Two bite-size hors d'ourves of teh Burning Stoopid. . .

Been busy, between Operation Baen Bulk, and fixing Mrs. Wizard's computer (she got hit by a particularly nasty pop-under virus, from what I can reconstruct. .  .)  and as such, can only do a posting in the same fashion as the Mainstream Media.   So this will be two quick drive-bys. . .

Our first story begins in Charlottesville, Virginia.   Meet UVA student Elizabeth Daly.   She was jailed overnight, for  (officially) endangering the life of a police officer.  But the REAL reason is, she pissed off the cops.  Or, should we say, sort-of-cops.

It all started one night last week, when Daly and several of her sorority sisters exited a Harris-Teeter supermarket, with a case of LaCroix sparkling water, cookie dough, and ice cream.  Loading it into her car, they were approached by SIX plainclothes agents of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control.  Shouting for her to stop, flashing badges, and one agent jumping onto the hood of her car, while another pulled a gun. They even tried breaking the windows of her car. . .

At this point, there are a few questions to ask. 

One: SIX plainclothes agents at a GROCERY store ?  At Night ?   And ARMED ???  Who were they expecting, the entire Chicago Mob ???

Two:  Why are investigators for the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control armed in the first place ?  They're INVESTIGATORS.  I might see agents going armed, when voyaging into the deep woods looking for a clandestine Moonshine Still, but in a suburban parking lot of a college town ?? 

Three: "Suspicion" because she had a box that appeared to be a case of beverages of some sort.   So why didn't ONE agent announce himself, show his badge, and ask to see the case of beverages, to determine whether it was alcoholic or not, and THEN, if it was alcohol, ask for ID ????

But they didn't do that.  Instead, they freaked the girl out, who thought she was being attacked by criminals. . .  once she found out what ACTUALLY was going on, she apologized.  But that wasn't enough for the investigators.

They charged Daly with two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and one count of eluding police, all Class 6 felonies carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $2,500 in fines per offense.

She only stopped because ONE of the investigators started a siren and lights: she was apparently dialing 911 and was planning to go to the nearest police station.

She spent the night and part of the next day in the regional jail.   Not to worry, charges were dismissed entirely on the 28th.

But ABC had to get the last word in.  According to their Facebook Page:

Agents were working in the area, concentrating on underage possession enforcement. An agent observed what appeared to be an underage person in possession of what appeared to be a case of beer, and approached her to investigate. The agent identified herself as a police officer and was displaying her badge. Other agents did not join the incident until the subject refused to cooperate. Rather than comply with the officers' requests, the subject drove off, striking two officers. She was not arrested for possessing bottled water, but for running from police and striking two of them with a vehicle.

The agents were acting upon reasonable suspicion and this whole unfortunate incident could have been avoided had the occupants complied with law enforcement requests. We take all citizen complaints seriously and the matter is currently under review by the ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement.

 Virginia ABC, there's a phrase for this sort of thing:  EPIC FAIL. . . .

******

And now, Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my. . . .   

What, you want to see my USDA permit for the rabbit ??

Bet you didn't know the USDA requires permits for magicians to use rabbits.  I certainly didn't, and I am, after all, a Wizard. . .

Meet Marty Hahne.  Professional stage magician, specializing in kids shows.

It seems that, on and off since 2005, he's had some inspector from the USDA who, for lack of better terms, is jonesing to take him down on some technical violation of some obscure policy resulting from an equally obscure regulation.

You can read the sad history of it here:  it's mind-boggling the time, taxpayer dollars, and effort the USDA has put forward to protect what is basically a furry prop in a standard magic illusion.

So, let's look at this alleged rabbit abuse. . .

Even more amazing is that, when asked if they would be concerned if he fed the rabbit, live, to his neighbor's boa constrictor, the said that it would be fine, no permit required. . . .

This apparently is due to the rising influence of animal-rights organizations inside the Department of Agriculture.  I'd say it's due to the lowering of common sense, but that's just me. . . .

But it gets even WIERDER. . . .  he was just hit with a demand to provide a detailed disaster plan for the care of the rabbit in case of any number of different disasters.

Not sure what Marty replied, but **I** would have replied with this:

Ingredients:

• 1 rabbit, about 3 pounds, cut up
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms, sauteed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup water

Preparation:

Directions for rabbit stew.
Dredge rabbit pieces with 1/2 cup flour. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; brown rabbit pieces on all sides. Add celery, onion, salt, pepper, bay leaf, 4 cups water, and wine; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer rabbit stew for 2 hours. Add carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms; cook for about 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/3 cup water; stir until well blended and smooth. Stir flour mixture into the broth; cook and stir until thickened.
Rabbit stew recipe serves 4.  (Recipe courtesy of About.com Southern Cooking)

Public Service Announcement: Operation Baen Bulk

Putting aside the snark for a day, I'd like to talk about something positive, for a change.

That would be Operation BAEN BULK.  A cause near and dear to my heart, because, oddly enough, I created it.  And we just kicked off our 2013 Campaign. .  .

First, a handy promotional video. made by my colleague, Tedd Roberts : neuroscientist, writer, blogger, videographer, and graduate of the same Wizarding Academy as your humble author. . .

It started in the fall of 2009.  I was working at a large Defense contractor (who shall remain un-named, but it rhymes with "going". . . ), when I, along with ~15,000 OTHER co-workers, got a layoff notice.  And was immediately pulled from my job and placed in the "Layoff Pool", a mostly-empty cube farm at the same facility, with a internet-attached computer, and a phone, and told to go find a job: I had 90 days.

At the same time, one of my occasional acquaintances on the Baen Bar had been assigned to run a detachment to train Afghan Army soldier somewhere deep in Talibanland, called "Camp Blackhorse".  From the pictures we got, it was pretty Spartan living conditions: barracks and bunks made from CONEX containers, and the nearest PX to buy "American" stuff was a 6+ hour drive through sniper and mine-infested dirt roads.

He complained, most of all, of the lack of Coffee.  They were on short rations already, and basically could get ONE cup of coffee a day, plus the freeze-dried hyper-caffinated coffee powder that comes in an MRE.  (Rumor has it that recent-production MRE's have standard commercial stick-packs of freeze-dried coffee. . .). The Zombie-Killers (his unit) were NOT happy. . .

I was spending 8 hours a day in the cube farm, and other than Mondays (when MOST of the new jobs seemed to get posted), was sitting there, waiting for callbacks, 6 hours a day.  So I did a lot of reading.  Especially from the Baen Free Library.   I was reading Michael Z. Williamson's "Freehold", when the protagonist was being complemented for applying a logistics approach to guerilla warfare, when it hit me: use LOGISTICS: instead of a few CARE packages, find out what they needed and wanted, and arrange large shipments of it.   And Operation Baen Bulk was born.

I contacted the gang online, and we INUNDATED the Zombie Killers with stuff.  Coffee ??  Ten pounds of Panama's finest, Cafe Duran.  Immense quantities of hard candy and cookies.  Three entire 4-6 foot pre-lit Christmas Trees.   A coffeemaker, GoldFilters, and an entire case each of creamer and sugar.   We ended up giving enough that the ENTIRE FIREBASE had a decent Christmas.

Oh, and a friend in the movie industry mentioned us to Sony Pictures, who had released "Zombieland" that summer.  They gave us boxes and boxes of "Zombieland" swag that we sent on to the Zombie Killers as well. . .

And just before Christmas, just as my 90 days was running out. . .  I found a job.  At a nice raise in pay.  Karma, I guess. . . .

Spring 2010 comes around, and their are more Barflies deployed.  And one group has a different coffee-related problem: Cups.  They had all the coffee, sugar, and creamer they wanted, but were issued ONE case of ~600 styrofoam coffee cups.  And told that it was a 6-month supply.    There was more than a problem with that: they were an Ammo Supply unit, and routinely got calls in the middle of the night for emergency ammo supply runs.  Now, while an MRAP vehicle IS rather mine-resistant, it's also a bit of a bumpy ride.  Especially at high-speed runs on dirt roads at 0-dark-thirty in the morning. Styrofoam Coffee cups, in such situations, have a half-life of less than 5 minutes.  And the Military  RUNS on Coffee. . . .

A solution was needed.  Spill-proof and durable, that could take shocks and not crack or break.   The solution: the Baen Bulk Cup. . . .

Metal.  Grippable. Spillproof top.  And imprintable.  We threw our logo on the mug, and offered it with the following deal:  Buy one for yourself, we send two to deployed units.  In the 2010 and 2011 campaigns, we sold nearly 500 of these, and sent another 1000 to deployed units. . . as seen below. . .

Live action shot, somewhere in Iraq, as I recall. . . .

By 2012, we had pretty much saturated the market with travel mugs, and besides, my wife told me if we did mugs one more time, I'd be eating them  (1000 mugs, and shipping preps thereof, kind of overflowed the living room and the dining room. . . .)

So we tried crowd-funding.  And along the way, got the help of Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit. And got Instalanched.  We had intended to raise $2000. to get some supplies to the same Ammo unit we got the mugs for two years earlier, and ended up raising just under $3200.00 in under a day.  We stopped accepting donations, upped the size of the supply buy, and got it shipped to Afghanistan, adding an Intel unit to the deliveries.

Well, it's 2013 and the troops are now filtering back.  So we decided to help those GI's who were injured, and in prolonged recovery due to their injuries.  And noticed that the books and magazines typically donated to military hospitals aren't the typical troop fare: tends to be heavy on bodice-ripper romances and housekeeping/cooking mags, not a lot of action-adventure books, hunting/fishing/gun/car mags, etc.

We aim to change that.   We're now raising money to buy a large quantity of Amazon Kindle e-readers, and pre-loading them with the military and science fiction of Baen Books, as well as some other publishers.  We've even been approached by some independent authors wishing to donate e-books to the effort.

So, that's the story of Operation BAEN BULK.  We're running our 2013 fundraising campaign as we speak, and are hoping to be able to deliver 30-40 loaded-up Kindle readers to the Military Treatment Facilities at Fort Bragg and Camp Lejune.  If we exceed our goals: we'll add more MTFs.

If you would, check us out at:

http://OBB.TeddRoberts.com

Battle Cry of teh Burning Stoopid: "But those rules shouldn't apply to MEEEEEEE!"

Meet Danielle Powell (on the right).  Former student at a fundamentalist Christian College in Nebraska. 

She was kicked out, because of the OTHER woman in the photo, her wife, Michelle Powers (on the left).  I know, this SOUNDS like a discrimination case.  But it's not. . . .

You see, at Grace University, students sign an agreement.  The agreement is, that they will live by the Code of Conduct.  By the standards of most of America, the code is rather broad and quite strict.  7 1/2 pages of "thou shalt nots" (starts on page 8), including several TV channels, public displays of affection, dancing, pre-marital sex, and, of course, homosexual acts (page 11).  Mind you, **I** would never agree to even a tenth of that (What, no HBO ?  Sorry, but MUST HAVE MY GAME OF THRONES !!!!) , but then again, Christians have this thing about Wizardry. . . .   (Grin)

There are ANOTHER 6 1/2 pages of procedures and levels of infraction, with all consequences spelled out.  And here's the kicker: each student is REQUIRED to agree to this Code of Conduct, and sign and date their agreement (page 27).  We call this a "contract": the signer has agreed to certain things and to pay a specified amount of money, and in return, they are enrolled in the University and allowed to take classes for credit. It's a simple transaction: agree and sign, and attend, OR disagree, don't sign, and no longer attend. 

And the agreement ALSO spells out the processes and outcomes for violating the code of conduct, and thus the contract (starting on page 15).   In extreme cases, the student forfeits their right to attend, and legally, as they agreed to the contract terms, it's a voluntary separation from the college.

You will note the lack of force to sign:  Don't sign, you don't get enrolled, but nobody forced ANYONE to sign.  Choosing to attend a school like that, is a choice, and all the choices that flow from that initial choice. . . .

Now, let's get to the particulars of the case.  Danelle had attended Grace for several years, and says she was NOT originally a lesbian.  OK, fine, we'll take her word on that.  But in the fall of 2011, she started a same-sex relationship with another girl who ALSO claims  that she was not, at the time, a lesbian.  It's starting to get thin, but, we'll accept THAT too.   And then they got caught somehow, and her adviser notified the university.

The University told her she could go into a "restoration program", involving counseling and regular church attendance, and of course, no more relationships with women.  And she agreed, to preserve her academic standing.  She also got kicked out of the dorms and prohibited from staying overnight in any dorm.

She also, apparently, kept dating her girlfriend, violating THAT program as well, and in March 2012, she was ejected from the University.

And thus it gets interesting.  She did NOT finish 60% of that term, which would have been her last, and had federal aid (type unspecified) that term.  Apparently Federal Regulations (unspecified, but discussed here) require you to complete 67% or better of credits attempted in order to keep the Federal Aid, otherwise it must be paid back to the school (who dispensed it as an agent of the Federal Government).    That sounds about right, I remember people flunking out way back in MY day, and owing their grants and loans for that term immediately. . .

But Danelle, who now is married to a different woman, doesn't want to pay back the money she legally owes.   After all, she signed a contract, but that's nothing because she FOUND LOVE. . . .  

Right.   Tell that to any OTHER creditor.  And she's especially irritated that, until she clears what she owes to the University (and to us Taxpayers. . . ), they won't release any official copies of her transcript. Which makes sense: it's the only leverage they have to get what they are legally owed. . . .

If you're not sensing any sympathy here, you're absolutely correct.  She signed a contract, of her own free will, broke that contract, entered into "restoration" without complying with its' requirements (ALSO in the contract), and now is whining that they're picking on her because she caught a case of Teh Ghey.

Being a lesbian may have been the trigger, but the bottom line here is Breach of Contract. Which is pretty darned serious.   And yet, familiar.

Remember Kaitlyn Hunt ??  Same thing:  not guilty because of being gay.  But that's not the only way it's played these days: ANY group can play that game: there have been several cases of Muslims raping underage girls because they were considered fair game under the Qu'ran, after all, they dressed provocatively. . .

What ever happened to a contract being a binding document, and the law being the same for all ???

The Iron Law of Teh Burning Stoopid: if you subsidize it, you get MORE of it. . . .

Those of you who've been following this blog since the early days (All of 2 or so months ago. . .) have seen a slow escalation from commentary on particular acts of utter burning stoopid, to more general commentary on teh stoopid in society. . . .)

Well, here we go into the Big Issues.  So, riddle me this: what claims to reduce the Stoopid amongst us, while actually producing it in such massive lots that it makes the Chinese slave-labor factories look like pikers ??? Yes, it's the Educational-Industrial Complex. . . . .

Once upon a time, going to college was the gateway to the American Dream.   It wasn't easy to get in, and STAYING in and passing required quite a bit of effort.  But somewhere along the line, somebody decided that it wasn't "fair" that only the best and brightest would go to college, but EVERYONE should have the opportunity to go to college.  Call it an application of the Lake Woebegone Fallacy, that all kids are "above average".

Sorry, but that's just not the case.  And we're paying for it, literally.  Back in Ye Dayes of Olde, when your host was but an apprentice mage, we tracked kids in school.  You had the General Track, the Academic Track, the Business Track, the Trades Track, and for the ones who REALLY were above average, the Academic Accelerated track.

The idea was, to provide appropriate skills and background for the real world after graduation. General track was the biggest, prepping people for generic jobs out there that required a range of basic skills.  Trades track people spent half their time at the Vo-Tech (Vocational-Technical) campus, shared amongst all the schools in the county, where they'd learn specific technical skills: electrician, plumber, HVAC, construction, etc.  There were even programs for medical technicians and computer operators.  Mind you, this was long before the rise of the PC, when a 10MB hard drive was the size of a washing machine, and a single computer might take up a thousand or so square feet. . .

But the point was, they graduate from a Vo-Tech program, they were ready and trained for work, and moved immediately into productive jobs.  And that's where the problem began.  Somehow, for some reason, parents don't WANT their precious little Johnny or Janie to be a mere technician.  Which is **beyond** stoopid: skilled tradesmen and technicians are what **make** Civilization work.  Sure, we need SOME managers and SOME Engineers and Some Professionals.  We already have metric butt-loads of all of them, and far more than we need

But we need a hell of a lot more people who just make things work.  It's TOUGH finding a job out there these days.  And yet, more than 3+ million jobs jobs out there for people with skills.  Currently unfilled, because the people simply don't exist.

And WHY don't they exist ??  Because, instead of doing vo-tech/trade school/etc. . . .  they are pointed to college instead.

I'll let Mike Rowe explain. . .

Now, let's look at the flip side: what has nearly universal access to college bought us ??

Over a million retail sales clerks. . . with bachelor's degrees or better. 

"Lawyers". . . with less than a 50% chance of actually practicing law.  On the other hand, they make GREAT coffee at Starbucks. . . 

On the other hand, you keep hearing about all the great jobs up in the Dakotas, on the new Oil and Gas fields.  . . . take a look.  NO COLLEGE REQUIRED.  Experience IS required.  Hands-on Technical expertise is required.

Take this position:  Manager - Drill Site - OXY   (That's Occidental Petroleum, for those who don't know the oil industry)  Even as a manager, they require only a high school education. . . . . and ten year's actual experience.

Because they don't particularly care about the academic background of their managers, whether they've mastered the intricacies of Elizabethan Poetry, or the role of women in agriculture.  They're worried about actually PRODUCING something, Oil and/or natural gas, producing a lot of it, at the lowest cost consistent with safety.

So, what got us here ??  In short, the 1960s .  So many went to college, that it became the norm, not the exception.  And that set the pattern.  MORE colleges.  MORE professors.  MORE buildings.  Which, of course, costs money.  And so Uncle Sam started making it easier: Grants, and more importantly, LOANS.

Easy credit, generous terms.  With one LITTLE exception: unlike any other form of debt, a Student Loan could NOT be discharged in a bankruptcy.   The easy credit, that kept getting easier as time went by.  Back in the day when your Wizard was getting Student Loans, he had to apply to his BANK.  Who wanted details on my credit, my grades, and what I was majoring in.   After all, it was THEIR money they were risking, so they would evaluate the risk.

But not anymore: more and more over the years, and finally OFFICIALLY in 2010, Uncle Sugar does the loans directly.  And pretty much, you can have all you want, as long as it's close to tuition, fees, books, and living expenses.

The funny thing is, that as student aid got easier and easier to get, prices got higher and higher.   This is the Bennett Hypothesis, and it's not exactly new.

Let's look at an example: ME.

I entered Wizarding School in 1979 (Well, Engineering School, but it's pretty much the same thing. . . . ).   Tuition at the private Wizard Academy I attended was a hefty $2550. /year.   According to the US Inflation Calculator, if everything ELSE hadn't changed,  I **should** be paying  approximately $8182.00/year today, or just under 221% of what I paid in 1979.   INSTEAD, it seems the tuition at Ye Olde Alma Mater is an astounding 43,200 plus fees.  That's a 1695% increase.    Trust me, the instruction is NOT that much better, and certainly not nearly 7 1/2 times the inflation of everything ELSE in the meantime. . .   let's see,  massively increasing prices supported by easy credit. . . where have we seen THAT before ??  Yep. . . . just like real estate, Education is in a Bubble Economy. . .

And what are those massively increased fees buying us ?  More buildings, more professors, and more programs. . . .when we ALREADY have far more than the actual need would support.  Then there are the secondary effects: requiring the students to take courses they neither need nor want, to support the costs of the colleges.   It's the economics of education: make the students pay for the expensive stuff by forcing survey courses, distribution, etc, that can be provided at low-per-student cost, to pay for big-ticket items.  Shiny new buildings.  Dorms that would have been considered resort hotels when I was a student.   Massive growth in "Administration", far beyond student growth. . .

. . .and yet not enough jobs for the graduates we DO produce.   Don't take my word: ask your barista what THEIR Master's is in. . .

Even what's left of Vocational Education is bloated: I see it in what my daughters put up with.  THEY are enrolled in the local community college, doing trades certification programs.  And yet THEY get told they MUST take irrelevant "distribution" courses to "round them out".  Which of course, take time and cost money, when they are ONLY attending to get a technical certification needed to get work. 

Lastly, let's talk about the OTHER effects of "universal college".  Face it, college is SUPPOSED to be hard.   But with the hordes of not-really-college-material students entering our colleges and universities, that would be a problem.   Kids flunking out means no more tuition from them.  Less tuition in means less funds to spend.  And that means that there ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE TO BE CUTS in faculty and staff, and we just can't have THAT, now can we ??  So, the collective mind of the Educational-Industrial Complex have done the obvious thing: dumbed College down.  To the point where the skills of GRAD students a few years ago, compared unfavorably to those of 10th graders, back in the mid-1970s.   And I've SEEN that: I went back to grad school, finally, in 2006, primarily because my manager told me it was get a Masters, or don't get promoted.  So off I went, and was underwhelmed.  With a few exceptions, I sleepwalked through Grad School, and STILL got a 4.0 GPA.  When your competition would not have survived your 10th grade English class  (And a shoutout to Mr. Moyer, wherever he may be today. . . )

So. . . .what should we do about it ??   THAT will be the subject for another day. . .   but by all means, sound off with YOUR suggestions. . .

Updates: The "My Month with a Gun" story starts to smell,

Well, it seems teh Stoopid is strong with our intrepid gun carrier, Ms.Heidi Yewman of Vancouver, Washington. . . .  it seems her story is falling apart.

Let's do a playback, shall we ???

Getting the permit to carry a concealed weapon was simple. I filled out a form, had my fingerprints taken for a background check and paid $56.50. No training required. It took far longer to get my dog a license.

 Oh really ??  It's NOT that simple and quick.  You are supposed to:

1. Present yourself at a local law enforcement office during specific hours (which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction).

2. You pay a fee of $52.50 NOT the $56.50 she claims.   But I'll give her a pass on that because some local law enforcement agencies DO charge for fingerprinting in Washington State . . .

3. They take your fingerprints and you fill out a form.  Call it 20 minutes.

4. They run your prints and your background check.   Which is NOT instant.   I have a little expertise here, part of my work with the FBI, years ago, involved the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) : I was part of the team that built two of their submission systems, JABS and CAS.  While URGENT JABS requests would typically return results within 30 minutes (or did back when I was working the program, ~10 years ago. . .), a non-urgent civilian check could take days or weeks.  In fact, the Washington CCW FAQ states that the entire background check process can take up to 30 days.

So it was NOT faster than getting a dog license: it was a detailed and prolonged process, most of which occurred outside Ms. Yewman's rather myopic field of view.   I can only assume she subscribes to the "If I didn't see it, it didn't happen" school of thought. . . .

And so, we continue, as she goes shopping and stops by Tony, the friendly merchant of death. . .

The whole thing took 7 minutes. As a gratified consumer, I thought, “Well, that was easy.” Then the terrifying reality hit me, “Holy hell, that was EASY.”  Too easy. I still knew nothing about firearms.

 No, the transaction MIGHT have taken 7 minutes, from being handed the ATF 4473 to the conclusion of the NICS check (as I said in the previous installment).  But here again, she fails to mention a few things.  Like, for instance, that there's a mandatory 5-day waiting period to buy a pistol, UNLESS you already have a Washington Concealed Pistol License. . . .  which as we just discussed, takes up to a month.  So, she's a LEETLE bit short on her reckoning of the time it took. . .

And ANOTHER update: we won't have old Heidi Yewman to kick around anymore:  Ms. Magazine decided they couldn't handle it, at least according to the New York Times on June 21. . .  apparently, although not for the record, Michelle Kort, an editior at Ms. Magazine decided that it was too dangerous, that people were posting Ms. Yewman's address ( and the comments on the blog ?  Absolutely amazing examples of FUD and Hoplophobia, and, of course, tarring any defender of the Second Amendment with absolutely none of the acceptance and tolerance demanded by those self-same lefties. . .).    I will admit that I noted that she lives in the Vancouver, Washington area.  And how do I know this ??  Google, bitches !!

The VERY FIRST result of any Google search on her gives this result:

As noted elsewhere, Ms. Yewman seems to have a habit of trying to create controversies where none actually existed.

My final comment on this brouhaha, in the traditional photomeme. . .

******
And just one MORE update.  Remember Kaitlyn Hunt ?  The girl who is being prosecuted for her lesbian love affair with an underage girl.

She wants a new judge.  Because the current Judge on the case is straight.
/boggle. . .

A forest fire of teh Burning Stoopid in the Northwest. . . .

First, apologies to all for the hiatus: been sick as a dog, and the potions dispensed by the healer at the Wizard's Conclave had all sorts of nasty side effects.  And Obamacare hasn't even kicked in yet. . . .

Many of you have read the Ms. Magazine article on "My Month with a Gun: Week One".  And many more have, wisely, ignored it, for teh Burning Stoopid inside is truly a conflagration of idiocy not seen since. . . .  January 20, 2013. . .

But here we are.  Meet Heidi Yewman.  Anti-gun activist, Ms. Magazine occasional writer,  failed influencer of StarSchmucks, and wielder of weapons-grade burning stoopid. . .

To prove JUST how evil guns are, she's decided to buy and carry a gun for a month, and chronicle her adventures.  But Lara Croft, she's not. . . .

Let's follow her adventures, shall we ???

Getting the permit to carry a concealed weapon was simple. I filled out a form, had my fingerprints taken for a background check and paid $56.50. No training required. It took far longer to get my dog a license.

It turns out Ms. Yewman lives in Washington State.  And, yes, it IS easy to get a Concealed-Carry Permit in the State of Washington. You basically need to not be a criminal or a recent drug-user, submit to a background check and a fingerprint check, fill out a form, and pay $52.50. .  .   And so ???  Last time I checked, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.  For those of you unfamiliar with Liberty, living in some godawful place like Red China, Chicago, or Maryland, that would be the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, and appears to be working as designed. . . .

She goes on. . .

I started my 30-day gun trial with a little window-shopping. I visited a gun show and two gun dealers. I ended up buying a Glock 9mm handgun from Tony, a gun dealer four miles from my house. I settled on this model because it was a smallish gun and because Tony recommended it for my stated purposes of protecting myself and my home.

Good thing she didn't use the dreaded, and non-existent Gun Show Loophole. . . although I'm more of a Kel-Tec or STI man, myself. . . .Glocks aren't bad, I owned a P-80 years ago. . .

It was obvious from the way I handled the gun that I knew nothing about firearms. Tony sold it to me anyway. The whole thing took 7 minutes. As a gratified consumer, I thought, “Well, that was easy.” Then the terrifying reality hit me, “Holy hell, that was EASY.”  Too easy. I still knew nothing about firearms.

 Of course, had she gone to Lowes and bought power tools, or Home Depot and bought a chain saw, they ALSO would have sold it to her, no questions asked.  Just like any OTHER legal product: the buyer is responsible for the operation of a tool, not the people who sold it to them. . .

It's also interesting that she FAILS to mention part of that waiting time in the sale was her NICS check and filling out her ATF 4473.    But, unless it's a heavy weekend, the legally-required eligibility check to see whether she was banned from owning a firearm probably took around 30 seconds, after the technician at the call center picked up the call from the dealer and got the dealer's Federal Firearms License number.  And a rather extensive and expensive network of computers (and FOUR 9s worth of uptime: they are allowed less than 8 minutes of downtime per year. . . )  with links to all the criminal records in the US (and elsewhere) go to work with the detailed information she provided on the ATF form. . .

(Once upon a time, your Wizard worked out at the FBI Data Center where all the computers are for the checks.  Average transaction time exceeds 30 seconds, management gets involved.  One of the FEW examples I can point to of our Benevolent Federal Masters actually doing something right. . . )

But it gets better. . .

Tony told me a Glock doesn’t have an external safety feature, so when I got home and opened the box and saw the magazine in the gun I freaked. I was too scared to try and eject it as thoughts flooded my mind of me accidentally shooting the gun and a bullet hitting my son in the house or rupturing the gas tank of my car, followed by an earth-shaking explosion. This was the first time my hands shook from the adrenaline surge and the first time I questioned the wisdom of this 30-day experiment.

A pity she didn't look in the box.   She'd see something like this:

 

And what IS that strange white object in the pocket in the lid of the case ??? Why, it's an OPERATOR'S MANUAL. . . .

 And there's ALSO a brochure about Firearm Safety !!!

 But for our Heidi, the were OBVIOUSLY TL:DR. . . . .  not to mention that, nowhere in this missive of hers, was there ANY mention of buying, much less LOADING ammo into the pistol.

A quick review for Heidi, care of the Dissident Frogman. . . all she needed to know about actually handling a gun. . . .

 As George Takei would say. . . Oh, Myyyyyyyy!!!  And she goes on . . .

I needed help. I drove to where a police officer had pulled over another driver. Now, writing this, I realize that rolling up on an on-duty cop with a handgun in tow might not have been fully thought through.

Ya think ???

I told him I just bought a gun, had no clue how to use it. I asked him to make sure there were no bullets in the magazine or chamber. He took the magazine out and cleared the chamber. He assured me it was empty and showed me how to look. Then he told me how great the gun was and how he had one just like it.

The cop thought I was an idiot and suggested I take a class. But up to that point I’d done nothing wrong, nothing illegal.

Au contraire, Heidi, you've done PLENTY that's wrong here.  Shall we start a little list ??

1. You decided, on your own, to purchase and carry a tool that, when handled improperly, can potentially cause grievous injury or death.

2. To show JUST how smart you are, you didn't even bother to RTFM.  While embarking on your quest to show that Guns are evil, icky, et cetera, you proved YOURSELF to be Dangerous.  Because, contrary to popular opinion on the left, there is no such thing as a dangerous weapon.  They do not load, carry, aim, or fire themselves.  Only adding a human being to the picture, can ANY gun be used to do damage.  Or in short, YOU, Heidi Yewman, are dangerous, and an irresponsible threat to any and all around you. . .

3. And then, you approach a cop about it.  You COULD have asked the friendly gun dealer, Tony.  Gun people are more than happy to give you any and all advice about selecting, buying, maintaining, and using a weapon, and we all do it for free.   Because we're not just Gun People, we're RESPONSIBLE Gun People.  Carrying a weapon implies the responsibility to use it wisely, and YOU, Heidi, are doing for the most idiotic of reasons, as a political stunt. 
 
Surprisingly, at least to you, the officer did not draw down on you, because you were at LEAST smart enough to not wave it around, not to look like a threat to him or others, and had the bare presence of mind to identify your situation and problem.

And now the MINOR ones:

4. As noted, you haven't indicated you bought any ammunition for your pistol, much less a cleaning kit, ear protection, perhaps even shooting glasses.  Hint: even by themselves, guns DO get dirty.  Perhaps not over the 30 days you plan to own your Glock, but a gun, like ALL machinery, needs maintenance and lubrication.  ALSO mentioned in that manual you didn't bother to read. . .

5. The cop gave you the single best piece of advice you'd gotten all day: if you're going to carry, then get trained.  It will reduce the danger to you, and more importantly, to those around you.   Because, at the moment, you are an extreme danger to anyone around you, even if your weapon is NOT loaded. . .

This truly IS weapons-grade Burning Stoopid.   And yet, we're likely to see three more articles.   Well, Heidi: you write 'em, I'll Fisk 'em. . . .

Teh Burning Stoopid: Animal Farm Edition

. . . .For those of us who remember the days when we required to read difficult, important works of literature in High School, one book that never got missed was George Orwell's "Animal Farm".  In it, Napoleon the Pig put forward the ultimate commandment of the "liberated" Animal Farm:  "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal that others. . . ."

Fast forward to 2013 America, because some are more equal than others here as well. . .

Ask Star Transport, of Peoria, Illinois.  They are being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for not allowing Muslim truck drivers to refuse loads that include alcoholic beverages. (And while we're at it. . . the EEOC needs map-reading lessons.  Morton is ~6-8 miles from Peoria, and separated by a river and some "greenspace". .  .)

And what, exactly, is wrong with firing employees who refuse to do their jobs ??
Yes, Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol. According to the online Korans, that would be in Surahs 2:219 and 5:90-91.  It even covers the use of alcohol as a trace ingredient in foods, for those who strictly follow the Koran. 

But Commerce ??  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  In fact, there are Islamic Wine Merchants.
And we've been here before.  Several years back, Islamic taxi drivers (mostly Somalis, it has been reported...) refused to take passengers who were carrying bottles of alcohol, or had guide dogs. And in the end: they lost: first offense for refusing to carry a passenger: 30 days suspension: second offense: loss of taxi permit.

The whole issue here is one of Public Accomodation: these businesses are open to all comers, and may not refuse service to anyone based on religious or other criteria (based on protected groups) . . . . firing an employee who objects to their regular duties is NOT included in this.  And this is not the first try at this: a Disney "Cast Member" sued because she was not allowed to wear the hijab to work.  Disney even offered a compromise: an outfit that covered her head as she required, but she rejected it because it made her look "silly". . .

Now, I'm quite sure some wag will quote the Religious Freedom Restoration Act at me. . .except that it's scope has been limited to that of the Federal Government by several court decisions.  The issue is NOT freedom of religion here, it's the ongoing effort by SOME religions (namely Islam) to get the entire camel into the tent by allowing the nose first. . .

The threat here ?? The following is a description (slightly modified) from Dr. Peter Hammond's book: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat.

As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful uniqueness. 

At 2% and 3% they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs [Europe, Australia, USA and Japan]. Six percent of US prison inmates are Muslim. Like any other minority, they won’t integrate, but work to build their own separate community.

From 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. South Africa's Muslim population is 2%, but they control 35% of the businesses, a large percentage of the banks and have five Cabinet seats while Christians (77% of the population) have none. 

They will push for the introduction of halaal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves (along with threats for failure to comply). 

At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia; Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islam is not to convert the world, but to establish Sharia law over the entire world. 

When Muslims reach 10% of the population, they will increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. (i.e.: car-burnings in France last October.) Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats. 

After reaching 20% expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning (India, Mindanao, Philippines).
At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare [Indonesia]. 

From 60% you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya (infidel tax). (Sudan, Kosovo, Lebanon and Egypt). 

After 80% expect State run ethnic cleansing and genocide [Western Papua (New Guinea), Iran, Biafra, Turkey and North Nigeria]. 

100% will usher in the peace of "Dar-es-Salaam" - House of Peace - as in Saudi Arabia, Libya and Yemen. 

 While this seems a bit paranoid initially, when you start actually looking at recent history and demographics. . . it tracks.  And THAT, gentle readers, is a truly scary thing to behold.

Well, the Wizard knows where HE stands on this: do you ?????

******

Well, the Gun Propaganda wars continue. . . as students at Chase Lake Elementary School, in Edmonds, Washington found out. . . they were suspended for bringing a NERF gun to class, for a teacher-approved project in probability. .
.   Moral of the story: don't trust your teacher. . .

And back to Calvert County, Maryland (and hey, what IS it with Maryland lately ??  Have they installed a large SuperConducting Stoopid Magnet or something ???).  Because at Northern Middle School, in Owings, Maryland,  they suspended an 11-year-old boy for TALKING about guns.   That's right friends. . .
No action, just a kid saying that he wished that he had been at Sandy Hook with a gun, to stop that madman from murdering all those children.  On the bus ride home, not even in the school.  After hearing this conversation, the bus driver hauled the sixth-grade student back to school, where he was questioned by the principal, one Mr. Darrel Prioleau, and an unnamed sheriff's deputy who queried the boy's father about whether he had firearms, and that he wanted to search the home.  Without a warrant, of course. . .

Anyone else see the entire CASCADE of teh Burning Stoopid here ???

Weep for the nation and the future. . .

Burned by teh Stoopid: we got Trayvoned by the tale of Saint Kate of the Blessed Finger. . . .

A bit under two weeks ago, I mentioned the "Stop the Hate: Free Kate" story of a high-school relationship short circuited by hater parents ??  Well, gang, we fell for it hook, line and sinker.  Turns out, we got Trayvoned. . .

(A warning to our gentle readers: many of our links today are probably NSFW.   Click accordingly. . . )

Kaitlyn Hunt as the narrative would have us see her:

Except, they left a few crucial details out.  Kate started this relationship when she was 18, and her girlfriend was 14.  And as an adult, she was breaking the law and SHE KNEW IT. . . . But, hey, it was young teenage love, and they didn't care, it was all rainbows and unicorns and. . . . their first time.   Those of us out there old enough remember our First Times.  In the backseat of a car.  In a romantic glade.  Or, for those with the means and the fake ID, in a cheap motel room. . .

No, Kate and her lover were nothing like that, their first time was in a sordid bathroom stall in school, where Kate removed the younger girls pants and fingered her.  Classy, Kate, really classy way to introduce someone to the Art of Love. . .(note: as a courtesy to our gentle readers, I've linked the English translation, we Wizards are familiar with Latin, but it's not that common anymore. . .)
 
We just got a more recent, and realistic photo of Saint Kaitlyn of the Blessed Finger, snapped in the locker room of her former High School:

But it's not just the age difference here, it's the lies being put forward.  For example, that nobody would have prosecuted an 18-year-old BOY for having a relationship (actually, having sex. . .) with a 14-year old girl.  Except that isn't the case. . .   In fact, another mother approached the mother of the younger girl, and told her what was going on.  And the supporters of Saint Kate not only outed the names of the parents, but their address, phone numbers, and even the younger girl's name.  This, friends, is clearly INTIMIDATION, and a clear sign that there's an agenda at play here. . .  This is another parallel with the Trayvon Martin case: intimidate the person who did nothing wrong, to cut off attempts at defense in a court of law. . .

So. . .what is to be done with ADULT Kate ??  She turned down the plea deal, and the evidence makes it an open-and-shut case. . .  but sending a lesbian to a women's prison for 15 years ???   I still like my proposed punishment: Solitary Confinement with an endless loop of Justin Bieber for the term of the sentence. . .

Note: the contributions of The Other McCain and his columns at American Spectator, and that of SupportHonesty.net have been invaluable to writing today's entry.  The links there argue far more persuasively, and with far less snark, than I have.  Go, check them out !  - Sotarr

******

And now, a few minor WTF ???? items from the news:

The Food and Drug Administration and Department of Homeland Security won't let a convoy of relief supplies and food for the Moore Oklahoma Tornado Victims in from Canada. . . . because, gee, they weren't itemized and inspected.  Yes, we know the Feds are just overflowing with teh Burning Stoopid, and the disaster is waaaaay out in Flyover Country, and that area voted 2:1 for Romney.

Thus, under the doctrine of "support our friends and punish our enemies",  we don't REALLY need to send aid anyway. . .

******

Lastly, once again the Ear Leader and his minions have continued to Support Our Troops . . .by denying them hot meals in Afghanistan.  Come on, with all the pork spending, we could cut SOMETHING other than hot chow for combat troops. . .

******

That's all for today, but sure as the sun will rise, teh Burning Stoopid will be back tomorrow. . .