Recent Filming Projects Take Many Unusual Forms (Inyo Register May 7, 2009)

BS Ranch Perspective:

It looks as if the government has found another way to bolster the economy for the film industry in the Owens Vally, I mean, since the car industry has taken a fall, and cannot produce as many commercials in the valley as they usually do! Now the DoD is taking up the Slack in the Free time of the Back Drop of the Valley to make Training Films for the Men and Woman that are going to Iraq for the War on Terror! The training will be a valuable tool for the American Solder, so I feel that the trade off is a wonderful one, but I still feel awful about the economic slow down in the Auto Industry, so bad, that I did purchase a Truck from one of the failing markets just to see if my purchase makes a difference, after all the Chrysler Family of Automobiles and Trucks are the BEST on the ROAD! Now I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the Ford or Chevrolet vehicles. It is just my belief that when it comes to Trucks, the Dodge Truck is the best on the market, after all they get the same Torque out of a 6.9 liter, that Ford or Chevy gets out of their big 7.2 Liter. Now the biggest difference is that Dodge's Cummings Engine has two less Cylinders and therefor gets better fuel economy with the same amount of torque, hence the better vehicle! Again this is just my opinion, just remember that an opinion is like your but, everyone has one!

I am glad that these training films are being made now, but I am wondering why? Why, they have not been made a whole lot earlier then now? I guess because we have a kinder gentler President in Office now that is the difference, to make training films to show how people should ride in a Hummer when it is in motion in Iraq!

BS Ranch

Recent filming projects take many unusual forms

Humvees at the ready at Whitney Portal and Movie Flat roads as part of a Department of Defense training film for troops in Afghanistan. Photos courtesy Inyo County Film Commission

By Chris Langley
Inyo County Film Commission
5-7-2009

The economic slowdown has had a significant, measurable effect on filming projects locally. By this time each year, the county usually has had 20-30 automobile commercials. This year they can be counted on fingers of both hands. Different kinds of filming projects have been scouting and filming, however, and demonstrate that many new forms, markets and formats are being generated by innovative artists and Internet gurus.
The writers' strike last year ended the hopes of many budding television series, and furloughed feature film production. That was followed by the threatened actors' strike. Although a tentative agreement has been reached, the strike's shadow is still present. Many companies stored their money for films in hedge funds, which quickly evaporated with the enormous drop in the Stock Market.

As the economy contracted calamitously, the three major automobile companies' sales did too, bringing them to the edge of collapse. Now Chrysler has filed for bankruptcy, GM is trying to reorganize and even Ford struggles. With the government involved, the companies have how they do business, and in one sense have changed how they do commercials for marketing their products. GM requires a production company to use its own money creating the commercial, only receiving half the money upon completion and acceptance of the ad. The second half of the money is paid only after the commercial has aired or been published. In fact, the automobile companies are using the production company's money to fund the creating of the commercial. Obviously, production companies are unwilling to front money for a company that may disappear, obviating their need to repay the company.
Nevertheless,Spider Motorcycle, a three-wheel version introduced a few years ago in a commercial made here, Kia, and Subaru all have worked locally in the last months. While they have worked in the Alabama Hills, many of the shoots have taken place on the scenic roads of the county, north and south.
When "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen" opens at the end of June, it will be interesting to see if the show begins with the work done here as originally planned. When "G.I. Joe" opens in August, we'll be looking for Tuttle Creek and Whitney Portal second unit work.
Two very interesting projects have shot here in the last few months. They are very different from each other in style, purpose and intended audience. Neither will be seen in your local multiplex, that is for certain. The Metabolic Studio from L.A. is filming one project and the other is being done under the auspices of the Department of Defense and will be used in training Humvee drivers in Afghanistan to avoid IEDs and terrorist threats.
"Silver and Water" is an artist's film under the direction of visionary artist Lauren Bon who works with FarmLab, and the Metabolic Studio, a collective of artists practicing social sculpture. Rochelle Fabb, project manager, began working in the Owens Valley nearly a year-and-a-half ago, consulting with the Film Commission on locations, history of the area and local resources to create an installation/performance piece being created by Ms. Bon. The group intended to investigate the history of the area that links Lone Pine and Southern Inyo so closely with the city of Los Angeles. The work had many aspects including performance and installation at the PPG Plant south of Lone Pine, Swansea and Cerro Gordo.
Then it would all be filmed on a schema of the "Wizard of Oz" and titled "Silver and Water." The silver is the bullion from Cerro Gordo that kick-started the backwater town that became Los Angeles. The water was the water the city took from the area to allow for development of the megalopolis that exists to our south today. To further their reach into the community for support, they taught a group of local citizens to play the glass harp (wine glasses tuned to specific notes). Called the Metabolic Orchestra and dressed in costumes inspired by the Bauhaus style of design in Europe, the group played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in one of the silos at the PPG. All this was filmed to be incorporated in the film in a public performance.
Additional filming was done over at Swansea where projects involving growing algae for oil extraction as a fuel were attempted. There was even a skywriter who spelled out "Surrender Dorothy." The work of the group continues with the themes of "Film, Fuel and Food," and they have leased property on Main Street in Lone Pine near the Espresso Parlor to develop the "food" component. Work on the filming will also continue. It is planned now that the film will be shown at a new theater up at Cerro Gordo during the Film Festival this year. The group has created a beautiful greenhouse to develop sustainable agriculture and replication of an algae/brine shrimp art installation from 1972.
The other project of note is a training film for a simulator for military personnel driving in Afghanistan. Scouting and staging plans took several months because the film was made in 300-degree-plus panorama with a state-of-the-art digital camera. Actually, the camera was eight cameras all in-synch, and the final film would be projected in the round so the trainees experienced encountering terrorist threats in Afghanistan. Again, the Alabama Hills stood in for Afghanistan as they did in "Iron Man" and a Motorola commercial before. Inyo County, in film terms, is more the "New Afghanistan" than the "Old West."
The shoot was challenging because of the panorama nature of the staged encounters. The director had to ride in the camera car and anyone in the Alabamas camping or climbing would appear as being in war-torn Afghanistan. This required the Inyo County Board of Supervisors to close Movie Road for five days. The supervisors and the county really practice being film friendly when needed. The wind blew some of the days very hard, and as one crewman steadfastly said, "I guess the wind blows like this in Afghanistan as well."
This shoot was good for our economy and of even more value because it would make our men and women in the Armed Forces better prepared for the challenges of the Middle East.
Langley can be reached by phone at (760) 937-1189 or by e-mail at lonepinemovies@aol.com.

San Bernardino Council Approves Firefighter's Wage Cut! (The Press-Enterprise June 1, 2009).

BS Ranch Perspective:

It seems that the Budget crisis is effecting the Inland Empire, and what do you know but there is a city that is willing to take the obvious gamble at loosing personnel because of the shortfall in their Budget! However Unlike the State of California they have taken the bold move to actually go to the Union of the Fire Services and see if they were willing to take a cut in pay rather then lay off's! Being that the Cut in Pay made more sense then the Lay Off's they took the cut in pay so that they were able to try to work through the shortfall, without loosing any Personnel!!

BS Ranch

San Bernardino council approves firefighters' wage cut

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10:00 PM PDT on Monday, June 1, 2009

By CHRIS RICHARD
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino City Council members agreed Monday to a pay-and-benefit cut for firefighters aimed at saving the city $1.4 million over the next 13 months.

Council members approved the agreement unanimously. Firefighter union members already had approved it, union President Scott Moss said.

The agreement, which expires at the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year, marks the final wage concession by San Bernardino employee groups to plug a $9 million deficit in the city's $150 million general fund budget.

The contract calls for an across-the-board 8.7 percent pay cut and does away with an earlier negotiating point that would have cut the city's contribution for health coverage by $664 per employee per month.

The percentage-based pay cut was more equitable, said Linn Livingston, the city's human resources director.

She said the agreement also requires firefighters to sell 48 hours of accrued vacation time back to the city by the end of the month, and another 48 hours before July 1, 2010, the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year. The firefighters would be required to work those hours, Livingston said.

She said that's cheaper than the current arrangement. Under the city's "constant manning" policy, any position left vacant by a firefighter on vacation must be staffed by a co-worker on overtime, Livingston said.

In return, council members agreed to extend a union contract, which was due to expire at the end of this month, for another year.

Further, firefighters will be allowed to log four hours of paid leave per week in a "time bank" for later use.

Until the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year, the contract restricts firefighters from drawing more leave from their time bank than they would ordinarily accumulate in a year.

Supreame Court Rebuff Allows Sale of Medical Marijuana in San Bernardino County... (The Press Enterprise, Wednesday, May 20, 2009)

BS Ranch Perspective:

What is up with the decision of the court to allow the Inland Empire of California to have the decisive use of the "Mary Jane" for medical use! This might be the start of the break down for the rest of the country, and the begining of the break down of the rest of the country to gain the use of the Medical sides of Marijuana for the rest of the United States! But isn't it great to know that it was the Inland Empire that gave the world the Hells Angles and now Medical Marijuana use!! 

BS Ranch

Supreme Court rebuff allows sale of medicinal marijuana in San Bernardino County

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03:11 PM PDT on Wednesday, May 20, 2009

By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County residents previously unable to lawfully purchase marijuana for medicinal uses should soon be able to do so after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear challenges to the state's medical marijuana law.

"The Supreme Court is the end of the road," said Allen Hopper, litigation director for the American Civil Liberties Union's Drug Law Reform Project. "There is no additional legal challenge left for the counties."

San Bernardino and San Diego counties had sued in San Diego County Superior Court three years ago contending that federal drug law trumps California law, therefore making the possession of marijuana in this state -- for medical or any other use -- illegal.

By refusing to hear the case, the court upheld lower-court rulings that rejected the counties' arguments.

Supporters say marijuana helps chronically ill patients relieve pain. Critics say the drug has no medical benefit and all use should be illegal.

California voters in 1996 decriminalized using marijuana for medicinal purposes, and the state Legislature passed a law seven years later spelling out regulations governing its use, including a requirement that counties issue ID cards to patients who have letters from their doctors confirming the medical need.

Riverside County has been issuing the cards ever since, county spokesman Ray Smith said by phone Monday.

Victoria Jauregui Burns, chief of the Riverside County Public Health Department's HIV program, said San Bernardino County residents cannot cross county lines to obtain ID cards because they must show proof of residence to obtain them.

Riverside County residents must also have a letter from a physician and pay a $153-a-year fee.

The county has averaged 350 applicants a year for the past three years, she said, but the volume of applicants has surged in recent months. Some 200 people have applied for the cards in the past three months.

Supervisors in San Bernardino and San Diego, and as many as seven other California counties that have been waiting for the Supreme Court to weigh in, will now consider issuing the ID cards.

San Bernardino County will not issue the cards at least until supervisors are briefed by their attorneys on June 2, county spokesman David Wert said.

The ACLU's Hopper said county supervisors need to understand the meaning of the decision, "so I have no problem with them taking a little bit of time for their lawyers to explain what the legal effect of the decision is."

On the other hand, he said, "It's not rocket science. The Supreme Court said that what the Court of Appeals did stands. The Court of Appeals threw out the counties' challenge."

Scott Bledsoe, of Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains, said he doesn't trust the county to quickly begin issuing ID cards. He said he will lead as many as 50 medical marijuana proponents in a demonstration at today's supervisors meeting in San Bernardino to press for immediate action.

Bledsoe sued the county in January when it refused to issue him a medical marijuana ID, and he says Monday's Supreme Court decision "bolsters my suit.

"We were expecting, or hoping, that the Supreme Court would deny review of San Bernardino's case," Bledsoe said by phone. "We also assumed that they were going to continue obstructing, even after a ruling like that came down. I filed suit so we could get something going."

Fast Action sought

Aaron Smith, California policy director for the national Marijuana Policy Project, called on the two counties to act immediately.

"It's time for San Diego and San Bernardino counties to end their war on the sick and obey the law," Smith said in a news release Monday.

Tom Bunton, a senior deputy county counsel in San Diego County who argued the case on behalf of both counties, said he was disappointed with the Supreme Court decision, but that "I think it does" mean the end of the battle against California's medical marijuana law.

He said he will recommend that San Diego County supervisors begin issuing identification cards.

Hopper said the Supreme Court decision -- while unexplained by the court itself -- "really comes down to the sovereign right that the state has to decide for itself what its criminal laws are going to penalize or not penalize."

He said he is counting on the Obama administration to continue its hands-off policy on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, a sharp reversal from the Bush administration.

Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-9484 or dsantschi@PE.com

Redlands dealership lands on GM's drop list (Press Enterprise, Monday May 18, 2009)

What I don't know is how does, The Elected Official, from the U.S. Congress, know what or who's Dealership in what City or Location is best suited to provide the best services to the people whom want to purchase their favorite General Motor's Vehicle or Chrysler Made Vehicle, since they are closing some of the Dealerships that have the best Sales Records in their Dealership District, with which some of them have kept that Best Sales Record for Multiple Years Running, yet they find themselves on the chopping block as one of the Dealerships to be CLOSED, as part of the Big Picture, that has been designed by the Congress, and the U.A.W. of which has not been able to successfully been able to argue for one of these huge money making Dealerships, which have been showing a profit, EVEN WITH THE TOUGH TIMES THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW! THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DEALERSHIP'S HAVE BEEN SHOWING A PROFIT, for their respective Auto Maker's!! 

Either Congress or the U.A.W. has seen their way to close these big time money maker's to show that they are trying to make these companies Fail! Now I don't know about you, but I don't want to see General Motor's or most of all Chrysler FAIL! ESPECIALLY, under the direction under an Elected Official, somebody that I know that I will not be voting for next year if any one of the auto makers fails all together!! If they do fail it will be from the decisions that are made here at their Re-Configuration in the Chapter Eleven, Rules and Regulations of the Bankruptcy clause! 

If you ask me, the Government took that big chance in loaning that money to the Auto maker, in that they should just be allowing the people that know how to run an Auto Business, Run that Business!! The People that are Elected Cannot even Balance the Checkbook of the American People to the satisfaction that we can have a balanced budget, yet when it comes to anyone else and their money, boy howdy they better have a bowl movement of gold, and it better smell of money and not have any fowl odor of any kind, even if there should happen to be a little gas that might escape when the bowl movement is being laid!! 

BS Ranch

_________________________________________________________________________________

Redlands dealership lands on GM's drop list

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12:45 PM PDT on Monday, May 18, 2009

By LOU HIRSH
The Press-Enterprise

At least two Inland dealerships are now confirmed to be on a list of 1,100 that General Motors plans to drop as franchisees by October 2010.

Owner Bill Hatfield confirmed today that his dealership, Hatfield Buick GMC in Redlands, received a letter from GM Friday that it is on the list.

"We're going to contest this," said Hatfield, third-generation owner of the dealership, which has been in business since 1913. "We're going to make our case to them that this is the wrong move."

"But we want to emphasize that things haven't changed, and it's business as usual," Hatfield said. "We're going to take care of our customers as we always have."

General Motors, facing a possible bankruptcy filing June 1, is telling 1,100 dealerships nationwide their franchises will not be renewed. The company hopes closing dealers will cut competition between GM outlets and keep prices up.

As previously reported, Don McCredie, owner of Tri Buick Pontiac GMC in Hemet since 1974, on Friday confirmed his dealership was one among hundreds that GM will cut ties with based on a letter he received from the automaker. He called it "unfortunate."

Hatfield said GM did not give specific reasons why his dealership was picked for franchise termination. The dealership, which employs 25, is located at 301 E. Redlands Blvd. "It's really rough," Hatfield said of breaking the news to employees and customers.

"Maybe GM looked at their dealer list and said this one's near the freeway and this one isn't, so it has to go. I really don't know," Hatfield said. "I think people like a place where things aren't done the way they are somewhere else. I think our customers like the fact that I'm here all day, and they can come in and talk to me if they want."

GM is not releasing a full list of dealers who were sent similar letters. The franchise cuts will affect 20 percent of its current dealer network.

Some Inland dealerships said they received word Friday that they were spared, while others took a lack of correspondence from GM to mean there will be no change in their franchise pacts.

According to the Associated Press, many dealers have vowed to fight, first through a 30-day company appeal process, then possibly in court.

GM's dealers are protected by state franchise laws, and the company concedes it would be easier to cut them if it were operating under federal bankruptcy protection. GM says it's trying to restructure outside of bankruptcy because of the stigma of Chapter 11.

Chrysler dealers have fewer options because the company has already filed for bankruptcy protection, and federal bankruptcy judges generally trump state law.

Last week Chrysler announced it will close 789 of 3,200 dealerships by June 9. That includes Dodge City Chrysler-Jeep in La Quinta.

At least 13 Inland dealerships have closed since March 2008, amid the auto industry's worst sales slump in decades.

Reach Lou Hirsh at 951-368-9559 or lhirsh@PE.com

DOD Ends Sale of Expended Military Brass to Remanufacturers

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2009

DOD Ends Sale of Expended Military Brass to Remanufacturers

AND SO IT BEGINS...
We all wondered when it was going to start--when the new administration would make their move against us as gun owners. 

Oh, everyone got upset about HR45--I'll bet I got over 100 e-mails warning me about this draconian gun registration bill that had been introduced in Congress.

I was really glad to see Tom Gresham, host of "Gun Talk Radio," an editor, writer, television host on "Self-Defense TV," and one of the foremost gun spokespersons, come out and tell everyone to stop worrying about legislation so absolutely over-the-top--it would never get out of committee.

Tom said save your energy for when we really need it--don't expend it trying to warn everyone in your e-mail list about legislation that would go nowhere.

Now, Tom just interviewed me, and Larry Haynie, owner of Georgia Arms (http://www.georgia-arms.com/), on Gun Talk (http://www.guntalk.com/)--and Tom agrees, now is the time to "...unleash the hounds..." by which he means start e-mailing and writing your senators and congressmen.

Now it has come clear...now we know what they intend to do.

It is an end-run around Congress. They don't need to try to ban guns--they don't need to fight a massive battle to attempt gun registration, or limit "assault" weapon sales.

Nope. All they have to do is limit the amount of ammunition available to the civilian market, and when bullets dry up, guns will be useless.

Think we jest?

Here are copies of two letters sent to Georgia Arms just Thursday evening--effectively cancelling a contract he had to purchase 30,000 pounds of expended military brass in .223, 7.62mm, and .50 caliber:


Dear Valued Customer:

Please take a moment to note important changes set forth by the Defense Logistics Agency:

Recently it has been determined that fired munitions of all calibers, shapes and sizes have been designated to be Demil code B. As a result and in conjunction with DLA's current Demil code B policy, this notice will serve as official notification which requires Scrap Venture (SV) to implement mutilation as a condition of sale for all sales of fired munitions effective immediately. This notice also requires SV to immediately cease delivery of any fired munitions that have been recently sold or on active term contracts, unless the material has been mutilated prior to sale or SV personnel can attest to the mutilation after delivery. A certificate of destruction is required in either case.

Thank you,

DOD Surplus
15051 N Kierland Blvd # 300
Scottsdale, AZ 85254



March 12, 2009

Larry Haynie
Georgia Arms
PO Box 238
Villa Rica, GA 30180

Re: Event 7084-6200:

Dear Larry Haynie,

Effective immediately DOD Surplus, LLC, will be implementing new requirements for mutilation of fired shell casings. The new DRMS requirement calls for DOD Surplus personnel to witness the mutilation of the property and sign the Certificate of Destruction. Mutilation of the property can be done at the DRMO, if permitted by the Government, or it may be mutilated at a site chosen by the buyer. Mutilation means that the property will be destroyed to the extent prevents its reuse or reconstruction. DOD Surplus personnel will determine when property has been sufficiently mutilated to meet the requirements of the Government.

If you do not agree with the new conditions of your spot sale, please sign the appropriate box provided below stating that you do not agree to the new terms and would like to cancel your purchase effective immediately. If you do agree to the new terms please sign in the appropriate box provided below to acknowledge your understanding and agreement with the new requirements relating to your purchase. Fax the signed document back to (480) 367-1450, emailed responses are not acceptable.

Please respond to this request no later than close of business Monday, March 16th, 2009.

Sincerely,

Government Liquidation.



Got that? From now on, remanufacturers of military brass will not be able to buy surplus brass from DOD--actually from Government Liquidators, llc.--the corporation that sells surplus materials for the U.S. government. At least, not in any form recognizable as once-fired brass ammunition.

Now all brass ammunition will have to be shredded, and sold as scrap.

Georgia Arms, who brought this to our attention, is the 5th largest ammunition manufacturer of centerfire pistol and rifle ammunition in the U.S.

"We're right up there behind Hornady," Larry Haynie told me.

He also told me with the cancellation of his contract to purchase this brass, and the ending of his ability to purchase any more expended military ammunition, he will have to severely curtail his operation--laying off approximately half his 60-person work force.

Haynie further pointed out this move is a stupendous waste of taxpayer money--reducing the worth of the brass some 80%--from casings, to shredded bulk brass.

He stated most of this will now go to foundries where it will be melted down, cast in shippable forms, and likely be sold to China, one of the largest purchasers of U.S. metals on the open market.

Haynie was manufacturing over 1 million rounds of .223 ammunition every month, which he sold on the civilian market to resellers, and to law enforcement agencies across the country.

He will start tomorrow sending cancellations of orders for .223 to law enforcement agencies all over the country.

You can expect this to affect every bullet you purchase in the future--with no reloaded ammunition available, the already strained new manufacturers will be unable to meet demand. They are already turning out everything they can build for the military market. The civilian market is stressed to the point even reloading components have become hard to find.

Now, with this hit, ammunition prices will go through the roof in the next year.

Your quality piece, sitting in your gun rack, will become a very expensive wood and steel, or plastic and steel club.

What can you do?

Google "contact members of Congress" or simply type inhttp://www.congress.org/.
When you reach that site, type in your zip code--it will give you all your representatives, senators, and their web pages.

Or you can find the addresses and e-mails of your own senators and congressmen by going tohttp://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/. Both pages have locator aids at the top of the page.



Here is a letter I just sent to Representative Bill Cassidy, Congressman from the 6th District of Louisiana, and Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. I will be sending it to every member of our congressional delegation. Feel free to copy it and paste in your own e-mail, sending it to your legislators.

We have to stop this now!


The Honorable Bill Cassidy
Member of Congress from Louisiana

Dear Congressman Cassidy:

It has come to my attention that the Department of Defense has issued a directive that all expended military brass (fired cases) will now be shredded and sold for scrap material, rather than resold by Government Liquidators LLC to the civilian market for remanufacture.

You may not be aware of it, but there is a severe shortage of ammunition available for sale to the public across the country, causing problems for shooters, hunters, and reloaders everywhere.

Now, apparently the Obama administration, realizing they cannot move against private firearms ownership since the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Washington D.C./Heller case, has made their move in another way.

By cutting off the resale of expended military ammunition to remanufacturers, they have put a stranglehold on the nation's ammunition supply.

Further, they have reduced the return to the government on expended brass by 80%. What was sold for remanufacturer at a fair return to the government, will now cost the taxpayers untold sums of money as the cost of scrap brass is far below the price per pound for expended military ammunition.

In addition, the use of remanufactured ammunition is a huge asset to law enforcement agencies across the country who buy millions of rounds of reloaded ammunition a year from these manufacturers for practice rounds.

With this market gone, law enforcement will no longer be able to purchase inexpensive reloaded ammunition, and with the continuing combat status of military forces across the Middle East, original manufacturers of new ammunition are turning out everything they can make to the government, thus exacerbating the shortage of new ammunition in both the civilian and law enforcement market.

Lastly, in these harsh economic times, does it not strike you as cold and calculating that the Obama administration has no compunction against ruining an industry that employs thousands of American citizens in the remanufacturing of sporting and military ammunition. One major resupplier, Georgia Arms, the fifth largest manufacturer of centerfire pistol and rifle ammunition has informed me he will have to quickly lay off half his 60-person workforce, as he has had to cancel contracts with dozens of police agencies who had contracted with him to supply them with remanufactured .223 ammunition.

Georgia Arms has been practically put out of business by this directive that all expended military brass must be shredded. His current contracts have been canceled, and he is notifying his customers across the country he can no longer supply their ammunition needs.

Please look into this immediately. This move by the Obama administration is nothing but a back-door strike against firearms ownership in this country--if shooters can't buy ammunition, the guns are little better than steel clubs--and this is obviously the intent.

Thank you for your time and efforts in this serious attack against the Second Amendment rights of the American citizenry.

Sincerely,

Gordon Hutchinson

Author "The Great New Orleans Gun Grab"

Firearms Columnist for Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi Sportsman magazines.

taken from: theshootist.net's blog!

Economic stimulus

This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday.
The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"
I thought this was the BEST idea....
I think this guy nailed it!

What a Great Economic stimulus Idea, that will work.


Dear Mr. President,
Patriotic retirement:
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force - Pay them $1 million apiece severance with the following stipulations:
1) They leave their jobs. Forty-million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty-million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.
3) They either buy a house/pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.
It can't get any easier than that!
PS If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and cabinet members pay their taxes for change........

---

A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

The Power of the People and the Disgrace of the Media!! (GOPUSA.com The Loft.. Posted by Bobby Eberle on 041609)

- The Loft - http://www.gopusa.com/theloft -

The Power of the People and the Disgrace of the Media

Posted By Bobby Eberle On April 16, 2009 at 8:04 am

Thousands and thousands of people took to the streets on Wednesday to send a message. They gathered in groups large and small, waving signs, shouting slogans, and calling for real change. Was this a one-time event or the start of something bigger? I'll look at it further, but one thing is clear, in many places across the country, people had to brave the wind, rain, and cold in order for their voices to be heard... and they still showed up.

On the other end of the spectrum was the behavior of the so-called mainstream media. Their actions, comments, and coverage of the tea party protests were beyond unprofessional. They showed in one brief day that there is no such thing as journalistic standards and that they will do everything they can to belittle the voice of concerned Americans if that voice runs counter to their left-wing agenda. Pathetic.

First, the good news. The Tax Day Tea Parties were a huge success. Hundreds of protest rallies occurred on Wednesday, ranging in size from the hundreds to the thousands. From the reports I received, the energy level was tremendously high.

In Cincinnati, 700 WLW radio reported 7,000 people at noon time on Fountain Square. It is pretty big, and it was packed. No politicians speaking just some citizens. It looks like better than 25,000 people attended 12 events in Ohio.
Bill Kintner

The estimate I heard on the turnout in Lansing, Michigan was 4,000 on the Capitol steps/lawn. I ws there, the turnout was fantastic, and the natives are indeed restless!! Joe the Plumber spoke, as well as a few others, but perhaps the most important points made were to the effect that it's not Congress' job to keep an eye on Congress, it's OUR job!
Cheryl Singleton-Thompson

We had 5,000 patriots at Lagrave Field in Fort Worth, Texas! Governor Rick Perry was there and gave a rousing speech to the excited throngs of people! The amazing thing was the diversity of the crowd. There were a lot of vets, and I met two active duty Marines who were in uniform at the event. It was GREAT!
Billy Haas

I attended in Santa Clarita, CA. There were 1000+ I'd estimate. I talked to the organizers. They were simply ten people who were fed up. They all pitched in to get it going, and none of them were "professionals." Massive drive by support - we connected with thousands. Kids with families, empty nesters, young adults in attendence.
Mike Kennedy

We had about 6,000 in Sacramento. Great group of people, mostly first timers. The silent majority is waking up. Lots of great signs.
Bob Lackner

And now some pictures:

Oklahoma City, Samantha Votaw -- The turnout here was great. I'm not a great estimator, but it was more than 5000, could have been 7500, or so. Good stuff!

Ann Graper Manion -- They estimated 5000 people on the capital grounds. There were a lot of enthusiastic and passionate people. This kind of passion can truly bring about CHANGE!

Greg Henson -- It was a great turn out in St. Louis. Some estimates I heard were over 5,000. ACORN was a no-show. I walked around for over 2 hours and only found 1 lonesome counter protester.

Eric Scroggin -- From the Louisville, KY Tea Party

Michael Koffenberger -- From the Harrisburg, PA Tea Party

Becky Flowers -- Tremendous, awe-inspiring turnout! Jones Plaza was full! The overflow was spread all around the perimeter, into the streets. Channel 11 had a helicopter overhead.

Nancy Hite Duerstine -- We were at the San Angelo, TX Tea Party. We had a crowd of 1200! What a day!

It was often asked by some of the Fox News anchors last night about the meaning of the tax day protests. To me, the meaning is clear. People are fed up. They are fed up with taxes, fed up with spending, and fed up with having no voice. The other point that should be mentioned is that Americans from both political parties turned out on Wednesday. From reports I received, some speakers were booed if they got too partisan. The point? The point is that we've seen both Republicans and Democrats turn their back on the American people. Spending, spending, spending, and taxes, taxes, taxes. It is too much, and we've all had enough.

As my friend Shaun Barcelow commented, "I heard somebody on the local radio station suggest that attendees shouldn't bring their kids. Why not? They're the ones paying for it!"

Now, for the media. The coverage was pathetic... but not only that... it was how it was covered that really showed the complete bias and agenda-driven nature of today's "journalists." First, we have this clip from a CNN "reporter."

Anderson Cooper on CNN also carried on with a phrase that was echoed on MSNBC as well. Rather than referring to yesterday's events as tax day protests or tea party protests, these Cooper and others referred to the events as "teabagging" and the attendees as "teabaggers."

In this case, "teabagging" is a sexual reference, and I'll leave it to you to look it up. The main point here is that the media have thrown all credibility aside in the pursuit of their left-wing support for Obama and a socialist agenda. Just imagine if this had been an anti-war protest!

Yesterday, during the day, I was monitoring some of the news web sites to see what kind of coverage was being generated by the tea party protests. Around noon, there was nothing on CNN, MSNBC, or ABC. There was a story on the CBS web site about the tea parties, but it was not such much about the fed-up Americans across the country as it was trying to make the events some kind of Republican operation.

Many Americans are finally speaking out. We need it to continue. We need to keep up the pressure on both the media and Washington. There is so much at stake, and this is just the beginning.

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Fallen Police Sergent Posthumously Named County Officer of The Year!! (04302009) Prince George's to hold Valor Awards Luncheon Today......by Aundrea

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Fallen police sergeant posthumously named county Officer of the Year

Prince George's to hold Valor Awards luncheon today

by Andrea Noble | Staff Writer

The Prince George's County Valor Awards are reserved for public safety officials who have faced danger or risked their lives in the line of duty. Today Sgt. Richard Findley will receive two of the highest awards given by the county police department, the Gold Medal of Valor and the Officer of the Year Award, for giving his life in the line of duty.

Findley, 39, was killed June 27, 2008 in Laurel when he was hit by a stolen truck that he was attempting to stop as part of his job with the District 6 special assignment team.

"He unfortunately was killed doing what he loved to do. He enjoyed going out there and catching bad guys," said Sgt. Jeff Schreiber, who oversees the special assignment team that Findley was a part of. "We know it can happen. If we don't do [our jobs] then society would be running amuck."

His widow, Kelly Findley, 30, will accept the award on his behalf.

"He always liked being recognized for his larger busts and getting the recognition that he deserved," she said. "Unfortunately in order to get this honor you have to die."

A supervisor or co-worker usually nominates a recipient of the valor awards. Each department selects an employee as official of the year and also awards gold, silver and bronze awards for valor, depending on the danger the official faced.

Kelly Findley said her husband enjoyed his 10 years in the police department, particularly his time spent on the street.

"His sergeant's test came in April [before he died] and he said 'Go ahead and file that in the trash,'" Kelly Findley said. "If he would have taken that [and been promoted] he would have been babysitting a larger group."

Findley was a corporal when he died and was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.

"He did great police work, he loved to go out and find drugs and guns," said Schreiber, adding one of Findley's biggest busts on the team was recovering more than 80 pounds of marijuana in March 2007. "He has definitely made his mark in the Beltsville area."

In the time since his death, Kelly Findley, of New Windsor in Carroll County, said the last few months have been a blur but the Beltsville Volunteer Department, and members of the police department have been a huge help to her and her two daughters, Lauren, 7, and Nicole, 10,

"The fire department, any time I call and need something they are there," she said. "They don't abandon their own. It is a true family and you don't realize how big and strong it is until you need them."

Richard and Kelly Findley met at the Beltsville fire department, where Richard volunteered for 20 years and Kelly regularly volunteered up until the birth of her daughters.

Benefits and charity rides have raised thousands of dollars for the Findley family and Kelly Findley said so far she and her daughters have been able to make it by.

"His pension is meager and we get that and the girls get Social Security benefits," she said.

She said her neighbors have helped with a lot of handy work around the house as well.

"Rich wasn't too handy around the house to start with," she said. "But he was able to pull some handiness together for his Christmas in April project."

Christmas in April is an annual nonprofit program in which project teams work to renovate and refurbish homes in the county. Findley was in charge of a team that renovated an elderly woman's house in 2007. He even donated $1,500 of his own money to buy the woman a new water heater.

"When it was all done it was about $15,000 worth of donated supplies," said Schreiber, who added that projects usually come in at around $4,000 to $5,000 at the most.

Kelly Findley said he was always trying to give people a hand.

"He was the type of person that if you saw something you liked, he was about finding the bargain for you so you didn't have to pay full price," she said. "[After his death] I had so many people coming up to me say they knew Rich when he was a kid and he was a great person and he is truly going to be missed."

Her daughters were especially hard hit by the loss.

"Nicole is my very sentimental and emotional child. I can hold it together until I see her cry," Kelly Findley said. "I look at my kids every day and I'm blessed to have them because I have a piece of him with me."

A lot of anonymous gifts were set to the girls. Standing out among them are matching heart pendants with Findley's picture laser cut into them. The girls wore the pendants — their favorite gifts — at the April 21 engraving ceremony of their father's name on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C.

"They try not to wear them too often so they don't get ruined," Kelly Findley said.

Schreiber said at least the girls will be able to see the awards their father received and understand that people were grateful for the work that he did.

"His girls can look back on that, and so can Kelly, and know he was a hero," Schreiber said.

E-mail Andrea Noble anoble@gazette.net.

IF YOU GO

The Valor Awards luncheon is being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today at the Camelot located at 13901 Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro. An official from the county police, fire and EMS, and corrections departments and the sheriff's office and Public Safety Communications Center will each be honored with the official of the year award. Nine officials will receive gold medal valor awards, 10 will receive silver and 40 will receive bronze. The awards are distributed based on the level of danger each employee faced.

Southern Inyo Mining At Risk? (Inyo Register... Monday, April 27, 2009)

BS Ranch Perspective:

Southern Inyo Mining at Risk? Monday 27, April 2009 Inyo Register By Mike Gervais

The Land that they are speaking of has been set aside for the American Public, that is why it is called Public Lands, if they are going to do what they are proposing to do then they are making it Private Goverment Property similar to that of Area 54, a Military Base that is out in the middle of the desert, that the American Public cannot use or even be caught on without being prosecuted for Trespassing! The lands that they are talking about would create a higher then normal area for wild land fires, since the area would not be broken down and cleared as fast as when they would have the four wheeler's, Side by sides, Horses, and the like on the land useing it as the good lord intended us to do! 

Area's where there is no use the sage brush piles up, and doesn't break down as fast as when it is being used, like I preveosly mentioned, all that brush that would just lay on the ground, which by the way would not be used to make a home for anything, that lives in the desert today, Unless you are a Termite, then you have a home, and food for a short time and then you move your whole colony. This whole Idea is moving backwards! It is a terrible Idea! 

Southern Inyo mining at risk?

Monday, 27 April 2009

Cerro Gordo Peak Road will serve as a boundary for one of the proposed wilderness areas in Southern Inyo County. The road, which leads to Cerro Gordo Mine, would be cherry-stemmed if Senator Dianne Fienstein chooses to carry the legislation and it passes into law. File photo By Mike Gervais Register Staff 4-25-2009 Senator Dianne Feinstein is still considering a new set of wilderness designations in Inyo County that were proposed by the California Wilderness Coalition.  Cerro Gordo Mining District President and local minor Mike Patterson said he recently met with representatives from Feinstein's office in Fresno to discuss the proposals and "voice our concerns." Feinstein's office received a request by the California Wilderness Coalition in summer of 2008 seeking several new wilderness designations in Southern California, five of which are proposed for Inyo County's Fifth District, including areas of Death Valley. Patterson, on Tuesday, asked the county Board of Supervisors to write a letter opposing the wilderness proposals to Senator Feinstein, who has not yet decided if she will carry the new wilderness designations in the Senate. The five new wilderness proposals include the Great Falls Basin Wilderness located near Trona on the southeast side of China Lake Naval Weapons Station, the Malpais Mesa proposed wilderness addition on the west side of Death Valley National Park, the Slate Range proposed wilderness just west of the Great Falls Basin proposal, and two wilderness additions within Death Valley National Park, one of which includes the area around the Ubehebe Crater, but does not include the crater itself. Patterson said one of the new proposals surrounds his Cerro Gordo Mine, but cherry stems his property. "Even the mention of wilderness in the mining community is like shouting fire in a crowded theater," Patterson said. He added that in a previous meeting on the proposals, representatives from the Wilderness Coalition admitted that the wilderness designations are being proposed to "block out" mining in mineral-rich Southern Inyo. Patterson said the new wilderness proposals, though Feinstein has not agreed to support them, have already had a negative impact on the area.  According to Patterson, Timberline Resources was looking into an operation in Southern Inyo, but decided to pull out when the Wilderness Coalition proposed the new designations. He also said that there are two other prospectors looking at operations in the area, and they too will probably pull out if discussions continue about the wilderness designations. Patterson said he told Feinstein's staffers that the Inyo County Board of Supervisors had gone on record opposing the new wilderness proposals and they "expressed surprise and expressed that they did not know the Board of Supervisors would hold such a position." "I'm surprised they're surprised," Second District Supervisor Susan Cash said, noting that the board has sent at least one letter to Feinstein's office expressing opposition to the proposed wilderness areas. Patterson said he directly asked Senator Feinstein to say, "in the media, that she would not support more wilderness" in Inyo County. The staffers who were speaking with Patterson said they did not believe Feinstein would make that announcement at this time. Patterson also said that Feinstein's staffers boasted about legislation the senator is supporting that would designate millions of dollars for clean-up and rehabilitation on abandoned mines throughout the West. "I said that they didn't need to spend that money on clean-up if the mines could continue to operate," Patterson said. According to Patterson, the Cerro Gordo Mining District is preparing for the senator to support the designations, and has gone through a reorganization that has given it standing as a federal, state and county mining district. By gaining federal status, Patterson said, the district will have the ability to coordinate with the senator and Wilderness Coalition on the wilderness legislation should Feinstein decide to support it. The Mining District also updated its General Plan by adding new land-uses to the area it covers, allowing for wind, solar and other "natural energy uses," which would be banned in any wilderness designation that is passed. Fourth District Supervisor Marty Fortney was grateful that Patterson took the initiative to meet with Feinstein's staffers to discuss the negative implications to the proposed wilderness designations. "Thank you for meeting with them and continuing with this," Fortney said. "We have to pay attention to our own business," Patterson said. "It's easy for them to ignore voices like myself, but the board's actions are critical." Arcularius moved to write "yet another letter" to Feinstein's office voicing its opposition to the legislation.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 April 2009 )