Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of AK-47, dies at 94

A sign of a truly great design is that it outlasts its inventor. As great as the Ford Model T was, it’s life was but a few years. Even the VW Beetle, perhaps one of the longest running ageless designs saw its day.

But the AK-47 is still being manufactured and used today after nearly 6 decades. Also realize that the AK-47 is a “Generation 2” assault rifle. Meaning it followed shortly after the very first German models.

(This is akin to being a Motorola MicroTAC 9800X in the cell phone world.)

In 2009, Kalashnikov told CNN that two main qualities described the AK-47: simplicity and reliability.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/23/world/europe/mikhail-kalashnikov-dies/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Let’s talk about commas and constitutions…

Let’s talk commas and phrasings.  What is the reference to a well regulated militia being the best security of a nation in reference to?

Well reading Madison’s original entry; I believe gives insight.

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country: but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person,” said Madison.

You see, that clause seems to really be associated with the aspect not to compel military service to be rendered by those of religious scruples.

Hmm, could of greatly affected the Vietnam draft had that clause made it through.

The article details a few other items.  The next one being in lines with my feelings as well.

http://news.yahoo.com/five-items-congress-deleted-madison-original-bill-rights-113008778–politics.html
“First. That there be prefixed to the Constitution a declaration, that all power is originally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people.

This is something upon which I, and the government, and a great many people disagree.

To me, the Declaration of Independence is a legally binding document.  While there is likely not a Federal judge who would agree with me. I put forth that it is in fact the higher document of the two.

It is the reset document that exceeds the Constitution. It is that which governed America through the many years before the Constitution.
“The powers delegated by this Constitution are appropriated to the departments to which they are respectively distributed: so that the Legislative Department shall never exercise the powers vested in the Executive or Judicial, nor the Executive exercise the powers vested in the Legislative or Judicial, nor the Judicial exercise the powers vested in the Legislative or Executive Departments,” he said in the last part of his proposed Bill of Rights.

Wow, this would of done wonders. Like preventing the Korean War, Veitnam, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq 2.0.

 

Crowdsourcing Police

UPDATE: Apparently the entire post I wrote got gobbled up somewhere in cyberspace. I’ll make a second attempt.

***

Oakland, California residents attempt crowdsourcing to hire people to protect them.

Some haved decried it as vigilantism. People are missing the irony. What do you think police officers are? Where do you think police receive their authority? Some strange woman in a lake passing out badges?

ALL authority derives from the inherent natural right to live and defend one’s self. Essentially, the issue comes about that humans are both passionate and fallable. So we have a tendency to make mistakes. And if you make such a mistake while meting out justic, it rather sucks.

So we ceded, for the benefit of our communal living states, that right to a collective authority. At first it was essentially sheriffs/constables/justices of the peace/elders/etc. These would judiciously decide a matter, and make a determination of guilt and a fair reparation.

As society grew, this authority needed to be further delegated and expanded. Hence more constables, and then eventually our modernized police force hired by a community at large to render service. In which regards, the actions of Oakland residents are in fact, no different than in the past.

http://slashdot.org/topic/cloud/oakland-crowdfunding-private-cops/

Granted, we might see some objections from the unionized Oakland police against the non-union upstarts. Similar to a union painter complaining that the non-union painter got the job (because he was charging less and doing better work).

Weapons Technology that Changed the World

Just some fun articles. You may or may not agree with ALL their choices. I think their failing to list aircraft is a big miss. But many I think we can agree with. 

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Media/Slideshow/2013/08/15/12-Weapons-That-Changed-Everything
 
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/08/15/12-Weapons-That-Changed-Everything

Meet the Real (perhaps) Lone Ranger

Bass Reeves – U.S. Marshall, wore a black mask ALL the time. Rode a grey horse. Gave folks silver dollars to remember him by. Utilized Native American trackers. And sent his prisoners to Detroit, where the Lone Ranger was first conceived. It may be pushing things a bit, but there’s just enough that I can buy it that this guy might have been the inspiration for the Lone Ranger.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/06/sport/lone-ranger-african-american-reeves/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

 3,000 criminals arrested. He even arrested his own son for murder. Interesting to note he also did undercover work, disguises. Quite fascinating bit of history.

How a bullet wound revolutionized medicine…

A fur trapper was accidentally shot in the stomach, creating an opportunity for a doctor to observe the digestive process.

http://news.yahoo.com/man-hole-stomach-revolutionized-medicine-131912890.html

The NRA was racist….

How journalists spin the lies and deceit.  Yahoo had an article on gun control with the following quote.

“The NRA, for example, not only offered whites the first crack at jobs, but authorized separate and lower pay scales for blacks.”

THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IS AN ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE…

Really, the author writes an article on gun control, and then transitions using FDR compromising with southern racists. And in the same paragraph states ” The NRA, for example, not only offered whites the first crack at jobs, but authorized separate and lower pay scales for blacks.”

What the AUTHOR fails to tell the reader, is that in this context the NRA does not equal National Rifle Association. Rather, it means National Recovery Administration, which was an FDR program eventually deemed unconstitutional.

However, the fact that the National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a historical entity is known by probably less than 1% of Americans. When 99% of people today hear NRA, they think “National Rifle Association”. Especially in the context of a gun control article.

This whole piece was disingenuously written by the author for the mere opportunity of associating race and discrimination with the NRA, knowing that since the author left out National Recovery Administration, most would in the context of a gun control article assume it meant the more familiar NRA.

Sure, the author covered his butt with other FDR programs. But it’s very clear that this article was an under-handed attempt at libel.

And while I know many were taught in school that FDR was one of America’s greatest presidents, I challenge you to study him beyond what you were taught in school. And I wager that you will, as did I, discover he is arguably the worst and most dangerous president in the history of America. (And before you decry President Obama, he is no where near the level of FDR. I’d take President Obama over FDR any day.)

 

 

Boston Globe Photos of Connecticut River Firearm Manufacturers

Great photos of a few Connecticut River Valley firearm manufacturing facilities courtesy of the Boston Globe.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/04/12/glimpse-gun-valley/nZ1vZ88KsPAJhMmpthUbEJ/story.html#story.html?&_suid=136612284463106854450748476081

Read more about the amazing history of the Connecticut River Valley and firearms here.

The World Just Got 10x More Dangerous – Cyprus

Can one little nation destroy democracy as we know? Maybe…

For those who do not follow world financial trends.  Europe is in trouble, heck all of Western civilization is in a debt crisis.  But Europe is feeling it more so in their weaker nations.

Cyprus is currently the talk of the town, and were about to receive a German funded bailout. But having bailed out a few nations already, the EU chose to do something different. They wanted Cyprus to help, by implementing a tax on deposits. A 10% tax on deposits over 100,000 Euros. But not to leave joe-average Cryprus resident feeling left out. Those with under a 100,000 Euros would be hit with a 6.75% tax. 

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/why-cyprus-bail-bigger-deal-think-141844402.html

Imagine if your savings or 401K/IRAs suddenly lost 10% of their value to bail out the government.  Needless to say, you’d probably go to your bank and withdraw all your cash.  Cash out your 401K and pay the penalty.  This already is being talked about potentially triggering a run on the banks. [Remember, the entire purpose of the bailouts was to maintain confidence that our money and deposits would be safe in the banks. To prevent a 1930’s style run. This one act could undue all of the confidence in banks.

You really have to wonder what the EU/Germans are thinking.  This could lead to riots, revolutions, etc. Beyond being disgusting. This act heavily penalizes those who were prudent. It reaffirms to those who lived beyond their means, are in debt and have little to no savings that is the best way to live, while those who saved for a rainy day, didn’t give in to the consumption economy, and saved a little nest egg are now going to be robbed to the 1/10th degree.

So will this cause riots, or revolution in Cyprus?  I don’t think so. Maybe riots, but a revolution? How can they?  A quick look on Wikipedia reveals Cyprus’ gun laws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics#Cyprus

Summary: No handgun ownership, not even 22 caliber.  One may own a shotgun, but is restricted to a single or double-barrel unit. No pump action or semi-auto shotguns allowed.  Even air rifles are regulated.

So in other words, Cyprus’ citizens have no means to defend themselves from the brigandly robber actions of it’s government and the EU.

This is a reminder of just why the 2nd Amendment is so very important. It is truly, ALL that keeps us free. It is what separates the free man from being a mere subject and slave.

 

Women in Combat

“We will eliminate the policy of ‘no women in units that are tasked with direct combat,’” a senior defense official says.

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/23/military-to-open-combat-jobs-to-women/?hpt=hp_c1

But the officials caution that “not every position will open all at once on Thursday.”

(I’ve long advocated that women should have to register for selective service just like us males. Hey, even without combat roles, the military is often in need of technology professionals – yes, imagine if you got drafted because you’re a female network engineer. Why not?)