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Crime, The Gun Thing

Here’s an interesting little snippet:

Britain is in the grip of a violent crime wave as thugs run riot on mopeds and motorbikes. Shocking figures released yesterday show the armed thieves are striking more than 60 times every day. In a chilling illustration of the crisis, a young woman was fighting for her life last night after her mobile was snatched by moped-riding thieves. And a motorcycle gang targeted yet another luxury store in London on Tuesday. In Birmingham, a masked gang rammed a car in broad daylight before smashing the driver’s window with a machete and hammer. And masked attackers targeted Michael McIntyre when they stole his £15,000 Rolex.

So, my British friends:  how’s that “no handguns in private ownership” thing working out for you, then?

And for all those idiots who start wailing about the horrors of “pitched gun battles in the streets”, allow me to ask how that’s so much different from what’s happening to you now? Other than the fact that almost all the victims are innocent people, not criminals?

I wonder why we don’t have the “moped-gang” problem in Texas.  Oh yeah, that’s right:  we carry guns, and the bad guys know it.  And as a bonus, we don’t have pitched gun battles in the streets — except of course when the criminals start having wars over drug turf in their own neighborhoods, which doesn’t count because it’s a self-canceling problem.

We certainly don’t have mass stabbings in our streets, because — oh wait!  we carry guns, and the bad guys know it.  (And yes:  I know the latter story comes out of Australia.  Where they too aren’t allowed to own handguns.)

Strange how that all works out.

Wet

Travels

My wallpaper for the past few days (right-click & open in new tab to embiggen):

I know, it would be nice to show a beautiful street scene without graffiti.  Good luck finding one anywhere in Europe these days.

Regardless:  I need to get back to Paris, and soon.

Trendy

Funny Stuff

A new Nordic lifestyle trend has encouraged people to strip down to their underwear when they get home and drink as a form of relaxation.
‘Päntsdrunk’ is a self-care phenomenon that encourages ‘a path to solitary relaxation, recovery and self-empowerment to help you face your future challenges,’ according to a book entitled Päntsdrunk: The Finnish Path to Relaxation.

Hanging around the house in yer undies, drinking booze… round here, that’s called “Every Day”, and we’ve been doing it for decades.  Glad it’s finally been recognized for the important custom that it is.

Except That Icky Gun Stuff

Business, The Gun Thing

Last week I got this email message from CitiBank telling me all about the wonderful new benefits of using their little credit card. Here are the salient areas I want to talk about (and note the emphasized parts):

  • Damage & Theft Purchase Protection:   You may be covered for up to $10,000 per incident for 90 days from the date of purchase or delivery of the item purchased with your card. Please note, coverage provided by this benefit will be secondary (meaning if you have another insurance policy, this benefit will cover only the amount your other policies do not). Coverage won’t include firearms, ammunition, jewelry, watches, tires or items that are under the care and control of a third party including, but not limited to, the U.S. Postal Service, airlines, or delivery services.
  • Citi Price Rewind:  You may be reimbursed up to a maximum of $200 per item and $1,000 per calendar year. Program coverage won’t include consumables, tires, watches, firearms, or ammunition. You won’t be reimbursed if the lower priced item is found at a warehouse club where the merchant requires a membership fee.
  • 90 Day Return Protection:  You may be reimbursed up to a maximum of $300 per item and $1,000 per calendar year. Program coverage won’t include firearms, ammunition, tires, jewelry, furniture or appliances.

All these wonderful benefits will be mine after June 29 — which is kind of ironic because that’s the date I intend to cut up and cancel the card, after paying off the final balance.

And what does that final balance include, you may ask?  Just the renewal fee for my annual membership at DFW Shooting Range.

Quote Of The Day

Politics, QOTD

“Leftist propaganda is usually split into two halves.  The first half invokes a victim group of some sort, for whom we are expected to feel sympathy for their plight.  The second half invokes hate towards a group that is portrayed as deliberately doing down, punishing or disadvantaging the first group.  This process is a kind of emotional dialectic – a thesis and antithesis of oppressor and victimhood.  Whilst the sympathy of the Left for the victim group sometimes comes across as strained, contrived or even hypocritical, the hate is expressed in a heartfelt and visceral way.  This technique is one of the reasons why a debate with a Leftist nearly always departs from any cool rationality and descends into emotional irrationality and contradiction of terms.  Emotions are used in this way because emotions are very, very powerful political tools for manipulation of peoples’ actions.  Whole revolutions have been justified using this technique.” — David Eyles, Country Squire Magazine

Read the entire article:  it’s magnificent.