Behind the Blogger: The Land of Confusion; or These are the Contents of My Head

I'm sitting in the calm at the center of a storm I can't see, and I'm confused. I'm not even sure there's a storm. And it's as metaphorical as it is literal. It's a weird day, and the full moon is over. So, what's going on?

Weather-wise, I'm finding Ohio to be very a deeply weird place to be. Nevada? Pretty much it's hot and sunny, warm and sunny, cold and sunny, or there are very obvious and clear storms. Here? There can be hourly predictions of 0% precipitation while it is pouring down rain. You can have predictions of certain rain, 100%, with thunder, lightning and the wrath of God, and. . .nothing happens. Right now, from north of Columbus to east of it, where I live, we have simultaneous storm and flood warnings, with the threat of hurricane-force winds, coupled with hourly forecasts of 0% rain and 4mph winds.  Which is it? damned if I know.

The forecasts are actually starting to finally line up, but to the bad
side, not the good.

Couple that with a spouse who is unforthcoming about work strife--but clearly unhappy. Family members with further inter-member strife that seems to only whirl around me when I'm not present (for the most part), and then this deeply weird stuff going on in the news. Sit-ins at the House of Representatives over gun control? A buffoon with the most bizarre hairdo and makeup job as a major party presidential contender (who could win!), versus another that people openly treat as if she's the devil, but only have the vaguest reasons for treating that way (I just don't trust her. . .where there's smoke there's fire!). And an uncertain current lifespace, personally.

I wonder if it's just me, or if the whole country is having a no good, very weird day. Personally, I'm anticipating both a medical and dental visit on the very-near horizon that could either yield easy and quick answers to immediate problems, or lead to protracted, painful, more serious efforts to correct. I am sort of between careers, thinking that at this time, that's the best thing--kind of the perfect thing, as a bridge between life events. But not so much when the spouse isn't feeling the same way. And much of this all came in the space of an hour or two, this odd assemblage of sometimes contradictory, sometimes confusing input.

The U.S. House of Representatives Sit In; Reuters

Reading this, it may not even make sense to you. Part of it is the still not-quite-settled new life chapter The Other Half and I are dealing with after our uprooting from both careers and location, having spent nearly two decades with Very. Little. Change. It may be almost a year and a half later, but much of it is still shaking out, and frankly, still feels surreal. We're doing that while I'm transitioning into my 50s, finding myself with new medical issues (not serious, at least I don't think so), new feelings of mortality and finality (eeeeek!). We're doing that after voluntarily jumping into the abyss from both our careers without the benefit of a safety net (or insurance!). We've gone from living 2,000 miles from family, living in the outer orbits of family events, missing most of the bad and the good of having family nearby; to being much closer to the vortex. We're doing this during the passing of the baton in perhaps the strangest, longest presidential campaigns we've ever lived through.

And I'm typing this on a blog I've nearly abandoned, not really for any reason, other than it just kind of petered out. And here I am, typing what may be the purest kind of old-school web log post of all, the pointless emptying of my head into my online diary! Probably no one will read it. Or if they do, it'll make them angry at me! Such is life, I suppose.

[Excerpt]

House Democrats broadcast 'sit-in' on social media after cameras shut down


Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter's Periscope and Facebook's live video platform to broadcast their "sit-in" on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber's cameras shut down. Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. . .

Read more at: Reuters

The Unavoidable Gun Cliché

From a gun made of words, to words full of guns!
Image from 2Dolphins.com

It struck me, when reading comments regarding President Obama's executive orders on guns, first that we have a hair-trigger overreaction as a culture, whenever even a whisper of "gun control" is uttered. And, more superficially, that we have an inordinate number of gun-related clichés. To the point where it's almost impossible to read a comments section or editorial on the issue without recognizing unintentional double-entendres.

Off the top of my head I can think of:

Give it a shot

On target

Jumped the gun

With a bullet

Lock and load

Lock, stock and barrel

Bite the bullet

Pistol whipped

Missed its mark

Gun shy

Calling the shots

Get the lead out

Shooting blanks

Itchy trigger finger

Going great guns

Zero in

Going postal

Drop the hammer

The whole shooting match

Broad side of a barn

Under the gun

Quick draw

Loaded for bear

Riding shotgun

Set your sights on

Dodged a bullet

Trigger happy

Went off half-cocked

A shot in the dark

Pulled the trigger

Under the gun

I'm quite sure this is a very partial list. Because you find endless variations. Especially when writing colloquially, as most tend to do on blogs or comment sections. It may be as difficult to avoid as Biblical quotes and allusions are for an atheist! It really says something that we're so steeped in gun culture that we don't even notice that the language is shot clean through with them!

Right Wing World: WTF is Wrong with White, Conservative America?

I've voiced my discomfort and displeasure for the level of discourse in political discussion over the last few weeks. There is a far more strident, far more knee-jerk, hair-trigger defensiveness and offensiveness. It isn't confined to the extreme right-wing--or maybe even entirely on the right--but it is pretty much confined to white people. The same folks who are extremely defensive about being accused of racism (indeed, if they are, they'll claim the accuser is playing "the race card") seem to be eager to be openly racially antagonistic.

Image from source, NewsCorpse

After a series of high profile cases of black men killed by police officers being turned loose without so much as a slap on the wrist, many people--not just black people--have been very upset about what seems to be a pattern. Various forms of protest have sprung up, to keep attention focused on the problem. Though several of these cases can be murky to wade through, and often the victim is not as pure as the driven snow, the fact remains: if a cop kills a minority, regardless of his offense (and sometimes the "offense" isn't even a crime), it is rare for him to even be indicted, let alone tried for a crime.

Somehow, this has become a partisan issue, largely right-against-left. It's even been conflated with the torture report, with exactly the same battle lines, mostly right wingers in favor of wide latitude for torture and police use of force, versus the left against torture, and for more stringent review of police methods. Ironically, the right is usually against strong government power, apparently making an exception when it is used against people the right doesn't like. But here's where it gets really weird.

White people pointing guns at law enforcement at the Bundy Ranch.
Image from DuaneGraham.WordPress.com

Two police officers were brutally shot to death in New York City this weekend. And instantly Right Wing World turned it into a political firestorm. The killer (dead himself from a self-inflicted gunshot) is apparently absolved of the crime. Instead, it is the fault of President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Al Sharpton. I have no idea why. And it's frankly disgusting.

If this were merely some anonymous internet chatter, or in the hobbyist blogosphere, that would be one thing. But it's prominent voices on the right, media personalities, elected officials. What the hell is going on here? Why is the right so anxious to turn the deaths of fellow Americans into some bizarre counter-point to a protest movement? No serious figure on the left has advocated violence against the police, and if they have, they would be instantaneously denounced (seriously, if there have been any, I hereby denounce them this instant).

I know that Right Wing World has been racially on edge for a long time, and that for 6 years they've desperately wanted to use the N-word openly. I'm honestly very surprised it hasn't popped out on FOX "News" or talk radio by now. But this is nuts. And it overlooks a very, very important fact: Two Tea Party following, Bundy Ranch protestors left that protest, went to Las Vegas, and killed two cops. How many on the right blamed themselves and their own leaders for that? >crickets<

[Excerpt]

NAUSEATING: Fox News Absolves Cop Killer Of Responsibility For Murders
 
Conservatives have long portrayed themselves as the voices of personal responsibility. They insist that the traditional values encompassed by patriotism and faith demand that individuals be accountable for their actions. But when it comes to the brutal assassination of two New York police officers, Fox News exploits the tragedy to lay the blame on innocent people that they regard as political adversaries. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

Florida Court Hearing Case That Could Make "Stand Your Ground" Even Easier

Image from source, Think Progress

Because Florida. Ugh.

[Excerpt]

The Florida Supreme Court Is Hearing A Case That Could Make Stand Your Ground Even Worse
 
Since Trayvon Martin was gunned down in 2012, there’s been a lot of attention to Stand Your Ground laws that authorize vast use of deadly force in self-defense, but not a lot of reform away from the laws. Not a single state has successfully repealed or even contracted its Stand Your Ground law. Alaska passed a new one. And Florida and Georgia expanded theirs to allow even more defendants to be exempted from criminal charges for gun violence. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

What Happens in Vegas: Jose Canseco Shoots Himself in the Hand

Some reports are saying he shot off his middle finger, others shot himself "in the hand." Either way, the story sounds extra stupid: he was cleaning it, and didn't know it was loaded. What? I always thought he looked a little thick, but even I don't think he's that dumb. Something more to the story, I'm thinking.

Image from source, LVRJ.com

[Excerpt]

Police: Former baseball star Jose Canseco shoots own hand

A former professional baseball player accidentally shot himself in the hand while cleaning his gun Tuesday afternoon, Las Vegas police said. Police were called to Market Crest Drive, near Hollywood Boulevard and Bonanza Road, at about 2:30 p.m. on reports of a gun going off inside a home. Upon arrival, officers were met in the front yard by Jose Canseco, who told them his gun discharged while he was cleaning it, Lt. Mark Reddon said. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Hey, Kids! It's Gun Nuts! (A Rocky Mountain Mike Ad Parody)

Hilarious!
 

Jon Stewart: Open Carry vs. Stand Your Ground

Daily Show Laments Gun Massacre Apathy

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart returned after a break to report on the latest gun massacre. It's a brilliant piece that somehow manages to be funny, and points out the fact that we're just accepting the reality of these things now. That nothing will be done to curb violence, and that the NRA and gun activists will always win, so why bother fighting? Regular shooting sprees are the price we pay for what amounts to a Constitutionally protected fetish/hobby.*

The Daily Show
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*I'd like to point out that I've always been neutral to guns in general, but have been pushed--shoved really--to the anti-side. When I see these idiots strapped to the nines, and showing up "in force" at Chipotle and Home Depot? Well, they're pretty much putting a bow on it.

Gun Fetishists Creep Out Texas Restaurant Staff

 

I've long called extreme gun nuts "gun fetishists." Recently, I saw the term ammosexuals, and that really made me laugh, because it fits right in. I myself have always been Switzerland as it concerns guns and gun rights. But more and more, as the gun nuts (and let's be clear, I'm not talking about all gun owners here) get nuttier and nuttier, I'm finding my neutral position more difficult to defend. Take this goofy bunch in Texas. Please.

[Excerpt]

Pro-Gun Lunatics Scare the Crap out of Fort Worth Restaurant Staff
 
So, imagine the following scenario: you're at work at a fast food place, just trying to get through your shift, like any other day. You spot a whole bunch of guys carrying assault weaponry right in front of the restaurant. What do you do? For the employees of one Fort Worth, Texas Jack in the Box, the answer was "hide in the goddamn freezer and call the cops." That seems like a pretty reasonable course of action to me, all things considered. When a bunch of crazy white dudes with assault rifles weapons start wandering through the parking lot, it's best not to ask questions before trying to get the f**k away. . .

Read more at: Kitchenette

School Shooting: Sparks, Nevada; Teacher Killed

Image from source, CNN

I swear I heard a guy on the radio say--practically in the same breath--that this happened because it was a no-gun zone, and that it shouldn't be politicized. Idiot.

[Excerpt]

Nevada school shooting: Teacher killed, two students wounded

A student opening fire with a handgun he took from his parents. Screaming students running for cover. A teacher, trying to help, shot dead. Two students wounded. The terror lasted just a few brutal minutes. . .

Read more at: CNN

So, About that "Citizen Hero" Theory to End Mass Shootings

This is what I've been saying, but said better. Take a look.

[Excerpt]

Do Armed Civilians Stop Mass Shooters? Actually, No.

In the wake of the unthinkable massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, pro-gun ideologues are once again calling for ordinary citizens to arm themselves as a solution to mass shootings. If only the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School had possessed a M-4 assault rifle she could've stopped the killer, they say. This latest twist on a long-running argument isn't just absurd on its face; there is no evidence to support it. As I reported recently in our in-depth investigation, not one of 62 mass shootings in the United States over the last 30 years has been stopped this way. More broadly, attempts by armed civilians to intervene in shooting rampages are rare—and are successful even more rarely. (Two people who tried it in recent years were gravely wounded or killed.) And law enforcement overwhelmingly hates the idea of armed citizens getting involved. . .

Read more at: Mother Jones

Don't Take Your Guns to Starbucks (Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

Even a heart attack can't keep Rocky Mountain Mike down. Here's his take (to the tune of Johnny Cash's Don't Take Your Guns to Town) on the absolute asshats who insist on making public spectacles of themselves by carrying their weapons into Starbucks (and elsewhere). C'mon, gun nuts, isn't that taking your fetish just a bit too far?

 

Gun Violence: A Recurrent American Problem

For some reason, we're not allowed to point to guns themselves as any part of the problem. Which is curious. When they say "guns don't kill people, people kill people," I always wonder how well these killers would do with a cocked finger. The guns are positively part of the problem. And our fetish for them is no excuse for denying that fact.
 

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School Gunman Stopped by Unarmed (Awesome) Woman

This is a pretty awesome story! An unlikely happy ending to a tense and awful situation. Due to some quick thinking, and a genuinely warm manner, this lady helped save the day, and very probably several lives, maybe even her own. And she didn't need a gun to do it.

[Excerpt]


Nice Time: Good Guy With A Calm Voice Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun



 Here’s an actual hero: Antoinette Tuff, a clerk at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia, who talked Michael Brandon Hill into laying down his semiautomatic rifle and abandoning his plan to commit suicide by cop yesterday. Hill had come to the school expecting to shoot up the school and then to die in a shootout with police; instead, Tuff talked to him for an hour while teachers, staff, and 870 children waited in the locked-down building. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

And in case you want to see a little more on the story, here's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell's take, which is pretty awesome too.

 

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Four Shot Dead at Town Hall Meeting in Pennsylvania

Image from source, Raw Story

There's been a little bit of buzz about the potential for rowdy and disruptive town hall meetings this month, but I don't think anybody expected this.

[Excerpt]

Four dead, two injured as gunman opens fire on town hall meeting in Pennsylvania

A shooting during a town hall meeting in northeastern Pennsylvania has left four people dead and two others are in critical condition, according to local media reports.

“All I saw was the holes go through the hall,” said Pocono Record reporter Chris Reber, who was at the meeting in the Ross Township municipal building. “I saw smoke and plaster flying out, blowing out through the walls. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

North Carolina: Guns Everywhere!

Bartender, I'll have a shot! Image from source,
Think Progress.

It's become almost a cliché that the answer to gun violence is more guns. Basically, the argument is that life--in any area--is so dangerous because of gun violence, that we must be allowed to protect ourselves. With guns! There's a (circular) logic to it, but it's just so friggin' weird. I've been around guns all my life, have friends and family who have veritable arsenals, but I still don't understand this country's gun fetish, I really don't.

[Excerpt]

North Carolina Gun Owners Will Soon Be Able To Carry Firearms At Bars And Playgrounds

On Tuesday, North Carolina lawmakers approved a bill allowing gun owners with concealed-carry permits to bring their weapons to playgrounds, bars, and public recreation areas, although bar owners will still be permitted to deny entry to armed patrons. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) is expected to sign the expansive bill into law soon. The measure will also allow concealed-carry permit holders to keep their guns in cars parked on school campuses. The bill was stripped of an especially extreme provision that would have eliminated the requirement for background checks or handgun permits. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Need a Gun? Now You Can Print One

Image from source, Raw Story

Yeah, I can't see anything bad coming from this. . .

[Excerpt]

3-D-printed gun available for download after firing first shots

The nonprofit group that created the world’s first 3-D-printed gun on Sunday proved that the weapon could be fired.In a YouTube video published by Defense Distributed, 3-D-printed gun creator Cody Wilson fires a single shot from “the Liberator,” which features interchangeable barrels to handle different caliber bullets. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Lawrence O'Donnell on Selling Guns to Children

Earlier, I wrote a post about the company that sells "Cricket" and "Chipmunk" guns--real guns--to children. I think it's a pretty good post, but I have to hand it to a pro like Lawrence O'Donnell. There's a reason he has a television show, and I have a humble little blog. Check him out.

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Jon Stewart: 2nd Amendment the Only One Conservatives Care About?

Jon Stewart raised the topic of the odd conservative fixation on the 2nd amendment to the Constitution--seemingly above all others--in a way that just tickled me. Because I have made this argument countless times both on the blog and in conversation, but I never succeeded in making it this entertaining. Keith Olbermann did it once, but we don't have him to kick around anymore. So, thanks to The Daily Show for making the point so well.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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SNL: Obama Announces Success in Gun Control Battle. Sorta.

I don't know if Jay Pharaoh is getting better at his Barack Obama impression, or if I'm just warming to it.