Arizona

One Night @ the Bar & Grill…

SO…the roomie and I sometimes frequent a neighborhood watering hole cum eatery.  The beer is cheap and the food (while not Brigid worthy) is pretty good.  Above standard bar fare (e.g. bacon-wrapped salmon on a bed of risotto!).

But they have the ubiquitous AZ statute-approved sign for hoplophobes posted upon entering:

Which some unidentified patrons ignore.  Unidentified to protect the guilty.  Otherwise, if unposted, one could be armed, not consume alcohol, and remain legal.  Your State law may very.

Fast backward to the other early evening.

sample, not as actually worn

Roomie and I find a booth, order a couple of beers and food, and she takes note of the pool/poker area behind me.  There’s a guy wearing a frock coat, a tricorn hat (!) and what appears to be a cutlass!!  The coat kinda-sorta covers said cutlass, some of the time, but no attempt is being made to conceal it.

Now this irritated my roomie, as certainly the Arizona bar statute referred to lethal weaponry, not just firearms. (it doesn’t – just guns!)  Ignoring the fact that some of the aforementioned folks were carrying firearms and knives, concealed.  SHHH!

But the other patrons and bar staff didn’t seem to notice or object to said cutlass, or the tricorn hat.  Nor did they object to the folks carrying concealed guns and knives.  Of course, they didn’t know about those.   After a time, the swordsman left.  No one knows when the other patrons departed.

I was unable to see if Mr. Tricorn had his trusty steed double-parked, or what?

Not our boy, by a longshot!

Guns & Ammo Brings It!

(click to embiggen)

I am SO GLAD to reside in the Free State of Arizona! – Guffaw

h/t Facebook

Boy, It Just Doesn’t Stop!

I receive some diverse emails from varied sources.  Last night, not so much…

First from the National Association for Gun Rights:

Dear Guffaw,

“You bet!”

That’s what Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Flake said when asked if he supports President Obama’s nationalized gun-control agenda. ¹

To make matters worse, he’s now touting President Obama’s rhetoric when it comes to expanded background checks.

“All of us Republicans and Democrats recognize that we need more effective and broader background checks,” he recently told Politico. ¹

This sort of Washington beltway blabber is what we’ve come to expect out of Arizona’s Senior U.S. Senator, John McCain…

But watching Junior Jeff fold like a house of cards after spending months paying gun owners lip-service is disappointing. ~

This, after many of us wrote our Senators pleading with them NOT to buckle to Senator Feinstein and the state socialists!  I heard back from Senator Flake’s office just a few weeks ago stating he supported us!  Is he lying?  (I know, his mouth is moving – he’s a politician!)

THEN,

Dear Guffaw,
TODAY, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on Senator Dianne Feinstein’s anti-gun bill…which would BAN millions of commonly owned semi-automatic firearms and BAN ammunition magazines that hold more than ten rounds.

YOUR SENATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU RIGHT NOW!!!

Please call both of your Senators today at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to OPPOSE the Feinstein Gun Grab bill.

Tell your Senators that President Barack Obama’s own Justice Department recently reported that any ban on semi-automatic firearms WILL NOT WORK…unless it includes mandatory gun buy backs, which is federal GUN CONFISCATION!

Senator Feinstein herself told CBS’s 60 Minutes that if she could get the votes “for an outright ban, picking up every one of them — Mr. and Mrs. America turn ‘em all in” she would do it!!!

If you live in Arizona, please call Senators Flake and McCain, TODAY!  Hell if you live in Flotsam’s Mistake, NJ! call them.  And call your own Senators, too.

I’ve called and sent emails, more than once.  They need to hear us…RIGHT NOW!

Don’t count on someone else to do it.  Take action!  Call the number above an let your voice be heard!

Preliminary Truth

Bob Owens blogs about a yet another tragic Border Patrol shooting in Arizona.  Most of us in Arizona are still reeling from the fallout from the shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, and now here’s Nicholas Ivie.

Sadly, the early reports suggest that Agent Ivie was killed by so-called friendly fire, not more of the Fast & Furious guns of yore.  As if this makes any difference to his family and friends.  Or his brothers-in-arms.

Last I heard, the current administration dialed back both rules of engagement and funding for the Border Patrol.  The only reason the onslaught of illegal aliens has abated somewhat is the poor American economy.  Obviously, not enough to cost these brave folks their jobs.

It cost them their lives.

Why aren’t we actively protecting our borders and striving to protect the brave souls who stand in the desert between us and them?

Rather than the vanguard, they’ve become cannon fodder for persons who want from this Country what they can’t get in their country of origin.  And become victims of tragic error.

Apparently, the area of action has much foliage, and it was night during the engagement.  Don’t they teach the Four Rules @ FLETC anymore?

4. KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT’S BEYOND.

Manufactured Domestic Terrorism II ?

Dateline October 10, 1995, an Amtrak train, the Sunset Limited, is derailed in the Arizona desert.  One passenger is killed, 100 injured.

(NYT) ~ A note found near the wreck of the train, the Sunset Limited, en route to Los Angeles from Miami on track owned by the Southern Pacific Rail Corporation, claimed responsibility for Sons of The Pioneers Gestapo, a name that investigators said was unfamiliar to them. ~

It IS interesting it is almost six years to the day before the 9-11 attack, and five months after the Murrah Building.  And that no other attacks have ever been linked to, or have credit claimed by Sons of Gestapo.  (whatever THAT is)

Are we dealing with the same animal?  Manufactured terrorism prior to 9-11?

This case has kinda faded from history.  I couldn’t find any arrests made.

If you’re paranoia-deficient, I found this on the Internet, certain to get your tin foil hat panties in a bunch!
You didn’t hear it from me (skulks away…)

The Case of The Sunset Limited

h/t NYT, The Baker Street Irregulars

Couldn’t find a decent photo of the derailment on the ‘Net anywhere. This is the general location, today.

HAPPY (St.) Valentine’s Day! NOT

I’m (in)famous for asking the same query every year:  Why is it just Valentine’s Day on February 14, and NOT Saint Valentine’s Day?  Unless we’re speaking of the Chicago Mafia massacre?
If it’s about secularizing, we don’t call March 17th Patrick’s Day?  Hmmm? (end rant)
Well, anyway…
I loathe (St.) Valentine’s Day.
Because most of my adult life, on February 14, I’ve been single.  Not just in a boring, loveless relationship, but single.  ALONE.  No love for Guffaw.
Now, to be fair, I was married, and have had girlfriends (at other times, perverts!).  And have happily celebrated the holiday with them.
But, as far as the whole of my life is concerned, the percentage of years wherein the holiday was happy versus my being alone is significantly smaller.
I remember my years at TMCCC, every frickin’ February 14 all the women ooing and ahhing over some flowers and stuffed animals delivered to work for them.  There were even women who sent themselves flowers, to appear part of the group!
This celebration saddens me and pisses me off, a little.  The whole “look at us, we’re with someone” thing.
But, this year’s big deal is going to Starbucks armed to patronize a business who supports (properly) the laws in this State.  Not buckling to hoplophobic nut-bar anti-civil-rights pressure.  Good for Starbucks!
So, no hearts and flowers (again) this year, no one in my life.
But the ability to carry openly or concealed, with or without permit, and purchase an overly-hyped, ridiculously expensive cup of coffee. (I just returned from there.  $1.65 + tax for a tall small!)

armed and caffeinated, February 14 !

Now there’s love…

Arizona Blogshoot?

Kevin Baker, of The Smallest Minority
has put it out there.
Is there any interest in a blogshoot for Arizona bloggers in January, 2012?
Here’s a list of possible participants:
Great Satan Inc.
Exurban League
Sandcastle Scrolls
Guffaw in AZ
Dustin’s Gun Blog
Gator in the Desert
Arizona Shooter
Empty Mags
Eric Shelton
Cowboy Blob
Desert Rat
Macker’s World
Misanthropic
Moonbattery
Vox
PapaTodd
Please let him know, either by commenting on his blog or emailing him @
thesmallestminorityATgmailDOTcom
(Just a suggestion – a post-shoot blogmeet might be fun, too! – guffaw)

Arizona DMV Does Something Right!

If you’ve been following the nonsense I spew here, you know I’ve had a myriad of recent auto difficulties.
Well, the car got repaired, and emission tested – passing, and I submitted the funds, via Internet, to complete the registration, on Tuesday, this week.
My previous experiences with the notarious State DMV are legendary, or at least, annoying.  In past years, I always fought tooth-and-nail not to pay registration fees, because I was mostly broke, and (as a libertarian) I deeply resented giving the government money.  (I still do.)  It’s always been the last thing on my list.
And, historically, I paid the price for my political protests, usually in the form of ‘not current registration’ citations.
In recent years, however, I’ve made an effort to be more responsible, and paid on time, gritting my teeth all the way.  Sometimes, mailing in the form the last day of the correct month, then sweating when the tags would arrive to show my vehicle current.
My tags arrived in the mail, yesterday (Thursday)!

I sent the funds by computer Wednesday!  ONE DAY TURNAROUND!
Government efficiency!?  I’m shocked and impressed.
And now currrent with my car registration.