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0|0|0|||1||A Musing Upon Firearms|Nova Floresca||21:06:43|04/01/2014|The Thompson SMG ad in the %22A Boring Look at the Non-Process%22 thread reminded me of something I recently read in a hunting magazine that%27s been bothering me%2C but I couldn%27t articulate why until seeing that ad%2C and I wanted to see what others thought of the problem. So%2C without further ado%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AThe gist of the problem is that the article in question was advocating that You%2C Dear Reader%2C you need to buy a Steyr AUG as your varminting gun. You%27ll want to make sure to get the genuine 30-round box magazine %28a 42-round box is also available%2C if that%27s not enough lead%21%29%2C and also be sure to get one with picatinny rails on the top so that you can mount your reflex sights as well%21%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s two problems I see with this position%3B first%2C the AUG is a semiautomatic rifle in a bullpup%2A configuration%2C firing 5.56 NATO rounds. And this is supposed to be a varminting gun%3F Did the lower 48 suffer an orc infestation when I wasn%27t looking%3F When I think %22varmint%22%2C I think %22squirrel%2C rabbit%2C raccoon%22 and similarly-sized things%2C and when I think %22rabbit being hit with a round of 5.56%22%2C the image that comes to mind is %22fine aerosol mist%22. It seems very excessive.%0D%0A%0D%0ASecond%2C reflex sights%3F I%27m sure they%27re handy%2C but does nobody bother learning how to aim anymore. I%27ve heard the old joke about Smith %26 Wesson making the world%27s first point-and-click interface%2C but this just sounds like a recipe for aerating the local landscape thirty holes at a time%2C rather than aiming at the target and hitting what you aim at.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo am I out of touch with the needs of the modern hunter%2C or is this really as crazy as it sounds%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%2AWhile the rest of this sounds like a bad idea%2C I%27m fully in favor of the bullpup design. One of the first things I learned when being taught to shoot was %22be careful when turning around%2C you might whap somebody upside the head with the barrel of your gun%22. This is especially embarrassing when the gun in question is a Remington 1890%2C and the owner checks the gun for wounds before the poor sucker with a cuff-mark on his head.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This is probably a stupid question%2C but . . .%22
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||21:24:33|04/01/2014|%3EThe gist of the problem is that the article in question was advocating %0D%0A%3Ethat You%2C Dear Reader%2C you need to buy a Steyr AUG as your varminting %0D%0A%3Egun.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C obviously.%0D%0A%0D%0ASee%2C the problem is that nobody in the firearms industry %28and by that I mean not only manufacturers but also everybody else who makes a living through the Shooting Culture%29 can actually admit that a%29 shooting is fun and b%29 thinking that doesn%27t mean we%27re crazy people who are going to kill our neighbors%2C so fuck off and leave us alone.  No.  That kind of thing simply isn%27t perceived as sufficient justification.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo instead%2C the Done Thing is to rely on ever-more-convoluted%2C ever-less-convincing rationalizations for why we %5Bi%5Dneed%5B%2Fi%5D these things.  Vanishingly few people here in the Developed World actually have to hunt in order to %5Bi%5Deat%5B%2Fi%5D%3B in most cases - %5Bi%5Dall%5B%2Fi%5D cases that involve taking a couple of weeks off of work and driving hundreds of miles to the kind of lodge my grandparents used to run%2C which was packed with salesmen from New Jersey every November - it%27s an obvious recreational activity.  But just saying you like to go into the woods and shoot at things sounds %5Bi%5Dcrazy%5B%2Fi%5D%2C so instead there are Patriotic Appeals to the Ancient and Honored Craft of the Colonial Woodsman Feeding His Family and all that utterly anachronistic horseshit.  It%27s not convincing even to the people who say it%2C but for whatever reason%2C we as a society have sort of tacitly%2C collectively agreed to pretend that we buy it.%0D%0A%0D%0AIronically%2C for those of us who don%27t even want to kill anything in the first place%2C apart from some old milk jugs full of dyed water and%2For empty baked bean cans%2C it%27s even worse%2C because we can%27t even play the I%27m a Hunter%2C How Dare You Question My Frontier Roots card.  We%27re just nuts who like to shoot stuff for no even-pretendably-practical reason.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut anyway%2C yeah%2C that%27s why the Shooting Press is always talking about the Sportsmanly Uses of obvious military and military-derived hardware%2C in exactly the same way that the civilian ads for the Thompson %28a weapon designed for the trenches of WWI but perfected too late to be of use there%29 transparently pretend that there%27s some conceivable practical use for a %5Bi%5Dportable machine gun%5B%2Fi%5D that doesn%27t involve soldiering or crime.  There isn%27t%2C and no one%2C including the people who write those ads%2C really believe there is.  It%27s just the game we%27ve all decided%2C for whatever weird social reason%2C that we have to play rather than just admit that we like stuff that isn%27t practical or useful %5Bi%5Dand there%27s nothing wrong with that.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
3|2|1|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Mercutio||02:08:15|04/02/2014|  %0D%0A%3EIt%27s just the game we%27ve all decided%2C for whatever weird social %0D%0A%3Ereason%2C that we have to play rather than just admit that we like stuff %0D%0A%3Ethat isn%27t practical or useful %5Bi%5Dand there%27s nothing wrong with %0D%0A%3Ethat.%5B%2Fi%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AI would submit that this isn%27t a social reason%2C or at least not entirely%3B it%27s a political reason%2C and actually quite a smart one.%0D%0A%0D%0AMorally speaking%2C there%27s absolutely nothing wrong with %22We like us some guns for no practical reason. It%27s fun to talk about them and buy them and smith them and then haul them out to the backyard and see what we can do with them. Sort of like guys who are gearheads%2C except%2C you know%2C with guns.%22 My brother is one of those guys%2C my maternal great-grandfather %5Bi%5Dkind of%5B%2Fi%5D was%2C as was his son-in-law %28my maternal grandfather%29 and other sundry people I know. It%27s an eminently reasonable position.%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever%2C when it comes time to craft %5Bi%5Dpublic policy%5B%2Fi%5D%2C that position is... somewhat weak. There are lots of people who are%2C in fact%2C crazy nuts who are gonna kill their neighbors. Or their ex-wives. Or their current wives. Or leave the damn things somewhere their eight-year-old can get at it. Or start a shootout in a movie theater. Or think that walking down main street with a full-auto assault rifle strapped to their back is an act that contributes to public order and safety. %0D%0A%0D%0ACoupled with the fact that there%27s pretty solid evidence that restricting access to firearms does in fact result in radically lowering the incidences of people shooting themselves and others up %28England and Japan are pretty good examples of this%3B hell%2C in England the %5Bi%5Dpolice%5B%2Fi%5D don%27t carry guns as a matter of course and adamantly resist efforts to try and get them to do so%29 %22guns are fun%22 starts to look like weak tea when people start saying things like %22Maybe assault rifles and extended pistol magazines should be illegal%22 and %22Perhaps there should be an extremely comprehensive and robust registration and tracking regime.%22 So you want to lay your hands on actual%2C practical arguments for your arsenal.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are lots of those%2C and appeals to Cultural Heritage are one subset of them. It%27s the smart play%2C really%2C especially if you%27re economically invested in Shooting Culture. It%27s one of the four most common ones%3B the other three big ones%2C in my experience%2C are %22you need to be able to go to war against the government if the need arises%22%2C %22you genuinely need firepower of this magnitude to be safe and defend yourself and%2For your home%22%2C and %22FREEDOM%21%22.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
4|3|3|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Nathan||06:04:22|04/02/2014|%3EThere are lots of those%2C and appeals to Cultural Heritage are one %0D%0A%3Esubset of them. It%27s the smart play%2C really%2C especially if you%27re %0D%0A%3Eeconomically invested in Shooting Culture. It%27s one of the four most %0D%0A%3Ecommon ones%3B the other three big ones%2C in my experience%2C are %22you need %0D%0A%3Eto be able to go to war against the government if the need arises%22%2C %0D%0A%3E%22you genuinely need firepower of this magnitude to be safe and defend %0D%0A%3Eyourself and%2For your home%22%2C and %22FREEDOM%21%22. %0D%0A%0D%0AGiven the blatantly suicidal nature of any endeavor to take on an Army Of Oppression as untrained civilians carrying any level of firearm %28as opposed to the sane man%27s option%2C the Quite Large Bomb%29%2C the way general availability of firearms acts first and foremost to arm the criminal element%2C and the blatant and contemptible lack of logic in the emotional appeal%2C my own position is that Cultural Heritage and Gun Fancying are the only two actually legitimate arguments on the list of five.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a pity that we have people actually %5Bi%5Ddrinking%5B%2Fi%5D the Kool Aid of the other three who are likely to make a sensible legal middle ground unachievable. They%27re going to ruin the hobby for a quite considerable number of more sensible people by locking out compromise positions and leaving what they think they%27re fighting as the only option.%0D%0A%0D%0A-----%0D%0A%0D%0A%22V%2C did you do something foolish%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Yes%2C and it was %5Bi%5Dglorious%5B%2Fi%5D.%22
12|4|4|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Nova Floresca||18:40:53|04/02/2014|For what it%27s worth%2C I think the drinking of the Kool-Aid is the bigger problem than the guns themselves. Once you have people who actually %5Bi%5Dbelieve%5B%2Fi%5D that they need to be armed with military-grade firepower in order to resist tyranny and%2For a home invasion of the kind normally associated with dystopian-world RPGs%2C it makes for a very nasty case of paranoia.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn a related note%2C I sometimes wonder what would happen if one were to set off a string of firecrackers at an NRA convention%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This is probably a stupid question%2C but . . .%22
14|5|12|||||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|DaPatman89||18:58:10|04/03/2014|%3EOn a related note%2C I sometimes wonder what would happen if one were to %0D%0A%3Eset off a string of firecrackers at an NRA convention%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22This is probably a stupid question%2C but . . .%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t know the answer to that%2C but I imagine it would be such that your sig fits better above that paragraph.
16|6|14|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Nova Floresca||22:07:19|04/03/2014|My sig tends to apply much too well to the things I post%2C unfortunately.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This is probably a stupid question%2C but . . .%22
17|5|12|||||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|rwpikul||03:23:31|04/04/2014|%3EOn a related note%2C I sometimes wonder what would happen if one were to %0D%0A%3Eset off a string of firecrackers at an NRA convention%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AProbably not as much as one would fear%3A  While the NRA is normally against restrictions on where you can have a gun%2C them make an exception for their own facilities%2C %28and probably their events%29.
6|3|3|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|laudre||09:45:09|04/02/2014|%3ECoupled with the fact that there%27s pretty solid evidence that %0D%0A%3Erestricting access to firearms does in fact result in radically %0D%0A%3Elowering the incidences of people shooting themselves and others up %0D%0A%3E%28England and Japan are pretty good examples of this%3B hell%2C in England %0D%0A%3Ethe %5Bi%5Dpolice%5B%2Fi%5D don%27t carry guns as a matter of course and adamantly %0D%0A%3Eresist efforts to try and get them to do so%29 %22guns are fun%22 starts to %0D%0A%3Elook like weak tea when people start saying things like %22Maybe assault %0D%0A%3Erifles and extended pistol magazines should be illegal%22 and %22Perhaps %0D%0A%3Ethere should be an extremely comprehensive and robust registration and %0D%0A%3Etracking regime.%22 So you want to lay your hands on actual%2C practical %0D%0A%3Earguments for your arsenal. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis hedges awfully close to politics and is sort of tangential%2C but nonetheless...%0D%0A%0D%0AThe argument %28stronger gun restrictions lead to less violence%29 to which you are referring is predicated upon two things%3A the perception that the restrictive gun laws of Japan and the UK are causally linked to the low incidence of gun violence%2C and that gun violence is in some qualitative way worse than other channels of violence%3B e.g.%2C that dying from a stab wound or a bomb is in some way not as bad as dying from being shot. %28There%27s some interesting stuff to explore in terms of human perceptions of risk and such in that%2C come to think of it%2C similar to the perception of safety in an airline vs. in a car -- something about control%2C perhaps%3F%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIn any event%2C there may be a causal relationship between the restrictiveness of gun laws and the incidence of %5Bi%5Dviolent crime%5B%2Fi%5D %28not just gun violence%2C but violent crime in general%29%3B I don%27t have the references to hand%2C but there have been some studies that have found some statistically significant correlations that actually controlled properly for confounding factors %28ISTR one looking at Philadelphia%2C but even that one was imperfect%29. Not only that%2C but while there are US states with liberal %28i.e. low-restriction%29 gun laws and high violent crime rates%2C there are also U.S. states with liberal gun laws and low violent crime rates %28Vermont has almost no gun laws to speak of%29%2C and there are U.S. states with long-standing extensive gun regulation and perennially high violent crime rates.%0D%0A%0D%0AFurthermore%2C there are countries that have restrictive gun laws and very high crime rates %28Russia%27s at the top of that list%2C AIUI%29%2C and still other countries with gun regulation more restrictive than most of the U.S. but far more liberal than the UK or Japan%2C but low violent crime rates. In rural Finland%2C for example%2C it%27s not unusual to see people walking around with semi-automatic AK-47-type rifles slung on their back%2C and nobody thinks anything of it%2C because such firepower is sometimes necessary to deal with particularly ornery wildlife. %28Handguns are heavily stigmatized there%2C mind%2C and very tightly controlled.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are many other factors that are much more strongly correlated with%2C and probably causally related to%2C violent crime in general and gun violence in particular than the restrictiveness or liberality of firearm legislation%2C such as poverty or corruption. While there%27s psychological and political reasons why the discussion around reducing violent crime in the U.S. frequently revolves around guns and gun laws%2C I%27ve long been of the opinion that passing new gun laws while neglecting social welfare is at best inefficient%2C given the costs of enforcement%2C and most likely completely ineffective.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bhr %2F%5D%5Bsmall%5D%22Mathematics brought rigor to economics. Unfortunately%2C it also brought mortis.%22%0D%0A - Kenneth Boulding%5B%2Fsmall%5D%5Bhr %2F%5D
7|3|3|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||11:54:50|04/02/2014|%3EI would submit that this isn%27t a social reason%2C or at least not %0D%0A%3Eentirely%3B it%27s a political reason%2C and actually quite a smart one. %0D%0A%0D%0AFuck public policy.  I%27m tired of being circumscribed because other people can%27t be bothered to do things right.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
8|4|7|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Mercutio||12:05:14|04/02/2014|%0D%0A%3EFuck public policy.  I%27m tired of being circumscribed because other %0D%0A%3Epeople can%27t be bothered to do things right. %0D%0A%0D%0AI would submit%2C sadly and without an ounce of snark%2C that %22being circumscribed because other people can%27t be bothered to do things right%22 is sort of the bedrock of a lot of policy crafting.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s sort of the political equivalent of %22this is why we can%27t have nice things.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
9|5|8|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||12:10:50|04/02/2014|%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EFuck public policy.  I%27m tired of being circumscribed because other %0D%0A%3E%3Epeople can%27t be bothered to do things right. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI would submit%2C sadly and without an ounce of snark%2C that %22being %0D%0A%3Ecircumscribed because other people can%27t be bothered to do things %0D%0A%3Eright%22 is sort of the bedrock of a lot of policy crafting. %0D%0A%0D%0AAnd you%27d be quite right%21  Ergo%2C %22Fuck public policy.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI had more%2C but my interclass gap is too short.%0D%0A%0D%0AFermat%27s post%2C as it were.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
10|6|9|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Mercutio||12:34:39|04/02/2014|%0D%0A%3EAnd you%27d be quite right%21  Ergo%2C %22Fuck public policy.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AOh man%2C can we get into a discussion about Exit%2C Voice%2C and Loyalty%3F Because I bet that argument would consume%2C like%2C two or three days at %5Bi%5Dleast%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Two or three %5Bi%5Dawesome%5B%2Fi%5D days.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat
11|7|10|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||13:06:54|04/02/2014|%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EAnd you%27d be quite right%21  Ergo%2C %22Fuck public policy.%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EOh man%2C can we get into a discussion about Exit%2C Voice%2C and Loyalty%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AMagic Eight-Ball%2C what do you think%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btt%5DSigns point to no.%5B%2Ftt%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
5|2|1|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Offsides||07:52:58|04/02/2014|This has got to be one of the most reasonable and rational arguments for owning guns I%27ve ever seen. How dare you%21 %3AP%0D%0A%0D%0ASeriously%2C I%27m still leery of letting to many people have massive firepower near me simply due to the law of averages%2C but people like you don%27t worry me at all%2C if for no other reason than you%27re honest about it.%0D%0A%0D%0AOffsides%0D%0A%0D%0A%26%2391%3B...%26%2393%3B in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.%0D%0A    -- David Ben Gurion%0D%0AEPU RCW %23%26pi%3B%0D%0A%23include %3Cstdsig.h%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A
2|1|0|||||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Malkarris||23:04:11|04/01/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-01-14 AT 11:06 PM (EDT)]As someone from western Washington%2C and all its hippie tree hugging-ness%2C I say any gun is overkill for any of those things.  %0D%0A%0D%0AAfter asking my wife%2C from Texas and with ancestors from swamp country in Louisiana%2C she says the only %22varmint%22 you need one of those for is the two legged variety%2C coming in varieties such as ex-husband and get the heck off my lawn.  %0D%0A%0D%0AVarmint needing more than a squirrel gun includes gator%2C for which she recommends a shot-gun.  %0D%0A%0D%0AEDIT%3A after seeings Gryphons post%2C I%27ll add that shooting milk cartons and such like is a perfectly good excuse%2C and more people should adopt it.  
13|2|2|||||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|DaemeonX||03:47:02|04/03/2014|Seeing as I live in Alaska I have rather loose ideals of what is proper strength in a side arm%2C or a rifle for that matter. When out fishing I like having something that I can point at Mr. Bear to advise that%3B while I AM going to hand him the 15 pound silver salmon%2C he had better not go any farther than that. This fact goes into critical mass when my son and daughter are around. %0D%0A%0D%0A
15|3|13|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Terminus Est||21:00:16|04/03/2014|Living out in the sticks down here in the deep south%2C I%27d also like to hazard that%2C while large caliber handguns or rifles may not be absolutely necessary%2C going for a hike without at least %2Asome%2A firepower is a fool%27s errand.  We grow snakes %2Abig%2A here%2C and not all of them are polite enough to wave their tails around so we can hear them coming.  Even the ones that do tend to be viewed as a %27shoot now%2C ask questions at a safe distance - say%2C three miles%27 sort of thing.%0D%0A%0D%0AOf course%2C there are those of us who just carry big sticks around to deal with them.  I am not one of these.
19|4|15|||||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|thorr_kan||10:06:30|04/04/2014|%3ELiving out in the sticks down here in the deep south%0D%0A%3CSNIP%21%3E %0D%0A%3EWe grow snakes %2Abig%2A here%2C%0D%0A%0D%0ATo heck with the snakes%2C I%27ve seen the Russian boar reports  from various state and federal agencies.  %2AThose%2A are what I%27d worry about.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28You%27re probably more likely to encounter snakes.  My hindbrain ignores this logic.%29
20|5|19|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|The Traitor||10:46:08|04/04/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-04-14 AT 10:48 AM (EDT)]Living in the United Kingdom%2C I%27m okay with US citizens having guns in the US. Keep them there. And for goodness%27 sake do more rigorous background checks. It is not that big of a deal to ask a man in last season%27s tinfoil if he really needs another military grade assault rifle. I needed more strenuous checks to work in an arcade that offers children%27s parties than I would have had to undergo to buy a thing that I could conceivably use to fill a children%27s party full of lead. That seems weird to me.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C given how much facenoise has been spent on drone warfare%2C I think it%27s kind of adorable that people in the US think armed rebellion%27ll accomplish anything other than being a large Predator-provided blast radius.%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22She%27s old%2C she%27s lame%2C she%27s barren too%2C %2F%2F %22She%27s not worth feed or hay%2C %2F%2F %22But I%27ll give her this%2C%22 - he blew smoke at me - %2F%2F %22She was something in her day.%22 -- Garnet Rogers%2C %5Bi%5DSmall Victory%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFiMFiction.net%3A we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have %5Bi%5Dstandards%5B%2Fi%5D.
21|6|20|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||10:51:47|04/04/2014|Y%27know%2C guys%2C I find I can%27t help but be slightly depressed that Asami%27s very first UF screen appearance didn%27t even cross the %26l%3BView All%26r%3B threshold%2C but THIS just keeps going and going.  I%27ve tried to keep from whining about that%2C but fuck it%2C I have to try and get to class on about 2%2F3 of one working leg right now and I am out of KC%26CO.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C how kind of you to acknowledge US sovereignty in US internal affairs.  Very magnanimous considering how fresh the memory of the revolution must be. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
23|7|21|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Terminus Est||11:44:52|04/04/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-04-14 AT 11:45 AM (EDT)]Well%2C I hate to say it%2C but I%27m not a terribly huge fan of Green Lantern%2C and the only way I know Avatar canon at all is through you guys.  That said%3A  I think she%27d do a hell of a lot better job than any of the canonical ones%2C and she looks a damn sight better than any of them%2C too.%0D%0A%0D%0AGuns%2C on the other hand%2C well... they%27re something I can relate to.  Just sayin%27.%0D%0A%0D%0APlus%2C y%27know.  Lurker.
24|8|23|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||11:55:04|04/04/2014|%3EWell%2C I hate to say it%2C but I%27m not a terribly huge fan of Green %0D%0A%3ELantern%2C and the only way I know Avatar canon at all is through you %0D%0A%3Eguys.  That said%3A  I think she%27d do a hell of a lot better job than %0D%0A%3Eany of the canonical ones%2C and she looks a damn sight better than any %0D%0A%3Eof them%2C too. %0D%0A%0D%0A... what%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
26|9|24|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|MoonEyes||14:56:02|04/04/2014|%3E... what%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E--G. %0D%0A%0D%0AI presume %27Asami%3DGreen Lantern-image%2C and this is why I didn%27t say anything about it%2C but have said things about guns.%27 Sort of%2C at least.%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AGott%27s Leetle Feesh in Trousers%21
27|10|26|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||17:04:51|04/04/2014|%3E%3E... what%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI presume %27Asami%3DGreen Lantern-image%2C and this is why I didn%27t say %0D%0A%3Eanything about it%2C but have said things about guns.%27 Sort of%2C at %0D%0A%3Eleast. %0D%0A%0D%0AOh.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s not the post I was talking about%2C though.  Hence my confusion.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
29|11|27|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|MoonEyes||07:30:14|04/05/2014|%3EThat%27s not the post I was talking about%2C though.  Hence my confusion. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E--G. %0D%0A%0D%0AWhich is entirely understandable. Personally%2C didn%27t think you were.%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AGott%27s Leetle Feesh in Trousers%21
18|3|13|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|MoonEyes||06:53:40|04/04/2014|%3ESeeing as I live in Alaska I have rather loose ideals of what is %0D%0A%3Eproper strength in a side arm%2C or a rifle for that matter. When out %0D%0A%3Efishing I like having something that I can point at Mr. Bear to advise %0D%0A%3Ethat%3B while I AM going to hand him the 15 pound silver salmon%2C he had %0D%0A%3Ebetter not go any farther than that. This fact goes into critical mass %0D%0A%3Ewhen my son and daughter are around. %0D%0A%0D%0ALiving in a country about on the same geographical level as Alaska%2C and thus having about the same chance to see interesting aminuls of the type%2C I still have to say that the day I see myself successfully arguing %27big gun%27 to any of those animals is...far away. If I point anything at Mr. Bear%2C Mr. Wolf or any of their friends%2C they generally tend to ignore that as being irrelevant. So%2C I%27m much impressed with the level of comprehension of the wildlife of Alaska...%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AGott%27s Leetle Feesh in Trousers%21
22|4|18|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Terminus Est||11:42:00|04/04/2014|I think it has rather more to do with the clicking than the pointing of this particular interface%2C if you get my drift.
25|5|22|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|MoonEyes||14:51:28|04/04/2014|%3EI think it has rather more to do with the clicking than the pointing %0D%0A%3Eof this particular interface%2C if you get my drift. %0D%0A%0D%0AI thought so too%2C but at the same time%2C if you click in the first place...I don%27t see how the bear is going to be any too interested in the salmon%3F Ah%2C well.%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AGott%27s Leetle Feesh in Trousers%21
31|6|25|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Terminus Est||10:01:35|04/08/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-08-14 AT 10:02 AM (EDT)]This is the time and place for what those in the business call a %27warning shot%27.  %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThe way it works out in my head%2C at least%2C is thus%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A- Bear sees fish.%0D%0A- Bear wants fish.%0D%0A- Fisherman gives bear fish.%0D%0A- Bear sees fisherman.%0D%0A- Bear decides he wants fisherman%2C too.%0D%0A- Fisherman displays gun.%0D%0A- Bear ignores gun%3B guns can%27t talk%2C silly.%0D%0A- Fisherman fires gun in air%2Finto river%2Fsomewhere he%27s not likely to hit something accidentally.%0D%0A- %28AP1%29 Bear gets message%2C leaves with fish.%0D%0A- %28AP1%29 Fisherman enjoys rest of morning.%0D%0A- %28AP1%29 Bear perhaps remembers that guns can%2C in fact%2C talk.  Loudly.%0D%0A- %28AP2%29 Bear ignores message.%0D%0A- %28AP2%29 Fisherman fires gun again%2C this time at bear.%0D%0A- %28AP2%29 Bear either gets message and runs %28possibly with fish%29%2C or bear gets dead.  Follow either outcome to logical conclusion.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere is of course a third alternate path%2C but it%27s a bloody mess.
28|4|18|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|Gryphon||17:12:46|04/04/2014|%3EIf I point %0D%0A%3Eanything at Mr. Bear%2C Mr. Wolf or any of their friends%2C they generally %0D%0A%3Etend to ignore that as being irrelevant. So%2C I%27m much impressed with %0D%0A%3Ethe level of comprehension of the wildlife of Alaska... %0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s a long-standing argument in Wrangelia about which bears are smarter%2C the ones from Alaskan stock or the Siberians.  %28The Greenlanders and Norwegians stay out of it because they%27re each convinced that a%29 it%27s them and b%29 there%27s no point in entertaining anybody else%27s arguments about it%3B the Canadians don%27t get involved because they perceive the entire controversy as specious anyway%2C since all five groups came up through the same genetic uplift program. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIt also depends on the type of bear.  Alaskan polar bears get advanced technology%2C no problem.  Those %5Bi%5Dbrown%5B%2Fi%5D jagoffs%2C though%3F  Dumber than a bag of hammers and wouldn%27t know what one was for anyway.  Grizzlies are the frat boys of the bear kingdom.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5DThis %5B%2Fi%5DGuide%5Bi%5D entry was written by Ragnar Ragnarsson%2C who may have a personal bias against brown bears.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
30|5|28|||1||RE%3A A Musing Upon Firearms|MoonEyes||07:38:15|04/05/2014|%22I was out walking in the woods%2C when I came across a WOLF%21 He chased me for%0D%0Aseveral minutes before I found a hole. I jumped into the hole and stayed there%0D%0Afor about 43 seconds.%0D%0AI jumped up%2C and there was the wolf waiting for me. He chased me round and%0D%0Around and round. I jumped into the hole again%2C and stayed there for about 33%0D%0Aseconds.%0D%0AI jumped up%2C and there was the wolf%2C dumbass%2C drooling all over the place.%0D%0AHe chased me round and round and round%2C and I jumped into the hole once more.%0D%0AI stayed there for about 27 seconds and then I jumped-%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Christ%2C man%2C why didn%27t STAY in the hole%3F%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22There was a bear in the hole...%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DThis %5B%2Fi%5DGuide%5Bi%5D entry was written by Ragnar Ragnarsson%2C who may %0D%0A%3Ehave a personal bias against brown bears.%5B%2Fi%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AJust maybe. A little.%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AGott%27s Leetle Feesh in Trousers%21