Camp Stranded

The Stranded house has been looking for some property. Enough to grow some food, maybe enough corn for a furnace. Room enough for my own range to shoot when I want instead of when I can. The place we've used the past few years has a tendency to be under water most of the time, especially since '08. Room for a woodshop so that Dad could look down on it and be jealous.

Today the sellers accepted our offer (The tightwad in me will always think it was too much, but it was at the high end of our range, so...) on a little more than 5 acres.

For now, I'll call it Camp Stranded and The Two Rivers Lodge. Anybody else with a better name, let me know. Here's a picture of the front door to the lovely "cabin":


I'm looking forward to plenty of cool, refreshing breezes over the summer.

Okay, so it's going to need some work, but I've been known to be handy sometimes.

I'll be asking advice from Sam when it gets time to drop a couple of trees. There are some leaners that will need to be dropped soon. Overall, not as many trees as we'd like but we'll remedy that and we'll need to work on some drainage as well.

All and all, a nice little money pit that we can spend time away from work and worry.

That is, if I had time to get away from work and worry.

It's not the perfect place, but it ain't bad. Looks like I have to replace the front door though...

Grassley demands answers on guns to Mexico

WASHINGTON – In a letter to the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Senator Chuck Grassley pressed for additional details about the bureau’s knowledge of the straw purchasers of the guns involved in the killing of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata.


Today’s letter follows a March 4 letter where Grassley cited press reports and a Justice Department press release that raised the prospect that the ATF strategy of allowing straw purchasers to continue to operate in hopes of making bigger cases may have contributed to the shooting of Zapata. The Justice Department responded to Grassley’s letter on behalf of the ATF but refused to provide any substantive information, citing an investigation by the department’s inspector general.

Read more and the letters from Senator Grassley at: Grassley Concerned that ATF’S Risky Strategy of Letting Guns Walk May Have Been Used Beyond Fast and Furious

H/T to Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars

Out of steam, 3/28/11

Upgrade fail, late night utility that's still in the air whether it worked.

Yeah, I'm out of steam for today.

CB&Q 4960 in Elsberry
CB&Q fantrip in 1961

Gun ban update, 3/25/11

Farley passes a ban

Decorah passed a ban as well

"It's not going to stop anything. It's a feel-good measure," [Councilman] Schissel said.

Updated the county ban map on the right. I added the purple color for the partial ban that Linn County put in place (banning open carry but not concealed carry). I also labeled Iowa County as a rejected since the supervisors statements reflected that.

If anyone has anything to add or update, let me know and I will update the map.

Iowa County gun ban update

I've been neglecting this news from last month. The county in which I reside here in Iowa (Iowa County) had a brief discussion regarding banning guns in the courthouse. An agenda item for February 28th.

The local newspaper, the Pioneer Republican (no complete online presence) published an article Feb. 24th, in which our county attorney approached the county supervisors and asked if the supervisors were going to do anything about banning firearms in the courthouse.

A couple of interesting things came out in the article:

(Forgive me for the poor quality of the scan)

The supervisors capitulated and said it was up to the judges how they want to run the courts. Mmm-kay.

One of the supervisors had previously discussed this with Sheriff Rob Rotter and the supervisor summed up that conversation with, "He (Sheriff Rotter) didn't feel the need to do anything with them."

Seems that the sheriff trusts the citizens of Iowa County.

But to me, the most interesting item to come out of this was the fact that the county attorney was approached by the district judges that preside at the courthouse.

The NRA has been threatening lawsuits over these county gun bans. They will need a citizen of Iowa as a plaintiff and one could show up because of being thrown in jail after they are caught carrying in one of the county "gun-free" zones.

If they come before one of these judges who had requested a ban, would any of those judges recuse themselves? They certainly have a vested and one-sided interest regarding these bans. At least in this county.

I'm fairly certain that not all requests for bans came from judges. Most that I've found came from the sheriffs or county board members. But this shows evidence that other governmental entities have influenced these bans.

And the courts will be where this issue is decided.

Let's hope for an unbiased court.

I'm hoping to be back on track real soon

Linn County gun ban vote

Voted 4 to 1 to allow concealed-carry on county-owned property.

Except the courthouse, jail, etc.

Also:
New Weapons Policy In Place For Linn County

Iowa's Rep. King introduced legislation to reform the ATF

Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) have introduced H.R. 1093, the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform Act.”

Synopsis at Ammoland.

Long version: H.R. 1093

Former Police Captain thinks freedom is "drivel"

At least the bill restoring a bit of freedom to citizens is considered "drivel." I guess he doesn't understand that one of the functions of government is to assure the rights of citizens.

The word "optional" should never be included in any discussion about concealed weapons permits.

A restoration of Iowan's gun rights isn't important to this former officer of the law. There are more important things to worry about in the state. Like jobs, jobs, jobs.

The money quote:

As a Republican and former police officer I am appalled that members of the Republican Party would think up the drivel contained in HSB 219.

I'm appalled that this guy once carried a badge but glad he no longer does.

Lincoln Lunkheads: Nebraska proposing a "lock them up" law

It's for the children.

LINCOLN — Lax gun security in the presence of children could become a criminal act under a bill introduced by Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford.

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony Thursday on Legislative Bill 565, which would make it a felony to leave a loaded firearm, or an unloaded gun with ammunition nearby, within a child’s reach if the child injured or killed someone.

Iowa has a very similar law, but I didn't worry about it. Why?

My sons respected the weapon and the consequences thereof. Both of them understood early-on regarding the power of a firearm. (Visual demonstrations have always been effective.)

Added bonus - an "Only Ones" exemption:

In its current form, the bill would provide exceptions for weapons that were properly locked away, obtained via home invasion or issued by the military or a law enforcement agency.

The local constabulary is more important and should be excluded from the laws ordinary citizens are held to.

Or another way to look at it: The Nebraska Senator thinks an LEO's child is less important than any other citizen's child.

Think about that for a second.

An untrained child's access to dangerous objects like firearms, drain cleaner, half-filled 5 gallon buckets, is a serious matter, but should the parents involved in a serious injury or death be convicted of a felony?

Picture this: a 12 year-old picks up a loaded revolver and accidentally shoots their 5 year-old sibling (actual event a few years ago in my community). Under this new bill, Mommy and Daddy could be locked up for a few years. 12 year-old now has no baby sister, no parents and he faces the consequences alone because the state decided their parents weren't penalized enough after losing a child.

The State - Turning tragedy into a crime, one law at a time.