one 15 minutes documentary segment.

I have read dozens of scientific papers. I have talked with numerous scientists. I have studied. I have thought about it. I know I am correct. There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril. I am incensed by the incredible media glamour, the politically correct silliness and rude dismissal of counter arguments by the high priest of Global Warming.

In time, a decade or two, the outrageous scam will be obvious.

John Coleman

Way to go, John. Good to see a man with integrity taking on the Al Gore bestseller that's sweeping the planet.

Its making him very, very, rich, and there's no mystery about how to fool soccer moms but time was when the stalwart in charge would quell such lunacy. Before Oprah and CNN, that is.

Stripper Mistakenly Sent to School, Whips Teen

Officials at a U.K. high school were aghast after a stripper visited a student during class and whipped him in front of other students and a horrified teacher, Sky News reported Thursday.

A booking error is to blame after a mother arranged to send a "gorilla gram" to her son on his 16th birthday, an arrangement she cleared with Nottingham's Arnold Hill School and Technology College. Instead, the agency sent a stripper clad in a policewoman costume, Sky reported.

Click here for the Sky News story.

After whipping the teen, the stripper placed a collar around his neck and led him around the classroom with a leash, telling him he had been a "bad boy" for not doing his homework. She then put on a Britney Spears tune and stripped for the shocked class, witnesses told Sky.

The police were not called and no one was suspended from the school in the incident, and officials said they were investigating."

Investigating what?

A mistake that caused no one the slightest scintilla of harm?

Great way to utilize overstretched resources. Ask them to make haste on a 911 type call and all you hear is how busy they are. If everything checks out as reported, all that need be done is a hearty suggestion to "be careful".

The Dianification of Britain continues unabated.

But the worst part is not divulging the price or if they have American affiliates...

Rosie Doesn't Get Her Show

From Mizz O'Donnell's Weblog:

msnbc
one hour
live
following keith olbermann

we were close to a deal
almost done
i let it slip in miami
causing panic on the studio end

well
what can u do

2day there is no deal
poof
my career as a pundit is over
b4 it began

just as well
i figure
everything happens for a reason
bashert - as we say

and on we go>"

Indeed. Onward and downward.

Following Olbermann would have been picture-perfect for Mizz Rosie. The dumbest MAN in the world leads in the dumbest WOMAN.

Ack-Med Boasts He Has Enough Juice To Create A Nuke

"A claim by President Ahmadinejad that Iran has 3,000 working uranium-enriching centrifuges sent a tremor across the world yesterday amid fears that Israel would respond by bombing the country’s nuclear facilities.

Military sources in Washington said that the existence of such a large number could be a “tipping point”, triggering an Israeli air strike. The Pentagon is reluctant to take military action against Iran, but officials say that Israel is a “different matter”. Amid the international uproar, British MPs who were to have toured the nuclear facility were backing out of their Iran trip.

Even before President Ahmadinejad’s announcement, a US defence official told The Times yesterday: “Israel could do something when they get to around 3,000 working centrifuges. The Pentagon is minded to wait a little longer.” US experts say 3,000 machines running for long periods could make enough enriched uranium for an atomic bomb within a year.

Israel responded by serving notice that it would not tolerate a nuclear Iran. “Talks never did, and never will, stop rockets,” said Ehud Barak, the Defence Minister..."

The original headline proclaimed: US FEARS ISRAELI STRIKE AGAINST IRAN...

Fears?

You afraid? If not, then precisely who ARE these people quivering in fear over the thought that the Jews will finally take out this madman.

How's about this for a somewhat more realistic headline: US HOPES ISRAEL STRIKES IRAN.

Defense Minister Barak seems a wise man. Diplomacy is the art of prolonging a conflict, and I for one cannot see the Jews sitting on their hands for very long.

Shooter Kills 8, Self in Finland

TUUSULA, Finland (AP) - "An 18-year-old gunman opened fire at his high school in this placid town in southern Finland on Wednesday, killing seven other students and the principal before mortally wounding himself in a rampage that stunned a nation where gun crime is rare.

Police were analyzing YouTube postings that appeared to anticipate the massacre, including clips in which a young man calls for revolution and apparently prepares for the attack by test firing a semiautomatic handgun.

Investigators said the gunman, who was not identified, shot himself in the head after the shooting spree at Jokela High School in Tuusula, some 30 miles north of the capital, Helsinki. He died later at Toolo Hospital in Helsinki.

The teen killed five boys, two girls and the female principal with a .22-caliber pistol, police said. Officials said one person was wounded by a bullet and about a dozen others suffered cuts and other injuries while fleeing the school. Officials said more than 400 students ages 12 through 18 were enrolled.

Witnesses described a scene of mayhem at the school in this leafy lakeside community, saying the shooter prowled the building looking for victims while shouting slogans for "revolution."

Police Chief Matti Tohkanen said the gunman didn't have a previous criminal record. "He was from an ordinary family," Tohkanen said.

Students said the killer often wore the same clothes to school—brown leather jacket, black trousers and checkered shirt—and usually carried a briefcase...."

Ordinary family? I think not. Well, perhaps the 21st Century version of ordinary. The one where parents pay so little attention to their kids and have instilled so little discipline and respect for life in them that they become walking time bombs. It cannot be referred to as extraordinary, so I suppose sub-ordinary will have to do.

And I for one am heartened to learn that the guns in Finland are responsible for so little crime, as opposed to the ones WE have, that on a moments notice will discharge and kill or wound innocent people. Might be a good idea to learn how the Finns create such guns, then perhaps we could teach ours not to go off so half cocked all the time.

A mousegun. Kid went on a rampage with a peashooter and could only be stopped by himself.

Food for thought is the similarity virtually every government run/owned building shares with every other. They all resemble prisons. By and large everyman manjack among us detest visiting these cold stone herding places but do so we must or the government will send armed men to force us to. Be it school or courthouses or jail, if the man says you gotta go then you gotta go. Schools particularly resemble places of incarceration, with mandatory detainment featuring bullies and buffoons and perfect sanctuaries for those who would harm as many defenseless people as possible. Time was when none of us could summon the twisted imagination necessary to envision schools becoming as dangerous as prisons, but if penal institutions have proved one thing its the fact that erecting a sign and passing a law means absolutely nothing to criminals.

We should have seen it coming. Water under the bridge, but now that we HAVE seen it up close and personal, guess what?

The left remains blind to reality (how startling) and still believes that harsh language and a fancy poster is all the protection anyone should ever need.

If I had kids, and for whatever reason was unable to home school them, then the local sheep shearing factories masquerading as learning centers had better provide more security than a hall monitor with a garish sash as his or her only means of persuasion.

But what else SHOULD one expect from a group of people who condone the murder of innocents, while simultaneously trying to convince us that the ones surviving the cull are foremost in their thoughts as needing better health care.

Startling contradictions, eh what?

And now that the Eloi have been startled into a rude awakening, now that the idyllic pastures of home are once again being overrun by marauding visigoths, modern society has no answer for what our forebears planned their entire existence around. Children are vulnerable. Children need protection. Family first and those who'd harm us be damned. I grieve for those innocent youngsters and wonder when returning to our roots as defenders of the weak will happen.