Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Support for a permanent ban [on Internet taxes] was strong in both the House and Senate, but concerns over the potential long-term impact on state and local governments forced a compromise.The only "long term impact" is that they aren't being allowed to claim your money before you've made it! It's bad enough that Democrats think that what you make is theirs to play with. Now they want a claim on any future earnings.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Weigh in here on this weighty issue.
Powered by ScribeFire.
...What tired bloggers are increasingly discovering...is that it's not necessarily the quality of their blog posts that matter. It's matching their quality with frequency...Which is true. No one wants to read pointless babbling, and trust me, I don't want to write any. (Not that I'm not good at inane babble; but, there's a time and a place for such things. Cheese threads on FreeRepublic are a fine example!) Sometimes, though, there's just not much that catches my fancy to write about. Believe me, I try to ferret out stuff to blog. Mostly, I do so for our NRA Members' Council website. I've found that fresh bloggery attracts new visitors better than anything else. The entire site suffers when I don't update the blog page for a day or two.
Powered by ScribeFire.
First, let's all be clear that eBay belongs to its owners and not me. I'm in no position to dictate to a business how they must operate. If they want to sell sex toys and hash pipes but not guns, that's their call. However, that doesn't mean that we must patronize their business. If you were planning on "eBaying" a few extra gun parts or accessories, or anything outdoors related for that matter, please consider paying your listing fees to one of the fine sites listed above instead. If you were planning on bidding on such items, please check these sites first. First off, you may find a better selection. Secondly, and more importantly, you'll find sites operated by those who show more respect for your 2nd Amendment rights.
Friday, August 03, 2007 Years ago, eBay banned the sale of all complete firearms on its online auction and shopping website. However, they did continue to allow the sale of parts and many accessories. This week, a spokesman for eBay announced that the company would ban the sale of all gun-and-ammunition-related parts and components.
The ban is set to begin in mid-August, when eBay will prohibit the listing of “any firearm part that is required for the firing of a gun.” This prohibition will include, according to eBay, “bullet tips, brass casings and shells, barrels, slides, cylinders, magazines, firing pins, trigger assemblies, etc.” In explaining the decision to restrict these items, Matt Halprin, eBay’s Vice President, Trust & Safety, said, “After much consideration, the Trust & Safety policy team – along with our executive leaders at eBay Inc.– have made the decision to further restrict more of these items than federal and state regulations require.” [emphasis added]
With this action, eBay sends the message that they don’t want, or appreciate, law-abiding gun owners’ business. By banning these legal products, eBay is adopting the anti-gun movement’s opposition to all legal gun ownership. Fortunately, gun owners and sportsmen have alternatives.
The following companies operate websites designed for the buying and selling of firearms and related products: www.GunsAmerica.com; www.AuctionArms.com; and www.GunBroker.com.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
The supposed reason for the tax is to raise money. But naturally when the tax goes from $.05 to $10.00 per cigar, they won't even get the $.05 because people like me will quit. I support my family of six on not alot of money in rural Oklahoma and I smoke usually one a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. It's one of life's simple pleasures and I resent that I will have to give it up. I'm an Anglican priest and the only way I would quit would be if the doctor told me to or if I became a Baptist pastor. :) Or of course if my $37 bundle of 25 cigars goes up to $287 a bundle, I will also quit. I know it's such a minor thing compared to the ills of the world, but it truly bothers me.The minister certainly represents one possible reaction to such a tax. Unfortunately, his reaction will not be the rule. It may not even be typical. This tax, should it become law, will encourage people to get the product they want by whatever means necessary. This would include, our history shows, buying on the black market.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Powered by ScribeFire.
...and today, it sounds like Pelosi isn't backing away from the rabid Moonbats. Will she pick Moonbats over Blue Dogs?I said on several threads before Tuesday that poll numbers suggested that the Dems were screwed. Their margin in the generic polls wasn't great enough, I thought, to give them control of either house. However, I'm standing by my assessment: They're screwed.
Early polls (August/September) hinted at a bloodbath this year. That didn't happen. The Dems control Congress by the skin of their teeth. (And as I write this, the Senate is iffy.) This is actually worse for them than falling short. Their far-left, base supporters are going to be claiming responsibility for the Dems' win and they are going to expect results for their effort. This trap of high expectations is going to be their undoing.
The first, second, and third items on the Moonbat agenda are impeachment, impeachment, and impeachment. This is something that Reid and Pelosi cannot deliver and cannot afford not to deliver. They face the same dilemma with the next agenda item: halting the War on Islamofascism.
The Democrat majority in both houses is not monolithic. There are a number of Blue Dogs in both houses and there's no guarantee that they'll go along with a Moonbat temper tantrum. A drive for articles of impeachment will look to the American People like a childish outburst. The Blue Dogs know this and won't want to get caught up in the backlash that's sure to follow. It cost us in the '90s and it will cost them now.
Pelosi's problem is how to find a way to persuade her most extreme supporters that impeachment is a bad idea. They are utterly convinced that the entire country thinks and feels just like they do. Any attempt to avoid impeachment will be seen as treasonous by them. I don't think that Pelosi can dodge this one. Either she pisses off her base, and this is a deal breaker with them, or she chases the Blue Dogs into George Bush's waiting arms.
The Blue Dogs also support the war effort. One member of the Democrat caucus in particular, while he may not qualify as a Blue Dog, certainly has an azure tinge and bruising around his throat: Joe Lieberman. Joe will probably view is re-election as a referendum on the war; and rightly so since his Democrat opponent made this the centerpiece of his campaign. The Moonbats also saw Joe's defeat in the primary as a sign of their own greatness. Seeing him in the Senate will piss them off; seeing him nixing any effort to halt the war will really piss them off! But what can Reid do? The knife wounds in Joe's back haven't healed yet. If there's a one seat margin in the Senate, then Reid needs to plant some wet one's on Joe's backside; especially on this issue.
And therein lies Reid's problem: It's a real pain the arse trying to hold together a fractious coalition. This is something that we understand. (And on a side note, loosing DeWine and Chaffee will be a blessing in the long run.) Any one Senator can become a king maker when the majority leader doesn't have the votes to spare. If halting the war comes up early, and it will, and if Reid caves in to Lieberman, and he will, then Reid will spend the next two years kissing blue butts. (Welcome to our world Harry!)
The Democrats are between a rock and a hard place. They will either split their caucus and lose their razor thin majority or they will have to cross their base. The Moonbat base has spent the last six years fuming over 2000. They want revenge and they want it now. "Go along to get along" is something that simply will not make sense to them. They will explode with rage if they don't get what they see as their rightful due. Nothing short of heads on pikes will satisfy them; talk and rhetoric won't do the job. But what satiates the Moonbats will horrify the Blue Dogs. What to do, what to do...
The Dems are screwed.
I work in a mostly Latino neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and get my hair cut at a local shop. The owner is originally from Mexico. The girl who cuts my hair is Latina, but she was born and raised here. The shop usually has the TV on one of the Spanish language stations. This should set the scene for you.
A customer walked in with her little boy. She asked a question in Spanish of the girl cutting my hair, who answered in Spanish. Her little boy noticed something on the wall and asked his mother about it, in English. She responded to her son in English. A few minutes later, as I was paying my bill, the little boy walked up to me and asked ¿Como estás?. (I have dark hair and an olive complexion, so I assume that he mistook me for a Latino.) How is this a good sign, you ask? The little boy, while fluent in Spanish, obviously speaks English at home. English is his primary language.
Culture is something one learns and it's determined by language, not ethnicity. The culture that child is learning is ours; not Mexico's. His mother may be trying to cling to the culture of the "Old Country", but he is turning into an American. Resistance Is Futile.
O'REILLY: You didn't know anything about the Swift Boat ads before they went on the air, did you?
BUSH: No. I didn't.
O'REILLY: Did Karl Rove know anything about it?
BUSH: I don't think so. In other words, you're asking if anybody coordinated this in our campaign?
O'REILLY: No, whether they'd give you a heads up they were going to do it.
BUSH: Not to my knowledge.
If you have any doubts about an email you've received, check here. You may not find the exact scam, but you'll likely see something similar. Many phishing scams are very well done, despite the poor Engrish. These Citi-bank scams send you to Citi-bank's site but, there's a pop-up window over the top that isn't from Citi-bank; the "litlle winddow". I had another a few days ago that was a very well done replica of a Paypal page (Similar to this scam.) on a Korean webserver. That one, as a finishing touch, sends the victim off to the Paypal.com 404 page after grabbing the info. In short, be suspicious of what comes to your inbox!
_Dear Citi-bank Cardholder,
This Email was sentt by_the_ _Citibank serevr to verify _your_ E_MAIL adrress.
You must complete this process by clicking on_the__link beloww and entering
in the litlle winddow your Citi_Bank _Debit card_number and PIN that
_you_use on local_Atm_Machine. This_is _done_ for_your protection becaurse some of our
members members have access to their _e-mail_ adderss_ and we must verify it.
http://citi-bank-online.org/?385586164247
To verify your_ EMAIL_ addres_ and akcess _your_ _citibank
account, klick on__the_link beloww.
The subject was President Bush whacking California's share of Federal aid for housing illegal aliens in the prison system. John was, predictably, fit to be tied at the development. I called to point out that there's really no political reason for Bush to go out of his way to spend money on the Golden State. We thumbed our noses at him "big time" in 2000. As I recall, he lost by roughly 1 million votes. He's gonna lose again this year. Spending Federal dollars on our prison system isn't going to win him any Electoral College votes out here. That money is going to go to "Red" States; not this bright Blue one!
It is as true to the original story as is possible for a film to be. The original was never intended to serve as a screenplay; Tolkien himself doubted that it could be adapted. But Peter Jackson and his crew did the impossible. They took a great story and put into a filmable form without losing the charm of the original work.
After the press screening, I overheard several critics complaining about “the Neverending Movie” and “the Movie with Seven Endings.” (They’ll probably hate this “neverending review” as well.) There seems to be an inexplicable disconnect between some people and Tolkien’s style of tale-weaving. (One woman complained that she still couldn’t tell the difference between “Merry and Trippy.” Go figure.) I have no explanation, just sadness that their skepticism stands between them and so many rewarding metaphors and characters. Did they at some point outgrow fairy tales, deciding that they are valuable only as charming flights of fancy for the naïve?Off on a tangent, I suppose that what makes blogs so interesting is that they generally are written about subjects that the bloggers appreciate. No blogger feels as though he or she was dragged off to a "neverending story".
Is there more than one George W. Bush?
Bush Says He Could Support Ban On Gay Marriage
Posted by 11th Earl of Mar to Akira
On 12/16/2003 5:26:11 PM PST #10 of 10
Bush Appears to Open Door to Same - Sex Unions
Posted by KantianBurke to goldstategop
On 12/16/2003 5:26:08 PM PST #5 of 5
Briton Tony Martin, who was convicted in a UK court of defending himself against a criminal, has been given a new self defense tool: An air raid siren.
I'm not making this up.
OK... I can tell from that look on your face that you don't believe me; but it's true... all of it. Yes, a man was convicted for what would be a perfectly lawful activity in the US. He defended himself against two teenage burglars who broke into his home. One goblin got his ticket punched, while the other was merely wounded. In the US, this is called a "good shoot". A 16-year old and a 29-year old constitute a grave threat to a 54-year old man. But not only was Tony Martin arrested, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 5 years in prison. And on top of that, the wounded burglar is suing him!
Tony Martin is finally getting out of prison, after previously being denied parole. (Friends mocked the parole board saying that Martin was being kept behind bars because he poses a threat to Britain's burglars.) He's been threatened by local thugs and a wealthy neighbor purchased the siren as some sort of self defense device. I'm sure that the man meant well. After years of being told that defending your own life or property is somehow anti-social behavior, he probably didn't see how silly the gesture really is.
Of course, the siren will merely signal to all within earshot that Mr. Martin has been killed.
Brian Carnell dissects a highly biased, anti-gun story from the BBC.
The Northrup-Grumman Global Hawk spy plane is going into production. The Global Hawks that provided so much valuable intel in Iraq and Afghanistan were merely prototypes. These impressive spy planes can loiter for nearly a over a target at an altitude that makes them nearly impossible to target and hit with a SAM.
Some bad days lie ahead for the "evil doers".
"Hurricane" Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles) and ten of her Democrat cohorts were caught on an open mic in Sacramento plotting to extend the State's budget crisis for political gain. Their conversation was picked up by a "squawk box" and broadcast throughout the capitol building.
Kinda reminds ya of Frank and Hotlips, don't it?!
James Swan documents some of our local stupidity in Bowless in Burbank. The Burbank city council has voted to ban bow hunting in the city. "So what" you ask? Perhaps you think that there's no where to hunt in the city. There is just such an area. The Verdugo Hills stretch from the Foothill Freeway south towards the intersection of the Ventura and Golden State freeways. This is the line of hills you see to the east of Burbank Airport. There are roughly 500 deer in those hills; more than enough to support bowhunting of the herd. There are also small game animals and coyotes to hunt.
The yuppies jogging on the trails (Appearently unaware that the mountain lions who moved into the area attracted by the deer like to chase things that run. They are cats, after all.) didn't like seeing bow hunters hiking into the hills. They whined to the city council, and the city council, in its wisdom, voted to remove the herd's top predator from the ecosystem. Not smart. Without their top predator, the deer will over-graze. When they start to run out of natural food, they'll move into people's gardens. More than a few will wind up bouncing off the hoods of the yuppies' Volvos and Lexuses. (Or would that be "Lexi"?) Of course, the lions will also move into the neighborhoods looking for the deer. But once they get into town, they'll realize that there are plenty of tasty dogs and cats. They may be small , but they're easier to catch than deer. Small children are even easier for lions to catch, by the way.
But none of that mattered to the city council. Deer are cute and fluffy and hunters are Neanderthals in the council's tidy, little world. Let's hope that the DFG or the courts straightens this out before too much harm has been done.
Sandra Day O'Conner gets complimented as a "doubleplusgood doublethinker". (Also on FreeRepublic.com.)
