Sorry for the Light Blogging!

I've been in negotiations hell the last few days! I'm in the process of trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle without having any idea what it looks like...but, damn it, I'm getting there!

I've got a bunch of stuff to tell you about the most recent set of U.S. Forest Service meetings...snore, nod...let's hope the shooters give up!

I've also got some cool video I'm putting up next week on DOWN RANGE from Ralph Mroz...I'll fill you in later!

President Obama Wants Your Guns!

Thought you guys might want to see what America would look life if Mr. Feel Good Obama is elected. Check this out (source material included):

Obama Positions on Gun Control:

• Ban semi-automatics, and impose more restrictions on other types of firearms possession;
• Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons;
• Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms;
• Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
• On the issue of prohibiting citizens from carrying concealed weapons, Obama said he believes national legislation should be passed to “prevent other states’ laws [allowing citizens to conceal their guns] from threatening the safety of Illinois residents.”
• “I believe we need to renew–not roll back — this common sense gun law,” [The Clinton “Assault Weapons” Ban]
• Proposes several gun-control laws, including restricting purchases of weapons and ammunition at gun shows, establishing a national database that would capture and record imprints left by bullets, and making gun locks mandatory
• Obama said concealed weapons should be allowed for retired police officers and some military personnel.
• “Ordinary citizens should not be allowed to own military assault weapons, such as AK-47s and Uzis.”

President Obama Wants Your Guns!

Thought you guys might want to see what America would look life if Mr. Feel Good Obama is elected. Check this out (source material included):

Obama Positions on Gun Control:

• Ban semi-automatics, and impose more restrictions on other types of firearms possession;
• Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons;
• Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms;
• Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
• On the issue of prohibiting citizens from carrying concealed weapons, Obama said he believes national legislation should be passed to “prevent other states’ laws [allowing citizens to conceal their guns] from threatening the safety of Illinois residents.”
• “I believe we need to renew–not roll back — this common sense gun law,” [The Clinton “Assault Weapons” Ban]
• Proposes several gun-control laws, including restricting purchases of weapons and ammunition at gun shows, establishing a national database that would capture and record imprints left by bullets, and making gun locks mandatory
• Obama said concealed weapons should be allowed for retired police officers and some military personnel.

“Ordinary citizens should not be allowed to own military assault weapons, such as AK-47s and Uzis.” Source

A Quick PARA Plug!

I don't usually do this, but it's for a good cause and my friend and supershooter Todd Jarrett asked me to, so take a look at the new Para USA single stack PXT-1911 SSP and the hi-cap PXT P14•45 Gun Rights models.

Yeah, they're really great 1911s, with all the happy trick stuff everybody wants — competition fire control packages, fiber optic fronts, etc. Check out the whole package here and here.

The reason I'm posting it on the blog, however, is that a portion of the bucks from each of these guns goes to the NRA-ILA, which is a Very Good Thing.

You owe it to yourself to check it out!

OUTDOOR LIFE Does It Right

This from the OUTDOOR LIFE site:

We respect Mr. Zumbo's First Amendment right to free speech, and we acknowledge his subsequent apology and admission of error. However, Outdoor Life has always been, and will always be, a steadfast supporter of all aspects of the shooting sports and our Second Amendment rights, which do not make distinctions based on the appearance of the firearms we choose to own, shoot or hunt with.

I think that allowing Jim to resign with honor is the absolutely correct thing to do. It recognizes Jim's 45 years of service as well as acknowledges the new reality. Good job, Todd Smith, on a hard subject!

I've said this before, but now is a time for unity. My whole focus this week — when it should have been on WORKING — has been on making sure everyone in the industry I've spoken to understands that we have to move forward together. As I said on the SIXGUNNER forum, there is a storm coming and it will take all our resources and all our commitment to weather that storm.

I honestly believe that for the first time in years, hunters and shooters are on the same page. The biggest mistake we on the shooting side can make is to treat our hunting compatriots with the same casual contempt we were treated with for so long. It is NOT a time for payback; it's a time to move forward. You guys know how long I have been fighting this fight, and I think you understand what it has cost me. I will not allow defeat to be snatched from the jaws of victory!

It is time to stand together!

And do you realize I haven't made a single sleazy comment on Anna Nichole Smith — who is, paranthetically, still dead — or Britney Spears — who is still bald — in a week? I'm in withdrawal!

The Wednesday Morning Zumbo Hangover

I think it's fair to say the fiearms industry is reeling from L'affaire de Zumbo. ik want to refer you to two of the best commentaries I've seen so far from two of my best friends, Tom Gersham of Gun Talk Radio and Jim Shepherd of The Shooting Wire, Both are veteran, lifelong journalists, and both are experts on the "New Media." First from Tom:

We can take away from this experience several observations.

The first is that this attitude of "just let them take those ugly, black guns" is common among hunters and competitive shooters. Anyone with that attitude is a fool. Sit down with a hunter from England or Australia, hear him tell the story of what happened there, and watch the tears well up in his eyes when he says they never thought the government would take away their hunting guns. To gun banners, there is no such thing as a good gun. They want them all. When Tom Diaz, of the Violence Policy Center, was on Gun Talk, I forced him to admit that he would like to ban all guns. What about the police, I asked. Once we get all the other guns, he said, the police won't need their guns, either.

A ban on black guns, or "Saturday Night Specials," or 50-caliber rifles, is a ban on all our guns. There is no such thing as a bad gun or a good gun. We can't throw babies off the back of the sled, thinking it will keep the wolves away from us.

The next thing we learn from this is that the world has just changed. This entire episode took place inside of 36 hours, on a weekend -- a three-day weekend for President's Day. It happened...and this is important...entirely on the internet.

Jim, typically, cuts straight to the point:

AR-style rifle enthusiasts have forced the entire shooting industry to acknowledge a blinding glimpse of the obvious: there are many, many more "recreational shooters" out there than there are hard-core hunting types.

For many in our industry, this was a frightening epiphany. They've continued to market their products to the hunting community while blithely ignoring the growth segments of the industry.

They are decidedly not ignoring us anymore.

Jim, Tom and I have been talking — mostly to ourselves! — about the impending paradigm shift for the last couple of years...scary to see it happen. As Jim Shepherd told me, it's the difference between reading about an artillery barrage and being caught in one!

I urge all of you to take the time to read the text of the new AWB, as introduced by Carolyn McCarthy. This is one heck of a document — it closes every single loophole...every single one! It looks like a Violence Policy Center document to me; I see some signs of their position papers in how carefully the loopholes have been closed. This document is a Democratic Party stalking horse...if you don't believe that, I've got some waterfront property in Arizona I'd like to sell you!

Understand the battlefield...

The WAG THE DOG Manifesto

The overriding question right now is where we go from here.

This weekend we "tipped." The on-going tensions between the hunting and the shooting sides of the overall firearms market, which I have been reporting on since I started this blog three years ago, boiled over, and for the very first time, the shooting side of the market flexed its muscles.

And suddenly the whole industry now understands what we have known for years — we are the tail wagging the dog.

There were hints of this at the SHOT Show this year. You couldn't walk the floor in Orlando without a sense that a profound change was underway. The "buzz" was all about black rifles, with the new military pistols and precision rifles following behind. It reminded me of the SHOT Shows in the early 1980s, when the tsunami of practical shooting swept the handgun industry. One year we couldn't even get an appointment with major handgun execs...the next, we're being fetted and the floor is awash in trick 1911s.

There were other market indicators that were consistently overlooked:

• Ammo sales — In recent years, it's .223, 7.62 X 39, .308, with the "traditional" calibers falling behind.
• Parts and accessories sales — In the last 12 months, AR-platform parts and accessories have swamped even the huge 1911 P&A market.
• Major manufacturer participation — S&W successfully launches their M&P AR-15; SIGARMS successfully launches their 556; more announcements are scheduled for later this year.
• Expanded competition opportunities — The explosive growth of 3-gun matches and carbine/rifle precision matches is on the way to recreating a "nation of riflemen (and women)."
• The widespread acceptance of black rifles as a home self-defense tool — this is huge; I'm a convert myself.
• Demand for carbine training courses — Through the ceiling across the country...the shooting academies are packin' 'em in for black rifle classes.
• Expanded caliber offerings — Yes, it was obvious even before Sunday that black rifles were moving decisively into the game fields. From exotics like .30-06 tpo the various .458s, to the WSSM cartridges, the AR platform has proven to be amazingly adaptable.

One point I've made before and I want to make very strongly again is that Jim Zumbo didn't say a single thing I haven't heard before from other "hook and bullet" writers. Such writings and statements are, indeed, based on an ignorance of how the market is shifting.

That ignorance is dangerous. Take a look at USA Today's article this AM:

Police needing heavier weapons
Chiefs cite spread of assault rifles
By Kevin Johnson
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Law enforcement agencies across the country have been upgrading their firepower to deal with what they say is the increasing presence of high-powered weapons on the streets.

Scott Knight, chairman of the Firearms Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, says an informal survey of about 20 departments revealed that since 2004 all of the agencies have either added weapons to officers' patrol units or have replaced existing weaponry with military-style arms.

Knight, police chief in Chaska, Minn., says the upgrades have occurred since a national ban on certain assault weapons expired in September 2004. The ban, passed in 1994, in part prohibited domestic gunmakers from producing semi-automatic weapons and ammunition dispensers holding more than 10 rounds.

There is a new AWB being considered in Congress, and while this one will likely go nowhere, no one I've talked to believes this will be the last one floated out...especially if a Democrat is elected President in 2008.

Black rifles and their "kin" — .50 BMG guns, long-range precision rifles (aka "sniper" gun), "assault pistols," etc. — will be the RKBA battleground for the forseable future. It is also the primary area of growth, where the new shooters (and, honestly, the new hunters) will come from.

I believe — or maybe I hope — that the industry is now ready to step up to the facts and accord us both the respect and the equal funding our side of the market deserves. That's what I'm hearing.

That's the happy talk part; here's the ugly part. The reason hook and bullet writers have been able to get away with saying such things is through the tacit approval of the people who drive that side of the industry. That has to stop. Remington and Cabela's have taken a huge step in the right direction by disavowing the Jim Zumbo comments; the big boys, Mossy Oak, Realtree and the like, now need to step up and add their voices for unity. The hunting lobbying groups need to make it clear that an attack on one is an attack on all...that there is no difference between an AR-15 and a fine Perazzi shotgun when it comes to the firearms community; that the community will no longer tolerate a discussion on which baby should be thrown off the lifeboat.

I think we're at a watershed moment, and it's up to us to make that moment count. I am profoundly sorry that it was Jim Zumbo who fell under the bus, but every one of us who writes for a living understand that we live and die by those words we write. I was told that by my very first editor when I wrote my first newspaper article for publication in 1968; nothing has changed now except the speed at which we're all judged — and the absence of that "editor" who might caution moderation on our part.

It's scary to reach a tipping point and see how quickly things change. I believe we are now in the driver's seat...where are we going?

Remington Stands Tall!

This from the Remington website:

NOTICE: Remington is in the process of severing our sponsorships with Mr. Zumbo. Remington in no way shares or advocates any of the comments made by Mr. Zumbo on his blog site. A formal announcement will be released by noon today.

Remington Breaks With Zumbo

This from the COMMENTS on the first Zumbo post; I haven't verified that this if REALLY from Mr.Milner, with whom I have always had a cordial and vedry friendly relationship:

"I proudly own AR's and support everyones right to do so!

What makes me sick is how quickly people on the internet have called to boycott Remington. All Jim said was he was hunting with our people! This is normal course in our industry. How else do people think we field test? with writers.

Remington has spent tens of millions of dollars to defend your rights and how quickly the thanks is threat and boycott! Please feel Free to post that Remington does not agree with Zumbo in any way shape or form and we will assess our relationship with him accordingly.

Tommy Millner
CEO and President"

I hope it is from Tommy, becuase I believe Remington is and has always been 100% with us. They have put their money where their market is, and I would hate to see them suffer for Jim's, "Slip of the tongue." If you contact Remington, make sure you clearly state that you DO NOT blame them for the comments...

Brady's Happy Happy Happy!

This is from Brady's MySpace blog this afternoon:

Even Remington's top gun writer agrees on Assault Weapons

With important writers such as this on our side, it is clear that we have a cultural imperative to remove dangerous terrorist rifles from our streets, and our woods.

This is what happens when we give aid and comfort to the enemy! I'll bet Remington's PR people will be just happy as clams to see the great placement they got.

Zumbo Caves Quick...

,,,now that the damage is done and our enemies have one more stick to beat us with! This from Jim Zumbo's blog a few minutes ago:

Believe it or not, I'm your best friend if you're a hunter or shooter, though it might not seem that way. I simply screwed up. And, to show that I'm sincere about this, I just talked to Ted Nugent, who everyone knows, and is a Board member of the NRA. Ted is extremely active with charities concerning our wounded military, and though he's known as a bowhunter, Ted has no problem with AR 15's and similar firearms. My sincerity stems from the fact that Ted and I are planning a hunt using AR 15's. I intend to learn all I can about them, and again, I'm sorry for inserting my foot in my mouth.

Let this serve notice...you attack black rifles, you attack .50 BMGs, you attack "Saturday Night Specials"...an attack on one is an attack on all. It doesn't matter where that attack comes from!

It's time to choose sides, boys and girls.

Jim, I accept your apology...and you got a DAMN LONG WAY TO GO before you get anyone in this culture's trust back!

Serious Stuff — The Jim Zumbo "Defection"

Oh, and its a hollow feelin' when
It comes down to dealin' friends
It never ends
— The Eagles
"Tequila Sunrise"

So a couple of days after Carolyn McCarthy introduces the first of what we all fear will be many new Assault Weapons Bans (AWB) in the House of Representatives, one of our own sells us out.

This from Outdoor Life columnist and Outdoor Channel personality Jim Zumbo's HUNTING WITH JIM ZUMBO blog, dating 16 February 2007. I'm going to print his entire post for you to read:

Assault Rifles For Hunters?

As I write this, I'm hunting coyotes in southeastern Wyoming with Eddie Stevenson, PR Manager for Remington Arms, Greg Dennison, who is senior research engineer for Remington, and several writers. We're testing Remington's brand new .17 cal Spitfire bullet on coyotes.

I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue. Only once in my life have I ever seen anyone using one of these firearms.

I call them "assault" rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to call them "terrorist" rifles. They tell me that some companies are producing assault rifles that are "tackdrivers."

Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of our "sporting firearms."

This really has me concerned. As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public, an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them from the praries and woods.

Certainly Jim — a man who, up until this column, I considered my friend and colleague — is entitled to both have and speak his own opinion...that is the nature of the First Amendment. At least Jim seems to approve of that one!

But the fact is that Jim is arguably the most influential hunting writer in the world, and his column, coming on the heels of the introduction of a new AWB — however unlikely this one is to become law — throws down a gauntlet to state agencies and to hunters in general...join Jim in stepping across the line to side with the McCarthys, the Bradys, the Schumers, or stay with the defenders of the Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms.

By calling for the ban of "black rifles" in the hunting fields, where they are gaining huge popularity, my former friend and colleague has changed sides. He does so out of far-too-proud ignorance — "I must be living in a vacuum" — and a breathtaking arrogance — "As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the woods carrying one of these weapons."

What image would you like to project, Jim? That of an out-of-touch, former sportsman wondering aloud why guns don't look like they used to...even though they use the same mechanisms? And how are you going to feel, Jim, when your words are read into the Congressional Record or used by Brady or the Violence Policy Center to continue to destroy our right to keep and bear arms? Is that what you want your "legacy" to be...Jim Zumbo — He Killed a Lot of Animals While Helping to Get Guns Banned!

You threw down your gauntlet, Jim, now let me throw down mine:

Apologize. Now, not later.

Or reap the whirlwind, brother!

Dying For Publicity

Well, I'm still reeling from Britney Spears' going all Sinead O'Connell on us and shaving her head. I'm thinking this is a sad attempt to trump the publicity coup pulled off by Anna Nichole Smith last week by her dying. I can't help but think ANS' net worth is going to soar now that she's no longer around to harpoon her publicity machines' best efforts. I mean, look at Kurt Cobain...his publicity and average earnings have steadily increased since he began his dirt nap. And that's to say nothing of Elvis, who really hammered out the secrets of post-death popularity! Steve McQueen, Humphry Bogart, even Frank Sinatra are working harder than ever, and thanks to enhanced video technology, they'll be getting even better talking roles.

And if you really think about it, don't we prefer our celebrities dead? You're never going to see Kurt Cobain or Humphry Bogart jumping up and down on Oprah's couch. Elvis is never going to the stopped by local cops and blurt out anti-Semitic remarks or rage rage in a drunken stupor or travel to a disaster area to cruise around in a rowboat with a shotgun to provide cheesey photo ops...whoops, how can you tell if Sean Penn is alive or dead?

There are issues I can already see will have to be addressed buy the newly Democratic government, to wit, can dead celebrities marry? Can you just see the amazing publicity potential of an Elvis/ANS nuptials at the Bellagio in Vegas, with Frank as the wedding singer? Whoa! Don't forget, I get 10% on that one!

Have I been offensive enough for Saturday morning?

How about some gun stuff, then. This from the Telegraph Across-the-Pond:

For James Andre Smartt-Ford, 16, Michael Dosunmu, 15, and Billy Cox, 15, the hand-wringing by police and politicians over the escalation of gun crime comes a little late: all three have been shot dead in south London over the past 10 days.

Public revulsion over such criminality is, shamingly, blunted by the fact that they appear to be victims of ethnic gang crime. Society at large sees it as "their" problem, not its own. Such a view is criminally complacent.

We have, post-Dunblane, what are said to be the toughest gun control laws in the world. They have actually proved strikingly ineffectual.

Gun crime has doubled since they were introduced. Young hoodlums are able to acquire handguns - either replica weapons that have been converted, or imports from eastern Europe - with ease. With no dedicated frontier police, our borders remain hopelessly porous. The only people currently incommoded by the firearms laws are legitimate holders of shotgun licences, who are subjected to the most onerous police checks.

What a shock...guns were outlawed and now only outlaws have guns! Now, where have I heard that before? BTW, since the post-Dunblane laws have proven to be failures, what does the Telegraph suggest? For a start, tougher mandatory sentences...apparently 5 years just doesn't do it! And get rid of those pesky protections against unreasonable search and seizure (much less than we have here). Police should be able to, you know, just stop and search people who look like...well, whatever criminal type people look like! Wow! I'll bet Nancy Pelosi is taking notes!

Year of the Pig

Well, at first I was distraught, because I thought the Chinese were honoring Rosie O'Donnell...of course I came to my senses! yes, the Year of the Pig begins next week...actually, it began just after the November elections, but the Chinese are just catching up.

The Chinese geomancers and soothsayers aren't optimistic, however; this from Drudge:

Feng shui expert Raymond Lo said that according to ancient Chinese belief, the Year of the Pig is symbolised by two elements -- fire sitting on top of water.

"Fire sitting on water is a symbol of conflict and skirmish, and this may bring a relatively less peaceful year with more international conflicts and struggles," he said.

Lo said the last time such an arrangement appeared was in 2002, the year that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks.

"It is anticipated that there will be more international conflicts and disharmony, which will even lead to regional warfare, uprising and unrest, or the overthrow of governments in certain countries," he said.


The elemental arrangement for 2007, with fire standing on top, could represent openness, optimism and warmth, but it can also bring fire disasters and huge explosions, Lo said.

Stock up on ammo! Watch Jericho and take notes! BTW, I agree with Bitter that this first AWB is likely to fizzle. HOWEVER, I also believe that the Kennedy-Schumer-Pelosi-Feinstein Axis of Evil is right now trying to figure out how AWB II needs to be drafted to get it through the muck that is Congress. Yes, the Dem's attention is momentarily diverted in harpooning the War on Terror and guaranteeing that we'll see an American city light up in the next few years...that was the platform they ran on, wasn't it? Bring the troops...and the war...home?

And McCarthy may indeed be a Dem-dingbat who couldn't get a bill passed even if it was a Resolution in Support of Bunnies and Puppies, but not cosponsoring a bill is hardly a ringing "Here I Stand" statement from fellow Democrats. Hey, why haven't the pro-gun Dems spoken up, even saying something along the lines of, "Didn't we all agree not to a big stick into this particular hornets' nest?"

And you can bet that the Axis of Evil is closely watching D.C. and Real World response to LaDingbat's "float." Are we supposed to pretend that McCarthy didn't consult with the Dem power brokers before she filed the bill? Good lord, the Dems don't take a crap without clearing it with Teddy and Nancy!

I stand by my comments right after the elections: BUY BUY BUY!

You want an AK, get one now. I assume you've already got an AR (Sorry Bitter! Escape from D.C. and I'll hook you up!).

I think AKs and .50 BMGs are the most at risk, because I believe the industry and the culture will rally around the AR-15 platform...to much of the industry $$$ is now vested in in ARs — not the case when the first AWB sailed through. ARs are the best-selling rifle in America; more AR parts and accessories are sold than any other guns; ARs now own most rifle competitions; ARs have made the transition into the hunting fields, and not just varmints; the carbine is on the verge of becoming the primary home self-defense weapon...nobody is going to sell out the AR (he said hopefully).

I'd include the more exotic semis in the 'endangered" category...the FNH P90, the newly reintroduced AUG, the presently being born Masada, all the AK variants, the H-K and Uzi clones that have been trickling onto the market, etc.

Told You So...

...unfortunately!

Remember how during the election we were reassured numerous times that the new Congress had no gun agenda; they the Dems have learned their lesson? The new improved AWB was introduced in the House yesterday. It's from everyone's friend Carolyn McCarthy:

In Philadelphia, a gunman opened fire on his colleagues using an AK-47 assault rifle he legally purchased. These dangerous weapons, which are intended to hit multiple targets in a short period of time, were allowed back on our streets when the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004. The deaths in Philadelphia could have been prevented if Congress had done its job of protecting the homeland and renewed the assault weapons ban.

I have again introduced legislation to permanently ban assault weapons. These weapons have no practical use. They are not used by hunters for sport or by individuals for self-defense. They are intended to kill as many individuals as possible in a short amount of time and have no place on our streets. The unfortunate situation in Philadelphia could have been avoided if Congress stood up to the gun lobby in 2004.

I'm really interested in seeing where this goes...will the newly minted pro-gun Dems stand their ground, or will they get down on their knees in front of the Pelosis and Kennedys. I wonder what the line in Vegas is on that bet???

Hot Chicks With Guns...

Check it out on DOWN RANGE TELEVISION! Hurry, before my Sweetie finds out...

This is the Way the World Ends...

I liked this, from the LA Times:

So, yes, this column is about Anna Nicole Smith.

Friday morning, less than 24 hours after she died in a Florida hotel room, the Drudge Report — our media culture's digital arbiter of all things tacky and prurient — had 12 items posted on the onetime topless dancer. That would account for some of the media frenzy surrounding her death. It's a little-known fact, but certain sectors of the broadcast media have long believed that if a dozen items on Anna Nicole Smith ever were posted on Drudge simultaneously, it would herald the onset of the apocalypse.

Who knew? This is the way the world ends — neither with a bang nor a whimper but with cleavage.

I Got Stoned & I Missed It!

I woke up this morning with a song in my heart...unfortunately, it was "Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo" from South Park:

Sometimes he's nutty
Sometimes he's corny
He can be brown or greenish brown
(Mmmmhmmm!)
But if you eat fiber on Christmas eve
He might come to your town!

I'm humming "Mr. Hankey" while I'm waiting for the excavators to start digging up my road, driveway, etc. in a frenetic attempt to once again rejoin the 21st Century (or, rather, to leave the 19th) and get running water.

I figure for what it's costing me, I could fly to Namibia, buy a six-pack of Authentic Underprivileged Native Rug Rats, then sell them to Hollywood movie celebrities for a tindy profit. I would not keep any of the money, though. Instead, I would use every penny to create an appropriate — and emotionally powerful — tribute monument to to the late Anna Nichole Smith...I'm thinking maybe a vending machine, perhaps in designer colors, that dispenses illegal drugs. Oh Anna...we hardly knew ye! Unless, of course, you watched any entertainment shows, in which case you knew Ms. Smith was up for Best Interview From A Woman Stoned Out Of Her Gourd award, the coveted Britney Spears Cup.

Ah well, dig we must!

2008 Is Coming...God Help Us All!

Still light blogging as I continue to work on the DOWN RANGE TELEVISION site...not to mention the fact that my house's pipes are frozen, et cetera et cetera. Suxs to have no water...least we've got electricity! I'm faithfully answering queries on the DOWN RANGE Forums, however. So go there for your daily dosage of Michael Bane nonsense!

In the meanwhile, read Alphecca's excellent piece on 2008 politics:

I'd written about Richardson a couple weeks ago. Frankly, I tend to be a one-issue voter: Gun rights. How a candidate and his voting record score on that issue probably counts for 50% of my considering voting for him/her, with all other issues filling in the remaining 50% of the equation. There are a lot of voters out there like me. On gun rights, or on abortion, or on a host of other issues.

In the last couple decades, I have voted for republican presidential candidates almost solely based on the fact that their democratic opponents supported gun control. I suspect that trend will continue unless the Democrats wake up. Hillary and Obama and Gore and Edwards will never get my vote. [Bill] Richardson might.

So far, I agree with Jeff...Democrat Bill Richardson of New Mexico — who carries a Glock, BTW — is looking like the only Presidential candidate I can support. Guliani is a Dem-N-Disguise and viruently antigun; McCain hates both the First and Second Amendment, and he's not sure about the Fourth and probably a few others; the other Dems are all FROM HELL. Looks like the election will be just a laff riot, doesn't it?

The US Forest Service issue is heating up again locally, with the Greenies staging another batch of public meetings to try and find three or four people who agree with Christine "GUNS SUCK" Walsh. The last series of public meetings ending in a huge embarassment to the USFS Greenies and Walsh in particular when it turned out that the only people who had problems with target shooting on public lands were Walsh and her direct hires. The huge turnout was virtually 100% pro-gun and shooting, so the USFS Children's Crusade is gearing up to try again.

Where do you suppose these fine public servants get the money to keep holding public meetings trying to find some brain-damaged individuals to agree with them? Of course...out of our pockets! I've said before and I'll say again...other than fire mitigation, the USFS is a HUGE waste of taxpayer money. Keep the firefighters...fire the rest!

Prince = Da Man!

Forget the SuperBowl...Prince rules!

The best rock guitarist alive...

WE ARE LIVE!

DOWN RANGE TELEVISION is up!

You can check it out at downrange.tv!

First up is an expanded and re-edited version of my SIGARMS 556 report from SHOT. Over the next week we'llbe posting all the SHOT Show video into the Archives. I'm working on two Internet-exclusive video projects...Secrets of Carrying Pocket Pistols and Butt-Ugly Guns. Coming up behind those two is an evaluation of AR-platform electronic sights.

Obviously, this is a "beta" site, essentially a work in process. There are so many functions and features we have planned for the site that I figure it's a 6-month to a year build-out.

The most important element, though — a stable, flexible platform — is in place, thanks in large part to the efforts of my webmaster, Marshal Holloway (aka Kjell Heilevang..."Marshal" is his cowboy alias) and his Significant Other, Teresa, the Marshal'lette.

If you read the computer magazines, or WIRED, or spend a lot of time on Slash/Dot, you get the feeling that the Internet is a giant set of building blocks which, when easily assembled in the right way, will do anything. The reality is that the Internet is a huge "invent to order" frontier, where everything "sorta" works and "sorta" doesn't. Believe me, it has been a battle to get to the starting line!

Coming up over the next few months:
• User-supplied videos, a la YouTube
• Multiple "channels" for different interests and shooting sports
• Articles and columns from some of the top people in the business
• An incredible tool for clubs and matches ("invented" yesterday by Tequila, Richard Young!)
• Live Internet events, like the first one one coming iup in mid-March, the first Steel Challenge National Championships in Florida, sponsored by SIGARMS
• More and better videos...and you will see developments in the firearms industry here first (in fact, I'm in negotiations on two significant introductions that you'll see first only on DOWN RANGE!)

The GIVEAWAYS begin next week with the Bruce Gray custom SIGARMS GSR 1911...we're working this weekend on the "small print," like where you sign over your rights to your first borns and and Hollywood starlets you know to us.

I'd also like to give a thanks to the irrepressible Don Worsham for being the first person to sign up for the new DOWN RANGE Forums! Thanks, Bro!

Tell me what you want in a firearms site, and we'll do our best to give it to you...please keep in mind that my Sweetie will kill me if I post pictures of hotties (male or female) with guns...and she knows the compnation to the safe!

Thanks, guys!