Mapping Stereotypes

A European blogger created Mapping Stereotypes, which I thought was brilliant. An area for addition is to look at the USA by state.

The USA According to New Yorkers:

Bush vs. Obama

Posted elsewhere (not mine), but worth repeating. It certainly highlights the things that the left gives Obama a pass for, whereas they would have hammered Bush:

• If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a TelePrompTer installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?
• If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?
• If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia , would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the nonexistent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?
• If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current in their income taxes, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had stated that there were 57 states in the United States , would you have said that he is clueless.
• If George W. Bush would have flown all the way to Denmark to make a five minute speech about how the Olympics would benefit him walking out his front door in Texas , would you have thought he was a self important, conceited, egotistical jerk.
• If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the 5th of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?
• If George W. Bush had misspelled the word "advice" would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoes as proof of what a dunce he is?
• If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on Earth Day, would you have concluded he's a hypocrite?
• If George W. Bush's administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually get what happened on 9-11?
• If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans , would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?
•  If George W. Bush had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America , would you have approved.
• If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?
• If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?
• So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can't think of anything? Don't worry. He's done all this in two years-- so you'll have two years to come up with an answer.
• I would add this tidbit – If President Bush or any other President refused to provide/prove their valid and official birth certificate, would you approve?

Guns: The Great Equalizers

In light of the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, gun control advocates are frustrated that they can't get much traction for additional gun control.

Guns are the great equalizer. They benefit women, handicapped, and the elderly the most.

Imagine if you are a little old lady. A guy has just broken into your house. You have the same weapon he does. Which weapon would you prefer to both have:

a) brass knuckles
b) a knife
c) a baseball bat
d) a gun

In options a,b, & c the old lady gets killed 99.9% of the time. With option d, she has a much higher chance of survival. Even a warning shot (assuming they are in seperate rooms), is enough to scare him off. Criminals like easy targets. That's why the rob the elderly in the first place.

Guns helped women become independent, because they didn't need to rely on men. Remember the old Westerns were a mother scares off a neer-do-well with her shotgun. Yeah, a gun allowed her to do that.

The best .380 pistol?

Since the beginning of 2008, the amount of compact .380 pistols have exploded. The .380 is considered the smallest adequate round for personal protect. The .380 is actually the same diameter as a 9mm, but has a 17mm length opposed to the 19mm of the 9mm. However, the .380 is smallest enough to allow the pistol be operated on a simple blowback design. (Larger pistols have a locked breach, short recoil operation.) One driver of the increase in .380 guns is the increase in State laws allowing concealed carry have caused the market for compact pistols to explode. I've been able to handle all of these at a gun show and have fired the Ruger LCP and Sig P232.


The first group are very small, DAO (Double Action Only), carry 6+1 rounds,  and look very similar: Kel-Tec P3-AT, Ruger LCP, Taurus 738 TCP, Kahr P380, S&W Bodyguard, Micro desert Eagle, and the North American Arms Guardian.

• The upsides of the group: This group of guns are very concealable and easy to carry. Slips easily into a pocket. (Pocket holsters are more comfortable than inside the waistband).
• The downsides: DAO needs some practice to get a handle on the triggger pull.  Smaller slide and poor size makes shooting  at longer distances impractable. Magazines with an extended grip are need to avoid the dreaded pinky hang. 

The second group are SA/DA. You can pull the trigger in double action for the first shot and the remaining shots are single action. Alternatively, you can cock the hammer for the first shot. These include the Bersa Thunder 380, Walther PPK, and Sig P232. The new Walthers are made by S&W. The Bersa is the cheapest of the bunch and is made in Argentina.

• The differences: The Bersa Thunder can carry 7+1 rounds. The upsides: The longer barrels will result in a higher muzzle velocity. The larger size will also have less recoil. You also will be able to fire the gun at longer distances due to better sights and the longer barrel. Following up shots have a light trigger pull
• The downsides: The larger size makes them not quite as convenient to carry, or more difficult to carry in the summer when you are wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

The last gun is the Sig P238. It is small in size, but slightly larger than the DAO guns. It is based on the Colt Mustang (1986-1997) and is a SAO (Single Action Only), which is similar to the M1911 45 cal pistols. It has an aluminum frame and a stainless steel slide.

• The upsides: Compact, well made. Lighter trigger pull. You don't have to carry it cocked-and-locked, because (with practice) you can pull the hammer back while drawing.
• The downsides: Safety is convenient for only right-handed shooters. Safeties can be something that get in the way if copious amounts of adrenaline are flowing through you. This can be mitigated through lots of practice.

There are other .380 guns on the market. I've excluded models that are so larger they should be 9mm, such as the Walther PK380. I've also excluded models made by a company with a low reputation, such as Hi-Point or Jimenez.

Overall impressions:

• Kel-Tec - seems to be a bit more flimsy that the Ruger LCP or Kahr (all are polymer). There are reports of the slide "biting" when firing
• Ruger LCP - I think this is the best overall of the DAO pistols. It's small, at the lower end of the price range, made in the US, and you can tell its a more quality finish than the Kel-tec. Recoil is manageable: I could shoot it one handed without any concerns. They have a small curved extension at the end of the magazine which helps handling.  The lack of sights makes firing at longer distances slow or inaccurate. I could hit the person target at 50 feet, but it was slower firing. I haven't gotten "bitten" by the slide either. Note: Earlier Rugers were subject to a recall because it could go off if dropped. this has since been fixed.
• Micro Desert Eagle - feels solid and looks nice, but the weight difference over the Ruger is quite noticeable. It may get uncomfortable carrying around in shorts and a t-shirt all day during the summer. It claims to have a gas assisted blowback which would reduce recoil
• S&W Bodyguard - Have integrated laser... and a safety. Safety's aren't needed on DA guns and could get in the way of firing quickly under pressure.
• NAA Guardian - definitely based on the design of the Seecamp 380s. Nice well made gun, but is heavier and more costly. Perhaps the "prettiest" of the group.
• Diamondback 380 - This is the new gun on the market from a new company out of Florida. It looks at feels like a tiny Glock. I'm not a new adopter
• Walther PPK - It's status as "James Bond's gun" is a continuing selling point. Introduced in 1931, it is manufactured in the US by Smith & Wesson.
• Bersa Thunder - Essentially a copy of the PPK. The "Made in Argentina" nature of the gun is a big drawback for me.
• Sig P232 - This is largely similar in design to the PPK, but it lacks the safety. It is a bit lighter, but without feeling any "cheaper". This would be my recommended "winter carry" but the size can be an obstacle to carrying it on a regular basis in the summer. It is much more accurate than the LCP at longer distances.

Manufacturer & Model	Length	Barrell	Width	Height	Weight	Trigger	Muzzle Velocity	Capacity	Cost
Kel-Tec P3AT	5.2"	2.75"	0.77"	3.5"	8.3 oz		819 fps	6+1	$250
Ruger LCP	5.16"	2.75"	0.82"	3.6"	9.4 oz	8 lbs	811 fps	6+1	$300
Taurus 738 TCP	5.25"	2.84"			10.2 oz		802 fps	6+1	$250
Kahr P380	4.9"	2.5"	0.75"	3.9"	10 oz	9 lbs	811 fps	6+1	$525
S&W Bodyguard	5.25"	2.75"			11.9 oz			6+1	$400
Micro Desert Eagle	4.5"	2.22"	0.9"	3.7"	14 oz		785 fps	6+1	$450
NAA Guardian	4.75"	2.5"	0.93"	3.53"	18.7 oz	10 lbs		6+1	$400
Diamondback 380	5.25"	2.79"	0.76"	3.76"	10.1 oz	4.5 lbs		6+1
Sig P232	6.6"	3.6"	1.2"	4.7"	17.6 oz	10/4.5 lbs	893 fps	7+1	$570
Bersa Thunder CC	6"	3.2"	1"	4.5"	16.4 oz			7+1	$280
Walther PPK	6.1"	3.35"	1"	4.3"	22.4 oz			7+1	$520
Sig P238	5.5"	2.7"	1.1"	3.9"	15.2 oz	7 lbs	798 fps	6+1	$550

Muzzle velocity is an estimate based on 95-grain FMJ bullet at 10-12 feet from muzzle. (This is data collected from elsewhere on the internet)
Price is a competitive dealer price for a no-frills version.

The Michelle Bachmann Hit Job

"and popular support for centrist compromise growing" - Really? The writer cites no statistics to back up this claim. The writer infers this support for compromise and then as a result, deems Bachmann a problem.
However, if voters are concerned with Republicans keeping campaign promises, then Bachmann will be a positive force.
Btw, there was never a Yahoo article "The Democrat's Alan Grayson problem" even though he was certifiably insane, and Yahoo has never called Chuck Shumer powered by media attention, although everyone knows that the most dangerous place in the world is to be between Chuck Shumer and a TV camera.
 
 

Slate via Yahoo: Michele Bachmann had a very good 2010, by most measures: She held on to her Minnesota congressional seat by a wide margin, raising more money than any other House Republican candidate along the way. She enjoyed more media attention than ever, beloved as she is by TV bookers for her willingness to be memorably bombastic and serve as a near parody of the far-right. (A recent Huffington Post roundup of Bachmann's "greatest hits" included her comparison of financial reform to fascism, a description of health care reform as enabling a "gangster government," and her conspiracy-minded refusal to fill out the census.) Her savviest move of the year, though, was turning her anti-tax rhetoric into Tea Party stardom and forming the Tea Party Caucus in the House, which made her into the gatekeeper for an important new voting bloc......


If Boehner's gratitude is nowhere to be seen, it is because Bachmann presents a particular headache for the GOP. The Tea Party helped propel Republicans into office by attacking Democrats; now, with the dirty work done and popular support for centrist compromise growing, wild cable TV statements are looking more like a liability. And Bachmann is Exhibit A. But by withholding from her the formal power she believes she has earned, the GOP has probably compounded the problem. As Bachmann's time in the Minnesota state senate made clear, rejection by party elders has a way of energizing her. If things had gone her way, Bachmann might have been tempted to move past Mama Grizzly extremism, but now, she'll be sticking with it. Boehner should have seen this coming.....


 Instead, the steering committee slotted her for the House Intelligence Committee, a rather Machiavellian move: While on paper it's a prestigious assignment, the committee's workings are intrinsically hush-hush. As one observer told Politico, "If you're looking for media and controversy, that's not the committee to be on." That's particularly rough for Bachmann, powered as she is by media attention."