Walsingham

Well, like I also said, they're not a deterrent against the Army, but Zimbabwe shows how a much more likely tool of oppression (to begin with) would be bully boys. Small arms really are a credible deterrent to that sort of thing.

I think you should have everyone kick off the wake with Mr E's Beautiful Blues.

Speaking of which, what IS he wearing? EDIT: I think I may have found a new avatar. Stylish, don't you think?

Good lyric, great tune.

"Assault weapons" are not assault rifles, as far as this discussion is concerned. They are just some semi auto weapons that "look militaristic". And anyway, assault rifles alone aren't very good at making a credible threat out of a civilian militia at any rate - "destructive devices", which are already heavily restricted (or banned altogether in some places) would be. Is there anyone pushing for the freedom to own a M72 LAW or .50 M2 Browning? Heh... I already said that I thought the defence was stretching creidbility. But if a citizen militia is going to be credible it is completely impossible that it would be armed with handguns. And yes, frankly if you're serious about it then citizes should be encouraged to keep support weapons like mortars, and anti-tank. They should probably also own CBRN masks as well. Because you know war has moved on a bit since 1780.

What if they combine the email snooping with this? They'll arrest you for saying mean things about someone behind their back.

That was my understanding, too. I think it must take unbelievable moral courage to refuse to budge after that much torture.

I've actually fired surprisingly few, considering how many I've been around. My main ones would be SA80 (new and old), a .22 recalibration of a Short Magazine Lee-Enfield, and dinky silenced .22 carbine which was ancient and broke down into parts in a little case like something from a movie. Other than that a bunch of pistols and a shotgun. I dislike automatics intensely, and much prefer revolvers. The new SA80 is quite a good beast, in my limited experience. Although it is aboslutely shocking how long it took to get all the blindingly obvious problems sorted.

But I'm saying that there's a direct contradiction. If the purpose of the weapons is to combat the State then assault weapons are an absolute necessity, not a luxury. As an aside, we were discussing this last night over much good Yankee ale, and it occurred to me that Zimbabwe is another argument which I hadn't considered before. Handguns might not stop the 1st Armoured, but they would make it much more difficult for bands of bully boys to threaten you.

Well, let's see how well you do as a POW in Vietnam for 5 years. I'm just saying, the guys got some pretty big stones. I wasn't disrespecting him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7479758.stm Basically a kid fails to invite two children to his birthday party, and the school claims he has breached their rights. I am literally amazed. How is it against their rights to not get invited to a private party?

The guy can't move his arms above his shoulders! How could he be tarzan?

I'm Ted Johnson. Fallout parenting without the nuclear tedium.

I'm curious that an acccountant would be so iterested in 'pure' accounting. It's like watching a physicist, but not. I think you should develop quantum accounting. It may not even work, but it WILL be a lot better to say at parties.

Wait? The FDA will let you chaps eat all sorts of dubious carcinogens in your water, but Irb Bru is off the list? Irn Bru! Irn Bru! Irn Bru!

The Piranhas

How was America on the wrong end of European imperialism? Shortly after defending the colonies from the French and their native American allies we tried to impose a one penny tax on TEA and they freaked out. Several shockingly incompetent British command staffs later no more colonies. If that's the wrong end of colonialism then which end is The Congo?

Indeed. Although I have yet to go. I think it would be startling.

get yourself some Irn Bru, you hairy fool, and stop this ginger ale nonsense. It's made in Scotland. From girders.

Um, that's kind of universal, Mkreku. It's certainly true in the UK. I don't know why people put up with it. I simply refuse to go clubbing on the weekend. The only time periods I've been up for it more regularly is when I've known bouncers.

Well, I'd certainly agree that removing guns is almost certainly impossible. At least in today's context with organised crime able to funnel in new guns with impunity.

My lawyers are still investigating whether I can have my skull removed and sealed in clear polymers. I'm hoping to make it obligatory for people to have a once yearly football match with it to receive a large trust income. I'm optimistic that it could become a family tradition, meaning you wind up with this once yearly skull kickabout.

There's gotta be a way to hack it... Good man. That was my first thought.

You've got a point. The more we say that guns are American, the more likely they are to want guns. I know I probably would. On top of that it probably strengthen our own wish not to have guns or gun violence and as such we could be said to be leeches leeching off America. Oh I see what you mean. You mean by pillorying them we shore up our own anti-gun stance? Seems a bit crude, though. Not to mention it sucking for the yanks.

You've got a point. The more we say that guns are American, the more likely they are to want guns. I know I probably would.