Bureaucratic Nightmare Makes Front Page!

So, Mrs. Drang decided to see if the Seattle Times' subscription department has improved since I ditched them years ago.  (Verdict so far: No.  They're still incompetent.)

Today's front page headline: Skagit County gun shop may have been worst in U.S.

No value judgment there.

So, it seems that the nearly-legendary Kesselring's gun store in Skagit County, WA, was poorly run for years.  They seem to have never heard of modern record keeping or accountning, and, quite possibly, have had only a nodding acquaintance with the laws, rules, and regulation governing gun stores.

Thing is...

How is it possible for a gun store to have routinely made millions a year without ever experiencing an ATFEieio visit? I dunno, maybe that's common, but it sounds like their bank was an envelope or envelopes handled by Mom...

And I have a couple of issues with the list of "infractions", as reported.  (Realizing the reporter probably knows diddley/squat about guns.)

• 2000+ "unaccounted for" guns.  Poor record keeping.  Yes, really an infraction under government rules, but I take issue with ruining a business -- or lives! -- over technical violations with no evidence of criminal intent.
• "Unsecured 'explosive' powder", presumably black powder.  How much, how was it stored, and for how long?  
• "Red Flag" gun sales.  Whole lotta arbitrary rule making there, it seems to me. Why three years?  And why 10+?  Shouldn't the number be based on sales?
• The reporting requirement for multiple handguns in one sale is also arbitrary to me.  Maybe the ATFEieio can substantiate their claim it's an indicator, and they surely will do so in Congressional testimony...
• Poor record keeping, or complicity?: Failing to ensure forms are fully filled out, failing to record the results of NICS checks.

Some of the infractions are so obvious anyone should have known better.  Sales to non-residents of Washington State, for example.

For such a profitable business it certainly sounds like Kesselring's was poorly run for the last decade or two it was in business. But, frankly, it seems to me that most if not all of the infractions they are charged with were violations of bureaucratic fiat.  That is, these crimes were acts that are primarily malum prohibitum, not malum in se. The article, of course, does not distinguish between the two; note claims that Kesselring's was "hindering police efforts to trace any guns found at crime scenes, putting the public at risk."

Or, they were simply lousy businessmen, who at a minimum should not have been held to a strictly cash basis.

I'm not saying  that none of the missing guns were stolen, or that they weren't involved in crimes.

But I do think that the hand-wringing over the poor, hapless ATFEieio's inability to properly police the evil Merchants of Death in the article is over done.

EDIT: Minor correction in third paragraph from end to make it read what I meant to say...

ANZAC Day

Winston Churchill was certainly a great man, but he was fully capable of pursuing stupid ideas to bitter end.

Off we go...

...into the wild beer yonder!

Tried the P51 Porter a week or so ago, liked it so much I bought a couple of six four packs, and when I went looking for an IPA today, I decided to take a chance on theirs.

Wingman Brewers

I'll have to stop by their taproom. Interestingly,

Though we don't serve food, you're more than welcome to bring your own. There are a variety of great restaurants nearby which offer take-out and delivery options. 

I like their porter. Since I continue to be cursed with a pallet that "knows what it likes, but can't describe it", I'll just quote them:

P-51 is a robust and clean-finishing porter. Rich malty flavors highlight hints of chocolate and coffee. At 8% ABV, this dark beer will warm even the coldest Puget Sound nights.

Earworm B, 04/24/2014

Because.

Earworm, 04/24/2014

I Am So There

Hell is other people
Jean-Paul Sartre

Apparently in some circles the prejudice against plain-spoken people* is so strong that it is perfectly acceptable to ignore anything they say, and to tell them that it's their own fault for calling it like they see it.

Of course, when you ask the bigots how this is different from ridiculing or denigrating the opinions or experiences or observations of people based on their skin tone, say, or gender, etc. etc., they continue to not hear you.

***

*Doesn't really matter if you replace "plain spoken" with "tactless" or "asshole."  If you're so offended by someone who habitually gives it "with the bark on",  that you automatically ignore anything they say, then you're a narrow-minded bigot.

Shortest -- and Best -- Graduation Speech ever

A whole 335 words, and 12 bullet points.

1. Many things that are desirable are not feasible.

2. Individuals and communities face trade-offs.

3. Other people have more information about their abilities, their efforts, and their preferences than you do.

4. Everyone responds to incentives, including people you want to help. That is why social safety nets don’t always end up working as intended.

Read the whole thing at Thomas Sargent Shortest Graduation Speech - Business Insider

Bacon!

In comments to a previous post Eric -- who lives pretty close by to be someone I only know electronically -- asked if we'd ever shopped at a local store called Proper British Bacon.

I told him that we had, that we like their sausage very much, and that I've made "pig candy" (candied bacon) using their wares. They now have a second location, and ship.

I don't think they had haggis before.

They do now.

Be warned.

(Edited because formatting.)

By the Rude Bridge that Arched the Flood...

(Lyrics to "Chester")

"...but sometimes it rhymes."

Jews ordered to register in east Ukraine

Jews in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk where pro-Russian militants have taken over government buildings were told they have to "register" with the Ukrainians who are trying to make the city become part of Russia, according to Israeli media.

And here we are with some bizarre cross between Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter steering the Ship of State...

This just seemed cruel...

...so I thought I'd repeat it for everyone back East...

Helpful hint

If every single driver you pass on the interstate starts flashing his brights at you, this is what we call A Clue: Your headlights are off.

The "interstate" portion of my homeward commute generally lasts all of 15 minutes, and I saw two, count 'em two, idjits running dark.

As one of them passed me I could see that she also needed to hang up the damned phone and drive.

These were far from the only behind-the-wheel jackasses I saw today, but they may have been the most egregious.

Maybe.

Wild west! Vigilante justice! Blood in the street!

Instapundit » Blog Archive » THE ANTIGUN PEOPLE ALWAYS PREDICT A BLOODBATH, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENS: After passing concealed-carry law, Chicago has lowest murder rate since 1958.
But we knew that was going to happen...

QOTD, 04/09/2014

John Stockley, in a thread on Tom Kratman's timeline about this story, on Facebook:

I have to keep readjusting my idea of worst case scenario with Obama. I'm down to, "he's unlikely to return Alaska to the Russian Federation without at least asking for the return Seward's original payment."

"Federal Aid Programs for State of Washington Disaster Recovery"

This seems to be the most recent information.

Federal Aid Programs for State of Washington Disaster Recovery | FEMA.gov
Release date: April 2, 2014
Release Number: HQ-14-021FS

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s major disaster declaration issued for Washington.

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

    Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes were destroyed or are unlivable.  Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters.  Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements.  (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
    Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.  (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
    Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation, child care assistance and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.   (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
    Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals.  (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
    Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance.  Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses.  Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance.  (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
    Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact.  This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
    Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence.  (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
    Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans’ benefits and social security matters.

(Those are the sorts of things I was supposed to be helping folks sign up for when I was involved in the Hurricane Sandy response, BTW.  We thought we were going to be passing out blankets and bottled water, some probably had visions of being some sort of shake-and-bake instant Urban Search and Rescue teams, but they turned us into administrative assistants...)

Part of the reason I bring it up is that Mrs. Drang came into the bedroom last night (I had already gone to bed, it was a school night, but I was reading) and told me that on the news they had said that "FEMA is raising money to rebuild houses destroyed in the mudslide so folks can move back in."

While I advise against underestimating the stupidity of bureaucrats, not to mention the ability of The Press to Get It Wrong, I suspect that item number 2

Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.

is going to run into a lot of "We are very sorry, this house/homesite cannot be made safe or habitable."

And then what's a volunteer to do?

Or a political appointee, or an elected official, in election year?

***

Please note that my Wookie Suit is hanging in the closet as I type this. 

***

The FEMA release goes on:

How to Apply for Individual Assistance:

• Due to the localized impacts of the disaster, FEMA will work closely with residents, tribal members and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area on a one-on-one basis. 

• Affected individuals and business owners in designated areas can begin the disaster application process by registering online, at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov.  Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. Online registration is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The toll-free telephone numbers are operating from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time seven days a week until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.

The 'slide itself was localized enough that everyone impacted has probably been contacted. 

I'm sure the scam artists have come out of the woodworks, too.

Ow!

Got to work feeling "meh".

Shortly afteward, my knee started hurting.

No, scratch that, my knee started HURTING!!!!

I left, came home, swallowed some ibuprofen

In the morning I may go see the doc LPN. 

I see that, according to WeatherSpark, the "glass" measured 29.98 inches of mercury about the time I woke up this morning, it was down to 29.96" about the time I got to work, and has fallen to, and since I got home been hovering around, 29.92".  And, yeah, it's been drizzling for the last couple of hours.  So I wouldn't be able to mow the lawn tomorrow even if I was up to it, and wanted to.

s*i*g*h

Earworm "B", 04/03/2014

This probably my favorite by Pink Floyd. I tried to get it played at my retirement party ("Hail and Farewell"), but hey had it at one of the "clubs" in Ko Song Dong, outside of Camp Stanley, and ajashi didn't have any Floyd on the shelf.  I'm not sure he had any rock, certainly not any classic rock.

Earworm, 04/03/2014

Heard this version on the way home from work the other night, it stuck in my head.

When I first heard the fiddle I thought the radio was going out...

I am surprised

Governor Inslee is actually going to sign SB 5956 today. the "Short Barrelled Rifle" bill. I figured he'd let it go into effect unsigned.